The timing was just right. After mulling over their conversation, Hui asked the question that had puzzled him for so long.
That was: What was dimensional ascension?
There was also the question of self-awareness, but Hui had formed some understanding of that himself.
The effects of forces took time, and so did the thoughts of self-awareness.
Those two spans of time made it impossible to confirm whether they were the time required for a fifth fundamental force to act.
And the mediating particle? They couldn't even find the graviton, let alone that.
That answer had become a permanent mystery.
Perhaps only a god who truly looked down upon everything in the world knew the answer.
But dimensional ascension was different.
The only part Hui still couldn't understand was the core of the Flame Explosion Technique.
Perhaps with a great battle drawing near, Hui wanted to know the answer before it began.
Listening to Hui describe it and watching him gesture in Chinese to indicate "dimensional ascension,"
Chuanhe marveled at Hui's intelligence, then cast that illusion once more.
Hui felt that familiar sensation as his chakra drew away from the giant hand as if it were alive.
Hui skillfully controlled his chakra.
A sense of unease crept over him. His father wouldn't get gravely injured in front of him again, would he?
This time, the world before his eyes wasn't plunged into darkness.
The entire world played out the stages of the Flame Explosion Technique as if it were a movie.
It was exactly like that day when Hui and Sasuke hid behind a tree and watched.
"Hui, you may have noticed this problem too."
"Why does 'compression' allow dimensional ascension?"
"Let's use a game as an example again."
Chuanhe demonstrated a situation like this (].[): an object was compressed into a narrow space between two walls.
As a classic game bug, if the two walls kept moving closer, the little ball between them would inexplicably get squeezed up into the sky.
"If the world had only three dimensions, this would be a textbook bug. There'd be no point in discussing the phenomenon."
"But this world has at least four dimensions. Just like this situation, as long as the movement in the three-dimensional world approaches a certain critical point,"
"matter in the three-dimensional world can reach the fourth dimension directly, like a game bug."
"And the simplest way to do that is through compression. Of course, simple compression would probably have to reach the level of a black hole. That's why you need to manipulate matter with four-dimensional properties."
"That's also why chakra alone can achieve such a terrifying effect."
Hui understood the process, but he still couldn't understand why it worked.
He couldn't speak right now, so he could only show his father through his expression that he was confused.
Chuanhe noticed, of course.
So he explained it like this.
"Hui, in the real world, the concept of zero doesn't exist for energy and matter."
"We can never be sure whether there are decimal places beyond the limits of our perceptual precision."
"Our entire world has at least four dimensions. Even if we're in a three-dimensional world, there's still an extremely tiny amount of four-dimensional kinetic energy."
"Anyone with four-dimensional perception can use their four-dimensional view to make three-dimensional kinetic energy approach the 'zero' they can achieve, thereby bringing that matter into the fourth dimension."
"That's the whole reason I developed this technique."
"I'm sure you can work out the remaining little details yourself, Hui."
"But since you've asked about dimensional ascension,"
"I'll give you another hint. Otherwise, this illusion would go to waste."
"Four-Dimensional Perception isn't as simple as you imagine. I've seen you use the Flying Thunder God Technique before."
"I don't know what it's called where you're from, but where I'm from, the two techniques are exactly the same."
Hui tried once more to express his confusion with his face.
"Hahaha, Hui, I never thought you'd get stuck on such a simple question."
"Alright, alright, let's not waste any more time."
"The answer is simple. The kunai used for the Flying Thunder God Technique is prepared in advance. It keeps the Sealing Technique in place."
"That means the Shortcut is always there."
"You've been thinking about activating it on the spot and never considered preparing it ahead of time."
Hui looked embarrassed.
It seemed he'd made a stupid mistake.
Chuanhe, on the other hand, felt a little wistful. Having questions like this was perfectly normal for someone Hui's age.
"Alright, that's enough about that. Let's continue."
"In my theory, Four-Dimensional Perception has five stages."
"Stage One: Common Sense."
"People at this stage can detect most three-dimensional motion and some matter that has ascended from the three-dimensional world, such as chakra."
"In theory, all shinobi are at this stage. But they lack guidance."
"With active perception, being assassinated would no longer be a concern for us. Of course, that only applies to shinobi and ordinary people. The Ōtsutsuki Clan might be different."
"They can also manage something like the Flying Thunder God Technique, but without a good understanding of Sealing Technique, they can only use it at certain times."
Hui nodded to show that he understood. It was exactly like when he'd first acquired the ability.
"Stage Two: Opening the Gate."
"People at this stage can achieve something like opening a spatial gate, extending four-dimensional effects that were limited to themselves into the outside world."
"There's a huge leap within this stage. As your understanding of the fourth dimension deepens, you can do more and more in the three-dimensional world."
"For example, Space Slash, the localized effect of Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu, and the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Yomotsu Hirasaka, among others."
Hui nodded again and proudly pointed at himself.
"Hahaha, Hui, you're amazing. From the way you're acting, you've already reached this stage."
Hui wanted to scratch his head, but he couldn't feel anything right now. He could only move it a little.
"Stage Three: Origami."
"As the name suggests, people at this stage can fold the three-dimensional world like a sheet of paper."
"By creating a Four-Dimensional Topological Labyrinth, they can banish someone forever unless someone with a similar ability dispels the labyrinth. Even the Flying Thunder God Technique can't escape it."
"Gravitational Singularities can be created by folding space repeatedly, producing an effect like the curvature of spacetime around an extremely massive celestial body. The result is something like Planetary Devastation."
"I've only just entered this stage."
"Give me enough time, and I really can achieve the effect of Planetary Devastation."
"But the Ōtsutsuki have fixed this technique in their eyes, just like my Ninjutsu Core. I can't do that yet."
Hui watched the memories and was suddenly struck with awe. His father seemed to be almost indistinguishable from a true member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
The only difference left was their lifespan.
But did the lifespan of a three-dimensional body matter to a four-dimensional being?
"Stage Four: Ghost."
"I can't understand this stage yet. I can only predict that it can achieve an effect like Kamui. The difference is that people at this stage can attack while intangible. They exist in a superposition of the illusory and the real."
"Stage Five: Polluter."
"This is only my speculation. I can't predict whether it's even possible. Perhaps people at this stage can interfere with the physical constants of the three-dimensional world."
"Like polluters of the three-dimensional world's rules, they can change everything as they please."
Hui felt his heart surge as he took it all in.
Perhaps one day, he could do all of this too.
But the question was, how could he reach the next stage?
It seemed that training to manipulate matter alone had its limits.
Just as Chuanhe had said, there were limits to what a person could control.
Could it be that reaching a higher stage required some kind of equipment?
So Hui began gesturing his question again.
Chuanhe gave Hui a complicated look. These were the ultimate answers he'd found over the course of his two lifetimes. It really was a case of later generations benefiting from the work of those who came before.
If he'd known all this when he first arrived, perhaps things would have been different from the start.
After thinking for a while, Chuanhe decided to tell Hui the ultimate answer.
No one could say what the future held. He was indeed incredibly powerful now, but his past experiences had taught him to remain wary.
"Hui, do you know how to become a true four-dimensional being?"
Hui's excitement suddenly faded, and he stopped imagining what the future might hold.
"Understanding. That's how simple the answer is."
"Understanding is the most important thing if you want to become a true four-dimensional being."
"Think about how it felt the last time I took you into the fourth dimension. You have to understand that world the way you understand the three-dimensional one."
"Only then will you truly be a four-dimensional being."
"Ever since that day, you've been able to be just like me. You can leave this world and live in the fourth dimension."
"But a person is still a person. We have things left unfinished."
"That's the final shackle keeping us from becoming four-dimensional beings—humanity."
"But that feeling isn't bad, either. I only came to understand all this because I was seeking power."
"I was already content with how things were. Gaining even more power wouldn't mean much to me."
"You're the one who keeps pushing me forward, Hui!"
"Do you know why I gave you that name?"
Hui had been lost in the memories. When he heard those words, a complex feeling welled up inside him.
"You're the light that illuminates the path before me. The day I learned you existed, I found a new goal."
"That's why I named you Hui!"
Before you continue