Haruto Saito ignored Tsunade's outstretched hand. He felt something was off—both of his nightmares had been eerily similar, yet they had nothing to do with reality. They weren't about the Rain Ninja Village or ninja battles.
"You little brat, hand it over!" Tsunade suddenly grabbed Haruto, pressing him down as she reached into his chest area, rummaging around.
She found nothing.
Haruto always made a show of pulling things out from his robe, but in reality, all important items were stored within his tool space.
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop groping me! Are you a pervert? I'm only twelve!" Haruto protested, eyeing Tsunade suspiciously.
"Hand it over! Where's the pendant?" Tsunade continued searching him.
"Here…" Haruto raised his hand, letting the pendant dangle from his fingers.
Tsunade snatched it back immediately before releasing Haruto. She hooked the pendant's string around her middle finger and let it sway a few times before saying, "Since you're already awake, and you probably can't sleep anymore, teach me hypnosis!"
"Hmm, sure! But first, tell me what new ideas you have. Let me hear them first," Haruto replied.
"I think language plays a significant role. Last time, when I saw you hypnotize that Rain Ninja, the words you spoke seemed more impactful than the pendant itself. The pendant was merely a distraction… So I'm wondering, what if we infused chakra into our voice? Wouldn't something incredible happen?"
"Chakra… in sound?"
"Of course! Take powerful ninja, for example—when they shout, their voices can boom like thunder and be heard from miles away. Why? Because their voices carry chakra. Sound itself is a vibration, and by using chakra, we can amplify or suppress those vibrations, making the sound louder or softer!"
"But simply amplifying or reducing sound won't change much."
"Idiot! That was just an example! It's not just about making it louder or quieter. We can also manipulate the tone using chakra, making the sound more elusive…"
"Oh, I get it. Like surround sound?"
"Eh? What's surround sound?"
"Uh… it's a type of sound that seems to wrap around your ears."
Time passed as Haruto adjusted his state of mind, fully immersing himself in the discussion with Tsunade. The process always started with her proposing an idea, followed by Haruto asking questions—his inquiries guided her thinking and prevented her from falling into logical traps.
It wasn't that Haruto was clueless and couldn't grasp what Tsunade was saying.
He did it on purpose.
Since Tsunade was the one who suggested incorporating chakra into hypnosis, and since she far surpassed him in both chakra understanding and usage, it was best to let her take the lead. Haruto's own knowledge of chakra was limited—his power had mostly come from consuming ability cards rather than rigorous training. Given the circumstances, having Tsunade drive the discussion while he provided guidance for her thoughts was the best way to maximize their discoveries.
Over an hour later…
"Ding! Through an in-depth discussion with Tsunade, the host has gained extraordinary insight and received 17 'Unknown Card Fragments.'"
More unknown card fragments!
Haruto became even more focused. Despite the many flaws in his hypnosis technique, the addition of chakra should bring some noticeable changes.
Two more hours passed…
"Ding! Through an in-depth discussion with Tsunade, the host has gained extraordinary insight and received 21 'Unknown Card Fragments.'"
Twenty-one!
That was more than the nineteen he had previously received. Altogether, Haruto had now collected fifty-seven unknown card fragments—just forty-three more, and he would reach the 100% threshold needed to synthesize a complete card!
"System, why am I earning so many fragments this time? It's more than when Tsunade was teaching me ninjutsu, and sometimes, those lessons were even shorter."
"Ding! Answering the host's question: The host had already mastered hypnosis years ago. While it may seem like rapid progress now, it is actually due to the host's strong foundation in the subject. The host has an exceptional understanding of hypnosis, while Tsunade has reached an unparalleled level in chakra manipulation. The two of you complement each other perfectly, which leads to greater insights during discussions."
"I see…" Haruto understood now.
Since he already knew hypnosis, his progress was naturally fast. If he and Tsunade were attempting to develop an entirely new technique from scratch, it would be significantly harder—possibly even impossible.
One hour later…
"Ding! Through an in-depth discussion with Tsunade, the host has gained extraordinary insight and received 13 'Unknown Card Fragments.'"
Another thirteen fragments! That brought his total to seventy!
"It's working, it's working! Look, it really creates an illusionary effect!" Tsunade suddenly exclaimed in excitement, holding up her hand to show Haruto. The pendant hanging from her finger swayed, appearing to twist and spin in a bizarre way—an effect created by chakra.
Haruto studied it carefully. It did indeed create a disorienting sensation.
However, this level alone wasn't enough to hypnotize someone completely.
"Hmm… very good! Lady Tsunade, you truly have talent! If we successfully refine this technique, I'll share my method for making people answer any question under hypnosis, and we can research it together," Haruto said with a smile, deciding to motivate her further.
Tsunade's eyes lit up!
Two days ago, when she had witnessed Haruto hypnotize Sameza, she had been utterly captivated. Throughout their journey, she had persistently teased and provoked him, claiming he was keeping secrets from her, all in an attempt to make him share his techniques. But Haruto had never promised her anything.
Now, he finally did!
Behind Haruto, Jiraiya, who had been dozing against the cave wall, suddenly sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He glanced at the two of them and asked groggily, "How long was I asleep?"
"About…" Tsunade looked out at the torrential downpour outside the cave. "Five hours."
When they had entered the cave to rest, it had been morning. Now it was afternoon, and the sky was dim.
"Hmm… that's enough!" Jiraiya rubbed his face before standing up. "Let's get moving!"
"Alright!" Tsunade stood up as well.
"No way…" Haruto protested, glancing outside. "The heavy rain makes it unsuitable for traveling long distances. Besides, we haven't even eaten yet. Shouldn't we at least wait a little? Find something to eat and set off after the rain lets up?"
Haruto was just making excuses. He wanted to synthesize his card today. If they left now, who knew when they would stop to rest again? Discussing techniques while traveling was impractical.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged looks before Tsunade spoke first. "You're right. We should eat something first. Do we have any food left?"
"Not enough for all of us," Jiraiya replied, turning toward the cave entrance. "I'll go find something. There should be some wild fruit nearby. I just woke up anyway; this will help me freshen up. You two wait here."
With that, he formed a seal and vanished from the cave.
"Alright, let's continue!" Haruto urged eagerly.
Jiraiya returned within half an hour, carrying a sack filled with various wild fruits.
The three of them began eating. Meanwhile, Haruto and Tsunade didn't stop their discussion—it didn't interfere with eating. Jiraiya, on the other hand, simply watched them, looking interested but unsure of how to join in.
Half an hour later…
"Ding! Through an in-depth discussion with Tsunade, the host has gained extraordinary insight and received 16 'Unknown Card Fragments.'"
Another hour passed, and the sun was setting.
"Ding! Through an in-depth discussion with Tsunade, the host has gained extraordinary insight and received 16 'Unknown Card Fragments.'"
One hundred and two fragments in total!
Enough!