The ninja system seems to be far more complex than I originally thought!
With the body of a mortal, a ninja wields the power of a god!
Is this the peak of the ninja system, or merely its starting point?
Ninjutsu represents the initial application of the world's fundamental laws, which explains its immense power.
Perhaps no one has fully grasped this truth, yet the effectiveness of ninjutsu is evident to all.
The traditional samurai path, one that emphasizes pure physical discipline, pales in comparison to a newly graduated genin, despite years of rigorous training.
However, ninjas possess a critical weakness—their fragility.
The paradox is clear: a mortal body, yet divine power. This contradiction defines the very essence of shinobi.
Should a ninja devote themselves to arduous physical conditioning, or should they focus on enhancing their ninjutsu, compensating for their frail physique with overwhelming power?
The path chosen by generations of shinobi has always favored the latter.
As a result, their physical endurance fails to match the incredible power they wield.
Does this mean that the pursuit of ever-stronger ninjutsu has been nothing more than a chase toward a flawed ideal?
It's no wonder the shinobi world has never developed a true technique of longevity.
They were mistaken from the very beginning!
The fragility of the ninja body is the root issue, not the limitations of ninjutsu itself.
"Perhaps the Sage of Six Paths should never have spread chakra to this world."
Uchiha Kiyo had begun to see the spread of chakra in a different light.
The fast-paced evolution of the shinobi system had overshadowed the older, self-cultivation methods of the past, even causing some of them to vanish entirely.
True cultivation is a gradual process, yet the chakra system allows power to be gained in leaps and bounds. Something about this seems fundamentally flawed.
Perhaps the inability of the ninja world to develop true longevity techniques stems from this very weakness.
Even life-extension techniques are nearly nonexistent.
In the end, everything revolves around chakra—shinobi refuse to let go of their pursuit of greater power.
But how can one achieve longevity if their body is constantly in a state of depletion?
Longevity, at its core, is nothing more than the slow evolution of the body to resist the effects of time.
To attain it, one must find a path of true physical evolution. Even if such a path existed, success would not be guaranteed.
Of course, true immortality—the kind without negative side effects—is what Kiyo sought.
Techniques like Earth Grudge Fear were not true longevity techniques but rather grotesque distortions of the concept.
"These are the flaws of the shinobi system itself, not the fault of chakra as an energy source."
Uchiha Kiyo understood this much.
*"The Otsutsuki clan, for example, does not suffer from this weakness. Their physical bodies are far superior to those of the shinobi, making their chakra usage more aligned with their natural state.
The ninja of this world, by contrast, are weak beings attempting to wield the power of the Otsutsuki."*
Still, every system exists for a reason.
Kiyo would not blindly dismiss the value of the shinobi path.
After all, the ninja system possessed a high ceiling for power, and his own strength had been cultivated through it.
Even his vision for an immortal cultivation system would likely be built upon this foundation.
Speaking of which, Kiyo had started forming concrete ideas about immortality.
His research into spiritual energy had led him to an interesting conclusion.
Spiritual energy is "the power of rules," capable of encoding perception and shaping one's path.
Thus, Kiyo's journey to immortality would be centered around this principle.
Just as he had theorized before, the first step in his cultivation would be to "restore the acquired body to its innate state."
The key lay in how he absorbed natural energy.
Unlike the standard Sage Mode, Kiyo did not want to simply mix natural energy with chakra.
Instead, he aimed to reach a state where natural energy could enter his body freely—without the risk of assimilation or petrification.
There were three possible methods:
1. Adapt the body completely to natural energy.
2. Strengthen the body so much that it becomes immune to assimilation.
3. Develop a method to neutralize natural energy's effects faster than it can harm him.
Of these, the third option seemed the most ideal.
The first method would require a complete biological transformation, something akin to rebirth—a process Kiyo wasn't confident he could control.
The second method required reaching a level of physical strength beyond what seemed possible for a human. There were no known elixirs or special medicines in the ninja world to accelerate such a transformation.
The third method, while difficult, was at least feasible.
And Kiyo had already formed the rough outline of a plan.
Once he completed the process of restoring his body to its innate state, he would then follow the framework of various cultivation realms he had read about in past-life novels, modifying them as necessary.
Not just the concept of immortality—he would draw from a variety of fantasy realms, all of which involved evolving one's life force.
Since he was the one creating this system, he alone had the right to name it.
"I call this the path to immortality because I choose to."
But before Kiyo could take that step, there were still many preparations to be made.
His current physical condition remained a significant bottleneck.
Despite years of cultivating his body from childhood and developing specialized training techniques, his progress had been too slow.
While his methods maximized efficiency, they were ultimately too gentle.
The training provided good long-term accumulation, but it lacked the intensity required for a true breakthrough.
If he wanted to break past his current limits, he needed something more—perhaps a bloodline limit.
"Bloodline limits are formed through the fusion of two chakra natures. There are very few shinobi who have ever successfully developed new ones. Can I succeed?"
His research into spiritual energy was nearly complete, so he decided to turn his attention toward bloodline limits.
The five elemental chakra natures—Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning—along with Yin and Yang, offered numerous possible combinations.
Fire and Earth created Lava Release.
Fire and Water created Boil Release.
Water and Wind created Ice Release.
Earth and Water created Wood Release.
These were the few he could recall.
Other releases, like Magnet Release or Explosion Release, were harder to classify.
Wood Release was out of the question—it was too closely tied to Hashirama Senju, and Konoha would not tolerate its reappearance.
Even if he succeeded in mastering it, it would bring more trouble than it was worth.
Ice Release was similarly unfeasible.
He had no clear understanding of how Wind and Water fused to create it.
That left Lava and Boil Release.
Between the two, Lava Release seemed far more practical.
Boil Release relied heavily on corrosive steam, which was not particularly useful to Kiyo. He could already generate large amounts of water vapor using his advanced chakra control.
Lava Release, on the other hand, provided both offensive and defensive capabilities.
The Lava Chakra Mode alone was a testament to its versatility.
"Lava Release also has a higher potential for future evolution."
If he could successfully develop it, he might even be able to push it further—perhaps even reaching a bloodline elimination technique.
Since magma naturally contained liquid properties, it might be possible to incorporate Water Release in the future.
In contrast, Boil Release had limited room for progression.
After careful consideration, Kiyo made his decision.
"Lava Release it is."
With his spiritual energy research requiring only ten hours per day, and six hours reserved for rest, he still had a few hours left.
Excluding minor daily activities, he had roughly three additional hours to dedicate.
"Three hours of focused training… That should be enough to develop my bloodline limit."
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