Ye Zi shut himself in his room alone and began poring over scrolls detailing sealing techniques. With his exceptional memory, a single read-through was enough to commit the knowledge to heart. After digesting the foundational material, he turned to the scrolls containing specific sealing techniques.
Among the handful of techniques recorded, one in particular caught Ye Zi's attention: Contract Seal. According to its description, this seal could sever the contract between a summoner and their summoned beast.
On the surface, the technique didn't seem particularly useful. However, Ye Zi knew that Nagato's abilities included summoning numerous powerful beasts. If the Contract Seal could forcibly sever Nagato's link to these creatures, it might prove invaluable.
He thought about other scenarios. Suppose an enemy like Minato summoned Gamabunta. If the Contract Seal could not only sever the contract but also immediately return Gamabunta to Mount Myoboku, it would be highly effective. On the other hand, if the summoning creature remained despite the broken contract, Gamabunta would likely continue aiding Minato out of loyalty, making the technique rather useless.
However, if the Contract Seal could indeed banish the summoned beast, it would become a formidable tool capable of instantly neutralizing a significant source of combat power. For Nagato, it would mean eliminating his summoned arsenal.
But Ye Zi's primary interest in the Contract Seal wasn't for combat scenarios; it was for his contract with Shokui.
Even though Shokui had been banished to another dimension, their shared connection through the contract remained intact. Thanks to this link Ye Zi understood Shokui's unrelenting will to survive, one that rivaled even his boundless hunger. Without this assurance, Ye Zi might never have allowed Shokui to remain in exile.
The contract was a double-edged sword: a shared fate where Shokui's death would also mean Ye Zi's end. As long as the contract existed, it felt like a thorn lodged deep in his psyche. If the Contract Seal could sever this tie, it might finally remove that burden.
"Shokui, like me, isn't originally from this world. Whether the seal will work on him is uncertain," Ye Zi mused. "But now that he's been assimilated into this world's system, functioning like a summoned beast with chakra-based abilities, the Contract Seal might just work."
If the seal succeeded, Ye Zi had no intention of outright killing Shokui. Despite his dislike of Shokui, he couldn't deny the creature's potential. However, he knew Shokui would attack the moment their contract was severed, rejecting any notion of a conventional summoning contract.
Ye Zi's greater concern was what Shokui might do without his control. Once free, Shokui who was now deeply entwined with this world could infiltrate the ninja world, devouring one ninja after another. Over time, his strength would grow until nothing in this world could stop him.
The risk was undeniable.
The simplest solution was to kill Shokui outright. But doing so would squander the incredible abilities Shokui possessed. While the saying goes, "You can't have your cake and eat it too," Shokui's abilities were neither mere indulgence nor luxury.
After mulling it over, Ye Zi settled on a potential solution: becoming a jinchūriki.
By sealing Shokui within himself, Ye Zi could harness Shokui's abilities while eliminating the threat of an unrestrained rampage.
"This… could work," Ye Zi murmured to himself.
He temporarily set aside this idea and focused on delving deeper into the sealing techniques.
A Study of Sealing Arts
As time passed, Ye Zi's understanding of sealing techniques grew increasingly profound. He realized that with enough mastery, creating his own seals wouldn't be out of reach.
In combat, sealing techniques had their uses. However, Ye Zi's personal fighting style which was centered around swift, decisive attacks didn't seem particularly compatible. Instead of meticulously setting up a binding seal, it was often faster and more practical to end the fight with a single strike.
For shinobi like Minato, however, sealing techniques were invaluable. Minato's use of Flying Thunder God, paired with his swift and precise combat style, made seals a natural extension of his abilities.
Unbeknownst to Ye Zi, Minato defeated by Ye Zi in their last battle had been considering approaching Kushina for sealing arts training if not for his current overwhelming responsibilities.
The deeper Ye Zi dove into the intricacies of sealing techniques, the more he understood their limitations in relation to his fighting style.
For someone like him, whose attacks prioritized raw power and precision, techniques like Wood Release offered greater versatility. Wood Release bindings could immobilize opponents while simultaneously dealing damage, it was a clear edge over seals in practical combat scenarios.
Still, Ye Zi couldn't entirely discount the value of sealing arts. The right seal, in the right situation, could turn the tide of a battle. And in his fight against Nagato or when dealing with Shokui, such techniques might become indispensable.
However, the advantage of sealing techniques lies in their instant activation and relatively low chakra consumption.
Ye Zi wasn't willing to give up on sealing techniques just yet. He shut himself in his room without eating or drinking, dedicating himself entirely to thinking of ways to enhance his power through their application.
Eventually, one potential method came to mind: combining sealing techniques with ninjutsu. Specifically, he considered a synergy similar to how he had developed Lightning Prison, an extension of his lightning clones.
When Ye Zi originally created the Lightning Prison technique, it was meant to counter close-combat specialists like taijutsu users. When an enemy destroyed his lightning clone with physical attacks, the dissipating energy would attach itself to the enemy. At that moment, Ye Zi could follow up with a lightning-style attack, nearly guaranteeing a hit.
If he could incorporate sealing techniques into this process, it could eliminate the need for the follow-up lightning-style attack. Instead, if the seal and the chakra remnants could perfectly merge, the enemy would trigger the seal the moment they destroyed the lightning clone. The dispersed chakra would contact the enemy and activate the seal.
Ye Zi didn't know if this approach was feasible, but it was an idea worth exploring. Only through experimentation would he know if it could work.
If successful, the moment an enemy triggered the seal, their fate would already be sealed, and bound to death.
Regardless of the specifics, such ideas would take time to develop. Furthermore, before attempting the Contract Seal on Shokui, Ye Zi would need to thoroughly understand the concept of being a jinchūriki. For this, he would need Orochimaru's assistance.
What Ye Zi envisioned wasn't a typical jinchūriki. He wanted to seal Shokui within himself as a tool... A living battery from which he could draw chakra at will. In simpler terms, he wanted Shokui to function like a dairy cow, producing chakra as needed.
If this plan succeeded, it would mean that in future battles, Ye Zi would no longer be constrained by chakra limitations. The freedom to fight without restraint was a tantalizing prospect, and one he was determined to pursue.
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Currently on Chapter 504 - Heading to The Valley of Clouds and Lightning