Chapter Seven: The Art of Nurturing Spirits (Part One)-This Ninja Is Not Normal(Shredded Abalone with Green Peppers)

Previous life, previous incarnation.

Kato Mikaze awoke from a drunken stupor only to find himself transmigrated into an infant’s body—transplanted directly into the world of Naruto. He could say he had never personally experienced death.

This life, this incarnation.

The closest Kato Mikaze had ever come to death in this life was the passing of his own parents: his father, who never returned from the wounds sustained on the battlefield; his mother, who succumbed to grief brought on by the war. Then came the deaths of his closest teammate, Daichi Kikugawa, and later, other comrades and Konoha ninjas.

The deaths of those familiar and unfamiliar alike left a deep impact on Kato Mikaze, until, as the years of being a ninja wore on, his experience grew, his abilities sharpened, and the crises he faced multiplied; he became ever more indifferent to death.

He even felt numb to it. Sometimes he wondered: if one day he faced death himself, surely he, Kato Mikaze, could greet it with a smile.

But now—who could tell Kato Mikaze that facing death with a smile was possible? He would spit in their face.

In that instant, as Kato Mikaze was training in the Kato clan’s secret technique, the Spirit Transformation Jutsu, and was about to succeed in astral projection, his subconscious screamed: Do not go out. Do not let your soul leave your body.

Outside lurked a terror so immense that stepping out would mean certain death—annihilation in the truest sense, erasing his existence from the soul itself.

Whether as the ordinary worker of his previous life or as Kato Mikaze, Konoha ninja, in this life—they would both be extinguished, utterly vanished.

Kato Mikaze’s soul, as it was now, lacked the strength to face that terror outside.

At this moment, facing imminent death, Kato Mikaze’s understanding of mortality shifted; never had he felt life so fragile.

Life could be so brittle, as if it might snap in an instant...

At the same time, Kato Mikaze’s cheat—the Ninja System—activated on its own for the first time, even without his call.

“Warning! Warning!...”

“Passive detection: Host Kato Mikaze’s soul is about to leave the body. This system, the Ninja System, is deeply bound to the host’s soul and does not belong to the Ninja World.”

“At present, the host’s soul is not strong enough to conceal the system fully; it will be detected, leading to rejection and annihilation.”

“Passive analysis: Host is actively cultivating the Kato clan’s secret Spirit Transformation Jutsu. The effect of the jutsu is about to reach astral projection…”

“Host’s soul leaves the body, host’s soul annihilated, system annihilated…”

...

“For the protection of the host’s soul and the secrecy of the system’s core logic, emergency protocol initiated…”

“Emergency protocol initiated…”

...

“Emergency protocol successfully launched. Consumed all remaining attribute points, part of the host’s soul power, and some of the system’s source power. Urgent deduction and evolution of the Spirit Transformation Jutsu.”

“Deduction objective: Prevent host’s soul annihilation, prevent system annihilation.”

“Deducting…”

...

“Deduction complete.”

“Spirit Transformation Jutsu evolved into Soul Nurturing Jutsu.”

“Emergency launch successful. This emergency consumed part of the system’s source power.”

“Warning! Warning!... System source power insufficient. Until recovery is complete, emergency launch unavailable.”

...

At the same time.

Within Kato Mikaze’s spiritual world, he sensed his soul split in two.

One part lost its previous lightness and urge to expand and fly away, becoming more solid and refined than before. Though it still presented as a transparent soul, it no longer felt rootless, no longer like a reed that could be scattered by the slightest breeze. Instead, it gave an impression of increasing weight and steadiness.

This portion of the soul grew ever more integrated with Kato Mikaze’s spiritual world—his soul space—fusing deeply. Its face became more distinct, resembling Kato Mikaze himself. Whereas his soul used to look as if viewed through muddied waters, now it was much clearer, as though the sediment had settled.

Especially at the center of the forehead—corresponding to the pineal gland in the human body—there was something like a nebula, both tiny and infinitely vast, slowly spinning counterclockwise, faintly visible through the soul’s brow.

The other part of his soul became lighter, simultaneously infinitely large and small, surging upward with greater force than before the split.

This soul flew upward, as if rushing through a long rubber hose leading to an exit, racing along; the surroundings were pitch black yet full of dazzling light; nothing seemed to be there, yet everything pressed in on him.

Expanding endlessly, soaring upward—either for ages or in an instant.

He broke through a round, shining aperture, and his vision brightened.

Kato Mikaze felt himself weightless, floating before his own body.

His physical form still held the Hare seal, clad in pale blue silk pajamas reminiscent of ancient attire, legs crossed atop his bed.

Carefully sensing his body, he found another soul within, mirroring the physical posture.

Focusing further, his physical body opened its eyes—in that moment, his consciousness and perspective split in two.

One viewpoint from his physical body: the seal had been released, hands resting on his knees.

His handsome, sword-like brows furrowed slightly; between them lingered relief at surviving, and a trace of confusion.

His eyes fixated in puzzlement on the floating soul before him—his own.

The soul regarded its body, observing the surroundings. Compared to the body’s perspective, the soul’s vision was dimmer, yet both the soul and the body’s inner soul shone brightly.

His field of view was limited, about the size of his bedroom, with distant areas shrouded in mist, the entire vista exuding mystery.

Peering through the soul’s mist, he glimpsed the clan compound, faintly sensing other glowing souls—some brilliant, some faint, some lively, some immersed.

He pushed to expand his perception; his body boosted chakra and spiritual power, expanding the range.

From his home to neighboring clan compounds, to the whole street, to the entire district, then to all of Konoha—countless souls lit up.

As his soul’s light swept across Konoha, most souls didn’t react, but dozens sensed something, and a few began to respond.

His soul’s vision continued to expand, passing through forests, seemingly able to stretch infinitely outward.

Meanwhile, his body stood up, reached out, and poked at his soul, passing right through as if nothing were there.

He tried again, and the soul felt gelatinous—pleasantly cool and slippery.

Curiosity piqued, he prodded, squeezed, and poked; the soul eventually grew uncomfortable, snapping out of its perception of other souls to glare at him with disdain.

“!!! Hey! What’s with that look? You dare to scorn me? I scorn myself? Are you kidding?”

“...” The soul continued to glare, especially at the finger squeezing its chest, saying nothing.

Kato Mikaze was about to continue speaking when he sensed, through the soul, another soul rapidly approaching from next door.

He realized it must be his elder brother, Kato Dan, coming to check on him as promised, using the Spirit Transformation Jutsu to fly over.

Kato Mikaze quickly controlled his body to return to the bed, sitting cross-legged and forming the Hare seal.

The floating soul shrank its vision, quietly fixing its gaze toward Kato Dan, waiting for his elder brother’s arrival.

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