Chapter Eight: The Art of Nurturing Spirits (Part Two)

Before long, Kato Mikaze, having just regained control of his body, returned to his bed, assumed the proper posture for cultivating the Spirit Transformation Technique, and carefully concealed the fluctuations of his soul within. From the soul's vantage point, as Mikaze's ethereal form hovered above his physical body, he saw the soul form of his elder brother appear before him.

Within Mikaze’s spiritual perception, his brother Kato Dan’s soul appeared as a luminous, transparent figure in a world otherwise shrouded in grayness—a soft, shimmering light breaking through the gloom. Compared to the previous glimpses he’d had with his naked eyes, Mikaze sensed his brother’s soul with far greater clarity, and he could vaguely detect that within the next room, his brother's physical body exhibited almost no spiritual fluctuations.

Yet, the soul before him radiated the same spiritual energy as Dan’s body, the two forms linked by a faint, nearly imperceptible thread of soul energy.

As Dan’s soul swiftly approached Mikaze’s, he exclaimed, “Wonderful! Mikaze! I knew you could do it!”

“By my reckoning, the soul power you’ve amassed is even greater than mine. Sooner or later, you’ll master astral projection and fully perfect the Spirit Transformation Technique!”

“Just as we discussed this afternoon, perhaps you’ll achieve a breakthrough tonight. I knew my instincts wouldn’t fail me.” Dan’s words were tinged with both pride and joy.

Drawing closer, Dan scrutinized Mikaze’s soul form, his gaze earnest and intent. He released a wave of soul energy from his own form to sense Mikaze’s.

“I’m not sure if this counts as a success in cultivating the Spirit Transformation Technique yet. I suppose it does—at the very least, I’ve managed to project my soul outside my body. Take a look at my soul form. From what I sense, there’s little difference between yours and mine,” Mikaze replied, maneuvering his soul form to circle around Dan’s, releasing his own soul energy to probe his brother’s ethereal body.

“That’s a successful projection then. My senses confirm it—our soul forms are almost identical, save for appearance and subtle differences in their soul fluctuations.”

“By the way, can you sense the link between your soul form and your physical body? Don’t worry about anything else for now; focus on that connection. It’s crucial for ensuring you can return safely to your body and truly master the Spirit Transformation Technique,” Dan said, his initial delight giving way to a touch of anxiety.

“I already checked the connection before you arrived. The family’s secret scroll, ‘Notes on Cultivation of the Spirit Transformation Technique,’ emphasizes this point repeatedly, and you’ve warned me about it more than once.”

“Just a moment ago, I even stretched my spiritual senses outside—my vision extended infinitely, spilling beyond the borders of the Hidden Leaf Village. But when I sensed you approaching, I snapped back to myself,” Mikaze explained.

“Don’t worry about anything else for now. Try returning to your body and see if there’s any rejection or discomfort. Generally, one’s soul won’t be incompatible with its own body.”

“As for the illusion of limitless vision in soul form—I felt the same way during my first projection, as though I could roam the entire shinobi world. But let’s leave that discussion for later. Focus on returning to your body first,” Dan urged.

“I hope I won’t end up like that unlucky ancestor mentioned in the family’s secret scrolls. All right, I’ll give it a try.”

Mikaze’s soul form muttered to itself as it floated back toward his body, which was seated cross-legged on the bed. The return brought none of the congested, rubber-tube sensation he’d felt during his initial projection. Instead, he merged smoothly with his body, seamlessly reuniting with the part of his soul that had remained hidden within.

Immediately, Mikaze opened his eyes, which were now brighter and sharper than before, as if they could pierce directly into another’s soul. Their brilliance held a mysterious ripple of power.

“How do you feel? Any discomfort, any sense of rejection between soul and flesh?” Dan’s soul form asked, concern furrowing his brow.

“How do I feel?... I feel incredible. I’ve never felt better. No discomfort at all. The soul’s return to the body was perfectly natural—like water flowing downhill. I’ve never felt so good in my life!”

Jumping down from the bed, Mikaze struck a few taijutsu stances to loosen up, then performed the basic twelve ninja hand seals—Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Bird, Dog, Pig—in perfect sequence.

As he spoke, he glanced down at his outstretched hands, which he held before his chest. A smile crept across his normally stern, handsome face, softening his features.

After stretching and moving about, Mikaze sat cross-legged on the bed once more, formed seals, cast a jutsu, and projected his soul again.

The second projection was far easier than the first. His soul split into two: one part remained hidden in the body, suppressing all spiritual fluctuations, while the other shot out from the crown of his head, smoothly escaping his flesh.

His soul form darted about the bedroom, adapting quickly to its new state. Once his chakra was nearly depleted, Mikaze returned to his body, roused himself for a bit of movement—some basic taijutsu or low-key, non-destructive ninjutsu—while chatting and discussing techniques with Dan’s soul form.

Dan cautioned Mikaze never to use the soul form to peer recklessly into the souls of others, especially fellow villagers. Some ninja, particularly those who were Jonin or who practiced secret arts, could sense such intrusions even if the soul form remained invisible.

Moreover, Mikaze’s soul form wasn’t yet powerful enough to venture far from his body. There were still things in the shinobi world that could harm the soul. Even within the Hidden Leaf Village, dangers to the spirit existed, so he must remain vigilant.

At last, Dan reiterated, “The Spirit Transformation Technique is powerful and mysterious, full of wonders for you to discover. But its greatest weakness is that, once your soul leaves your body, your flesh becomes immobile, unable to perform jutsu, and almost devoid of perception—utterly vulnerable.”

“If you ever use this technique during battle or missions, make sure to hide your body in a safe place first, preferably with a trustworthy companion to guard you with their life.”

Mikaze practiced his new jutsu while listening to his brother’s advice, until Dan’s chakra was spent and his soul form withdrew, returning to the next room.

After a sip of tea and a brief period of meditation, Mikaze confirmed that Dan had truly departed and was no longer keeping watch. He then cast the Spirit Transformation Technique again. His soul floated before his body, while the portion of his soul that remained within controlled his flesh, formed hand seals, and executed his favored Wind Blade Technique. Under Mikaze’s command, a pale green, crescent-shaped wind blade shot toward the sharp corner of the small table beside his bed.

With a nearly inaudible swish and click, a sliver of wood was sliced clean from the table’s corner, separated and falling to the floor.

“The greatest weakness of the Spirit Transformation Technique is that, once the soul leaves the body, the body can’t move or use jutsu…” His brother’s warnings echoed in Mikaze’s ears, along with the emphatic cautions from the family scrolls.

Within his soul’s consciousness, Mikaze summoned the ninja system.

Ninja System

Name: Kato Mikaze
Ninja Rank: Jonin (Unverified)
Affiliation: Hidden Leaf Village
Physical Attributes: Stamina 61, Strength 59, Spirit 85, Speed 62
Chakra Attributes: Wind 62, Lightning 43, Earth 39, Water 0, Fire 0, Yin 85, Yang 59
Ninjutsu: Wind Release [Wind Blade, Wind Breath, Light Wind Technique], Lightning Release [None], Earth Release [Small Swamp Technique, Earth Wall Technique], Three Basic Techniques [Transformation, Substitution, Clone]
Taijutsu: Basic Taijutsu, Basic Swordsmanship, Shuriken, Kunai
Secret Techniques: Spirit Nurturing Technique
Unassigned Attribute Points: 0
Ninja Rank has changed to Jonin (Unverified); Spirit and Yin Chakra attributes have each temporarily increased by 10.

Mikaze looked at the Secret Techniques section. Instead of the Spirit Transformation Technique, a brand-new, unheard-of secret technique was displayed: Spirit Nurturing Technique.

P.S. New author humbly begs for support, recommendations, and favorites.