Afterward, Tsunade conducted several more tests.
Just as Sasuke had said, Yang Power could indeed be replenished.
However, without reaching the same level as the Sage of Six Paths, ordinary Chakra could not replenish Yang Power efficiently.
It could not truly be called a consumable resource, but it was close.
The recovery rate was simply too slow.
There was no way around it.
The quality of ordinary Chakra was insufficient. Trying to compensate through sheer quantity was like attempting to fill an ocean one cup at a time.
Fortunately, the amount of Yang Power Hagoromo had left behind was enormous. It would not be exhausted anytime soon and could support Tsunade through several major battles.
Tsunade's strength had undergone a qualitative transformation.
At the same time, she remained concerned about the two former Hokage.
"You met the Sage of Six Paths. Did you ask him about Great-grandfather and Second Great-grandfather?"
Seiryū could only answer, "That old man kept insisting that he was already dead and wouldn't interfere with the affairs of the shinobi world anymore. There wasn't much I could do."
"Is that so?"
Tsunade sighed.
If possible, she truly did not want to fight her own Great-grandfather and Second Great-grandfather.
Whether because of their strength or their relationship to her, the presence of those two former Hokage inevitably made Konoha hesitate.
Thinking about Orochimaru, Tsunade became irritated again.
"That damn Orochimaru. I have no idea where he's hiding. We haven't been able to find any trace of him."
"And his ambition is enormous. He actually intends to become a Sage."
She had already learned about Orochimaru's goal from Jiraiya.
He wanted to become a Sage.
That was an extraordinary ambition.
Seiryū recalled Orochimaru's circumstances, and his eyes flashed.
"Orochimaru's research requires enormous amounts of funding. No matter what kind of experiment he conducts, the expenses must be considerable."
"That isn't something one person can sustain alone."
"If we investigate from that angle, we might be able to locate him."
Orochimaru desperately needed money.
He had once cooperated with Hanzō specifically to obtain funding for his experiments.
Money, equipment, experimental materials.
If they searched for those things, they should be able to uncover clues.
After all, the shinobi world was not that large.
No matter how carefully Orochimaru concealed himself, he would inevitably leave traces.
The movement of resources on such a scale could not be handled casually.
It required the support of an organization or even an entire country.
Perhaps Orochimaru, just as in the original story, had already secretly taken control of a small nation.
Jiraiya walked over with a solemn expression.
"Seiryū, are you saying Orochimaru might be hiding in a small country and using its resources to conduct his experiments?"
Seiryū nodded.
"It's possible. Investigate the purchases made by the smaller countries around us."
"Anything involving large amounts of specialized equipment, unusual supplies, or research materials could be connected to Orochimaru."
"Leave that to me."
Jiraiya took a deep breath, his tone determined.
"He has already strayed too far. I'll find him and deal with this threat."
Ever since Orochimaru defected, Jiraiya had been searching for him.
After hearing Seiryū's suggestion, he suddenly saw a new direction.
He had never considered investigating the movement of resources before.
This brat Seiryū truly had a sharp mind.
Had he not been trapped by the Dragon Vein for more than two years, perhaps the shinobi world might already have returned to peace.
Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya.
"Be careful. Orochimaru himself might not be the greatest threat."
"He's been controlling Great-grandfather and Second Great-grandfather all this time. He also took Ryota with him. There's no telling what he plans to do with him."
"I'm not stupid. I'm not planning to fight him head-on."
Jiraiya did not seem particularly concerned.
"I'm only going to search for his trail."
"And if I really can't beat him, can't my disciples?"
His disciples had become more extraordinary one after another.
That was the accomplishment Jiraiya was proudest of.
ANBU Captain Minato.
Nagato, wielder of the Rinnegan.
Yahiko, leader of Akatsuki.
Konan, Akatsuki's second-in-command.
And Seiryū, Konoha's Shinigami.
Which of his disciples was not a powerhouse?
Because of them, Jiraiya's reputation in Konoha had become enormous.
Countless young shinobi dreamed of becoming his students.
Orochimaru might be capable of summoning the First and Second Hokage through Edo Tensei, but could he really defeat all of Jiraiya's disciples?
Tsunade fell silent.
That actually made perfect sense.
She genuinely admired Jiraiya in this regard.
When it came to teaching students, even she had to admit she was inferior to him.
There might not be anyone in the shinobi world better than Jiraiya at discovering and guiding talented disciples.
His eye for talent was absurdly sharp.
And what about her?
She had raised a rebellious disciple who constantly provoked his own master!
Jiraiya leaned toward Seiryū, rubbed his hands together, and chuckled.
"Hehe. So, Seiryū, you gave the Yang Power to Tsunade. What are you planning to do with the Yin Power?"
"I'm still thinking about it."
Seiryū did not hide his thoughts.
"Yang Power is most compatible with people who possess powerful physical energy, meaning strong vitality."
"Yin Power is more suitable for people with exceptional spiritual energy."
"Those with Dōjutsu Kekkei Genkai or exceptional talent in Genjutsu would naturally have the greatest compatibility."
"Originally, I considered giving it to Kurenai, but although her talent for Genjutsu is extremely high, I honestly don't want her taking unnecessary risks."
Yang Power had extraordinary compatibility with Tsunade.
But Kurenai's situation required more thought.
It was not that Seiryū was reluctant to give it to her.
It was merely external power. There was nothing for him to be stingy about.
However, the greater the power, the greater the burden that came with it.
Could Kurenai endure that pressure?
More importantly, Seiryū did not want her placing herself in danger.
Therefore, he had not yet decided who should receive the Yin Power.
Understanding what Jiraiya was hinting at, Seiryū thought briefly before saying, "Sensei, if you want it, I can give it to you."
Giving Yin Power to Jiraiya was not impossible.
It simply was not especially compatible with him.
Even so, it would still increase his strength considerably.
"Since it's most compatible with Dōjutsu users and Genjutsu specialists, forget it. Give it to someone who can make better use of it."
Jiraiya naturally desired the Yin Power.
Anyone would.
Obtaining it would mean a dramatic increase in strength.
However, although Jiraiya knew some Genjutsu, he could not claim to specialize in it.
It would be better to give such valuable power to someone more compatible.
So he abandoned the idea.
Then Jiraiya suddenly realized something.
"Wait. Why does it sound like you have no intention of using it yourself?"
"Wouldn't giving this power to you be even better?"
Only now had he noticed.
The stronger Seiryū became, the greater their chances of victory.
Seiryū shrugged.
"Giving me Yin Power would be a waste. I don't need it."
"I'm already Yin enough."
Jiraiya looked confused.
If it had been Yang Power, Seiryū might have shown some interest.
Only interest, however.
He already had his own method of obtaining Yang Power.
As for Yin Power, he genuinely had little use for it.
Because Seiryū was a Shinigami.
After previously receiving the system reward that enhanced his Reiatsu aptitude, the upper limit of his spiritual growth had already become extraordinarily high.
A Shinigami was fundamentally a spiritual being.
A spiritual body was essentially a soul, and the soul was closely connected to spiritual energy.
In other words, Seiryū already possessed extraordinary affinity with Yin Release.
As long as he had enough time to continue developing, he believed he would eventually obtain Yin Power naturally.
This was no longer mere speculation.
It was an instinctive feeling.
After receiving Hagoromo's Yin and Yang Powers, Yang Power had exerted a faint attraction toward Seiryū.
Yin Power had produced almost none.
That alone suggested Seiryū already possessed the potential to develop it himself.
There was another, even more important consideration.
Seiryū could not be certain that absorbing Hagoromo's Yin or Yang Power would not limit his future growth.
After all, borrowed power ultimately belonged to someone else.
Only power developed through one's own efforts truly belonged to oneself.
Stories were filled with that principle.
That was one of the main reasons Seiryū had decided not to use Hagoromo's powers personally.
He was confident that he could eventually obtain his own Yin and Yang Powers.
It was merely a matter of time.
Jiraiya remained puzzled.
"Wha... what exactly are you talking about?"
Before Seiryū could answer, Tsunade explained for him.
"This brat has his own method of developing Yin and Yang Powers. His goal is to become a Sage through his own strength."
Seiryū smiled.
"That's basically it."
The pinnacle of Yin Release and Yang Release Chakra was Yin Power and Yang Power.
When Yin and Yang Powers were combined, they could produce the Power of All Creation.
And the Power of All Creation was one of the keys to reaching the Six Paths level.
If Seiryū completely mastered both Yin and Yang Powers and accumulated enough Power of All Creation, perhaps he could reach the Six Paths level.
The realm of a true Sage.
Without relying on the Ten-Tails.
Without depending on the Ōtsutsuki bloodline.
A Six Paths-level existence achieved solely through his own power!
That was Seiryū's current goal.
As for Kekkei Mōra, he would think about that after reaching the Six Paths level.
Perhaps Kekkei Mōra corresponded to something similar to the Soul King?
After all, Kekkei Mōra represented the pinnacle of the power system in this world.
As for the fact that multiple people could reach that level, it did not necessarily disprove the comparison.
There had been multiple Soul King candidates as well.
Whether Seiryū's theory was correct or not, he would know once he reached that point.
"You really are ambitious, brat. As expected of my disciple!"
After hearing Seiryū's explanation, Jiraiya sighed with emotion before smiling.
"Since Yin Power isn't compatible with me, you can decide who receives it."
"It's better to give it to someone who can draw out its full potential."
Jiraiya had always been relatively carefree.
Since the power did not suit him, he would not force the issue.
Seiryū had obtained it from the Sage of Six Paths, so naturally Seiryū had the right to decide what happened to it.
Seiryū nodded slightly.
"Hmm. I'll think about it."
"I'll also study the Yin Power while I have it. It might give me some inspiration for another new Jutsu."
Everyone fell silent.
Another new Jutsu?
This brat was either developing a new technique or preparing to develop one.
At this point, no one knew how many techniques he had created.
Two days later, the shinobi world remained calm.
Nothing major happened.
After his defeat, Urashiki disappeared without a trace.
Perhaps he had gone somewhere to recover from his injuries.
In any case, he did not appear again.
Orochimaru and Madara also made no obvious moves.
Kirigakure and Kumo, both under Madara's influence, had closed themselves off.
The battered Suna and Iwa also remained quiet.
The shinobi world still seemed frozen in place.
No banners rose.
No war drums sounded.
No new conflicts broke out.
Everything appeared peaceful.
There was one development worth mentioning.
Karasuki, the pink turtle that had travelled here with Sasuke and Boruto, woke up once.
From it, they learned that returning to their original timeline required Chakra.
And not just any Chakra.
It required Chakra with sufficient quality and quantity.
If they relied entirely on Karasuki's own recovery, it would take a considerable amount of time because the previous incident had drained most of its reserves.
The most efficient way to restore it was naturally to feed it high-quality Chakra from the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Therefore, for the time being, Sasuke and Boruto remained trapped in this timeline.
Furthermore, because Urashiki was still a threat, Sasuke would not return even if Karasuki immediately regained enough power.
Urashiki belonged to Sasuke's timeline.
Sasuke intended to deal with him before leaving.
At that moment, within a clearing in the Forest of Death, Seiryū floated in midair as though standing upon the air itself.
A pitch-black Rasengan surrounded by swirling currents rested in his hand.
Heavy Chakra fluctuations radiated from the black sphere.
"Yin Release: Big Ball Rasengan."
'Rumble!'
Seiryū hurled the black Rasengan downward.
It struck like a massive bomb.
A deafening explosion erupted, and a terrifying shockwave swept outward in every direction.
The blast carried enough power to devastate a major shinobi village.
Everything around the impact point was destroyed.
However, after reaching the boundary of the training area, the shockwave struck a translucent barrier and could spread no farther.
"Just as I thought. This technique is related to Yin Release Chakra, and its power is even greater than I expected."
"As a Shinigami, I'm essentially a representation of Yin Release itself."
"No wonder Genjutsu came so naturally to me, and no wonder I learned to manipulate Yin Release Chakra so quickly."
Looking at the destruction below, Seiryū nodded with satisfaction.
Long ago, he had developed a strange obsession.
He wanted to create Rasengan corresponding to all seven Chakra natures.
Gather all seven, and perhaps he could summon a dragon.
Now, the Yin Release Rasengan had finally been completed.
After closely studying Hagoromo's Yin Power, the ultimate expression of Yin Release, Seiryū's understanding of Yin Release Chakra had deepened considerably.
As a result, he had successfully developed the Yin Release Rasengan.
Now only one remained.
The Yang Release Rasengan.
Once he completed that, this long-standing obsession would finally be satisfied.
Of course, it was not purely an obsession.
Seiryū had not forgotten about another technique he was trying to reproduce.
The Truth-Seeking Ball.
Truth-Seeking Balls were created by combining all five basic Chakra natures with Yin and Yang Release.
That principle naturally shared similarities with Rasengan infused with different Chakra natures.
The reason Seiryū wanted to master Rasengan using all seven natures was partly to prepare himself for creating Truth-Seeking Balls.
Truth-Seeking Balls might not be especially decisive in battles between Six Paths-level or Kekkei Mōra-level opponents.
However, the ability to create them through one's own power was itself a symbol of reaching the Six Paths level.
Seiryū intended to reach that realm entirely through his own strength.
Perhaps creating Truth-Seeking Balls was one of the necessary conditions.
He had to learn it.
There was no question about that.
Fortunately, his progress was excellent.
Furthermore, once he mastered Rasengan using all seven Chakra natures, developing corresponding versions of Heilig Pfeil would naturally become much easier.
That would satisfy another one of Seiryū's strange obsessions.
"The last one is the Yang Release Rasengan."
"I need to learn the final Senjutsu, combine the Senjutsu of all three Sage Regions, and produce Yang Power."
"After that, reverse-engineering Yang Release should become much easier."
Seiryū began planning his next steps.
The mission [Investigate the Anomaly in Hell] had already been completed.
Now it was time to focus on [Develop and Perfect Quincy Powers].
Seiryū already knew the location of Ryūchi Cave.
All he needed to do was find time to visit.
What if the snakes of Ryūchi Cave refused to cooperate?
They should not underestimate Sage Seiryū.
Once he unleashed his full strength, Seiryū possessed combat power comparable to a Sage.
As for the remaining mission involving Ryota, that depended on whether his cheap Sensei Jiraiya could locate Orochimaru.
Even if Jiraiya failed, Orochimaru's personality meant he would eventually reveal himself again.
There was no need to worry about never completing the mission.
The system's completion conditions had never been particularly strict.
If Ryota simply died, then judging from Seiryū's understanding of the system, once it determined that the threat had disappeared, it would probably issue its notification automatically.
The previous [Investigate the Anomaly in Hell] mission had worked in essentially the same way.
Seiryū only needed to understand the situation clearly enough.
The system would make its own judgment.
As expected of his wonderful system.
It remained as unconventional as ever!
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)