When it comes to studying Yin Release, you hold a natural advantage.
Unlike other Nature Affinities, which require you to seek out suitable environments for practice, training in Yin Release only demands that you delve into your own bloodline. No travel, no searching—just introspection and refinement.
On top of that, you possess 〖Genjutsu: Time-Space〗—a degraded version of Tsukuyomi that accelerates time within the illusion space by tenfold compared to the real world.
In this domain, you can test techniques and improve execution, but it generally doesn't increase affinity with an element.
Yin Release, however, is the exception.
After all, this entire Genjutsu realm is a construct of Yin Release!
Still, Yin Release is extremely obscure and difficult to grasp. You've practically read through every salvaged scrap of the Uchiha Genjutsu Compendium, yet you remain unable to comprehend its essence—it eludes you entirely.
Fortunately, you now have the secret techniques of the Yamanaka and Nara clans as additional references.
Even better, you've acquired an excellent sparring partner: the will of Uchiha Itachi, which you previously dragged out from within your bloodline.
This thing—neither a soul nor chakra—clings to your blood like a tumor. Other than trying to bargain, it can't actually do anything.
Naturally, you've tested every technique you can think of on it.
"Damn impressive. Even after getting sliced in half by Soul Slash, you still managed to stick yourself back together. No wonder Orochimaru lost to you~"
You dismissed the transparent blade forged from pure Spirit energy in your hand, then activated Mind Body Switch Technique. To your surprise, it worked even on this manifestation of Uchiha Itachi's will.
Possessing the will of a will—honestly, you don't even know how to describe that feeling!
Next, you attempted to use Shadow Imitation Technique.
No effect?
Ah, right—you hadn't created a separate light source. No light, no shadows. Makes sense!
So, a sun-like light appeared behind you.
From your shadow, several tendrils stretched out and entangled your opponent.
Through the sensations returned from the Mind Body Switch Technique, you discovered that Shadow Imitation could bind this will just as effectively as Adamantine Sealing Chains.
You remembered Shadow Imitation Shuriken, the advanced version of this technique—it lets you project a ninja tool that locks down the enemy's shadow, and thus their body.
That means Shadow Imitation is actually a type of Genjutsu—an illusion that creates physical effects.
A Genjutsu capable of manifesting reality!
No wonder it's so effective against a will-based entity. The binding power rivaling Adamantine Sealing Chains suddenly made sense.
Will, Spirit, Soul, Yin Release—what's the true connection between them all?
How are you able to possess the will of a will?
How could a light source created with Yin Release cast a shadow from your Spirit construct—and that shadow still function exactly like a real one, allowing you to use Shadow Imitation?
"Ah! I get it!"
As soon as the words left your mouth, the artificial sun hanging in your Genjutsu realm went dark.
And yet the Shadow Imitation Technique persisted without its light source—or perhaps... you were the source all along.
In that instant, a bolt of lightning split the illusionary space in two.
Then the entire realm shattered, its fragments compressing into the right hand of the will before you.
Your own right hand wasn't empty—it still clutched Soul Slash, now condensed into the form of a short blade.
As the Genjutsu realm was absorbed into the weapon, its once-transparent edge turned pitch-black—an abyssal darkness unlike anything in the world, yet somehow emanating an eerie, soul-piercing glow.
You leveled the blade at Uchiha Itachi's will.
For the first time, a flicker of panic crossed his normally indifferent face.
"An illusion?"
Wrong.
"If you're the illusion, then you better damn well act like one!"
You raised your hands in the starting pose of Mind Body Switch Technique—which, incidentally, also resembled the opening move of Dust Style.
But between your hands, you formed a blade of pure black.
The blade shot forward, piercing into the body of Uchiha Itachi's will.
Death.
A second later, the parasitic consciousness embedded in your bloodline disintegrated, crumbling into nothing.
As you stared at the razor-sharp black blade in your hand, a surge of clarity hit you—a divine spark.
It felt as if this weapon, forged from the Yin Release insights of the Uchiha, Nara, and Yamanaka clans, had—upon destroying Itachi's will—become something entirely new.
No longer a ninjutsu.
Not just a technique.
A weapon.
A divine weapon?
Not quite... but close.
...
You opened your eyes, returning to reality—and discovered you were gripping something in your hand.
You opened your palm. There it was.
But back in the real world, it was unstable—clearly being eroded by the pervasive forces of reality.
You took out a kunai and tried binding the weapon to it. The real-world erosion noticeably weakened.
Then, with help from Boss Black-Cat, you got your hands on several live rats.
After testing, you confirmed that this thing could, just like Mind Body Switch, be aimed and projected via hand signs—
But it could kill directly and absorb souls, growing stronger and more stable with each one consumed.
It could also be hidden within shadows like Shadow Imitation, or attached to ninja tools—though when attached to weapons, it lost the instant-death effect, only damaging the soul instead.
Most terrifying of all was its ability to sever both chakra and consciousness.
It reminded you of the blade wielded by the Shinigami in the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.
However, just maintaining the blade drained your chakra at a frightening rate—after a short while, you were nearly tapped out.
You used 〖Reaper Seal〗 to store it inside your Sharingan.
Perhaps this thing will become a valuable asset when the time comes to claim Tailed Beast chakra...
...
Half a month passed in a blur.
During this time, you continually infused the blade with Yin Release chakra.
You also used dozens of rats for sparring—so many that Boss Black-Cat had to bulk up just to "dispose of the evidence."
The rewards were immense.
The pitch-black blade had stabilized considerably.
You could now wield it directly in the real world for up to a full minute without it dissipating.
That may not sound like much—
But for a weapon that erases souls and kills on contact, it's more than enough.
In fact, you tested it on rats: even hitting the shadow of a target led to real death.
Attaching it to a real weapon lessened its lethality, but it could still deliver devastating soul damage.
And yes—there were non-lethal applications too. With precise control, it could be used to separate chakra from consciousness.
Unfortunately, if you wanted to launch a long-range attack, you still needed a massive hand sign wind-up like Dust Style...
While you were refining this weapon born of illusion...
The time had come for the individual rounds of the Chūnin Exams.
To ensure you could remain in Konoha until the final match, Kabuto intervened—arranging for your preliminary opponent to be someone irrelevant to the Konoha Crush Plan: Kankurō.
During the battle in the Forest of Death, Kankurō had already witnessed a fraction of your power.
And you weren't interested in dragging things out.
The moment the match began, you unleashed a barrage of Earth Release: Rising Earth Spears.
You deliberately held back your power—making sure they wouldn't cripple if they hit.
Still, the frequency of attacks was so high and precise that Kankurō had no chance to use his puppets at all.
Very quickly, he surrendered of his own accord.
You advanced to the finals without breaking a sweat.
But now, the one who truly caught your interest...
Wasn't a contestant.
It was your proctor—
Special Jōnin Hayate Gekkō...
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo