Chapter 208: Current Drive and… Nuclear Release?
The first Kekkei Tōta Genichi had ever mastered was Ice Release, but even now, he had not yet mapped a clear and logical path to evolve it into a Bloodline Culmination. The general principle was clear—fuse all seven nature transformations. The seven raw materials were right there in front of him. But what was the correct ratio? What role should each element play? Without a clear blueprint, it was nothing more than a shot in the dark.
For a moment, an overwhelming impulse seized Genichi—a desire to drop everything and focus solely on developing his Heaven's Eye into a full-fledged Kekkei Mōra. The allure of a Bloodline Culmination was immense.
Calm down. Stay steady. Don't lose focus.
He took several deep breaths, forcing down the powerful urge. "Stick to the plan. One step at a time." The first hurdle was creating the "Fire Eye" dōjutsu. After that came the monumental task of fusing the three distinct sensory abilities.
Returning to his desk, Genichi took out a blank scroll, organized his thoughts, and began to draft a feasible development plan. He worked late into the night, and by the time he was finished, a concrete strategy had taken shape. He stretched with a satisfied smile.
"Are you finished with your work?" a soft voice asked. Uzumaki Ina entered, carrying a bowl of soup. "Have some of this."
Genichi's nose twitched. He immediately identified the aroma of turtle soup—a potent dish.
"Thank you," he said, giving Ina a kiss before taking the bowl and drinking it all down, not even leaving the meat behind. Ina's eyes crinkled into a happy smile as she watched him.
After cleaning up the study, Genichi's work for the day was done. As he stepped out of the room, he was greeted by the sight of Shizune, fresh from her bath, her fair skin glowing.
He stepped forward and inhaled deeply. "You smell wonderful."
Shizune blushed and pushed him away gently. "Go take your own bath first."
"Let's take another one together," he said, pulling her close.
From the kitchen, Ina saw the two of them disappear into the bathroom and hesitated for a moment, her face flushing before she made up her mind and followed them in.
The next afternoon, after finishing his daily training, Genichi sought out Sarutobi Shinnosuke, who was on leave after recently retiring from the Anbu.
"Genichi?" Shinnosuke was surprised to see him. "What brings you here? You're a busy man."
Genichi held up a scroll. "I have a mission for you."
Shinnosuke's expression immediately turned serious. "What is it?"
"Let's talk in your study."
Once they were seated, Genichi handed the scroll over. Shinnosuke unrolled it and began to read, his eyes widening in shock. This was a mission?
"This is…" he stammered, at a loss for words. He had never received a mission like this before. A mission to develop a new Kekkei Genkai?
"So, are you interested, Shinnosuke-senpai?" Genichi asked with a grin.
"Of course, I am," Shinnosuke replied, "but Genichi, the core theory here is already so well-defined. If you were to develop it yourself, wouldn't you have the highest chance of success?"
"That's true," Genichi admitted. "But until it's mastered, success is never one hundred percent. One more person trying means one more chance for a breakthrough. Besides," he finished with a helpless shrug, "I just don't have enough time."
Shinnosuke gave a wry smile. Not enough time? Just how busy is he?
"So, what do you say?" Genichi pressed. "Chigetsu isn't pregnant yet, is she? If you master a new Kekkei Genkai before you have a child, you pass on another possibility to the next generation."
"Your methods are certainly… unique, Genichi," Shinnosuke said, shaking his head. "I'll accept the mission. But I can't guarantee I'll succeed."
"Just do your best. That's all I ask," Genichi said. "You can request the research materials on Yang Release from the Fourth Hokage or get them from Root. If you have any questions, feel free to come find me."
With that, Genichi vanished.
"That man's vision… it's on a completely different level," Shinnosuke murmured to himself before eagerly diving back into the scroll. "This is a genius idea! Incredible! You can do that?" He was so engrossed that he didn't notice night had fallen until his wife, Chigetsu, returned from work.
"Shinnosuke?" she asked, seeing his excited state. "Good news?"
He looked up, surprised to see it was dark. "It's Kekkei Genkai research from Genichi," he explained. "He gave it to me as a mission." After he explained the details, Chigetsu was left speechless. "You… you can do that?"
In truth, it wasn't that Genichi had no time at all. But his morning Sage transformation training was non-negotiable—it was directly linked to his lifespan. Then there was his work on the "Current Drive" aspect of his Electromagnetic Release, which had been the primary focus of his last ten-year leap. He had carved out a path, but the training was intimately tied to his physical body; a shadow clone couldn't do it. While a clone could work on developing a Kekkei Genkai, the "Fire Eye" involved Yang Release, which was best handled by his main body.
So, for the first time, Genichi decided to treat the development of a Kekkei Mōra like a project, breaking off the "Fire Eye" as a sub-project and delegating it. The best Fire Release users in Konoha were the Uchiha and the Sarutobi. Shinnosuke was not only talented but also possessed a Yang Release affinity, making him the perfect candidate.
And there was another, more calculated reason. By helping Shinnosuke and others advance, their progress during Genichi's next ten-year leap would effectively be his progress as well. He could learn from their success, nearly doubling his own research and development time with every leap. It was a win-win.
After leaving Shinnosuke's house, he found Kurenai Yūhi.
"Genichi!" she exclaimed, leaning out her window, pleasantly surprised by his visit. She hurried downstairs to meet him.
"Let's talk somewhere more private," he said, taking her hand and teleporting them to a small, quiet grove. "Ina told me you've mastered the genjutsu, Kyōka Suigetsu."
"Thanks to Ina-neechan's guidance," Kurenai nodded. She had learned the genjutsu, not the Kekkei Genkai that Ina herself was still working to perfect.
"Then take a look at this," he said, handing her a scroll. Kurenai's talent in genjutsu was considerable.
"This is…" she began reading, her eyes going wide. "You've mastered a Kekkei Genkai that controls all five senses?"
"Not yet," he corrected. "This is just my research. I'm hoping you can be the one to bring it to life." The data was actually something he had acquired from Yakumo Kurama in the future, but he hadn't had time to master it himself.
"I will do my best!" Kurenai said, her expression firm and determined.
"I believe in you," Genichi said with a smile. "I'm a difficult man to catch up to. Keep trying." With that cryptic, two-pronged encouragement, he vanished.
Kurenai stood for a long moment, calming her racing heart before looking back at the scroll. At the end were the three "Realm of Truth" genjutsu Genichi had developed based on his Five Senses Seal.
Realm of Truth - True Touch: Builds a false reality for an enemy whose five senses have already been sealed.
Realm of Truth - Shared Senses: Creates a perfect illusion based on the caster's own five senses.
Realm of Truth - Brain in a Vat: What you see is not what you see. What you feel is not what you feel. Everything you perceive is a true sensation, yet everything you perceive is a world of my creation.
Reading the description of the final technique sent a chill down her spine. "Incredible…"
An Uninhabited Island Overseas
Genichi arrived on the same island where he had first tested his Susanoo. Today, he was here to train his Electromagnetic Release.
First was the Current Drive. The principle was simple: a powerful electric current generates a magnetic field. This field then exerts a force—Ampere's force—on the conductor, converting electrical energy into kinetic energy. By applying this principle within his own body, treating himself as the conductor, he could unleash unparalleled physical power.
His current goal was to achieve a current of one billion volts. He cloaked himself in his Electromagnetic Storm Release Chakra Mode. Electricity coursed through his body, and after building up a charge, he unleashed a punch against the cliff face in front of him.
A pillar of bluish-purple light erupted from his fist, striking the mountain and blasting a massive, scorched crater in its side with a deafening roar.
The training was monotonous and utterly draining. He threw punch after punch, release after release, constantly pushing the voltage higher. One hundred thousand volts, three hundred thousand, one million…
He trained until sunset before returning to Konoha.
At dinner that evening, Tsunade glanced at him. "You left the village today?"
"Went to an island to train," he nodded. "The technique is too destructive to practice here."
"What kind of technique is it?" Shizune asked curiously.
Genichi gave them a simplified explanation of his Electromagnetic Release training, which left all three of them looking utterly bewildered.
"Weren't you focusing on an Ice Release Bloodline Culmination?" Ina asked.
"I still haven't found the right method," he admitted with a sigh.
The conversation soon turned into a brainstorming session, with the four of them theorizing about how to evolve Scorch Release and Dust Release into their own Kekkei Mōra.
As they threw ideas back and forth, Genichi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Do you remember that I have another Kekkei Genkai called Explosion Release?"
"The one that combines Water and Wind Release?" Ina recalled.
"Yes," he said. "Do any of you know how the sun produces light and heat?"
The three women stared at him blankly.
"Don't keep us in suspense, just spit it out!" Tsunade demanded, her ponytail practically quivering with impatience.
Genichi smiled. "The sun works through a process called nuclear fusion. The nuclei of atoms are forced together to form new, heavier nuclei. In this process, a tiny amount of mass is lost and converted into a tremendous amount of energy, which we see as light and heat."
Tsunade, though not fully grasping the science, caught a key detail. "Is this related to Dust Release?"
"Precisely," Genichi mused aloud. "Dust Release can break matter down to the atomic level. To achieve fusion, you need extreme heat and pressure. My Electromagnetic and Scorch Release can provide the heat and pressure. My Explosion Release is already based on a hydrogen explosion, and I can use Dust Release to get at the atomic components…" He trailed off, frowning. "It's a bit of a mess."
"At least it's a direction," Shizune said encouragingly. "But you wouldn't call that Scorch Release anymore, would you?"
Genichi's smile returned. "No, it wouldn't be fitting. I'd call it… Nuclear Release."
Later that night, Genichi entered his study to find Ina meditating on the floor, the scroll for Kyōka Suigetsu open beside her.
"If you can't complete it," he said, sitting down next to her, "why not try adding just the Water Release to your existing Mind Control Kekkei Genkai?"
"What role would the Water Release play?" Shizune asked, bringing in a late-night snack.
"What about emotions?" Genichi suggested.
Both women, having assisted with his many experiments, understood immediately. "Hormones!" they said in unison.
"Exactly," Genichi confirmed. "Hormones are a type of bodily fluid. By manipulating them with Water Release, you can influence an enemy's emotional state, disrupt their willpower, and break their fighting spirit."
"I'll try that!" Ina said, her eyes shining with new purpose.
"Genichi," Shizune added thoughtfully, "could I use Yang Release to synthesize specific hormones inside my body, creating specialized poisons that disrupt an enemy's endocrine system?"
"Of course," he said, encouraging her. "The human body holds countless secrets."
The next morning, Genichi made a rare appearance at his family's dango shop. While helping his parents, he spotted a familiar figure. It was a young Itachi Uchiha. Genichi smiled and personally brought a plate of three-color dango to his table.
Itachi shot to his feet. "Lord Genichi!"
"Sit, eat," Genichi said with a wave before returning to his work.
Itachi was stunned to be served by such a legendary figure. Lord Genichi doesn't have any airs about him at all, he thought, his first impression of the man soaring.
After an hour, Genichi returned home to train. That afternoon, he paid a visit to Root's archives and found the records on Izanami, the counterpart to Izanagi. A jutsu to decide fate. Both were far too costly, but he absorbed the underlying principles—specifically, the concept of a time loop within a genjutsu—adding them to his own vast repertoire of illusionary arts.
As the days passed, everyone continued down their own paths. On a desolate plain, Kakashi teetered precariously on his wooden spire, while Guy was away on a mission. In the Konoha Hospital, Obito Uchiha chased after Rin Nohara. Far away in the capital, Asuma Sarutobi began developing his own Wind Release Chakra Mode. Each of them was moving forward, on their own unique journey.
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