This Is a Necessary Sacrifice

As they walked, Hana, keeping watch with her Byakugan, suddenly spoke up. "There's a squad up ahead—four ninja. Judging by their chakra, one is a jonin and the other three are chunin."

There was no need to back down. Genichi made the battle arrangements.

Mikoto unleashed a Great Fireball from the front. The lead Rock Ninja, a jonin, reacted first and skillfully used Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall to block the attack.

At that moment, Genichi sprang from the flank, Kusanagi Sword in hand. Caught off guard, the Iwagakure jonin could only raise a kunai to parry.

Chidori Blade. Purple lightning coursed from the sword through the kunai, numbing the Iwagakure jonin.

Genichi changed his stance and beheaded him with a single slash. Blood gushed like a fountain.

Fighting Sarutobi Hiruzen required careful planning and caution at every step. But against an ordinary jonin whose name he didn't even know, Genichi only needed one opening and one move to end the fight.

"Now, can anyone tell me what 1,000 minus 7 is?"

Genichi smiled as he asked the three remaining chunin, who had lost their leader and were now in a complete panic.

After cleaning up the battlefield, they continued onward. At last, the three reached their destination.

The original story mentioned that the Second Kazekage, Shamon, was the founder of Sunagakure's Puppet Technique. Through studying the One-Tail, Shukaku, he had gained the ability to control sand and earth. The Third Kazekage was skilled at controlling Iron Sand, while the Fourth Kazekage specialized in Gold Dust.

Clearly, Sunagakure had a relatively well-developed system for training in Magnet Release. In the real world, there was no way only the few people mentioned in the original story could use it.

Like this unknown Magnet Release ninja before them, lying quietly in a nutrient tank and clinging to what little vitality remained in his body.

He had been dead for a long time, but that didn't matter. Even a corpse could still talk.

"This is a necessary sacrifice." Genichi got to work.

Magnet Release was one of Sunagakure's core legacies. Genichi had never expected to find a Magnet Release ninja who could teach him in person. All he wanted now was to see what distinguished this Kekkei Genkai from chakra with a single nature transformation.

For the next few days, the three of them stayed in the laboratory. With Hana's help, Genichi used a variety of precision instruments to collect and analyze data from the subject.

The cells of a Kekkei Genkai user had an extra structure compared to those of an ordinary ninja. Perhaps that was why a Kekkei Genkai could be inherited by the next generation. Comparing the two sets of cell data, Genichi saw that the cells in the body's meridians actually contained the cell wall structure unique to plant cells. He couldn't help marveling at the discovery.

But the central question remained unanswered. Instrument analysis confirmed that the small amount of Magnet Release chakra still in the corpse consisted of Wind Release chakra and Lightning Release Chakra. How they fused, however, remained a mystery.

"I haven't found any other variables. Why can his chakra fuse, but mine can't?"

Looking at the instruments before him, Genichi let his thoughts wander. Were these biology instruments or chemistry instruments again?

"Chemistry?"

Memories he'd long since buried suddenly came back to haunt him.

That was it.

In some chemical reactions, two raw materials wouldn't react directly. The right catalyst had to be introduced. The catalyst didn't take part in the reaction, but it was essential for the reaction to happen.

So what was the "catalyst" that fused a Kekkei Genkai?

Different catalysts affected the same reaction in different ways. The same two chakra natures could combine into a Kekkei Genkai with two different manifestations.

In other words, there were two "catalysts"—Yin Release and Yang Release?

The moment the idea crossed his mind, Genichi could no longer hold back.

The formula book said everyone possessed both Yin and Yang natures, but could usually express only one.

Genichi had previously tested himself with Medical Ninjutsu and genjutsu. He'd found genjutsu easier to learn, so his innate natures should be Wind, Lightning, and Yin.

With one hand shaping wind and the other wielding lightning, he slowly brought them together, feeding in Yin Release chakra as he did.

There was no resistance. The two no longer repelled each other. Wind and lightning merged seamlessly, forming an invisible hand.

With a thought, he changed the shape of the magnetic force. Though there was nothing visible before him, Genichi could clearly feel it—the Kekkei Genkai had formed.

"Hahaha! I did it! I did it!" Genichi burst into laughter. He'd uncovered the secret of the Kekkei Genkai, and a tremendous sense of exhilaration surged through him.

Hana and Mikoto exchanged bewildered glances. Genichi had suddenly gone wild, laughing maniacally, and they had no idea what had happened.

After a long while, Genichi came back to himself. He shaped the magnetic force into a hand and gently pinched each girl's cheek. "Care to learn about Magnet Release?"

He had really succeeded. Though they'd known Genichi was trying to master Magnet Release, Hana and Mikoto still found it unbelievable.

Mikoto and Genichi were close friends. Over the years, Genichi had been very considerate of her feelings, though he occasionally made jokes that went beyond friendship.

Mikoto could tell that he liked her. She didn't mind being close to him, either, and a seed of love had gradually begun to take root in her heart. They hadn't said anything outright, but their relationship had grown increasingly intimate.

At that moment, Mikoto couldn't help wondering: if their parents had different Kekkei Genkai, which one would their child inherit? Or would the child inherit both?

Gradually, her cheeks flushed and she lowered her head.

After spending a few more days in the laboratory, Genichi adjusted to the changes in his body.

As the Kekkei Genkai took shape, something deep inside his body kept changing. Genichi felt his physical strength slowly improving over the past few days. He was brimming with energy, and his chakra reserves kept growing.

This is power. My body is filled with power.