"The Art of Spiritualization?"
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his eyebrows high in surprise when he heard the jutsu chosen by Natsuhiko.
The so-called Art of Spiritualization is a terrifying ninjutsu that can temporarily separate the caster's mind and body, forming a unique "spiritual entity" that can possess others, causing the enemy's spirit to collapse and die.
Tsunade's lover, Dan Katō, who sacrificed himself in the Second Shinobi World War, was adept at this jutsu.
"Are you sure you want to choose this jutsu, Natsuhiko?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi thought for a moment and decided to offer a reminder. "Choosing those advanced sealing techniques might be more beneficial for you."
He was somewhat worried that Natsuhiko might be aiming too high.
After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had seen many talented ninjas, after achieving great merit, choose high-difficulty jutsu like the Art of Spiritualization, only to waste years without making any progress and ultimately become ordinary.
He had high hopes for Natsuhiko and wanted him to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
He then saw Natsuhiko reveal a slightly proud smile.
"No need, Lord Hokage."
"Because my master said she knows all the sealing techniques in the Book of Seals, so there's no need to choose those."
The Third Hokage's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this.
What a bold claim! Even he, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, wouldn't dare say he fully mastered all the sealing techniques in the Book of Seals.
In the current shinobi world, perhaps only that person could make such a claim...
Thinking of a particular possibility, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in astonishment:
"Could it be... Lady Mito..."
Natsuhiko grinned. "That's right, Lady Mito just accepted me as her disciple this morning."
Haha, from now on, he had someone to rely on.
I'm curious how long this VIP status will last.
"..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat helpless.
What was Lady Mito up to?
Why wouldn't she inform him of such a big event first?
Although the shinobi world doesn't place much emphasis on seniority in master-disciple relationships, seeing the young Natsuhiko theoretically becoming his peer made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel a bit uncomfortable.
More importantly, he had just written to Orochimaru, who was stationed at the front lines in the Hidden Cloud Village, informing him that he had found a suitable disciple for him!
Unexpectedly, within a few days, the disciple he had reserved had become his junior brother!
But since it was Lady Mito's decision, Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally couldn't object.
After a helpless sigh, he continued:
"Since you've become Lady Mito's disciple, you indeed don't need to choose sealing techniques."
"But now that you've got such a precious opportunity, shouldn't you focus all your energy on sealing techniques?"
"The Art of Spiritualization is an extremely difficult S-rank ninjutsu; learning it would waste a lot of your time and isn't worth the effort."
"As I mentioned before, you can redeem this reward anytime; there's no need to rush."
Hiruzen Sarutobi subtly implied, "Natsuhiko, shouldn't you be learning more about sealing techniques while Lady Mito is still alive rather than studying the Art of Spiritualization?"
He added, "Moreover, the Art of Spiritualization has many drawbacks; even Dan Katō, who mastered it, died using this jutsu."
At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a bit sad.
After all, Dan Katō had the potential to become Hokage but died too young...
It also led to Tsunade developing hemophobia and gradually giving up on herself.
Seeing the Third Hokage suddenly become sombre, Natsuhiko scratched his head helplessly.
Why did choosing this jutsu make him feel like a villain?
Natsuhiko had to bring out his prepared explanation:
"Don't worry, Lord Hokage; I know my ninjutsu talent is average, so I don't expect to master this jutsu quickly."
"Even if I do master it, I don't plan to use such a high-risk jutsu in combat."
"I chose this jutsu just for research, to see if I can apply part of its function in teaching."
"Teaching?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, slightly surprised, came back to his senses.
"Yes."
Natsuhiko smiled. "Lord Hokage, you know that the training suits I invented can copy physical movements and chakra flow, but they can't replicate the subtle internal changes of chakra, so they can't be used to copy ninjutsu."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
Previously, he had delegated school matters to Biwako, so he hadn't paid much attention. Since Biwako mentioned the training suits that were said to improve taijutsu, he naturally learned a bit.
He couldn't help but praise, "Even if they can only copy taijutsu, they're an incredible invention."
"Coupled with the broadcast exercises to expand the meridians, the training suits' effectiveness is maximised."
"I'm already looking forward to seeing the level of students graduating in a few years."
"——But, what does this have to do with the Art of Spiritualization?"
Natsuhiko explained, "Since the training suits' idea of copying ninjutsu with sensory arrays hit a bottleneck, I want to try a different approach to see if it can achieve the desired effect."
"In simple terms, it's about applying the principles of the Art of Spiritualization to the training suits, allowing teachers to possess students' bodies to perform ninjutsu, letting them directly experience the techniques and speed up their learning."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth twitched slightly, unsure whether to be speechless or gratified.
After all, was the terrifying S-rank forbidden jutsu, the Art of Spiritualization, being considered for use by students?
And it's not even a bad idea; as the ninjutsu expert Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly assessed, this concept seemed feasible.
Thanks to the wonders of chakra, spiritual and soul-related ninjutsu, though rare, weren't unlearnable.
For example, Mind Transfer Jutsu, similar to the Art of Spiritualization, has a learning difficulty that is only C-rank.
Although the Yamanaka clan's unique physique is a factor, it's still notable.
The biggest challenge of the Art of Spiritualization is completely separating the spirit from the body, unlike the Mind Transfer Jutsu, which maintains a connection.
This increases the success rate of collapsing the enemy's spirit or controlling their body without harmful feedback.
If it's not used in combat but only on students, the mastery level required for the Art of Spiritualization significantly decreases.
Adding various safety mechanisms to the training suits could further reduce the risk.
So, theoretically, Natsuhiko's idea could work.
Hiruzen Sarutobi even thought about having the Yamanaka clan test it.
However, because they focus on secret techniques, they find it challenging to master other types of ninjutsu, which makes it less practical for teaching.
And they wouldn't teach their family secrets.
So, it's up to Natsuhiko to develop it.
After a long deliberation, Hiruzen Sarutobi weighed the pros and cons, then nodded and smiled:
"I must say, Natsuhiko, your idea is quite feasible."
"But what pleases me more is your concern for improving student levels when choosing ninjutsu."
"This proves you're a true bearer of the Will of Fire."
"No wonder Lady Mito made an exception to accept you as a disciple."
"Well, since you have this idea, I won't stop you. In addition to the Art of Spiritualization, I can also provide you with some related materials as references."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Natsuhiko was delighted and expressed his gratitude.
"But—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but remember, "Before I confirm the safety of your invention, Natsuhiko, you must not use students for experiments."
Involving the soul is a serious matter.
Especially since his son Asuma was also in Natsuhiko's research group.
"Of course," Natsuhiko nodded.
"Alright then, let's go; I'll take you to see the Book of Seals." Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up from his seat.
(End of this chapter)
T/N: Guys, I got busy for a week as I was binge re-reading BTTH(I have been translating a fic based on that, and it has been four years since I last read that story).
The fiction will, of course, be updated on a daily basis now.
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