My clan was exterminated when I was three years old, and you want me to beat Uchiha Itachi? Chapter 203

[Day 9]

You realize that you have almost exhausted all the taijutsu moves of the Konoha shinobi.

Unless Might Guy returns to the village after completing his mission, continuing to focus solely on taijutsu will not yield much improvement in a short period.

Thus, you turn your attention to kenjutsu. Mantises are born with bladed forelegs, making them absolute masters of swords and blades.

This was also your initial intention when choosing it as the prototype for a pure killing machine.

However, now, beyond mere slaughter, you seem to have grasped an additional method of improvement: fighting while suppressing your power.

Pushing moves and techniques to their limits!

You have a premonition that this method of improvement is closely related to the path beyond becoming a god, which you have been searching for!

[Day 10]

Since you believe that this method of focusing on moves and techniques is quite helpful for pioneering and discovering a path of advancement beyond godhood,

You recall your mantis clone. Through cellular restructuring, you directly transform your main body into a mantis form, immersing yourself in the experience to gain insights.

However, due to the vast power difference between your main body and the clone,

The Konoha shinobi who come to challenge you only feel that the mantis before them has a much stronger oppressive presence.

Fighting against it is simply a grueling test of their willpower!

You defeat a multitude of Konoha’s sword masters, including Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao, all of whom give you great inspiration.

At the same time, after absorbing so many techniques and integrating them,

You find that you seem to be able to perceive something extremely subtle yet truly existing within these kenjutsu and taijutsu shinobi…

[Day 11]

You set up the arena as usual, welcoming challengers.

From old shinobi in their sixties and seventies who have retired for many years but come out to perfect their family’s sword techniques, to talented academy students who have snuck out of the Ninja Academy.

The personal combat of your main body allows you to more closely experience the beauty of kenjutsu and taijutsu.

Imperceptibly, you find that even without activating the Sharingan, you can accurately predict and observe the next move of these shinobi, and even a dozen or so moves after that, and prepare your countermeasures in advance.

Even with your eyes closed, without using the Uzumaki clan’s bloodline power, you can still achieve this.

You believe that you have finally touched upon a certain realm in combat artistry.

Although the amplification of power is far less than devouring a bloodline, it allows you to completely control your own body, even restraining the chakra fluctuations you unintentionally emit.

Previously, to achieve this level, you would have needed to use ninjutsu, or even manipulate rules. Now, it’s just a thought.

You are certain that you have finally taken the first step on a path other than becoming a god!

[Day 12]

Some people start calling you “Master Mantis.”

It sounds a bit strange, but this seems to be the first time you’ve received goodwill from someone other than your family.

It’s ridiculous; you almost succumbed to it.

You engage in combat with the challenging shinobi as usual, absorbing their experience, offering slight pointers, then creating a clone to spar with yourself, constantly refining and integrating,

Searching for your own path within it.

However, in the evening, a shinobi carrying a pot lid, leaning on a cane, and dressed in burlap clothes approaches you.

Maruboshi Kosuke. Although his elite jounin-level strength is insignificant in your eyes,

When he appears before you, he strongly captures your attention.

It is a very unique radiance.

Faint and indistinct, shifting between void and reality, seemingly swaying like a willow leaf in the wind…

If the radiance seen on other shinobi was merely a flickering candlelight, then the radiance on Maruboshi Kosuke is a bright beacon in the dark night!

You defeat Maruboshi Kosuke.

To be precise, you win unfairly, wearing down the opponent with your nearly eternal stamina and speed.

You realize for the first time that you rely too heavily on bloodline power.

Broadening your perspective, your combat ability has barely improved among those of the same rank.

The moves copied by the Sharingan, though similar in form, lack spirit. This becomes even more apparent when facing Maruboshi Kosuke, an old man who has practiced kenjutsu his entire life.

Your intuition, honed by fighting countless shinobi,

Is now completely unable to predict the opponent’s movements; instead, you are predicted and controlled by them…

This indicates that the spirit within those moves is precisely what the Sharingan cannot imitate!

You become increasingly convinced that this spirit is the path you wish to pursue!!!

You begin to reflect on whether you have become too reliant on the power of your bloodline, too immersed in the superficial pleasure of this overwhelming strength, unconsciously becoming complacent…

Although bloodline itself is power, and power has no inherent superiority or inferiority,

You cannot tolerate such a weakness within yourself.

Not to mention how much strength you could unleash if you were to mend this weakness and fully master your own power.

[Day 13]

You decide to rest for a day.

In reality, you split your body into two, engaging in combat training with each other, and repeatedly replaying the Sharingan recording of your fight with Maruboshi Kosuke.

Finally, you come to an astonishing conclusion:

In the ninja world, a healthy human who has not undergone specialized training can at most exert 5% of their body’s strength.

While regular shinobi, whose physical strength does not differ significantly from ordinary humans, can utilize chakra to exert over 10% of their own power!

Those who specifically practice taijutsu can exert even more, at least 20%!

As for someone like Maruboshi Kosuke, who has practiced kenjutsu his entire life, despite his old age and declining health, he can exert over 70% of his own power!

Thus, he still possesses elite jounin strength.

And you, having undergone special training in the Root, must have exerted more strength than ordinary shinobi. But after so many significant power surges,

You yourself are unsure how much of your current strength you can still exert.

You only know that there must be an influence beyond chakra!

You also only know that constantly suppressing your own strength to spar with opponents and fight yourself is a clumsy method that can slowly improve your mastery over power…

At the same time, the inner radiance emanating from within is also closely related to the percentage of power that can be exerted!

[Day 14]

In your sleep, you suddenly feel an extremely bright radiance approaching at high speed.

You quickly connect to Hiruzen Sarutobi’s consciousness and discover that Might Guy has returned.

Compared to Maruboshi Kosuke, Might Guy is like a brilliant moon in the starry sky.

However, moments later, this extremely bright moon gradually dims, becoming a light only slightly brighter than Maruboshi Kosuke’s.

You speculate that the Eight Gates Released Formation might allow a shinobi to exert over 100% of their body’s potential through some method of physical exertion!

However, it is not sustainable.

[Day 15]

At Kakashi’s instigation, Might Guy and Kakashi, those good friends, seek you out.