The fusion lasted for an hour. When Luo Ning opened his eyes again, the Scarlet Eye inside the bottle had completely disappeared.
Picking up a mirror to look, Luo Ning didn't see the Three-Tomoe Sharingan he had dreamed of. He was still in the two-tomoe state, but he could clearly feel that his aura capacity had increased once more. His overall strength was likely double what it had been before the fusion. At this moment, he felt that if he encountered Uvogin again, he would have a chance at a direct confrontation even without using the terrain to his advantage.
Furthermore, he could feel his eyes evolving toward three-tomoe; they were simply lacking... energy! To be more precise, a single pair of Scarlet Eyes was not enough to evolve his two-tomoe Sharingan into the three-tomoe stage. If he could get another pair, he was certain his eyes would evolve directly to the three-tomoe level.
Luo Ning had actually considered this possibility before the fusion. However, he hadn't worried about whether the fusion would complete the evolution, but rather whether the increase in chakra would be enough to perform higher-level ninjutsu, especially A-rank or S-rank.
After all, according to his previous calculations, he would only need to fuse two more pairs of Scarlet Eyes to reach the Mangekyou state. By then, he wouldn't just be able to use A-rank ninjutsu; he would also have the innate ocular powers of the Mangekyou Sharingan, which included Susano'o.
But whether it was A-rank ninjutsu or Susano'o, they were all massive chakra consumers. Judging by the increase in aura from his first fusion, even if he fused two more pairs, his internal capacity might only be a few times what it was when he first awakened his Nen. That was completely insufficient.
Luo Ning could accept this for now. After all, reaching three-tomoe with just two pairs of eyes—and from the looks of it, a version of three-tomoe without side effects—was decent. However, the number of Scarlet Eyes needed to reach Mangekyou or even the Eternal Mangekyou later on would likely be much higher. Because of this, he had to think of a way to get his hands on the dozen or so pairs of Scarlet Eyes in Tserriednich's possession as soon as possible.
Additionally, his previous idea of using spare Scarlet Eyes to perform the Uchiha clan's ultimate ocular technique, Izanagi, needed to be adjusted.
Fortunately, while the eyes hadn't evolved yet, he had unlocked the conditions to perform B-rank ninjutsu after this fusion. It seemed the evolution of the eyes and the unlocking of ninjutsu were separate processes. After testing a B-rank ninjutsu, Luo Ning found that the consumption was still somewhat high for him. This was likely because his own chakra volume wasn't keeping up.
'I can't rely entirely on fusing Scarlet Eyes to increase my strength. I need to work on improving my aura capacity myself. That way, once higher-level ninjutsu are unlocked, I'll be able to perform them better,' Luo Ning murmured.
He then raised both hands and quickly formed seals. A large amount of chakra split off within him, and as the seals were completed, another Luo Ning appeared in the room.
[B-RANK NINJUTSU: SHADOW CLONE TECHNIQUE!]
This was a technique created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. It used chakra to create a clone with a physical body. They could act just like the user, possessed an independent consciousness, and had a certain degree of durability. It was no longer the fragile existence created by the standard Clone Technique Luo Ning had used before, which would pop at a single poke.
Most importantly, after the clone was released, its memories and experiences would return to the original body. To the current Luo Ning, this was a flat-out cheat-level ability. It was also the technique he had most wanted to be able to use when he was fusing the eyes to evolve his Sharingan!
Moving forward, he could let a shadow clone act in his place. This way, even if Uvogin or other members of the Phantom Troupe found him, any surprise attack would likely only kill his clone. Meanwhile, his true self could focus entirely on training while the clone was active.
Though the Shadow Clone Technique had one drawback—the fatigue accumulated would also return to the main body upon release—it was a negligible price to pay compared to the benefits. Besides, Luo Ning hadn't mastered the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique; just one clone wasn't enough to put him in a dangerous position after it was recalled.
After returning to Heavens Arena by airship, Luo Ning settled into a life where his clone handled outside affairs while his true body focused on training. First, using Milia's connections, he secretly secured a room on the 188th floor. While his true self stayed there, his clone occupied his previous room, 2333.
He was a person with a strong sense of time. He would wake up punctually at 7:00 AM. After finishing some chores, he would start his day's training at 8:30 AM sharp. At 11:30 AM, he would enjoy his break. He preferred cooking his own meals; it was a hobby of his. While his cooking wasn't necessarily world-class, the dishes suited his own palate.
He wasn't quite used to the more Western-style food of this world, so he occasionally needed to reward himself with some braised pork or a hot pot. Afterward, Luo Ning would read books or manga for a while. In this different world, there were many excellent works. Over time, he had even collected quite a few figures and cool outfits.
Strange clothing was normal in this world. Luo Ning had even put on cosplay outfits to visit local anime conventions, which he found to be quite a unique experience. At 1:00 PM, he would dive back into training until 5:30 PM sharp, when he would finish his daily training tasks. The remaining time was entirely his own.
Occasionally, he would go watch a match, play games, or even visit a parlor for a foot massage to tease the maids. The older sisters there spoke so kindly and were very soft. Luo Ning valued strength highly, but he also knew how to enjoy life. In his view, if he spent every waking moment on training, it would take away much of his happiness, which felt like putting the cart before the horse. To him, strength was more of a tool to make his life better.
Under this calm mindset, Luo Ning found that the speed of his progress wasn't slow at all. He humbly sought advice from the veteran Nen user, Milia.
"Mindset training is equally important; it is a vital part of improving one's strength. Besides, high-intensity training places a burden on the body. A balance of work and rest is a more scientific approach." Milia shared her understanding and even offered a suggestion. "If you combine it with a proper diet, it should have a multiplier effect on your training. Interested? I have a professional team. It's a bit expensive, but the taste is excellent."
"Sure, thanks," Luo Ning politely agreed.
"By the way, are you confident about your next match?" Milia asked with a hint of anticipation.
"Of course." Luo Ning smiled slightly, giving Milia a look of absolute certainty.