Kei's idea of drawing from the strengths of many and creating a new technique was firmly rejected by Tsunade without any room for negotiation.
According to her, merely transferring life energy wasn't particularly difficult. The real challenge was how to use the transferred life energy to heal the recipient's physical injuries.
After all, not everyone was like Gaara in the original story—despite being captured by Akatsuki and having his tailed beast extracted, his body remained intact.
In most cases, the fatal injuries that ninjas suffered could only be described as "horrific." Even Rin's death, having her chest pierced, was already considered one of the less gruesome ways to die in the ninja world.
After listening to Tsunade, Kei silently revised his list of required techniques, removing the Earth Grudge Fear. At the same time, he highlighted the Dragon Life Reincarnation.
Even if he couldn't openly seize them like Kumo did, with his current strength and mastery of Yin Release, finding an opportunity to capture someone who knew the techniques and rewriting their memory afterward wasn't particularly difficult.
Perhaps because of the conversation, Tsunade seemed to recall memories of her past.
After finishing an entire table's worth of food and rice, she didn't ask to go on a rampage with a certain jutsu but instead returned to her room to continue researching her previous techniques.
---
Kei and Kushina were exhausted from their day's work—Kei had just returned from a long mission, while Kushina had overseen the construction of the new jonin standby station.
After sorting out several large boxes brought back from the old Senju residence, they both washed up and went to their respective rooms to rest, exchanging a brief goodnight.
As for any romantic cohabitation scenarios, in front of Tsunade, the two of them tacitly restrained any inappropriate thoughts.
A silent night passed.
At 9:30 AM the next morning, accompanied by the sound of drizzle, Kei woke up from a deep sleep.
They said every autumn rain brought a drop in temperature. This late-September rain took away the last traces of summer's heat.
Opening the bedroom door, the once spacious living room was now filled with ingredients and cooking utensils.
The order he had given to Yoshino last night was neatly placed on the dining table, along with a sticky note and breakfast.
[Kei, I've checked the order, and nothing is missing.
I have an appointment with the furniture store owner today to customize furniture for the jonin standby station, so I won't be back until the afternoon.
There's an umbrella prepared at the entrance—don't forget to take it!
Also, make sure to finish your breakfast before you leave~ (˘︶˘)...:*♡]
The handwriting on the sticky note was familiar.
A faint smile appeared on Kei's lips as he washed up quickly and sat down to eat his breakfast. Even though Kushina wasn't home at the moment, The feeling of having someone always looking out for him was still warm and comforting for someone who had lived alone for so many years.
After finishing his meal, he changed into a simple battle outfit and put on a brand-new jonin vest.
After checking the scrolls in his pocket and the ninja tool pouch on his waist, he grabbed the umbrella at the entrance and headed out.
On rainy days, the streets of Konoha were noticeably less crowded.
Even though the stone-paved roads didn't get muddy in the rain, many people still preferred to stay indoors in such weather.
He enjoyed rainy days.
Whether it was sleeping under warm blankets, leaning on the windowsill watching the rain, or quietly writing something, the gentle sound of raindrops outside always made him feel especially peaceful and content.
Holding his umbrella, he made his way to the Hokage Building.
At the steps leading to the entrance, he shook off the water from his black umbrella and temporarily left it in the first-floor document review room before heading upstairs to the archives.
The archives were divided into an outer and inner section.
In the outer section, there was a desk with two chairs, where an ANBU member sat, keeping his gaze fixed on Kei as he entered. The inner section was sealed off by a thick metal door, with another ANBU standing guard outside, maintaining security.
Yesterday afternoon, an order signed by the Third Hokage was delivered to the archive room.
The ox-masked ANBU captain in charge of guarding the archives registered Kei's visit and conducted another identity verification. Only then did he retrieve a catalog of jutsu from the archive room—one as thick as three fingers stacked together.
"No need, I've already made my choice: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique and Spirit Transformation Technique."
Kei waved his hand, not bothering to look at the extensive list.
While the archive housed a vast number of jutsu, very few recorded in the catalog were actually valuable to him. His heritage, along with his time serving in the Analysis Team, had already granted him access to an overwhelming number of elemental and specialized jutsu—far beyond what an ordinary ninja could imagine.
"Wait here."
Ox nodded slightly, put away the catalog, and exchanged a glance with the other ANBU. Then, he pushed open the heavy metal door and entered the inner chamber of the archive. Moments later, he returned with two palm-sized scrolls and placed them on the table.
"Confirm the authenticity of the jutsu, sign here. I don't need to remind you about the management regulations, do I?"
His tone remained cold and rigid. As someone who had served in the ANBU since the time of the Second Hokage, he had long become a man of few words. For him, speaking this much today was already a sign of familiarity.
"Yeah—no recording, no taking them out, no leaking the principles of the jutsu, and no unauthorized teaching to others." Kei unrolled the two scrolls, briefly scanning their contents before signing the confirmation document.
Then, he carefully examined the details of both jutsu.
Bringer-of-Darkness Technique was an A-rank genjutsu designed to completely block an opponent's vision, plunging them into absolute darkness. Unlike most genjutsu, which could be disrupted once the victim becomes aware of the illusion and disrupts their chakra flow, the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique was different. The victim knew they were under a genjutsu, but the key issuewas… they couldn't break free!
This technique was originally developed specifically to counter the Sharingan.
Since the Sharingan had the ability to resist, reflect, and dispel most genjutsu, sealing its visual prowess with a jutsu of this caliber makes it extremely difficult to break.
Although Kei's current genjutsu skills were already formidable, and he had incorporated multiple countermeasures against dispelling techniques,
The unique mechanics behind Bringer-of-Darkness Technique still held immense value for refining his abilities.
Spirit Transformation Technique was an S-rank technique similar to an astral projection, allowing the user's soul to detach from their body and move freely. This powerful technique enabled rapid movement over vast distances while ignoring physical barriers.
Users could sense other souls from afar, transmit chakra through their soul, and remain immune to physical attacks. Perhaps most dangerously, it allowed one to overwhelm an enemy's mind and seize control of their body. The technique was so powerful that even after Edo Tensei was undone, it could retain control over lingering souls.
As a member of the Yamanaka clan, Kei's techniques were already capable of breaking an enemy's spirit and taking control of their body.
However, they lacked the ability to fully separate the soul, move independently, or transfer chakra remotely.
If he could integrate Spirit Transformation Technique into his clan's secret arts, he could adjust his soul state at will while utilizing his abilities, potentially taking his strength to an entirely new level.
Moreover, the instantaneous soul movement ability that came with Spirit Transformation Technique… The possibilities were endless!