Chapter Ten: Awaiting Orders, Recuperation, and the Effects of Spiritual Nurturing

The next day, although Kato Mikaze had only just learned the Soul Nurturing Technique the previous night and stayed up late experimenting with its various effects, he woke up briskly at dawn. Perhaps it was due to his significant leap in strength, or maybe the Soul Nurturing Technique provided substantial enhancement to his spirit and soul; whatever the reason, Kato Mikaze rose energetically that morning.

He began his day with the customary morning training at the family’s small training ground. While no one was watching, he employed the Soul Nurturing Technique, testing the ability to separate his soul and adapt to the state of being a spirit body during daylight hours.

Kato Mikaze did not expend much chakra during his morning practice—just enough to warm up and loosen his body.

As of today, the three-day short break granted by the village after their last long-term mission patrolling the eastern border had ended. It was time for Kato Mikaze’s squad to report to the Ninja Management Office at the Hokage’s residence.

After finishing his morning training, Kato Mikaze enjoyed a comfortable bath and personally prepared a hearty breakfast: two fried egg and bacon sandwiches, a bowl of oatmeal porridge, and a glass of milk. A wonderful day begins with a relaxing hot bath and a sumptuous breakfast. Once he was ready and dressed in his standard Chunin gear, he stepped out.

He headed first to the spot agreed upon three days prior to meet his teammates, Takenouchi Itsuki and Nanri Yuta. The three then walked together toward the Hokage’s residence to report at the Ninja Management Office.

Having not seen each other for three days, they exchanged greetings and caught up on each other’s activities during the break.

Kato Mikaze’s squad was a young trio of Chunin, aged seventeen to twenty-three. Kato Mikaze, the seasoned elite and captain at twenty-three, specialized in ninjutsu and sensory skills. Aside from his leadership, he served as the team’s main offensive and support sensor, forming the core of the group.

Nanri Yuta, aged twenty, was the easygoing Chunin of the Leaf, specializing in taijutsu. His primary weapon was a family heirloom katana, with mastery over Leaf-style taijutsu sword techniques and a unique family swordsmanship.

Takenouchi Itsuki, the youngest at seventeen, had only been promoted to Chunin the previous year, with balanced skills in ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.

Last year, during an intelligence-gathering mission in the Land of Lightning, their squad lost a member. At the start of this year, Takenouchi Itsuki filled the gap.

By eight in the morning, the trio arrived at the Hokage’s residence, reported in at the Ninja Management Office, and ended their leave.

The village did not immediately assign new missions. Most ninja, apart from those in specific roles—such as gate guards, perimeter sentries, barrier point defenders, and the Hokage’s guard—did not need to be stationed full-time. Their main duty was to handle various village requests and missions.

When not on assignment, they were in standby status: required to check in daily at the Ninja Management Office, but otherwise free to train or attend to personal matters, as long as they remained on call within the village.

When suitable missions arose or emergencies occurred, the office would notify them at once; Jōnin-level ninja were contacted directly by the Hokage.

For ninja like Kato Mikaze’s squad, just back from lengthy field missions, it was rare to be sent out again immediately, especially for long-term assignments. They would typically remain on standby or receive short, local missions.

However, according to the information Kato Mikaze possessed, tensions among nations in the ninja world were intensifying. In particular, the three great villages—Leaf, Sand, and Stone—were nearing open conflict. He estimated that the Second Great Ninja War, as recalled in his memory, was not far off.

With no missions assigned, the squad switched to standby status, established emergency contact arrangements, and dispersed after leaving the Hokage’s residence.

For several days, Kato Mikaze’s squad remained on standby, with no suitable missions. Kato Mikaze took advantage of this lull within the village to familiarize himself further with the effects of the Soul Nurturing Technique.

First, regarding the soul separation effect: Kato Mikaze could separate multiple soul fragments, but, apart from the fragment remaining in his body, attempting to manifest more than one soul outside—two or more—dramatically increased the difficulty of control and the consumption of chakra and soul power, escalating exponentially.

Moreover, simply increasing the number of soul fragments outside his body was not particularly practical. Beyond the first, each additional soul fragment became weaker; not only could they not defeat enemies, but they would be fortunate just to avoid being killed themselves.

When the Soul Nurturing Technique separated souls, it was not a matter of evenly distributing soul power or copying the original soul. Whether within the body or outside, none of the fragments held primacy; each fragment was essentially Kato Mikaze’s soul. If an external soul form died and vanished, it meant Kato Mikaze permanently lost that portion of his soul.

This could easily lead to personality loss, drastic character changes, or even mental instability.

At this stage, it was best for Kato Mikaze to separate only one soul fragment at a time. Perhaps as his strength grew and his mastery of the Soul Nurturing Technique deepened, he might eventually manage more.

Enhancements to soul power, mental strength, and sensory abilities were similar to those achieved by the Soul Transformation Technique, though there were distinctions. Overall, the Soul Nurturing Technique provided stronger amplification.

For example, in sensory range, it increased effectiveness by about thirty percent: if the Soul Transformation Technique allowed him to sense a kilometer, the Soul Nurturing Technique extended that to roughly thirteen hundred meters—a substantial improvement.

The most unexpected effect of the Soul Nurturing Technique was its nurturing aspect. According to the ninja system’s description, it offered a certain chance to nurture intelligence and soul in qualifying low-intelligence creatures.

Over the past days, Kato Mikaze made several attempts, trying to use the technique on animals to observe its effects.

The world of ninja already had highly intelligent beasts. Setting aside the creatures of the three great summoning sanctuaries, even ordinary ninja beasts often possessed intelligence rivaling humans.

It seemed the Soul Nurturing Technique had great potential in cultivating ninja beasts.

However, after experimentation, the success rate proved quite low; not every animal or plant could be successfully nurtured. Animals were more likely than plants, but it depended on their innate qualities, chakra affinity, and other factors.

It often required repeated applications of the technique, each consuming a considerable amount of chakra and soul power.

Currently, the technique could only nurture living creatures. He wondered if, with greater strength and proficiency, he might one day use it to nurture objects—perhaps even weapons.

In summary, the nurturing aspect of the Soul Nurturing Technique held vast developmental potential.

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