71-75

Chapter 71: The Maltose Equation  

"This is going to be a crucial trump card."  

Umino Yoru carefully stored the box of three-colored pills, paying special attention to the yellow curry-flavored one.  

The side effects were brutal—even with the Gluttony Technique’s insane recovery, taking it would leave him wrecked. But the tenfold amplification of his chakra? Absolutely worth it.  

At his current reserves (a measly 0.4 "Kakashi units"), a tenfold boost would rocket him to 4x Kakashi’s chakra—enough to spam Big Ball Rasengans like candy.  

"The Rasengan’s basically done, but the Maltose Binding Rope… progress is sluggish."  

The contrast was painful.  

Originally, he’d been proud of the C-rank secret technique’s development pace—a few more months, and it’d be complete.  

But after reverse-engineering the A-rank Rasengan in under a day? This felt unacceptable.  

A New Approach 

"How to speed this up…?"  

Then it hit him—the same method he’d used for the Rasengan and Sonic Radar Jutsu:  

1. Skip to the result.  

1. Reverse-engineer the principles. 

"Maltose Prison first, Binding Rope later."  

The Maltose Prison consumed more chakra, but that meant more room for experimentation.  

The Experiment 

"Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu!"  

A shadow clone conjured a small, solid water prison (about the size of a washbasin). Under chakra propulsion, it began spinning rapidly.  

He poured in a bowl of maltose syrup.  

The syrup merged seamlessly with the water—thickening it into a viscous, sticky mass that slowed rotation to a crawl.  

"All hands on deck."  

Eight shadow clones placed their hands on the prison, channeling chakra in unison.  

"Rotate!"  

Ten minutes later—the syrup began reverting to water, its color lightening.  

But Umino Yoru ’s focus wasn’t on the reversal.  

A tiny bubble had formed at the prison’s core.  

Discovery: The Gas 

"Does reversing maltose produce gas?"  

He collected the bubble’s contents and tested it:  

• Extinguished burning cotton instantly.  

• Not carbon monoxide.  

• Reacted with syrup like soda bubbles. 

"Chemical analysis time."  

A quick Earth-Style: Underground Lab later, he confirmed:  

CO₂.  

Reverse maltose conversion released carbon dioxide.  

The Second Test 

This time, he converted water to maltose (with great difficulty).  

Another gas emerged.  

Cotton test: Violent combustion.  

"Oxygen."  

Thus, the reactions were:  

1. Water → Maltose: Consumes CO₂, releases O₂.  

1. Maltose → Water: Releases CO₂, consumes O₂. 

"Just like photosynthesis… but with chakra."  

The chemical equation crystallized in his mind:  

12CO₂ + 11H₂O + Chakra → C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ (maltose) + 12O₂  

Unexpected Insight: Gluttony Technique Upgrade 

"Wait… this is exactly what my Gluttony Technique does!"  

The technique:  

1. Breaks down food into glucose.  

1. Burns it with oxygen to produce chakra, water, and CO₂. 

"I just reverse-engineered metabolism."  

The implications were staggering—this could refine Gluttony 2.0’s efficiency.  

"Hidden treasures are buried in every jutsu…"  

Umino Yoru grinned. The path to power wasn’t just about training—it was about understanding.  

Chapter 72: Gluttony Technique 2.5  

The revelation from the Malt Syrup Chakra Reaction Formula had given Umino Yoru a clear direction for refining his Gluttony Technique.  

By delving deeper into its underlying principles, he could optimize the process of converting food into chakra—shifting from a rough, macro-level understanding to a precise, micro-level control.  

"This is definitely the right path."  

After repeated experiments, Yoru confirmed his hypothesis: the improved Gluttony Technique required less food to produce the same amount of chakra.  

Not only did this boost efficiency, but it also reduced strain on his digestive system—a critical advantage for long-term training.  

"Still room for improvement."  

Though the technique had advanced significantly, it hadn’t yet undergone a qualitative leap. For now, he dubbed it Gluttony Technique 2.5—a substantial upgrade, but the final breakthrough would require another spark of inspiration.  

"At least my food consumption’s finally under control."  

He pulled out a honey-infused energy bar, savoring it slowly. Even without wolfing it down, his chakra replenished rapidly.  

Skreee—!  

The cry of his companion, Shiro, echoed as the giant falcon swooped in, drawn by the scent. Ever since tasting the honey bars, Shiro had developed a preference for them over fish.  

But with limited supplies, Yoru could only offer sugar-based energy cubes, using his improved Gluttony Technique to aid the bird’s digestion.  

Since upgrading to Version 2.5, Shiro had grown exponentially—transitioning from a fledgling to a full-fledged young avian summon. Though still weak in combat, the bird had shed its "ordinary beast" label, now weighing over 120 pounds.  

Given that avian summons could typically carry 2-3 times their weight, Shiro could now briefly ferry an adult shinobi.  

"For sustained flight, though, the load shouldn’t exceed its own weight."  

Meaning:  

• Inuzuka Ryō (lightweight) = No issue.  

• Yoru (adult build) = 10-minute max.  

• Teammates (heavyweights) = Not happening. 

"You’ve got to grow faster, Shiro. Our survival in the Second War might depend on you."  

He patted the falcon’s head and fed it another sugar cube.  

Suddenly, he noticed something in Shiro’s beak—a bee, but one far larger than usual, almost the size of a ping-pong ball.  

Instead of eating it, Shiro dropped the insect into Yoru ’s palm, chirping excitedly.  

"You’re getting smarter."  

The bird’s intelligence had clearly jumped from a 3-4-year-old’s level to that of a 7-8-year-old. Now it was even hunting for honey bribes.  

"Lead the way."  

Yoru grabbed Shiro’s talons as the bird took off, then flipped onto its back. Channeling chakra to his feet for stability, they soared toward the northeast.  

Thirty minutes later, after dodging patrols with Subsonic Radar, they reached a high-altitude forest.  

There, clinging to a colossal tree, was a beehive—ten times larger than Yoru ’s previous find.  

"Wood bees. And… chakra signatures?"  

His Ultrasonic Radar detected hundreds of thousands of insects, with nearly a hundred fist-sized bees emitting distinct chakra.  

Skreee!  

Shiro, remembering the honey’s sweetness, dove recklessly toward the hive.  

Yoru smirked but didn’t stop it. "Let it learn the hard way."  

Though the chakra-infused bees were individually weak (below genin level), their sheer numbers overwhelmed Shiro. The falcon retreated, its body studded with venomous stingers.  

"Tch. Should’ve known."  

Thanks to its desert hawk lineage, Shiro’s defenses minimized the damage—superficial wounds, but the toxins induced paralysis.  

Then the swarm turned on Yoru .  

"Ultrasonic Pest Repulsion!"  

Even at maximum output, the jutsu barely deterred the summon-grade bees.  

"Fine. Let’s escalate."  

Hand Seal → Tiger.  

"Subsonic Shockwave!"  

BOOM.  

A crushing vibration rippled through the air. Instantly, tens of thousands of bees dropped like rain.  

Chapter 73: Sticky Syrup Armor  

Ordinary bees would have been completely helpless against the ultrasonic shockwaves, but these chakra-infused wooden bees remained largely unaffected.  

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—  

A barrage of venomous stingers rained down like a storm of senbon, striking relentlessly.  

"Not good!"  

Umino Yoru 's expression darkened as he swiftly moved to defend himself.  

However, he didn’t resort to the Water Prison Technique or the Water Wall. Instead, he formed a single hand seal—the Boar Seal.  

"Water Release: Sticky Syrup Armor!"  

Instantly, a layer of hardened syrup encased his body like golden armor.  

Clang, clang, clang!  

The venomous stingers struck his body but were deflected by the syrup armor.  

Crack—  

The armor splintered under the assault, clearly taking heavy damage.  

"Hmph, the defense needs improvement."  

Umino Yoru shook his head. Compared to Gaara’s Sand Armor—or even Kidomaru’s Spider Sticky Gold Armor from the Sound Four—this syrup armor was far inferior.  

At the very least, Kidomaru’s armor could withstand Neji’s Sixty-Four Palms, while his own could only block a single wave of kunai and shuriken before shattering, forcing him to reapply it.  

"Shockwave!"  

With no other choice, Umino Yoru unleashed another ultrasonic blast at full power, targeting the surviving wooden bees.  

True to their nature as chakra-enhanced creatures, the bees were only knocked to the ground, not fully incapacitated. After shaking off the dizziness, they took to the air again—this time attacking even more fiercely.  

Another high-powered shockwave sent them crashing down once more.  

Without wasting a second, Umino Yoru weaved four hand seals—Snake, Boar, Monkey, Dog—in under a second.  

"Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field!"  

A thick, sticky syrup spewed from his mouth, coating the ground and trapping the stubborn bees. The more they struggled, the more entangled they became, rendering them flightless.  

"Water Release: Sticky Syrup Armor!"  

Before harvesting the honey, he reinforced his defense, layering himself in syrup armor again to avoid any mishaps.  

But just as he began cutting into the honeycomb, a three-inch-long stinger shot out from the golden hive!  

"Heh." Umino Yoru smirked.  

Thanks to his Ultrasonic Radar Perception, any ambush was laid bare before him.  

With a flick of his kunai, he effortlessly deflected the stinger.  

"Water Release: Syrup Binding Rope!"  

Forming another seal, a whip-like rope of syrup materialized in his hand. With a sharp swing, he lashed it at the golden hive, ensnaring the queen bee inside.  

The honey harvest took over half an hour. After collecting everything, he left behind about ten pounds of syrup malt before descending the giant tree and approaching Shiro.  

"Learned your lesson now, huh?"  

He fed Shiro some royal jelly, then carefully removed all the stingers embedded in its body, applying more jelly to neutralize the venom.  

"Hmm? These stingers are pretty high-quality."  

Umino Yoru realized that the stingers were as durable as steel senbon—and even came with a paralyzing toxin. They’d make excellent projectile weapons.  

He gathered as many as he could, especially those fired by the chakra-infused bees. Surprisingly, despite losing their stingers, the bees showed no signs of dying—likely due to the natural energy of the ninja world.  

Once he released the syrup technique, the bees immediately resumed their assault, buzzing furiously.  

"Shiro, stop eating them! Let’s go!"  

He smacked the vengeful bird’s head, forcing it to stop pecking at the unconscious bees. As soon as Umino Yoru retreated, Shiro flapped its stinging wings and fled.  

The bees, relentless in their pursuit, chased them for several kilometers before finally giving up.  

Passing through the white kidney nut forest, Umino Yoru only grabbed a few pounds of nuts before hurrying back to his patrol zone.  

Just as he neared his assigned area, he spotted an unusual patrol squad.  

What made them interesting? Two of its members were Fujin and Raijin—the infamous, dim-witted brothers who followed Tsunade. The third member was a frail-looking girl, Anma Keion, around thirteen or fourteen. Their squad leader was a chunin named Yamikumo.  

This "Yamikumo Patrol Team" was stationed directly behind his sector, serving as a secondary defensive line along the Shinano River.  

Umino Yoru initially planned to leave unnoticed—until he noticed something off.  

Fujin and Raijin seemed ready to kill their teammates over food.  

So he stayed to observe.  

"If you don’t give me food, I’ll kill you!"  

Raijin swung his massive club, smashing a crater into the ground beside Yamikumo.  

"Raijin, I swear, I don’t have any food left! Search me if you don’t believe me!"  

Trembling, Yamikumo turned out his pockets, desperately trying to calm the enraged giant.  

"You must’ve eaten it! I’ll kill you!"  

Seeing no food, Raijin’s fury erupted.  

Yamikumo stammered, "It wasn’t me! The mission rewards are just smaller now!"  

"Liar! Before, missions meant full bellies. Now, we starve. You stole it!"  

Raijin might’ve been simple-minded, but he knew one thing—missions used to mean food.  

Fujin, equally furious, raised his own club and growled, "Raijin’s right. Higher-rank missions should mean more food!"  

He wasn’t any smarter, but he understood that C-rank missions should provide more than D-rank ones.  

"Listen, Fujin, Raijin—we’re on the frontlines now! It’s dangerous! If we don’t bribe the officers, we’ll get sent on deadly missions! They take 30% from the mission office, 10-50% from dispatch, 20% from the commanders, and another 10% in taxes! There’s barely anything left!"  

But the brothers couldn’t grasp such complexities. All they knew was—someone had stolen their food.  

And they were ready to kill for it. 

Chapter 74: Fujin and Raijin  

"You still say you didn’t steal our food?"  

Raijin swung his massive club, grazing the top of Yamikumo ’s head before smashing into the ground beside him—leaving yet another crater.  

"Raijin, I really didn’t steal anything! Like I said, the frontlines are dangerous, and missions are like this—you have to grease a few palms to get by. Why can’t you understand?"  

Yamikumo kept explaining, but it was useless. His voice trembled with fear, on the verge of tears. Facing two monstrous brutes who looked ready to devour him alive, anyone would be terrified. At any moment, his skull could be crushed like a melon.  

"Your math is wrong!" Raijin shook his head stupidly, his anger fading slightly as confusion took over. His intelligence, usually nonexistent, suddenly sharpened when it came to food. "We… doing… high-rank mission now?"  

Even though the Fujin and Raijins were idiots, when it came to food quantities, their brains kicked into gear—reaching the level of an eight or nine-year-old. And of course, higher-rank missions meant better rewards. Even a fool knew that.  

"Yes."  

Before Yamikumo could elaborate, Raijin pressed on: "High-rank mission… more food?"  

"Yes, but—"  

"More food, still hungry! You steal!" Fujin roared, cutting him off. "I kill you!"  

At this moment, their roles seemed reversed—Fujin sounded like a furious genius, his logic razor-sharp, while Yamikumo cowered like a bumbling coward who couldn’t even do basic math.  

As Fujin’s club came crashing down toward his skull, Yamikumo blurted out: "The Logistics Division took your food! They skimmed off the rewards—this is all that was left!"  

The club stopped just inches from his forehead.  

Not out of mercy—but because Fujin finally understood.  

"Who… took our food?"  

The earlier logic had been too complex, but now, hearing it plainly, Fujin got it. It wasn’t Yamikumo who stole—it was some "Logistics bug" who took their share.  

Raijin, having listened more carefully, grabbed Yamikumo by the collar and lifted him off the ground. "Name! Where?! I kill him!"  

"Who dares steal my food?!" Fujin snatched Yamikumo from his brother and shook him violently, like a ragdoll.  

"Cough—! Raijin, I never said anything!" Yamikumo ’s face turned deathly pale—whether from the brutal shaking or sheer terror at what he’d just revealed.  

When Yamikumo refused to name names, the Fujin and Raijins turned their attention to the other teammate—Anma Anma, who was already weak with hunger.  

After a round of intimidation:  

"The ‘Logistics bugs’… aren’t one person. It’s a whole group."  

Anma, unable to withstand their threats, crumbled and explained: Konoha had distributed plenty of food—but the village took most of it back, leaving only scraps.  

"Village… steal my food?"  

"Village is thief!"  

Fujin and Raijins’ simple minds processed this with brutal clarity.  

"Fujin… can’t beat village. How get food back?" Raijin, having spent his life bullying others for food, understood the hierarchy of power. If they weren’t strong enough, they couldn’t reclaim what was taken.  

"Lady Tsunade strong! She beat village! We find her!"  

"Yes! Find Lady Tsunade!"  

They immediately prepared to abandon their posts—and their teammates—to seek Tsunade’s help in reclaiming their stolen food.  

"You can’t go!" Yamikumo panicked.  

This wasn’t just about breaking the Logistics Division’s unspoken rules—this was about dragging him into the fire. No, worse than fire. If the higher-ups found out he had set the Fujin and Raijins on them, his entire family would suffer. He knew exactly how ruthless those "honorable" Logistics officials could be.  

Seeing no way to stop them, Yamikumo played his last card:  

"Wait! I’ll get you food! I’ll trade for soldier pills at the supply post!"  

At the mention of soldier pills, the two behemoths halted. They knew from experience that those pills could stave off hunger.  

"Captain, you can’t sell more weapons! Without tools, we’ll lose all control over them!" Anma protested.  

"It’s too late, Anma. We’re no match for them now."  

Yamikumo slumped in defeat. If only he hadn’t sold off their weapons bit by bit for food, if only he hadn’t starved himself to this state—maybe he could’ve restrained them early on.  

His entire combat strength lay in his mechanical tools. Without them, he was a toothless tiger. And Anma’s genjutsu? Useless against the Fujin and Raijins in their hunger-fueled rage.  

"Captain, maybe we could hunt—"  

"Shut up! Do you want them to hear?!" Yamikumo hissed. "Last time we broke field regulations, we nearly died on that suicide mission! Have you forgotten?"  

Besides, all the game in their patrol zone had long been devoured raw by the two monsters. Hunting outside their sector? That was an even worse offense than cooking in secret.  

"Sigh… If only I were a sensor-nin." Anma gave up.  

"I’m going to the supply post. Keep them here."  

With that, Yamikumo sprinted off.  

Hidden in the distance, Hayano Yoru observed the situation. Seeing the Fujin and Raijins momentarily pacified, he prepared to leave.  

But then—  

"Big bird! I eat big bird!"  

Fujin’s sharp eyes locked onto Dabai, who had just taken flight.  

WHOOSH!  

Without hesitation, Fujin hurled his club like a javelin straight at the retreating hawk.  

Chapter 75: Capturing the Meal Ticket  

As soon as Fūjin hurled his spear-like club, he snatched up rocks from the ground and started pelting Dabai (Great White).  

Clearly, while Fūjin might’ve been simple-minded, his hunting instincts were sharp—and his strength was nothing to scoff at.  

Beside him, Raijin was just as excited, drool dripping from his mouth as he grabbed rocks and hurled them with reckless abandon, determined to take down this massive, plump desert hawk.  

The stones flew like cannonballs, whistling through the air.  

"Kreeee!"  

Dabai, provoked, had no intention of fleeing. Instead, it stubbornly tried to fight back—still smarting from its earlier humiliation by the Wooden Bees, it was desperate to reclaim its dignity as a high-tier summon.  

But reality was harsh.  

Despite giving its all, Dabai was completely outmatched by Fūjin and Raijin. If not for its natural speed, it would’ve already been smashed into the ground.  

Realizing it stood no chance, Dabai swiftly flew back to *Umino Yoru *, seeking aid.  

But *Umino Yoru * had no interest in unnecessary conflict. He immediately prepared to leave with Dabai, wanting to avoid trouble.  

Fūjin and Raijin, however, refused to give up. They chased relentlessly, closing in on the frontlines’ defensive zone.  

Left with no choice, *Umino Yoru * halted and quickly performed a Transformation Jutsu, altering his appearance before weaving hand signs at blinding speed.  

"Water Style: Syrup Capture Rope!"  

A thick, sticky syrup rope surged forward, coiling around Fūjin and Raijin and binding them together. To ensure they couldn’t break free, he wrapped several extra layers around them.  

Then, channeling more chakra, he altered the syrup’s properties further.  

"Solidify!"  

The syrup rope rapidly darkened, hardening into golden rings of candy—trapping the brothers inside what looked like massive, coiled tires.  

"Let us go!" 

"We wanna eat the big bird!"  

They thrashed with all their might, but the hardened syrup ropes were far tougher than ordinary Water Whips. This technique wasn’t just dozens of times thicker—it was also far more durable.  

Of course, it wasn’t without flaws. Unlike Water Whips, the syrup couldn’t conduct Lightning Release for an electrified follow-up attack. But that hardly mattered—once trapped, shocking them would’ve just been a waste of chakra anyway.  

After struggling fruitlessly, Fūjin and Raijin finally calmed down.  

"Fūjin… this is candy. Tasty candy."  

Raijin, realizing the golden rings were made of the same sweet treat Lady Tsunade had once given them, eagerly stuck out his tongue and started licking.  

"So sweet! So good!"  

Fūjin, catching on, immediately joined in, their anger forgotten as they happily devoured the candy trapping them.  

"Heh." Umino Yoru smirked in amusement.  

The syrup ropes, formed through Water Release chakra transformation, were chemically identical to real candy—perfectly edible.  

At one point, he’d even considered mass-producing and selling them… until he did the math and realized it wasn’t worth the effort.  

Syrup Formula: 

12CO + 11H₂O + Chakra → C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁ + 12O₂  

Producing syrup via ninjutsu required chakra, which in turn required food energy conversion—a process with inherent inefficiencies. Even with his Gluttony Technique 2.5, he only achieved a 35% conversion rate.  

Sage chakra, drawing on natural energy, might’ve made it feasible… but the mental and time costs still made it impractical.  

Still, the idea wasn’t useless—it hinted at a future where industrialized natural energy harvesting could solve food shortages across the ninja world.  

With Fūjin and Raijin restrained, Umino Yoru prepared to leave, wanting nothing to do with Anma Kayone.  

But then—  

"Fūjin, don’t let him go!" 

"Raijin, if we catch him, we’ll have endless candy!"  

The brothers, realizing *Umino Yoru * was the source of their treat, decided to capture him—so he could make candy for them forever.  

"No! Don’t take our candy!" 

"Our candy…!"  

Watching him leave felt like watching mountains of syrup vanish before their eyes. Their fury ignited, eyes blazing with rage.  

CRACK!  

With a deafening snap, the hardened syrup ropes shattered under their sheer brute strength.  

"Huh?" Umino Yoru turned back, startled.  

The Syrup Capture Rope was strong enough to restrain even jōnin—only elite taijutsu specialists like Might Dai or the Raikage could break free.  

Yet these two genin had done it effortlessly.  

Physically, they were at least special jōnin-level—maybe even higher when enraged.  

But their lack of intelligence dragged their overall combat effectiveness down to average chūnin level.  

Still, Umino Yoru didn’t underestimate them. If they got their hands on him, he’d be as good as trapped.  

"Sonic Pulse!"  

Forming the Tiger seal, he unleashed a high-powered infrasonic shockwave.  

"Guh—!" 

"Blegh…!"  

Though not knocked out, Fūjin and Raijin stumbled, dizzy and nauseous, vomiting up half-digested leaves and grass.  

Horrified at losing their meal, they clamped their mouths shut—refusing to let more food escape.  

But as they stared at the puddle of vomit, their stomachs growling in protest, their rage reached a boiling point.