The Huge Changes to the Yin Release Barrier

Actually, if secrecy were not a concern, neither Tenma nor Shinji would be as suitable as Ukyo and Yulong. But Retsuo's current secrecy strategy was called "divide and conquer."

As for the Sharingan, he only let the two siblings know about it, while he only allowed Tenma and Shinji to come into contact with anything related to the Yin Release Barrier. That way, even if there was a leak, the losses could be reduced to a minimum. That was why he had deliberately separated the two matters.

Besides, Retsuo's Chakra reserves were not particularly impressive to begin with. Speaking of Chakra reserves, he had awakened the Sharingan and obtained the Yin Release Barrier, but his Chakra reserves were basically still the same as before.

Come to think of it, although quite a few Uchiha were severely lacking in Chakra, Asura of the Ninja World, Uchiha Madara, had given a fair assessment: among the Shinobi World, they were a clan with enormous Chakra reserves.

However, what Retsuo had received was Obito's template. Judging by his superficial talent, he had been sent to the Ninja Academy to balance out the Uchiha family's genius quotient.

Internally, however, he could be called extremely special.

After these days of training, he could confirm one thing: the reason the Uchiha only received their racial buff when they went insane was that once their emotions became agitated, they would manufacture Yin Release Chakra at an accelerated rate.

If an Uchiha could only refine two or three cards of Chakra in an ordinary state, then once they went insane, they could refine at least eight or nine cards.

This talent had nothing to do with whether they had awakened the Sharingan. The awakening and evolution of the Sharingan were instead products of their insanity reaching its climax, being forced out by an excess of Yin Release Chakra.

Retsuo's case was even more exaggerated. Perhaps because of the Yin Release Barrier, stirring up his emotions could produce an explosion more than seven times greater, leaving him feeling utterly drained afterward.

But in his normal state, his Chakra was only at the level of a Genin.

At this moment, Shinji's Yin Release Chakra was transmitted over in the same manner as Tenma's. The instant it entered the Yin Release Barrier, Retsuo suddenly felt the barrier "shudder"!

What was going on?

Retsuo carefully sensed it. It seemed that the Yin Release Barrier had become stronger? Although the change was slight, Retsuo had been immersed in the barrier for so many days that he could still clearly feel it.

Was it because it had absorbed someone else's Yin Release Chakra? The last time Tenma's Yin Release Chakra had slipped over, the barrier had also undergone a tiny change. This time, the change was even more obvious than with Tenma.

Could this be the Star-Absorbing Technique?

Retsuo's emotions suddenly grew intense. The Yin Release Barrier had done something wonderful! I brought Shinji here to enjoy the frog-in-the-well package, and you actually absorbed her Chakra?

Good absorption. Keep going!

This stimulation caused Yin Release Chakra to surge throughout his body.

Normally, Retsuo had to actively laugh himself silly to mobilize Yin Release and charge the barrier, but this time was somewhat like the beginning. Chakra gathered and surged forth on its own. His throat itched, and Retsuo followed the impulse into wild laughter.

However, Shinji's Yin Release Chakra was still inside the barrier, so this bout of laughter was slightly different.

"Ha—hahaha—ha—"

Even Retsuo felt surprised after he finished laughing. He had assumed that his laughter had influenced the Yin Release Barrier, but unexpectedly, the barrier had influenced his laughter instead?

Why influence his laughter? No, it was not his laughter. Retsuo realized that sensation had deceived him. What had been affected was his mood and emotions, which had ultimately manifested as a different kind of laughter.

But the moment he came back to himself, he was greatly shocked! The Yin Release Barrier had clearly expanded. It had originally enveloped only the area around him, with a radius of roughly one arm's length, but after he laughed, its radius had reached three or four meters. My math isn't great. How many times larger is that?

Retsuo did not know whether the barrier expanding was a good thing, but he knew this definitely was not the Star-Absorbing Technique! How could Shinji have that much Chakra for it to absorb? Then how exactly had the barrier expanded?

Before he could think it through, a feeling of emptiness, loneliness, and coldness instantly lingered around him. He only wanted to close his eyes and sleep soundly.

No, I can't collapse here! If I collapse in front of Shinnō, with only Shinji beside me, what will happen?

Should I open the Sharingan? Opening the Sharingan will definitely get me through this crisis.

No! That thought is too cowardly! What's the big deal?

Retsuo had already adapted to his identity as a ninja. Strength and perseverance were essential to ninjas, and a ninja had to fight himself first! He pulled himself together, focused his attention, and quickly refined Chakra. He must have consumed a massive amount of Chakra in an instant just now, which was why he felt sleepy and weak.

At that moment, in the outer room of the laboratory, Shinnō was already completely bewildered.

Although he had not held out much hope from the beginning, had this brat Retsuo already stopped hiding anything? What kind of ridiculous data was this? Was he making fun of me?

He only wanted to roar, "Uchiha Retsuo! That's enough! The thing you're doing to me has lice growing on a bald head now—it's impossible to hide!"

However, he could never give up on the idea of abducting Retsuo back to Angkor Fortress. Shinnō's fingers trembled violently. He could not yell!

Yet Uchiha Retsuo had an utterly slack expression, as if he was about to fall asleep, his eyelids drooping. How comfortable he looked! What did he think this place was?

Should I do it now?

Now it is! While Orochimaru isn't here, should I take him down?

Shinnō's malicious thoughts grew wildly, and his benevolent face gradually twisted.

He knew that the final step—the Zero-Tails Jinchuriki ritual—had to be completed at Angkor Fortress. Therefore, abducting the person back to Angkor Fortress and then completing the experiments and data collection, Dark Chakra guidance, and Zero-Tails Reincarnation ritual in one continuous sequence was the optimal solution.

If he guided Dark Chakra into Uchiha Retsuo right now, it would mean splitting up the crucial steps and skipping the data collection. Moreover, the gap between the second and third steps would be far too great. Who knew when he would be able to abduct the person back to Angkor Fortress? It would certainly invite complications and create trouble for himself.

Shinnō clearly knew that his original plan had merely been to complete the experiment in Konoha and slowly make arrangements for the next step. He had plenty of patience and would not hesitate to spend an entire year on it.

Once this Artificial Tailed Beast was complete, it would definitely allow him to rule the Shinobi World. No amount of time would be too much to pay!

The problem was that he could not endure it now! Shinnō's Ninja Way was constantly wavering...

At the same time, things inside the laboratory had reached a critical point.

As Chakra continued to proliferate, Retsuo discovered that the situation was not simple!

It was not merely a matter of feeling sleepy. His emotions were now extremely agitated, his Chakra refinement speed was astonishingly fast, but his consumption was just as fast.

Why was it being consumed, and where was it going? No one could tell him the answer. He could only search for it himself.

However, if his senses were correct, it was clearly this expanded Yin Release Barrier that was burning through his Chakra!

The consumption had never been this terrifying before.

The barrier's previous mode had been to charge first, then gradually decline as it continuously operated, returning to its critical state as Chakra flowed away. During the entire process, it only consumed Chakra while charging. At other times, the barrier operated on its own.

Retsuo was bewildered. He could not withstand this level of consumption right now. Wouldn't it require at least one card of Chakra to support it? And that was the amount possessed by an adult Kakashi.

But he was still holding on, because he did not know what would happen if he stopped refining Chakra.

Just then, Shinnō pushed open the door and walked in, wearing a rare trace of playful amusement on his face.

Three updates tomorrow, and then I'll chat with everyone.