Chapter 190

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"I can't believe I became a follower of Hong in the dream. The gains are substantial, but it's a pity it only lasted three days."

After waking up and looking at the familiar ceiling, Yoichi didn't get up immediately. He was still reminiscing about the experiences in his dream.

This must be the effect of the [Disciple of All Worlds] ability. In the dream, he became a follower of Hong, the Earth's number one powerhouse in the world of "Swallowed Star," just as Hong was teaching his three planetary-level subordinates.

Yoichi, as a follower, got to listen in and learn for three days. Although he slept for just over two hours in reality, it felt like a full three days in the dream.

"Destruction Guiding Technique, Five Hearts Toward the Sky, Basic Mental Force Training Method..."

These were the valuable techniques Yoichi acquired in his dream. He still remembered them clearly even after waking up.

Hong's strength was undoubtedly formidable, almost on par with a Six Paths level Otsutsuki, with attacks potentially rivaling the Ten-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb, and speed comparable to teleportation.

His lifespan was nearly a thousand years, and his Destruction Spear Technique could exert six to seven times the force.

Although Yoichi was very strong, he was still far from Hong's level. Even transforming into Godzilla wouldn't be enough, as he would merely be a punching bag for Hong.

"Let's try the Guiding Technique first. If successful, it's almost like having a permanent Sage Mode, similar to the three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave. Could their invisibility be a natural ability gained from absorbing an excess of natural energy?"

Yoichi suddenly thought of Ichikishimahime, who possessed a unique invisibility ability that was nearly undetectable except by Dōjutsu users. Unfortunately, she refused to teach him, claiming it was exclusive to the Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave and required a significant price to learn.

Today, he planned to attempt the Five Hearts Toward the Sky technique and the Destruction Spear's Guiding Technique. The former absorbed energy from the universe, while the latter modified the method of absorbing this energy.

Yoichi's body was already quite strong, but absorbing cosmic energy to enhance his physique could make him even stronger.

Once he mastered these techniques, shattering a full-body Susanoo with a single kick might not be impossible.

Minato's child was due in a couple of months, and seeing her condition had made Mikoto anxious. Recently, she had been quite proactive every night, seeking comfort and solace from Yoichi.

After coming downstairs, Yoichi ate something and went to the courtyard, creating over a hundred Wood Clones. He left five to practice the Five Hearts Toward the Sky technique, two to research and refine pills in the alchemy lab and guide Rin, and one to report to the Hokage's office.

"In the world of 'Swallowed Star,' humans could absorb cosmic energy because their genes constantly produced antibodies under the influence of viruses, allowing their bodies to evolve. The Uchiha clan is not native to this world, so it's worth a try."

Yoichi and over a hundred clones began practicing the Five Hearts Toward the Sky technique, soon entering a meditative state.

Meanwhile, Yugito woke up groggily. She wanted to sleep a bit longer, but recently, Matatabi had been waking her up for training, and she was too embarrassed to laze around.

Thinking this, she ignored the fact that she had secretly left the door slightly open last night.

After washing up, Yugito grabbed something to eat from the fridge. Breakfast was usually not prepared early in the household, as someone would come to deliver food for Mina later in the morning.

Yugito, needing to train soon, couldn't wait until eight.

"Huh? What's that guy doing in the courtyard, training?" Yugito wondered, seeing Yoichi and his numerous clones, each meditating silently. It was her first time seeing this serious side of Yoichi, who usually had playful remarks about her attire.

"Is he going to guide my training today or not?" Yugito thought, finishing her breakfast. She waited a bit longer, but Yoichi didn't wake up. Even Mina, who had come down yawning, didn't seem to mind.

"Is Yoichi-sama training?" Mina asked, surprised. She rarely saw Yoichi train. Though he used to train frequently, there came a time when he stopped, as further training seemed to yield minimal results.

In the world of shinobi, hard work alone couldn't surpass the limits of one's bloodline. No one could train harder than Might Guy, yet even he needed the Eight Gates to reach the strength of the Six Paths for a few minutes.

The chakra system made it difficult to break past the Kage level through sheer training. Beyond that, it was all about bloodline. Without Otsutsuki blood, one couldn't enter the realm of the truly powerful.

However, the Guiding Technique was different. If one could absorb cosmic energy, they could continually evolve and strengthen their body. Even if cosmic energy wasn't available, absorbing natural energy would have a similar effect.

The method remained the same; only the energy source differed.

Seeing Yoichi's prolonged training, Yugito decided to form a task force for a mission instead of waiting for him. She had been notified about forming a team but had delayed it for training.

Even without using Matatabi's power, Yugito had Chunin-level strength after a month of rigorous training under Yoichi's guidance, mastering three Fire Release techniques.

After Yugito left for the Hokage's office, nearing noon, Mikoto finally woke up. It was almost midday, and even Mina had gone out to chat with Kushina, who was also pregnant but still early in her term.

When Kushina became pregnant, extra ANBU were assigned to guard her, although her movements were not restricted as before.

After a while, Yoichi slowly opened his eyes, along with all his Wood Clones.

"So this is what it's like to cultivate gene primordial energy," Yoichi observed his body, feeling a significant enhancement. The absorption of cosmic energy had strengthened every part of his body—cells, muscles, bones, and organs.

Wood Clone Release!

A massive surge of gene primordial energy flooded back to him from the clones, making Yoichi feel almost overfed with power. His body continued to strengthen, his physical attributes improving significantly.

"This technique is truly remarkable. From now on, I'll devote half my time to practicing the Guiding Technique, mastering the speed and force control of gene primordial energy."

The power to deliver punches comparable to Tailed Beast Bombs and move at teleportation-like speeds would be terrifying.

"Yoichi-kun, are you done training?" Mikoto asked, coming to the courtyard, looking fresh and radiant after a bath.

"Yes, just finished. Mikoto, I've discovered an excellent training method. Once I master it, you and Mina can try it. It could significantly extend our lifespans," Yoichi said happily, kissing her.

Mikoto smiled, "Yoichi-kun is amazing~"

"What kind of amazing do you mean?" Yoichi teased.

Mikoto blushed, "Let's get something to eat. I'll call Itachi, Haku, and Kimimaro over."

Mikoto felt guilty about her recent laziness. Although food was delivered to Itachi and the others in the morning, she had spent the whole morning in bed, not attending to clan affairs or checking on Itachi.

'I can't continue like this. At most once... no, twice more. After that, I'll rest early,' Mikoto resolved, planning to treat the boys to a relaxing afternoon in the village. The Ninja Park was almost ready, and Itachi, Haku, and Kimimaro would be the first visitors.

Soon, Mikoto brought the three boys over for lunch. They greeted Yoichi politely and sat down to eat.

While eating, Yoichi continued thinking about the abilities he had gained. He planned to record the Five Hearts Toward the Sky technique, the Destruction Technique, and the Basic Mental Force Training Method. Hong, being approachable and generous with his teachings, made it easy for Yoichi to obtain these methods. If it had been an evil master, Yoichi might have been a laborer for three days.

Longevity in the ninja world was previously exclusive to the Otsutsuki clan, but now, with the cultivation of gene primordial energy, longevity was achievable. Reaching the planetary level would surpass ordinary human lifespans, with late-stage planetary level extending life close to a thousand years.

There were only a few God Tree fruits, and the entire planet had just two, one of which was incomplete.

Later, Yoichi planned to visit Orochimaru, asking him to research whether gene primordial energy cultivation could be accelerated. He felt the absorption rate of gene primordial energy was slower than in his dream.

Unsure if it was due to the environment or his genes, he wanted Orochimaru to investigate and potentially improve it. Orochimaru would likely be interested in this method of achieving immortality.

...

Kiri had lost its fighting spirit after the failure of the Three-Tails plan, resulting in fewer border skirmishes. However, elite Mist ninjas occasionally infiltrated the Land of Fire to cause trouble.

Mist's last struggle against Konoha involved sending the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to the Land of Fire, hoping their skilled Jōnin would wreak havoc. They believed not even Minato could handle the Seven Swordsmen.

However, the outcome shocked Mist Village. After a tour of the Land of Fire, only three of the Seven Swordsmen returned, and they were terrified. Notably, Zabuza defected with his executioner's blade.

This incident significantly weakened Mist's resolve against Konoha. Their forces were already tied up fighting Suna, and their elite education policy left them with fewer ninjas.

After two failed plans against Konoha, Mist had no strength for major conflicts, only occasionally sending small teams for provocations.

Within Konoha, the news of Might Duy taking down Mist's Jōnin spread, surprising many ninjas, including Sakumo.

He remembered Might Duy and his son's resilience, never considering them weak, but didn't expect such strength.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were formidable; even Sakumo would have needed time to eliminate them. Might Duy, however, kicked four to death using the Eight Gates.

While it was due to a forbidden technique, learning about the Eight Gates made Sakumo realize that even without the final gate, Duy had Jōnin-level strength.

Opening the seventh gate would make him an elite Jōnin. Despite the village's rules, Duy, unable to progress beyond genin, could only take on low-rank missions.

After considering this for a few days and discussing with Yoichi, Sakumo decided to introduce a new rank between Chūnin and Jōnin—Special Jōnin.

This rank would be for those capable of extraordinary feats due to secret techniques or other means, giving them a chance to progress without being stuck at lower ranks.

(End of Chapter)