Chapter 38: The Possibility of Ice Release (Please Keep Reading and Vote Monthly)

Soon, everyone had arrived, and Kakashi joined the group as well. A crowd of them soaked in a pool, chatting casually.

Under the tree, Genichi was sitting with Uchiha Nami on his left and Kakashi on his right. With a comfortable squint, Genichi turned to Kakashi and asked, “Kakashi, you’re planning to take part in this year’s Chunin Exams, right?”

Kakashi nodded slightly. “Yes.”

“You’ve made up your mind then?”

Genichi grunted affirmatively, then smiled. “Who knows, maybe we’ll face each other in the exams!”

Kakashi glanced at Genichi and replied seriously, “I won’t hold back when that time comes.”

Genichi said, “Same here.”

“By the way, how about sparring together tomorrow?”

Kakashi agreed immediately, “If I don’t have any missions, no problem.”

It had been a long time since they trained together; he wanted to see how much Genichi had improved.

After making the plan, Genichi turned to discuss genjutsu with Uchiha Nami.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

After soaking in the hot springs, everyone left the bathhouse and went their separate ways.

Genichi deliberately glanced at the rooftops of the row of bathhouses but unfortunately didn’t see Jiraiya. He guessed he had gone off on another adventure.

Leaving the hot springs street, Genichi hurried home, quickly sketched a blueprint, and rushed out again.

Soon, Genichi found a shop that made carriages and spent a hundred ryo to custom order a bicycle for himself.

This was a commercial experiment.

If it could make money, all the better.

Having done that, Genichi went to the riverbank to practice the Thousand Spears Water Technique.

With the Yin Seal Technique now mastered, he felt the water-style jutsu could become much more diverse.

Once he mastered the Thousand Spears Water Technique and learned Water Severing Wave, he could even develop Senju Tobirama’s Heavenly Sorrow technique on his own, without needing to acquire it from the village.

Calming his mind and clearing distractions, Genichi stood on the river’s surface and formed hand seals.

His speed was not fast; he formed seals while drawing chakra inside, transforming its nature, then injected it through his feet into the river water, blending with it. Next, he controlled the shape transformation, condensing a stream of water into a thousand spear-like forms.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

One spear after another shot out from the water.

But Genichi shook his head slightly.

They were too thick, not solid enough.

Also, the speed of the projectiles wasn’t fast enough.

He continued.

Genichi formed seals again, repeating the process, constantly refining his control over the shape transformation to make the condensed spears denser, so they wouldn’t disperse upon contact.

Otherwise, their attack power would be too weak.

They had to possess hardness comparable to steel.

Besides hardness, the speed of the launch also affected their power.

Then there was the speed of casting—not just the speed of forming hand seals but also the speed of condensing the spears.

However, Genichi saved the casting speed for last.

First, he had to master the technique, then worry about the speed of execution.

Thus, Genichi spent the entire afternoon training on the river, only returning home at dusk to feast and replenish his strength.

During his afternoon practice, he had released the Yin Seal and used shadow clones, which required large amounts of food to recover.

After eating, Genichi accompanied his father and mother for a stroll, enjoying the rich, bustling atmosphere of Konoha.

At eight o’clock in the evening.

Genichi carried a sealing scroll and headed to Tsunade’s residence.

Shizune was indeed there, busy tidying up the remnants of their recent meal.

Tsunade wasn’t drinking anymore but sat on the veranda in a daze. Genichi only glanced at her briefly.

He greeted her with a bow but didn’t engage in conversation.

Although Tsunade was in her early thirties, in her prime, and had many achievements, Genichi had no intention of pursuing her.

A seven-year-old brat, no matter how mature, wouldn’t catch a woman’s eye.

Besides, this was the age to focus on one’s ambitions, not romance.

After cleaning up with Shizune and greeting Tsunade, they set out together.

“Eh?”

“Tsunade-sama?”

Once outside, Genichi stopped and noticed Tsunade had followed him.

With her arms crossed, she said coldly, “What, can’t I go out?”

Genichi swallowed nervously, quickly averted his gaze, and smiled, “Of course not.”

“Shizune and I are going to Konoha Hospital. Tsunade-sama, do you want to come?”

“I captured a bloodline-limit ice-style ninja on my last mission, and I want to study his cells.”

Tsunade was surprised. “Ice Style?”

“The Yuki clan from Kirigakure?”

Genichi nodded.

Tsunade appraised him briefly, then stepped forward. “Why do you want to study Ice Style?”

Genichi didn’t hide anything and admitted, “It’s such a rare opportunity. I want to see how bloodline-limit ninjas differ from ordinary ones.”

Tsunade said lazily, “Don’t waste your effort. If this kind of research could unlock bloodline limits, there wouldn’t be so few in the ninja world.”

Shizune added, “Genichi, bloodline limits can only be inherited through blood. There’s no way to learn them.”

Genichi smiled and asked, “Then here’s the question: where do bloodline limits originate?”

Shizune froze and looked at Tsunade.

Tsunade frowned slightly. “Shizune, it’s more accurate to say bloodline limit secret techniques can’t be learned. The prerequisite for learning them is to possess that bloodline limit, which is why bloodline secret techniques must be passed down through blood.”

“But bloodline limits…” Shaking her head, Tsunade said, “You could also say they can’t be learned.”

“There are Sharingan and Byakugan bloodline limits in the village, but none have ever been developed by outsiders.”

Shizune exclaimed, “So bloodline limits can be developed!”

Genichi nodded. “Of course.”

Although much of the origin of bloodline limits traces back to Kaguya Otsutsuki, many bloodline abilities passed down in the ninja world have naturally been developed independently.

For instance, the Third Tsuchikage Onoki of Iwagakure’s Dust Release wasn’t inherited through blood but learned from the Second Tsuchikage Mu.

Whether Mu’s Dust Release was self-developed or inherited is irrelevant.

Also, the Fifth Mizukage Mei Terumi’s bloodline limit was likely self-developed.

Then there’s the Sand Village’s Kazekage’s Scorch Release.

Such examples are far from rare.

Water Style evolved into Ocean Style, which is powerful.

But Genichi had his sights on Ice Style as well.

Even though his talent for Wind Style was mediocre, he had managed to master Wind Style nature transformation, even if all he could do now was slice leaves.

The three chatted casually and before they knew it, they arrived at Konoha Hospital.

Shizune busied herself, while Genichi went to a laboratory filled with various equipment.

Tsunade followed, leaning against the doorframe to watch Genichi unroll his scroll and begin work.

Unfazed by Tsunade’s presence, Genichi proceeded according to the plan he had long prepared.

He had two goals today.

First, to perform genetic sequencing on the Ice Style bloodline-limit ninja.

Second, to attempt a compatibility test.

If successful, a bone marrow transplant might directly grant him Ice Style.

Tsunade noticed this and frowned, speaking up, “You want to transplant this bloodline ninja’s cells?”