Improvement

Time returned to calm once more!

Aside from having to send a Shadow Clone to the Ninja Academy to sleep every day, Bai Yue returned to his dull yet fulfilling routine.

Researching Sealing Jutsu, improving Flying Thunder God and Sage Mode, and finally, Taijutsu training!

Of course, not every day was like that!

For example~

Watching Anko Mitarashi laugh heartily, along with Kurenai, whose mature aura had grown increasingly pronounced.

Come to think of it, where had these two dug up alcohol?

They were already turning into alcoholics at such a young age?

"Hey, Kurenai! I'm leaving Konoha!"

"Get lost!" Kurenai Yuhi rolled her eyes charmingly, her face still carrying a trace of youthful immaturity.

Seriously?!

Even after all this time, they were still dragging Asuma out to beat his corpse?!

Poor Asuma!

Still, that kid really was ridiculous. After clashing with the Third Hokage, he had "run away" to become one of the so-called Guard Shinobi Twelve.

Trying to prove himself—he was Asuma! He was not the Hokage's son!

Bai Yue merely smiled without speaking.

A textbook case of a Young Master wanting to prove himself!

Unfortunately, if he did not have a Hokage for a father, then with his mere Chunin strength, even three or four years later, he would at best reach Special Jonin level. How could he possibly become one of the Guard Shinobi Twelve tasked with protecting the daimyo?

He only got in through connections. Otherwise, he would have long been branded a Rogue Ninja.

Although the future Asuma would be strong, his strength would still be limited. He was probably only an ordinary Jonin, at most slightly stronger than an ordinary Jonin.

He simply did not deserve the title of Elite Jonin. Compared with Kakashi and Might Guy, those two Elite Jonin, he was honestly pretty pathetic.

"What a waste. He could have been a parasite and developed steadily, but he had to save face and insist on carving out a path for himself."

"Hey, Bai Yue! I'm leaving Konoha!" Having just teased Kurenai Yuhi, Anko ran over to tease Bai Yue.

"What? Going out to become a stray dog?" Bai Yue had no intention of indulging her.

"Hahaha! A stray dog!" Anko immediately burst out laughing. "You kid! That mouth of yours is vicious!"

"What? Is there a problem?" Bai Yue feigned confusion.

"No problem! No problem!" Anko laughed even harder!

"All right, Anko. Asuma is our friend, after all. Don't go too far." Kurenai Yuhi was somewhat helpless. Anko truly had no reservations at all.

Still, Anko had finally emerged from the shadow of Orochimaru's defection.

That was wonderful!

Watching Anko fool around with Bai Yue, Kurenai Yuhi smiled in relief.

"By the way, Anko!" Bai Yue spoke up, interrupting Anko's wild laughter.

"Huh? What is it?!"

"I'm planning to release part of your seal~"

"Really?!" Anko stared at Bai Yue with blazing eyes.

"I don't think I need to lie to you, do I?" Bai Yue looked at the Curse Mark of Heaven on Anko's neck. He also wanted to know how effective his modified version truly was.

"Then hurry up!" Anko said impatiently.

Not just Anko, the person involved—even Kurenai Yuhi was looking forward to seeing whether this so-called mental weight training was really viable.

"Bear with it!" With that, Bai Yue began releasing the seal.

"Mmph..." A pained expression immediately appeared on Anko's face, but compared to passing out directly, it was already far better.

"Very good!" Sensing the changes in Anko's mind and body, Bai Yue nodded in satisfaction.

The mental weight training had worked quite well. In just over half a year, it had increased Anko's mental strength by around one-tenth.

That was already an enormous improvement!

I really am a genius!

He had replicated the method within the Curse Mark of Heaven that absorbed Natural Energy and Anko's Chakra to replenish and nourish Orochimaru's Soul Fragment.

He then used that method to nurture Anko's corroded soul and mind.

This formed a simple cycle of corrosion, resistance, and nourishment. It passively increased Anko's mental strength—or more precisely, her soul.

Finally, he released the seal, allowing the portion of Anko's soul that had been sealed together with the Curse Mark of Heaven to merge back with her body, using its quality to drive an overall improvement in her soul.

"This is amazing!" Once Bai Yue sealed the Curse Mark of Heaven again, Anko immediately felt her improvement!

For a Ninja, maintaining awareness of one's own condition was not difficult. So, for Anko, a sudden one-tenth increase in mental strength could not have been more obvious.

"Kurenai, it's real! And the improvement is huge! If I could get this kind of increase every year in the future, then I'd definitely..."

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" Bai Yue directly interrupted Anko's daydream.

Using Orochimaru's Soul Fragment as a "sparring partner," once its corrosion could no longer shake Anko's soul, the effects would naturally diminish drastically, or even become completely useless.

"Infinite growth? What kind of dream are you having?" Bai Yue continued. "Once you reach a certain limit, the training effect of this Curse Mark will naturally disappear."

"That's such a shame!" Anko did not doubt Bai Yue's words, but the thrill of gaining a cheat for the first time left her unable to stop. All she wanted was to keep this cheat permanently. "Bai Yue, is there any way to permanently maintain the training effect?!"

"What the hell are you dreaming about?" Bai Yue said irritably.

"Then can you develop a method that can be widely used?" Kurenai Yuhi looked at Anko enviously before turning to Bai Yue with great anticipation.

"Not for the time being!" Bai Yue did not want to waste time researching something utterly useless to him.

But he did not shut the door completely~

"All right~" Kurenai Yuhi was still rather disappointed. After all, who would not want to grow stronger?!

Especially when that strength came for free!

Unfortunately, she did not have such an opportunity. She could only watch the delighted Anko with envy.

"Forget it. This was earned through the disaster Anko suffered. There's no need to envy her." Recalling how Anko had nearly died, Kurenai Yuhi's envy scattered with the wind.

For once~

The space occupied by the boisterous Anko was actually this quiet!

The excited Anko immediately began refining Chakra, while Bai Yue's mind wandered.

Anko's matter had now been completely settled.

Next, he needed to continue delving into Sealing Jutsu and Flying Thunder God!

He had to gain enough fighting strength before Nine-Tails' Night arrived!

After all, there was not much time left!

Hiashi's wife—Hinata Shunsetsu—had already been confirmed pregnant! As for Kushina, Bai Yue did not know the specifics.

But she should already be pregnant as well.

However, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, something as important as pregnancy naturally had to be handled like a top-secret mission.

Thus, Bai Yue had not received any news.

"This is really troublesome. Kushina's pregnancy is far too sensitive. Otherwise, why would it need to be this complicated..."

"But I can only estimate a rough timeframe..."

What a headache!

If I were a little older and had a few Clan Members directly under me, none of this would need to be so troublesome!