Konoha: Uchiha's Two-Way Travel in One Piece

-----

"We've made some progress!"

Uchiha Jiri shook his head slightly, saying, "I've dispatched some clan members to investigate this matter recently."

"Three days ago, we received news from the Land of Rivers. They've located a giant eagle capable of becoming a ninja beast!"

"If all goes well, they should be able to bring it back in the next day or two."

"However, there's still an issue."

"Can the ninja beast be directly brought into the Pirate World?"

"Or does it also require a binding contract?"

"If it does, would we need to build a good affinity with the beast first?"

If affinity was necessary, that would take additional time.

"Uh..."

Hearing this, Kaito paused for a moment before responding, "It depends on its level of intelligence. If it possesses full intelligence, we'll need to cultivate a bond with it. Otherwise, we can either forcibly contract it or directly carry it through the Space Gate."

This limitation was actually meant to ensure Kaito's safety.

Otherwise, problems could arise easily.

If the ninja beast isn't brought across worlds but simply stored within the Space Gate's dimension, then these restrictions don't apply.

As long as it's rendered unable to resist, it can be stored within the Space Gate.

This was demonstrated the last time Rayleigh was asked to hunt a Sea King.

The higher the level of a Sea King, the more complete its intelligence tends to be.

The super Sea Kings, those spanning over a thousand meters, even possess their own language, can understand human speech, and are capable of communication.

"Then you'll probably need to work on building affinity with this ninja eagle," Jiri reminded him.

"Ninja beasts generally possess full intelligence. Some can even speak human language outright."

Kaito nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Ninja beasts aren't humans, so their minds are simpler, making it easier to gain their trust."

"I'll feed it plenty of Sea King meat or nutrient pills when the time comes. That should quickly fulfill the requirements for binding."

If only it were that simple with humans, too.

"True," Jiri agreed. "Let's go with that plan."

Several hours later...

Kaito finally finished reading through all the sealing techniques and related knowledge he had recently acquired.

He even skimmed through the Flying Thunder God Technique, committing all the information to memory.

Of course, mastering it would still require a considerable amount of time.

After dinner...

Kaito officially began training his chakra.

This was his first chakra refinement since awakening his talent during his initial extraction.

The process felt incredibly smooth this time.

It was far easier than his initial attempts, which had been fraught with difficulty.

Even a brief extraction yielded a significant amount of chakra effortlessly.

The energy within each of his cells had multiplied dozens, if not hundreds, of times compared to a month ago.

Continuing his training, Kaito repeatedly refined chakra, steadily increasing his chakra reserves.

System Notifications:

[You practiced the Chakra Refinement Technique. Proficiency +30, Chakra +10.]

[You practiced the Chakra Refinement Technique. Proficiency +40, Chakra +10.]

[You practiced the Chakra Refinement Technique. Proficiency +52, Chakra +12.]

As his proficiency grew, so did his efficiency in extracting and utilizing cellular energy.

The amount of chakra he could synthesize in each session steadily increased.

His chakra reserves continued to climb higher and higher.

It's often said that a ninja's chakra reserves are inherently limited, and normal training can't increase them significantly.

However, by mastering the ability to extract energy from every cell in the body, one could surpass these limitations.

Beyond that, further increases in chakra reserves rely on either physical growth with age or intensive body training to enhance cellular energy capacity.

Naturally, mental strength must also improve in tandem.

While arduous physical training indirectly boosts mental strength, the effect is less apparent.

The body, soul, and spirit are always interlinked.

At this stage, Kaito hadn't yet mastered extracting energy from every cell, so his chakra reserves were still steadily increasing.

From 0.1 units... to 0.2... then 0.5... 1... and finally reaching 1.5 units, Kaito paused his training.

By now, his Chakra Refinement Technique had reached its peak.

System Notification:

[Uchiha Chakra Refinement Technique (29,851/100,000) — Mastered.]

Thanks to his exceptional talent and comprehension, his progress was rapid.

Of course, the simplicity of the Chakra Refinement Technique itself also contributed.

"It seems it'll take a few more days to completely break through this limit," Kaito mused. "I wonder what kind of technique or skill will emerge once I surpass this mastery."

"Will it lead to cultivation techniques akin to immortality? Or perhaps a more advanced Chakra Refinement Technique?"

He speculated, shaking his head. "No, achieving immortality is unlikely. The leap would be too drastic. The current technique doesn't even touch on natural energy absorption."

"Maybe when Sage Techniques reach their limits, they could evolve into something similar to immortal cultivation."

When it came to Sage Techniques, the Shikkotsu Forest undoubtedly had them.

Since he had already apprenticed under Tsunade, he could request the Slug Summoning Contract at some point.

Then, when the opportunity arose, he could learn from the Slug Sage.

Still, Kaito hoped to one day create a Sage Art—or even immortal cultivation methods—tailored for humans rather than relying on beast-like techniques.

After all, who knows what risks these semi-complete techniques might pose?

Consider how Jiraiya's training in Mount Myoboku's Sage Art caused him to exhibit toad-like traits. Clearly, such effects were far from normal.

"Next, chakra control training!"

Shaking off his stray thoughts, Kaito stepped outside to the small training field in his backyard.

Standing by a tall tree, he focused chakra into his feet and took a step onto the tree trunk.

CRACK!

The bark and part of the trunk shattered under his foot.

He had used too much chakra.

Adjusting his output, Kaito tried again, succeeding this time.

System Notification:[Chakra Control (1/100) — Beginner.]

As soon as the skill formed, a flood of insights entered his mind. By now, Kaito was used to this process and immediately absorbed the information.

With both feet planted firmly on the tree, he began walking upward step by step.

System Notifications:

[You trained in Chakra Control. Proficiency +3.]

[You trained in Chakra Control. Proficiency +2.]

[You trained in Chakra Control. Proficiency +4.]

By the time he reached the top of the tree, his chakra control had improved significantly. Climbing was no longer a challenge for him.

His Chakra Control skill advanced to the "Proficient" level.

"This progress is incredible! This is my true talent and comprehension shining through!"

"In the past, my weak body held me back so much."

The euphoria of his rapid improvement was intoxicating.

Gone were the days of cautiously training his body, terrified of injuring himself.

He recalled his nervousness when he first extracted chakra, fearing a single mistake could be fatal.

But now, his awakened memories and enhanced spirit had unlocked his full potential.

Standing atop the tree, Kaito gazed out over the Uchiha clan grounds and the distant, illuminated streets of Konoha.

His journey as the strongest had officially begun.

.

.

.