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"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X786]
~ With Shisui ~
Another month passed by, and Shisui's understanding of Ethernano remained unchanged. Seated on a flat stone beside a small mountain stream, he reviewed the notes from his latest clone's reconnaissance. The information was consistent with what he already knew—general descriptions, practical applications, but nothing about the fundamental nature of the magical particles themselves.
No one seemed to question how or why Ethernano works, only how to use it more effectively. For someone trained in the methodical chakra theory of the shinobi world, this casual approach to power was maddening.
His clones had managed to gather some interesting facts, at least. There were concentrations of ethernano in certain geographical locations, creating naturally magical environments where plants grewlarger, animals develop unusual characteristics, and weather patterns behaved unpredictably. These magical hotspots often became sites for magical research facilities, taking advantage of the abundance of energy.
Another note indicated that extreme magical events could temporarily deplete Ethernano from an area, causing what locals called "magic deficiency syndrome" in mages who remain there too long. The particles eventually return, carried by air currents from neighboring regions, but the recovery process could take days or even weeks depending on the severity of the depletion.
"Enough theory," Shisui remarked, setting the notebook aside. "Time for some trial and error."
Shisui decided that if he could not find any other information, then he would learn more through small, self-experienced and contained experiments. He shifted to a cross-legged position, hands resting lightly on his knees.
The first step was to determine the extent of Ethernano that he could sense. Previously, he had only been able to detect faint presences of a foreign energy which he thought to be Ethernano. However, he had been training himself rigorously for the past six months now, and it was about time he checked again.
Closing his eyes, he extended his awareness outward, the way he would when scanning for nearby chakra signatures.
The sensation was immediate and strange—where chakra felt like threads of energy with distinct signatures, Ethernano presented as an ambient field, a subtle pressure against his senses without individual identity. It was everywhere, like air itself, invisible but undeniably present.
"I can feel it much more clearly now," he said, surprise evident in his voice. "But can I use it?"
When instructing new Academy students in Konoha, chakra access was explained through concrete steps: focus internal energy, direct it through specific pathways, manipulate it with will and hand seals. But every description of Ethernano usage he had encountered was unbelievably and frustratingly vague—"just reach for it," "let it flow through you," "imagine the spell and the magic follows."
Shisui had tried each approach, focusing on the simplest magical effects he had observed—a basic light spell that many children in this world could use as their first magic. He visualized a small orb of light forming above his palm, reaching for the ambient Ethernano he could sense around him and waited. And waited.. And waited…
Nothing happened.
Undettered, he changed tactics, moving through the meditative exercises used to access chakra for the first time. Beginning with controlled breathing, he focused on his internal energy center, searching for any trace of Ethernano that might have accumulated within his body naturally. He quickly found his chakra network, flowing and responsive as always, but no separate reservoir for magical energy.
After hours of attempts, a hypothesis formed. Rising to his feet, Shisui activated his Sharingan, using its enhanced perception to examine his own chakra flow while simultaneously attempting to draw in Ethernano. The visual confirmation was revealing—when he tried to pull magical particles inward, they approached his body but dispersed before entry, like water hitting an invisible barrier.
"My body either currently does not have the mechanisms to process it, or my own Chakra is preventing the Ethernano from being absorbed," he concluded, deactivating his Sharingan.
Thinking of the hypothesis, Shisui tried to find a reason. "Native inhabitants of this world develops these containers for Ethernano from birth, while I have chakra coils instead. Alternatively, Chakra could have properties that prevents Ethernano from being absorbed into my body. Chakra is the combination of physical and spiritual energies, could one or both of them be the reason why?"
The realization was both enlightening and disappointing. As a transmigrant from another world, his physical form remained fundamentally different from those born in Earthland. His body was designed to generate and manipulate chakra, not to absorb and channel external magical particles.
He picked up a fallen leaf, channeling chakra into it—an Academy-level exercise. The leaf ignited precisely as intended, burning evenly from center to edge. His chakra control remained perfect, but it was still a different energy system entirely.
"Two separate, distinct powers," Shisui mused, watching the leaf burn to ash. "Not incompatible, perhaps, but not automatically integrated either."
This discovery raised new questions. If his body could not naturally process Ethernano, could he then develop artificial methods to harness it? Would long-term exposure eventually change his physical structure? And perhaps most importantly—how do chakra-based techniques interact with Ethernano-based magic when they collide?
For someone accustomed to having exact answers about his capabilities, these unknowns were particularly unsettling. But Shisui had always been adaptable, a necessary trait for survival in the shinobi world. If he could not use Ethernano directly, he could still try to understand it enough to predict how others would use it against him and how to counter them.
"Time for more practical testing," he decided. As the sun begun to set behind the mountain peaks, Shisui finalized his decision: theory and isolation had taken him as far as they can. To truly understand how chakra interacts with Ethernano-based magic, he needed practical experience—controlled encounters with mages using their abilities in combat situations.
It was time to interact with the mages of this world more directly, to learn through observation what books and secondhand accounts could not teach him. The shinobi part of him approached this as a reconnaissance mission, albeit one with heightened personal risk. But there was an undeniable curiosity, too, a desire to measure himself against this world's power system.
Until now, his interactions with the locals had been deliberately limited. In the small mountain village nearest to his training ground, he was known only as a quiet traveler who occasionally helped with heavy lifting or odd repairs. He hauled lumber for the carpenter, a task he usually completes in half the expected time. He helps the innkeeper clean after rowdy patrons leave. Once, he tracked down a lost child who wandered into the forest, finding her in minutes while the village search party had spent hours wandering aimlessly in the forest calling out her name.
These simple jobs had provided enough currency for his modest needs while keeping his abilities mostly concealed. The villagers saw him as unusually capable but not extraordinary—just another wandering worker passing through their remote region.
"But that approach will not work for what I need now," he pondered, packing his small camp. He needed to face magical threats, observe offensive spells in action, determine whether a water jutsu could counter fire magic. These questions require combat situations, not peaceful village work.
Thankfully, his shadow clones had mapped out the system for independent mages. While guilds monopolized the most lucrative and dangerous missions, public mission halls existed in larger cities, catering to unaffiliated magic users. These halls post lower-risk jobs unsuitable for full guilds but beyond the capabilities of ordinary citizens—perfect for his purposes.
Shisui considered his options carefully. The nearest mission hall was in Crocus, the capital city he had avoided until now. The risk of recognition was minimal—no one in this world had seen his true face in combat—but the increased visibility still required caution. Especially considering that Warrod lived relatively close to the area, though his forest was still a good few hours away from any civilization. He would need a cover identity, one that could explain his abilities without revealing their true nature.
"A unique magic style," he decided, packing the last of his equipment. "Unfamiliar but not impossible. Something that explains the hand seals and energy manifestations."
He settled on presenting his abilities as a rare form of "Embodiment Magic" that channelled energy through precise hand positions—close enough to the truth to be consistent, different enough from standard magic to excuse any peculiarities in his techniques. The beauty of this world's magical diversity was that unusual methods rarely raised suspicion; mages developed highly personalized styles based on their natural affinities and training.
With his pack secured, Shisui performed a final sweep of his campsite, erasing all traces of his presence. The habits of shinobi die hard—leave nothing behind, become a ghost, remain untraceable. Even in this peaceful world, the discipline served him well.
The journey to Crocus would take four days at civilian pace. He could make it in hours using the Body Flicker technique, but conspicuous displays of speed would undermine his cover. Better to approach slowly, blending with ordinary travelers on the main roads, gathering final intelligence before entering the city while remaining 'visible' to unsuspecting eyes.
'Getting off the path should be fine though'. Shisui reasoned, more so as he had fully scouted the path and the surrounding and concluded that for the past few months, none had taken the path he was on, nor was there any hidden presence around, such as that of Warrod.
As he descended the mountain path, Shisui mentally reviewed the layout of Crocus from his clones' reconnaissance. The public Mission Hall sat in the city's commercial district, a three-story building with moderate security and steady traffic. Independent mages come and go throughout the day, creating the perfect cover for a newcomer to observe and integrate without drawing attention.
As the mountain path soon merged with the main road to Crocus, Shisui adjusted his headband, checking that his weapons were concealed but accessible. Then he finally took his first step to properly integrate himself with the natives of this new world, just another wandering mage seeking work in the capital.
~ End of Chapter 08 ~
You can now gain access to advanced chapters on [email protected]/The_Editor982