Nearer by One Step

Uchiha Yuan swiftly assessed his options.

In the eyes of the Konoha Higher-Ups who had initiated this mission, no ninja could master the Spiritualisation Technique in such a short time.

Orochimaru judged that with his current soul strength, even if he could not unleash the Spiritualisation Technique's full power, it would still be enough to shake Isobu's soul.

Given those two conditions, Uchiha Yuan was certain that the higher-up leading this Three-Tails sealing mission would never gamble the key to victory or defeat on him. That was far too risky.

In other words, mastering the Spiritualisation Technique could only serve as an unexpected backup move; it was not part of the main plan at all.

That was also why Orochimaru dared to promise that he would bring Uchiha Yuan back alive.

Moreover, Uchiha Yuan had considered things further ahead.

After fusing with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's genes, his aptitude for learning had become downright monstrous. Even an S-rank technique like the Spiritualisation Technique could be mastered at a horrifying speed.

If he learned the Spiritualisation Technique through this mission, he would not need to worry about exposing himself when using it before Hidden Leaf Village ninja in the future.

Not to mention the Forbidden Jutsu Orochimaru had promised to let him choose.

Compared with the risks of facing a Tailed Beast, Uchiha Yuan was more inclined to accept the mission's rewards.

In truth, Uchiha Yuan was more adventurous at heart than Kurama Shion and Hyuga Ryo.

That was why he had dared to steal Obito's prize on Nine-Tails Night.

"Sensei, I've made up my mind. I'm willing to accept this mission."

Orochimaru was quite pleased that his student had changed his mind at the last minute. In his eyes, only obedient students were worth cultivating.

"Very well. While we travel to Sea Country, familiarize yourself with what is recorded on the scroll. As for further training, I will do my best to guide you."

After telling his disciple to first familiarize himself with the contents of the scroll, Orochimaru left on his own.

With the invisible pressure gone, Uchiha Yuan finally let out a long breath.

He studied the scroll with convincing seriousness, but his emotions refused to settle.

The Spiritualisation Technique Orochimaru had given him was more or less the same as the version Old Madara had left behind, except it contained one additional secret technique related to the soul.

As expected of Sensei Orochimaru. He's always at the forefront of ninjutsu development!

Uchiha Yuan eagerly devoured its contents as though he had found a treasure.

In truth, after fusing with the Golem Genes, Uchiha Yuan had completely underestimated his own learning ability.

Back then, he had mastered Water Style: Water Severing Wave and the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique merely by rapidly going over their training methods in his mind.

Now, Uchiha Yuan read the Spiritualisation Technique scroll even more carefully.

Before long, it felt as though his body had been hollowed out. A tide of exhaustion washed over him, and without realizing it, Uchiha Yuan had already mastered the Spiritualisation Technique.

He felt a strange dislocation within his body, as though some lighter part of him had floated up.

His senses had also become exceptionally sharp. Uchiha Yuan could clearly sense an immense, cold chakra on the deck—it belonged to Orochimaru.

In different rooms, Mitaraishi Anko's chakra was violent and restless, Hyuga Ryo's chakra was deep and restrained, while Kurama Shion's chakra was warm and peaceful.

It was an experience he had never possessed before.

Uchiha Yuan turned his head and saw himself sitting upright on the bed, along with a hazy body floating in midair.

Without realizing it, he had already mastered the Spiritualisation Technique.

This rapid learning ability is an improvement brought by the Golem Genes, but isn't it a little too fast? Could it be because the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is the source of all chakra that it can produce this effect?

Uchiha Yuan calmly pondered the matter. The many uses of the Spiritualisation Technique now seemed carved into his soul like bodily instinct.

With his Soul Body, Uchiha Yuan could easily analyze the chakra he sensed, and could even teleport to the location of that chakra.

Without exaggeration, Uchiha Yuan felt that he could easily take control of his teacher Orochimaru's body without encountering any resistance at all.

This was the secret technique attached to the Spiritualisation Technique: Spiritual Possession.

After using Spiritualisation Technique: Spiritual Possession, one could easily invade the other party's spiritual world and, with the soul's absolute superiority, interrogate them for intelligence or completely destroy their mental world.

There was also Spiritualisation Technique: Soul Tremor: the Soul Body let out a silent roar, triggering resonant tremors in the enemy's soul and causing nearby living creatures to briefly lose consciousness.

Uchiha Yuan did not intend to test either of these secret techniques. He did not want to expose the fact that he had already mastered the Spiritualisation Technique.

Before dawn arrived, he focused on savoring the additional secret technique on the scroll Orochimaru had given him: Reincarnation Technique: Chaotic Souls.

According to the scroll, the souls and bodies of living creatures could coexist only because of a contractual relationship. Once the Contract Release Seal was used on a ninja without an external contract—

Their body and soul would temporarily separate.

Reincarnation Technique: Chaotic Souls could then draw those wandering souls into a soul vortex created by the caster and grind them to pieces, completely killing the enemy at the soul level.

It was one of the rare area-of-effect techniques among soul secret arts.

As he carefully reflected on the Spiritualisation Technique, Uchiha Yuan's lips curled upward.

Besides the three secret techniques attached to the Spiritualisation Technique, he had also mastered the Contract Release Seal during the learning process.

Sealing Technique was a rather fascinating field of study. Contract Seal, Five Elements Seal, Evil Dissolution Seal, and the like could be reversed according to their sealing formulas to become their corresponding release seals.

Uchiha Yuan knew that mastering the Contract Release Seal meant he had also learned the Contract Seal.

Still, this alone isn't enough!

Uchiha Yuan had always had his eye on the half of the Yin Nine-Tails inside the Shinigami Mask.

But as for the relevant Sealing Technique, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he only knew that it originated from the Uzumaki Clan, whose life force was abundant and who excelled at Sealing Technique.

Whether the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could be undone by applying its formula in reverse, like the Contract Seal, remained unknown.

Fortunately, the living sacrifice required to undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could be supplied by inferior White Zetsu.

And after mastering the Spiritualisation Technique, Uchiha Yuan also had a way to deal with Minato Namikaze's soul, which remained entangled with the Yin Nine-Tails.

Uchiha Yuan knew that all he lacked now were the Dead Demon Consuming Seal's formula and its release formula.

As it happened, his Sealing Technique teacher Orochimaru knew the sealing formula. As for ideas about how to release it, Uchiha Yuan had some understanding and could test them on the captured White Zetsu.

So he could not waste this opportunity.

After taking a short nap and eating a simple breakfast aboard the ship, Uchiha Yuan knocked on the door to Orochimaru's room.

"Oh my, Yuan-kun. What brings you to me so early?"

Orochimaru looked quite energetic. A research fanatic like him had probably already found a way to live without needing sleep or rest.

"Sensei, I've finished reading the scroll. Before formally learning it, I'd like to understand more about Sealing Technique."

At his student's request, Orochimaru held his forehead and sighed.

His students were excellent in every way, but why were all of them so afraid of death and timid?

Had they all been influenced by him?

As Orochimaru doubted himself, he beckoned Uchiha Yuan inside.

He could only sigh inwardly. What can I do? They're my students, after all.