The Balance's True Nature

Yamanaka Daito's last trace of life was completely extinguished.

The will that had invaded Lie Yang's mental realm scattered with it.

Silence returned to the cave.

Lie Yang slowly opened his eyes. The three barley-like patterns within his Mangekyō Sharingan stopped spinning. The sensation of his mind stretching infinitely and time nearly coming to a halt rapidly faded, while his five senses and control over his body returned to normal.

He was only one final step away from the Second-Stage Gene Lock.

Yamanaka Daito had exhausted his life to use the Mind Body Switch Technique. In the end, it had failed to help him break through the second genetic shackle, but it had caused that shackle to fully reveal itself.

Lie Yang could already clearly sense its existence.

If the First-Stage Gene Lock broke the brain's protective restrictions on life, bringing combat instinct, judgment, and bodily control to their limits—

Then the Second-Stage Gene Lock was the complete liberation of the body's potential.

Muscles.

Blood.

Nerves.

Internal organs.

The five senses.

Even the dormant power within every cell.

Once he truly opened the Second-Stage Gene Lock, he would be able to adjust his body according to his will, allowing his strength, speed, reactions, and vitality to undergo another qualitative transformation.

But seeing it did not mean he could open it.

When the mental clash had reached its fiercest point, Lie Yang had nearly touched that shackle. But Yamanaka Daito's mental power had run out first, depriving him of the final external stimulus.

"What a pity."

Lie Yang lowered his gaze toward Yamanaka Daito.

The light had vanished from the man's eyes. Blood covered his mouth and nose, and his emaciated body leaned against the stone wall without the slightest sign of life.

After more than ten consecutive days of using the Mind Body Switch Technique, his chakra, body, and mind had long since been drained beyond their limits.

His usefulness had been exhausted.

Lie Yang raised a hand.

He formed no seals, nor did he use any ninjutsu.

His palm casually came down.

Bang!

Yamanaka Daito's head instantly shattered, and his body slid down the stone wall.

From Konoha's elite ninja to a training tool in a cave, Yamanaka Daito had fulfilled his final purpose.

Lie Yang withdrew his hand and closed his eyes, sorting through the insights he had gained moments ago.

The First-Stage Gene Lock merely removed the brain's restrictions.

When people encountered a threat of death, the brain mobilized all available information and suppressed superfluous emotions, allowing combat judgment to surpass its usual level.

Those seemingly instinctive evasions, counterattacks, and predictions had always been buried deep within life itself.

The First-Stage Gene Lock completely released them.

But the Second-Stage Gene Lock was different.

It was a deeper level of control over the flesh.

Under normal circumstances, the human body could not make all its muscles erupt at once, nor could it freely alter blood flow, neural responses, or the functioning of internal organs.

Life itself actively restricted these abilities.

Because excessive exertion would tear muscles apart, ultra-fast neural reactions would intensify the burden on the mind, and forcibly altering the heartbeat and blood flow could lead directly to death.

What the Second-Stage Gene Lock did was break through this layer of protection once again.

"Mind, will, and body—none can be absent."

Lie Yang recalled that instant.

Yamanaka Daito's mental assault had allowed him to touch a higher level, but it had not truly made his body feel the pressure of death.

That proved that simply tempering his mind was no longer enough.

To open the Second-Stage Gene Lock, he needed a battle capable of driving both body and mind to their limits.

At that thought, a faint ripple suddenly rose from the depths of Lie Yang's consciousness.

That hazy Fortune Balance appeared once more.

Compared to more than ten days ago, both sides of the balance had completely returned to equilibrium.

The expenditure represented by opening the Mangekyō Sharingan and the First-Stage Gene Lock had been fully replenished. New fortune was even slowly gathering on the other side.

Lie Yang watched the balance, but his thoughts settled on something else.

What exactly was the Fortune Balance?

It had always existed deep within his consciousness ever since he had transmigrated.

It could not directly increase his strength.

It could not issue missions.

Nor would it grant rewards out of thin air.

It merely measured fortune, allowing Lie Yang, after accumulating enough of it, the chance to seize miracles.

In the past, he had always regarded it as a special ability brought about by the transmigration of his soul.

But after tempering himself through the First-Stage Gene Lock and briefly touching the threshold of the Second-Stage Gene Lock, Lie Yang formed another conjecture.

The Light of the Soul.

It was the fundamental power unique to every living being.

Once truly awakened, it could even interfere with matter, energy, space-time, and laws on an even deeper level.

Different people possessed different Lights of the Soul.

Some became armor.

Some became flames.

Some could distort space.

Others could make their will directly affect reality.

The Fortune Balance had no tangible form and could not be observed with the Sharingan.

It existed only in the deepest part of Lie Yang's consciousness, becoming clearer and clearer as his mind transformed.

"Perhaps it is my Light of the Soul."

More precisely, it was a weakened phenomenon manifested before the Light of the Soul had truly awakened.

The balance represented equilibrium.

Fortune, meanwhile, was his understanding of the connection between himself and the outside world.

Building industries, befriending ninja, and expanding his reputation could accumulate fortune.

Defeating powerful enemies, completing transformations of life, and changing the Shinobi World's original course could likewise accumulate fortune.

This was not simply the plundering of some power. It was the impact of his existence upon the world, presented by the balance in the form of fortune.

Lie Yang pondered for a moment before quickly stopping his deductions.

The Light of the Soul was still too far away.

Even if his guess was correct, he had no way of awakening it immediately.

He had yet to touch the Fourth-Stage Gene Lock, and had only just seen the threshold of the Second-Stage Gene Lock. There was no meaning in studying a power capable of influencing matter and laws now.

"First, I'll finish walking the road before me."

Lie Yang rose and walked out of the cave.

The rain outside had already stopped.

A Shadow Clone Technique descended from the forest and tossed over a scroll containing supplies.

"Konoha's pursuers have all withdrawn."

"After Kakashi's team returned to the village, the higher-ups didn't send anyone else. The Root operatives in the area have all pulled back as well, and their outposts along the route have been abandoned."

Lie Yang caught the scroll.

"What about the wanted notice?"

"The highest level. An S-rank rogue ninja."

The Shadow Clone leaned against the rock wall.

"The Five Great Nations have already received the news. Your Mangekyō Sharingan, five-nature chakra, Lightning Body Flicker, one-handed seals, and most of your accomplishments have all been spread."

"Konoha finally stopped hiding it."

"After so many people died, they couldn't hide it even if they wanted to."

The Shadow Clone glanced at the corpse inside the cave.

"The Yamanaka ninja is dead?"

"Yes."

"What about the Second-Stage Gene Lock?"

"I saw the threshold. I'm still missing the final stimulus."

The Shadow Clone was not surprised.

"Where are we going next?"

Lie Yang had originally already made a plan.

He would continue west.

He would cross the border of the Land of Fire, enter the Land of Wind, and then search near Sunagakure for the Dragon Vein.

The Dragon Vein possessed immense power capable of distorting time.

Even if he could not truly control it, he could use it to glimpse the secrets connecting the Mangekyō Sharingan, the power of gods, and space-time.

But now, the plan needed to change.

Konoha's pursuers had completely withdrawn, which meant there would be no battles for the time being.

Without a sufficiently powerful opponent, it would be difficult to break through the Second-Stage Gene Lock through ordinary training alone.

More importantly, his wanted notice had already spread throughout the Shinobi World.

For the first time, the name Uchiha Lieyang had broken free from Konoha and the Uchiha Clan, appearing independently on the intelligence desks of the Five Great Nations.

That alone marked the beginning of fortune gathering.

"We're not going to the Land of Wind for now."

The Shadow Clone raised its head.

"Changing the plan again?"

"Konoha has listed me as an S-rank rogue ninja, yet it has only revealed part of my record."

Lie Yang looked in Konoha's direction.

"The Shinobi World knows that an Uchiha Mangekyō rogue ninja has appeared, but it still doesn't know exactly how powerful I am."

The Shadow Clone understood at once.

"You're planning to make the first move?"

"That's right."

"Against whom?"

"A renowned expert of Konoha."

Lie Yang's answer was utterly calm.

Ordinary ninja no longer held any meaning.

No matter how many chunin and ordinary jonin he killed, it would be difficult to further expand his influence.

Only by severely defeating a powerful figure famous throughout the Shinobi World head-on could he truly make a name for himself.

Reputation itself was fortune.

The attention, fear, and discussion of countless people would allow him to exert a deeper influence over the Shinobi World.

And a battle fierce enough could also provide the final stimulus he needed to break through the Second-Stage Gene Lock.