"I've never been a ninja.
I am a practitioner!"
Orochimaru also heard Uchiha Kiyo's whisper.
Although this was the first time Orochimaru had heard such a statement, he felt an inexplicable resonance. The concept of a "practitioner" that Kiyo spoke of intrigued him deeply.
However, now was not the time to ask.
Uchiha Kiyo was still immersed in the grief of losing his comrades. The weight of their deaths bore heavily upon him, and any discussion would have to wait.
A practitioner—this was Kiyo's latest self-definition.
From the moment he first cultivated chakra and developed his own techniques, he had never truly considered himself a ninja.
He wasn't walking the path of a shinobi.
He was walking the path of cultivation.
His pursuit was not mere strength but longevity—the evolution of life itself.
Although he had yet to find true success, the foundation had been laid.
Even in the previous battle, he had instinctively begun absorbing natural energy from his surroundings. This was cultivation in its purest form.
The Senju ninja stepped forward to collect Nawaki Senju's body.
Silence fell over the group as they made their way back to Konoha's base.
---
Tsunade was stationed at the frontlines, overseeing Konoha's medical teams.
The moment she received word of Nawaki's death, she rushed over in a panic.
But when she saw his unrecognizable, lifeless body, her mind refused to accept it.
Desperately, she placed her glowing hands on Nawaki's chest and began using Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique).
Under her touch, the wounds began to heal—a corpse that had been dead for hours visibly mended itself.
The sight was a testament to Tsunade's unparalleled medical ninjutsu.
Even Kiyo, who possessed precise chakra control, had found learning medical ninjutsu incredibly difficult. His split-body technique had made it somewhat easier, but his focus had shifted over time. Between body training, ninjutsu mastery, and nature transformation, there was little time left for medical studies.
Unfortunately, death was irreversible.
No matter how well the body was repaired, the soul was gone.
Nawaki was gone.
Resurrection.
Uchiha Kiyo understood that resurrection was possible. But the preconditions were harsh—far beyond his current capabilities.
The Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation) could summon a soul back to the living world, and certain techniques could even restore true life. But Kiyo lacked both the knowledge and the means to use them.
Even Edo Tensei itself was still incomplete, an experimental jutsu in the hands of the Second Hokage, far from the perfected version that Orochimaru would one day wield.
As for the power to grant life…
There were only two known jutsu:
Rinne Tensei (Samsara of Heavenly Life)—the legendary ability of the Rinnegan.
Kishō Tensei (Self-Sacrificing Reincarnation Jutsu)—a technique that didn't yet exist, as Chiyo of Sunagakure had yet to create it.
For now, neither technique was attainable.
But there was still hope.
The existence of White Zetsu, beings infused with Hashirama's vitality, could provide the necessary life force in the future. With enough resources, a mass resurrection might not be impossible.
Kiyo wasn't in a hurry.
Even if he had the means, he wouldn't resurrect Nawaki in this war-torn world, only for him to suffer more pain and loss.
Wouldn't it be better to bring him back in a time of peace?
Everyone stood in silent mourning, watching Tsunade repeat her jutsu over and over, her tears the only sound in the tent.
After half an hour, a tall ninja with long, silver-white hair finally stepped forward.
Jiraiya.
He gently placed a hand on Tsunade's shoulder and spoke soft words of comfort.
Kiyo couldn't bear to watch any longer.
Without a word, he silently left.
---
Returning to his tent, Kiyo didn't train.
Instead, he sat in deep thought.
For the first time, he truly reflected on his life.
When he had first arrived in this world, the influence of his past life's stories had led him to focus on cultivation and strength. His first instinct had been the pursuit of longevity—an inexplicable longing.
But the shinobi system was flawed.
Despite their immense power, ninjas lived short lives, their bodies breaking down from the very chakra they wielded.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan had achieved immortality through their unique physiology, but when the same system was applied to ordinary humans, the results were… unnatural.
This was Kiyo's conclusion:
The chakra system wasn't incompatible with humans, but it wasn't a perfect fit.
It was like giving a child an adult's weapon—powerful, yet uncontrollable, leading to self-destruction.
Upon arriving in this world, Kiyo had followed the shinobi path because there was no other option.
But he had always sought something beyond it.
The development of cultivation techniques was his escape route—a way to ensure his survival even if he abandoned the shinobi path later on.
And now, after years of refinement, he understood the true importance of cultivation.
Cell regeneration was only one aspect of it.
More importantly, his body-refining techniques had enhanced his ability to recover chakra and physical strength.
By merging body training with his self-created cultivation method, he had nearly achieved infinite chakra regeneration, limited only by his stamina.
His recent battle had proven this theory.
For the first time, in the heat of combat, he had directly absorbed natural energy from the environment—a revolutionary breakthrough.
Kiyo had long known that natural energy pervaded the world, and that Senjutsu (Sage Arts) allowed its direct absorption.
The Three Great Sages—the Toads of Mount Myōboku, the Snakes of Ryūchi Cave, and the Slugs of Shikkotsu Forest—had practiced this technique since ancient times.
If they could do it, why couldn't he?
His hypothesis was simple:
Chakra was a diluted form of natural energy.
Much like the food chain in the natural world, where energy is transferred through plants and animals, natural energy was absorbed by life forms, diluted, and passed along.
Some organisms had evolved to absorb it directly—such as Jūgo, who could enter a berserk state due to his natural affinity.
This meant that even ordinary humans, through cultivation, could potentially refine and absorb natural energy without turning to stone.
And so, Kiyo had found his true path.
The shinobi world's obsession with raw power led only to self-destruction.
Kiyo sought something greater—something beyond chakra.
Something pure.
---
The deaths of Nawaki and his comrades had shaken him deeply.
He would avenge them, without question.
But vengeance wasn't the only thing on his mind.
At this moment, a new clarity settled over Uchiha Kiyo.
From now on, he would no longer call himself a ninja.
He had transcended that title.
He was a practitioner.
A pioneer of a new system—one that would change the very foundation of this world.
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