The "Tushi" clone was successfully created. Similarly, two shadow clones, "Tushi No. 1" and "Tushi No. 2," existed within the sealed space.
Earth and stone training continued as the necessary secondary chakra was extracted, followed by casting a shadow clone.
Uchiha Kiyo sealed the shadow clone and stored it in his ninja pouch.
"Alright, you can go."
"Wait! There's one more thing.
Before the two of you disperse, if I can maintain your existence, it's fine. But if I can't, you must notify me in advance. Otherwise, if your memories suddenly return to me while I'm already receiving feedback from other shadow clones, it could cause complications."
At that moment, Uchiha Kiyo realized the potential danger.
The number of memory shocks he could endure simultaneously was limited. Currently, he had four active clones, and the additional six shadow clones in the sealed space exceeded his maximum limit of five. Moreover, because of the secondary shadow clones, the memory load was greater than that of standard shadow clones. If all of them dispersed at once, it could overwhelm him. Even if only two clones disbanded right after intensive training, the memory influx could still cause instability.
So, it was better to issue a warning in advance.
The same applied to Ma Jia—he needed to be informed to avoid unexpected accidents.
Retrieving Ma Jia's shadow clone, which had been previously sealed, Uchiha Kiyo relayed the message. The clone then used the annihilation and restoration technique, allowing Uchiha Kiyo to restore him before sealing him once more.
Leaving behind a shadow clone made communication between Uchiha Kiyo and his clones more efficient.
The method remained unchanged.
However, the shadow clones created using secondary chakra weren't linked through the soul.
Instead, they seemed to be connected through spiritual energy.
This difference meant that these clones couldn't create additional clones.
Nevertheless, Uchiha Kiyo's annihilation and restoration technique still worked.
The mysterious nature of spiritual energy intrigued Uchiha Kiyo once more.
Spiritual energy could enable long-distance message transmission!
He made a mental note to study this phenomenon further.
There were numerous applications for spiritual energy. Previously, Kiyo had explored it briefly, but existing literature had little concrete information. Most studies focused on physical energy.
At present, Uchiha Kiyo's understanding of spiritual energy was still in its early stages.
It remained an abstract, conceptual force.
"I'll finish setting up my base first. There will be time for research later."
With that thought, Uchiha Kiyo dove back into the river, utilizing the Water Movement Technique to travel south.
Why move through the water?
Because it was faster.
Using ninjutsu on the water would cause chakra to leak and be detected. However, underwater, the chakra quickly dispersed, making it untraceable.
His journey continued southward, from rivers to the sea.
After passing through the Land of Tea and traveling for another day, Uchiha Kiyo finally reached his destination.
The entire trip took four days.
The two massive islands rivaled the main island of the Land of Water in size. How did the Land of Rainbows possess such vast territory?
It was surprising that the Land of Water hadn't seized this area, yet the Land of Rainbows wasn't considered a major nation.
Upon arriving, Uchiha Kiyo quickly understood why.
Or rather, he didn't even reach the Land of Rainbows but the surrounding sea area.
That alone provided enough clues.
The region was barren.
The sea was harsh, filled with reefs and constant storms. Most sea creatures were enormous and highly aggressive.
For merchant ships, safe passage without a Jonin escort was nearly impossible.
Even with a Jonin, cargo safety wasn't guaranteed.
The Rainbow Country's coastline likely suffered from continuous storms and tsunamis as well.
Despite the large landmass, its resources were likely less than half of what the Wind Country had.
Thinking back, Uchiha Kiyo realized there were no black market branches in this area either.
"So, the environment here is really that terrible? Should I have gone to the Land of Snow instead?"
Unwilling to give up, Uchiha Kiyo decided to explore further.
Surely, in such a vast sea, there had to be at least one place with a better environment.
For two days, he scouted the region until he finally found a decent island on the outskirts of the sea area.
It was positioned near the lower right quadrant of the map, centered within the circular sea region.
The island wasn't very large—about the size of a third-tier city—but it had high elevation, minimizing the risk of tsunamis.
"After surveying the island, it's not bad. The surrounding environment is also more favorable.
The only downside is that it's slightly closer to the Land of Fire than I expected, flanked by the two main islands of the Rainbow Country."
After inspecting the entire island, Uchiha Kiyo was satisfied.
There was wildlife.
That was the best part.
While scouting, he had encountered over a dozen beasts and plenty of vegetation.
The nearby waters were also rich with fish—albeit large and aggressive. But that wasn't a problem.
They were still edible.
"This place will do."
With that decision made, Uchiha Kiyo carefully surveyed the island's terrain and found a suitable flat area.
"The soil here is stable enough. I'll build my house and laboratory here."
He formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Great Villa Technique!"
…
Ahem.
The name was a bit exaggerated.
Uchiha Kiyo's shape transformation skills weren't fully refined yet, meaning his constructions wouldn't be permanent. Instead, they were more like solid rock and compacted earth.
Still, a "villa" was erected.
Given his level of control, Uchiha Kiyo built a modest two-story structure.
The upper floor housed his study and bedroom, while the lower floor consisted of a simple two-room-and-living-space layout.
A large courtyard extended around the building, though it was mostly symbolic. After all, the entire island belonged to Uchiha Kiyo—it was essentially his backyard.
The reinforced earth and stone used in construction ensured stability, so there was no concern about the structure collapsing.
Heading to the first floor, Uchiha Kiyo used Earth Release once more to dig a basement, establishing his future research lab.
Nearby, he also manipulated the ground, altering its composition for added security.
"This should do. No need for extravagance.
A true shinobi doesn't concern himself with superficial luxuries."
With his home base secured, Uchiha Kiyo turned his attention to fortifying the island.
As his stronghold, it couldn't risk being discovered easily.
For ordinary people, the treacherous sea conditions alone would prevent accidental visitors. The real concern was ninja.
While few shinobi passed through this region, a sudden burst of chakra from large-scale ninjutsu could still attract unwanted attention.
"To counter that, I'll set up a barrier to mask all chakra emissions."
His decision made, Uchiha Kiyo immediately got to work.
Four shadow clones were dispatched to the island's four corners.
Each began inscribing sealing techniques.
Uchiha Kiyo intended to establish a large-scale barrier formation over the entire island.
The technique he had always used to conceal his chakra would serve as the foundation.
Having studied this particular barrier thoroughly, adapting it into a large-scale formation wasn't an issue. The only challenge was the sheer size of the area.
"This means I'll need to reinforce certain key nodes within the formation."
The benefit of a larger formation was that there was more space to inscribe techniques, reducing the complexity of individual seals.
Before graduating from the Academy, Uchiha Kiyo had specialized in basic sealing techniques. His understanding of layering and reinforcement was extensive.
Now, that knowledge was proving invaluable.
With meticulous precision, he structured the barrier's framework, reinforced key nodes, and interconnected the seals.
It took two full days, with shadow clones constantly cycling in and out due to chakra exhaustion.
At last, the formation was complete.
Would it work?
Activating the formation, Uchiha Kiyo watched as chakra pulsed through the nodes.
The array came to life.
"One chakra point per second?! I can only sustain this for two hours…"
Still, the barrier's effectiveness was undeniable.
"I need to investigate how the major villages power their barriers."
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