"Huh?" Akimichi Denji asked, puzzled.
He hadn't absorbed any chakra.
"That shouldn't be possible."
He rubbed his chin, unsure what had gone wrong.
"Don't hit me back. You're the one who told me to hit you."
Akimichi Choji seemed afraid that Akimichi Denji might take the opportunity to get back at him.
"Try again. Release your chakra."
"What exactly do you want me to do?" Akimichi Choji grumbled, but his body did as he was told, gathering a ball of chakra.
Akimichi Denji reached out, touched the chakra, and activated the Taotie Technique.
"What's going on?" Akimichi Choji's eyes widened. His eyes, so small they'd barely been visible before, finally seemed to crack open.
It worked, Denji thought.
He could still absorb chakra.
The energy on his panel was increasing faster, and the absorbed chakra wasn't turning into his own.
There was a limit to how much chakra a person could hold.
That limit was closely tied to one's natural talent.
The reason he'd failed to devour and absorb Choji's chakra earlier was that it was inside Choji's body and, in principle, belonged to him.
But once released, it became ownerless.
Still, the Taotie Technique probably couldn't absorb the chakra in ninjutsu. Chakra in ninjutsu was too volatile.
Otherwise, being able to neutralize the Lightning Release Chakra Mode without suffering any damage would be too overpowered.
Akimichi Choji felt his chakra rapidly dwindling. With no idea what was happening, he blurted out in a panic, "My chakra's running out. I can't hold on much longer. Denji, what did you do?"
"Quiet. I'll make you some snacks afterward." Akimichi Denji waved a hand.
Chakra could recover, so he didn't hold back. He wanted to see what would happen if he absorbed all of Akimichi Choji's chakra.
"I can hold on a little longer." Akimichi Choji changed his tune in an instant and spoke solemnly.
The delicious food Akimichi Denji made came from an eastern country. Its flavors were different from those of the Naruto world, with a unique taste of their own. Choji had been craving it for ages.
A while later, Akimichi Choji lay limp on the ground, looking utterly drained.
Akimichi Denji studied the panel and nodded in satisfaction. The energy on it had increased by 10.
About as much as he could normally gain in half a day.
But this didn't use up any of the energy he could digest.
And that was only the chakra of one person, Akimichi Choji.
Unlike his digestive system, which could only process and absorb a fixed amount of energy each day, this had no such limit.
In theory, he could absorb an unlimited amount of energy in a single day.
So, who had an unlimited amount of chakra?
Akimichi Denji licked his lips, revealing his sharp teeth, like a beast that had found its prey.
He also tried sensing Natural Energy, but couldn't detect any, so he didn't dare try recklessly. He decided to ask Tsunade about it later.
Sasuke Uchiha walked in, with Uchiha Itachi beside him. Itachi had changed out of his Anbu uniform and into ordinary Uchiha clothes, with a Gunbai embroidered on the back.
His medium-length hair fell naturally beside his face. Deep-set eyes held dark pupils, and a hint of warmth still lingered in Itachi's gaze. With his signature tear troughs, he looked like the friendly older brother next door.
Akimichi Denji wasn't fooled by his kind appearance. He went up to greet him.
In the original story, Uchiha Itachi had been brainwashed by the Will of Fire. On the eve of the Uchiha revolt, he activated the Blood Skull Gu and became the top-ranked newborn.
But Denji didn't need to worry about Itachi attacking him. He was now a thoroughly orthodox successor to the Will of Fire.
"Why's Choji lying on the floor?" Sasuke Uchiha asked curiously.
"Don't mind him. He got tired from training with me," Akimichi Denji replied.
A flicker of thought passed through Uchiha Itachi's eyes. He seemed to be considering something.
Sasuke shook the gifts he was carrying and said, "We came to congratulate you today!"
Seeing the bags of gifts, Akimichi Denji beamed. "You didn't have to bring anything just because you came by."
Even as he said it, he naturally took the gifts from them.
Sasuke Uchiha introduced them. "This is my older brother, Uchiha Itachi. You've probably met him before."
"Itachi! I've always remembered how you saved me that day."
"Don't mention it," Uchiha Itachi said with a warm smile. "I just happened to see it. I only don't know why Lord Danzo intervened. It seemed like he was testing you..."
They fell silent for a while, neither picking up the conversation, and moved on from the subject.
"Come in and sit down." Akimichi Denji kicked Choji, who was lying on the ground, and made him get up to serve tea.
The three sat around a table, sipping hot tea as they chatted.
"I heard Lady Tsunade took you on as her apprentice. I sincerely congratulate you," Uchiha Itachi said.
"Here are some Chakra Metal and a gift of money. Please accept them."
He was certainly generous. Chakra Metal was the ultimate conductor of chakra. It transmitted chakra with virtually no loss, greatly enhancing the power of ninja tools and the effects of ninjutsu.
This resource was a strategic scarcity. Even the great ninja clans could only obtain a limited supply.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I'll tell Lady Tsunade about the Uchiha Clan's generosity." Akimichi Denji accepted the gifts.
He understood that Itachi was showing how much the Uchiha Clan valued Tsunade's apprentice.
Well, then. From today on, Sasuke Uchiha was his best friend.
A loyal follower who'd helped him rise to power. He'd make Sasuke King of Fire Martial Spirits once he took the throne.
Uchiha Itachi smiled at that. It was exactly what he'd hoped for.
Now, he wanted to seize every opportunity to bring the clan and the village closer, however small.
Thinking about it, Akimichi Denji really didn't seem like a member of the Akimichi Clan. With one simple remark, he'd understood Itachi's main concern.
He raised Akimichi Denji's importance in his mind by one level, then added,
"Also, our whole family is grateful to you for helping Sasuke awaken his Sharingan."
"I heard you're devoted to Taijutsu. Our Uchiha Clan isn't particularly skilled in Taijutsu. This is our clan's Uchiha Style Taijutsu Manual. I hope it helps you," Uchiha Itachi said politely.
"I didn't do much to help with that. I only sparred with Sasuke," Akimichi Denji replied modestly. "He must have a talent for it."
At that, Sasuke Uchiha's lips curled up. "You helped, too."
Seeing Sasuke's expression, Uchiha Itachi smiled helplessly and affectionately ruffled his little brother's hair.
He spoke with a hint of melancholy:
"Awakening the Sharingan isn't as simple as Denji says. If natural talent and sparring were enough to awaken it, the Uchiha wouldn't be in this situation."
Realizing he'd let his feelings show, Uchiha Itachi straightened up and said, "Perhaps it was the bond and strength between you and Sasuke that resonated with him, Denji."
In front of Akimichi Denji, Sasuke Uchiha seemed uncomfortable with having his head patted and dodged away. He retorted indignantly,
"But now that I have the Sharingan, I've started learning my family's Fire Release Ninjutsu. I'll beat you soon."
Akimichi Denji silently gave him a thumbs-up. No one in our village should have their head patted!
Before you continue