Practicing Senjutsu, That's All

After training, they naturally went their separate ways.

On the way home, Miwa Masayo's excitement had not faded. Through the connection between Chakra and Natural Energy, she repeatedly poured out her feelings to Uchiha Yu.

As she spoke, the tabby cat's voice grew quieter, and she became troubled.

"What's wrong?"

"What do we do next, meow?"

"?"

"You said I should teach Senjutsu to my companions at Cat Castle. How am I supposed to do that, meow?"

"I'm still completely confused myself, meow. How can I teach anyone else, meow?"

"I'll teach you, then you can teach the other cats."

"Yu, you said what you practice is different from mine, meow. How can you teach me?"

"I can. Don't worry."

"Meow, I believe you."

Uchiha Yu's future on the Immortal Path remained unclear, and his Chakra Seven Chakras were likewise not yet a complete system. But the cultivation system for Sage Chakra no longer held any secrets for him.

It could not be helped. It was simply too easy.

There were only two problems to solve in forming Sage Chakra: how to absorb Natural Energy, and how to control the fusion ratio.

The most important thing was strict control over Natural Energy. It absolutely could not exceed the Chakra refined within the body. Once it did, Natural Energy would occupy the meridians.

Unlike Uchiha Yu, who had completed the Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment and gradually adapted, the meridians of ninja and ninja beasts had adapted to Chakra and could no longer handle pure Natural Energy. It would leak everywhere, causing physical mutations.

Of course, Uchiha Yu had no idea why those mutations occurred.

Natural Energy clearly existed in trace amounts within the human body under normal circumstances. The only people with truly no Natural Energy were corpses that had been dead for over four hours.

Perhaps it was a matter of dosage?

This was one of the questions Uchiha Yu had listed for himself to ponder in the future.

Unlike the muddleheaded toads of Mount Myoboku and snakes of Ryūchi Cave, Uchiha Yu knew where the problem lay. Cultivating Senjutsu was no longer much of an issue.

For Ninja Cats specifically, the key was creating an environment where Natural Energy was highly active but not overly concentrated. That way, Ninja Cats could easily sense and absorb it without taking in more than their own Chakra could convert.

The problem was not difficult to solve. The first step was using Sealing Jutsu to create a barrier, making a cultivation room where the Ninja Cats could complete their Senjutsu training.

The second step was for the immature Cat Sages to leave the cultivation room and adapt to the less active Natural Energy outside. Yu believed the Cat Sages who had mastered Senjutsu would be able to overcome this initial difficulty. Of course, absorbing too much Natural Energy would no longer be a problem.

Miwa Masayo exclaimed in delighted admiration, "Yu, you explained it so clearly, meow! I actually understood it, meow!"

"But how did I manage to cultivate it back then, meow?"

Uchiha Yu thought for a moment before answering, "You were in my arms at the time. While I was establishing my foundation, I gathered all the fire-aspected Natural Energy in Konoha. The concentration was high enough for you to sense and absorb it."

"Because you could not compete with me for it, you did not end up absorbing too much."

"Actually, the cultivation plan I designed was inspired by you."

"Thank you, meow."

"You're welcome. Then from now on, I'll call you Rika-chan..."

"Not allowed, meow!"

The excited Miwa Masayo shouted, startling Uchiha Yu and frightening the pedestrians all along the street.

When people saw it was the adorable Miwa Masayo, they all gave her indulgent looks and laughed as they teased him.

"Yu, did you make Miss Miwa angry again?"

"Lord Ninja Cat, give him a good beating! Don't hold back! We won't feel sorry for him."

"Big Sister Ninja Cat, do you want some Dried Small Fish?"

"Shoo, shoo! What's so good about those stinky Dried Small Fish? The fresh fish I have is what Lord Ninja Cat deserves."

"..."

Miwa Masayo put on a proud expression, but secretly connected her mind with Uchiha Yu again.

[Hurry up, meow, hurry up, meow. This is so embarrassing for a cat...]

[Go? Go where?]

[Home, home, meow.]

[We can't go home.]

[Meow?]

[We're going to the market to buy ingredients. I promised you...]

[Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, meow!!!]

The proud tabby cat recalled the delicacy she had tasted once before. Saliva immediately filled her mouth, and her throat bobbed as she swallowed. She could no longer care about losing face.

"Let's go buy ingredients."

"I remember every ingredient you mentioned. I haven't forgotten a single one."

Like a tongue twister, Miwa Masayo rattled off a long string of ingredient names. "Sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, dried scallops, fish lips, soft-shelled turtle skirt, deer tendon, pigeon eggs, duck gizzards, fish maw, fish glue, conpoy, pigeon, pork ribs, razor clams, ham, pork stomach, lamb elbow, pig trotter tips, pig tendons, hen, duck breast, chicken gizzards, duck gizzards, shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots..."

"Mm, what else did I forget, meow?"

Uchiha Yu gave her a thumbs-up and praised, "Not one wrong, not one missing. I told you about it once two years ago, and you remembered it perfectly. Even the rhythm I used when rattling them off is exactly the same. Impressive."

"I'm amazing, meow."

"Rika-chan, what about the things I asked you to bring back from Cat Castle the day before yesterday?"

"Meow? Was there something? You asked me to bring things again?"

"..."

"Even if there wasn't... probably."

"Meow, you must have remembered wrong. This kitty would never forget."

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall required a great many ingredients, and many of them simply did not exist here. The ingredients Uchiha Yu found were substitutes, which he forcibly gave the names from his previous life.

For example, there was no abalone, shark fin, soft-shelled turtle skirt, razor clam, or shiitake mushroom. He had chosen similar ingredients instead. Even the ducks were wrong, replaced with a kind of waterfowl with thick, fatty flesh.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was, at its core, a stew of sea, land, and air. As long as he could select suitable dried seafood, hen, and animal tendons, then simmer a rich and flavorful stock, the rest of the ingredients did not matter much.

Of those three categories, dried seafood was both the most troublesome and the most important. Fresh ingredients absolutely could not be used as replacements.

However, Konoha lay in the middle of the inland region, so there was no way to get fresh seafood anyway.

Dried sea cucumbers and dried abalone needed time to soak. Uchiha Yu remembered that it took over five days, but conditions in the Ninja World were different—one day was just right. Any longer and they would become over-soaked. That was a lesson learned at the cost of ten thousand ryō worth of ingredients.

But no matter what, they definitely would not be able to eat it today.

After soaking the dried seafood that required the longest preparation time, Uchiha Yu began preparing dinner for that evening.

He explained to Miwa Masayo, "We'll need to keep working tonight, so let's have something simple. We'll make Mushroom Fish Vegetable Pancakes."

"No problem, meow. Anything is fine."

The tabby cat stared at the basin of soaking ingredients, unable to look away. She probably had not heard a word her owner said.

Uchiha Yu smiled and took out four ingredients: mushroom fish, eggs, peas, and carrots.

He cooked the mushroom fish, peas, and carrots separately, mixed them together, added beaten eggs, and stirred everything into an even batter. He shaped it into small patties and fried them in an iron pan until golden brown.

Uchiha Yu made a huge basin full of fish and vegetable pancakes. He also made a pot of noodle soup and a bowl of salted garlic cloves to go with them.

Food that could actually go into their mouths ultimately defeated the soaking ingredients. Miwa Masayo and Uchiha Yu enjoyed a wonderful meal.

After dinner, Miwa Masayo made a suggestion for the first time. "You go prepare things. I'll wash the dishes."

"Forget it. Last time I let you wash dishes, I was careless. I don't want to buy another set of tableware, especially when we'll need it tonight."

"Then what should I do?"

"Rika-chan, you have plenty of work to do."

"Meow, my name isn't Ri~ka~chan... Fine, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall..." she muttered softly.