Collection Technique's Limitations

A few days later, Hanfu fell into deep thought again.

The pale blue light spot in his mind had not only helped him understand the Chakra Refinement Technique; it had also told him something very important: there was a Collection Limit!

Hanfu had thought the Collection Technique could only be used three times a day. Turns out he'd been completely wrong. After a successful collection, he discovered there was another restriction: he could only collect three "skills" from the same target!

In short, each ninja could provide him with at most three techniques!

If that's the case, I can't just collect from important people whenever I want!

If he ended up collecting the Three Body Technique from Namikaze Minato or Jiraiya, he'd be crying in the bathroom!

So, how could he target a specific technique he wanted to collect from someone?

Hanfu narrowed his eyes and decided to run a little experiment.

"Big brother."

Hanfu trotted over to the sturdy-looking clansman. The man was a head taller than him, so Hanfu tipped his head back and asked sweetly, "Could you teach me the Transformation Technique? I want to turn into Ultraman!"

"Ultraman?"

The clansman froze, clearly confused, then instinctively looked toward Gekko Hoshino.

"Hanfu, don't be a nuisance," Gekko Hoshino said. "Your big brother Ryofu still has to practice his swordsmanship."

"Just for a little while. It'll be quick." Hanfu opened his big eyes, hoping to get his way with cuteness.

"Uncle, it's fine," Gekko Ryofu said, not wanting to put Gekko Hoshino in a difficult position.

"Fine. You have five minutes," Gekko Hoshino said.

They were about to head to the battlefield, and Gekko Hoshino didn't know whether he would make it back alive. Before leaving, he wanted to teach the younger generation as much as he could.

Then Gekko Ryofu led Hanfu over to a corner.

"Hanfu, you can refine Chakra now, right?" Gekko Ryofu asked.

Hanfu nodded. "I can."

"Good. I'll teach you the Hand Seal Gestures for the Transformation Technique first!" Gekko Ryofu held out both hands and slowly formed a seal in front of Hanfu. His hand signs were so precise they could have come straight from a textbook.

"Did you memorize them?" Gekko Ryofu asked.

Hanfu shook his head. "One more time!"

Gekko Ryofu nodded and formed the seals again.

At the same time, Hanfu decisively used the Collection Technique!

Green light surged through his mind, then burst out as a pale blue light spot.

Collection successful!

Hanfu discreetly wrapped his consciousness around the pale blue light spot, then let a smile tug at his lips.

It was the Transformation Technique!

He'd actually collected the Transformation Technique!

Hanfu was relieved. That meant that if he guided someone before using the Collection Technique, he could specifically collect the technique he wanted!

Of course, one success didn't prove that his theory was correct. Maybe collecting the Transformation Technique this time had just been a coincidence, so he would need to run more experiments to confirm it!

Unfortunately, he had already used all three of his collections for the day.

One failure and two successes. He'd collected the Chakra Refinement Technique and the Transformation Technique.

Hanfu didn't want to turn into a couch potato. When Gekko Ryofu rejoined Cheap Dad's training, Hanfu quietly slipped back into his bedroom, sat cross-legged with a solemn expression, and began refining Chakra!

Guided by Hanfu's consciousness, the Spiritual Energy in his mind and his Physical Energy slowly merged in a one-to-one ratio. The process was... painfully slow. For the first time, Hanfu felt the malice this world held toward him.

At this rate, he'd have to spend ten days refining enough Chakra for a single Transformation Technique!

With talent like this, Hanfu's ceiling was probably Genin.

He was going to have to fight Might Duy for the title of Eternal Genin. Hanfu touched his Benevolent Appearance. How could he bear to do that?

But how could he break through the limits of Chakra?

Become a Jinchuriki?

Hanfu's imagination suddenly ran wild: could the Collection Technique collect a Tailed Beast directly from a Jinchuriki...?

Should he try it on Kushina?

But if it really worked, would he end up collecting Naruto too?

No, that wouldn't do! Absolutely not!

Hanfu shut his eyes and firmly banished the thought.

"Feng-chan, dinner's ready!"

Keiko's voice came from outside. Hanfu had skipped breakfast, and he was indeed getting hungry, so he hurried out.

Keiko had made rice balls for lunch, with seaweed and sesame. They should taste pretty good, though she'd made a bit too many—thirty in all. Hanfu could eat his fill and still manage only five.

Hanfu picked up five rice balls without hesitation, then saw Cheap Dad, Gekko Hoshino, walk in with Gekko Hayate, Gekko Ryofu, and the others.

Hanfu froze, then quietly put the rice balls back.

After lunch, Gekko Hayate and the others returned to the backyard and continued their tedious, monotonous sword training under Gekko Hoshino's watchful eye, with the sun beating down on them.

Hanfu watched from the side as cicadas shrilled all around him. The noise made sleepiness wash over him, so he had no choice but to return to his bedroom, turn into a couch potato, and seal himself away.

When he woke, it was already past three in the afternoon. Hanfu broke out of his seal and ran to the backyard, where Gekko Hayate, Gekko Ryofu, and the others were still training.

The sun was blazing overhead, and the air was stifling. Their hair was soaked with sweat, plastered to their scalps, and their clothes had gone through countless cycles of drying and getting wet again.

Seeing this, Hanfu felt a little guilty. While he'd been enjoying a comfortable nap, these people had been sweating under the blazing sun, training hard. He genuinely wanted to train alongside them, but... what could he do when he had a cheat?

The group trained until around five in the evening before finally leaving, exhausted. Gekko Hayate was so tired he couldn't even climb over the wall, so Cheap Dad, Gekko Hoshino, carried him over into the neighboring Hayate's Home.

"Dad, where's Mom?"

Hanfu searched the house, but couldn't find Keiko. He was a little puzzled.

"Your mother's working overtime at the hospital. She'll be back later," Gekko Hoshino said gravely.

With this war, Konoha Hospital would also be sending a large number of people to the front lines. But Keiko was only medical staff, not a Medical Ninja, so she probably wouldn't be sent to the front.

While Gekko Hoshino was thinking, Hanfu asked the most important question of all: "Then what are we having for dinner?"

Gekko Hoshino thought for a moment. "There are two rice balls left from lunch."

Hanfu stared at him in horror. "Dad, you can't cook? Aren't you a ninja? When you were out on missions, didn't you cook your own meals?"

Gekko Hoshino smiled. "On missions, we just eat Military Ration Pills. Hanfu, you had two rice balls at lunch too, didn't you? Let's make do tonight. When your mother gets home, we'll ask her to make you something good."

"...All right."