Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 360 Yin-Yang Interchange
The massive terraced field project in the Land of Whirlpools is in full swing. Kakuzu has become the most fanatical supervisor, his green eyes gleaming with the light of gold coins, directing the Land of Whirlpools' massive resource machine to run at full speed, absorbing refugees and reclaiming barren mountains.

After confirming that the food crisis in the Land of Whirlpools had been initially alleviated and that the overall situation would not deviate from its course, Umino Sasuke refocused his main energy on training in sealing techniques.

At this moment, Umino Sasuke and Elder Uzumaki sat facing each other in a spacious carriage, which resembled a wooden house, with several ancient sealing scrolls spread out between them.

In addition to the spiral patterns unique to the Vortex Clan, the scroll also features many complex deep blue runes that resemble flowing water, as well as black ropes that seem to possess life.

"It's done!" Elder Vortex stroked his long, snow-white beard, his cloudy old eyes flashing with unprecedented brilliance, his face full of excitement and pride.

"Sasuke, I dare say that the binding and restraining power of this improved 'Diamond Black Rope Technique' is no less than that of the Nara clan's Shadow Technique, and may even surpass it in terms of pure power suppression and energy isolation!"

He pointed to a complex spell model on the scroll, woven from deep blue water ripple runes and dark gold chain phantoms, his excitement evident.

Umino Sasuke stared at the model, feeling the chilling power of its binding force, and exclaimed sincerely, "Elder, you've worked hard! If you hadn't perfectly integrated the essence of the Uzumaki clan's 'Diamond Sealing Technique,' passed down for thousands of years, into our clan's 'Black Rope Secret Technique,' how could this technique possess such transformative power?!"

This compliment pleased Elder Uzumaki greatly. He laughed and waved his hand, saying, "This is the great prosperity of your Umi no clan. The reason for your success is mainly due to the fact that the Black Rope Secret Technique itself follows the path of the ultimate Yang Release, which is highly compatible with the Yang Release characteristics of the Vajra Sealing Technique. It is almost a perfect match. I have only found the key point of compatibility."

Then, he changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "However, while this technique is powerful, it is not without its flaws. I have observed that the ninjas of your Umino clan are mostly skilled in Water Release transformations, but their talent in the affinity and purity of Yang Release chakra is not top-notch."

More importantly, the 'Black Rope Secret Technique', which contains the properties of the Vajra Sealing Technique, requires almost the same level of chakra control as an elite medical ninja mastering the Palm Healing Technique. The threshold is quite high.

Of the entire Umino clan, aside from you and Tobirama and Koshino, these two exceptionally talented juniors have a chance of succeeding. For the rest of the clan—it's difficult! Difficult! Difficult!

Even among my Uzumaki clan members, those who simultaneously possess such Yang Release talent and chakra control are extremely rare.

Elder Uzumaki repeatedly said "difficult," clearly indicating that while the technique was powerful, it was difficult to popularize and could not become a signature family secret technique of the Umino clan.

However, Sasuke Umino showed no worry on his face, but instead revealed a confident smile: "Great power is enough. As for the threshold problem, there is always a way to overcome it. In terms of chakra control, our clan's ninjas have the Umibozu clone, which can increase the training time through chakra sharing. Although the training process is tedious and long, the advantage is that everyone can train. With accumulation, there will definitely be results."

"Umibozu's clones share chakra?!" Elder Uzumaki pondered, recalling the clan's ancient texts, which indeed contained records of this. He hadn't expected that Umibozu's summoned ninja beast would also possess such an ability.

Elder Uzumaki nodded, then asked, "What about Yang Release talent? This can't be made up for by hard work alone. Without that affinity for Yang Release, you can't condense enough pure Yang Release chakra in your body, and you simply can't condense the Vajra rune on the black rope."

Instead of answering directly, Umino Sasuke took out a small glass tube from his pocket. Inside the tube, a viscous liquid with a warm, emerald-green hue flowed. Even through the tube, one could feel the immense life force and pure Yang Release power contained within.

"Elder, do you recognize this item?"

The Grand Elder's gaze was instantly drawn to it, his cloudy eyes narrowed sharply, and he exclaimed in shock, "Such a rich life force, a hundred times purer than a longevity potion?! Could this be the legendary 'Life Essence'?! I always thought it was just a vague rumor, but I never imagined it actually exists?!"

He had clearly seen or even taken the "longevity potion" that the Wave Kingdom's merchant alliance supplied in limited quantities to foreign entities, and was well aware of its value and efficacy.

The life force and purity of the liquid in the test tube before him made even this well-informed old man's heart pound with fear.

“It is indeed the Life Essence.” Sasuke Umino nodded calmly. “The Longevity Elixir is a diluted product of it. This substance has remarkable effects on improving physical condition, nourishing Yang Release chakra, and even repairing foundational damage.”

Elder Uzumaki took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart and said with a wry smile, "Clan leader, this item is priceless. One vial of Life Essence should be easily exchangeable for dozens of longevity potions. On the black market, it could fetch at least tens of millions of taels of silver! Using it to aid cultivation is like burning a precious zither to cook a crane—a complete waste! The Yang Release power contained in one vial of Life Essence might be enough to push a reasonably talented member of the Sea Wild Clan to the threshold of the Black Rope Secret Technique, but to truly master it and use it in actual combat, the required consumption would probably be astronomical. With these tens of millions of taels of silver, why not directly hire several experienced Jonin retainers to serve you long-term? Wouldn't that be more cost-effective?"

His idea is not wrong, and it is also a common practice in the ninja world. It is better to hire ninjas than to spend a lot of money to train them.

Umino Sasuke shook his head slightly, his gaze deep: "Elder, you are mistaken. Hired retainers are ultimately outsiders. How can they compare to clan ninjas who are bound by blood and share honor and disgrace? Loyalty and reliability cannot be measured by money, and besides—"

He paused, then gave a meaningful smile: "Although this item is precious, if it is produced and sold domestically in my Land of Waves, the cost is not as high as outsiders imagine."

"Self-produced and self-sold?!" Elder Uzumaki was shocked, suddenly remembering that the source of the longevity potion was the Wave Country Merchant Alliance!

So, does this mean the Land of Waves has mastered the core technology for the stable production of this "life essence"?!

His gaze towards Umino Sasuke had completely changed, filled with disbelief and shock: "If that's true, and they continue to train their clansmen with this, wouldn't the Umino clan possess the ability to mass-produce special Jonin?! They might even have the ability to suppress and seal tailed beasts!"

The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became: "Although the Vajra Black Rope Technique's suppressive power against tailed beasts is not as strong as the complete Vajra Sealing Technique, it should not be underestimated. The improved Water Candy Technique is even more effective against large summoned beasts."

Once dozens of Umino ninjas who have mastered this technique join forces and unleash the Combined Water Candy Secret Technique, they are fully capable of temporarily suppressing or even sealing a rampaging, fully-formed tailed beast!

Furthermore, the Life Essence can significantly increase the total chakra of the clan members, which means that a large number of special Jonin will emerge in the Umino clan. If they can go a step further and solve the Umino clan's weakness of chakra quantity, the Umino clan will undoubtedly leap to become a top-tier ninja clan with a large number of Jonin, mastery of core sealing and binding techniques, and even the ability to fight against fully-formed tailed beasts!

In this way, we can completely stand shoulder to shoulder with the Uchiha and Hyuga clans!

Thinking of this, Elder Uzumaki's heart pounded wildly, and an indescribable joy surged within him. Their branch of the Uzumaki clan had left their homeland to settle in Konoha, and their future was already fraught with difficulties and uncertainties. Now, they had joined forces with the Umino clan, a giant ship with unlimited potential and a strong rise to power. Coupled with the political influence left by Mito in Konoha, reviving the glory of the Uzumaki clan no longer seemed like an unattainable dream.

The Uzumaki Elder stood up excitedly and bowed solemnly to Umino Sasuke: "Sasuke, on behalf of the Uzumaki clan, I once again thank you for saving my life! I am even more grateful for the bright future you have given our clan! I will do my utmost to impart all my knowledge and skills to you, and I will not hold back a single bit of what my Uzumaki clan knows!"

His attitude became even more enthusiastic, and he spoke almost without reservation, sharing the Uzumaki clan's most treasured sealing techniques, skills, and even some ancient fragments about the Six Paths Seal without holding back.

Sasuke Umino felt the elder's sincerity and gratitude, and was deeply moved. He was not one to seek revenge, but the sealing technique was obscure and difficult to understand. It would take a long time to study it on his own, and the chakra core was on the verge of going berserk. Strengthening the sealing technique was urgent. After thinking for a moment, he took out two more vials of life essence and pushed them in front of the elder.

"Elder, you flatter me. These three vials of life essence are just a token of my appreciation. Please accept them. Firstly, they will help you to improve your health and prolong your life; secondly, they can also benefit the talented younger members of the clan."

The Grand Elder of the Whirlpool looked at the three vials of primordial liquid, which were like priceless treasures, his hands trembling slightly. He wanted to decline, saying, "This is too precious! This old man..."

"Elder, please don't refuse." Umino Sasuke pushed again, his tone sincere. "Your generous sharing of knowledge is of great benefit to me. This small gift is nothing to mention. Moreover, your good health and vigorous spirit are crucial to the future of our two clans in Konoha."

Elder Uzumaki declined repeatedly, but seeing Sasuke Umino's resolute attitude, he finally accepted it with great gratitude.

He immediately took out a vial and swallowed it without hesitation.

A vibrant green light instantly enveloped his aged body, and a surge of vitality emanated from within.

The wrinkles on his face seemed to have smoothed out, his cloudy eyes became clearer, and his hunched back straightened up considerably. He looked as if he had become ten years younger and was full of energy!

"A divine object! It truly is a divine object!" The Grand Elder was overjoyed as he felt the long-lost vitality within his body.

He carefully put away the other two, entrusting one to his personal attendant for safekeeping in case of emergency, and summoning a girl who was standing to his side, about twelve or thirteen years old, with bright red hair, wearing round-framed glasses, and looking somewhat timid.

"Xianglingzi, come here." The elder beckoned kindly.

“Yes, Grand Elder.” The girl named Uzumaki Karin stepped forward obediently.

"Consume this treasure." The Grand Elder handed her the Life Essence.

Although somewhat nervous, Uzumaki Karinko trusted the Elder's words implicitly. She took the test tube and carefully drank it, the emerald green light enveloping her petite body. Moments later, an astonishing change occurred. The girl's already vigorous life force, far exceeding that of her peers, suddenly surged. A warm, pure, and vibrant Yang Release chakra fluctuation emanated uncontrollably from her body. Her skin seemed to glow with a luminous sheen, and she resembled a budding flower in early spring, brimming with vitality!
Sasuke Umino's spiritual perception keenly detected this special and powerful Yang Release fluctuation. Its nature was not simply an enhancement of life force, but contained a strange quality of "healing", "bestowing", and "sharing"!

He was suddenly jolted, and instantly thought of Karin's almost heaven-defying "physical healing" ability in the original work!
'Uzumaki Karinko? At this age, could she be...?' Umino Sasuke gazed intently at the girl before him, who seemed somewhat at a loss due to the reawakening of her power.

Her signature red hair, the pure Yang Release life force emanating from her, and the fact that she was about the same age as Minato Namikaze almost confirmed his guess. If he hadn't changed the fate of the Land of Whirlpools, this girl would probably have ended up in the Land of Grass, becoming a "blood bag" for the Grass Ninja to take at will, her body covered in marks, her fate extremely tragic.

Now, she has safely remained in the Uzumaki clan, and has even awakened again due to the Life Essence, without depleting her body. Therefore, her ninja talent is probably not much weaker than that of Uzumaki Kushina.

Elder Uzumaki also sensed the surge in Yang Release power within Xiang Lingzi's body. A hint of surprise and understanding flashed in his eyes, clearly indicating that he had anticipated Xiang Lingzi's reawakening after consuming the Life Essence.

He looked at Umino Sasuke, his smile becoming even more amiable: "Sasuke, this girl, Karin, is pure of heart and has keen senses. Now, with the help of this divine object, her potential is extraordinary. I have a favor to ask: could she serve as the clan leader's personal assistant, serving tea and water and organizing documents? This would give her the opportunity to receive your guidance and broaden her horizons."

"A personal assistant?" Sasuke Umino was slightly taken aback.

He thought of Kaoru, who was now by Tsunade's side, and assumed that the Elder wanted him to take Kaoru as his apprentice and teach her some skills.

Little did they know, the Grand Elder wanted to arrange a marriage. The reason he didn't bring it up directly was simply because he was considering the relationship between Tsunade and Sasuke Umino, and that's why he didn't reveal his idea of ​​a marriage alliance.

Thinking that he had indeed inherited the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan and changed the girl's fate, it was only right for him to take her as a disciple and train her. So he nodded and agreed: "Elder, you are too kind. Karin is very talented. It is her good fortune to be able to learn from me. I will do my best to teach her."

Upon hearing this, Kaoru Uzumaki blushed, clearly having already received instructions from the Grand Elder.

She timidly performed a maid's curtsy: "Thank you, sir!"

"Hmm." Umino Sasuke nodded, had Uzumaki Kariko stand aside, and continued to ask the Uzumaki Elder for guidance on sealing techniques.

With the guidance of Elder Uzumaki, a top-tier sealing master in the ninja world, and his own unique understanding of Yin-Yang Release, Sasuke Umino's sealing techniques improved at an almost breakneck pace.

The Uzumaki clan's sealing techniques are profound and complex, especially the forbidden techniques involving space, soul, and the origin of chakra, which greatly broadened Sasuke Umino's horizons and made him deeply aware of their power and danger.

Even someone as powerful as Age Spot could easily capsize if they accidentally fell into the Vortex Clan's top-tier sealing trap!

With the surge in sealing techniques, Umino Sasuke finally had the confidence to deal with the potential danger of the chakra core causing it to go berserk.

With the continuous dual cultivation, the Nine-Tails chakra and Hashirama cells within the chakra core, like cancer cells with self-awareness, continuously absorbed external energy and multiplied wildly. The balancing and suppression by the Ice Release power was only a temporary solution and actually exacerbated the internal pressure.

To prevent the external elixir from going completely out of control, he had to temporarily stop his dual cultivation with it, which slowed down his cultivation progress considerably.

Now, having obtained a more profound sealing inheritance from the Vortex clan, I can finally forge a more robust shell for my outer core.

After studying with Elder Uzumaki for a period of time, Sasuke Umino finally used the Flying Thunder God Technique and arrived at the underground secret chamber of the Land of Waves.

"The art of having three heads and six arms!"

He sat cross-legged, holding the chakra core radiating three-colored light in his palms.

The bottom laner wielded the ox-horn talisman brushes with both hands, dipping them in talisman ink and continuously drawing various tadpole-like runes. These talisman inks, surging with chakra, were specially made top-grade talisman inks, primarily composed of ink from the Eight-Tails' Yin-Yang Release technique and infused with the essence of the Eight-Tails' blood!
The Yin-Yang Release power and sealing affinity contained in this talisman ink far surpass the summoning ninja beast talisman ink commonly used in the ninja world.

At this moment, the runes were complete, and the top laner's hands moved at a speed that was difficult for the naked eye to follow, constantly forming hand seals, and finally he shouted: "Eight Trigrams Seal!"

These ink-colored symbols, resembling black tadpoles, climbed onto the chakra outer core, continuously disappearing into the interior, quickly forming an extremely complex Bagua pattern with a subtle yin-yang symbol at its core.

The powerful sealing force instantly contracted inward, attempting to suppress the raging energy within the outer core.

The outer core trembled violently, its three-colored light flashing wildly, like a ferocious beast unwilling to be bound.

Samehada Chakra Transfer!

Sasuke Umino's aura suddenly intensified, and his hand seals on the top lane changed again, clearly indicating that he was about to unleash an even more profound sealing technique.

The entire sealing technique was a reverse Bagua seal that he independently deduced and improved by combining the profound concepts of the incomplete Six Paths Yin Yang Seal of the Uzumaki clan!
"Reverse Bagua - Yin and Yang Interchange!"

This time, the runes were no longer a deep black, but had a strange semi-transparent texture, like flowing crystal. These runes were not directly imprinted on the surface of the outer core, but were like a reverse rotating force field, precisely nested on the previously set "Bagua Seal"!
Om-!
The moment the two layers of Bagua seals, one upright and one in reverse, perfectly combined, a sudden change occurred.

What were originally just two layers of seals overlapping each other suddenly lit up the yin-yang fish pattern at their core, and began to slowly rotate in reverse, spreading a wonderful sense of "yin and yang turning into each other, endless life".

The sealing power of the orthodox Bagua is like a sturdy dam, firmly locking in the raging energy; while the inverted Bagua is like a sophisticated converter, cleverly transforming the pressure inside the dam that has nowhere to go into energy that reinforces the dam itself, forming a near-perfect dynamic balance!
Its seal is more than twice as strong as a single Bagua seal!

The entire space of the secret chamber was slightly distorted by the formation of the double seal. The violent tremors of the chakra core quickly subsided. Although the three-colored light was still brilliant, it became docile and restrained, like a wild horse that had been put in the strongest shackles. Although it still had power, it could no longer break free.

"It's done!" Sasuke Umino breathed a long sigh of relief, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Even for him, performing such a double top-level seal was extremely taxing.

But his face was full of excitement and satisfaction. Such a powerful seal could easily seal not only this outer core, but also a real tailed beast. Its only drawback was that the process was relatively complicated, required a lot of specially made talisman ink, and demanded a very high level of sealing skills from the caster.

With the chakra core completely stabilized by the double Bagua seal, pure energy, like a surging river, once again flowed into his meridians and dantian through invisible channels, and his long-stagnant strength improvement entered a high-speed channel again!

However, after only a few days of dual cultivation, new problems began to emerge.

Within the chakra core, the Nine-Tails' Yin-Yang Release chakra is almost inexhaustible, and it can multiply infinitely as long as it is stimulated by chakra; its Ice Release power is also inexhaustible thanks to the water-style chakra provided by its fusion with Samehada; the only weakness is the life force of Hashirama's cells, which have infinite potential for proliferation!
Its rate of proliferation seems unable to keep up with the speed at which the Nine-Tails' chakra and Ice Release power fuse and transform under the pressure of the double seal.

The problem is that although Hashirama cells have strong vitality, their proliferation requires specific "nutrients." Ordinary chakra has little effect on them. Only Yang Release chakra or "Life Yang No. 1," which is a life essence directly extracted from Hashirama cells, can effectively stimulate their rapid division and proliferation.

However, the production of "Life Yang No. 1" has always been a bottleneck!
The special nutrient solution for cultivating Hashirama cells requires some rare medicinal materials, which are already scarce in the ninja world and are strictly controlled as strategic resources by major countries. Even though the Land of Waves Merchant Alliance is wealthy and has extensive channels, it is difficult for them to purchase large quantities of these materials.

In addition, the Sound Village is in a period of rapid development, and the demand for Life Yang No. 1 is surging, whether it is to train ninjas or to provide support for the Umino clan to practice their clan secret techniques.

"One's own strength is the most important thing!" Sasuke Umino made the decision without hesitation.

The production capacity of Life Yang No. 1 must first meet the demand for Chakra External Elixir to ensure the continuous and rapid growth of its own power, and only then will other uses be considered.

This means that some of the development plans for the Sound Village need to be temporarily slowed down, or alternative solutions need to be found.

Just as Sasuke Umino was feeling a bit of urgency about the production bottleneck of Life Sun One, good news arrived like a timely rain.

(End of this chapter)