Chapter 14 Yin and Yang

The force was so powerful that it disappeared in just a split second, and before Naruto could react, it was gone.

He could feel that it contained enormous energy, and just a little bit was enough for him to feel its presence.

He focused his attention on the base of his spine, where a dormant energy lay.

He had a feeling this chakra wouldn't surrender to him easily, but he had found the key, and just like before, he knew what it wanted.

This time, when the chakra erupted, it didn't flow through him, but instead it raged with him, against him.

It crackled and rampaged, swirling along his nerves, leaving a trail of raw, intense energy in its wake.

He could feel its rage, but when he soothed it with calm, it became as sharp as a knife - deadly and sharp.

It tore through him with such force that his lungs ached, but when it was over he felt like a thundercloud ready to burst, dark and dense and full of power.

He opened his eyes and saw Kurama sniffing around him, as if checking if he was injured.

"You okay, kid?" he asked, a hint of concern in his tone.

Naruto nodded quickly, he was indeed fine, but...

"Is lightning chakra always associated with pain?"

Jiu Lama sighed and took a few steps back, but didn't go far.

"Unfortunately, the things that make us miserable often make us stronger."

"Is that why you are so strong?"

The fox's eyes widened a little, but soon softened again, with a hint of sadness in them.

“That’s why you become stronger.”

This is an ambiguous answer and makes no sense.

"But I'm not strong enough, not yet."

"That's not the kind of power I'm talking about."

Naruto wanted to ask something else, but Kurama had already stood up, walked around him, and gently nudged his back with his translucent nose.

"Okay, kid, you want to train, don't you? Get up now."

"Wait!" Naruto screamed, jumped up, and almost activated the Tailed Beast Mode.

"Didn't you say that chakra has seven attributes? What are the other two? Tell me now!"

Jiu Lama snorted, turned around and faced him.

"I thought you hadn't even noticed."

Naruto crossed his arms.

"Say it."

Jiu Lama smiled.

"Don't worry, kid, it's very simple. Remember I said that the balance of nature is maintained by the five basic attributes of chakra?"

"Hmm." He responded nonchalantly, and Jiu Lama tapped him lightly on the head because of his attitude.

"Well, megalomaniac, the balance in the body is maintained by the other two types of chakras, Yin Chakra and Yang Chakra. They are always flowing in your body, so you don't need to look for them deliberately. They flow through your chakra meridian system. They are the two types of chakras that ninjas rely on the most."

"But what are they for? What do they look like?" Naruto demanded, following Kurama as he slowly walked into the center of the clearing.

"Essentially, although they use the same chakra system, these two types of chakra are completely different. Yin attribute chakra is a symbol of the spirit and represents emotions, while Yang attribute chakra is a symbol of the body and represents reality. They are the basis of illusion and physical skills respectively, just like the five basic attributes of chakra are the basis of ninjutsu."

Naruto nodded.

"I think I understand. Yang-attribute chakra is related to the body, so it is used for fighting and the like, while Yin-attribute chakra is related to the mind and emotions, so it is used for illusions."

"You understand it better than I expected."

Naruto made a face.

"My illusion skills are terrible."

"We'll practice," Kurama whispered, urging Naruto forward.

"Wait! I have another question."

Jiu Lama sighed again.

"Ask quickly, we don't have much time."

"What is the chakra in the heart?"

Jiu Lama was stunned for a moment, with confusion written all over his face.

"Why do you ask that?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head out of habit.

"Well, I first noticed it when I was sensing water attribute chakra, and then I felt it again when I was sensing lightning attribute chakra. It feels very different to me. I can feel its presence, but it doesn't belong to any one attribute."

"You're saying that you unexpectedly felt the chakra channel in your heart?"

Naruto blinked.

"Uh… yeah? Maybe? I don't know."

Jiu Lama patted his chest.

"The chakra system at the heart is different from any chakra you know because it does not exist alone."

"Ok?"

"From the perspective of chakra, the heart has another name - the hub. It is the only way for all chakras to pass through. The reason why you think the chakra channel there is strange is that the heart does not have only one chakra channel, but six. These channels are thinner and narrower, but there are thousands of branches intertwined with each other."

"I see. So it doesn't have its own chakra because the chakra inside is always flowing?"

"That's right. And there's another thing you may find very interesting. Unlike other chakra channels, the chakra channel in the heart can grow."

"Grow like tree roots? And then allow more chakra to pass through?"

Jiu Lama glared at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"You are really gifted in this area. I was planning to tell you this later, but it's good to tell you now. Maybe it will help you look at the problem from a different perspective." He drew a circle at the position of Naruto's heart with his claws. "The more chakra channels you open, the more power you can extract. The more power you extract, the greater the pressure on the chakra channels in the heart. This will cause them to grow continuously to adapt to this pressure. Do you understand what I mean?"

Naruto nodded, stress also makes muscles stronger- that's what training is all about, so it makes sense.

"If you can fully expand your chakra system to include earth, water, fire, wind, lightning, as well as the Yin and Yang chakras in your body, then you will be able to use two types of chakras at the same time."

"Wait, wait." Naruto crossed his arms dramatically, "You mean, it's possible to use multiple types of chakra in one technique?"

"Well, it's more complicated than you think. Some properties of chakra cannot coexist, and there are many things you need to learn, but in general, yes, it can be achieved."

"Can we start training now?"

"Oh, you want to train now?" Kurama drawled out his voice, with a hint of teasing in his tone, but he still pushed Naruto to the open space by the water.