Chapter 113: Immortal Technique: Susanoo (Ten-Thousand-Word Chapter)

The wind howled wildly, and silver moonlight bathed the entire desert.

Moreover, at the edge of the desert leading to the Rain Country, space suddenly twisted, and in the next moment Obito and Heijue appeared, swaying.

The two exchanged a glance; besides embarrassment and silence, there was nothing else between them.

"Your hand, is it okay?"

After a while, Heijue broke the silence and spoke, while Obito nodded dully.

"Hmm, no problem."

But after Obito said that, his whole person seemed like a deflated balloon.

He had just, because of that suspected 'other world or future self,' broken a hand and was forced to replace it.

As a result, he never expected that, due to Minato Namikaze's influence, he would replace another hand within just a few minutes.

He felt that over the years his other progress had been slow, but his proficiency and speed in replacing hands truly got faster each time.

Although Obito was curious what Minato Namikaze had gone through to become so angry and frustrated, he truly did not want to discuss that guy further.

"Huh?"

He regretted whether it was because Yuzhi hadn't traveled with them or because this investigation hadn't yielded a satisfactory result, but it was unclear.

Under the moonlight, Xiaonan and Xie hurried toward the Rain Country.

Xie saw that Xiaonan was preoccupied and found it strange, but he was too lazy to ask; instead, he paid more attention to Yuzhi's movements.

"But at least there's some hope, right?"

Xiaonan glanced at Xie, her expression still icy, though she now felt somewhat dazed.

He just wanted to leave this place quickly; he'd really had enough!

He indeed regretted that his grandmother's research progress was still far insufficient, but that wasn't a big deal.

"Could this guy really be trained to that extent?"

That alone was enough to sustain his confidence; he truly was completely different from that previous guy!

Such confidence wasn't arrogance, yet this confidence made Xiaonan sense greater danger, for it might truly be Madara Uchiha.

"Right, should that person gather together?"

"I'm afraid 'another you' gave him a pretty harsh lesson, so."

The hand that attacked Obito and launched the attack

Thus, based on this offensive theory, Obito unfortunately lost another hand.

And one of those two people, he realized he seemed to know——

"It's really regrettable."

Use it sparingly; maybe later we can 'recycle resources'.

"We should still leave quickly."

That uncontrollable killing intent, together with that visible rage, was enough to show that he had probably really been taught a lesson before.

"Hmph! There's no other me here; only I exist—I am the one and only!"

So I end up taking the blame?

Obito glared at Heijue; he certainly knew Minato Namikaze's mood was bad.

This made him realize that that guy was probably truly Obito himself, no doubt, just not the present Obito.

"This, I don't know either."

That guy managed to completely localize Divine Might, which wouldn't affect his own attacks, nor give the opponent an opportunity to seize anything.

Actually, he already knew the reason; the White Zetsu on Obito's body conveyed the details of their battle through the half-body White Zetsu to him.

Heijue himself couldn't really remember how many times Obito had his hand broken; it seemed that each time he was taught a lesson, he 'lost an arm'.

Although there were plenty of White Zetsu, they probably couldn't withstand him doing this!

Probably also based on this idea, and Heijue didn't want the White Zetsu secret exposed too early, so he simply picked up the severed arm back.

After a while, Obito suddenly spoke up angrily.

After learning this, both Xie and Xiaonan sighed a little, but seeing some of Chiyo's records made them understand something.

"That damned guy, how did he lure Minato Namikaze over?"

After all, that guy had developed Divine Might to that extent, and his taijutsu and ninjutsu far surpassed this idiot.

Such an offensive would definitely make everyone feel headache and fear, for you really could hardly find any weakness!

But Minato Namikaze was abnormally persistent; he somehow found a method to counter——

Yuzhi caused a huge commotion, which also gave them a chance to infiltrate Sand Hidden Village, and under Xie's leadership they 'patronized' their own hometown.

However, that bastard did the deed and ran away; as a result, the other party came looking for him here.

But during the journey, Xie suddenly sighed.

This technique has a solid theoretical foundation, but turning it into a complete technique still requires time for verification and testing!

After conducting a thorough search, they indeed found much information—Chiyo was indeed developing a Resurrection Technique, but this technique was far from complete!

Heijue hesitated a moment, then finally shook his head and said nothing.

Xiaonan frowned in thought, but for some reason she felt this seemed somewhat normal, given that guy's displayed abilities and his reputation as Madara Uchiha.

"Moreover, that Minato Namikaze is a lunatic; why does he keep attacking my hand over and over?!"

On knowing such a secret, that guy actually had no intention of lifting a hand?

"That guy's confidence has reached this point; does he care about nothing?"

However, just as he was about to unleash Divine Might to leave this sorrowful place, he suddenly saw two figures in the distance hurrying forward.

"That Minato Namikaze seems to be in a bad mood; his anger is visibly apparent."

Helplessly sighing, Heijue didn't want to continue thinking; he immediately said to Obito.

Heijue couldn't help but think to himself, but these are matters for later; the key point remains the future Obito's development of the Divine Wind.

He already has a new line of thought; he could easily wait to study other things, especially since he is truly interested in the person who guided him.

At least, he wants to find out exactly who this person is.

"He has his own affairs; I advise you not to ask too many questions."

Xiao Nan still wore a cold expression, but something seemed to occur to her; after a brief hesitation she finally spoke.

"Also, when you encounter this person, try not to speak recklessly; some matters feel off not only to you, but even to me."

"Oh?"

Xie raised an eyebrow, but just as he opened his mouth to say something, the space before him suddenly warped, and a familiar silhouette stepped out of it.

The person gave Xie a detached glance, as if he didn't know him at all, then looked straight at Xiao Nan.

"Red Sand Scorpion? Are you here to recruit him?"

"Otherwise, why are you here again?"

Xiao Nan stared coldly at Obito, clearly feeling the crazy, arrogant aura of this guy returning.

"What a mismatch; this guy is a counterfeit."

Xiao Nan couldn't help but think that to herself, while Xie beside her was momentarily stunned; after a while his mouth twitched.

"This is truly bizarre."

Same person, same abilities, yet completely different?

In that moment, he seemed to grasp Xiao Nan's meaning, which made him glance deeply at Obito.

After a while, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"This organization seems far more interesting than I imagined."

——

"He really left."

In the desert of Wind Country, Shui Men stared coldly at everything around, and only after a long moment did he slightly exhale.

At that moment he could basically confirm that the guy had indeed left.

"But why did that guy suddenly become so weak?"

Shui Men frowned; he also sensed something was off.

Back when they were in Loulan, that guy's speed and strength had reached an inconceivable level.

But in the recent battle, that guy seemed to regress, reverting to the state of the Night of the Nine-Tails.

"Could it be because of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

Suddenly, Shui Men thought of a possibility, and its emergence seemed to enlighten him.

After all, the Mangekyou Sharingan is so unique; perhaps it possesses a special ability that boosted that guy's power.

But that technique's duration is limited, which is why he suddenly reverted to his previous state.

"Also, that guy may be dealing with the seal of the Dragon Vein, which caused him to become like this now!"

Thinking of this, Shui Men instantly became clear‑headed.

Recalling the Nine‑Tails incident, that guy had single‑handedly dealt with all the ANBU, including Lord Biwa Lake, and even captured Kushina.

And he also used the chance to break the Nine‑Tails seal, which is why that guy's later strength was lacking, right?

"I've caught another of your weak points!"

Shui Men murmured softly, his gaze flickering slightly.

"Indeed, in that 'state' you can confidently state your abilities; I have no way to deal with you, unless I use Sage Mode to attempt."

"But once you exit that 'state,' you become somewhat lacking, perhaps that's why you intend to steal the Dragon Vein?"

Based on current intelligence, Shui Men seemed to have deduced why that guy wants to seize the Dragon Vein.

"It's utterly crazy and extremely dangerous; after returning we must seriously think of a solution."

Shui Men made a decision in his heart and intended to leave this place.

After returning, he still has many tasks; such a dangerous guy who also stole the Dragon Vein, he must contact the seal.

And Leaf Village also needs to do more, to deal with that damned guy!

"Next time, we absolutely cannot let you leave so easily."

Shui Men muttered to himself, and in the next instant he suddenly vanished from the spot.

Leaf Village, Yuzhi's home, the space suddenly showed a subtle fluctuation.

The next moment, Yuzhi, already dressed, appeared inside his own home!

"You're back."

Looking at the familiar surroundings, at the dim light in the house, he couldn't help but sigh lightly.

Today's operation was actually rather risky for him, because he hadn't expected so many and so frequent battles.

In fact, Yuzhi never opposed fighting, but the frequency was too high for him to bear.

After all, he is not Madara Uchiha, and he personally prefers the 'Fish‑pond Explosion', because that is truly safe!

"But this high‑intensity fighting is actually good for my eyes."

He gently touched his eyes, and Yuzhi muttered to himself.

Since the war ended, the speed at which his eyes improve has noticeably slowed.

Thinking back to when he obtained 'Zhuo Er Extraordinary' on the battlefield, he had only taken a few months to leap from Two Tomoe to Mangekyou Sharingan.

The Uchiha Clan is a fighting tribe, and the Mangekyou Sharingan is a combat eye.

However, stacking these two buffs together creates a unique death cycle for the Uchiha.

"But that has nothing to do with me; I have already broken that vicious cycle, and perhaps I am about to breakthrough."

Mangekyou Sharingan's power is strong, but these eyes still have flaws.

Not to mention how the power is manifested, just the fact of Susanoo alone is enough to be frustrating.

Yuzhi, although he once used Hikari's power to activate the fourth stage, still faced many problems.

"And also, having used the fourth stage, you can truly feel how great the difference is."

Yuzhi pursed his lips, and suddenly he thought of a question: he has experience opening the fourth-stage Susanoo.

He also knows all the keys to the fourth-stage Susanoo's shape‑shifting and re‑forging, so

"Could I try relying on dragon vein chakra, or other chakra, to make some changes?"

Just as Yuzhi was pondering, his system refreshed suddenly, which instantly lifted his spirits.

【Side Quest completed: Disguise Identity, and personally acquire dragon vein chakra】

【Reward obtained: Tailed Beast chakra control talent (Minato Namikaze)】

"Tailed Beast chakra control talent? The Nine-Tails?"

Seeing this reward, Yuzhi was stunned for a moment.

The Nine-Tails' chakra had been sitting inside his Susanoo for an unknown length of time, and he had taken no action.

The main reason was that he himself wasn't sure he could control these powers, and secondly he feared being discovered.

Otherwise, having already assumed a false identity, how could he possibly not use these powers, and he even planned to tint the Susanoo with the Tailed Beast!

But now this talent has arrived, which is truly a great boon for Yuzhi.

"I can use the Sharingan to command a conscious Tailed Beast, but unconscious chakra would be troublesome."

The appearance of this talent truly compensates Yuzhi's current shortcomings!

"Lately I've been getting a lot of talents; it would be better if some actual abilities appeared, like a 'Nine-Tails·chakra mode'?"

If he could create a Nine-Tails·chakra mode, Yuzhi would immediately rummage through the Wood Release scrolls and learn Wood Release at once.

Then he could give the world a "small shock"!

The more Yuzhi thought, the more excited he became; he planned to return to his room to study, so he tiptoed toward the interior.

At the same time, he also intended to dismiss his Shadow Clone Jutsu and see what was happening at home.

"Did you finally return?"

However, just as he took a step, Hikari's door opened, and her cool voice rang out at the same time.

Looking up, he saw Hikari leaning calmly on the doorway watching him, while his Shadow Clone Jutsu stood awkwardly on the other side.

Seeing this scene, Yuzhi couldn't help

"Me and my Shadow Clone Jutsu, and a traitor among us?"

——

"Senior, the barrier seal has been set up; what experiment are you planning?"

Early the next morning, in a canyon near the edge of Leaf Village, Zhi Shui looked on curiously at the smiling Yuzhi.

He only glanced at the cold‑faced, calmly standing Hikari beside him, and Zhi Shui knew some things were better left unasked.

Anyway, whatever happened to these two was nothing to be surprised about; he had long been accustomed to it.

"It's a very interesting experiment, but the exact effect still needs careful observation."

Yuzhi, full of vigor, smiled at Zhi Shui and said

"However, handling this properly isn't easy, but it will definitely be a direction you need to consider later, understand?"

"Yes, senior!"

Zhi Shui immediately nodded; for him now, it truly was

Although his Mangekyou Sharingan was opened through his own strength and experiences, everything after the Mangekyou truly relies on Yuzhi and the others.

These two are like his older brother and sister, and they are the ones who guide his life!

"It's still a bit small here, but it's about right."

Yuzhi smiled and nodded, then glanced at the cold‑faced Hikari beside him.

Hikari seemed to notice his gaze, and immediately flushed red and glared at him.

Yuzhi said nothing, took the sealed clay jar out again, determined to conduct a proper trial today.

Last night he thought of a problem: his eyes, though, cannot support opening the fourth-stage Susanoo.

But why can't he consider other methods, using different means, to accomplish this?

He already possesses the ability of "Sage Art Refinement"; the Sage Mode of Wondrous Wood Mountain was erased by him in this way.

Dragon vein chakra also counts as Nature's Power; he had already estimated it when sealing that force.

"Since that's the case, why shouldn't I make good use of this and combine it with Susanoo?"

The key to Sage Mode lies in chakra control and possessing a massive amount of chakra.

Coincidentally, he has both; his White Absolute Cells are already saturated, even though he's still a minor and his cell fusion is incomplete.

But don't forget, he has Susanoo!

"By blending Susanoo with dragon vein chakra, one can effectively mask the chakra's scent, preventing detection."

"Moreover, I can use dragon vein chakra to extend Susanoo's growth form, raising it to a higher level!"

Sealing dragon vein chakra within Susanoo is Yuzhi's subsequent plan; what he's doing now can serve as the theoretical and practical foundation for later seals.

As for the consumption of dragon vein chakra, Yuzhi doesn't need to worry about that at all.

These chakras can absorb Nature's Power themselves; otherwise they couldn't have progressed this far!

Even if Yuzhi couldn't, he could still refine them; to waste such ever‑renewing power would be truly foolish.

"Then I begin."

Yuzhi clasped his hands together; the sealed clay jar quivered slightly, and at the same time a black‑like, gauze‑like chakra manifested around him.

These chakra coalesced rapidly, forming a humanoid shape in the blink of an eye, and with Susano's appearance, dragon‑vein chakra instantly surged into Yuzhi!

"This is…"

When the dragon‑vein chakra covered Yuzhi, Shishui's complexion changed slightly, and Hikari's gaze quickly turned toward him.

That ferocious aura, even they found it unbelievable.

"Don't worry, they can't affect me in any way."

Yuzhi smiled indifferently, his eyes whirling rapidly, while the raging dragon‑vein chakra kept compressing on Susano.

"There is a seal on them; they can't even stir a ripple, even if they are natural chakra."

"But to use them, one must be especially careful, because their condition is different."

As he spoke, Yuzhi began to swiftly erase some of the dragon‑vein's traits using the 'Immortal Technique Cultivation Method'.

At the same time, he manipulated Susano to continuously absorb and fuse these forces!

Susano's aura began to change constantly, and strange white mottling quietly appeared on Susano.

This scene resembled Sasuke's use of a cursed seal to cover Susano, but Yuzhi's Susano bore even more extensive mottling.

"Next is the most important part."

Yuzhi's eyes turned to Hikari, and his expression grew serious.

"We once used the fourth‑stage Susano together; I believe you felt it—stage three and stage four are completely different.

Moreover, constructing a fourth‑stage Susano, its process, method, and chakra control are not things the Mangekyou Sharingan can easily achieve.

Yet we have some differences; although we haven't reached the Eternal Eye, our eyes have already surpassed the limits of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Therefore, with sufficient power and knowledge of the fourth stage, we can still accomplish it!"

Mid‑sentence, the Susano on Yuzhi suddenly began to disperse.

Yet as it dispersed, the chakra remained under control.

Because dispersion is inevitable; Susano's transition from third to fourth stage is essentially a reforging process!

In fact, when Yuzhi first acted under Hikari's power, he didn't immediately consider this issue.

Until he recalled that Ban, in the original work, used third‑stage Susano to directly construct the fifth stage.

That is the very act performed by the godlike Susano, and it suddenly made him understand.

"Even when Ban built a fifth‑stage Susano, massive chakra dispersion occurred, and what he did was to condense and stabilize that chakra."

After Ban completed the fifth‑stage Susano, Da Ye Mu remarked, "That massive chakra has fully stabilized," which makes it clear.

Why stabilize?

Because Ban shattered the third‑stage structure, reorganizing Susano rather than merely adding lower limbs on the existing base!

"Remember, the transition from third to fourth stage is a watershed, a necessary phase for reforging Susano."

The ferocious, dispersing chakra spread over Yuzhi; his hair and clothes fluttered in the wind, yet his face remained calm.

Feeling the continuously surging dragon‑vein chakra, Yuzhi's hands began to channel it, and his eyes spun even faster at that moment.

Now he can sense that his power has reached the level Hikari infused that night.

However, this time he doesn't need Hikari's eye power; his own eye power is sufficient!

"Now, condense!"

The chakra seemed to sense something; the dispersing chakra rapidly gathered beneath Susano, forming leg bones, along with meridians and flesh!

Yuzhi's body slowly rose, the surrounding chakra coalescing, and a groove‑shaped model began to appear.

As Susano's legs gradually solidified, the crystal trough beside Yuzhi also solidified at that moment!

His figure rose higher, climbing as the massive Susano continuously solidified and took shape.

However, the current Susano hadn't fully solidified; its form still wavered slightly.

Nevertheless, Yuzhi didn't mind; his chakra and eye power kept outputting.

Gradually, Susano's aura began to solidify, and Yuzhi's Mangekyou Sharingan rotation slowed down.

When this rotation finally halted, his own body erupted with terrifying chakra!

At that moment, Susano seemed to sense something, and the gathered Susano chakra burst with a strong vibration.

The vibration clashed with the air, producing a fierce sound, as if the terrifying giant roared.

The shaking grew more intense, and the roar grew louder.

Yet at this time, the resonance between this force and Yuzhi's own chakra became increasingly synchronized!

Finally, when the roar ceased, the massive, nearly seventy‑meter‑tall giant's aura finally stabilized.

It resembled a second‑stage Susano, yet its neck bore strange white mottling, coalescing into a comma‑shaped pattern.

Under Yuzhi's control, Susano slowly opened its eyes.

In an instant, a Sharingan‑like crimson blossomed in Susano's eyes!

"This is…"

Shishui stared dumbfounded at the colossal being before him, momentarily speechless from the shock.

At that moment, Hikari also stared blankly at Yuzhi's Susano, then after a while she hurried to the sealed clay jar, swiftly closed it and stored it away.

Yuzhi's huge commotion might attract others, perhaps even the Fourth Hokage.

And Yuzhi, last night he even clashed with others for the dragon‑vein's power!

"Is this the power of the dragon vein?"

Hikari stared absentmindedly at the clay jar in her hand, though she didn't care about such gifts.

But recalling Yuzhi's words after he returned last night, she couldn't help pursing her lips.

She quickly flushed, as if she remembered something, and let out a light hum.

She looked up at Yuzhi, standing atop the towering Susano, and finally a smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

As I thought, my guess was right; it really succeeded.

Floating silently within the crystal chamber of Susanoo, Yuzhi sensed his own condition and the Susanoo before him, and a smile appeared on his face.

The gap between the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Eternal Eye is enormous; it's not just a matter of quality and durability, but also the difference in mastery and application of the technique, and the self‑enhancement it brings!

Yuzhi has not attained the Eternal Eye, yet he relies on his bloodline's advancement, the White Absolute Cells, his understanding of Susanoo, and memories from the original work.

Most importantly, the supplement of celestial technique chakra gives him a chance to break through the fourth‑stage Susanoo!

But he knows this is only a breakthrough, and he fears that under these eyes it will be hard to go further.

"Because I myself haven't reached this stage; even with more celestial technique, I'm at the limit.

And even if I could go further, I'm afraid I still couldn't manage it."

Integrating celestial techniques requires him to allocate energy to manage them; now this integration already represents his limit.

Moreover, he must consider his own capacity; he gauged his condition, his eye power and chakra consumption, which were truly terrifying.

If he lacked White Absolute Cells as support, if he were merely an ordinary Mangekyou Sharingan, then at this moment he would likely be waiting for death!

Susanoo can not only kill others but also kill its user, because the technique's drain on the body is unimaginable.

"Moreover, possessing high mobility and such a massive physique, low consumption would be strange."

Yuzhi made an estimate: with the current Susanoo, his combat duration should last about ten to twenty minutes.

This judgment is based on combat intensity; factoring in his use of eye techniques would further shorten the time.

"But in this world, as long as I don't go looking for trouble with people hard to handle, this time is more than enough for me!"

A smile spread at the corner of Yuzhi's mouth, and the Susanoo on his body began to dissipate.

He already understood the state of this Susanoo, as if it were etched into his genes.

As long as he wishes and has enough power, he can unleash this colossal entity!

Moreover, he has already sensed many people moving toward this direction.

"Senpai."

Zhi Shui saw Yuzhi lying on the ground and was so excited for a moment that he couldn't speak.

That massive Susanoo, that raging power—anyone who saw it would be thrilled, especially since it's on our side!

"Alright, I'm fine."

Yuzhi smiled at Zhi Shui, but soon grew serious.

"But later there are some issues; if we can't speak of them, we won't, such as those foreign chakra."

"I understand, Senpai!"

Zhi Shui immediately steadied his emotions and nodded gravely.

At this moment, Yuzhi's gaze turned to Hikari, and after a while, a smile suddenly appeared on his face.

Hikari's face flushed red at the smile, and she turned away, not wanting to look at the guy at all.

At the same time, she couldn't help but complain in her heart.

"Why did I have to accommodate that overbearing guy last night!"

——

"Can you tell me where you went?"

Sitting on the sofa, Hikari calmly looked at Yuzhi, while Yuzhi felt a slight gloom.

He hadn't expected that his planned surprise would turn into a fright when he turned his head.

What made Yuzhi most gloomy was that the Shadow Clone Jutsu being recognized was truly unexpected.

The Shadow Clone Jutsu was created by the 'evil Senju old ghost', specifically to counter the Sharingan.

Moreover, that evil old ghost's opponent at the time was Uchiha Izumi, who possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan, so one can imagine how deceptive the Shadow Clone could be.

But the Shadow Clone lacks a 'feeding' function, so because of that, Hikari recognized it.

It can only be said that today Yuzhi truly expended too much in the Wind Country, causing this mishap.

"I went to the Wind Country."

Yuzhi looked at Hikari sitting beside him, took out his sealed ceramic jar, and said softly.

"Actually, according to my plan it should have taken less than an hour to finish this matter.

I just didn't expect some unforeseen incidents, so…"

Yuzhi had said he wouldn't hide anything from Hikari, so this time he naturally disclosed everything.

Whether it was that upon arriving in the Wind Country he encountered Akatsuki Organization recruitment, and he used his Obito identity to meddle.

Or later he ran into Obito again, gave Obito a harsh lesson, or was eventually forced to clash with Minato Namikaze.

He recounted everything in great detail, and all of it left Hikari feeling somewhat speechless.

Hikari knew Yuzhi had gone out alone and only returned now, likely having encountered some problem.

But she truly didn't expect that in such a short half‑day, Yuzhi's experiences could become so extensive.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

After a while, Hikari pursed her lips and looked at Yuzhi with some worry.

"Just using that idiot's ability, even you would probably have many maladaptations, you—

"Don't worry, that guy may be an idiot, but his ability is terrifyingly strong."

Yuzhi shook his head lightly; Obito's ability is not just strong—it's basically a bug!

In the original work, after this guy was redeemed, his reckless 'convert fanatic' display of divine might even pierced the 'Heaven's Center'.

Moreover, after death this guy can pierce the barriers between Pure Land and the mortal world, passing his ability to Kakashi.

Such a perverse ability seems only this idiot could achieve in the entire original work.

Yuzhi's grasp of his ability is shallow; one could say this mission is the first full release of Obito's power.

And still there is no way to use one's own "original" destructive Divine Might.

Even so, Yuzhi has already attained "freedom of movement", so one can imagine just how strong it truly is.

"This is my harvest this time."

Yuzhi scoffs in his mind at Obito, that perverted lunatic, yet he hands the sealed clay pot to Hikari.

"You gave me that scarf last time; I've always remembered it, and I said I would give you a gift in return."

These powers are the power of the dragon vein, and they are naturally born; as expected, they should fall within the scope of celestial arts.

With these powers, I think your restraints in Sage Mode will be lifted, and the most crucial part is—

At that point, Yuzhi paused briefly, then leaned his head a little closer and whispered.

"I once said that a massive amount of chakra can trigger temporal fluctuations, especially the power that belongs to nature."

"Dragon vein chakra is that kind of time‑traversing power, and such power I naturally must hold!"

Yuzhi's words were sincere and heartfelt; although the earlier part was the purpose of his current action, the latter sentence was added on the spot.

But can this also be counted as his purpose?

What surprised Yuzhi was that Hikari, after hearing his words, simply looked calmly at the sealed clay pot, then shifted her gaze to him.

There was indeed some moved emotion in her eyes, but more than that was an inexplicable feeling.

"What's wrong."

Yuzhi spoke oddly.

"Thank you, Yuzhi, it's just—"

Hikari hesitated a moment, then sighed.

"I don't care about these gifts; I care more about your safety."

Yuzhi was stunned by this, but before he could speak, Hikari continued.

"Gifts can be anything to me, but you are different.

Even though you are confident, I also recall you often say 'the world is impermanent'.

And didn't you say we are friends, also family?

Then, why do you take on such dangerous things yourself, even if it's for a surprise—does that really matter to me?"

"Really matters?"

Yuzhi silently stared at Hikari; for a moment he was at a loss for words.

After a while he sighed, reached out and embraced Hikari beside him, then slowly spoke.

"It's important, after all this is also my promise to you, very important."

"Idiot."

Hikari, held by Yuzhi, did not struggle; instead she rested her head on his shoulder, and after a while she whispered softly.

"Idiot can be idiot, anyway this is not a big deal."

Yuzhi gently tapped his head against Hikari's forehead, then laughed and continued.

"Everyone has idiot moments, and also hot‑blooded moments; perhaps for you it's absolutely unimportant.

But for me, it holds great significance; isn't it normal for me to do something because of that?

Also, haven't you ever had such a moment, like wanting to risk your life for someone?"

Hikari said nothing, closed her eyes and continued leaning in Yuzhi's arms, though her body became much more relaxed.

The moonlight was pleasant, silver moonlight poured from the windowsill onto the two of them.

And they both remained silent, as if enjoying the tranquility together.

A gentle breeze brushed them, their breathing gradually steadied, and after an unknown amount of time Hikari's voice finally sounded.

"Rest earlier, you've been busy all day."

In the darkness, her voice sounded very soft, but also a bit nervous.

Unfortunately, the only response was a faint breeze; Yuzhi's breathing seemed to become even more even.

"Honestly."

Hikari pursed her lips, thinking whether to fetch a blanket or send Yuzhi away.

Perhaps using power that doesn't belong to him, this guy got tired?

Thinking this, Hikari tried to stand, but as soon as she moved, Yuzhi suddenly blocked her, hugged her in his arms, and then the two lay down on the sand.

"W‑what are you doing?"

In the darkness, Hikari's voice sounded again, this time trembling a bit.

Yet the only reply was still the brushing breeze and the steady breathing close to her ear.

Hikari blushed, hesitated for a long time, finally sighed lightly and buried her face in Yuzhi's chest.

"So tired?"

"Let's call it even this time."

"You overly mischievous brat."