Ninja Ice House

Chapter 616 Distraction

This forbidden technique, known as "Snake Shedding Technique," has a basic form, which is an improved version of "Orochimaru-style Substitution Technique." It has an excellent effect on alleviating injuries and promoting subsequent recovery.

The regular version is more effective and can effectively treat injuries that do not result in immediate death, but the side effects cannot be completely offset and it is more susceptible to external influences.

The advanced version enhances the "regression" effect, allowing one to discard a negative or positive state, abandon a certain organ or bloodline, or even remove a portion of "corrupted" memories and soul, thereby reshaping the body and mind and achieving a degree of rebirth.

The advanced version has become somewhat illogical.

As for the one used on Jiraiya, it was one of the many "special editions" that was specially adjusted to deal with the "Toad Sage's" injuries and to meet the special requirements of Tsunade and others.

There are other semi-customized versions to deal with different situations, but I won't list them all.

The one that Usami used on herself was the highest-level, transcendent version, which was also extremely dangerous, with unpredictable side effects and the possibility of irreversible sequelae.

Starting with the advanced version, the "Snake Shedding Technique" incorporates many physiological phenomena found in organisms in nature.

For example, the one used by Jiraiya was inspired by the regenerative abilities of squid and sea monsters; while the one used by Usami, which was derived from Uchiha Izumi, clearly exhibits characteristics of conditional asexual reproduction in reptiles and budding reproduction by fungal spores.

It's important to understand that the difficulty in creating a living person lies not in cloning or cultivation methods, but in giving them a soul out of thin air.

What Usami did was not to create, but to "cut" a piece off herself and let each part grow and develop to its full potential.

The fact that Usami, who looks fifteen or sixteen, "gave birth" to Uchiha Izumi, who is eighteen or nineteen, is indeed a joke, but it also profoundly reveals the relationship between Usami and Uchiha Izumi.

The two women do indeed share certain commonalities, which gives them an extraordinary relationship and connection. In essence, Usami and Uchiha Izumi are no longer the same person.

This is why Uchiha Izumi's mindset is very complicated. Except for a very few people, everyone who knows her sees her as the little girl with the same name from many years ago. But in reality, the Uchiha Izumi from back then has decided to spend the rest of her life as Usami, leaving the Uchiha Izumi in front of her now with everything she "doesn't need," which is quite troubling.

"Your self-awareness develops very quickly!"

"Hmm! There's nothing to agonize over. It's already in my memory. Besides, when those experiences are said to be mine, it's like watching someone else's past. The empathy isn't very strong. Of course, it's not that I don't feel anything, but... it's fine to live my own life with the karma and ties of 'another person.' Anyway... before that day I was born, my past was a blank."

"Okay, as long as you're satisfied."

Gu Shanbu Shui didn't pay too much attention to it and changed the subject.

"Your Mangekyou Sharingan's unique eye technique—Ame-no-Tsume—doesn't significantly enhance your direct combat power, but it's not without its strength. Its auxiliary effect is incredibly powerful; the stronger you are, or the more capable your allies are, the more pronounced the boost. So... what path do you plan to take in the future—a medical ninja or a taijutsu fighter?"

"Medical ninjas aren't incapable of fighting, are they, Lord Commander?"

"It's possible, but it's best to have a specific focus."

"Then... what about Karin?"

"Let's go for an all-around build focused on combat!"

"So that's a combat ninja? Then I'll go the medical route..."

"This wasn't your usual style, was it?"

"It's just that the focus isn't so obvious, after all, my temperament isn't that aggressive."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shanbu Shui smiled and said:

“Usami said the same thing as you.”

"After all, they are two people who grew up in the same mold, so it's normal for them to have similar thoughts."

Among the three-person team, Yakumo Kurama has the weakest direct combat ability, Karin has the strongest overall strength, and Izumi Uchiha has the best defensive ability, making her the best candidate for close-range shield defense.

In fact, all three members of this team are pursuing a well-rounded development path. However, Yakumo Kurama's physical attributes are limited, so his taijutsu ceiling is not high. Usami's taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu are relatively balanced, with no weaknesses. Although Karin has great potential and has shown extraordinary strength under the tutelage of Furusugi Bokusui, her talent in combining ninjutsu and taijutsu in combat is not quite top-notch.

Ultimately, Karin does have one very minor weakness: her nerve reaction speed is not outstanding among top-tier players.

The casting animation is too long, the start is slow, and the recovery is not timely. The ability to deal with unexpected changes is still slightly worse than that of Usami.

In this respect, the Uchiha clan's overall capabilities are indeed superior. Or perhaps, Uchiha Izumi herself was very talented, and after receiving the "Karma" implantation and enhancement from Kosugi Bokumizu, she began to show an extraordinary level.

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In Konoha Village, the Naruto House was booked out for the day. Apart from the family's children playing in a secluded hall and their friends and classmates, a certain area was almost completely off-limits.

After a relaxing soak in the hot spring, Kosugi Bosui lay back in the lounge, drank some milk, and then spent the time gazing at the winter night sky.

"The last time I chatted with someone like this was with Fugaku Uchiha. He died not long after. If I hadn't intervened, the Uchiha clan would have been wiped out."

Things have changed, and people are no longer the same. I never imagined that the person I used to drink and chat with back then would have been dead for many years.

"Young Commander, I am truly honored to receive the same treatment as the renowned Uchiha clan leader?"

"Heaven knows, I haven't paid much attention to your research these past few years, but just because I haven't said anything doesn't mean I don't know. If you can produce some good results, in my mind, your value is higher than that of the Uchiha clan leader."

"Oh? Did Inuzuka Hana say something that made you unhappy with me?"

In its early days, Tenchi, with the support of Kosugi Bokusui, did produce a number of results. However, these were mostly improvements and refinements based on Orochimaru's unfinished research. There were relatively few projects that Tenchi truly developed from scratch, thoroughly researching from theory to practical application.

Academic research is not a castle in the air, nor is it a tree without roots or water without a source. It requires obtaining relatively ideal results under existing conditions, and the right timing, location, and people are all indispensable.

“I don’t care about wasting resources; someone else will take care of that. But you shouldn’t be putting too much energy into improving your combat power. Is it Tatsumi who’s putting too much pressure on you?”