This period of time shouldn't be too short, but it won't be too long either.
Given Sasori's intelligence and the knowledge base he's accumulated over the years, he should be able to fully grasp the somewhat distorted technological system that Qingshui has developed over a long period, a system entirely geared towards enhancing Puppet combat capabilities.
At that point, Qingshui can have him teach it to the excellent Puppet Masters of the Sand Village, initiating a "dumpling-dropping" mode of mass production.
Perhaps in the next Great Ninja War, the Sand Village's style will shift from traditional ninja arts to something more akin to science fiction.
Qingshui trusts Sasori's abilities, and he also trusts the excellent ninjas of the Sand Village.
They aren't foolish; they've simply been held back by the traditional methods of ninja training and survival.
The Ninja World isn't actually lacking in intelligent people. While the Ninja Academy's curriculum regarding humanities and politics is extremely rudimentary—because it's a place for training ninjas, who are essentially killing machines—
it still teaches a certain amount of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Even though these subjects are linked to killing, there's still fertile ground for natural science. Although the tech tree is severely skewed, if it weren't for Qingshui, technology would actually have developed to a certain extent within twenty years. For example, when Team Seven first graduated, Naruto and the others were already using walkie-talkies.
This was already quite close to the technological level of the 1990s, when the Hokage manga first began serialization.
By the time Naruto reached middle age, high-speed rail and laptop computers had already appeared, suggesting a productivity level akin to the late 2000s.
All told, the combined time from then to now is less than half a century.
It's likely that the decades of Great Ninja Wars and military standoffs between villages, and the resulting competitive accumulation, led to a relatively stable period of peace for over thirty years after the Third Great Ninja War. This stable environment allowed those accumulations to be converted into tangible technological achievements.
Orochimaru may have made an extremely prominent contribution in this regard; at least in terms of theoretical and practical application, he has always been at the forefront of the Ninja World.
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
As if by prior arrangement, the major nations of the Ninja World, with the exception of the Land of Wind, Land of Rain, and Land of Water, unanimously sounded the horn of comprehensive reform during this period.
The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, as the instigator of the Third Great Ninja War, bears significant responsibility for Konoha's current situation. However, because Senju Hashirama was present, the Land of Fire Daimyo was merely forced to abdicate and was placed under house arrest in a courtyard, forbidden from contacting outsiders.
After all, Senju Hashirama was the father-in-law of this Daimyo's father. Bloodline-wise, Tsunade would call the Daimyo her cousin.
The newly supported Daimyo was a young nephew of the former Daimyo, still closely related by blood, but he was a Puppet.
The power of the Daimyo's lineage was largely taken over by Orochimaru, who was the Hokage, while the full power belonging to the noble ministers was also largely consolidated under Konoha's control.
Coupled with the assets in the former Daimyo's personal treasury and the large expenditures drawn from the national treasury, Konoha, despite being the losing side of the war, still managed to suppress internal dissatisfaction through these returns. Under the guidance of Orochimaru and Tobirama Senju, two of the Ninja World's top intellectual talents, it rapidly recovered its strength.
Stone Hidden followed closely, though its methods were much more direct. The Daimyo "accidentally drowned," and Onoki, like a madman, consolidated power and wealth, aiming to cultivate more ninjas, especially strong ones.
The more people there are, the greater the probability of a genius emerging, and the more resources available, the greater the likelihood of a genius growing.
Only in this way could Stone Hidden possibly cultivate one or two masters capable of holding their own before it completely declines, allowing it to barely maintain the framework of the Six Great Ninja Villages in a future where it has lost two Tailed Beast Jinchuriki.
Cloud Hidden Village was relatively much gentler, because the relationship between the Raikage father and son and the Daimyo was actually very good. The latter's support for Cloud Hidden Village was, comparatively, the greatest among all the Daimyo, and his governance of the country was also quite good.
According to official data books, by the time Naruto graduated, Cloud Hidden Village's military and economy had already surpassed Konoha's.
This Daimyo of the Land of Lightning was definitely an intelligent person, truly a formidable leader. He had already foreseen the future development trend of the Ninja World when Konoha was defeated. And when faced with ninjas who had power in their hands, these Daimyo had no ability to reverse the prevailing trend.
Thus, the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning became the first, and only, one to actively initiate contact with Cloud Hidden Village to adjust power.
The Daimyo still retained status and some power, but the Raikage's power was enhanced, and Cloud Hidden Village's financial resources were significantly strengthened.
Perhaps in the future, as the Daimyo and Kage's positions pass down through generations, this might leave some hidden dangers. But currently, this was the fastest and smoothest transfer of power.
Regardless, these ninja villages, which began to follow Sand Hidden's lead, reforming their systems and reorganizing their nations, saw their development potential rapidly increasing, and their recovery of strength accelerating quickly.
Perhaps if this trend continues, in another decade or so, the Fourth Great Ninja War will be unprecedented in scale, far exceeding the previous three Great Ninja Wars.
The discerning individuals of the Ninja World could foresee these changes.
Just like the First Great Ninja War, where battles between ninja villages involved thousands or tens of thousands of combatants, far surpassing the clan-based warfare of the Warring States period.
As the times change, the scale and destructive power of war will continuously rise.
Unless, a mighty hero descends from the heavens, sweeps away the chaos, and establishes a unified nation.
Meanwhile, a certain individual, on whom all of Sand Hidden's ninjas placed their hopes, was currently training intensely in a newly constructed special training ground, wearing a unique Magic Tool outfit.
Beside him, a purple-haired youth, also wearing the same type of Magic Tool, was performing squats while holding two high-density metal dumbbells.
"Hmph... Zisha, that's enough training for today. Any more, and you'll only damage your body, which isn't worth it. Go to the village hospital for a massage treatment first."
Qingshui said to Zisha, all while doing push-ups with a giant metal block on his back, a block comparable in size to a small house.
Zisha had joined Qingshui's training by chance.
Since the Sand Village didn't have facilities that could meet the young man's training needs, he had previously custom-ordered equipment from the Puppet Force.
As a newly promoted young Elite Jonin in the Sand Village with outstanding achievements in Taijutsu, Zisha had that kind of influence.
When the price was high enough, the Puppet Masters of the Sand Village were happy to earn some extra money.
And it just so happened that Qingshui was also using the Puppet Force's equipment to build training gear at the time, which Zisha stumbled upon.
So, at Zisha's request, Qingshui also took the time to create a set of training Magic Tools for him, identical to his own.
For example, the suit he was wearing had adjustable pressure, with a maximum limit equivalent to twenty times normal gravity.
Qingshui's own set was more advanced, capable of withstanding fifty times gravity.
This was quite significant, already approaching twice the sun's gravity. Combined with a series of heavy training facilities, it was more than enough for their training needs.
Even now, without using any special abilities, Qingshui's pure physical stats, after breaking through his limits twice, give him over a hundred tons of strength. Yet, he's only set the gravity at 50 times normal.
For Zisha, 20 times gravity is just right, but he uses a Breathing Style and Chakra during his training.
Unlike Qingshui, Zisha doesn't possess super strong physical recovery abilities or a physique that can break through Limiters.
Although Zisha is a Peak Master in Taijutsu, like Guy and Lee, he doesn't have any cheats, and his body is that of a normal Ninja World inhabitant. Even with the enhancement from Chakra and Breathing Style, and even with Medical Ninjutsu for healing, he can't push himself too hard as it could deplete his vitality. He needs timely nutrient replenishment and ample rest.
"No, Fourth Hokage, in extreme conditions, a person's breathing tends more towards instinct. I've already studied the unusual Ninjutsu document you released a few days ago for cultivating Sage Mode. Its core concept is to continuously bring the body towards the state it was in at birth, or even before birth, a state full of infinite possibilities, isn't it?
But that's just the state of the body. I think if breathing could also find a similar state and be summarized, the Breathing Style could be perfected to a near-flawless degree. Not only would it maximize the utilization and absorption efficiency of Natural Energy, but it would also better help us find that state full of infinite possibilities.
So at this point, instinct is the most important thing, because it's what we've had since birth and have kept until now.
The instinct of breathing is the same. I have a premonition that the Seven Days Breathing Style's limit will be more than just seven types of activity!
Therefore, to find this possibility, I need to extend the time spent in the extreme state as much as possible, to find this breathing that approximates instinct!
Drops of sweat dripped from Zisha's hair, and his rapid breathing punctuated his words, causing Qingshui to fall into deep thought.
This was something he had never considered.
Instinctive breathing...
No, not just breathing!
The process of the human body generating Innate Qi happens within the mother's womb. Breathing only begins after birth when the baby comes into contact with outside air.
If a baby doesn't breathe, nurses will often pat its bottom or feet to stimulate a cry, which helps expand the lungs and prompts the baby to start breathing on its own.
So, the true essence of a Breathing Style isn't actually the baby's instinctive breathing after birth, but before that!
An infant embryo receives oxygen from the mother through the placenta and umbilical cord. Does Natural Energy also come from there?
If so, how does the mother absorb Natural Energy?
Just by the normal breathing of the mother, inhaling air?
Or could it be...
A Taoist term suddenly appeared in Qingshui's mind.
Fetal Breathing!
The Avatar in Yi Ren World, who practices Talisman Arts from Longhu Mountain, has almost reached the peak, so he naturally has a sufficient understanding of many Taoist terms.
Regarding Fetal Breathing, two phrases are recorded in Taoist scriptures. One says: "Ingest inner qi, hold firm to unity, this is called Fetal Breathing."
The other says: "One who attains Fetal Breathing can breathe without mouth or nose, as if still in the womb."
Breathing without mouth or nose!
This is the most crucial point!
Qingshui then thought of Sun Breathing, created by Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
This Breathing Style is the progenitor of all Breathing Styles. Every other Breathing Style was actually a simplified and redacted version created by other swordsmen of Tsugikuni Yoriichi's generation who couldn't master Sun Breathing.
So, Sun Breathing must also include normal breathing. But could its difficulty also be related to Fetal Breathing?
Is Fetal Breathing + Breathing the true Sun Breathing?
It seems not impossible.
One phenomenon that hasn't been confirmed but is highly likely to be true is that those who can learn Sun Breathing are the so-called Child of Bright Red in the Demon Slayer World.
Working in fire-related professions for long periods affects a person's breathing.
Fire needs oxygen to burn, so the available oxygen for breathing naturally decreases.
Therefore, people will quicken their breathing rate to increase oxygen intake and also to enhance heat dissipation efficiency.
And what if even after speeding up breathing, it's still not enough?
At that point, would the body spontaneously force out the instinct of Fetal Breathing?
It sounds like it could make sense.
I just don't know if Zisha's method of extending the extreme state will be effective.
Thinking this, Qingshui couldn't help but stop what he was doing and began to watch Zisha, observing if he could succeed.
This method was undoubtedly extremely dangerous. Without his direct supervision, Zisha could very likely have an accident.
Time passed minute by minute, and soon, Zisha's eyes began to roll back.
When the body is pushed to its limit, one can tough it out with sheer willpower. But when willpower also reaches its limit, one enters a state of blank mind and selflessness.
This state is the closest to human instinct.
And Zisha was still performing his Breathing Style, but his breathing pattern had subtly changed compared to before.
In Qingshui's perception, Zisha's affinity for Natural Energy had now risen to a level that even surprised him.
This affinity was no less than his efficiency in absorbing Natural Energy when he was still in the second stage of his Reverse Growth technique.
And, it seemed even purer.
Moreover, the body's cells were involuntarily drawing in Natural Energy from the outside, seeking to gain strength and unleash potential, to allow the body's owner to survive.
Qingshui quickly recorded this miraculous breathing rhythm, while paying closer attention to Zisha's physical condition.
Just as Zisha was about to give out, having accumulated numerous internal injuries and with his life potentially in danger, Qingshui finally intervened. He pressed a button on the Magic Tool training suit, removing it, and then cast Mystical Palm Technique on Zisha to heal him, before sending him to the Sand Hidden Hospital for an IV drip.
After personally treating Zisha and ensuring he was out of danger, Qingshui returned to the training ground. He began to record that special breathing rhythm and started to imitate Zisha's state from earlier.
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