Yin Release

This time, the soul within the scroll seemed even more eager. Chiba Shun had barely activated his Sensory Jutsu before it pounced on him.

This time, Chiba Shun was mentally prepared. He was not frightened, but instead observed it.

It really was a soul. That cold, sinister sensation should have been Yin Release.

And...

Its presence seemed weaker than yesterday's?

Chiba Shun was not sure whether his perception was accurate, so he tried several more times.

Just like the second time, the moment he activated his Sensory Jutsu, it pounced on him and ultimately disrupted it.

After repeating this many times, Chiba Shun confirmed that his judgment was correct. Its strength was weakening with every pounce.

Its attacks could be seen as strikes against the seal, because I am outside the seal while it is inside.

Its strength was being consumed each time it struck the seal.

With that thought, Chiba Shun came up with a theory.

Perhaps if he exhausted it to a certain extent this way, he could use the method Danzo had given him to train.

Half a month passed like that, and the soul sealed within the scroll finally no longer had the strength to strike at the seal.

After resting for several days, Chiba Shun finally used the method Danzo had taught him to enter the scroll.

He carefully spread his senses through the sealed space, searching for the soul while remaining ready to flee at any moment.

However, it truly seemed to have run out of strength. The sealed space remained utterly calm.

A moment later, something vague appeared within Chiba Shun's perception.

Chiba Shun first cautiously probed it with the power of his soul, but it seemed to be asleep and gave no response.

He then expanded his senses and first examined its overall shape.

The soul was curled into a ball. Though he could not see it clearly, it seemed to be some kind of animal.

Taking a deep breath, Chiba Shun followed the method written in the scroll and launched a full-force attack at it.

Boom—

The collision was actually soundless, yet Chiba Shun felt as though someone had shouted in his ear, leaving him with a ringing sensation.

After the impact, Chiba Shun quickly withdrew his senses.

Sure enough, his attack had awakened the soul.

It swiftly located Chiba Shun and pounced straight at him.

But Chiba Shun escaped the sealed space before it could catch him.

Letting out a long breath, Chiba Shun rubbed his head.

This insane training method was far too terrifying.

That was enough for today. He would rest for a day and steady his nerves.

Chiba Shun did not know that the proper way to use this training method was to find a ninja whose soul was stronger than that monster's and train under that person's protection.

Konoha had quite a few powerful people in that regard, but Kumogakure did not. Even if Chiba Shun had known, he would not have been able to do it.

Danzo had recognized that point, which was why he had handed this seemingly useless thing over to Kumogakure.

The next day, Chiba Shun entered the scroll again and attacked the soul.

Using the scroll's special properties, Chiba Shun repeatedly used the power of his soul, and his Yin Release level did indeed slowly improve.

Meanwhile, the soul fell asleep every time he left. When Chiba Shun woke it, it would proactively attack, yet it could never catch him.

It appeared dangerous, but in truth, everything was under control.

This soul definitely had no intelligence. It acted entirely on instinct and had no idea how to set a trap for Chiba Shun.

This training method could indeed improve Yin Release. Its principle was likely to strengthen the soul through the use of Yin Release.

However, this method had a limit, and Chiba Shun felt that he had reached it. He had not sensed any improvement for several days.

That day, he gritted his teeth and decided to take a risk.

The last time he had taken a risk was when A had forced him to. That time, he had completed his A-rank Jutsu training, and his chakra level had reached the Jonin level.

This time, Chiba Shun was taking the risk of his own accord. He felt that he was becoming more and more like a Kumogakure shinobi.

As he had done countless times before, Chiba Shun first rammed the soul awake, then quickly retreated. But this time, he did not immediately flee the sealed space. He stopped near the seal, then turned around and charged back toward the soul.

The soul seemingly had not expected Chiba Shun to return. Instead of opening its mouth to devour him, it collided with him.

Boom! Chiba Shun was sent flying by the impact and used the momentum to exit the sealed space.

After his soul returned, Chiba Shun felt completely dazed.

It took him quite a while to regain his senses.

He got to his feet and watched the Elite Jonin slowly walk over to him before asking, "Are you all right?"

Chiba Shun shook his head, trying to clear his mind, then said, "I'm a little dizzy, but I should be fine."

Hearing that, the Elite Jonin nodded.

But the sight struck Chiba Shun as somewhat strange.

The other's nod seemed a little slower than usual.

But Chiba Shun's head was still muddled, and his thoughts were in disarray.

After a while, once he had calmed down, his eyes suddenly lit up.

He seemed to understand something.

With that thought, Chiba Shun crouched down and pressed one finger against the ground.

That was right. This time, Chiba Shun was not pressing down on the scroll.

He was normally using B-rank Sensory Jutsu.

The next moment, Chiba Shun opened his eyes in delight.

His sensory range had grown. It had expanded from the original 300 to 500 meters to more than 700 meters.

That meant his soul had advanced!

Earlier, the Elite Jonin had not been walking slowly toward him. Rather, Chiba Shun's soul level had risen, making his senses sharper.

"Haha! I bet right!" Chiba Shun laughed.

The Elite Jonin's expression shifted. He understood that Chiba Shun had found the correct training method.

He waited until Chiba Shun had calmed down before having him leave behind the training method.

Chiba Shun carefully wrote down how to use the scroll and noted all its dangers. Then he took the 150,000 ryo and left.

Training with this scroll had taken him a total of three months.

During those three months, he had exhausted soul power every day, so his expenses had remained as high as ever.

He still owed the Ninja Academy 150,000 ryo.

That was right. Since he had been in a hurry this time, he had not borrowed money from Aoki Yuyi. Instead, he had directly diverted the Ninja Academy's public funds.

He had authority over a sum of money meant to nurture students he favored.

In order to train Yin Release, he had diverted 150,000 ryo from those funds.

He did not dare divert too much. The reason it was 150,000 ryo was because the Elite Jonin had promised that once he found the correct training method, he could receive the reward for an A-Rank Mission: 150,000 ryo.

Now that he had received the money, he could use it to make up the shortfall.

His Yin Release had already achieved a Breakthrough, so Chiba Shun no longer needed to train with the scroll.

He rested for several days, then began training his Sensory Jutsu and A-rank Illusion Technique, both of which had stalled at crucial points.

His A-rank Illusion Technique training went smoothly. He had long been fully prepared; all he had lacked was the final push.

Inside the prison outside Kumogakure, Chiba Shun quietly approached an imprisoned Jonin with Yuichi Nishida's cooperation.

Chiba Shun nodded to Yuichi Nishida, then rapidly formed twenty-eight hand seals.

Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.

The next moment, in Yuichi Nishida's eyes, the Jonin's expression abruptly changed. His entire body froze as he watched in terror while Chiba Shun emerged from the shadows and walked toward him step by step.

He watched helplessly as Chiba Shun reached the cell carved with special sealing markings, drew his long blade, and stabbed it toward his neck.

Slash—

The long blade stopped beside the man's neck. Chiba Shun smiled faintly, sheathed the blade, and released the Illusion Technique.

Only then did the Jonin react. He quickly stumbled back, staring at Chiba Shun with lingering fear.

Yuichi Nishida took a deep breath, walked over to Chiba Shun, and said, "Congratulations. You finally succeeded."

Chiba Shun nodded. The fact that his Illusion Technique could ensnare a Jonin meant that he had finally crossed the threshold.

Chiba Shun said, "I also have to thank you, Senior. I need to rest for a while. After some time, I'll work with you again to use Illusion Techniques to interrogate these people."

Yuichi Nishida smiled and nodded.

After leaving the prison, Chiba Shun went to find Maki Uzumaki. This time, she was not treating anyone. Instead, she was on a date with someone Chiba Shun did not know.

When Maki Uzumaki saw Chiba Shun approach, she quietly said a few words to that person before walking over to him. She shot him a look that said he had no tact at all, then asked, "Practicing Mind's Eye of the Kagura again? You still haven't given up?"

Chiba Shun smiled. "My Yin Release has advanced. This time, the chances of success should be pretty good."

Maki Uzumaki did not understand Yin Release. She had developed Mind's Eye of the Kagura purely through talent.

She nodded, looked back at her boyfriend, and saw that he was still waiting. She urged, "Hurry up, hurry up."

Chiba Shun rolled his eyes, then began practicing Mind's Eye of the Kagura under Maki Uzumaki's guidance.

The two had attempted this scene many times before, and every single time, Chiba Shun had failed.

But this time, Maki Uzumaki discovered in surprise that Chiba Shun was much faster at mobilizing soul power for perception.

A while later, Chiba Shun stood still with his eyes closed, using the air to sense his surroundings.

Sure enough, this felt different from touching the ground with his finger.

There was an enormous chakra source very close to him. There was no need to guess that it was Maki Uzumaki.

Chiba Shun frowned without opening his eyes and said, "Senior Maki, could you move farther away from me, or restrain your chakra fluctuations a little? Your chakra is too immense. It's interfering with my perception."

Maki Uzumaki took a deep breath and resisted the urge to punch Chiba Shun in the head.

Her boyfriend was nearby. She had to be ladylike!

Without bothering to see whether Chiba Shun had learned it, she went straight back to her boyfriend, took his hand, and left.

As she walked away, she complained about Chiba Shun's shameless habit of burning bridges after crossing them.

Of course, Chiba Shun sensed Maki Uzumaki leaving. He also sensed her boyfriend, who was walking very close beside her.

As he spread his perception farther, chakra sources in the distance entered Chiba Shun's senses one after another.

One hundred meters, three hundred meters, five hundred meters, one thousand meters, fifteen hundred meters, two thousand meters... Only after exceeding three thousand meters did Chiba Shun begin to struggle.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his face full of excitement.

Ten times!

His sensory range had expanded a full tenfold!

This Mind's Eye of the Kagura was definitely an A-rank Sensory Jutsu!

Perception at this level was already comparable to the Byakugan.

Of course, only in terms of range.

The Byakugan's uses were not limited to distance. It could see through things, offered a 360-degree field of vision without blind spots, and most importantly, it was fast!

Chiba Shun's sensory ability was still far inferior to Maki Uzumaki's terrifying range of more than 10,000 meters, but he was already very satisfied.