Taotie Technique, Transcendent Mastery!

In the original work, the Five Basic Nature Transformations were exclusive to Chunin and above.

There were only three legitimate ways for most ninjas to learn advanced techniques.

The first was family inheritance. This included secret techniques passed down by ninja clans, as well as ordinary ninja families passing techniques from parents to children.

The second was rewards for military merit. Ninjas who completed missions were sometimes rewarded with ninjutsu by the village.

The third was instruction from a teacher. The ninja team system created by the Third Hokage, for example, gave ordinary ninjas the chance to learn techniques from their team leaders. Some went even further, becoming disciples who inherited their teachers' legacies. Akimichi Denji and Tsunade, Konan, Yahiko, Nagato, and Jiraiya all belonged to this category.

Under Yamanaka Ino's guidance, Akimichi Denji practiced Ninja Tool Throwing. Today, he was practicing with kunai.

They were considerably easier to control than shuriken.

Sasuke Uchiha, however, kept shooting him serious looks from time to time, apparently still brooding over yesterday's defeat.

With Sasuke Uchiha's level of Ninja Tool Throwing, he no longer needed to practice. He merely answered Naruto Uzumaki's questions impatiently from time to time.

At the end of school in the evening, Sasuke Uchiha left in something of a hurry.

Hyuga Hinata also left ahead of them.

That dashed Akimichi Denji's plan to farm a Wish Point.

Akimichi Denji, Akimichi Choji, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, and Nara Shikamaru headed home together.

Since he had agreed to Naruto's request to mooch a meal, Uzumaki Naruto now always went home with him.

At first, he had worried that Sarutobi Hiruzen might object, but after Akimichi Denji became Tsunade's disciple, he felt at ease. The Akimichi Clan already belonged to the Hokage faction. Helping Sarutobi Hiruzen look after the solitary Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would instead give Naruto a sense of belonging to the village.

He would already be satisfied if Sarutobi Hiruzen did not treat him with immense gratitude.

Seeing Akimichi Choji eating Three-Color Dango along the road, Akimichi Denji called him a glutton, then helplessly swallowed a Military Ration Pill.

In theory, every character from the original work had a chance to produce a Wish Point.

But his unlucky little brother had never produced one.

As he thought about it, he took Akimichi Choji's dango.

Akimichi Choji stared at Akimichi Denji with longing, hopping anxiously. "What are you doing?"

"I suddenly feel like eating some." Akimichi Denji was not polite in the slightest. He bit into one of the Three-Color Dango.

This was also a signature delicacy of the Naruto world. Three pink, white, and green dumplings formed a skewer, making a sweet treat that Mitaraishi Anko and Uchiha Itachi both enjoyed.

There had originally been only three dumplings. After he ate one and Akimichi Denji snatched one, only a single dumpling remained.

Akimichi Choji rushed in like an emergency king and reached for it.

Akimichi Denji easily dodged him and stared at Akimichi Choji.

"Give it back!" Akimichi Choji said.

Akimichi Denji nodded in satisfaction and handed the last green dumpling to Choji.

"Here. It's yours."

Akimichi Choji hurriedly took it and stuffed it into his mouth in one bite, afraid that Akimichi Denji would snatch it back again.

Ding! Congratulations, you have fulfilled Akimichi Choji's wish, [Give Me Back My Magic Dango]. Wish Point +1.

Akimichi Denji's eyes lit up. It could work like this?

He looked at Akimichi Choji as if he had discovered a gold mine.

Akimichi Choji shuddered, unsure what his brother intended with that predatory look.

After returning home, they finished dinner and saw Uzumaki Naruto off.

In the courtyard, Akimichi Denji looked at the two Wish Points on the panel. They were contributed by Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Choji today.

He looked toward the panel.

[Ninjutsu: Chakra Refinement Technique (Transcendent Mastery), Taotie Technique (Master Level), Strength of a Hundred (Transcendent Mastery), Multi-Size Technique (Proficient), Delicate Illness Extraction Technique (Beginner)]

Previously, the Taotie Technique could not be raised to Transcendent Mastery because he lacked the Multi-Size Technique. Now, he could do it.

Akimichi Denji did not think for long before spending a point on the Taotie Technique.

The Taotie Technique was a growth-type skill that could accelerate his physical development. It was also only one step away from Transcendent Mastery. He was eager to see its effects.

Generally speaking, there was a qualitative leap between Transcendent Mastery and the Master Level. The improvement was greatest at that point.

Years of memories regarding the Taotie Technique and the Multi-Size Technique flooded his mind, leaving his head feeling swollen.

After closing his eyes and digesting them for a while, Akimichi Denji gained some insight.

He finally understood why the Taotie Technique needed to be combined with the Multi-Size Technique to advance.

[Ninjutsu: Taotie Technique (Transcendent Mastery)]

[Effect: Runs automatically at all times. Digestion ability ×5. Slowly increases constitution. Slightly amplifies the effects of the Multi-Size Technique. Can devour and absorb any energy.]

The Transcendent Mastery effect of the Taotie Technique had added only one sentence: "Can devour and absorb any energy."

Yet Akimichi Denji could not help breathing faster.

Any energy!

Any!

Those two brief words instantly gave Akimichi Denji two conjectures.

First,

Chakra in the ninja world was composed of physical energy and spiritual energy. If he could devour any chakra, did that mean he could devour other people's chakra?

Moreover, Akimichi Denji knew that besides physical energy and spiritual energy, there was another kind of energy: Natural Energy.

When the three were combined in equal proportions, they could form Senjutsu Chakra!

But absorbing Natural Energy was incredibly complicated. Ordinary people could not even sense Natural Energy.

Only the Three Great Sage Lands each possessed a method for sensing Natural Energy.

Mount Myoboku, for example, used Toad Oil to assist with sensing Natural Energy. One had to sit still atop a dangerous mountain, maintaining absolute stillness while absorbing and breaking down Natural Energy.

Sensing it was merely the first step. More importantly, one had to maintain a 1:1:1 balance between Natural Energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy to form Senjutsu Chakra.

This stage of cultivation was extremely difficult, and the risks were also tremendous.

The consequences of failing were obvious. Jugo from the original work, for example, was born capable of absorbing Natural Energy. But once the Natural Energy in his body went out of control, it directly caused mental collapse and physical mutations.

Those who failed their training at Mount Myoboku would eventually turn into stone toads.

Because of this, successful cultivation brought an enormous increase in strength.

This was an ability from the late stages of the story!

But if he could absorb Natural Energy...

A sharp glint appeared in Akimichi Denji's eyes, and even his heart began pounding rapidly.

Suppressing his excitement, Akimichi Denji did not try rashly. He already had the Multi-Size Technique. If he accidentally petrified the wrong part, the consequences would not be pleasant.

The first conjecture, however, was worth trying.

With that in mind, he called Akimichi Choji into the courtyard.

Akimichi Choji watched him warily, unsure what his brother intended this time.

He was still holding a grudge over the Three-Color Dango incident that afternoon.

Akimichi Denji said, "Gather chakra in your fist and punch me."

"Why?" Akimichi Choji felt that his brother was becoming stranger and stranger.

"Don't worry about it. Aren't you angry that I stole your dango this afternoon?" The moment he mentioned it, Akimichi Choji forgot everything else.

"You said it. Don't go back on your word."

"Hurry up."

Carrying the desire to avenge his Three-Color Dango, Akimichi Choji punched Akimichi Denji.

He felt as if he had punched a mountain. Akimichi Denji did not move an inch.