The Path to Death · Carp Visualization Method

Uchiha Yama recognized that Uchiha Hara was a talent. Then he remembered that this child seemed to belong to the Third Elder's branch, yet instead of asking the Third Elder for a summoning scroll, he had come here.

It seemed that this child might not have been well regarded over there by the Third Elder.

A genius had been branded as dead last. Combined with the rumors of the Third Elder embezzling bereavement funds within the clan...

Perhaps this child was one of the victims?

But a victim was good. If he was not being oppressed, how could they win him over?

Of course, it was impossible for Uchiha Yama to personally recruit him. It was not that he could not lower himself to do so; he was already a man close to death, so what was the point of recruiting a genius?

Such matters naturally had to be left to Uchiha Fugaku.

But before that, they had to transfer his household registration over. The Third Elder's branch did not care about him anyway, so he might as well be placed under the clan head's branch.

Uchiha Hara had no idea what Uchiha Yama had thought through in that short span of time. Nor did he know that when he went to see Uchiha Yama, Uchiha Osamu, who had been hiding behind a corridor pillar, saw him.

Uchiha Osamu was the son of Uchiha Amano, a subordinate of the Third Elder. Uchiha Amano was in charge of distributing the clan's orphan relief funds—which naturally included skimming off Uchiha Hara's share.

When Uchiha Osamu saw Uchiha Hara enter the Uchiha clan head's home, he immediately sensed trouble and hurried home to report it to his father.

Uchiha Amano's heart tightened as well when he heard this, afraid that Uchiha Hara had gone to lodge a complaint.

He immediately instructed his son, "Go test that brat and find out what exactly he went to see the clan head for!"

Thus, on Uchiha Hara's way home, Uchiha Osamu swaggered over with two lackeys and blocked his path.

"Hey, Uchiha Hara, what did you go to the clan head for?" Uchiha Osamu asked arrogantly.

Uchiha Hara did not want to bother with him and tried to go around him.

Seeing this, Uchiha Osamu assumed that he had a guilty conscience. Even more convinced of his guess, he raised his voice. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to! Did you go complain that someone embezzled your parents' bereavement money?"

Uchiha Hara halted.

He had only suspected before that someone had skimmed off his relief funds, but now the other party had confirmed it with his own mouth.

Seeing Uchiha Hara stop, Uchiha Osamu grew even smugger and continued, "Hmph, going to the clan head is useless! Let me tell you, the Uchiha are managed by separate branches! You belong to the Third Elder's branch, so naturally your relief funds are distributed by our branch. That's clan law! Even the clan head has no authority to interfere in the internal affairs of each branch!"

He stepped forward and jabbed a finger into Uchiha Hara's chest, threatening viciously, "Get smart and accept your fate! Don't forget, you're just an orphan with no father or mother! The clan head doesn't have time to protect an insignificant nobody like you every moment. If you suddenly die in an 'accident' one day, no one will care!"

After delivering his threat, Uchiha Osamu swaggered away with his lackeys.

Uchiha Hara stood where he was, head lowered, his hands clenched tightly inside his sleeves. His nails nearly dug into his flesh.

A freezing fury rose from the depths of his heart and quickly spread through his limbs and bones.

"Uchiha Osamu... the Third Elder's branch..." he silently repeated those two names, killing intent blazing in his eyes.

He had never imagined that he would encounter people this rotten!

"Not only did they embezzle my money, they even came to threaten me to my face. Fucking bastards deserve to die!!"

But he forced himself to calm down.

Uchiha Osamu was nine years old this year, one of the clan's heavily groomed "talents." Rumor had it that he had even awakened a one-tomoe Sharingan.

Even if he wanted to kill someone, now was not the time to strike.

This matter required careful planning. He had to plan before he acted.

Back in that shabby yet spacious house, Uchiha Hara suppressed his turbulent thoughts and got down to business.

He took ten lively fish from the Demon Refining Pot space and put them into a bucket, then formed hand seals once more.

"Summoning Technique!"

Kuromai appeared amid a puff of smoke. The instant he saw the fish in the bucket, his green eyes lit up. "Meow? Are these tributes for me?"

"It's a trade," Uchiha Hara corrected. "Ten fish in exchange for one live chameleon. The sooner, the better."

That was right. This was why he had contracted Ninja Cats. He did not need a Ninja Cat to fight alongside him; what he needed was the commercial network of the Ninja Cat Clan spread across the Ninja World.

If there was an animal he wanted but could not find in Konoha, wouldn't getting it through the Ninja Cats' channels be easy?

"Piece of cake, meow!" Kuromai flicked his tail. Somehow, he vanished together with the bucket, leaving behind only one sentence: "Summon me again in an hour, meow~"

Since he had nothing else to do, Uchiha Hara simply got up and practiced his fists.

An hour later, after completing two rounds of his forms, Uchiha Hara summoned him again.

Kuromai had indeed kept his word and brought back a dull-eyed chameleon locked in a small cage.

The trade was complete, and the summoning was dismissed.

Uchiha Hara looked at the chameleon before him without hesitation.

"Refine!"

[Obtained Blood Essence (Chameleon) x1]

[Obtained Soul Essence (Chameleon) x1]

He immediately consumed [Blood Essence (Chameleon)] and [Soul Essence (Chameleon)].

A strange energy merged into his skin, muscle fibers, and soul. Along with it came a sensation that he could make subtle adjustments to his skin at will.

He walked to the mirror and focused his mind. In the reflection, his face, which had been slightly rosy from digesting Blood Essence, visibly turned pale and dull. It even faintly took on a sickly bluish hue, perfectly recreating his earlier appearance of someone with little time left to live.

[Obtained Talent: Skin Color Change (Green)]: Can actively regulate one's skin color, skin texture, and certain minute details, simulating the surrounding environment or a specific condition. Camouflage ability greatly increased.

"The chameleon's ability really did not disappoint. I can finally keep this 'frail and sickly' skin on permanently." Uchiha Hara breathed a sigh of relief. Lightfooted movement and concealment were the essential two-piece set for an old sixth.

This ability could save him a great deal of trouble.

After eating a simple dinner, he was about to continue practicing his fists when he suddenly remembered something—the Demon Refining Pot had upgraded, but that did not mean it could no longer refine inorganic matter!

These past few days, he had been busy digesting Blood Essence, practicing his fists, and attending school. He had completely forgotten to go to the Naka River and "absorb water" to repair the Demon Refining Pot. What a colossal waste!

But if he went to the river, he could not practice his fists. It would be too easy to expose himself.

Besides, the visualization method he had just developed also needed time to practice. Uchiha Style Swordsmanship likewise required a great deal of practice time.

After thinking it over, he realized that what he lacked most was time—or rather, "clones" that could share the burden of training.

He did know the hand seal for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—the Ram seal—but it was an A-rank forbidden technique. It consumed an enormous amount of chakra and carried the risk of mental collapse. Without a specific training method, he did not dare try it recklessly.

It was not like forming a Rasengan. Even if he messed around blindly, at worst he would only injure his hands.

Left with no choice, he could only rearrange his schedule.

He would get home at 3:30 in the afternoon, then practice his fists for two hours first to digest Imprints and strengthen his body.

Then he would practice swordsmanship for two hours to master Uchiha Style Swordsmanship.

After that, he would cook, eat, and rest for an hour. It would be around 8:30 in the evening by then.

If the visualization method could replace part of his sleep, then from 8:30 to midnight, he would still have three and a half hours to go to the river and "soak in water" to repair the Demon Refining Pot.

"Then it's settled!"

For the first hour, he immersed himself in the harmonious state of Yang-style Tai Chi. His blood and qi flowed smoothly, and his hidden injuries recovered further.

Afterward, he solemnly opened the Uchiha Style Swordsmanship scroll.

This scroll was a family heirloom, but it truly contained the complete orthodox version of Uchiha Style Swordsmanship. There was no issue of missing portions.

After reading it carefully, he frowned.

This swordsmanship was completely different from the traditional sword arts he had known in his previous life.

The sword arts of his previous life emphasized the integration of combat, practice, and cultivation. They combined offense and defense, and some moves had even been created specifically for health preservation.

Uchiha Style Swordsmanship, on the other hand, recorded moves and forms brimming with fierce killing intent. Every move existed only to take an enemy's life as quickly and effectively as possible. It was a purely murderous sword art, with no consideration for defense or health preservation.

It was just as many masters of Chinese swordsmanship had said about Japanese sword arts: attack without defense, overly focused on killing.

Of course, that did not mean attack without defense was weak. Wasn't Dugu Nine Swords also all offense and no defense?

But the difference was that Dugu Nine Swords could not only attack the enemy; it could also interrupt the enemy's moves.

If the enemy could not execute his techniques, then his own techniques would inevitably kill the enemy, forcing the enemy to defend.

Thus, Dugu Nine Swords appeared to be all offense and no defense, but in reality, it kept its user quite safe.

As for Uchiha Style Swordsmanship, its principle was simple: either you died, or I did!

Of course, the Uchiha clan had the Sharingan, allowing them to see through an enemy's moves. Perhaps they could use ordinary swordsmanship to achieve the effect of Dugu Nine Swords.

Unfortunately, Uchiha Hara had not awakened his eyes yet, so he definitely could not produce the effects of Dugu Nine Swords.

Moreover, he did not particularly like such an extreme style. Unfortunately, he had only learned Tai Chi, not Tai Chi swordsmanship. For now, he could only make do with practicing this sword art dedicated solely to killing.

Later, he would see if he could have the Ninja Cats buy some other swordsmanship manuals. That way, he could use them as references and create some sword techniques of his own.

After two hours of sweat-soaked foundational swordsmanship training, it was already 7:30 in the evening.

After cooking, eating, and briefly loosening up his body, he left the house promptly at 8:30.

Arriving once more at the secluded bend of the Naka River, he removed his shoes and socks, submerged his feet in the icy water, and began continuously "absorbing water" to repair the Demon Refining Pot.

But the instant his feet entered the water, a strange sensation welled up in his heart.

The flowing river no longer seemed like an unfamiliar environment. Instead, it became an extension of his body, familiar and obedient.

To confirm that it was not an illusion, he simply took off his shirt and pants, leaving only his shorts, then dove into the river with a splash.

The moment he entered the water, he felt no obstruction whatsoever. His body naturally stretched out, his arms swept forward, and his legs gently kicked. He darted through the water as deftly as a fish.

He could even control his breathing with ease, allowing him to stay underwater far longer than an ordinary person.

"Is this... a gift from the fish Life Imprints?"

Uchiha Hara immediately understood the reason.

Although fish and humans were different species, his prolonged and extensive absorption of fish Blood Essence and Soul Essence had imperceptibly brought his perception, understanding, and control of water currents to an extremely high level.

He was now a true aquatic expert!

A bold idea instantly surfaced.

"What if I practice swordsmanship and fist techniques underwater? Water resistance would not only greatly increase the intensity of training, but also temper my precise control over strength!"

"And if I can store a large amount of air in the Demon Refining Pot space and connect it to my breathing somehow, treating the space as an endless oxygen tank... wouldn't I be able to cultivate underwater for a long time?"

He immediately began experimenting.

The first problem he encountered was that he could not sink to the bottom. His body was too light and floated up easily.

So he found a sufficiently heavy stone and tied it to himself, finally sinking steadily to the riverbed six meters below.

The upper reaches of the Naka River were relatively swift, but the current around the Uchiha clan was calm. Uchiha Hara only felt that the riverbed world was quiet and dim, with only faint light filtering down.

He tried practicing the basic slashes of Uchiha Style Swordsmanship on the riverbed.

The enormous resistance of the water made every movement incomparably difficult, consuming several times more stamina than on land.

He could easily practice for two hours on land, but after only half an hour underwater, his arms felt sore and weak, and he was breathing heavily.

Yet the results were obvious as well. Every swing of the sword required the strength of his entire body, demanding extremely high coordination between his muscles, bones, and chakra.

Furthermore, the high pressure brought by the current allowed the swordsmanship, which previously could only train his arms, waist, and abdomen, to now train his entire body!

As for using the Demon Refining Pot as an oxygen tank, practice proved that it was feasible as well. The Demon Refining Pot was linked to his will, and with a single thought, it could cover his mouth, nose, and even eyes, allowing him to breathe and see normally underwater.

After growing tired, he did not immediately surface. Instead, he found a flat rock on the riverbed and sat cross-legged on it.

He decided to attempt visualization for the first time right there underwater!

At first, he tried visualizing a lotus unstained by the mud from which it rose, but the image of the lotus in his mind was too vague to stabilize.

He then tried visualizing Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong, but that image scattered just as easily, and distracting thoughts kept arising.

He knew of lotuses and Sun Wukong, but trying to recreate them out of thin air in his mind was still too difficult.

"What should I visualize?" he fell into deep thought.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. He thought of fish—the Soul Imprints he had absorbed the most were those of carp!

When he focused his mind and tried to construct a visualization image of a carp, something astonishing happened.

Within his mind, a crystal-clear "soul framework" belonging to a carp naturally emerged!

This framework was structurally stable and richly detailed. He only needed to fill it with more vivid imagery and a sense of energy!

He suddenly realized that what he could visualize seemed directly related to the types of Soul Imprints he had absorbed!

He tried to summon the "humanoid framework" of Kiryu Daiki, and it actually took shape as well. The chameleon's framework did too.

But neither of those frameworks was anywhere near as clear as the carp framework.

Sure enough, these soul frameworks were related to the Soul Imprints he had absorbed. The more Soul Imprints of a type he absorbed, the more refined that soul framework became.

Uchiha Hara did not know whether these things would harm him, but he could already see the benefit: they could help him visualize!

He definitely would not visualize Kiryu Daiki, nor would he visualize a chameleon. They did not seem to have much potential, and their frameworks were not clear enough.

Only the carp framework seemed ordinary, yet it was exceptionally clear and contained limitless possibilities!

Thinking big, fish could become whales, whales could become Kun, and Kun could become Peng, soaring through the nine heavens!

Turning toward mythology, fish could leap over the Dragon Gate and become flood dragons, then Yinglong, or even true dragons that ruled the four seas!

No matter which path he took, visualizing a carp possessed boundless potential!

Most importantly, he had the Naka River, an inexhaustible source of carp Soul Essence. The soul framework would only become clearer and clearer!

"This is it!" Uchiha Hara made up his mind. His consciousness sank into that clear carp framework as he began carefully shaping its scales, feeling its streamlined body, and simulating the rhythm of its tail swaying through water...

The Carp Visualization Method was quietly born that night, at the bottom of the Naka River.