Chapter 224: Experimenting...

The next day, in the morning, at the Seventh Training Ground.

"Splash!"

[This shouldn't be happening. What on earth is going on here? Where did my jutsu go?]

Link stood there, a bit bewildered, watching as the jutsu formula in front of him—bearing the two large characters for "Impure Earth" (穢土)—quickly contracted inward and then converged into a ball of black ink. After a slight tremor, the painstakingly drawn array instantly reverted to plain ink and splattered all over the ground.

Having learned the Edo/Tensei Impure World Reincarnation (穢土轉生) technique just the day before, he had rushed to study how to release his own mutated version of this ninja art.

"Impure World" (羅土, lit. "Impure Earth") basically corresponds to the present world, as opposed to the "Pure Land" (淨土). The original version of the jutsu isn't that complicated to use:

1. Draw the formula (usually inside a coffin, but sometimes on a scroll),

2. Obtain the target's DNA,

3. Activate the formula,

4. Have a "human sacrifice" remain within it,

5. Complete the jutsu through hand seals.

The reason coffins are used is simply because it's convenient to store an unconscious human sacrifice inside. By adding a basic Summoning Technique to the formula, when you activate it at the time of use, you summon the coffin—which naturally contains the target you're reviving through Impure World Reincarnation.

Even without a coffin, you can still perform the jutsu.

If the formula is written on a scroll, once you obtain the target's DNA, you just unfold the scroll so the array is on the ground, ensure a human sacrifice is present, form the seals to activate, and that's all it takes. Without DNA and a human sacrifice, the jutsu won't succeed at all—the hand seals have no effect, and no chakra will be consumed.

Under normal circumstances, that's how it works.

Yet, Link had succeeded—

To be precise, he was consuming chakra, and the jutsu formula was even showing signs of activation. But where was the "Impure Earth"? Where was the "Reincarnation"? Huh?

[So where did my chakra go?!]

Link was speechless. This was even more bizarre than the Swamp of the Underworld. Clearly, the formula had activated, the chakra had been consumed, but in the end, nothing happened. How was that possible?

He had only intended to practice, not really expecting to succeed—after all, a jutsu like this requires a human sacrifice, which he couldn't possibly test out in the village.

But it was just too weird. How could it activate without a human sacrifice or the target's DNA?

[I'll go find Tobirama and see what's going on!]

Without hesitation, Link dashed to the Hokage's office. Ever since he summoned Second Hokage Senju Tobirama, his plan to leave the village to look for Orochimaru had been derailed. All the higher-ups in the village wanted him to keep summoning Tobirama to help out as Hokage. There was no way they'd let him just run off.

Last night, he slipped out briefly to tell Utakata—who was waiting nearby—to return to the base in the Land of Waves, then spent the entire night excitedly revisiting all the details of Impure World Reincarnation. He planned to do a little practice today, then leave the village to look for two scumbags to do a real test on.

Now things were at this impasse. He had no idea how long it would take if he kept fumbling on his own, so he might as well consult his "external brain." Maybe he'd learn something useful in advance and save time. He didn't mind revealing a bit of information if it meant speeding things up.

It didn't take long for Senju Tobirama—who had pulled an all-nighter dealing with official business and talking with various ninja clans—to arrive. Standing to one side with his arms folded, he inwardly wondered if this brat was just messing with him, but still spoke calmly:

"Try it again."

Even if Link had Tobirama's mental guidance, mastering that many new techniques in just one day was already pushing the limits of believability. However, Tobirama was curious to see how this highly specialized jutsu might mutate in Link's hands.

Link glanced over at Hina, who hustled over to produce a brush and scroll via Summoning Technique. He then began drawing with intense concentration.

[Looks like a total beginner's level.]

Tobirama frowned at the messy lines. Can that even work? Probably the ink infused with chakra creates some effect, which must be why he was summoned. Still, Tobirama kept watching.

Link remained calm, and thanks to his Mystical Palm Technique, his hands were steady. He was well aware that his calligraphy wasn't great. After all, he'd first started learning seals when he tackled the Five Elements Seal, and with the Third Hokage's patient guidance, it had taken him two months just to master that. That was less than two years ago, and he hadn't touched sealing arts much since—his knowledge had plummeted.

Even with Tsunade and Shizune helping him learn the Lion's Roar Seal and Creation Rebirth, his progress had been painfully slow. Without using what he jokingly referred to as his "external brain," it could have taken him at least a decade to truly research all the intricate parts of Impure World Reincarnation—by which time the day would be long gone.

Mystical Palm Technique can only follow orders he's capable of giving: it can produce the best result he can manage, but at the end of the day, if his knowledge is limited, the seals will look limited. If it works, it works—no matter how ugly it is.

[He actually finished the drawing.]

Tobirama raised his brows, surprised. Unfolding his arms, he thought, Maybe this brat is smarter than I expected.

When Link placed his hand atop the completed scroll, chakra flowed into it. The black "tadpole-like" markings spread across the floor.

[Strange... why is it activating even without the target's DNA?]

At this point, Tobirama was stumped. The drawn seal should require DNA to activate. Pure chakra alone shouldn't do anything at all.

Soon, the formula spread across the ground. Tobirama was visibly startled. What in the world is this?

The characters that flowed out of the scroll bore zero resemblance to what he'd just seen drawn. A veteran of forbidden techniques, Tobirama couldn't recognize a single symbol, and some of them were even (Konoha expletive)...

Many of the symbols kept shifting and morphing as the ink flowed.

"This is your Impure World Reincarnation?" he couldn't help asking.

"Mhm." Link looked up at him, eyes clear.

"You don't think the symbols in there are… suspicious?" Tobirama couldn't tell if this kid was genuinely clueless or just faking.

Link spread his hands innocently. He hadn't deciphered the majority of the symbols. It was normal for his "mutated ninjutsu" to look strange, and it was equally normal for him not to understand it all. He just knew how to write it, cast it, and use it. Why did it worked? Well… that's a question for his "external brain."

Tobirama kept his face stern, said nothing, and motioned for Link to continue.

Hand seals, chakra release—

Following his usual ninjutsu procedure, Link performed Impure World Reincarnation once more, expending most of his chakra in one go. He didn't know why it consumed so much.

Again, the ink on the ground churned and morphed, combining into countless intricate symbols. Finally, they rose into the air and converged in the center—

The scene was somewhat reminiscent of the Evil Sealing Method crawling up someone's body.

"It's missing a 'host body,'" Tobirama concluded once he'd worked past his initial shock and confusion. "Have you tried placing a host into the array?"

"Didn't I come to you right away for exactly that?" Link smiled.

He didn't know if a rabbit would work, and Impure World Reincarnation likely needed an actual human to serve as the sacrifice. Hard to manage inside the village—so maybe the Second Hokage had some ideas.

"You cunning little brat," Tobirama said coolly. "Fine. In a while, we'll head to the prison and pick up two death-row inmates."

He couldn't care less about human experimentation. This was basically a perfect alignment of the wicked old ghost of Konoha and the wicked little ghost of Konoha.

~~~

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