After returning home, Uchiha Kiyo went straight to his study after dinner, intending to focus on refining the propulsion technique he had been working on.
The temptation of flight was still too great. In fact, Uchiha Kiyo had temporarily set aside his research on the theory of telekinesis, only maintaining his progress through daily proficiency training. He had always been systematic in his approach—he would practice his Body Flicker Technique daily, spend some time studying it, and then incorporate new findings into the next day's training. This method had always yielded better results than mere repetition.
However, now, even this research had been put on hold. That alone showed just how compelling the idea of flying was.
It wasn't just about the dream of soaring through the sky. The ability to fly was an unparalleled survival tool, and for a member of the Uchiha clan—especially someone like Kiyo, who sought power beyond the conventional—mastering flight would be a game-changer.
There were several known flying techniques in the ninja world, but truly effective and practical ones were rare. The Light-Weight Rock Technique used by Ōnoki was perhaps the most efficient, offering the ability to hover and maneuver without severe drawbacks. Other methods, like Konan's paper-based flight or certain Kekkei Genkai, were either limited to specific bloodlines or required specialized conditions.
If Uchiha Kiyo could develop his own flight technique, it would significantly enhance his survivability, especially in the early stages of his growth. At a strategic level, it could rival even the Body Flicker Technique in terms of battlefield mobility.
The problem with the Body Flicker Technique was its reliance on ground contact and pre-arranged positions. Even with superior speed, if an opponent had ways to restrict space—such as sealing barriers or specialized movement-disrupting techniques—the effectiveness of the Body Flicker would be greatly diminished. If he could fly, however, he could bypass many of these limitations entirely.
Sitting at his desk, Uchiha Kiyo extended his hand, forming a fist-sized sphere of chakra. The shape fluctuated as he manipulated it, his mind deep in thought.
"The so-called 'structure' is essentially a morphological change of chakra," he mused.
"Whether chakra takes on a different shape, becomes more solid, or exhibits specific properties—these are all morphological changes. In my classification, morphological change also includes something else: the ability of chakra to temporarily transform into a physical state. Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, Earth… all elemental transformations fall under this category."
He recalled the principles behind his propulsion technique. The outer shell structure was similar to the principles of Yang Release, but there were key differences.
"Yang Release techniques simulate biological functions—absorbing energy like the stomach processes food or how cells extract nutrients. But they don't materialize chakra into a true substance."
"The shell of my propulsion technique, on the other hand, is external. I don't need chakra to mimic internal bodily functions. Instead, I need to find a way to materialize it effectively without causing instability."
This was a critical issue. No matter how much he reinforced chakra, it remained an energy force, not a physical material. Strengthening it was difficult because, at its core, chakra was always energy.
"But if I can convert chakra into a corresponding physical substance, reinforcement becomes much easier."
The principle behind the water-vapor propulsion was simple, but execution had strict requirements. Increasing the thrust was one challenge, but without a proper buffer system, the entire technique was unstable. The shell had to be strong enough to contain and direct the force.
Since chakra was energy, its ability to contain water vapor was limited. Uchiha Kiyo had to rely on precise chakra control to "lock" the vapor within a stable field. Reinforcement was achieved by compressing chakra, but this method had obvious downsides.
He had already reached the upper limit of his ability to contain the explosive force.
Materializing chakra into a stable substance was the next logical step.
Morphological and qualitative changes in chakra had always been studied separately, but Uchiha Kiyo was beginning to realize they were more interconnected than most shinobi acknowledged.
The direction of qualitative change was clear—it involved refining an element's properties, such as making water sharper, fire hotter, or earth harder. But morphological changes were often overlooked.
Aside from the basic shape transformation techniques, few people explored the deeper potential of morphological changes. Most high-level ninja techniques focused on nature transformations, while shape transformations were only used to control the form of jutsu rather than pushing its boundaries.
"Is there a deeper application for morphological change?"
The answer had to be yes.
It wasn't that the ninja world had dismissed the idea—it was more likely that the path was too difficult, so most people didn't bother.
"What is a morphological change, really?"
It was the ability to shape chakra into different forms, and logically, deeper mastery meant expanding both breadth and depth.
For breadth, it meant diversifying materializations.
For example, fire. There were different types of fire depending on the fuel source—paper, plastic, oil, hydrogen, each burned differently. If chakra could be shaped into different kinds of fire, it would fall under morphological change.
For depth, it meant improving the quality of materialization.
For example, water. If he could continuously compress a given volume of water, forming a denser, more stable liquid, that would be an enhancement in the quality of materialization.
There was another aspect to depth: the duration of materialization.
All chakra-based matter eventually reverted to chakra before dissipating. Extending the duration before this happened was another form of deep cultivation. If pushed far enough, it could lead to the ultimate goal—true creation.
This was why Yin-Yang Release wasn't just about creation; it also represented the pinnacle of morphological change.
Uchiha Kiyo jotted down his thoughts in his research notes, planning to test his theories later. But for now, his immediate focus remained on reinforcing the outer shell of his propulsion system.
The key was hardness.
When it came to hardness, Earth Release was the obvious choice.
Uchiha Kiyo had already trained his Earth Release hardening ability to an intermediate level. With proper enhancement, earth-based constructs could rival metal in durability.
However, he realized something crucial—pure nature transformation wasn't enough to create the perfect shell. Morphological change had to be factored in.
Just reinforcing the earth's hardness wasn't enough. If he could alter its density, refine its structure, and then combine it with his nature transformation, the strength of the materialized earth could be pushed to an entirely new level.
A denser, well-structured earth shell, combined with hardened properties, would likely surpass even steel in durability.
"In the past, I never considered this kind of combination," Uchiha Kiyo admitted to himself. "I always relied on nature transformation to enhance hardness. But if morphological change can work alongside it, then my options expand significantly."
This had massive implications, not just for his propulsion system, but for combat applications as well.
Stronger ninja tools, improved defensive structures, even refined Earth Release jutsu—this technique had the potential to revolutionize his fighting style.
Excited by the discovery, he scribbled another note in his research journal.
"Test tomorrow during training."
With this new insight, Uchiha Kiyo felt that he was getting closer to his goal.
Flying wasn't just a dream anymore. It was becoming a tangible reality.
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