Life Return

Uchiha Makoto looked at the cultivation method he had just created, his feelings mixed.

How should he put it?

It was like waiting eagerly for a feast, only to be served a plate of fried rice.

Edible, but not nearly satisfying enough.

"Makoto! Makoto! What's that cultivation method actually like?"

Obito bounded over like a monkey, his eyes shining.

Guy followed behind him, looking just as eager.

"I'll teach you now." Uchiha Makoto handed over the scroll. "As for the results, you'll have to learn it and see for yourselves."

"I call this the Chakra Cultivation Method for Permanently Strengthening the Body!"

"The Chakra Cultivation Method for Permanently Strengthening the Body!" Obito repeated, his brows knitting tightly enough to crush a fly. "Makoto, isn't that name way too long?"

"And it doesn't sound good," Guy added.

"Then what would you call it?" Uchiha Makoto rolled his eyes.

Obito immediately perked up.

"Call it the 'Invincible Divine Art'!" He raised his fist. "You can tell it's powerful just from the name!"

Uchiha Makoto: "..."

"Too cheesy." Guy shook his head. "I think 'Youth-Burning Method' is better!"

Uchiha Makoto: "..."

"Or 'Grand Hot-Blooded Cultivation Method'!" Obito suggested.

"'Invincible Youth Technique'!" Guy refused to be outdone.

"'Super Get-Strong Manual'!"

"'Burn, Chakra, Burn'!"

"Stop." Uchiha Makoto raised a hand. "Both of you, shut up."

They shut up.

But their eyes still shone, clearly pleased with their naming skills.

Uchiha Makoto sighed.

"This ninja art doesn't just increase your chakra reserves. It also uses chakra to vitalize your body, strengthening it."

"So it isn't just a technique. It's a cultivation method."

Obito and Guy exchanged a glance. They didn't understand the difference between a technique and a cultivation method, but sounding impressive was enough.

Uchiha Makoto thought it over.

The Six Powers had an advanced move you could learn after mastering all six, called "Life Return."

It allowed you to control your body, even using your hair as a weapon.

His current cultivation method was still a long way from that level.

But he could claim the name first.

"Let's call it 'Life Return,'" Uchiha Makoto said.

"Life Return?" Obito blinked. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Uchiha Makoto gathered his words. "Using life energy, in other words, chakra, to strengthen your body and return life to its source."

"Simply put, the more you practice, the younger and stronger you become."

Obito's and Guy's eyes lit up again.

"That's good!" Obito clapped. "It sounds advanced!"

"More advanced than 'Youth-Burning Method,'" Guy agreed with a nod.

Uchiha Makoto couldn't be bothered with them.

"Come on, I'll teach you," he said.

They immediately sat up straight like schoolchildren in class, and Uchiha Makoto began explaining.

How to extract chakra, how to circulate it through the body, and how to use it to vitalize the muscles, bones, and chakra pathways.

He explained for an hour, leaving Obito and Guy utterly bewildered.

"Makoto..." Obito raised his hand. "Could you explain it again?"

"..."

Uchiha Makoto explained it again.

This time, he went a little slower and into more detail.

Another hour passed.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

"I think... I do." Obito scratched his head.

"Me too." Guy nodded.

"Then give it a try," Uchiha Makoto said.

They sat cross-legged and began practicing.

He looked at Obito and Guy. Their eyes were closed, their expressions earnest.

Faint chakra fluctuations came from their bodies, but they were very weak.

Like tiny flames that could go out at any moment.

Uchiha Makoto tried practicing Life Return himself, but the results made him frown.

As expected, this is as far as those two idiots' imaginations can take it.

The first version of Life Return only improved chakra cultivation efficiency by 50% and provided an unremarkable body-vitalizing effect.

It wasn't useless, but it fell far short of Uchiha Makoto's expectations.

He wanted a cultivation method that could utterly transform a person.

Not this!

Forget it, he consoled himself. Something is better than nothing.

Besides, there's still Shisui.

Shisui's imagination should have a higher ceiling than those two idiots'.

A few days later.

Uchiha Makoto was walking home, still thinking about Life Return.

"Makoto."

Someone called out to him.

Uchiha Makoto turned.

Shisui stood by the roadside, carrying a cage.

Inside was a black crow with bright eyes.

"Shisui?" Uchiha Makoto walked over. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," Shisui said. "I have something for you."

He held out the cage.

Uchiha Makoto took it and looked at the crow.

The crow looked back at him.

"This is...?" he asked.

"A ninja beast," Shisui said. "I raised it. It's yours."

Uchiha Makoto froze for a moment.

"You're giving it to me?"

"Yes." Shisui nodded. "Thank you for teaching me Iron Body."

"Have you heard about the new ninja art I created?"

"I have," Shisui said. "Obito talks about it every day. It'd be hard not to hear."

Uchiha Makoto smiled.

"Then do you want to learn it?" he asked.

"Yes." Shisui nodded. "I had someone following me before."

He spoke vaguely, but Uchiha Makoto understood.

Root operatives were watching Shisui.

"What about now?" Uchiha Makoto asked. "No one?"

"Not for the moment," Shisui said. "I used a little trick."

Uchiha Makoto understood.

"All right, then," he said. "I'll teach you."

He found a deserted corner and began explaining.

"This is called 'Life Return,'" Uchiha Makoto said. "It's the latest version I've developed, version 2.0."

"2.0?" Shisui asked.

"An upgraded version," Uchiha Makoto explained. "It's stronger than 1.0."

"How much stronger?"

"More than twice as strong."

Cheng didn't specify exactly how much stronger it was. He simply let Shisui imagine it himself.

Uchiha Makoto watched him.

[Lie-Into-Reality activated.]

[Target: Shisui Uchiha.]

[Lie: I created version 2.0 of "Life Return," which is more than twice as effective as version 1.0.]

[Trust: 100%.]

[Manifestation: Life Return version 2.0, 70%.]

Uchiha Makoto felt more information appear in his mind.

This time, there was more of it, in greater detail, and it was more... advanced.

The chakra circulation routes had been optimized, the body-vitalizing effect had improved, and there were even a few new tricks to speed up cultivation.

As expected, Uchiha Makoto thought. Shisui's imagination is much better than those two idiots'.

With such a significant body-vitalizing effect, if this spread, the number of Jonin in Konoha could at least double.

But Uchiha Makoto wouldn't spread it. He certainly wasn't going to make Konoha stronger.

With the new Life Return ready, Cheng began teaching.

He explained in greater detail than he had to Obito and Guy, because Shisui was smart.

Smart people only needed a hint to understand.

"How is it?" he asked Shisui.

Shisui opened his eyes, which shone with excitement.

"Makoto, this ninja art..." He took a deep breath. "It's powerful."

"How powerful?"

"At least three times better than the Chakra Extraction Technique taught by the clan," Shisui said. "And my body... feels warm all over. It's very comfortable."

"That's good." Uchiha Makoto smiled.

"Makoto." Shisui looked at him. "Did you really create this ninja art yourself?"

"Yes." Uchiha Makoto nodded. "Why?"

"Nothing." Shisui shook his head. "I just think you're amazing, Makoto."

"Only moderately amazing." Uchiha Makoto waved a hand.

Shisui said nothing, but something new entered his gaze as he looked at Uchiha Makoto.

Admiration.

And a little... awe.

"Makoto," he said. "Can I teach this ninja art to other people?"

"No," Uchiha Makoto said. "At least, not yet."

"Why?"

"Because..." Uchiha Makoto thought for a moment. "It isn't perfected yet."

"Besides, if the Konoha High Command finds out, they'll come and cause trouble for me. You should know there are still plenty of spies in Konoha."

"If a ninja art like this spreads, the entire Shinobi World will be thrown into turmoil again."

Shisui understood.

The Second Shinobi World War had only just ended. If the appearance of Life Return brought an even greater power into this world...

Then the Third Shinobi World War wouldn't be far off.

"I understand," he said. "I won't tell anyone."

"Good." Uchiha Makoto nodded. "Just practice it yourself."

"Thank you, Makoto." Shisui stood and bowed.

"No need to thank me." Uchiha Makoto helped him straighten up. "You gave me a crow, and I taught you a ninja art. We're even."

Shisui smiled.

"Do you like the crow?" he asked.

"I do." Uchiha Makoto looked at the crow in the cage. "It's beautiful."

"It's very smart," Shisui said. "It can deliver messages and scout."

"Oh, right," Shisui said. "It doesn't have a name yet. Why don't you give it one?"

"A name?" Uchiha Makoto thought for a moment. "How about... Blackie?"

"..."

"Too ordinary," Shisui said.

"Then... Crow Tengu?"

"That's from mythology."

"Then... Sootball?"

"..."

Shisui sighed.

"Makoto, your naming sense... gives Obito's a run for its money."

Uchiha Makoto laughed.

"Then let's call him... Moyu," he said.

"Moyu?"

"Black feathers," Uchiha Makoto explained. "Simple and easy to remember."

"All right." Shisui nodded. "Moyu it is."

He opened the cage.

Moyu flew out and landed on Uchiha Makoto's shoulder.

"From now on, he's yours," Shisui said.

"Thanks." Uchiha Makoto stroked Moyu's head.

Moyu didn't pull away. Instead, he nuzzled his hand.

"He likes you," Shisui said.

"Yeah." Uchiha Makoto nodded.

The two chatted a little longer, then parted ways.

Shisui left.

Uchiha Makoto stood where he was, looking at Moyu on his shoulder.

Moyu looked back at him.

"Moyu, you're with me from now on."

Moyu tilted his head, and Uchiha Makoto smiled.

Then Cheng remembered something: there were three great Sage Lands in the world of Naruto.

Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest.

The toads, snakes, and slugs there all knew senjutsu.

Senjutsu was a more advanced form of energy than chakra.

It could greatly boost one's strength.

Then... what about crows?

Could crows cultivate sage arts?

Or rather, could he create a Sage Land of his own?

Create a Sage Land that belonged to him alone, raise a flock of crows, teach them senjutsu, and turn them into... Crow Sages.

Learn senjutsu and enter Sage Mode.

"That sounds... pretty interesting." Uchiha Makoto considered the benefits.

He looked at Moyu, and Moyu looked back at him.

"Moyu," Uchiha Makoto said, "do you want to get stronger?"

Moyu nodded.

"Good." Uchiha Makoto smiled. "Starting today, I'll teach you how to train."