As the sands of time slowly flowed, Shaye's theoretical knowledge grew ever deeper, and he had nearly devoured every field within his reach. Yet one central dilemma remained before him like an immovable boulder: how could he fundamentally improve this body that had been deficient from birth?
Through studying Earth Release, he had learned how to alter soil structure; through studying Wind Release, he had understood the cutting and propulsion of air currents; through studying Puppet Technique, he had mastered mechanical transmission and precision; through studying Sealing Technique, he had glimpsed the restraint and guidance of energy; and through those obscure Magnet Release materials, he had even touched upon the grand blueprint of microscopic matter manipulation.
This knowledge was vast and powerful, but it was all like weaponry forged for a giant, while he was merely an infant who struggled even to lift a wooden stick. He possessed the skill to slay dragons, yet lacked the strength to truss a chicken. In the end, every theory ran into the same bottleneck—the energy needed to drive it all, his own meager life energy.
He needed a power that could act directly upon himself, excavate his potential from within, and repair his very foundation.
Like a seed taking root and sprouting in his heart, this thought quietly guided his research in a new direction. He began searching for every scrap of information related to "life," "repair," and "cells" among the scrolls his father brought home, in the corners of the school library, and even on the remains of medical puppets that occasionally appeared in the Maintenance Unit.
The clues were scattered and vague, until one day, while flipping through a scroll on the fundamentals of chakra theory, he saw a sentence that had been mentioned only in passing: "Medical Ninjutsu is an art based on Yang Release Chakra, supplemented by precise control, stimulating cellular activity and accelerating division and regeneration to achieve healing effects..."
Yang Release Chakra! Cellular activity! Division and regeneration!
Those words cleaved through the fog in his mind like lightning!
That was right! Why had he kept thinking about obtaining power from the outside? Why not find a way to repair this body itself from within?! If Medical Ninjutsu could stimulate cellular activity and accelerate division and regeneration, then did that mean it might also fundamentally improve his body, which had been weak from birth and deficient in cellular vitality?!
The thought made his entire body tremble with excitement. He immediately began frantically gathering every fragment of medical information he could find. However, Medical Ninjutsu was already a relatively scarce and advanced skill in Sunagakure. Very little material had spread beyond its practitioners, and most of it was profound and difficult to understand.
His path of self-study seemed to have reached its end. He needed a guide.
A name naturally surfaced in his mind—Elder Chiyo!
Whether it was her mastery of Sunagakure's top-tier Medical Ninjutsu or the legend of her creation of the forbidden technique One's Own Life Reincarnation, which could bring the dead back to life, both proved that she was one of those who had traveled farthest down this path. Besides, she seemed to have always held a rare degree of appreciation for him.
With his resolve set, Shaye did not hesitate. He once again arrived outside Elder Chiyo's home. This time, he did not encounter Sasori. It was Chiyo herself who opened the door.
When Chiyo saw the child standing outside, pale-faced yet with unusually bright and resolute eyes, she was slightly surprised. "Shaye? What brings you here? Did you run into a problem with Puppet Technique?" She assumed he had come because of the scroll she had given him before.
Shaye took a deep breath, respectfully bowed, then raised his head and looked straight into Chiyo's eyes. "Grandma Chiyo, I did not come to ask about Puppet Technique this time. I would like to ask you to teach me Medical Ninjutsu."
"Medical Ninjutsu?" Chiyo was truly stunned. She looked Shaye's frail body up and down, her brows knitting slightly. "Child, Medical Ninjutsu requires extremely high chakra control, and... it also needs a considerable amount of physical energy to support it. You..." She did not finish, but her meaning was obvious—his physical condition was not suited for this path.
"I know my body is weak, and that I have very little chakra." Shaye's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable seriousness. "That is precisely why I need to learn Medical Ninjutsu. What I want to change is this body itself."
He paused before continuing. "I have studied some theories. The core of Medical Ninjutsu lies in ultimate chakra control, in the precise manipulation of life energy. The amount of chakra may determine the scale and duration of healing, but the precision of control determines whether the most delicate repairs can be completed. And I..."
Shaye extended his right hand, spreading his five fingers. He did not refine much chakra, because that would have been meaningless. Instead, he focused all his attention on that hand, displaying his unparalleled control.
At his fingertips, no chakra light shone. Yet at a completely synchronized frequency, without the slightest tremor, his fingers slowly, steadily bent one after another by millimeters, straightened, bent again, and straightened again... The movements were as slow as a film in slow motion, yet carried the absolute precision and stability of a machine. This was not even chakra control, but the ultimate control of his own flesh through sheer mental force!
Chiyo's gaze froze instantly! With her discernment, she saw at once the terrifying control hidden behind this seemingly simple movement! This absolute command over his own muscles and nerves was precisely the talent most needed—and most difficult to possess—for becoming a top-tier medical ninja! Many Jonin possessed immense chakra reserves, yet might not have such exquisite control!
Seeing Chiyo's expression, Shaye knew she understood. He lowered his hand and said sincerely, "Grandma Chiyo, I know I may never be able to use profound Medical Ninjutsu like you to save others. But I only ask to learn the most basic methods, to understand how life energy works. Perhaps... I can find a path to repairing my own foundation. Please give me a chance."
Silence blanketed the doorway.
Chiyo gazed deeply at the child before her, at the wisdom and persistence in his eyes that did not belong to someone his age, and at the immense longing hidden beneath his calm. She recalled his concentration when studying puppets, and the way he viewed problems from angles unlike ordinary people.
After a long while, she slowly, slowly let out a breath. A complicated glimmer passed through her eyes—surprise, scrutiny, and finally, the faintest trace of expectation.
"Very well." She turned and took a relatively new scroll from a rack inside the room, then handed it to Shaye.
"This is the training method for the most basic Healing Technique. It does not even count as true Medical Ninjutsu. It can only accelerate the healing of the most minor external wounds and is useless for internal injuries or improving one's constitution." Chiyo's voice returned to calm. "But it is the most basic exercise in chakra control, and the first brick on the road to Medical Ninjutsu. It will allow you to begin sensing how chakra can be used on living bodies."
"Thank you, Grandma Chiyo!" Shaye solemnly accepted the scroll with both hands as though he had been given a priceless treasure.
"Remember." Chiyo's expression turned grave. "Manipulating life energy is far more complicated and dangerous than controlling puppets or earth. The slightest mistake may harm your own body instead. Without my permission, you must never attempt anything more complex. Do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand!" Shaye nodded vigorously.
Leaving Chiyo's home with the scroll recording the Healing Technique, Shaye felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds in his hands. This was not merely a technique, but a key—a key that might unlock the path toward rebuilding himself.
Though the road ahead remained long, he had finally touched upon a direction.
(End of Chapter)
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