He didn't waste this hard-won material on his first experiment.
Chakra Conductive Metal was extremely rare in the Ninja World. It was said that even the Second Hokage's Thunder God Sword was made of Chakra Conductive Metal.
That showed just how famous it was in the Ninja World—one of the finest metals around.
Yayoi tested the properties of the Chakra Conductive Metal on the spot and recorded them on the computer he carried with him.
Thanks to Mirror Eye, he'd been able to rebuild and upgrade the computer, making it portable.
He started with a practice piece, using Pure Gold as his material.
Pure Gold and jade were nearly ideal mediums for Alchemy. That also went some way toward explaining dragons' greed for treasure.
Yayoi used a small portion of the Chakra Conductive Metal to make an engraving tool.
As he channeled Fire Release chakra across the Pure Gold, the searing heat stirred the hair over his forehead, reflecting in his focused Golden Eye.
Yayoi activated Mirror Eye and used its transcription ability to perfectly inscribe the Dragon Script he'd analyzed from memory onto the Pure Gold.
He had Mirror Eye to thank for it. Without its help, no matter how much material he had, Yayoi couldn't have analyzed the Dragon Script. Even perfectly reproducing an Alchemical Circuit would have required a long period of practice.
This was the Word Spirit best suited to him, and the one that would make the most of Alchemy.
Yayoi drew the engraving tool across the Pure Gold, bit by bit. Every tiny branch and turn was part of the intricate Dragon Script.
Engraving an Alchemical Circuit was extremely time-consuming. It required flawless precision and absolute concentration.
It seemed that only this could imbue an Alchemical Weapon with a hint of life.
In his previous life, every Alchemical Weapon had been a painstaking masterpiece crafted by a master alchemist of an earlier age.
The engraving took ten minutes, nearly the limit of how long Yayoi could use Mirror Eye.
As the red-hot tool carved the final stroke, Yayoi's Golden Eye, burning like a blazing fire, closed at once.
A sphere of Pure Gold, its surface inscribed with a mysterious circuit, now lay quietly before him.
Yayoi let out a long breath.
Ten minutes of Mirror Eye's intense use had nearly exhausted him. He needed to rest, but luckily, he wouldn't need to activate Mirror Eye for the next step.
Yayoi poured Mercury over the Pure Gold.
The circuit seemed to hold some kind of attraction, drawing in the Mercury. The flowing silver followed the grooves, slowly filling them until it solidified completely.
Mercury was also an excellent alchemical material, capable of strengthening Alchemy's effects.
A brand-new Alchemical tool had made its debut in a world where chakra reigned supreme.
Yayoi cautiously dripped a drop of blood onto it to activate it.
The sphere quivered. Wind Element gathered around it, but under the control of Yayoi's barely lit Golden Eye, it formed only the faintest breeze.
"It worked."
Yayoi breathed a sigh of relief. He'd finally succeeded.
Now he could start thinking about making weapons and learning Senjutsu.
First, the weapon. A good weapon was important on the battlefield, especially one enhanced with Wind Element.
Its built-in cutting effect could inflict damage that was almost impossible to defend against.
He planned to make Yan a weapon like that before heading to the battlefield.
As for his own weapon...
He had a dream. As his physical strength grew, he could keep his Word Spirit active for longer, and its effects continued to improve.
Could he analyze the complete Dragon Script for Mirror Eye and Wind King Eye within the next four years, then craft equipment with an Alchemical Domain that could also conduct chakra?
Yayoi thought it was possible. It all depended on whether he could make up his mind.
Once he did, his determination and ability to follow through would carry him to the finish.
Konoha, Year 32
In the blink of an eye, another year of his third year at the Ninja Academy had passed. Time flew by like a white horse flashing past a crack.
A lot had happened that year. The fighting on the front lines had reached its fiercest point.
The decisive battle seemed imminent, but at that moment Hanzō, leader of Amegakure, the main battlefield, declared war on the Three Great Nations.
The shinobi of the three nations scoffed at him, yet couldn't help but respect him.
For the people of the Land of Rain, he'd declared war despite knowing it was hopeless. That was a leader's duty.
The Land of Rain was no match for the great nations, but its leader, Hanzō, was truly a formidable figure.
His poison, delivered by Ibuse, was like a walking harvest of human lives. Even Iwagakure dared not underestimate him.
But while the two villages were fighting, the Third Raikage committed the full strength of his village, leading thousands upon thousands of Kumogakure shinobi in an assault on Iwagakure.
After settling old and new grudges alike, Iwagakure was forced to withdraw from the battlefield and return to defend its village.
With the pressure off, Hanzō of the Salamander immediately began slaughtering the forces of Konoha and Sunagakure.
The battlefield between the two villages became a wasteland, shrouded in poison and stripped of all life.
Only three people survived. Hanzō named them the Konoha Sannin.
They were Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya.
But the great nations were great for a reason. With Konoha's reinforcements arriving, Konoha ultimately won the battle.
At Konoha's gates, villagers lined both sides of the road to welcome the heroes returning home, cheering and celebrating.
It was because they had defended Konoha's honor that the villagers could live as they did today.
"Sister!"
A handsome child stood at the very front of the cheering crowd and called out.
"Yayoi, look! My sister's back!"
Shengshu tugged at Yayoi, pointing through the crowd to the blond woman returning to the village in the glow of dawn.
Tsunade wore her Jonin vest, standing tall and dashing beneath the morning light. She was an object of admiration to countless people.
"Yeah, she's back. The war is over."
Yayoi had been unable to refuse Shengshu, so he'd come along.
They'd met when Yayoi had first signed up for the medical training course. Tsunade had taught him, and that was how he'd met Shengshu.
The boy was so cheerful and optimistic that it was hard not to like him.
They were both Senju, so they had plenty to talk about.
And that was how they'd become friends.
The war had just ended. When he heard that his sister was coming home, Shengshu hurried to the village gates to welcome her—and dragged Yayoi along to see Tsunade, too.
"Yayoi-kun, I heard Lady Tsunade was given the title of Sannin."
Yan had followed them as well. She watched Shengshu and smiled without comment.
"Of course she was! That's my sister!"
Shengshu beamed with pride. Just then, the welcoming party came into view, and Tsunade spotted the children immediately.
"Sister! Sister!"
Shengshu hurried to call out. As Tsunade came over, she gave his hair a vigorous ruffle.
Yayoi noticed and dodged her hand, earning a resentful look from Shengshu.
"Come on, Shengshu. Let's wait for Lady Tsunade at the hospital. There'll be plenty of injured people brought in today. She'll definitely go there."
Yayoi turned to Shengshu.
He also had to go to the hospital. He'd finish treating the last of the wounded, then ask Tsunade for some cells and a Little Slug.
As part of a sage, Katsuyu naturally possessed Senjutsu Chakra.
Yayoi thought he could have Katsuyu pass some of her Senjutsu Chakra to him, so he could experience the difference between the elements and Natural Energy.
Otherwise, if he didn't even know what Natural Energy was, how could he develop Dragon Script that attracted it?
He also wanted a sample of Tsunade's cells for safekeeping. It would be an important comparison sample for his research in the future.
"Okay!"
Shengshu nodded excitedly, and the three of them headed for the hospital.
Before you continue