Before long, several days passed in a flash, and the final day arrived.
After Renegade Kiyohara tinkered with things for a while, he sealed some brown medicinal liquid inside transparent bags.
Looking at those bags, Kiyohara felt that they strangely resembled traditional Chinese medicine from his previous life...
"After you drink these, they can strengthen your body and increase your chakra reserves. Conservatively speaking, they can double what you currently have."
Renegade Kiyohara said.
When your base chakra pool was low, improving it was easy.
"Double? Very nice."
Kiyohara was even more satisfied with the results.
That way, although he only held the rank of genin, he would still count among the stronger chunin.
As long as he had enough chakra, who cared about techniques? He could just overwhelm everything with raw power.
For example, Six Paths Naruto was a pure display of stats: a Sage's body, Tailed Beast chakra, Senjutsu-enhanced physical strength, and Six Paths Power-enhanced physical strength.
With that whole setup, all he needed to do was keep spamming Rasengan.
"I remember Takigakure has another forbidden drug called Hero's Water."
Kiyohara said.
In the anime's Takigakure arc, there had been a forbidden drug called Hero's Water. Drinking it could increase chakra tenfold!
The only problem was that the drinker would not live long before dying.
"It's good stuff. Drinking a small amount can save your life, but Takigakure is guarded by the Seven-Tails."
Renegade Kiyohara shook his head.
Did they think he had not considered it?
He simply was not strong enough.
Even someone with the strength of a Kage would not dare claim absolute certainty against a Tailed Beast.
A casual Tailed Beast Bomb could flatten a mountain. That was why the various nations treated Tailed Beasts as weapons of war.
Senju Hashirama had also believed that distributing the Tailed Beasts and establishing a so-called balance of Tailed Beasts would bring lasting peace to every nation.
Yet, just as the Qin Dynasty had perished in its second generation, war erupted in the Ninja World immediately after Senju Hashirama died.
"That's true."
Kiyohara felt that he had been getting too impatient as well.
As long as he had the Last Words Book and kept merging with versions of himself from other timelines, he could become a stat monster too.
"Bottoms up."
Kiyohara sliced open the sealed plastic bag with a kunai and drained it in one gulp.
Bitter!
That was Kiyohara's first reaction.
Then came a splitting headache, as though his brain were about to burst apart.
Come on, Renegade Kiyohara had mentioned headaches, but he had not said they would hurt this much!
Kiyohara clutched his head, squatted down, and endured the pain.
"Your chakra reserves are increasing right now. The headache is your brain producing chakra."
Renegade Kiyohara said.
This forbidden drug made use of the principles behind Yang Release chakra.
Certain herbs reacted with the human body to produce a special kind of chakra, which in turn nourished the body.
Once physical energy increased, a ninja's chakra reserves would rise along with it.
Sure enough, after the initial pain passed, Kiyohara could feel a warm sensation spreading through every limb and bone.
It was like soaking in a hot spring after going ten days without a bath.
Once the medicine's effects had mostly worn off, Kiyohara clenched his fist.
Brand-new power!
Kiyohara then went into the courtyard and formed hand seals, still using the three signs of Dog, Horse, and Rooster.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Kiyohara spewed out a fierce gale that swept up the gravel on the ground. With a bang, it smashed into the courtyard wall and blasted a hole through it.
The small stones were reduced to powder and scattered across the ground.
As expected, as long as the chakra output increases, the power increases too.
Kiyohara thought.
It was like how a Fire Release ninjutsu used by Uchiha Madara alone required twenty Water Release ninja to form a team and jointly cast Water Release ninjutsu to neutralize it.
After all, Uchiha Madara had been capable of fighting Senju Hashirama. He even used the Nine-Tails as a summoned beast, without absorbing its chakra, and fought Senju Hashirama using only his own chakra throughout. His chakra reserves could not possibly have been low.
"Hiss..."
Kiyohara clutched his head.
A sudden stabbing pain had just flashed through it.
That was the price of using the forbidden drug. Fortunately, it only took three months to resolve.
"If I take this forbidden drug again in three months, will it still work?"
Kiyohara asked.
"It won't have much effect anymore."
Renegade Kiyohara shook his head.
How could things be that good?
This forbidden drug merely further stimulated the body's potential, and its first use had the best effect.
After that, it could be said to have almost no effect.
Otherwise, why would Orochimaru have been so obsessed with Sasuke's body? Physical talent was simply too important.
"So that's it..."
Hearing that, Kiyohara casually picked up a chunk of rubble about the same size as the hole and used it to plug the courtyard wall.
"Then it's time to train some ninjutsu."
Kiyohara planned to learn another Lightning Release ninjutsu.
Among the five major elemental releases, Lightning Release ninjutsu arguably had the highest ceiling.
The reason was simple. Later on, the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, the Otsutsuki Clan, and even all sorts of artificial humans mostly possessed the ability to absorb ninjutsu. Unless one learned Senjutsu—
Otherwise, Earth Release, Wind Release, and Water Release would simply be absorbed outright.
Even Amaterasu, touted as the strongest attack, suffered from having only a single attribute and was easily countered.
Lightning Release was different. It could activate cells, strengthen taijutsu across the board, and raise one's base stats.
That way, abilities that absorbed ninjutsu would become useless.
"I'll learn Lightning Release: Ground Flash first."
Kiyohara looked at the scroll in his hand, which recorded several ninjutsu.
Renegade Kiyohara had mentioned two Lightning Release ninjutsu and three Fire Release ninjutsu in total.
Lightning Release: Ground Flash was among them.
This technique could release a mass of irregular lightning bolts close to the ground.
The battle at Kannabi Bridge would take place amid valleys, with forests everywhere.
Some areas would be very narrow. If he used this move there, his enemies would have limited room to dodge and would find it hard to avoid.
The next day.
Kiyohara put on the new chainmail undershirt he had bought, wore clothes over it, slung on a marching pack containing his organized supplies, and headed to the agreed meeting place.
"Obito is late again."
When Kiyohara arrived, he heard Kakashi complaining about Obito.
"He's probably off helping some old lady somewhere again."
Genma Shiranui had a senbon clenched between his lips.
He knew Obito's character fairly well, since they had been classmates in the same class.
"Where's Kurenai?"
Kiyohara asked as he approached.
"She's up ahead making preparations."
Genma Shiranui pointed ahead. Kurenai Yuhi was busy checking the items they needed to bring.
"Kiyohara, Rin, please go look for Obito."
Namikaze Minato spoke.
The reason he had not called Kakashi was that he feared the two would get into some kind of conflict.
At a crucial time like this, it was better for the team to remain harmonious.
"Yes, Minato-sensei."
Nohara Rin nodded.
Naturally, Kiyohara had no objection. He had never been to where the Uchiha Clan lived, so this was a good chance to broaden his horizons.
He remembered that Obito had once kissed Rin's photograph, and Kakashi had happened to witness the scene when he went looking for him.
He wondered what Obito was doing now.
"Let's go, Rin."
Kiyohara said.
"Mm."
Nohara Rin jogged after Kiyohara.
Meanwhile, Obito had already lost all sense of the world around him.
They were going to the battlefield today, so he intended to relax a little.
Thus, he took out a group photo of Team Minato. It showed Nohara Rin, Kakashi, Namikaze Minato, and himself.
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