Chapter 48: Uzumaki Rika

Of course, he knew it was impossible to determine its origins, this jutsu was ancient, with roots lost to time.

The essence of the Spirit Transformation Jutsu lay in turning the mind into a spiritual form. Once this was achieved, mastering it was simply a matter of practice and refinement. In this sense, it wasn't too different from other jutsu.

"This technique would be perfect for those in the Uchiha clan who have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan," Akira mused after a brief trial. To him, Spirit Transformation was an ideal skill for the Uchiha clan members with the Mangekyō Sharingan. Undoubtedly, this technique belonged to the domain of Yin Release, much like the Sharingan itself.

Moreover, the mental strength of Uchiha clan members increased after unlocking the Sharingan, though it wasn't their primary focus. Regardless, those who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan had far stronger spiritual power than most people. Compared to other ninja, the Uchiha clan had a much higher chance of mastering the Spirit Transformation Jutsu.

After Minato became the Fourth Hokage, the Shinobi World saw occasional skirmishes, but overall peace had returned. Though the Five Great Nations hadn't signed a formal peace treaty, large-scale wars had ceased, allowing everyone to focus on recovery.

Time passed quickly, and it was now the end of Konoha's 50th year.

After relentless training, Akira had mostly mastered the Strength of a Hundred Jutsu and was now quite adept in it after sparring with his clan members a few times. Although the Spirit Transformation Jutsu was challenging, he had reached a beginner level and could already convert his spirit into a spiritual form. While he hadn't yet mastered the advanced skills of this technique—such as spirit division, spirit regeneration, spirit sensing, or chakra infusing—he had at least reached a workable level.

With the year drawing to a close, Akira planned to go to Kusagakure to bring back Uzumaki Rika. According to the ninja cat's information, Uzumaki Rika was the name of a member of the Uzumaki clan residing in Kusagakure.

Akira believed that Rika was likely Karin's mother. Uchiha Mikoto was three months into her second pregnancy, and since Karin was about a month older than Sasuke, Rika's pregnancy preceded Mikoto's by about a month. It was best to bring Rika back to Konoha now while her movement was still manageable. Waiting until after the baby's birth would only complicate matters.

Moreover, according to the ninja cat, Rika's situation in Kusagakure wasn't ideal. Initially, her life wasn't too terrible, her husband had been a chūnin in Kusagakure, providing her some care. Although she was used as a medicinal tool, her life was manageable. However, two months ago, her husband died in an accident, and her situation took a turn for the worse. Recently, people had discovered her ability to heal others by allowing them to bite her, making her essentially a living blood bag in Kusagakure. At this rate, her survival was in serious jeopardy.

Akira guessed that her ability likely involved redistributing her life force, which was limited. A small loss could recover over time, but excessive depletion would surely endanger her life. Thus, he decided to bring her back.

With Minato in power, the Uchiha clan's situation in Konoha had significantly improved compared to the days of the Third Hokage. Restrictions were far less severe, and Danzo's Root had scaled back its activities, operating with much less visibility.

Leaving the village undetected wasn't possible. Konoha's upper echelons would know he'd left. Without Senju Hashirama's cells, using Kamui recklessly could easily ruin his eye after just a few uses.

Kusagakure was a small ninja village, lacking the grandeur of Konoha and appearing rather primitive. Its streets looked untouched for decades, with a general atmosphere of lifelessness. The villagers wore shabby clothes, their gazes hollow, giving the whole place a feeling of decay.

Suddenly, a commotion arose. Four Kusagakure shinobi with headbands dashed into the village, carrying several barely-alive individuals. They immediately called out,

"Quick! We have wounded! Get that red-haired woman over here, fast!"

As they shouted, the bystanders turned their gaze toward the commotion.

"Injured again? They're so careless!"

"It's nothing serious. With that woman, a bite heals them up completely in no time."

"Yeah, ever since we got her, we don't have to be so cautious on missions. As long as we can make it back to the village, we'll survive."

"You're right. That red-haired woman is truly a treasure for our village!"

As they spoke, their eyes drifted to a locked-up building in the corner of the street. In a flurry of activity, the shinobi carrying the injured opened the locked door and entered.

Inside the dim room, a young woman with long, disheveled red hair sat at the edge of a worn-out bed. Her face was expressionless, her eyes devoid of life, like a soul trapped in a cage. Chains bound her arms and legs, keeping her confined.

Her exposed, pale arms bore countless bite marks, scarred from repeated abuse. Seeing the intruders, the red-haired woman flinched, recoiling into the corner, as if trying to disappear.

"What are you cowering for, huh!?" One of them sneered, yelling, "Hurry up and get over here! Don't make us drag you!"

Trembling, the woman reluctantly stood and inched toward them.

"Hmph!" The man who opened the door sneered, his gaze hardening. He grabbed the chain attached to the wall and yanked it forcefully.

"Aah…" She cried out as she was pulled to the ground and dragged before the injured men. He seized her arm, roughly pressing it toward one of the wounded.

At that moment, an orange tabby cat leaped through the window, brazenly entering the room. Its large yellow eyes took in the scene with a look of disdain.

As the Kusagakure shinobi prepared to chase it away, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the doorway. They turned, and their eyes widened as they saw a pair of scarlet Sharingan glowing in the shadows.

In a series of swift, muffled thuds, all seven people in the room collapsed to the floor.

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