After helping Uchiha Shisui tuck in the blanket, Uchiha Yoru and Miwa Masayo withdrew.
Miwa Masayo asked, "Did you find the reason Shisui suddenly began returning to his ancestor, meow?"
Yoru nodded. "I found it."
While teaching Shisui to cultivate, he had carefully observed the changes in Shisui's body and used those changes to find the cause of the atavism.
"It was the previous version of the training method I taught him, combined with a large and sufficient supply of nutrition, that triggered the return of his bloodline."
Miwa Masayo was shocked. "So that's how it is, meow. Wait, that's not right, meow."
"So many people in the Tiger Unit learned the same training method. Why hasn't even one of them shown signs of atavism, meow?"
"High-intensity training and sufficient nutrition are only necessary conditions. The key is Shisui's own talent. His talent has already reached the level where atavism can occur."
"The ninja world is a world where bloodline matters. There's no need to worry about others showing atavism. Their talent decided from the very beginning that they had no chance."
Yoru even pointed at his own nose and mocked himself. "My own talent doesn't qualify either."
The tabby cat smiled. She patted her caretaker's finger and comforted him. "It's fine if you don't return to your ancestor, meow. I think you're already stronger than your ancestors, meow."
"Mm. As an Uchiha ninja, my starting point is already much higher than that of other Konoha ninja. I shouldn't be greedy for more."
"Besides, every gift from fate has a price marked on the back."
"Uchiha Shisui carries such powerful talent. I wonder what kind of fate is waiting for him."
Yoru thought that he had already killed Shimura Danzō, decisively changing Shisui's fate. But what consequences this change in fate would bring, even he could not determine.
Still, as long as he continued to improve, as his strength rose and his level of life advanced, his fate would eventually be held in his own hands.
As Heaven moves with vigor, the gentleman strengthens himself without rest.
"Right, Masayo. There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it, meow?"
"Uchiha Shisui. I'm going to take him as my disciple and teach him senjutsu."
"Yoru, you don't plan to keep it secret anymore, meow? Do you want to be jointly wanted by Konoha and Sunagakure, meow?"
"Don't worry. I won't teach Shisui my true senjutsu. I'll teach him your senjutsu."
"My senjutsu? Then there's no problem. But why do this, meow?"
"Indra's bloodline is too overbearing. Right now, Shisui can satisfy his body's needs by eating dried fish, but as his atavism deepens, that will soon stop being enough."
"I understand, meow. The dried fish are condensed natural energy. For ninja, they aren't perfectly suited, meow. Too much is wasted, meow."
"That's exactly the reason. The best way to solve this is naturally for Shisui to learn senjutsu himself. Then the effect of the dried fish can be amplified dozens of times, which will definitely be enough."
"Hehe. Maybe in the end, he won't even need to eat dried fish. The senjutsu chakra Shisui condenses himself may be enough to sustain the consumption from his atavism."
Miwa Masayo tilted her head and thought for a while, then agreed. "All right, meow. I agree to you taking Uchiha Shisui as your disciple, meow."
"But I have one condition, meow."
Yoru smiled and asked, "What condition?"
Miwa Masayo said, "When you teach Shisui senjutsu, teach my little sister Yaeko too, meow."
Yoru asked strangely, "Why don't you teach Yaeko senjutsu yourself?"
The tabby cat tilted her head and answered in distress, "I did teach her, meow, but I can't teach her properly, meow."
"That's strange. Didn't you teach quite a few ninja cats at Cat Castle?"
"Idiot, meow. Those are clansmen. Yaeko is my little sister. It's different, meow."
"I understand. If the other ninja cats of Cat Castle learn badly, you aren't afraid. But you're afraid Yaeko might learn badly and never be able to become a Cat Sage."
"Mm. That's it, meow."
Yoru stroked the tabby cat's head and agreed to her request. "No problem. Since it's Masayo's request, I'll definitely help you."
"I guarantee Yaeko will become a Cat Sage."
"Thank you, meow."
That night, Uchiha Shisui, who had slept for three hours, was pulled out of bed. After enjoying a large meal, he was sent home to rest properly.
Before leaving, Yoru instructed him, "Shisui, come to my house before five tomorrow morning. I have something to teach you."
Uchiha Shisui nodded and promised, "Brother Yoru, I'll definitely arrive on time."
In the end, before four o'clock, Uchiha Shisui was already dressed and ready, sneaking to the front of Uchiha Yoru's house.
Before he even arrived, Shisui was startled by Miwa Masayo's mournful moon-howl. He did not dare knock on the door and instead hid outside the courtyard gate, carefully listening to her cries.
Slowly, Shisui discovered that although the cat cries sounded mournful and piercing, they possessed a wonderful rhythm. They contained powerful force and even caused his body to resonate with them.
Just as Uchiha Shisui was being drawn along by Miwa Masayo's moon-howl and could not resist wanting to howl at the bright moon himself, a large hand grabbed the back of his neck and woke him up.
Yoru sighed. "Shisui, your talent is really too excessive. Just by listening to Miwa Masayo's moon-howl, you almost started practicing along with her."
Uchiha Shisui asked blankly, "Brother Yoru, am I not allowed to practice it?"
Yoru laughed and scolded, "Idiot Shisui. Moon-howling is a cultivation method exclusive to Cat Sages. If you, a human ninja, practice it, the result will definitely be terrible."
"Come inside with me and wait until they finish."
As the two crossed the courtyard, Shisui saw the silhouettes of two cats on the roof, one large and one small.
Miwa Masayo called once toward the moon, and Yaeko followed with one cry. Her voice had already become very similar, but no matter what, she could not learn that rhythm which shook the soul and resonated with the moon.
Miwa Masayo did not get angry because Yaeko could not learn it. Back when Yoru had helped her attempt moon-howling, it had been far harder than this.
So she simply cried again and again, letting Yaeko follow again and again, slowly helping her accumulate experience.
Once Uchiha Shisui entered the room and the door closed, he could no longer hear any sound from outside. The moon-howling rhythm that had been affecting him finally disappeared, allowing him to relax quite a bit.
Yoru closed the door, walked in front of Shisui, and said solemnly, "Since you came early, I'll use this bit of time to ask you a question."
Uchiha Shisui focused and replied, "Brother Yoru, what do you want to ask?"
Yoru's expression became extremely serious. He asked word by word, "Uchiha Shisui, are you willing to become my, Uchiha Yoru's, disciple?"
"Of course!" Shisui cried out in surprise, almost cheering.
But after seeing Yoru's serious expression, Shisui restrained his emotions and said with the most sincere tone, "I am willing, Brother Yoru. I am very willing to become your disciple."
Yoru's expression did not relax. He said, "Then you may perform the disciple ceremony. According to my rules, kneel and say, 'Teacher above, please accept this disciple's bow,' then kowtow to me three times."
"Yes."
Uchiha Shisui immediately knelt, called him teacher, and earnestly kowtowed.
After the three kowtows were complete, Yoru smiled and raised his hand. An invisible force lifted Uchiha Shisui up and pulled him to his side.
"From today onward, Shisui, you are officially my disciple. There's no need to hide this from anyone."
"Yes."
"But what I'm about to teach you absolutely cannot be leaked. Understand?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"Tsk. Hearing you call me teacher feels so awkward… In the future, just call me Brother Yoru. It sounds better."
"Hehe. Okay, Brother Yoru."
"Mm. You know my contracted ninja beast is Miwa Masayo, a Cat Sage from Cat Castle. But do you know why she's called a 'sage'?"
"Brother Yoru, I don't know."
"A sage refers to an existence that cultivates senjutsu. The foundation of senjutsu is senjutsu chakra, formed by combining chakra with natural energy."
"Techniques powered by senjutsu chakra are still essentially ninjutsu, but their power is far beyond ordinary ninjutsu. That is why they are called senjutsu."
"And what I'm going to teach you is senjutsu."
Uchiha Shisui's mouth opened wide. For a moment, he did not know what to say.
After a long while, he finally asked, "Brother Yoru, are you already a sage?"
Yoru nodded, tacitly admitting it.
"Then, besides you, are there other sages in the ninja world?"
"Yes."
Yoru said, "Jiraiya-sama of the Konoha Sannin, known as the Toad Sage; the two Cat Sages of Cat Castle; among the Three Great Sage Regions, Mount Myōboku has three Toad Sages, Ryūchi Cave has four Snake Sages, and Shikkotsu Forest has one Slug Sage."
"Why are there so few?"
"Because cultivating senjutsu is extremely dangerous. One wrong move can cost you your life."
"Jiraiya's senjutsu is the inheritance of Mount Myōboku. He only barely mastered it after surviving countless dangers. Before him, who knows how many ninja died from failed cultivation?"
"Orochimaru pursued the senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave, but because it was too dangerous, he still doesn't dare cultivate it even now."
Uchiha Shisui thought for a moment and asked, "Does Shikkotsu Forest not have a senjutsu inheritance?"
Yoru replied, "It does. Our Konoha's First Hokage, Senju Hashirama-sama, was a sage who mastered the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest."
In such a short time, after hearing so many names of top-tier figures, Uchiha Shisui fully understood the status of senjutsu.
Naturally, he developed a great yearning for senjutsu, but he also felt deep fear toward the danger of cultivating it.
He took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and asked again, "Brother Yoru, is the Cat Castle senjutsu I'm going to learn also very dangerous?"
Yoru grinned. "Not dangerous at all."
Uchiha Shisui: "Huh?"
"The information I'm about to tell you must remain secret."
"Yes!"
Yoru lowered his voice and said seriously, "The source of Cat Castle's senjutsu is me, not the ninja cats. Both Cat Sages learned senjutsu from me."
Shisui was stunned once more. He could not even make a sound of amazement.
Yoru smiled and continued, "The reason learning the senjutsu of the Three Great Sage Regions is dangerous is that their sages are other races, not humans. They are not even mammals. Physical differences naturally create dangers that are difficult to cross."
"But Cat Castle's senjutsu is the exact opposite. When humans practice it, at worst they fail to learn it. They won't lose their lives because of cultivation. Instead, it is the ninja cats who face many risks when learning senjutsu."
"Even Cat Sage Nekosuke was paralyzed during cultivation because of a mistake. I had to spend tremendous effort to save him."
Yoru reached out and patted Shisui's head, calling back his wandering soul.
With a hint of showing off, he said, "Shisui, now do you know how lucky you are? Do you want to learn senjutsu?"
Uchiha Shisui, who had finally returned to his senses, nodded rapidly and said again and again, "Yes! Yes! I definitely want to learn!"
"Very good." Yoru raised his head and looked outside the door. "Miwa Masayo and the others have finished moon-howling. Come with me."
Before sunrise, Uchiha Yoru, Miwa Masayo, Uchiha Shisui, and Yaeko stood on the roof, two humans and two cats, facing the east and absorbing the morning purple qi.
After sunrise, the two cats, who had cultivated all night, went to rest.
Yoru brought Uchiha Shisui to begin practicing the three foundational methods. After each item was completed, he told Shisui one key trick. With only one insignificant change, the three foundational methods were divided into ninja cultivation methods and senjutsu cultivation methods.
So-called true transmission was only one sentence. Even in the ninja world, this principle was very applicable.
When Uchiha Shisui finished practicing the three foundational methods according to Yoru's guidance, he suddenly realized that the final feeling was completely different.
Yesterday, after practicing once, his whole body had been burning hot. He could feel power continuously emerging from the depths of his body, and the chakra he extracted had become unusually lively.
But after today's cultivation, he only felt his body become steady, his mind tranquil, his five senses exceptionally sharp, his spirit condensed into one, and the chakra he extracted as obedient as his own arm. His control had skyrocketed.
Yoru was very satisfied with his cultivation result and specifically pointed out, "You need to pay attention. In Cat Castle's senjutsu cultivation, sharp senses are the first key."
"When one day you sense five-colored specks of light everywhere around you, you will have obtained the key to cultivating senjutsu. At that time, I will teach you how to absorb natural energy."
Uchiha Shisui said happily, "Yes, Brother Yoru. I understand."
The excited Shisui practiced another round under Yoru's supervision. By then, his energy, spirit, and stamina were completely exhausted, and his whole body wilted.
Yoru agreed on the next day's cultivation time with Shisui, then sent him home to rest.
What Shisui did not know was that after Yoru returned home, he excitedly took out a scroll and recorded the optimization points he had experimented out through Shisui.
Through this genius's effort, he had obtained more than fifty effective improvements in a single day. Yoru was so happy he did not even know what to do.
These optimizations also had great reference value for Miwa Masayo. Many of them could even be used directly.
After carefully studying them, Miwa Masayo tried them briefly and immediately felt a clear change. She could not help sticking out her tongue and sighing. "Yoru, our gains are really huge."
Yoru had also finished experiencing them. The changes he felt were far stronger than Miwa Masayo's.
After all, both he and Shisui were members of the Uchiha clan. Their similarities were far greater than those between him and a ninja cat. Every change Shisui made through his outstanding talent benefited him greatly.
Yoru sighed. "I suddenly realized that when sages establish lineages and pass down cultivation methods, it may not be to compete for illusory luck, but to let thousands of disciples help perfect their path."
"Even if the disciples are too different from oneself and cannot directly produce results, their attempts can still serve as signposts, guiding the sage forward."
"The more disciples there are, the clearer the guidance becomes."
"You want to take many, many disciples, meow?"
"Yes. In the future, I will spread cultivation methods widely. Hoarding treasures as if they were worthless old brooms is unacceptable."
"What about now?"
"Not now. Right now, this is still the early stage of determining the direction. What I need is a genius like Shisui. Spreading it widely now would only confuse my direction."
"Meow. So Shisui is that important, meow. Then we should treat Shisui even better in the future. I even feel like we owe him—meow!"
Yoru suddenly rubbed the tabby cat's head with great force, interrupting her words.
He really used a lot of strength, even shaking her head left and right, as if trying to throw out all the words of guilt she had not yet spoken.
Yoru said, "Masayo, you can't think that way. These cultivation method optimizations came after I first taught Shisui and then obtained feedback from his cultivation."
"The relationship between Shisui and me is mutually beneficial, not one-sided extraction. There is no need to feel guilty."
"And you, Masayo, learned from me. You have no direct relationship with Shisui."
"You and I are Dao companions. Supporting each other is only natural. There is no need to feel any guilt either."
He asked very seriously, "I've said this much. Do you understand?"
Miwa Masayo took several deep breaths before answering, "I understand, meow. I really understand."
In truth, the tabby cat did not understand.
She only knew that Uchiha Yoru was extremely wary of owing debts. What he feared most was owing favors to others.
He always said this was karma, born from the heart, acting within, the greatest and most terrifying crisis for cultivators.
Since Yoru feared karma so much, even if Miwa Masayo did not understand it, she would follow her Dao companion's request and do her best to avoid owing anything to anyone other than him.
Yoru himself did not completely understand the Dao of karma either, but he knew the saying: "Mortals fear the result; Bodhisattvas fear the cause."
In that saying, mortals and Bodhisattvas stood in opposition. There were many different interpretations, but when applied to Yoru, he understood it as the opposition between short-lived beings and long-lived beings.
Short-lived beings lived less than a hundred years. They could not experience both the cause and the result of great trends, so they felt nothing toward the cause and deeply felt only the result.
Long-lived beings had limitless lifespans. They could witness great trends rise from the smallest signs until they became unstoppable waves. Thus, when they saw the first faint breeze at the edge of the duckweed, fear would naturally arise in their hearts.
Yoru regarded himself as a long-lived being, but before accumulating enough years of experience, he still could not truly understand the meaning of this saying from an emotional level.
But from the perspective of caution, he decided to trust the wisdom of those who came before and strictly follow the relevant precepts.
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