Since entering the battlefield, Anya had never worried about running out of chakra before. Her chakra reserves couldn't match those of those freakish beings, but they were at least on par with the equally gifted Minato.
Most of her injuries during battles had always been limited by her physical endurance. Previously, she thought the problem lay in the strength of her physical form, but it wasn't until today that Hashirama pointed it out directly—the reason was actually within herself.
"Is there any way to solve this?" Anya asked sincerely.
Hashirama pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "This is actually my first time encountering such a situation. By the way, how many Chakra Natures do you possess?"
"Lightning and Fire."
"That's all?" Hashirama looked somewhat surprised.
Anya nodded. "Yes, those are the only two I have."
"No, that's not right. Your spiritual power is extremely strong, and being from the Uchiha clan, you must have inherited Yin Release." Hashirama said firmly.
"Yin Release?" Anya understood a little about it, but not much. She vaguely recalled it had something to do with mental strength, but she had never used any ninjutsu related to it. In fact, even now, she didn't realize that every time she summoned Susanoo, it was actually an externalization of Yin Release chakra.
"I heard from Sage Slug that you also know Medical Ninjutsu. Hmm, speaking of that, you might also possess Yang Release attributes." Hashirama hesitated slightly as he made this guess, since his own body never required Medical Ninjutsu.
"Yin Release and Yang Release? My body actually contains four Chakra Natures? That's seriously impressive?" Anya couldn't quite believe it.
Hashirama asked curiously, "Who even is your teacher? He should've explained all this stuff to you already."
"Uh, he hasn't had time yet."
Thinking back to the Legend of the White Fang, she realized White Fang hadn't actually taught her many techniques at all. In his mind, killing with a blade would always be the fastest method, and he always hoped Anya would perfect her Sword Art before moving on to other techniques. Therefore, he really hadn't taken the time to explain these basics to her.
"There's nothing strange about possessing four Chakra Natures. I know a friend from the Uchiha clan who mastered all Chakra Natures."
When mentioning this person, a few nostalgic emotions surfaced on Hashirama's face.
Only one person could stir such deep nostalgia in him—Madara Uchiha.
When it came down to it, the entire Naruto world's storyline basically originated from the two of you. If back then you two had been male and female instead of both guys, there probably wouldn't have been so much chaos later on.
Of course, Anya could only silently make sarcastic remarks about this in her heart, maintaining a composed expression as she asked, "Knowing my Chakra Natures, what good does that do me?"
"Do you know what Yin-Yang Release is?" Hashirama brought up another concept completely unfamiliar to Anya.
"Not really."
Hashirama patiently began explaining: "Yin Release represents a ninja's spiritual power. Its external manifestation can create form from nothingness. Yang Release represents physical strength; it can breathe life into form. Together, Yin and Yang Release combine into the Yin-Yang Release. Legend says the Sage of Six Paths used Yin-Yang Release to create the entire ninja world."
Anya's mind quickly connected the dots and she replied, "I understand now. If the Yin-Yang Release can create the entire ninja world, then I should also be able to use it to rebuild my physical body. This would not only resolve the disconnection between my body and soul, but also break through the seal within me all at once."
Hashirama nodded with satisfaction. "That's the spirit. However, I don't know Yin-Yang Release myself—I lack Yin Release abilities—so you'll need to discover it on your own."
Anya felt bitter. "This is the first time I've even heard of it. Naturally, I wouldn't know anything about it then."
Hashirama encouraged him, "You already have the basic requirements. What's left depends entirely on yourself. Believe in yourself and don't give up easily."
Easy to say. You just told me one plus one equals two and then gave me a math problem from hell. Only a freak could solve that. Still, regardless, this was indeed a viable path—certainly better than stumbling around without direction.
Anya submerged himself into his Spiritual Realm. Minato was still cultivating the Spirit Transformation Technique. Usually quick to grasp things, he had encountered difficulties this time due to lacking talent for this particular jutsu. It would simply take more time.
"Stop practicing. I need to ask you some questions," Anya called out, waking him up.
Minato opened his eyes and nodded. "Go ahead."
"Have you heard of Yin-Yang Release?"
Minato hesitated slightly before replying uncertainly, "Do you mean chakra natures? I possess wind, fire, lightning, yin, and yang."
"You actually know your own nature types?" Anya asked, surprised.
Minato chuckled slightly. "Isn't that basic knowledge for every ninja?"
Anya's face stiffened. Oh well, so apparently that was common knowledge. Master... truly wasn't qualified enough.
"Why haven't I ever seen you use Yin or Yang Release?" Anya asked curiously.
Minato smiled faintly. "Many Sealing Techniques from the Uzumaki clan utilize them. In actual combat, though, they rarely come into play."
Anya understood—Minato's speed often allowed him to resolve most situations with kunai alone, or at worst, back it up with a Rasengan.
"Yin-Yang Release differs from Yin and Yang Releases. It's an ability known as Creation Rebirth. Legend says the Sage of Six Paths mastered this very release."
After listening, Minato looked confused. "That doesn't fall within any current ninjutsu framework I understand."
"It seems you really don't know either," Anya said disappointedly.
Minato sensed his mood and comforted him, "Don't rush. How's your progress with Sage Art cultivation?"
"I've succeeded, more or less." Anya shared his cultivation process with Minato.
Minato sighed in admiration after hearing it, "Sage Art really is difficult to master. I'm not skilled in it either—it takes a long time to gather energy and lasts only briefly."
"What practical benefits does it offer?" Anya asked, now somewhat intrigued.
"It strengthens physical power and sensory abilities while expanding your attack range."
At the word 'physical,' Anya felt interested and immediately requested, "Teach me."
"All right," Minato agreed readily, sharing the entire Mount Myoboku Sage Art training method with Anya.
Compared to the painful approach used in Shikkotsu Forest, The Mount Myoboku Sage Art seemed far easier. The main danger came during chakra extraction—if perfection wasn't achieved, bodily frog-like transformations occurred. In worse cases, statues made of stone formed permanently—utterly irreversible.
From the Mount Myoboku Sage Art, Anya gained training experience different from what he had in Shikkotsu Forest. Since Yin-Yang Release remained beyond his current comprehension, perhaps starting instead from Sage Art could work. He could develop a unique Sage Art of his own—reshaping his body and fusing it perfectly with his soul. Once that's done, boosted by his spiritual power, breaking through such a weak seal should be easy.
As time dragged by, Anya secluded himself completely, pouring his energy into developing Sage Art like a true ascetic. During this time, he constantly bounced ideas off Hashirama and Minato, trying out all sorts of risky techniques. Luckily, with Hashirama—an absolute master—watching his back, Anya felt bold enough to push every experiment to the edge.
His body had temporarily escaped life-threatening danger, though he remained trapped in the Shikkotsu Forest. He had to draw on the area's Natural Energy for a kind of regenerative therapy.
And while Anya lost himself in cultivation, unaware of the passage of time, Konoha had already fallen into a tangled maze of deception and unseen forces pulling strings behind the scenes…
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