Chapter 402: Light Release: Boundary Stripping Technique
Ishiro's second option was to skip the Kekkei Genkai and proceed directly to the development of Kekkei Tōta. Similar to the first option, it involved developing more three-element fusions. By deepening the connection between multiple elements through Kekkei Tōta, he could prepare for the subsequent fusion of four and then five elements.
The Kekkei Tōta developed under this second option, like his current Light Release, would not need to be fully integrated with his body. He would only need to reach the point where he could perform the Kekkei Tōta ninjutsu.
This process would also not be short, but it would be much faster than the first. To connect all five elements might only require two or three Kekkei Tōta.
However, if he proceeded according to this process, the connection between the various elements would be rather superficial, and the path ahead would not be too smooth. This was because his current Light Release Kekkei Tōta was not actually fully fused with his body. He could perform Light Release externally, but he could not produce Light Release chakra within his body. His body was not immune to the destruction of Light Release; producing it internally would cause fatal damage to himself.
If his other Kekkei Tōta only reached this level, then when he attempted to fuse all five elements in the future, it would still be incredibly difficult, and there would be a high probability of him killing himself in the process.
Ishiro's third path was to fully develop his Light Release, to bring this Kekkei Tōta to the same level as his other three Kekkei Genkai, to be able to truly fuse it into his body.
Completely mastering a Kekkei Tōta would allow his life level to be upgraded again. The foundation would be much more solid than the second option, and the future path would be easier. At that time, whether he considered fusing all five elements directly or fusing a fourth element on the basis of his Light Release, the success rate would be much higher than the first two methods.
However, Ishiro had no clear method for how to integrate the Light Release Kekkei Tōta into his body.
The ancestors of Iwagakure, in order to fight against Konoha, had walked a path of developing Kekkei Genkai. Ishiro didn't know how great a price they had paid to finally develop the key medicine that allowed a Kekkei Genkai to fuse with the body. But the village had never researched how to integrate a Kekkei Tōta into oneself.
In the original story, Ōnoki, who had mastered Dust Release for several decades, was never shown touching it with his own body up until the very end. This indicated that he was also not immune to its damage. Not being immune meant that he had not integrated Dust Release into his body.
If Ishiro chose this path, then his subsequent training would be extremely difficult. There would be no precedent to refer to, no shortcut to take.
Ishiro was conflicted:
The first method was easy in the early stages, but it was time-consuming, and his strength would not improve for a considerable period. It was easy for all the effort to be fruitless.
The second method was also not difficult in the early stages, and the time required was relatively short, but the risks in the later stages were too great, and the probability of success was smaller.
The third method was very difficult in the early stages, but once successful, the later stages would be much simpler. And from three elements to four, and then to five, his strength would steadily increase, and his life level would also steadily rise.
Although his eyes were watching his three disciples training not far away, Ishiro's thoughts had drifted off to who knows where, unable to return for a long time.
This decision was too difficult to make. One wrong step, and the future could be a total loss.
With his current perspective, he simply couldn't judge which method was better. If the final result was not satisfactory, then this journey of transmigration would have been meaningless. Perhaps in the future battle of the gods, he wouldn't even be able to protect himself, let alone lead Iwagakure to rise.
Moreover, the plot had now been completely overturned by him. Whether the two protagonists of the original story could still grow normally, Ishiro had serious doubts. What if, because of him, the Sage of Six Paths were to lose in the game of wits against his brother, Black Zetsu? Then the ninja world would be finished, and everything he had worked so hard to build would be meaningless.
Just then, a conversation between his three disciples not far away reached his ears.
Sōkai, seeing that Ishiro was distracted, complained to Chiga in a low voice while doing his basic physical training.
"Chiga, why do you think Master Ishiro doesn't teach us some powerful ninjutsu, but instead makes us do weight training every day? I haven't felt any improvement after so long."
"Clearly, on the way here, Master Ishiro just gave my genjutsu a little guidance, and my strength improved significantly."
"Wouldn't it be great if he just taught me genjutsu directly? My strength could improve so quickly."
Before Chiga could answer, Sasagawa Ayumi at the side spoke up. "Chūkō, your foundation is more solid than ours. You grew up under the care of the Third, receiving very reasonable and systematic training from a young age, so you don't feel it as obviously."
"But my feeling is different. After this period of persistence, my strength has clearly improved. From strength, speed, to awareness, there have been all-around improvements."
Sōkai was a little skeptical. "Really? The effect is that great?"
Chiga also said, "Ayumi is right. Our progress is visible to the naked eye."
"And besides that, there's another benefit to basic training. This is what Senior Megumi told me when we came to the Land of Demons last time."
Sōkai and Ayumi were immediately interested. Megumi's reputation was great. She was the first proof of Ishiro's skill as a master teacher, and now she was a village advisor, a proper winner in life. To the three of them, Megumi was also one of Ishiro's first students and had a similar experience. Her words might be helpful to them.
Chiga didn't keep them in suspense. "Senior Megumi said that besides improving our strength, basic training is also raising our upper limit."
"Practicing powerful ninjutsu can make us improve rapidly in a short period of time, but there is a ceiling to this. Through the practice of powerful ninjutsu, it's difficult for us to break through this ceiling. But training our foundation gives us a hope of doing so."
"She said that basic training is slowly improving our bodies, constantly consolidating our foundation, and preparing us for our future leap."
"Almost all of Master Ishiro's disciples have experienced a leap in their strength. This process has been seen by everyone, letting them know of his eye for talent and his ability to teach."
"But what everyone doesn't know is that the reason these disciples were able to achieve such a leap in strength is because their foundation was solid."
"Moreover, after a major leap in their strength, most of these disciples have still not reached their upper limit. They often still have strength to spare, still have hope for another leap."
"What is the reason they have such great potential? It is this simplest of basic training."
"So, from Senior Megumi's first squad to our sixth, all of Master Ishiro's students have never stopped their basic training."
"Senior Megumi said that including herself, most of Master Ishiro's students still persist in their basic training every day."
Sasagawa Ayumi marveled, "So basic training is that effective?"
Sōkai, on the other hand, was lost in a fog. He didn't understand Chiga's logic, only knowing that she said basic training was very important, and that even the elite jonin-level Senior Megumi was still persisting.
So, Sōkai no longer complained but continued with this boring and tedious training with his two comrades.
The three of them didn't know that their conversation had been completely overheard by Ishiro, and had also helped him make a very important decision.
I'll choose the third path!
Fusing Light Release now would be difficult, but it would be of great help in the future. Completely fusing it would also raise his life level; it was a training method that truly consolidated his foundation.
How did I get stuck on such a simple principle? This is how I teach my own disciples!
If at this moment, some sage were to guide him as he guided Sōkai's trio, that sage would probably also advise him to consolidate his foundation and raise his tangible life level.
Ishiro smiled and cast a grateful look at Chiga, who was concentrating on her training over there.
He took a deep breath and told himself: "I have decided. I will ignore the other two methods. From now on, I will focus all my efforts on developing Light Release and achieve its integration with my body as soon as possible."
Tossing the other thoughts in his mind aside, Ishiro began to think carefully about the direction of his Light Release development.
First, he had to learn the Light Release ninjutsu. Currently, the only one he knew was the Primordial World Stripping Technique. He hadn't even completely learned the Boundary Stripping Technique of the Kekkei Tōta. He hadn't even reached Ōnoki's level. To think of surpassing everyone now was still too naive.
The essence of the Boundary Stripping Technique and the Primordial World Stripping Technique was the same. The only difference was that the latter was instantaneous, releasing all its power at once. The former was continuous; its attack range and direction could still be adjusted after the attack was launched.
There was no clear dividing line between the two. As one's mastery of the Primordial World Stripping Technique became stronger, one could slowly transition to the level of the Boundary Stripping Technique.
According to Ishiro's understanding, to upgrade from one to the other, two points had to be achieved. The first was sustainability. The second was adjustability.
Sustainability was easy to understand: to slowly release the gathered Light Release chakra to achieve a continuous attack. This was a method of turning a jutsu of great power into a jutsu of great penetration. Ishiro believed that the upper limit of its duration was the consumption of all his chakra. If he could continuously output Light Release until his entire body's chakra was exhausted, then this step would be considered complete.
The second aspect, adjustability, was much more demanding. The user had to be able to control the attack range of the Kekkei Tōta and also be able to change its direction.
The current Ishiro had not even started in either of these two aspects. To be precise, ever since learning Light Release, he had not practiced it properly.
"It seems I'll have to find time to properly ask Ōnoki for his understanding of Dust Release again," Ishiro thought.
Ishiro's Light Release had been taught to him by Ōnoki, but after learning it, he had not received any further guidance from him, instead placing his training goals in other directions. That was why his progress with Light Release had not been great.
(End of Chapter)
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