After copying all the ninjutsu from the black market in the Land of Lightning, Uchiha Kiyo finally halted his actions and began reviewing his spoils.
The sheer number of ninjutsu available in the black market was astonishing.
The development of new ninjutsu is both simple and complex. A genius might spend their entire life without creating a groundbreaking technique, yet crafting a C-rank ninjutsu is within reach for many. Over time, through accumulation, the number of techniques has grown significantly.
As one of the five basic nature transformations, Lightning Release (Raiton) is relatively rare, yet there are still hundreds of variations. The techniques depicted in the original records of great battles are merely the most effective and widely used ones. These prominent jutsu are powerful and practical, making them the most commonly utilized. However, this does not mean that other jutsu are nonexistent or useless.
For a shinobi like Uchiha Kiyo, who is dedicated to the study of ninjutsu, even lesser-known techniques hold value. His primary focus is on analyzing chakra circulation patterns, and gathering more techniques will only serve to deepen his understanding.
The black market claims to house a vast collection of publicly available ninjutsu, excluding clan-specific secret arts. The "publicly available" label applies broadly to most ninjutsu, not just the well-known ones. Even if some techniques lack the potency of their famous counterparts, they still contribute to the overall archive of knowledge.
This time, Uchiha Kiyo copied every single technique stored in the black market. His haul included more than 300 Lightning Release jutsu and over 400 techniques from other elements. While many had similar effects, they were often developed through different approaches, providing valuable insights into alternate ways of manipulating chakra.
This discovery astonished Uchiha Kiyo.
"This black market is ridiculously resourceful. If the Land of Lightning has this much knowledge, then the largest black markets in the other great nations must be just as rich."
That would mean at least four more locations of similar size, each housing hundreds of techniques.
"Should I do this a few more times?"
For a moment, he was tempted.
Four more major raids would yield an unimaginable amount of knowledge. However, his rational mind quickly suppressed this greedy impulse.
"The number of generic techniques is likely quite high, leading to considerable repetition. Plus, my current mastery of the elemental releases is already sufficient for most applications."
Earth Release was thoroughly covered; Orochimaru had provided him with an extensive collection of Earth Release techniques, from basic to advanced. The remaining high-level Earth Release jutsu were likely classified as village secrets and wouldn't be available in any black market.
Fire Release was a non-issue—being an Uchiha meant he had access to all the clan's renowned techniques.
Water Release was also well within his grasp. He had accumulated many low-level jutsu, and two years ago, when he traded for ninjutsu in Konoha, he acquired two A-rank and one S-rank Water Release techniques, all of which were the Second Hokage's signature jutsu. That was more than enough for his research.
As for Wind Release, his current arsenal sufficed.
With all these considerations, raiding more black markets seemed unnecessary. He ultimately abandoned the idea.
Leaving the Land of Lightning, Uchiha Kiyo traveled south, eventually reaching the coast and venturing into the sea.
Among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Water was the only one he had yet to visit, so he decided to explore it this time.
Additionally, he intended to station a clone there.
The Land of Water, compared to other hidden villages, maintained a degree of secrecy. Uchiha Kiyo's knowledge about it was still somewhat limited, so placing a clone there would allow him to gather intelligence.
There was also the Land of Whirlpools along the way. If time permitted, he planned to investigate it.
The Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques were an invaluable treasure trove.
He wasn't expecting to find the Adamantine Sealing Chains, as they required the unique chakra reserves and physiology of an Uzumaki, making them impractical for him. However, the Four Symbols Seal was a different story.
Unfortunately, Uchiha Kiyo knew that after the Uzumaki Clan's destruction, most of their knowledge had either been taken by the victors or deliberately destroyed to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Any surviving techniques would be difficult to find.
Upon reaching the Land of Water, he ambushed and eliminated a Hidden Mist team. Using genjutsu, he extracted their basic identities and successfully infiltrated Kirigakure.
His disguise? A newly graduated Genin.
To align with his objective, his clone persona wasn't a Water Release prodigy, but rather a specialist in sealing techniques with a secondary focus on Water Release.
Considering that Kirigakure led the invasion of the Land of Whirlpools, any stolen Uzumaki sealing techniques were most likely within its archives. By posing as a sealing specialist, Kiyo's clone increased its chances of gaining access to such knowledge.
His primary body and other clones would handle Water Release training separately. He couldn't risk practicing the Second Hokage's signature techniques in Kirigakure, so he left their training to his main body. The development of new Water Release jutsu would also be handled outside the village, with this clone only focusing on fundamental property transformations.
To be honest, acquiring sealing techniques from Kirigakure seemed more feasible than searching for remnants in the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools. Therefore, Uchiha Kiyo decided not to waste time searching the ruins himself—his clone could handle that task instead.
"The objectives of this mission have been fulfilled. It's time to return."
His clones were replenished, the ones stationed in the Land of Rain were updated, and he had secured both his Lava Release (Yōton) and Lightning Release (Raiton) materials. The Land of Water infiltration also went smoothly.
Now, it was time to train.
Training was addictive.
With his Self-Healing Cultivation Technique, refining chakra never caused fatigue. Instead, it left him feeling refreshed and energized, making the process thoroughly enjoyable.
Additionally, his research into chakra cultivation itself was a passion.
Upon returning to his hidden base, he checked its defensive formations and chakra reserves. The barrier had enough stored chakra to last another five to six days.
Satisfied, he took out his new scrolls and created twenty shadow clones to assist in sorting his gains.
The first task was to categorize the wealth he acquired from the rogue ninjas he had eliminated—money, scrolls, and ninja tools were all separated. With the assistance of twenty clones, this process was completed in just thirty minutes.
All items were stored neatly in specialized storage scrolls, each organized by category, before being placed inside his ninja pouch.
Uchiha Kiyo had a habit of keeping everything meticulously organized. Every item had its designated place within the storage scrolls, which were then sealed inside a two-layered ninja pouch.
Everything he owned was inside that pouch.
Of course, with his mastery of sealing techniques, it was impossible for anyone to open it without triggering its highest-level self-destruction mechanism.
After completing the inventory, Uchiha Kiyo focused on his Lightning Release training.
"In the general knowledge of the ninja world, Lightning Release is associated with diffusion."
Recalling the training notes he had read, he followed the conventional wisdom, despite not fully understanding why diffusion was emphasized.
Using a basic Lightning Release jutsu, he performed the necessary hand seals. His chakra cycled through his system before being channeled into his palm.
Upon touching the ground, electricity spread outward.
A flawless execution on the first try—an expected outcome for someone of his caliber.
Rather than stopping, he repeated the process.
Even without an innate Lightning affinity, he could still manifest the element through precise chakra control. While this lowered the power, it allowed him to execute the jutsu successfully.
Unlike traditional training methods, Kiyo opted for a different approach this time.
By constantly practicing and refining the Lightning Transmission technique, he hoped to develop an instinctual grasp of Lightning Release's properties.
His clones accelerated his progress tenfold.
Within three hours, he mastered its shape transformation.
In five more hours, he grasped the essence of its nature transformation.
In less than a day, he accomplished what most shinobi would take weeks or even months to achieve.
Without a doubt, he had broken yet another record in the ninja world.
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