To this point, a picture of the ancient forces upon which humanity relied to survive and resist before the age of chakra gradually became clear in Shinichi's mind:
Swordsmen: a lineage system that, before the widespread use of chakra, relied on tempering the body and refining the art of weapons (especially the sword) to confront the extraordinary.
Core: physical energy.
Shrine Maidens/Priests: a lineage system that, before the widespread use of chakra, relied on spiritual meditation, talismans, prayers, and Fūinjutsu to confront the extraordinary.
Core: spiritual energy.
Monks: a lineage system that, before the widespread use of chakra, relied on sensing heaven and earth and harmonizing with natural energy to confront the extraordinary.
Core: natural energy.
The three great ancient systems each represented a different direction and ultimate extreme in humanity's exploration of its own power and that of the external world.
After Ōtsutsuki Kaguya descended and chakra gradually became widespread, this new form of energy—easier to train in, more universally applicable, and capable of integrating certain traits of the three—ultimately became the mainstream.
It pushed those ancient lineages to the margins of history, or forced them to change form.
After sorting through these underlying threads, Shinichi did not continue to delve deeper. It was still too early to ponder such matters.
In the end, he was currently a ninja of Konohagakure. His identity and position determined that he could not simply run off to some shrine or temple to take a master.
Moreover, ordinary temples and shrines likely could not meet his "Entry System's" stringent generation requirements for an "independent and complete extraordinary lineage system."
Perhaps only places such as the shrine maiden of the Land of Demons or the monks of the Fire Temple—those with long histories, complete transmissions, and genuine preservation of their core power—might possibly meet the criteria.
"This will require long-term planning. I need to think it through carefully."
For now, he pressed this future scheme to the back of his mind and drew his attention back to the present.
His gaze refocused on his personal panel, where it clearly displayed: [Draws Remaining: 1 (Blue)]
An opportunity like this was rare—there was no reason not to use it.
As usual, he stood up and went through the routine that had already become a habit—seemingly devout, but in truth more of a psychological comfort—bathing, washing his hands, and briefly organizing his thoughts.
"Come."
He murmured inwardly and initiated the draw.
Light flowed across the panel. A pure blue radiance flashed and finally settled into a brand-new Entry:
[Unceasing Vitality (Blue): The vitality within your body surges like a tide. Your metabolism and tissue regeneration speed reach a transcendent realm; wounds deep enough to expose bone can heal within a short time without leaving scars, and in prolonged battles and harsh environments, you can continuously recover your condition.]
"Unceasing Vitality? A recovery-type Entry?"
Shinichi's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately sensed the vitality within his body suddenly becoming more active, more vigorous— as if every single cell were brimming with toughness and vitality.
His previous recovery ability was actually not weak, but that was mainly thanks to the huge boost to his overall physical attributes brought by the two Entries [Innate Divine Strength (Green)] and [Thick Skin and Tough Flesh (Green)], which produced a knock-on effect. (Genius and Swordsman also boost physical attributes.)
Both of those Entries improve constitution, but one leans toward explosive strength and muscle toughness, while the other focuses on impact resistance and damage reduction.
And now, [Unceasing Vitality (Blue)] directly targets the domain of "recovery," providing a powerful and specialized boost.
This meant that his body's self-healing ability had been raised to an independent, efficient new level.
And with the swiftness and agility provided by [Swift as a Rabbit (Green)]...
When Shinichi made a rough calculation, he realized that in the most fundamental domain of bodily function, without even noticing it, he had already obtained specialized Entry reinforcement in four core categories: strength (Innate Divine Strength), defense (Thick Skin and Tough Flesh), recovery (Unceasing Vitality), and agility (Swift as a Rabbit).
This was not even counting the all-domain amplification of [Genius (Blue)], the increase in efficiency of bodily function usage from [Taijutsu Proficiency (Blue)], and the additional physical attribute bonus from the [Swordsman] profession.
"My foundation is getting more and more solid..." He rolled his wrist, feeling that seemingly inexhaustible vitality within his body, and nodded in satisfaction.
A powerful, well-rounded body—one that can take hits, dish them out, and recover quickly—was always the most reliable capital for dealing with this dangerous world.
This draw could be said to have filled in a fairly important piece of the puzzle.
...
The winter of Konoha Year 45 arrived a little early. By evening, fine snowflakes drifted through the sky, and the air was crisp and cold.
With no mission, having finished another day of tedious yet fulfilling training at the training grounds, Shinichi walked toward home.
On both sides of the street, shops gradually lit their warm lamps, and the fragrance of food drove away the chill.
As he passed by a yakiniku restaurant, a female voice, clearly tinged with drunkenness yet still full of vigor, came from inside: "Hey! You brat over there! Higashino Shinichi!"
Shinichi paused and looked in the direction of the voice.
By the window, Tsunade was sitting alone. She waved broadly, several empty sake bottles already placed in front of her. A flush colored her cheeks, and her golden hair appeared slightly disheveled under the restaurant lights.
Since that brief encounter and conversation at the hospital a few months ago, perhaps because of Shizune's connection, perhaps because his reputation as a genius truly drew attention, or perhaps for some other reason—
The two of them had run into each other several times afterward on the street or at the hospital. They could barely be considered acquaintances who could exchange greetings.
After a slight hesitation, Shinichi turned and walked inside.
As soon as he approached, the strong smell of alcohol rushed toward him.
"Tsunade-sama." He nodded politely.
"Sit!" Tsunade pointed to the empty seat across from her, her tone leaving no room for refusal. Then she called out to the owner, "Add another set of bowls and chopsticks! Uh—get him something to drink. Sake, juice, or tea, whatever!"
"Tsunade-sama, I'm not of age. I can't drink alcohol." Shinichi sat down as instructed and stated the fact calmly.
"I know you can't drink! Don't be so wordy!"
Tsunade waved her hand impatiently. The owner quickly brought over a cup of hot barley tea.
She paid no further attention to Shinichi. Instead, she poured herself another cup of sake, tilted her head back, and drained it in one gulp. Then she gazed at the snow-dusted street outside the window, her eyes somewhat vacant, drinking cup after cup in silence.
Tsunade's mood today was terrible. The reason was a fierce argument with Shizune.
As Katō Dan's niece, Shizune had been raised by Tsunade after Dan's sacrifice. That responsibility, together with her longing and guilt toward Dan, made Tsunade value Shizune immensely.
Recently, with her keen instincts, Tsunade had already sensed from subtle movements that under the seemingly calm surface of the shinobi world, undercurrents were beginning to surge.
She was almost certain that, at the latest by next year, in order to respond to potentially intensifying conflicts and manpower shortages, Konoha would likely allow Shizune's class to graduate early.
The mere thought that Shizune might step onto the perilous path of a ninja, even onto the battlefield, and possibly face the same fate as Dan and Nawaki, filled Tsunade with a suffocating fear.
Today, she had tried to forcefully make Shizune give up the idea of becoming a ninja, only to trigger a fierce dispute.
After parting on bad terms, troubled and in pain, Tsunade had come straight here, trying to numb herself with alcohol.
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