Jie spent the next few days in the room Sara had prepared for him, studying the Star without interruption.
The meteorite had already contained a large amount of unusual energy before it fell into the Dragon Vein. Years of exposure had mixed that energy with the Dragon Vein's chakra and changed some of its properties, but the power itself had come from the Star.
That long exposure had also allowed the Star to sense changes in the Dragon Vein, which was probably how Sara noticed its disappearance so quickly.
One of its effects was to improve chakra control.
The safest way to use it was also the slowest. A ninja had to study the nature of its energy and gradually adapt their own chakra to match it. Over time, their control would improve without placing much strain on the body.
Hoshigakure had instead forced the process.
Its ninja poured chakra directly into the Star and absorbed the altered chakra it returned. This allowed them to progress much faster and became the foundation of the Mysterious Peacock Method, which let them shape chakra outside the body into wings, beasts, and other forms.
The shortcut worked, but the foreign chakra damaged the body. Repeated exposure eventually left many of Hoshigakure's ninja seriously ill.
Jie had no interest in using the Star that way. His chakra control already surpassed anything the Mysterious Peacock Method could offer, and creating different forms from chakra was simple for him.
What mattered was how the Star's original energy reacted to the Six Paths seed.
The moment Jie began absorbing it, the transformation inside his body accelerated. Its effect was even stronger than the pure chakra he had taken from the deepest part of the Dragon Vein.
He had already understood the Dragon Veins chakra well. The power now feeding the Six Paths seed was clearly different.
It came from whatever the meteorite had carried when it fell from the sky.
By the time Jie extracted everything useful from it, his Six Paths transformation had reached eighty percent.
Gaining nearly ten percent at this stage was far more than he had expected from something small enough to hold in one hand. The closer he came to completing the transformation, the more energy each new step required.
Jie examined what remained of the Star.
Most of its useful power was gone, though traces still lingered inside, mixed with the chakra it had absorbed from the Dragon Vein. It might remain useful for research, but it could no longer advance his transformation.
Another Star might.
Jie still did not know whether the system had sent him into the true past or into a parallel version of it.
If this was his own world's past, then the meteorite would somehow leave Roran and eventually become Hoshigakure's treasure. If this was a separate timeline, then the Hoshigakure of his era should still possess another Star.
He intended to visit the village after returning.
If that Star still contained the same energy, absorbing it could bring his transformation close to completion.
Jie could offer Hoshigakure jutsu, training methods, or resources in exchange. For a small village, those would be far more useful than a meteorite that slowly harmed the ninja who trained beside it.
If an exchange proved impossible, he would find another way to obtain it.
...
Five days had passed since Jie arrived in the past.
He had learned everything he could from the Star, and there was no reason to remain in Roran. He still wanted to visit the Land of Fire and determine how close this era was to Hashirama and Madara's time.
Jie left without informing Sara.
There was no need for a formal farewell. He had appeared in Roran without warning, and he disappeared just as quietly.
After leaving the city, Jie headed toward the Land of Fire.
The desert gradually gave way to dry grassland, followed by scattered forests. By midday, he had reached the country's border.
There were no checkpoints or organised patrols.
The daimyo might rule the Land of Fire, but its military strength was still divided among independent ninja clans.
Jie crossed the border without being stopped and continued toward the region where Konoha would eventually be built.
Before the village's founding, both the Uchiha and Senju clans had lived nearby. When Hashirama and Madara finally ended their conflict, the land between the two families became the foundation of Konoha.
Even if the village did not exist yet, finding that region should lead him to one of the clans.
The Land of Fire looked less developed than the country Jie knew. Its forests were thinner, and old roads often ended at abandoned settlements or stretches of damaged land.
Signs of clan warfare appeared throughout the journey. Scorched clearings, broken weapons, and deep marks left by ninjutsu remained in several places where battles were fought.
Jie passed them without stopping.
Another half day went by before he reached the area where Konoha should eventually stand.
That was when several chakra signatures entered his senses. They were not particularly powerful, but there was something familiar about them.
Uchiha.
Jie changed direction and headed toward the group.
A small patrol was moving through the forest several kilometres away. They wore dark combat clothing and carried their weapons openly, keeping enough distance between one another to respond quickly if they were attacked.
Jie made no effort to hide his presence. He wanted information, not a fight. When he came within a few hundred metres, the patrol noticed him.
"Who's there?"
The Uchiha stopped and spread out among the trees.
Jie continued approaching.
"Stop!" the ninja shouted.
He did not slow down. To him, there was no reason for caution, but the patrol could only see an unknown ninja moving rapidly through their territory.
Several of them drew their weapons.
One stepped forward and raised both hands, forming seals as the Sharingan appeared in his eyes.
"Fire Release..."
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