Thunder Breathing (Seeking Monthly Votes and Continued Reads)

In the early morning, the Uchiha Clan Head's courtyard.

The morning mist had yet to dissipate. Three magatama-shaped bronze bells hung silently, on the verge of chiming in the morning breeze that swept through the hall.

Uchiha Qiongyue sat cross-legged on the tatami, gently sipping his tea and enjoying the beauty of the early morning.

Swish!

The sudden appearance of a figure shattered the brief tranquility.

Uchiha Qiongyue seemed unsurprised by his arrival. He slightly raised an eyelid, brought the teacup to his lips, and asked indifferently:

"It's Kagami. Not on duty today? What brings you to my humble courtyard?"

"Clan Head."

Uchiha Kagami, clad in standard armor and carrying a katana on his back, bowed.

"There's a situation at the border. The Hokage sent me to inform you to prepare early according to the number of people to be dispatched from the clan."

"Oh?"

Uchiha Qiongyue's hand, holding the teacup, paused slightly. His expression seemed displeased.

As the head of his clan, he had to wait for a junior from the clan to relay the message before learning of this news.

Ever since Tobirama Senju took office, the doors to the high-level meetings had never been opened to the Uchiha.

"The border... what exactly is the situation?" He suppressed his displeasure, his voice still steady.

"I'm not clear. I just received the news myself," Uchiha Kagami shook his head.

Seeing that his demeanor was not feigned, Uchiha Qiongyue let out a long sigh and forced a smile.

"Since that's the case, I'll draft the list later and "personally" present it to that Hokage."

"Alright."

Uchiha Kagami was long accustomed to his sarcastic tone. After completing his task, he turned to leave.

"Wait."

Uchiha Qiongyue suddenly called out to him, asking casually: "Kagami, for this mobilization, how many people are the Hyuga and Sarutobi clans dispatching?"

As he spoke, he added with a smile:

"After all, we Uchiha are a great clan. It would be too embarrassing if our numbers are lower than these smaller clans."

"..."

Kagami Uchiha stood in place, silent for a moment. As if realizing the intelligence would eventually be made public, he then said:

"It's said to be the same as the Uchiha Clan. Because of this, those two clan heads ran to the Hokage countless times to complain.

However, the Hokage stated that the number of people sent by the Senju Clan this time would be no less, and only then did the two adults reluctantly agree."

"No less?"

Uchiha Qiongyue's hand, holding the teacup, trembled. The face that had held a slight smile moments ago was now as grim as water.

At this moment, he finally understood that he had been completely played by Tobirama Senju this time.

Even if he dispatched more clan members later, in the eyes of outsiders, it would only appear as if he was forced to do so under the influence of the Senju Clan taking the lead.

Reducing the number of people would be seen as weak and incompetent, disregarding the bigger picture.

What a ruthless tactic.

"Clan Head."

Kagami Uchiha seemed to have thought of something as well. He turned and bowed, saying:

"For this mobilization war, please do not include Ao on the list. Yesterday, I saw he still looked pale and weak, as if his body hadn't fully recovered...

I passed by his house just now, and he still hasn't gotten up. I suspect he still has a hidden injury.

I know you have some opinions about me. In exchange, I will do my best to preserve clan members on the battlefield."

He understood better than anyone the scale of the ninja deployed by Cloud Village this time. If described in words, it would be enough to call it a Shinobi World war with an extremely wide scope of impact.

If Uchiha Ao were to be sent to the front lines, with his strength, he would have difficulty surviving even a skirmish...

Still hasn't gotten up? With that kind of attitude, he wants to join the Police Force?

Uchiha Qiongyue's mouth twitched. He transferred all the anger that had accumulated in his heart to Uchiha Ao.

"Hiss..."

But in front of Kagami Uchiha, he didn't want to lose his composure. He could only take a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said in a low voice:

"I will consider what you said."

"...Thank you."

With that, Kagami Uchiha's figure dissipated like mist, as if no one had ever been in the courtyard.

The wind still blew through the courtyard, and the three comma-shaped bronze bells remained silent and still.

Uchiha Qiongyue stared intently at the quiet bells, then slowly raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of rooftops and fix on the distant Hokage Rock.

"Heh... heh heh..."

A low, cold laugh squeezed from his throat, faint at first, then growing louder, turning into a near-maniacal cackle.

"Haha... Hahaha!"

After a while, the laughter abruptly stopped. He glared ferociously in the direction of the Hokage Building, spitting out the name from between his teeth:

"Senju... Tobirama..."

At home.

Crackle... crackle...

Uchiha Ao stood in the middle of the living room, fists clenched, Lightning Release Chakra laced with fine electric snakes enveloping his entire body. His black hair stood on end due to the static electricity, casting a blue-white halo in the electric light.

He lowered his head slightly, feeling every inch of his skin. Although most of it tingled with numbness and stinging, it was followed by an unprecedented sense of lightness and power.

Just as he tried to maintain this state, a few lines of simple text quietly appeared in his vision:

[Thunder Breathing 0/100]

[D-Rank Ninjutsu: Can mildly stimulate cell activity, subtly enhancing the body's speed, strength, and defense.]

"Finally, success!"

Uchiha Ao let out a long breath, suppressing the overwhelming joy in his heart as he carefully savored the changes in his body.

"Just covering myself made me feel more than a little lighter. My punching power and muscle tension have also significantly increased... Roughly estimating, my overall Physical Quality has improved by at least twenty percent!"

But... Thunder Breathing, he had simply covered his body with Lightning Release Chakra. Could this be considered a self-created Ninjutsu?

He carefully recalled the feeling of his previous exploration. He felt that during the process, the insights fed back by his destiny were invisibly causing the chakra to adhere while simultaneously forming circuits within his body.

Perhaps this was the real reason he could successfully create his own Ninjutsu...

"The feedback from my destiny is more powerful than I imagined."

However, this effect only occurred with the amplification of Lightning Release Chakra. The Eight Inner Gates could achieve something similar. What he wanted was the effect of tempering his body.

With this thought, he maintained the state of covering his body with Lightning Release Chakra and got down into a push-up position.

One, two...

When he reached one hundred repetitions, the number on the panel flickered slightly:

[Thunder Breathing 1/100]

The instant the panel changed, he could clearly feel his body growing a tiny bit stronger.

Success!

While maintaining the Thunder Breathing state, his cells accelerated their division. The effect of the same training movements would be several times that of his normal state.

If he could raise his Thunder Breathing progress to full, what would happen then?

Would it be close to the Raikage's Lightning Release Armor?

Or would he forge a completely different path?

At this moment, the progress feedback for Thunder Breathing suddenly surged.

Uchiha Ao quickly closed his eyes, carefully sensing the subtle experiences and insights regarding Lightning Release Chakra application that continuously poured into his mind as his progress increased.

For example: how to convert chakra more efficiently, how to distribute electric arcs more evenly to reduce consumption, how to stimulate specific cells more precisely for instant bursts, and so on...

A moment later.

Uchiha Ao slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of electricity seeming to flash within them.

"As expected, it's not that simple. Human cell division has its limits. In this state, although training efficiency is several times higher than before, the duration it can be maintained daily is only one hour.

Any longer, and the cells will collapse, unless..."

As if thinking of something, he suddenly looked towards the Hokage Rock, at the stone statue carved with the First Hokage.

"Turn my cells into First Hokage Cells!"

Upon thinking this, Uchiha Ao's eyes lit up, but then he immediately dismissed the idea.

Setting aside where he would even get First Hokage Cells, even if he found them, it was uncertain whether his body could adapt to them after implantation.

Although his destiny had turned his physique into a Walmart shopping bag, capable of cultivating any ninjutsu, cell transplantation clearly wasn't included in that.

If his body couldn't adapt, the powerful vitality inherent in Hashirama Cells would likely instantly mutate him into an immobile tree.

At that point, let alone releasing Wood Release, he'd probably have to wait for someone to pee near him to take a sip of water.

Moreover, they wouldn't be his own cells. Even if the transplant was successful, it was uncertain how much effect they would have.

Only what truly belonged to him could exert its maximum effect.

Wait!

His own...

Uchiha Ao seemed to realize something, slapping his thigh hard, his expression ecstatic.

Wood Release, Wood Release...

The power of the First Hokage's body wasn't achieved overnight. It was only after he created his unique Kekkei Genkai and cultivated Wood Release Ninjutsu that his cells became the world's one and only Hashirama Cells.

"Then if I cultivate Wood Release Ninjutsu, won't I also achieve the same effect?!"