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Chapter 194: The Sage Art Data Scrolls!
🕑 Added 2025-09-15 12:18:12 +0000 UTCChapter 194: The Sage Art Data Scrolls!
'It's the Tailed Beast Bomb?'
Keisuke's eyes lit up as he looked at the contents of the scroll on his panel.
'I was originally planning to research and experiment to figure this out myself. This saves me a lot of effort.'
As the prototype for the A-rank Rasengan, the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was undeniable. Compared to the Rasengan, its destructive force was an exponential increase. Of course, that was only referring to the original, non-elemental Rasengan. If we were talking about something like the "Six Paths: Ultra-Big Ball Rasenshuriken"... ahem. The Tailed Beast Bomb could be seen as a Super-Odama Rasengan that had both Yin and Yang nature transformations added to it.
After he had reverse-engineered the Rasengan, Keisuke had experimented with adding his own nature transformations to it, which had led to the creation of the A-rank Shadow Rasengan. But his research into Rasengan modifications wasn't very deep. Even though he knew the method for creating a Wind Style: Rasengan, he had little interest in it. The reason was simple. The Rasengan was, at its core, a seal-less, close-quarters ninjutsu that Minato Namikaze had developed based on the Tailed Beast Bomb. It was a special technique created to fit his specific combat style. The entire "rasengan-rolling" series, from the original to the Wind Style version, to the Great Ball Rasengan, and even the Rasenshuriken, all proved one thing—it was a close-quarters jutsu.
It wasn't until the future Naruto Uzumaki had completely mastered Sage Mode that he was finally able to complete the Rasenshuriken's development and turn it into a long-range, throwable attack. And even then, he could only use it twice at first.
Keisuke, with his unique Shadow Secret Arts, had little need for other types of close-range ninjutsu. Once an enemy was restrained by his shadows, it didn't matter if he finished them with a jutsu or a knife; the tactical result was the same. There was no need to waste a massive amount of chakra just to roll a meatball and blow up someone's head. It was precisely for this reason that he had developed his own series of "Spiral Shadow Bullet" techniques. The jutsu developed by others would always be tailored to their fighting styles. Only the jutsu he developed himself were truly suited for him.
But back to the Tailed Beast Bomb. After his experience on the Iwagakure front, Keisuke was keenly aware that he lacked a decisive, finishing blow. This "lack" was only apparent against a very small number of elite ninja whose defenses, like Ōnoki's, he couldn't break with his strongest single-target attack, the Spiraling Shadow Killing Cannon. Although he had since acquired Dust Release, he didn't know how to use it. Now, with the Tailed Beast Bomb, that weakness was covered.
Of course, even the most basic Tailed Beast Bomb consumed an immense amount of chakra. Keisuke's Yin chakra was relatively abundant, but his Yang chakra was noticeably lacking. And the Tailed Beast Bomb demanded far more Yang than Yin. 'When I have time, I'll have to test my limits and see how many of these I can fire...' he thought, immersing himself in the scroll's contents.
The technique involved both Yin and Yang, but it wasn't a true Yin-Yang Release. The two chakra types were confined within the sphere, but they never actually fused. 'When the Yin-to-Yang chakra ratio is maintained at 2:8, the Tailed Beast Bomb reaches a state of extreme equilibrium, guaranteeing its density and stability...'
His consciousness withdrew from the scroll, and a new thought suddenly flashed in his mind. 'Then, following this Yin-Yang ratio, could I finally complete that previous idea... for a certain... chakra weapon?'
While he was pondering this, Kokuō and Nara Shikano finished their conversation. During their talk, Kokuō hadn't sensed any of the fear or revulsion from Shikano that it was used to. Instead, it felt... something else. Overall, its opinion of Konoha ninja was now much higher than its opinion of Iwa's. And among Konoha's ninja, Keisuke was in a league of his own, followed by the Nara clan a distant second, and then everyone else.
Meanwhile, although Shikano hadn't fulfilled his lifelong dream of petting the Five-Tails' great horns, after today's experience, he felt his dreams that night would be sweet. The Five-Tails... hehe... the Five-Tails... He pretended to stroke his beard, but he was actually wiping away the drool that was about to escape.
"Hey, you there! Right, Keisuke," Shikano said, maneuvering his shadow beast over. "The Sage Art data you had the clan collect... after these past few months, we've gathered most of it."
"Sage Art?" Keisuke snapped out of his "chakra weapon" daydream, looking at his great-uncle in surprise. "I've been back for days. Why didn't I hear anything about this?"
"Because I forgot to tell you," Shikano said with perfect conviction. "Was your business more important than Kokuō's?"
You make a good point. I'm speechless. Keisuke's mouth twitched. Putting himself in his great-uncle's shoes, he would have also focused all his attention on the Five-Tails. He took a deep breath. Having the data was better than not having it. "So, where is it now?"
"In the clan compound in Kikyo Castle. At my house," Shikano replied. "Why don't you go back and get it yourself? I'll just stay here with Kokuō."
"Clan Head, I suggest you rephrase that," Keisuke said, his voice low. "Kokuō is my contracted summon. I place great importance on this Sage Art data. So, now, could you please do me the favor of returning to Kikyo Castle and fetching those scrolls for me?"
'Keisuke, I'm the Clan Head!' Shikano wanted to shout. But then he remembered the visual genjutsu from the Hokage's office, and the black giant he had just witnessed with his own eyes. After a brief internal struggle, he reluctantly turned back.
"Your clan head is a bit strange, Keisuke," Kokuō's voice sounded after the old man had flown away. Its form of address had become more familiar. "I trust my instincts."
"All Nara are like that," Keisuke said, patting its head before lying down on the natural white fur blanket. "Kokuō, let's head back to Mount Kikyo. I need to check on Han's condition."
"Han..." Kokuō thought of its former Jinchuriki. Though they hadn't gotten along, they had spent a long time together. It began to swim up the river of the Valley of the End, climbed ashore, and galloped back toward the mountain.
A short while later, they returned to the spot where Kokuō had been unsealed. Keisuke's four Shadow Clones were still diligently maintaining the Four Black Fogs Formation.
"Kokuō," Keisuke said, not immediately dispelling the jutsu. "If I try to save Han right now, will that make you uncomfortable?"
"Save Han?" Kokuō looked at the black fog, confused. "When a Tailed Beast is extracted, the Jinchuriki dies. I know this from personal experience. Keisuke, you can save him?"
"I can only give it a try," he said. The idea had just come to him. He knew that with his interference, the history of the ninja world was already beginning to change. Obito, who hadn't "died" at Kannabi Bridge, might not walk his original path. But as long as the "number one filial son" Black Zetsu still existed, the "Tailed Beast Collection Plan" was inevitable.
Keisuke had a very good impression of Minato. If possible, he wanted to change his tragic fate. And to do that, the future "Nine-Tails Night" was an unavoidable junction point. This little experiment on Han was for that future.
It was common knowledge that extracting a Tailed Beast was fatal. But Keisuke happened to know a few ways to "break the rules."
"Kokuō, I'm going to release the formation," he said, gesturing for the beast to approach. "Then, follow my instructions and inject your Boil Release chakra into Han's body. I want to see if this method can bring him back from the brink of death."
Kokuō looked at the fog and nodded. "Alright."
Keisuke had the clones release the jutsu. Lying on the ground, Han's life force immediately began to fade again. "Kokuō, now!" Keisuke rushed forward and began to form hand seals. Kokuō followed, lightly tapping Han's body with its right hoof. A stream of Boil Release chakra flowed into him, instantly halting the decline and stabilizing his condition.
"That's enough, Kokuō!"
At the same time, Keisuke slapped a new sealing formula onto Han's body.
Tailed Beast Sealing Method!
From the same origin as the unsealing method, this was the Uzumaki clan's special technique for sealing a Tailed Beast's power. The target of this seal was the Boil Release chakra Kokuō had just injected. Keisuke deliberately left a small gap in the seal, allowing the chakra to slowly seep into Han's body and sustain him. After the series of operations, though Han did not wake up, his life force was no longer fading.
"It seems... it worked?" Kokuō slowly withdrew its hoof, looking at Han with curiosity.
"We've only temporarily saved his life," Keisuke said, using his own medical ninjutsu to check Han's condition. "We'll have to wait and see what the long-term results are."
Just as the experiment concluded, Nara Shikano descended from the sky.
"Keisuke, this is the Sage Art data you asked for." The old clan head handed him four scrolls. "They're from the Fire Temple. Three of them are techniques, and the other is just the temple's research on natural energy."
The moment Keisuke took the scrolls, three notifications popped up on his panel.
[A-Rank Technique Detected: [Welcoming Approach: Thousand-Hand Kill]. Learn?]
[B-Rank Technique Detected: [Adamantine Fist]...]
[...C-Rank Technique: [Sage Clan Breathing Method]...]
