Dark Soul

Hearing about the Spirit Transformation Technique left Anyo thrilled. I have to learn it, no matter what. It's far too useful. But this technique clearly belongs exclusively to this ninja right now. We're neither family nor friends, so how do I get him to teach me? What a headache.

Seeing the thirst for knowledge in Anyo's eyes, Dan Katō couldn't help laughing. "What, do you want to learn it?"

Those words were exactly what Anyo had hoped to hear. He nodded eagerly, looking intensely curious.

Dan Katō thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, I've considered teaching it to someone else, but I haven't met another ninja like me-someone who can sense their own soul. Even ninjas with spiritual sensitivity like yours are rare."

Anyo's face fell at those words, but he refused to give up. "Were you born with this ability?"

"Maybe." Dan Katō looked back on his memories before continuing, "It might also have something to do with what happened when I was little. I remember my mother saying I fell off a cliff while playing as a child. Luckily, I caught on a branch and survived. I wonder if that experience had anything to do with it."

Hearing this, Anyo thought it really might be the case. After all, when people moved at extreme speeds, their thoughts and awareness were stretched taut. They might not even know where they were. He remembered a saying from bungee jumping in his previous life: your body falls while your soul chases after it.

Seeing Anyo lost in thought, Dan Katō left him undisturbed.

Soon, they finished their meal in a pleasant atmosphere and said their goodbyes. Anyo even promised to visit often. Of course, only Anyo knew what he was really thinking.

That night, Anyo went alone to a cliff in Konoha. After securing the Chakra Threads he had obtained earlier around his body, he leaped off the cliff.

In theory, as someone plummeted from a great height, tension, fear, and unease would gradually manifest. They would experience the thrill of pushing their limits through loud screams. This combination of mental and physical stimulation would make their heart race abnormally fast, and repeated stimulation would give them a new sensation.

But Anyo experienced none of that. Just before he hit the ground, he controlled the threads and arrested his fall. From beginning to end, not a ripple stirred in his heart.

Ah, a failure.

That makes sense. I did this sort of thing to death as a master thief in my previous life. It's only natural that trying it again wouldn't make me feel anything. Judging by what Dan Katō said, this ability should emerge under extreme stimulation. Nothing stimulates the brain more than life and death.

Do I really have to try killing myself?

Anyo shook the thought from his mind the moment it appeared. No. I'm so obsessed with learning ninjutsu that I'm even thinking about suicide. He decided to give up. A sigh escaped him as regret welled up inside. This ninjutsu would probably vanish from the Shinobi World altogether when Dan Katō died.

Dejected, Anyo was about to leave when he suddenly froze. Right, death. It's not as though I've never died.

I'm someone who came back to life once, and my soul has existed all along. Wasn't it my soul that spent all that time in the darkness?

At that thought, Anyo immediately used the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. Enveloped in darkness, he recalled those years he had spent alone in the void. Loneliness, deathly silence, and emptiness began to spread, and a powerful, evil force slowly took shape. Gradually, the genjutsu dissipated, and an inky-black spirit rose from his body. I can see it. Is this my soul?

Its face was identical to his physical body's, but its powerful presence far surpassed that of his body. Nurtured for years in the dark void, his soul seemed almost solid the moment it appeared. Its tremendous pressure even sent ripples through the surrounding air. It also revealed the source of Anyo's powerful spiritual energy: it actually resided within his soul. So once I learn the Spirit Transformation Technique, how could an ordinary jōnin survive against me?

Huh? Someone's coming this way. His powerful soul granted Anyo powerful perception.

With a thought, Anyo withdrew his soul and left with a Body Flicker Technique.

About five minutes later, the Third Hokage arrived in clothes suited for action. His expression grave, he surveyed the area. After confirming that no one was there, he muttered in confusion, "How strange. I clearly sensed a powerful dark force here just now. How did it vanish in an instant? Who could possess such a dark heart? Could Madara Uchiha still be alive?"

Unwilling to give up, the Third carefully examined the area. Soon, his gaze fell on the thin marks along the edge of the cliff. These were marks left by a puppeteer's threads.

Was that a Sand Ninja just now?

Has a puppeteer from Sunagakure infiltrated the village?

The Third was filled with wariness. Soon, several ninjas wearing cat masks appeared as well.

It was wartime, and the village's internal security took priority over everything else. The Third ordered sternly, "Investigate every resident who came from Sunagakure. Anyone found to possess chakra is to be detained for questioning. If they resist, kill them on the spot."

"Yes."

Poor Sunagakure had no idea it had taken the blame for Anyo.

The next morning, Anyo took some packed food and eagerly went to the hospital. Sure enough, Dan Katō was treating patients inside. Anyo didn't disturb him and simply waited nearby.

Dan Katō had clearly noticed Anyo too. Though somewhat surprised that he had come, he went over to greet him after finishing with his patient.

Anyo handed him the food. Dan Katō accepted it and asked, "Did you bring this especially for me?"

"Yes. I'm waiting here at the hospital for you." Anyo gave a mysterious smile. "I tried the method you mentioned last night, and I really saw my soul."

Dan Katō's eyes widened as he looked at Anyo in surprise. "Really?"

Anyo nodded firmly.

Excitement appeared on Dan Katō's face. To be honest, although he had developed the Spirit Transformation Technique, he had been feeling his way forward alone. With no predecessors' experience to draw on, he had made very little progress. Having someone else who could learn the Spirit Transformation Technique was naturally a good thing. In the future, they could discuss it, learn from one another, and improve together.

So Dan Katō said without hesitation, "Once I'm done treating patients, let's go to the training ground together."

Before long, the two arrived at the training ground, and Dan Katō soon saw Anyo's soul. Of course, this was after Anyo had spent the night weakening it. Had his original soul appeared as it had at first, it probably would have terrified him.

After seeing Anyo's soul, Dan Katō began teaching him the Spirit Transformation Technique without holding anything back.

Just as Anyo had expected, the Spirit Transformation Technique could indeed carry the user's own chakra into an attack. Moreover, its attacks struck the soul directly, leaving its victims dead without even knowing how they had died.

It could be said that anyone whose soul was weaker than the user's had no way to resist the Spirit Transformation Technique. There was no possibility of the weak overcoming the strong. The Spirit Transformation Technique could even enter an ally's body and boost their chakra, making it the ultimate "power bank." It was simply absurd.

The two practiced at the training ground all night. Not far away, White Fang hid in the shade of a tree, silently watching everything without ever emerging. There was no telling what he was thinking...