Hyuga Mirai didn't expect that a mere slight change in his body would be noticed by Hyuga Kiyo.
The heavy feeling he was experiencing was due to the Earth Release technique he had acquired, the "Weight Rock Technique," which had been on the black market with a bounty of twenty million ryo.
It took him half a month of searching before he could finally obtain this ninjutsu. This was an Earth Release technique from Iwa Ninja Village, one that was generally known only to high-ranking ninjas, with few Chunin even learning it. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen would not have learned it, otherwise, Hyuga Mirai would have exchanged it for meritorious deeds.
Due to his research, Hyuga Mirai hadn't been focusing on training lately, but after meeting the future version of Naruto Uzumaki, a sense of crisis started growing within him. In his memories, Naruto Uzumaki had never traveled to the Land of Fire, even after crossing time and space.
This unfamiliar turn of events made Hyuga Mirai feel a kind of unease he had never felt before. He had never been fond of Konoha, and the future Naruto had a significant amount of hostility toward him, which must have been related to future events. If Naruto were to reveal what happened in the future, it would have a huge impact on this timeline's Hyuga Mirai.
This was why he decided to resume his training. Although genetic optimization would boost his strength, without proper training and combat experience, he might end up like Kaguya, possessing immense power but ultimately being defeated by two weaker opponents.
"Heavy? It must be just your imagination, Kiyo. Once we return to the village, you can relax a bit more," Hyuga Mirai casually said, hinting that her tension from the battlefield might have caused her to misinterpret things.
"Imagination… maybe." Hyuga Kiyo glanced at him a few more times. She then noticed that his pace had returned to normal and finally agreed with Hyuga Mirai's explanation.
'I guess I was just too tense.' The thought crossed Hyuga Kiyo's mind, and she let the matter go.
The two women had accumulated quite a bit of merit during their time on the battlefield, which could be exchanged for new techniques or used for promotion to the rank of Jonin.
Both Kurenai Yuhi and Hyuga Kiyo had their own training systems: family body techniques and family genjutsu. They didn't need to exchange for techniques from Konoha. They also heard that Hyuga Mirai was about to be promoted to Medical Jonin, so the two women decided to save up their merits for future promotions to Jonin.
However, Hyuga Mirai felt that both of them had noticeable weaknesses. Becoming a Special Jonin might be relatively easy for them, but becoming a Jonin would be a bit more difficult.
Hyuga Mirai had collaborated with "18" to analyze the operating principles of the Weight Rock Technique. After evaluating Hyuga Mirai's physical data, they developed an optimal weight-bearing training method. By combining it with sealing techniques, they were able to retain the ninjutsu on Hyuga Mirai's body for extended periods by using chakra sealing principles.
Currently, Hyuga Mirai was enduring three times the normal gravity, which was the maximum load his body could withstand. His muscles and bones could endure even greater weight, but three times gravity was the limit for his internal organs and more vulnerable vital points. If it weren't for the chakra control that protected his organs with the Yang Release chakra, just eating a meal could potentially injure his internal organs.
During a meal with Kurenai Yuhi and Hyuga Kiyo at a barbecue shop, Hyuga Mirai ate the least. Even when eating slowly, he only managed ten plates of barbecue.
It was the first time the two women saw Hyuga Mirai eating so slowly, and they both started to suspect that something might be wrong with his health.
"Mirai-kun, are you out of money? Let me treat you today," Kurenai Yuhi said quietly, trying to be considerate of Hyuga Mirai's reputation in the barbecue shop. Back when they were a team, Hyuga Mirai had often been short on money, so they would go to the ramen shop instead.
"Thank you, Yuhi, but it's not that I don't have money, it's just that I'm not feeling too well," Hyuga Mirai smiled and replied. This time, he wasn't lying. If he ate too much, his stomach could get injured. He had to gradually adapt and let his organs grow stronger under the gravity and the healing effect of Yang Release chakra.
"It's the first time I've seen you eat so little," Hyuga Kiyo observed, noting that his complexion seemed normal. She concluded that it must be a lack of appetite, so she didn't press the matter further.
After the meal, the three of them parted ways. Kurenai Yuhi was going back to see her parents, and Hyuga Kiyo needed to report to her grandfather about their return. Though she was supposed to go back to her clan once they arrived in Konoha, she had forgotten about that due to the gathering.
Hyuga Mirai had nowhere specific to go. There weren't many wounded in Konoha Hospital, and his shadow clones were busy in the lab. Outside the village, "18" and Ayaka Uzumaki were expanding their forces, and the Purple Snake was regularly injecting the gene optimization serum. After each injection, the Purple Snake would return to Ryūchi Cave and hunt aggressively. Hyuga Mirai thought for a while and suddenly realized that he might be somewhat unnecessary.
"Time to continue training. Strength is the foundation for survival."
However, if Hyuga Mirai wanted to gain combat experience, there were few suitable opponents in Konoha, and his own shadow clones weren't strong enough for a real fight.
"I'll ask Orochimaru for a spar," Hyuga Mirai concluded after thinking it over. Besides Orochimaru, there was no one in Konoha who would be a good match for him.
---
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
Ahead of him, a torrent of soil surged like a river, crashing toward Hyuga Mirai. This Earth Release technique turned the ground's dirt into something resembling flowing water. Once it ensnared the enemy, they would be unable to escape.
Hyuga Mirai quickly rolled backward several times, but under the heavy gravity, his speed wasn't as fast as usual. Orochimaru, on the other hand, didn't hold back. He knew that Hyuga Mirai's Taijutsu was formidable and that a careless mistake could let Hyuga Mirai close the distance and land a lightning-fast Gentle Fist strike.
Hyuga Mirai's combat style resembled Minato Namikaze's—both emphasized mobility. Besides Gentle Fist, Hyuga Mirai was also skilled in body flicker techniques. His physical strength and stamina allowed him to use body flicker dozens of times in a row.
Orochimaru's mastery of all five basic elemental ninjutsu and his snake-based techniques was impressive. Most Jonin would not last more than a few minutes against him.
However, Hyuga Mirai's high-speed movement from his body flicker, combined with his absolute defense from the Eight Trigrams Palm and long-range strikes from the Air Palm, and his Byakugan's exceptional insight, made Orochimaru need to be extra careful when fighting him.
The battle took place outside the village, far from anyone's prying eyes, with numerous snakes keeping watch, ensuring that Hyuga Mirai and Orochimaru could spar without interference.
Less than half an hour into the fight, Hyuga Mirai was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, showing the immense physical strain.
"That's enough for today, Mirai-kun!" Orochimaru said, slowly emerging from several snakes. He then took a moment to study Hyuga Mirai. "It seems that you've been focusing on your training. What suddenly made you so eager to improve your strength?"
Hyuga Mirai had previously shown no particular desire for strength, and once he had enough to protect himself on the battlefield, his focus had shifted to his research.
But today, he had sought out Orochimaru and after less than half an hour of combat, he was already panting. With this level of stamina, he was weaker than before. If Orochimaru didn't know that Hyuga Mirai hadn't added any additional weight, he would never have believed it.
"I just realized that strength is the foundation of survival. Even with a long life, you'll still encounter many enemies along the way." Hyuga Mirai took a moment to catch his breath and said slowly. In this high-intensity battle, he could clearly feel his physical strength increasing.
'I should start recording my body's data at regular intervals. That way, I can develop a clearer plan.' Hyuga Mirai thought, deciding that after he returned to the lab, he would begin recording his progress.
(End of Chapter)
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