Chapter 173: Dan's Sorrow

When Tatsuma infused Wind Release Chakra into the Rasengan in his hand, everyone felt that something was wrong. Kushina's feeling of unease resurfaced once again.

Emulating Tsunade's manner, she shielded Minato behind her. Minato wore a helpless expression, but at this moment, he couldn't say much. He just leaned forward, looking in Tatsuma's direction.

As the person involved, Tatsuma naturally knew that things were going wrong. The Rasengan, which had finally found a balance point, now felt like a bursting dam.

The piercing sound, causing severe ringing in the ears, even momentarily dazed Tatsuma. It was precisely because of this momentary lapse that he lost the best opportunity to control the Rasengan.

"Crackle, crackle, crackle~"

A mist of blood suddenly sprayed from Tatsuma's right hand arm, and his skin peeled off like a peeled potato, with drops of blood oozing out simultaneously.

And the spilled blood was instantly shattered into a mist of blood.

"Tatsuma!"

Dan Kato frowned, swiftly performing hand seals. His spirit detached from his body and rushed towards Tatsuma.

"Crack~"

Tatsuma fell to the ground, and the flow of Chakra, continuously infused to maintain the Rasengan, suddenly stopped. Without the Chakra supply, the Rasengan, already heavily distorted, reluctantly dissipated.

"Hiss~"

As Tatsuma regained consciousness, he grabbed his right forearm with his left hand, gritting his teeth. The pain, seemingly affecting every single cell, was unbearable even for him, who had undergone years of training.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Seeing the Rasengan disappear, Tsunade quickly summoned Katsuyu. After Katsuyu appeared, without needing Tsunade's command, it climbed onto Tatsuma's arm.

The special Chakra of Katsuyu greatly alleviated Tatsuma's pain. He heaved a sigh of relief, his body no longer tense, and even took the opportunity to wipe away the cold sweat from his forehead.

"This jutsu is just too dangerous. Don't attempt it again in the future," Jiraiya said very seriously. Even he felt palpitations from that kind of power, a premonition of danger, just like that day in the cave when Orochimaru thrust a kunai towards him.

Tatsuma also knew that the Rasenshuriken should be used in conjunction with Sage Mode, but he relied on his control of Chakra and chose to try it anyway, only to realize he had been too arrogant.

But he quickly shook his head and said, "No, this jutsu may still be achievable."

Hearing this, Tsunade, Dan Kato, and others frowned, wanting to say a few words of comfort, but Tatsuma didn't wait for them to speak and continued:

"As long as I can increase the healing speed of my body, as long as my healing speed exceeds the rate of damage to my body, then it won't cause harm to me."

Tsunade shook her head and directly rebutted, "Such Medical Ninjutsu comes with too great a cost, and besides, you're not yet able to learn it."

Tsunade thought Tatsuma was referring to her Creation Rebirth Jutsu, but what Tatsuma had in mind was another Medical Ninjutsu, one that hadn't been created yet.

Moreover, the cost of that jutsu was much lower than Creation Rebirth; it was Yakushi Kabuto's Yin Healing Wound Destruction.

By preemptively treating the area that will be injured with Medical Ninjutsu, when the actual injury occurs, this Chakra will quickly heal the body.

Perhaps the effect isn't as potent as Creation Rebirth, but the cost is lower, it's more controllable, and according to Tatsuma's estimation, it's sufficient to complement the Rasenshuriken.

Furthermore, this jutsu can not only be used in conjunction with the Rasenshuriken but also for anticipating the opponent's attacks. It may seem like exchanging injuries, but one has already prepared a means of self-healing.

With Tatsuma's current speed and volume of calculation, he can achieve this as well.

However, as a new jutsu, the development of Yin Healing Wound Destruction has many difficult points to overcome, such as storing special Chakra in a certain part of the body.

After refining Chakra, it is continuously consumed along with bodily activity and the passage of time. The body's storage efficiency for Chakra isn't very good. Even if Yin Healing Wound Destruction only requires a brief pause, a method still needs to be found.

Another aspect is the special medical Chakra. Medical Ninjutsu Chakra is actually transformed from ordinary Chakra through jutsu and seal techniques. Unlike elemental Chakra, it cannot be directly refined within the body.

Therefore, the entire process involves refining Chakra, casting the jutsu, converting it into medical Chakra, pausing it on the body, and finally waiting for it to take effect after an injury occurs.

Unlike the Rasengan, which was trained in secret for a long time before being brought to light today, Tatsuma had not previously attempted to research Yin Healing Wound Destruction, as this jutsu requires too much medical knowledge.

And he's lacking in that area.

"It's not your jutsu, sensei. I want to develop a new Medical Ninjutsu," Tatsuma shook his head, earnestly saying to Tsunade, "Sensei, do you have any medical books on the connection between cells and Chakra?"

"Yes!" Tsunade replied without hesitation. Then, she glanced at Tatsuma and said, "Have you come to your senses?"

"Only in regards to developing this jutsu," Tatsuma shook his head again. Tsunade snorted and said nothing more.

Uzumaki Mito, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up at this moment, "The nature of Wind Release Chakra is cutting. It's too dangerous to combine it with this jutsu. You can try using Chakra with different attributes."

Tatsuma nodded. The Rasengan can already incorporate Chakra of different attributes, not limited to just the Five Elements. As long as it's energy, you can mix it in.

In fact, what he produced couldn't even be called a Rasenshuriken. It was even lacking compared to the Wind Release Rasengan sandwiched between the Rasengan and Rasenshuriken, as Wind Release Rasengan can also be stably outputted.

As for Chakra of other attributes, Tatsuma knows a few, such as the Great Flame Rasengan infused with Fire Release Chakra, or the Vanishing Rasengan infused with Lightning Release, and so on.

Even during the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto showcased various advanced uses of his Rasengan, but Tatsuma couldn't replicate them even if he tried.

Even just incorporating the Five Elements Chakra into the Rasengan is beyond Tatsuma's abilities. Apart from the Rasenshuriken, there's no known training process for the other.

He knows a bit of Boruto's Vanishing Rasengan training process, but unfortunately, Tatsuma doesn't possess Lightning Release Chakra.

He has to rely on his own research. Although Wind Release is his specialty, it's not currently viable. So, the next best option is Water Release!

Tatsuma's favorite Chakra natures are Fire Release and Earth Release, and his expertise lies in Wind Release. But in terms of the training process for Chakra Nature Transformation, Wind Release and Water Release take the lead.

As for other ways to utilize jutsu, it all boils down to Chakra control, Chakra form transformation, and the integration of Chakra Nature Transformation.

Thinking, Tatsuma suddenly spread open his left hand. His right hand was enveloped by Katsuyu and thus unusable.

"Hey! Tatsuma, don't do anything reckless!" Seeing Tatsuma frown in thought and then suddenly raise his hand, Jiraiya was startled. He was about to intervene, but he realized that what appeared in Tatsuma's hand wasn't a Rasengan but water!

More accurately, it was water created by Chakra. Creating water out of thin air is a measure of the proficiency in Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation training process.

Tatsuma's ability to create water with Chakra without seals already showcased his prowess in Water Release, even rivaling some Water Release Jonin.

Unlike other ninjas who progress by learning whatever they lack, Tatsuma is an advocate of modular refining. He doesn't need advanced Chakra control, form transformation, or Nature Transformation at the moment.

But Tatsuma knows that this is an essential course of training. Therefore, before he excessively needs it, he focuses on this aspect of practice, which has led to his achievements today.

"Water Prison Jutsu?"

Watching as the water sphere in Tatsuma's hand grew larger, Jiraiya was somewhat puzzled. But it didn't quite seem like it, as there were no hand seals or jutsu applied to the water sphere. It lacked the restraining effect of the Water Prison Jutsu; it was just a water sphere.

"Splash, splash..."

Suddenly, the water sphere began to spin, sinking in the middle while rising around the edges. Its shape transformed from spherical to spiral, no longer resembling a "prison."

"Tatsuma-kun, do you want to test it out?" Dan Kato asked as he observed the water vortex in Tatsuma's hand. But Tatsuma shook his head and said, "It's just a minor change in form. The characteristics of Water Release Chakra don't blend with the Rasengan."

However, Uzumaki Mito seemed to realize something. Her eyes widened slightly as she said, "Tobirama developed a jutsu that allows free movement in water. To achieve this, he studied methods to alter the viscosity of water."

Upon hearing this, Tatsuma's eyes also lit up. He dispersed the water vortex in his hand, and the water created by Chakra disappeared before it even touched the ground, completely devoid of the uncontrollable nature that came with the infusion of Wind Release Chakra earlier.

Tatsuma was about to get up and head towards his own study, which now belonged to him, but he was stopped by Jiraiya. He said, "Are you not interested in these scrolls anymore?"

"These are..."

Tatsuma slapped his forehead with his left hand, realizing it. At the same time, he felt somewhat helpless. He had accidentally started too many development projects, and it seemed he would be busy for some time to come.

Moreover, while it would be fine if there were no other matters, they were currently in wartime, and he didn't know when he might be called to the front lines.

Seeing Tatsuma's distressed expression, Uzumaki Mito shook her head with a smile and said, "You're still so young. You have plenty of time."

Tatsuma finally realized that compared to his peers, he had indeed pushed himself too hard. Some things did require patience and dedication.

At this moment, Tsunade also checked Tatsuma's right hand and saw that it was recovering quite well. She smiled and said, "Yeah, let's go eat barbecue together. Sensei has finally relented today!"

"Hmph! When he's useful, he's 'sensei,' when he's not, he's just 'hey.' Woman, you should change your name to hypocrisy!"

After a moment of disdain towards his sensei, Tatsuma also showed a polite smile, nodded, and then glanced at Jiraiya and Dan Kato. Tsunade was definitely broke, so he wondered who would foot the bill this time.

Jiraiya, who had been the scapegoat countless times before, silently exchanged scrolls with his disciple Minato. Dan Kato, who had never seen the harshness of society, smiled and spoke up:

"Why don't I treat you all? I've been on missions outside the village for years, and I'm starting to miss the village's delicacies. But I'll have to bring my niece along."

"Your niece? You mentioned her yesterday, didn't you?" Tsunade scratched her head. After the Jonin meeting yesterday, she was thinking about drinking, so she couldn't quite remember what Dan Kato had said.

At Tsunade's words, Dan Kato's smile stiffened and became somewhat awkward. He nodded, simply saying, "Uh-huh."

Tsunade didn't catch on, but sadness appeared on Uzumaki Mito's face. With the characteristic slightly hoarse voice of an elderly person, she asked, "What about the child's parents?"

"Not long ago, they had an accident while on a mission up north. They left Shizune behind, so I came back to the village."

Dan Kato's face still held a polite smile, but there was no real warmth in it, just a semblance of courtesy.

"Ah..." Uzumaki Mito sighed. Tatsuma and the others fell silent. Not all of Konoha's ninjas reside within Konoha; some are stationed on the borders or in other towns or Daimyo's residences.

Dan Kato had evidently been on a long-term mission outside the village before returning due to his family's accident. Otherwise, as fellow Jonin, Jiraiya and Tsunade wouldn't be so unfamiliar with him.

The sorrow on Uzumaki Mito's face deepened as she asked, "The child's name is Shizune? How old is she?"

"It's almost seven months."

Upon hearing this, the group fell into deeper silence. A child of seven months old, her mother might still be breastfeeding, yet she's already facing the prospect of going to the battlefield.

For women, the breastfeeding period is already a time of weakness, but for female ninjas, the impact can be even greater. Tasks that were once considered assured may fail due to physical weakness, and lives may be lost.

"Bring the child over. I have some experience in taking care of children," Uzumaki Mito sighed again and said. Dan Kato shook his head, saying, "No need to trouble you. I've already hired a nanny to take care of her. I just wanted to spend more time with Shizune before returning to the battlefield"

Seeing Dan Kato's response, Uzumaki Mito didn't insist. She said, "That's fine. You all go to dinner. I'll stay home. Feel free to come over whenever you have time."

After some thought, Uzumaki Mito pointed to the empty "fish pond" in front of her and said, "There are some things I need your help with."

"Okay."

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