Chapter 5: First Devour

After squatting for several months, I finally waited for you," Sato whispered with anticipation.

Upon reaching the shore, Sato gently laid Uchiha Shisui's body down and let out a sigh. Raising his right hand, a dense black mist materialized on his palm.

In the blink of an eye, his small hand transformed into the formidable "Swallowing Palm."

Placing the Swallowing Palm on Uchiha Shisui's body, Sato witnessed a mesmerizing sight unfold before his eyes.

The black mist within his hand refused to dissipate, no matter how he waved it. The moment it made contact with Uchiha Shisui's form, it rapidly spread from Sato's hand, emanating an endless surge of darkness.

In an instant, the black mist enshrouded Uchiha Shisui's entire body.

Without delay, an astonishing suction force emanated from Sato's palm.

Similar to the Logia Dark Fruit in the world of One Piece, this suction force drew back the engulfing black mist that enveloped Uchiha Shisui's body.

Within the swirling mist, Uchiha Shisui's lifeless form contorted and was pulled into the abyss created by the suction force, entering the enigmatic black bead as if traversing through space.

Before Sato could inspect the changes within the soul bead, he kicked the short sword that had fallen from Uchiha Shisui into the river. Subsequently, he leaped into the water to cleanse himself of any lingering scent.

Sato was well aware of the scent-tracking abilities possessed by the ninja dogs in this world.

Failing to wash away his own scent would render him completely exposed to the Root ninjas, who could easily locate him based on that alone.

As a mere five-year-old child, it would be immensely difficult to explain why he appeared near the Naka River.

Considering Shimura Danzo's character, it was even possible for the Yamanaka clan to employ secret techniques and delve into Sato's memories directly.

If that were to happen, Sato's identity as a traveler and his devouring ability would be laid bare.

Thus, Sato needed to exercise utmost caution and vigilance.

Having washed away the scent, the drenched Sato departed from the Naka River. He made his way to the water-walking practice area, took another bath, and finally retrieved the clothes he had prepared in advance from a tree hollow. With a leisurely stride, he headed to the market to buy vegetables.

Upon returning home from his shopping trip, Sato didn't immediately start cooking. Instead, he headed to the bathroom to take a refreshing shower.

standing under the shower, Sato closed his eyes, attuning himself to the enigmatic beads within his soul.

At this moment, the mysterious bead gleamed with a black radiance, akin to Sato's appearance after every meal.

However, this time, the shimmering light emitted by the mysterious bead was incredibly dazzling.

The flickering frequency was countless times greater than before, an unknown multitude.

With each flash, the mysterious bead emitted a radiant circle of light.

This halo represented the energy derived from refining Uchiha Shisui's lifeless body.

The energy transformed into a warm current, inundating Sato's entire being from soul to body.

Ever since devouring Uchiha Shisui, Sato had been experiencing a comforting warmth.

In the previous two baths, he hadn't felt any chill.

And this warmth persisted for an unusually long duration.

Typically, the energy acquired through devouring would only endure for a maximum of ten minutes.

Afterwards, hunger would inevitably return within a few hours.

However, upon returning home from the Naka River and the hour-long market excursion, the mysterious bead continued to emit an energy halo, and the warmth remained unwavering.

Sato didn't feel any hunger either.

Nevertheless, with an insatiable appetite, he proceeded to enjoy his dinner.

Upon finishing his meal, Sato observed that the mysterious beads were still radiating energy halos, and the soothing warmth remained constant.

Even in this state, sleep eluded him entirely.

His spirit exhibited no signs of weariness.

On the second day, Sato noticed that the mysterious beads were still emanating energy halos, and the enduring warmth left him invigorated despite a sleepless night.

Motivated by these circumstances, Sato commenced his training and meticulously examined the changes within his body.

To his surprise, there were no apparent alterations.

If it weren't for the fact that the mysterious beads continued to emit energy halos and his body was enveloped in a state of superimposed buffs, Sato would have doubted whether he had truly devoured Uchiha Shisui.

However, it was evident that the act of swallowing could not be falsified.

There are currently no visible changes in Sato's body, indicating that he must wait for the transformation of the mysterious beads to be completed.

In the meantime, Sato diligently practiced his skills day after day, enduring the week-long wait.

Throughout this week, he didn't experience any need for sleep.

He couldn't sleep at all, nor did he require it.

No matter how intense his training, he remained in a state of peak vitality and boundless energy.

Swish—

Following the completion of the mysterious bead's transformation, Sato once again perceived its presence, but this time, his consciousness entered the depths of the mysterious bead.

Inside the bead, a dark space devoid of light or direction greeted him.

As Sato's consciousness entered this space, fragmented memories, reminiscent of edited slides, materialized before him, playing rapidly and intermittently.

These images constituted Uchiha Shisui's memories.

However, they weren't a comprehensive recollection of his entire life but rather a partial collection.

With each memory fragment Sato witnessed, peculiar information seeped into his mind.

These fragments contained snippets of Uchiha Shisui's memories, including certain information and training methods for ninjutsu.

It is difficult to discern how much time had passed before Sato's consciousness returned to reality from the dark abyss.

However, upon opening his eyes, he discovered that the world before him had become remarkably vivid.

Not only that, even a mosquito that had flown past his eyes seemed frozen in mid-air, as if time had come to a halt.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the mosquito wasn't actually frozen but appeared to move slower than a snail in Sato's eyes.

As if realizing something, Sato swiftly rose to his feet and hurried to the bathroom, gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

There, he beheld his own image, with his ruby-like eyes now transformed into a scarlet hue, and a single black tomoe spinning slowly.

This was... the One-Tomoe Sharingan!

"Such a shame..."

Observing the Sharingan in the mirror, Sato didn't feel excitement, but rather a profound sense of regret.

This connection with the mysterious beads was not solely for the purpose of digesting Uchiha Shisui's memories like watching a film, but it also provided new information about the beads themselves.

To be precise, it offered fresh insights into the art of "swallowing."

To fully harness the power of "swallowing," complete individuals must be devoured.

For instance, to obtain more of the target's memories, one must devour them while they are alive.

Likewise, if one desires to acquire all of the target's abilities, the living and intact target must be devoured.

Devouring the transformed energy of a living individual is far superior to that of a deceased individual—it is infinitely more potent.

However, Uchiha Shisui was not only deceased but also an incomplete corpse.

Therefore, after devouring Uchiha Shisui's body, Sato only gained a portion of his memories and bloodline limit, as well as the refined bodily energy and spiritual energy stored within the mysterious beads.

The reason why Sato didn't need to sleep during that week was because he didn't feel tired. His physical and mental energy were no longer constantly skyrocketing. In fact, Sato's physical and mental energy now far surpassed that of his peers. However, this enhancement came at a cost. The energy he possessed was merely a transformation of Uchiha Shisui's deceased body.

After a person dies, their chakra dissipates. If Sato were to devour a living Uchiha Shisui, not only would his body be refined, but his chakra would also be refined, converting it into pure physical and spiritual energy to enhance Sato, the host. If he were to devour a living Uchiha Shisui without taking his eyes, Sato would not only gain an immense amount of physical and mental energy but also acquire Uchiha Shisui's lifelong knowledge and Mangekyō Sharingan.

The maximization of devouring can only be achieved by consuming a living and complete individual. However, by devouring the deceased Uchiha Shisui, Sato only obtained a portion of his memories and a few ninjutsu. Even his Sharingan was limited to just the One-Tomoe stage, requiring Sato to either consume more Sharingan power or evolve it on his own.

In summary, devouring a deceased individual can only grant approximately 50% or even less of their power. To obtain a complete 100%, one must consume a living and intact individual. That is why Sato felt such a sense of regret. Unfortunately, it was futile, and he had to be grateful that Uchiha Shisui was dead; otherwise, Sato would not have been able to devour him and gain his strength at all.

Within these acquired memories, Sato also found what he desired: Sharingan, the Phantom Body Flicker Technique, and Illusion. Uchiha Shisui, known as Shunshi Shisui, excelled in these areas. The Phantom Body Flicker Technique was a ninjutsu developed by Uchiha Shisui, incorporating the basic Body Flicker Technique, the Clone Technique from the substitution Technique, and Sharingan's illusions.

With this technique, Uchiha Shisui could create multiple phantoms that would attack the enemy alongside his main body. The enemy would struggle to differentiate between the real Uchiha Shisui and the phantoms. Unlike the Clone Technique, the phantoms created by Uchiha Shisui wouldn't disappear when attacked.

Consequently, the enemy lacked the heightened perception and reaction abilities required to locate Uchiha Shisui's true body. They had to defend against the phantom's attacks, as any given phantom could instantly transition into the real Uchiha Shisui in the next moment.

This combination of the Phantom Body Flicker Technique, ninjutsu, and phantoms earned Uchiha Shisui a renowned reputation in the ninja world. Even elite Jōnin would choose to retreat upon encountering him.

In Sato's eyes, this ninjutsu was on par with the Flying Thunder God Technique and Uchiha Obito's Kamui in one-on-one combat. However, mastering this technique and achieving great success required the Ultimate Body Flicker Technique and expertise in illusions.

Previously, even with the cultivation method for the Phantom Body Flicker Technique, Sato couldn't hope to reach Uchiha Shisui's level in his lifetime. However, after devouring Uchiha Shisui and gaining the memory imprints of Sharingan and Uchiha Shisui's practice of the Body Flicker Technique and ninjutsu, Sato only needed time to become the second instant Shisui.

Once he swallows Senju Tobirama and Namikaze Minato in the future, acquiring the Flying Thunder God Technique, Sato will become the fastest ninja in the world. With his potential breaking through to Kage-level and his mind brimming with invaluable treasures, Sato is filled with hope for the future.