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Chapter 92: Second Evolution, Stairway to Divinity
During this past year, Yoru had only returned to Konoha twice.
The first time was in March, when Kushina Uzumaki graduated from the Ninja Academy and officially became a genin.
She hadn't been placed in a team with other classmates. Instead, she'd been assigned to Team Orochimaru, becoming Yoru's teammate with Orochimaru as their jonin instructor.
This had been predetermined from the start.
After calling him sensei for so long and developing combat coordination with Yoru, forging deep bonds, neither Orochimaru, Yoru, nor even Hiruzen Sarutobi would allow Kushina to team up with anyone else.
Only with Orochimaru and Yoru leading Kushina on missions could Hiruzen feel at ease.
If others were assigned to guide Kushina, setting aside whether enemy nations would covet her, what if she experienced trauma during a mission and went berserk? No one could stop her.
Both her teammates and jonin instructor might be killed by her rampage.
Unless they kept Kushina locked in Konoha forever, only Yoru and the Legendary Sannin could safely take her on missions.
Without question, Yoru had triggered another butterfly effect.
With him present and having already built a resounding reputation throughout the shinobi world, Hiruzen viewed him as the new generation standard-bearer of the Hokage faction. The Third Hokage trusted him completely.
Once the war ended, Yoru could take Kushina on missions anytime. Unlike in the Minato one-shot manga where she could only move within Konoha's central district with at least two ANBU watching whenever she left home.
However, during wartime, Kushina could only stay in Konoha executing D-rank missions, helping the village and villagers with trivial matters.
While other genin could choose to join support forces and head to the frontlines, Kushina could only operate within Konoha's central streets.
The second return to Konoha was for Kushina's birthday.
During that conversation, Yoru learned he'd triggered yet another butterfly effect.
Konoha had captured two enemy nation ninja who'd infiltrated the village. They were Cloud ninja from the Land of Lightning's Kumogakure.
Learning this news confirmed Yoru's long-standing theory.
In the original series, Minato Namikaze's heroic rescue had indeed been Hiruzen Sarutobi's setup using Cloud ninja. The goal was creating an opportunity for the secretly infatuated Minato, making Kushina develop feelings for him, forging bonds that would help her acknowledge and integrate into the village.
Then after their son graduated, he'd pulled the same trick using Mizuki.
Throughout the entire process, Hiruzen never lifted a finger or showed his face. He simply used those chess pieces to manufacture coincidences and achieved his desired results.
But now, Kushina had already forged bonds with Yoru. To avoid becoming his burden, to prevent the Nine-Tails from harming Yoru, she'd been training diligently.
Yoru was also fighting valiantly on the frontlines. Not wanting to distract either of them, Hiruzen naturally couldn't let Cloud ninja target Kushina.
Even though Kushina's current strength meant she didn't fear those two Cloud ninja, Hiruzen worried the seal might be affected. If Nine-Tails chakra leaked before Yoru had fully matured, he still had no intention of using those two Cloud ninja to test Kushina's growth.
After all, in this world where human bodies contained one hundred thirty trillion cells, age twelve was a critical stage.
Academy students almost universally graduated at twelve, beginning their blood-soaked ninja careers.
In the original series, Naruto Uzumaki started experiencing Nine-Tails chakra leakage due to emotional turmoil at this age. By fourteen or fifteen, he'd enter half-tailed beast transformation at the slightest provocation, and that was with only half the Nine-Tails.
If not for Mito Uzumaki's chakra protecting Kushina, with only the Four Symbols Seal (half of the Eight Trigrams Seal), the Nine-Tails would have found countless opportunities to force her into half-tailed beast state.
Kushina needed a safe and comfortable environment to grow. Her emotions couldn't experience severe fluctuations that would give the Nine-Tails opportunities to weaken Mito Uzumaki's protective chakra seal.
Yoru was quite satisfied with Hiruzen's approach.
If Kushina could be kidnapped despite his presence, Yoru's opinion of this still-peak Third Hokage would drop significantly.
During wartime, you're stationed at Konoha headquarters, yet the Nine-Tails jinchuriki gets kidnapped? What's the point of having you as Hokage?
On the evening of August 18th, Yoru returned to Konoha once more.
He knew that on this day, a certain girl would secretly prepare a birthday cake for him.
Yoru didn't want to disappoint her intentions and expectations.
Sure enough, when he teleported into his room and opened the door, the living room had been decorated for a birthday celebration.
Unlike the simple setups of his previous two birthdays, now older with both experience and time, Kushina had deliberately arranged Yoru's living room exactly as she wanted.
The moment Yoru emerged, a figure pounced toward him, hanging onto him like a sloth with arms wrapped around his neck, smiling: "Yoru, happy birthday."
Embracing the girl with both arms, Yoru didn't say thank you. Instead, he smiled teasingly: "Tomato-na, breaking into private residences again?"
"Hmph... having a key means it's not breaking in. Besides, who was it that said I could come to his place anytime? Forgetting your own words? Did someone knock you silly on the battlefield? Let me punch some sense back into that brain of yours." Kushina not only imitated Yoru's foul-mouthed tone but also copied his old habit of pinching his cheek.
Yoru let Kushina pinch his face without retaliating.
This past year, not only had he undergone tremendous changes, but Kushina had as well.
Whether due to age, her Body Healing ability, or becoming a genin, this year's Kushina was almost a completely different person compared to last year.
Last year, the height difference between Kushina and Yoru had been about thirty centimeters.
She'd also had a round face full of collagen, extremely pinchable.
Her height, face, and eyes all radiated girlish innocence.
This year, Kushina's height had shot up to 155 centimeters, only twenty centimeters shorter than Yoru.
That round face that looked exactly like a tomato when flushed with anger now showed the contours of an oval face.
Having executed multiple D-rank missions, interacting with all kinds of people, beginning to understand and integrate into society, she'd shed her student naivety.
After experiencing one life-or-death battle and baptism by blood, Kushina would become an exceptionally talented genin capable of killing above her rank.
If not for Yoru's abnormal physical qualities compared to boys his age, Kushina might have clung to those "older sister" and "younger brother" identities.
This year's birthday was again spent with only Yoru and Kushina.
After dinner came the cake ceremony.
This time, Kushina needed no help creating a beautiful three-tier cake. Her improvement was remarkable.
After making his wish and eating the first slice, came the familiar cake battle.
Kushina grew braver with each fight. Though covered in cake every year, the following year she'd still courageously issue the challenge.
After cleaning the house, it was past eight in the evening.
Like last year, Yoru used Flying Thunder God to escort Kushina back to the First Hokage's mansion.
After bathing and returning to his room, Yoru lay on his soft bed with hands behind his head, gazing at the moonlit ceiling.
His heart pounded rapidly, though not from the arrhythmia preceding sudden death, but simple nervousness.
The anticipation and anxiety in his eyes reached unprecedented intensity.
For Yoru, today's importance was no less than his life-changing moment six years ago.
Six years ago, that evolution had let Yoru break free from his shackles, gaining the foundation and potential to reach the summit even without connections to the Otsutsuki clan.
Without that evolution, Yoru's current strength would match those sensory ninja's assessment: at most a veteran chunin.
In terms of power, he'd definitely be surpassed by Minato Namikaze, who could easily defeat two Cloud ninja, perhaps already left far behind.
This wasn't just a gap in talent, but a fundamental limitation. Even a transmigrator's plot knowledge advantage, possessing resources and opportunities, couldn't break through such restrictions at this age.
Just as Minato possessed the talent to learn Flying Thunder God while Yoru, without Space-Time abilities, absolutely couldn't learn the technique.
Only those with absurdly monstrous talent could break such limitations, becoming jonin at twelve or thirteen, even awakening Mangekyo Sharingan as Kage-level powerhouses.
Six years ago today marked Yoru's transformation from civilian genius to monster, a metamorphosis that Katsuyu the Slug Sage called "a new shinobi world miracle."
Six years later today would determine whether Yoru's path forward was an evolution road of extreme difficulty filled with obstacles, or a stairway to divinity where his theory would be verified and success achieved naturally.
If those sudden-death-like sensations didn't come this year either, it meant Yoru's Cell Replacement Cycle Theory was false. There was no such thing as first evolution and second evolution.
Only a portion of cells could extract Space-Time power. That was his greatest transmigrator advantage, forever capped at that amount.
In that case, Yoru wouldn't just need to rely on the Yin Seal, but also technology, finding every method to increase Space-Time chakra capacity.
Otherwise, even releasing the Yin Seal, his maximum capacity would be chunin-level Space-Time chakra. Even if it could injure Ten-Tails jinchuriki, killing pure-blooded Otsutsuki would prove extremely difficult.
Once his chakra depleted, those pure-blooded Otsutsuki who also wielded Space-Time abilities could kill him effortlessly.
The more glorious the early game, the more desperate the late game.
This was destined to be an arduous growth path filled with hardship.
If the Cell Replacement Cycle Theory was confirmed and evolution arrived as scheduled, it meant this evolution occurred once every six years.
With each completed evolution, a portion of Yoru's one hundred thirty trillion cells would update, transforming into special cells that could extract physical energy, spiritual energy, and Space-Time power.
Once all cells were replaced by Space-Time cells, Yoru's Space-Time ability wouldn't just become a Space-Time bloodline limit. His entire physiology would become a Space-Time body.
Every single technique henceforth would be Space-Time ninjutsu.
Unless enemies mastered equivalent Space-Time power or wielded rule-based forces that could contend with Space-Time, facing Yoru's techniques they could only flee. They might not even manage to escape before being erased by Space-Time.
At that point, Yoru would be invincible.
So today's mood made this the most nervous day since transmigrating.
Who would willingly walk a difficult path filled with countless obstacles when they could reach the destination directly?
Time passed minute by minute. In a blink, it reached nine o'clock at night.
Usually at this hour, Yoru would already be resting.
But now, he couldn't sleep at all.
He couldn't tell whether it was nervousness, or whether evolution's precursor symptoms had quietly arrived.
However, the decisive moment would come after midnight.
Yoru tried calming his emotions, making himself care less, slowly waiting for the next day's arrival.
When the wall clock and alarm clock on the nightstand both reached midnight simultaneously.
Thump! A drumbeat-like heartbeat sounded so loud in this late-night room.
Yoru's pupils contracted sharply.
Familiar yet strange sensations, after six years, struck again.
Removing his pajamas, Yoru didn't need to place his hand there or turn on lights to see his left chest rising and falling violently, as though his heart inside was forcefully striking his body, trying to drill out.
His heart's beating frequency almost instantly exceeded normal range, even surpassing the limits human bodies could withstand.
The violently beating heart seemed to affect blood pumping function, causing Yoru's body temperature to rapidly soar, becoming scorching hot.
Unlike six years ago when arrhythmia came first, then heartbeat and temperature slowly accelerated, this evolution arrived as a sudden storm.
"So hot, so thirsty..."
Though experiencing fever, cold, panic, and chest tightness symptoms, Yoru felt no discomfort whatsoever. His head didn't hurt. Instead, he felt incredibly energized.
If not for the thirst, Yoru would even want to rush to the battlefield for combat.
Having experienced this once before, knowing this was physical mutation with absolutely no danger, Yoru felt no panic whatsoever this time.
He grabbed a water jug and gulped down water, then went to the bathroom for a cold shower.
In this state, he couldn't go to the battlefield and wouldn't stay in Konoha either.
So Yoru left a note for Kushina, transmitted a leave request to Orochimaru, then consecutively teleported out of the Land of Fire, appearing in the Iron Country's snowy mountains.
During evolution, Yoru's body seemed equipped with a perpetual motion machine. His energy remained in peak condition constantly.
Even staying awake without eating or sleeping, he felt neither hunger nor fatigue.
During the first evolution, Yoru initially felt only panic, then excitement and anticipation, knowing his body was mutating but only wondering what changes would occur afterward.
This evolution, Yoru felt no panic whatsoever. Instead, he wondered whether this energized state could be utilized.
Ordinary people without ninja aptitude relied on stamina as their physical and spiritual energy.
Ninja chakra was also related to stamina.
Depleted chakra equaled depleted stamina.
Overdrawing chakra meant overdrawing body and lifespan.
Now in a state of infinite energy, did that mean his regular chakra was also infinite?
Yoru really wanted to try, but worried it might affect his internal evolution.
Ultimately, Yoru chickened out and dismissed the idea.
The evolution continued until the early morning of August 28th without ending.
Based on previous experience, Yoru figured the conclusion would come at noon on the 28th.
After evolution ended, Yoru would fall into an extremely weakened comatose period, likely the price for infinite energy.
So in the morning, Yoru teleported to Hot Springs Street, appearing at Konan's house.
"Yoru-sama!"
The moment Yoru appeared, Konan, who'd finished training and was reading to improve knowledge and spiritual energy, discovered him. Her cute face immediately bloomed with a brilliant smile.
However, her greeting contained no "long time no see," indicating she'd seen Yoru recently.
This past year, though Yoru rarely returned to Konoha, he frequently visited Hot Springs Street to check Konan's growth and teach her more fundamentals.
As one of the precociously talented, Konan proved extremely capable. Though her growth speed still fell far short of Nagato and Kushina, it was second only to Kakashi Hatake from the original series.
Possessing Yang Release, with three nutritious meals daily plus knowledge from books, her chakra quantity had reached genin level.
In another year or two, her chakra might surpass last year's Yoru. This was brutally cruel reality.
True geniuses were simply this comprehensive.
This had nothing to do with physical development, but how much energy they could extract and how much energy they could mix into chakra.
When Kakashi was five, he was still just a short kid. Yet his chakra quantity let him perform Multiple Shadow Clone Technique in a classroom.
This was limitation!
Unless you were also a talent freak, even transmigrators couldn't break this invisible restriction.
Under Yoru's deliberate guidance, Konan this past year hadn't touched five elemental nature knowledge at all, only studying secret technique knowledge.
Having already learned various fundamentals with no new jutsu taught by Yoru, Konan naturally thought of secret technique development he'd mentioned while doing origami, attempting to transform her origami hobby into a type of secret technique.
Though she hadn't yet mastered Paper Release, Konan could already coat chakra onto paper for remote origami folding.
Upon learning this news, Yoru finally began teaching Konan new knowledge: trying to fuse Three Basic Techniques, hiding techniques, and Body Flicker with paper, developing basic extension techniques unique to Konan.
Once successful, that would be the original series' B-rank Dance of the Shikigami.
This Paper Release ninjutsu let Konan transform into countless paper fragments for movement and shapeshifting, even ignoring physical attacks like One Piece's Logia elementalization. These were basic extension techniques infused with attributes.
To provide inspiration, Yoru had demonstrated Earth Release basic extension techniques multiple times.
Konan was working hard toward this direction.
Yoru didn't chat idly with Konan. Instead, his expression turned serious as he instructed: "Konan, at noon, I might enter a comatose period for some time. Don't panic. This is a technique's side effect. I'll stay in the basement beforehand and set up barriers and traps. I need you to watch over my body."
Hearing this, the smile on Konan's face was immediately replaced by seriousness.
She nodded forcefully, her expression earnest: "Yoru-sama, I'll definitely protect you."
"Then I'm counting on you."
Yoru patted Konan's head, smiling: "I should be unconscious for about twenty-four hours. When I wake, I'll be very hungry. Please prepare food beforehand."
"Mm-hmm..."
Konan nodded repeatedly again.
So Yoru used Flying Thunder God to transfer a bed into the technique-covered basement, then plastered explosive tags all around, even using Space-Time ability to extend steel wire and explosive tags outward.
If anyone moved underground and triggered the explosive trap, the blast and steel wire disturbance would transmit to the basement.
Time approached noon.
Yoru sat on the bed, instructing Konan once more: "If an accident happens, you can try waking me. I don't know whether that side effect is true unconsciousness or just deep sleep."
"I understand, Yoru-sama."
Yoru didn't solely rely on Konan either. He performed Shadow Clone Technique, creating one shadow clone.
The moment noon arrived, the heartbeat frequency exceeding human limits instantly calmed, just as suddenly as it had arrived.
The fever-like temperature, dry mouth, and brain excitement state similarly vanished instantly.
"Trou..."
Still unable to finish a single word, Yoru's vision went black. His entire body collapsed onto the bed, falling into deep sleep.
Bang! The shadow clone also transformed into white smoke and dispersed.
This scene frightened Konan.
Fortunately, her mental fortitude was solid. She didn't scream.
Then the girl's nerves stretched taut. Though staying in the sealed basement, she nervously scanned her surroundings, jumping at shadows.
To give herself a sense of security, Konan even retrieved the Sword of the Thunder God Yoru had given her, preparing for combat.
Until evening, when none of the basement bells connected to steel wire made a single sound, Konan finally relaxed.
Checking the time and worried Yoru might wake anytime, Konan quickly went upstairs to prepare dinner.
To save time, Konan only made one serving, swallowed a military rations pill herself, and returned to the basement to watch Yoru.
Late at night, Konan's eyelids drooped, but she didn't dare sleep.
This was Yoru's careless oversight.
Not until the morning of August 29th, after being unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours, did Yoru slowly wake.
"So tired..."
Just like six years ago, the moment Yoru woke, he felt like his body had completely fallen apart.
That intense fatigue was something he hadn't experienced since becoming a ninja. Even with chakra depleted, he'd never felt this exhausted.
"Yoru-sama, you're awake!"
The girl's delighted voice reached his ears. Lit candlelight illuminated the basement.
Seeing Konan's joyful face with slightly bloodshot eyes, images from before unconsciousness surfaced in Yoru's mind.
Disregarding fatigue, he showed Konan a smile: "Konan, thank you for your hard work."
"Not hard at all. Yoru-sama, how do you feel?" Konan shook her head asking, eyes full of concern.
"Very hungry. Is there food?"
"Yes, I'll go get it now."
Konan started to rise but Yoru stopped her: "No need to bring it down specially. Let's go up together."
After speaking, Yoru tried getting out of bed.
The moment he sat up, his vision went black again, nearly collapsing back onto the bed.
Konan hurriedly supported Yoru, her expression worried: "Yoru-sama, maybe I should go up and bring it down."
"No need. Just help me up."
Yoru shook his head, then with Konan's assistance, slowly left the basement.
Along the way, he asked: "Konan, how long was I unconscious?"
"Twenty-two hours."
"Only twenty-two hours?"
Yoru found this somewhat incredible.
Six years ago, he hadn't paid attention to timing.
Deliberately tracking time this time, he discovered the backlash was so fierce despite being unconscious less than twenty-four hours.
Moreover, after less than twenty-four hours, his physical condition was this poor. Somewhat absurd.
Not only stamina depleted, even chakra was depleted. Had that side effect drained his energy?
Fortunately, the Space-Time chakra in his Yin Seal hadn't been drained. No need to reaccumulate it.
Returning upstairs, Yoru wolfed down the breakfast Konan had made.
One person's breakfast was quickly swept clean.
Yoru was still very hungry.
Konan hurriedly went out to buy food.
Yoru ate over ten people's worth of breakfast before finally filling his ravenous stomach.
Despite stuffing so much food inside, his belly didn't bulge at all, like a male version of Hinata.
"Phew... strength finally returned."
By three in the afternoon, Yoru finally recovered his condition.
He clenched his fists, eyes full of anticipation.
"Konan, I need some private time. You should go rest too."
"Okay. If Yoru-sama needs anything, wake me anytime."
Each returning to their rooms, Yoru impatiently sat cross-legged on the bed to examine the growth this evolution brought.
Thump!
Just like back then.
The moment Yoru prepared to refine chakra, a projection suddenly appeared in his mind.
Though his eyes were closed, his vision arrived at the chamber containing his heart.
In that chamber, Yoru once again saw the black heart.
As though echoing beside his ear, or within his mind, or even resonating from his soul's depths... Yoru heard the thumping heartbeat.
All external sounds vanished. In Yoru's world, except for the heartbeat, nothing else existed.
This time, the heart's image didn't flash by briefly.
After continuous beats, Yoru's vision suddenly achieved deeper introspection.
He saw blood vessels connected to his heart. With each beat, black particles would surge from inside the heart, flowing along blood vessels to unknown destinations, absorbed by something.
Before Yoru could observe carefully, the introspective vision vanished.
Yoru opened his eyes, thinking: "My heart definitely has a problem."
"But why does this introspective vision only appear in the heart's chamber? Is that heart truly my body's heart?"
Yoru suddenly felt an impulse. When opportunities arose later, he absolutely had to examine his heart using medical ninjutsu to verify his inner thoughts.
However, right now he had more important matters.
Closing his eyes, Yoru continued refining chakra.
Three types of energy continuously surged forth from his cells. The most abundant remained physical and spiritual energy, which mixed to form regular chakra.
A portion of physical and spiritual energy seemed magnetically drawn away, separating from the main mass, mixing with the third energy type to form black Space-Time chakra.
After an unknown period, both chakra and Space-Time chakra within Yoru's body had recovered to their original amounts.
Yet cellular energy kept surging forth, continuing to mix into both chakra types, letting Yoru's regular chakra and Space-Time chakra both break through their previous bottleneck.
Ultimately, Yoru's regular chakra settled at all-around jonin standard.
His Space-Time chakra broke through genin level, reaching what Rain ninja had assessed: veteran chunin.
***
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