After sending the two ninja cats away, Uchiha Anlan retrieved the bubble containing the Spirit Medium Cultivation Method from the Sharingan space.
The air before him rippled like water.
The moment the bubble touched the outside world, it burst with a soft pop.
A book fell neatly into his palm.
The process of opening space and retrieving an object somewhat resembled Spatial Jump.
Both involved an object passing through space and arriving at another coordinate.
Yet as the master of that space, Anlan experienced something far more profound.
It felt less like movement—
And more like unfolding a higher-dimensional existence layer by layer and anchoring it into reality.
Even so, the deeper principles behind it remained beyond him.
Like looking at flowers through mist.
Just as he could control his own body without understanding the genetic code within every cell—
He knew how it worked.
But not why.
When my understanding of space deepens in the future…
Perhaps I'll gain new insights.
Anlan steadied his thoughts and pushed aside the distractions.
His gaze dropped to the book in his hands.
He opened the Spirit Medium Cultivation Method.
The unfamiliar script on the pages posed no problem.
Thanks to the companion stone gate, the languages of countless worlds became naturally comprehensible to him.
Otherwise, these cultivation manuals from other dimensions would truly be unreadable heavenly texts.
Even understanding them would have been impossible.
This wasn't a game world where clicking an item would instantly teach a skill.
Even though he could understand the text—
Actually mastering it was harder than learning magic from Frieren or Overlord.
After reading through it several times with great effort, Anlan closed the book and rubbed his slightly aching temples.
A trace of helplessness flickered across his eyes.
The book was filled with numerous Daoist metaphysical concepts.
Its system was complex.
Its principles subtle.
Far harder to grasp than straightforward spells or broad, powerful sword techniques.
Tonight I should check the clan library.
Maybe there are some basic texts on Onmyōji practices.
Anlan had almost zero foundation in this field.
Trying to brute-force this cultivation method would be foolish.
The localized system—closer to Onmyōdō and ritual magic after countless adaptations—could not be mastered through effort alone.
Without proper understanding, one might easily twist a righteous path into a demonic one.
And that would be disastrous.
If that fails… I'll have Ayan send ninja cats to the Land of Demons.
In the Naruto movie Shippuden: Naruto's Death, the shrine maidens of the Land of Demons possessed the ability to seal monsters and foresee the future.
Their powers differed greatly from the chakra of ninja or the sage techniques of the Three Great Summoning Lands.
Anlan suspected this might be a remnant of ancient Onmyō techniques.
Whether it came from bloodline inheritance or priestess training—
He would have to investigate.
And the libraries of noble families across the great nations…
I'm short on manpower.
Once I leave Konoha, it seems I'll need to recruit a merchant.
Anlan glanced up at the sky.
The sun was slowly sinking.
Golden twilight spread soft colors across the horizon.
The waters of the Naka River shimmered beneath the slanting sunlight.
A gentle evening wind passed through the forest, stirring the boy's dark hair.
Strands lifted from his forehead, revealing sharp brows and calm dark eyes filled with quiet ease.
Anlan was in no hurry to return.
He was not a transmigrator blessed with a sign-in system or a family management system.
In this extraordinary world where power ultimately belonged to the individual—
Anlan understood one thing clearly.
All authority ultimately existed to serve personal strength.
After several years of planning and management, most of the clan's affairs had been delegated to Uchiha Yashiro, Uchiha Tekka, and Uchiha Inabi.
Yashiro served as his right-hand man, faithfully carrying out his will.
Tekka controlled the Konoha Police Force, while Inabi was deeply rooted among the clan's ninja.
Together they acted as Anlan's arms, spreading his influence throughout the hawk faction.
By decentralizing authority, Anlan gained even greater support from the hawks—
And more time for cultivation.
Once he defeated the strongest jōnin among them and achieved Kage-level strength, the hawk faction's recognition and support naturally reached their peak.
Power of the fist…
Was power itself.
This peaceful life…
Was probably the last calm before the storm.
Anlan knew it clearly.
The time before the Uchiha clan would be fully drawn into the Third Great Ninja War was running out.
His fingers tightened.
Slowly he drew the custom chakra blade from his waist.
The snow-bright blade gleamed coldly in the fading sunlight, like a stream of frozen moonlight.
He stepped forward lightly.
His figure blurred across the riverbank.
The Nine Forms of Wind-Guiding Swordsmanship flowed from his hands.
At first, the blade moved like a spring stream over jade—
Light and graceful.
Then it transformed into the lone smoke rising from a desert battlefield—
Each strike tearing through the air with fierce resonance.
When the final form—
"Vaishravana Typhoon"
—was unleashed, the entire riverbank was engulfed by invisible wind blades.
Grass flattened beneath the raging storm.
Deep crisscrossing trenches carved into the earth.
By the time he sheathed his blade, night had fallen.
Only the sound of the Naka River remained.
"I combine chakra shape transformation and nature transformation…"
"With the essence of Wind Breathing…"
"And integrate it into Uchiha swordsmanship."
"The result is a technique capable of standing among the strongest techniques of every great ninja village."
Anlan stood beside the river with his hands behind his back.
His cloak fluttered in the rising wind.
He looked toward the last glimmers of light dancing across the water.
Then he murmured quietly.
"I wonder…"
"Between me, the Third Mizukage and Yagura Karatachi…"
"Who would be stronger?"
He needed to become stronger.
If Wind-Guiding Swordsmanship was to evolve further…
It must either incorporate Sage Mode…
Or combine additional chakra attributes to form a bloodline limit.
The first option required assistance from the Three Great Sage Lands.
But relying on those mysterious creatures with their own agendas was risky.
It would be better to wait until Ayan evolved into Sage Ayan.
The second path—
Combining Wind and Fire, or Wind and Lightning—
Was something Anlan was still experimenting with.
If nothing worked…
He might simply target the woman known as the "most beautiful back in the ninja world."
Pakura.
Instead of being betrayed by Sunagakure and dying at the hands of Kirigakure—
Perhaps she could become his acquisition.
And besides…
There were still two Sharingan techniques derived from magic worlds that he had yet to master.
Attacking.
Defending.
Teleporting.
Supporting.
With all his abilities combined—
Anlan quietly wondered.
"…Could I dance on this battlefield?"
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