Five months later, Konoha was once again bustling with life.
On a bustling street, a [Gust of Wind] suddenly swept through.
The pedestrians looked on calmly at the two men sprinting forward in a handstand.
"Here we go again!"
"That guy really has endless energy! He's like a wild beast!"
"But I heard Seiki-dono is with him too."
"W-What? Seiki-dono is actually... I see now. Seiki-dono must be worried he'll be ostracized, so he's doing these strange things together with him!"
"That makes sense. Seiki-dono is truly so kind-hearted!"
Amid these one-sided praises, the two ran toward the finish line with all their strength.
"Yaaoo! Let's channel our youth and race toward the finish line together!" A green-clad figure shouted loudly as he sprinted.
The figure beside him didn't speak but kept perfect pace, alternately surging ahead and falling back, their positions constantly switching.
Finally, the two crossed the finish line almost simultaneously.
"Haa! No wonder you're my senpai!" Guy gasped for breath, sincerely admiring. "Even when I give my all, this is as far as I can go!"
"That line should be mine to say!" Seiki chuckled while shaking his head. "I've never lost at anything I seriously studied, but when it comes to taijutsu, I've never been able to beat you!"
Though it sounded somewhat arrogant, Guy knew that for his senpai, this was already being modest.
After all, his senpai was truly a genius!
"Hehe! Even if my opponent is you, Senpai, I'll never admit defeat!"
At this moment, several people waiting near the finish line gathered over.
Kurenai held a towel and gently wiped Seiki's forehead like a dutiful wife, saying, "You've worked hard!"
Shizune brought over some lightly salted water, asking, "Seiki, you must be thirsty. Would you like some water?"
"Thank you," Seiki smiled and took a sip of water before turning to look at the lonely Guy nearby, asking, "Would you like a drink too, Guy?"
"Sure...," Guy instinctively replied, then suddenly sensed a terrifying killing intent that made him shiver all over. He quickly changed his mind, "Haha, no, I suddenly feel not thirsty anymore."
"You two are really..." Asuma muttered beside them, "Still working this hard even after the war has ended!"
"Actually, it's precisely because the war ended that we should work even harder!" Guy powerfully swung his arm, "I'm still too weak!"
Seiki nodded in agreement, "If I could become as powerful as the First Hokage, perhaps I could intimidate the villages from easily starting wars!"
"Alright, I can barely understand that," Asuma pressed his forehead, wearily asking, "But why do you, Seiki, have to train with Guy? That kind of thing is so embarrassing!"
"[Hone the spirit!]" Seiki laughed, "If I could also shout out my thoughts fearlessly like Guy does, my spirit will surely become even stronger!"
"What?" Guy looked at Seiki in shock, "Senpai, you actually think that way?"
"Sorry, I..."
Before Seiki-kun could finish, he saw Guy shouting excitedly, "I never expected that I could become Senior's target too! I'm so moved!"
Seiki-kun hesitated for a moment, shaking his head helplessly. He had actually worried about hurting Guy's "fragile" heart.
"Oh right, Guy, was the method I taught you about using physical energy to nourish the body actually effective?"
When Seiki-kun brought it up, Guy scratched his head, "It seems somewhat effective, but I'm not entirely sure."
"A specialized method focusing purely on physical energy?" Asuma muttered from the side, "I remember Old Man Hiruzen mentioning something like that. The samurai of the Land of Iron use methods like this."
"The samurai of the Land of Iron?" Mizuki looked over in confusion.
"Yeah," Asuma nodded. "Although those samurai can also use chakra, most of them have poor talent for chakra refinement. That's why they developed this specialized method focusing purely on physical energy."
"More or less correct, but backward," Seiki-kun slightly shook his head. "Before chakra appeared, the very training methods of those samurai were actually the mainstream of this world!"
"Before chakra appeared?" Asuma's eyes widened. "Does that mean chakra wasn't present from the beginning?"
"Compared to simply using physical energy, combining physical energy with mental energy to refine chakra was naturally much harder to discover."
Asuma wasn't too concerned, "But regardless, this training method has already been replaced by chakra techniques. Seiki-kun, why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
"For one reason, not everyone has the talent to become a ninja. After all, perceiving mental energy is far more difficult than cultivating physical energy! If we can improve the efficiency of physical energy cultivation methods, we might find a new path for those who lack talent for becoming ninjas!"
Pausing for a moment, Seiki-kun continued, "On the other hand, my abilities in all areas have already reached an absurdly high level that there's literally no room for improvement. If I want further advancement, I can only focus on my physical body now."
Asuma opened his mouth but couldn't find words, utterly stunned by the invisible 'aura' Seiki-kun was unintentionally radiating.
Every other aspect had already reached such an absurdly high level that there was literally no room for improvement. This was practically unimaginable to Asuma!
Seeing Asuma suddenly become quiet, Seiki-kun didn't mind. Instead, he looked at Guy and said, "If you notice any changes, remember to inform me promptly!"
Guy nodded firmly, "I will!"
...
At night, inside the lab.
Seiki-kun sat up from the examination bed and casually put on his coat, covering his muscular and well-defined upper body.
"Lord Orochimaru, has the experiment made any progress?"
Orochimaru slightly swirled the reagent in his hand, his voice filled with amazement, "Though the changes are still very subtle, your body has indeed undergone some slight positive changes at the genetic level. This is truly an incredible advancement!"
Seiki-kun nodded thoughtfully, "I really must thank you for all the trouble you've gone through."
As for natural energy, he had the Dragon Veins as a built-in cheat. For mental energy, he'd received blessings from a miko. The only area where he was still lacking was physical energy.
"Actually, it's I who should be thanking you, Seiki-kun!" Orochimaru said with a serene yet sinister smile. "Without you bringing me this demonic flesh, I couldn't even imagine that this immortal race, which only exists in myths and legends, actually exists!"
"If we can thoroughly unravel its secrets, perhaps we could truly approach the realm of immortality!"
"I wouldn't dare hope for immortality myself," Seiki shook his head. "I'll be satisfied as long as I can extend everyone's lifespan and strengthen their bodies."
"Seiki-kun, your conviction is truly admirable!" Orochimaru couldn't help but exclaim. "This is an ideal greater than the one pursued by the First Hokage!"
Just then, Kabuto came running in from outside.
"Teacher, the Hokage is looking for you everywhere!"
"He's looking for me now?" Seiki's facial expression shifted. "Could it be that..."
"It's because Kushina has entered the delivery room!"
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Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!