Spiritualisation Technique and Dead Demon Consuming Seal

"Orochimaru set me up!"

Only after the fact did Uchiha Yuan understand the situation.

Orochimaru had deliberately released his killing intent to test them, and he, the one standing closest to him, had not even reacted.

Had he known it would be like this, Uchiha Yuan could have put on an appropriately frightened and horrified display.

But it was too late for damage control now. He struggled to suppress the mad urge to flee the scene.

"Sensei, what exactly is Yuan-kun's ability?"

Kurama Shion, the first to recover, asked with trembling lips. Even Hyuga Ryo looked over with a puzzled expression.

Orochimaru spoke slowly.

"Faced with my fierce killing intent, even veteran jonin would inevitably be affected. Only you, Yuan-kun."

"In my view, your overall strength falls short of Ryo-kun's and Anko's. However, your soul is far stronger than theirs."

It was rare to hear praise for himself from his teacher, Orochimaru.

Uchiha Yuan looked surprised on the surface, but inwardly, he was on the highest alert.

This was not the first time he had heard the concept of soul strength.

Later, after Orochimaru defected from the Hidden Leaf Village, his soul had weakened from repeated reincarnations.

He could not only fail to bear the senjutsu orally passed down by the White Snake Sage, but could not even dispel Uchiha Itachi's basic genjutsu.

But even Uchiha Yuan himself did not really understand why his soul was so strong.

Orochimaru apparently had not yet discovered the cell-devouring fusion ability he had painstakingly concealed.

But how had Orochimaru noticed a strength of soul that even he himself had overlooked?

"Yuan-kun, your usual missions mainly involve helping me manage the laboratory and assist with research. But do you know? Though simple, this work is extremely tedious."

"Even Ziyun, who is accustomed to such work, would inevitably make omissions when reporting research data in the past. Yet you have never made even the slightest mistake."

"Of course, even you yourself were unaware of this. You probably always thought Orochimaru Squad could complete every mission perfectly, and that was the standard you held yourself to as well!"

"From that time on, I suspected your soul strength was extraordinary. Only today have I formally confirmed it."

Orochimaru spoke meaningfully.

Only he, as the one overseeing the research progress, would pay attention to such details.

"Sensei, is that really so?"

Uchiha Yuan wore an incredulous expression while inwardly grumbling without end.

That Mad Snake probably proposed that trial earlier just to test me, didn't he?!

"Of course. A tough and powerful soul is not a bad thing for a shinobi. Yuan-kun, you are crucial to the success or failure of this mission."

"Wait for me in your room. Once I have finished guiding the three of them in their training, I will personally teach you the jutsu prepared for this mission."

Under the dim bean-sized lamplight, Uchiha Yuan sat cross-legged aboard the rocking ship.

He had always done his best to hide himself, hoping to use the fusion of Demonic Statue cells to increase his strength and change the fate of being an Uchiha.

After so much painstaking effort, he had only just begun to see a glimmer of hope.

Yet in the blink of an eye, he had caught Orochimaru's attention.

It left Uchiha Yuan utterly frustrated. What exactly was this powerful soul all about?

Inheritance? Or some mutation awakened within him?

After devouring and fusing with the Demonic Statue's genes, it was certain that his soul had received some benefit.

But that minor increase should not have been enough to make Orochimaru value his soul strength so highly.

Thinking back on his life in the Ninja World, his father, Uchiha Fusan, and mother, Uchiha Mizhu, had died in the Third Shinobi World War. With no blood relatives and not even many friends, Uchiha Yuan had always lived by the rules.

In the eyes of his clansmen, he was one of countless ordinary Uchiha.

By all rights, he should not have possessed such a powerful soul.

Could it be because he had transmigrated? Had the experience of living two lives made his soul far stronger than that of ordinary shinobi?

Just as Uchiha Yuan began to speculate, Orochimaru silently emerged from the shadows.

"Good evening, Yuan-kun. I have come to give you specialized ninjutsu instruction."

"Good evening, Sensei."

Uchiha Yuan sat upright respectfully.

Not every shinobi had mastered most of the Hidden Leaf Village's jutsu as Orochimaru had, and even fewer would selflessly teach their jutsu to the students under their command.

Within the shinobi system, the jutsu one mastered were part of one's personal intelligence.

And intelligence was a shinobi's lifeline.

But Orochimaru was entirely different.

Having mastered so many jutsu, he was not afraid of being targeted. When teaching his students, he gave everything without holding back.

A dark green scroll marked with the word "secret" was handed before him: "Spiritualisation Technique."

"Yuan-kun, before formally learning it, you first need to understand this jutsu."

"Once you learn this ninjutsu, you can easily let your soul leave your body freely, travel across any distance, even control another person's body and invade their spiritual world. It is exceptionally convenient for intelligence work."

"However, a shinobi must protect your body throughout the process."

"As for your soul, there is no need to worry. Ordinary ninjutsu and taijutsu cannot harm you, but you must beware shinobi skilled in Sealing Technique. Without physical energy to nourish it for a prolonged period, your soul will wither away as well."

Only after Orochimaru finished all that in one breath did Uchiha Yuan ask in a daze.

"Sensei, is this the Spiritualisation Technique invented by the Second Hokage? It is said that in all of the Hidden Leaf Village, only Lady Tsunade's boyfriend learned this jutsu."

Beneath his blank expression, Uchiha Yuan was helplessly mocking it all in his heart.

Old Madara's enormous collection of secret manuals contained the Spiritualisation Technique as well.

Even if Orochimaru did not teach him, he would eventually learn this S-Rank Jutsu sooner or later.

"Hmph. It is true that only Dan Katō was lucky enough to learn the Spiritualisation Technique, but his soul was not powerful enough to bring out its full strength."

"But you—if time allowed, then after half a year to a year of diligent practice, surpassing veteran jonin would be no problem at all."

"But the current situation does not allow that. You must be prepared to gain a preliminary grasp of this ninjutsu in a short time."

"As long as you can interfere with the Tailed Beasts' movements, that will be enough."

When discussing ninjutsu, Orochimaru became much more talkative.

But he did not know that, at this moment, nearly ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through Uchiha Yuan's heart, leaving grass everywhere.

Listen to that—was that even something a person would say?

Interfere with a Tailed Beast's movements? And that would be enough?

Was he kidding?

If Tailed Beasts were so easy to seal, the God of Shinobi Hashirama Senju would not have needed to run all over the place capturing them one by one.

I, Uchiha Yuan, am merely an ordinary Hidden Leaf Village shinobi. I cannot bear such a great responsibility.

"Sensei, I'm afraid I..."

Orochimaru ignored the ninjutsu scroll he tried to return. The Mad Snake spoke with a meaningful tone.

"Yuan-kun, although you have been my student for a long time, I do not think I truly understand you."

"However, I must remind you. I trust you already know about Nine-Tails Night, and you should also know that because of this turmoil, the relationship between the village and the Uchiha Clan has become exceptionally strained."

"But I must remind you that the achievements you earn for the Hidden Leaf Village can belong to you alone, or they can belong to the Uchiha Clan."

There was both warning and guidance in Orochimaru's words. Uchiha Yuan even wondered whether the Mad Snake had suddenly changed his personality.

But when he thought about how learning the Spiritualisation Technique meant dealing with Tailed Beasts, his heart beat a retreat.

Something that looked like a death sentence at a glance—whoever wanted to do it could go do it!

I, Uchiha Yuan, am definitely not an idiot!

"Of course, I can guarantee that you will return alive from this mission."

"Not only that, after the mission is complete, you may even make another request to the Hidden Leaf Village or to me to learn a jutsu. Any Forbidden Jutsu falls within the scope of my promise."

His cold vertical pupils opened slightly as Orochimaru patiently tempted him.

To devote myself to the Will of Fire is the duty of our generation!

Uchiha Yuan raised his hand, his expression still somewhat hesitant.

But in his heart, he had long been coveting the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and the corresponding method to undo it.