〖Day Nine〗

You've come to realize that you've almost exhausted all the taijutsu techniques Konoha ninja have to offer.

Unless Might Guy finishes his mission and returns to the village, continuing to delve into pure taijutsu won't yield much progress in the short term.

So, you shift your focus to kenjutsu.

With its natural bladed limbs, the mantis is a born swordsman—an ideal prototype for a killing machine.

That's precisely why you chose it as the model for your combat form.

But now, beyond sheer slaughter, you've begun to understand a new path to improvement—fighting while suppressing your strength.

Pushing your techniques and skills to the absolute limit!

You have a hunch that this method of advancement is closely tied to the path you've been seeking: an alternative route to divinity.

...

〖Day Ten〗

You feel that this focus on technique and form could help uncover a path of growth beyond becoming a god.

So, you dispel the mantis clone.

Through cellular reorganization, you transform your main body into the form of a mantis, immersing yourself fully in the experience.

However, because the power gap between your real body and the clone is massive…

The Konoha ninja who come to challenge you now simply feel that this mantis exudes an overwhelming pressure.

Fighting you is like forging their spirit in a crucible.

You defeat many of Konoha's kenjutsu specialists—including Hayate Gekkō and Uzuki Yugao. Their techniques give you a wealth of insight.

After absorbing so many different sword styles and fully integrating them…

You find yourself able to perceive something subtle—deeply hidden, yet undeniably real—emanating from these ninja skilled in taijutsu and kenjutsu.

...

〖Day Eleven〗

As usual, you set up a dueling ring to accept challenges.

From retired old ninja in their 60s and 70s—hoping to perfect their family's sword style—to promising students sneaking out of the Ninja Academy…

Fighting personally in your mantis form allows you to experience the beauty of swordsmanship and taijutsu up close.

You gradually discover that even without activating the Sharingan, you can precisely predict and read your opponent's next move—sometimes even ten steps ahead—and prepare accordingly.

Even more astonishingly, you can do this with your eyes closed, without relying on your Uzumaki bloodline abilities.

You believe you've finally touched a new threshold in the realm of combat technique.

While it doesn't grant a power boost anywhere near what you'd get from devouring a bloodline, it allows you to fully control your body—even suppress the chakra fluctuations you unconsciously emit.

In the past, you'd have needed ninjutsu—or even rule-based techniques—to achieve that.

Now, you can do it with a mere thought.

You're sure of it now: this is your first step beyond the path of godhood.

...

〖Day Twelve〗

Some have started calling you "Mantis-sensei."

It sounds a bit weird—but it may be the first time you've received genuine goodwill from someone not related to you.

Ridiculous. You almost let yourself get swept away in it.

As always, you spar with the ninja who come to challenge you—absorbing their experience, offering brief pointers, and then creating a clone to duel with yourself, constantly refining and internalizing your techniques.

From this, you begin to carve out your own path.

But by evening, a peculiar ninja approaches—clad in burlap, leaning on a cane, with a pot lid strapped to his back.

Maruboshi Kosuke.

Though his Elite Jonin-level strength is negligible to you…

The moment he appears before you, your eyes are drawn to him.

A unique radiance surrounds him.

Faint yet tangible—drifting between reality and illusion, swaying like willow leaves in the breeze…

If the aura you've glimpsed from other ninja is like a flickering candlelight, then the glow around Maruboshi Kosuke is a lantern shining in the dark.

You defeat him.

More accurately—you win by attrition, dragging the fight out with your virtually endless stamina and speed.

For the first time, you realize just how heavily you rely on your bloodline abilities.

From a broader perspective, your overall combat skill hasn't improved much within your current tier.

Techniques copied with the Sharingan may mimic the form, but they lack the essence—and this becomes painfully obvious against someone like Maruboshi Kosuke, who's honed his swordsmanship for a lifetime.

Despite the intuition you've sharpened through countless battles with other ninja…

You're completely unable to predict his movements. Instead, he reads you like an open book.

This proves it: the essence of technique—the "spirit"—cannot be copied by the Sharingan!

You're now more convinced than ever—that spirit is the path forward you've been chasing all along!

You begin to reflect on whether you've become too dependent on your bloodline powers—too intoxicated by their overwhelming strength—losing your drive to improve in the process.

While a bloodline is a kind of strength, and strength has no inherent value judgment…

You can't accept having such a glaring weakness.

Especially not when—if this flaw were fixed—you could tap into far more of your potential.

...

〖Day Thirteen〗

You decide to take a day off.

In truth, you split your body into two halves, sparring with yourself while repeatedly reviewing the Sharingan footage of your battle with Maruboshi Kosuke.

Eventually, you come to a startling conclusion:

In the shinobi world, a healthy human who hasn't undergone special training can at most utilize 5% of their body's potential Strength.

Ordinary ninja—whose bodies aren't much stronger than civilians—can use chakra to push their performance past 10%.

Taijutsu specialists? At least 20%.

As for someone like Maruboshi Kosuke, who's spent a lifetime refining his swordsmanship—even in old age, even with a frail body—he can still tap into over 70% of his potential strength!

That's why he still qualifies as an Elite Jonin.

You, after enduring Root training, definitely exceeded the average ninja's performance ceiling.

But after so many massive power boosts…

Even you don't know how much of your current strength you're truly able to wield.

All you know is—there's more to it than just chakra.

You also know: the slow, clumsy method of suppressing your own power and sparring with others—including yourself—is the key to increasing mastery over your Strength.

And the radiance you sense from within… is intimately tied to how much of your potential power you're able to actualize.

...

〖Day Fourteen〗

In your sleep, you suddenly sense an intensely bright radiance approaching at high speed.

You quickly link to Hiruzen Sarutobi's consciousness—and discover that Might Guy has returned.

Compared to Maruboshi Kosuke, Guy is like a full moon blazing in the night sky.

But moments later, that dazzling moon begins to dim—eventually glowing only slightly brighter than Kosuke.

You suspect that the Eight Gates technique might allow a ninja to tap into over 100% of their physical potential—by forcibly drawing on everything the body has to give.

But the effect isn't sustainable.

...

〖Day Fifteen〗

Thanks to Kakashi's nudging, Might Guy and Kakashi—the eternal best-friend duo—come to seek you out.