The Uchiha's pupils trembled as his Sharingan locked onto several key points at the scene. With that ultimate perception, he absorbed every useful detail.
Within seconds, he'd reconstructed the battle in his mind.
"A taijutsu specialist. Took a direct hit from a Water Release technique, yet still managed to shatter the heads of two Genin with his bare fists. A third Mist ninja was taken—likely as a hostage or for interrogation."
In mere moments, this Uchiha Chunin had deduced nearly everything that had transpired.
His gaze snapped toward the jungle. There, perched on a distant branch, stood a Hidden Mist Chunin. The man's expression was ugly as he surveyed the carnage below.
Those two headless corpses had been his teammates.
He didn't linger. The instant their eyes met, he turned and fled.
"After him!" the Uchiha Chunin barked, already launching himself in pursuit.
His three subordinates followed without hesitation.
Water splashed against the riverbank.
Zenji emerged from the river, his body emanating a faint blue glow. Droplets rolled down his taut muscles, leaving glistening trails across his skin.
"The scent should be masked now, but walking like this leaves an obvious trail."
He glanced down at the wet footprints forming beneath him. After a moment's thought, he turned and stepped onto the water's surface.
Blue chakra condensed beneath his feet. He stood there, wobbling unsteadily.
"The technique's barely holding together." Zenji frowned deeply. Shifting his focus inward, he directed his attention toward the yellowed page floating in his consciousness.
Lines of text materialized on its surface:
[You swam while carrying a corpse. Fortunately, the Enhancement Technique provided sufficient strength to make the process manageable...]
[Upon reaching shore, water dripping from your body formed a clear trail. You recognize this will compromise your concealment...]
[You attempted to walk on water using chakra, but lack any foundational knowledge. The sensation is akin to balancing on a water balloon...]
Zenji stared at that last sentence. Suddenly, he felt a drain on both his chakra and spiritual energy.
The brief passage burst open, flooding his mind with detailed information.
How should chakra be condensed? What changes occur during the process? Which actions produce which results? Which effects correspond to which adjustments?
The knowledge crystallized in his mind with perfect clarity.
His wobbling stance stabilized instantly. What had felt like balancing on a soap bubble now felt as solid as standing on flat ground.
"So that's how it works."
A smile tugged at Zenji's lips. This incomplete Book of Ages couldn't rewrite reality—but it could dissect the essence of any action he performed, breaking it down to its fundamental components.
With this ability, any technique or formula was nothing more than a thin veil waiting to be pierced.
His confidence in researching both his condition and techniques like Incarnation had just increased dramatically.
Drip. Drop.
Water fell from the toes of the Mist ninja's corpse, disturbing the river's surface with soft ripples.
Zenji glanced at the body hanging from his right hand. Carrying it around like this was impractical.
He searched the corpse with his free hand and quickly found a scroll tucked into a pouch. Unrolling it revealed no text—only a single large character: "Seal."
"A storage scroll?" His eyes lit up as he gripped it tightly.
The corresponding information appeared in the Book of Ages. Zenji consumed more spiritual energy and chakra to explore its secrets.
Soon, the detailed mechanics manifested in his mind.
After a few attempts, he succeeded.
Poof!
With a burst of smoke, the Mist ninja's corpse vanished into the scroll.
Now it was easy to carry, and there'd be no trail of dripping water to follow.
After traveling a considerable distance across the river's surface, Zenji made for the opposite bank. He leaped upward, landing on a branch and launching himself through the canopy with increasing confidence.
The physical resonance from the Black Flash hadn't fully dissipated. His body control far exceeded what it had been before. Within just a few jumps, he'd already mastered the rhythm of moving through the trees.
I need to find shelter as soon as possible and study the Incarnation technique.
His expression darkened.
Orochimaru's version of immortality—his Living Corpse Reincarnation—left the user vulnerable to genjutsu. Zenji refused to repeat that mistake.
Drawing inspiration from a higher-level system like jujutsu, perfecting his understanding of the soul, and combining it with the Book of Ages' analytical power—that was his true path to survival.
Mid-leap, his gaze sharpened. To his left, he spotted a small hill rising above the forest.
He changed course immediately.
Landing on a rocky outcrop, he discovered a depression behind the hill roughly the size of two football fields.
Perfect. If he could establish a barrier to conceal and camouflage this location, it would make an excellent hideout.
Scanning the area, he noticed a concave hollow carved into a massive boulder a few dozen meters to his right. A natural shelter.
He dropped down into it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest.
"You three escort the prisoner back to the village," the Uchiha Chunin ordered. "I'll follow these tracks and find out exactly who killed those Mist ninjas."
"Seisho, going alone might be—"
One of the Genin started to object, but Uchiha Seisho cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Don't compare me to yourselves. Get moving. Hand the prisoner over to the Torture and Interrogation Division."
His tone left no room for argument. The three subordinates departed without another word.
Sharingan blazing, Uchiha Seisho followed the trail.
He reached the river's edge within minutes. A cold sneer crossed his face.
Childish tricks.
He stepped onto the water's surface and proceeded in a calculated direction.
Before long, he found the telltale puddle where his quarry had emerged.
Sloppy work. Definitely not a rogue ninja from any major village. He filed away the assessment and pressed forward.
After advancing further, his Sharingan locked onto something.
"Found you."
A hint of satisfaction flickered in Seisho's eyes as he turned to follow the new trail.
Completely unaware of his pursuer, Zenji sat cross-legged inside the stone hollow. A small fire crackled before him, its warmth slowly drying his clothes where they lay draped nearby.
His attention was focused entirely inward, on the purple-black sphere of light in his consciousness.
Countless luminous traces filled his vision. With a thought, several clusters of knowledge drifted toward him.
Soul conversion into Cursed Energy... fragmentation of the soul... the method for creating Cursed Objects... and finally, Incarnation using the Cursed Object as a vessel.
The concept immediately reminded him of a lich's phylactery. The underlying logic was identical.
"If a soul can be converted into Cursed Energy, it should also be convertible into chakra. The fundamental principles are connected." His thoughts crystallized with growing clarity. "That means Incarnation is viable."
But a frown creased his brow.
"I still don't know where I am or what era this is. Was that squad an isolated patrol? Or am I in the middle of a full-scale Shinobi World War?"
Research was critical, yes—but survival was the ultimate goal. The fatal crisis within his body demanded attention, but he couldn't afford to ignore external threats either.
Maybe I should prioritize learning a combat technique first. Something to increase my immediate strength.
His head snapped up.
Behind him, approaching through the woods toward this depression, he sensed it—a cold, sharp chakra signature saturated with killing intent.
The aura was predatory. Like a falcon that had locked onto prey. Sinister. Domineering. Radiating arrogance and pressure.
"Strong," Zenji breathed, his entire body tensing. His expression turned grave.
Very strong.