Chapter 165: The Cost of Adaptation

 

Contact Evolution gave Tonbo a way to choose the direction of the change.

Yin Release created form where there had been none, extending nerves into the body from which he intended to gather information. Mind reading and chakra nature transformation carried that information back. The second-generation Inner Archive filtered the flood, and knowledge accumulated through years of study allowed him to understand what remained before it was inscribed into his nerves.

His work on genjutsu supplied the next part. The body could be induced to accept information as its own and change accordingly, accelerating a process that would otherwise require generations.

This was one integrated technique. Dividing it into a series of familiar jutsu would not reproduce what he had accomplished. That was why developing it had been so difficult.

The Kumogakure corpse possessed a bloodline limit. Tonbo did not intend to take every aspect of it. He sought the genetic information associated with greater vitality, the physical energy that joined mental energy to produce chakra.

For now, that purpose was enough. Too much change, too quickly, could cause the body to collapse. Greater quantities of information demanded greater tolerance. Restricting the work to vitality made it possible to combine useful information from different bodies without immediately overwhelming his own.

He was willing to take years, even a little over a decade, to accomplish what might otherwise take generations. As his vitality increased, his body should tolerate more. That, in turn, would allow the process to advance faster.

All he needed was time, knowledge, and suitable bodies from which to gather information.

One promising source lived in Konoha and sometimes came to his house to play. Naruto would be easy to reach. The technique left branching marks while it worked, but the person being examined need not notice anything. Tonbo could arrange to use it away from other eyes.

There were other possibilities: Kisame, Samehada, tailed beasts, Hashirama, the Ten-Tails, and eventually the Ōtsutsuki themselves. If he could obtain the right information, his body and chakra could continue to improve. He looked forward to the day when depleted reserves no longer constrained him, though he already did his best to avoid fighting when his chakra ran low.

The thought did not make the technique simple. Countless enemies' memories and more than a decade of his own study had barely brought him through the first stage. Information he did not understand was no use to him. Trying to force a change without that understanding could destroy the body he was attempting to strengthen.

His stomach growled.

Evolution required more than difficult calculations. He took a special military ration pill from his pocket and swallowed it. The Akimichi charged tens of thousands of ryō for each one.

Selling military supplies was evidently profitable. Tonbo envied them the business almost as much as he resented the expense.

He had analyzed the pills without recognizing all their ingredients. Some appeared to come from the medicinal herbs and deer antlers produced by the Nara, but parts of the Akimichi's formula remained beyond his knowledge. Their secret medicines were another field of study he had not yet mastered.

It was a reminder of the limits on his new technique. The ability to gather information did not spare him the work of learning what it meant. He studied every day because ignorance could make his own improvements lethal.

For the moment, human tissues occupied most of his attention. He had little time left to investigate medicines, so he continued paying. His friendship with the Ino–Shika–Chō families at least kept the price lower than it might have been.

The Akimichi did not question why he wanted the specially prepared pills. Konoha considered him one of its most trustworthy shinobi, and his standing made the purchase possible. He was grateful for that. Military ration formulas were valuable secrets, however casually he now carried their results in his pocket.

Ayame noticed the change before long.

"You're eating more," she said, resting against him. "And you look healthier every day."

Her fingers moved over his skin. The fatigue left by years of missions had begun to recede. His expression was livelier, his skin smoother; even in their private moments he seemed to have more energy than before. She regarded the improvement with open envy.

Tonbo held her closer. "A new technique for conditioning the body. Rather like what I usually do for you, but more effective. Once I'm sure there are no problems, I'll use it for you too."

If he could give anyone the benefits, his family would come first.

"Really?" Ayame put her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

For a while, the demands of his research could wait.

Lee's kicks struck the wooden training post in steady succession.

"A thousand kicks. Five hundred push-ups."

He meant to surpass Neji in taijutsu. Effort was the talent he trusted, and he brought the same fierce concentration to each blow. Nearby, Neji and Tenten practiced their own exercises. All three were now genin under Might Guy, fitting their training around the low-rank missions assigned to the team.

Neji did not agree with everything Lee believed. The work itself was harder to dismiss.

Above them, Guy stood on a branch beside Tonbo. "I didn't expect you to give Lee such encouragement. You made an impression."

Tonbo swallowed another ration pill. "I didn't expect you to start teaching a team. That's impressive too. But you invited me here for a reason. What do you need?"

He looked down at Lee. Guy had not yet persuaded the boy to copy his haircut. That restraint was almost as surprising as the invitation.

"I'm strongest in taijutsu," Guy said. "I'd like you to teach them something different. Make them more capable in the areas I can't teach as well."

He knew what he could give his students and where another instructor could improve on it. Tonbo was his friend, and among his friends he was the one best suited to teaching. Guy saw no reason to let that advantage go unused.

"You seem to have time," he added hopefully.

He was confident he could train the three well. With Tonbo's help, they might become better still. He only hoped the lessons would not include an appreciation for Tonbo's red clothes.