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In the dimly lit room, bright yellow lights illuminated the space.
This is a relatively simple laboratory. Compared with the underground laboratory in Konoha, the equipment and materials provided by this laboratory wasn't sufficient.
However, it was originally only regarded as a place where supplies could be supplied at any time, so of course, the specifications had to be reduced by one.
This laboratory located in a secret base in the Land of Tea. After sufficient funds, Shiraishi asked the subordinates of the organization to build such a base for supply in many countries.
However, most data points were placed in smaller nations' territories, with only a few in the lands of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Usually the guards in the stronghold will use a special password to communicate.
Inside a massive glass column, the Earth General, General Tu, floated. It was submerged in emerald-green fluid, rich in natural energy, and contained restorative potions to mend its damaged body.
While the General Tu possessed a form of 'immortality,' they were not truly invincible. The explosion had taken a toll, despite their formidable vitality.
Much of the 'earth' had fused back into its body, but a few fragments still floated freely in the solution, gradually healing.
After some time, the laboratory door opened.
The Bug Man walked in from outside.
"This damage... can it be repaired?" He walked to Shiraishi as he approached General Tu's containment unit, curiosity evident as he marveled at the creature's vitality.
"The core of this guy is natural energy, serving as its energy source. During the explosion, it absorbed a vast amount of energy from the surroundings, mitigating much of the blast's force."
"That is to say, as long as the natural energy is not extinguished, does it mean that it won't die?"
The Bug Man was hearing of this for the first time.
Shiraishi smiled, saying, "In theory, yes. However, in practice, there are limits to how much it can endure. Yet, if we integrate stronger chakra in the future, it could achieve my ideal of becoming a perfected cyborg."
The Bug Man may not fully understand, but he understood that Shiraishi's creations, to some extent, stretched the boundaries of what chakra could limit.
What this being might become when fully realized was unpredictable and somewhat worrisome.
However, dwelling on this was futile. As Shiraishi's creator, he had likely embedded controls to prevent betrayal. There would be comprehensive restrictions in place.
General Tu, meanwhile, seemed to be considering something as he looked around the emerald solution with his radiant golden-lighted, black-hole-like eyes. Bubbles escaped his mouth, and he playfully swam within the glass column. Even the resentment in his eyes had lessened.
"Is Konoha aware of your absence? You've been away for quite some time," the Bug Man asked.
"It's fine. These two days are the weekend, and the academy is on break. In another hour, General Tu's body will have fully healed. Then, it will sneak back to Konoha and convey my message. The total time won't exceed ten hours."
Even if something went wrong, Ruri would help keep it concealed. Besides, for a transparent character like himself, the only one who might connect him to the Hokage faction was Tsunade, the Sannin. As for Sakumo, he represented the common people, not wholly aligned with the Hokage faction.
"Have you read the letter sent to you last time?"
Thinking of something, Shiraishi looked at the bug man.
"Yes. Akatsuki members won't maintain contact anymore, and the Land of Rain will be considered a restricted area, with all our bases there taken back."
The Bug Man replied.
Although he had no idea what made Shiraishi make such a decision, as a subordinate, he only needs to execute the order.
"What about the arrangements for the remnants of the Uzumaki Clan?"
"Yesterday, someone sent to them to the Land Of Ghosts. This is their blood and hair."
The Bug man took out two transparent sanitary bags, one with bright red hair, and the other with several tubes of blood.
Shiraishi accepted these, and still believed in the Insect man's ability perform tasks.
Cautious and careful, decisive and sharp, he has the demeanor of a general.
Even some important tasks, Shiraishi left them to him to handle, and which made him ssatisfied with the degree of completion.
"Did they tell the whereabouts of the rest of the Uxumaki survivors?"
Shiraishi felt that the remnants of the Uzumaki clan were likely to maintain contact in secret, and he hoped to find other survivors through the remnants of the Uzumaki clan.
Be it learning the sealing technique or transforming them into combatants, they are much better than ordinary people.
Born with stronger vitality and chakra than ordinary people, they're are very suitable for practicing the senjutsu.
"None of them have revealed anything. But I believe it's only a matter of time," the Bug Man assured.
"You can be sure."
Shiraishi didn't delve into the specifics of handling the "You can be sure." Clan remnants, trusting the Insect Man to handle the details.
At present, the organization had gathered numerous valuable talents, such as blacksmiths, engineers, and doctors, who, despite their significant potential, had fallen into difficult circumstances. Shiraishi let the Bug man and the others recruit them.
Then gather these people at the headquarters at the Land Of Ghosts and work for the organization.
During the primitive accumulation period of the organization, the help provided by these people may not be much, but the primitive accumulation will always be completed one day, and at that time, the organization would truly take off..
Talented individuals from various fields were crucial because their training was far more challenging than that of combatants. While natural energy could be attained swiftly, knowledge and experience required time to accumulate. The prosperity of an organization depended on these ordinary people with extraordinary skills.
"By the way, this is a letter from Shrine Maiden, the witch of the Land of Ghosts, addressed to you, the leader."
The Bug Man produced a letter from his pocket and handed it to Shiraishi.
Having done so, he left the room. As an organization cadre, he had other important tasks to attend to.
With the letter from the Land of Ghosts' witch, Maitreya, Shiraishi couldn't help but display a surprised expression. This letter had something strangely familiar about it—natural energy.
Maitreya, the witch of the Land of Ghosts, did she possess knowledge of natural energy as well?
Shiraishi found himself surprised by the contents of the letter.
He knew that natural energy was not widely understood in the ninja world, and immortality was a matter mostly known to ninjas. However, considering the global human population, the number of ninjas was quite small.
Even among ninja ranks, only a select few were aware of natural energy. Shiraishi didn't believe that natural energy was his exclusive domain, as some legendary creatures and even certain summoned animals had harnessed it before. This instance marked the second existence Shiraishi had encountered that utilized natural energy, aside from himself.
"The witch of the Land of Ghosts..." Shiraishi mused aloud.
Legends claimed that the shrine maiden who held the Land of Ghosts' power possessed the mystical ability to foresee the future. Furthermore, she was said to possess a mysterious sealing jutsu capable of binding ancient demons and monsters.
"It seems that the path of natural energy isn't as lonely as I thought,"
Shiraishi remarked with a smile as he wiped natural energy from the letter and unfolded it. The single line of text on it read: "Be careful of Mount Myōboku." Only five words.
Shiraishi's brow furrowed. "Be careful of Mount Myōboku... What does it mean? Why should I be wary of Mount Myōboku? There shouldn't be any connection between me and Mount Myōboku. Why the warning about toads?"
He recalled the sudden surge in toad populations in Konoha's underground water channels a few years ago. "A witch? Quite an intriguing existence..."
While he didn't entirely believe the contents of the Miko's letter, the sudden increase in toad numbers in Konoha had piqued Ruri's suspicion. She suspected it was the work of one of the Three Sannin, Jiraiya.
Now, Shiraishi's suspicion of Jiraiya's involvement grew stronger. Although he wanted to visit the Land of Ghosts and speak with the witch in person, his responsibilities kept him tied to his current location.
However, a solution did exist. Shiraishi turned his attention to the General Tu, which was currently idling in a massive glass column.
As a communication tool, it was the perfect candidate, with ample free time.
You have to find something to do, move your body a bit, so that your body doesn't rust.
◎
After more than nine hours, he returned to Konoha, nearly into the next day. Today was Sunday, and the academy remained on break. Shiraishi had the freedom to move around at hime.
If it was an ordinary ninja, of course, with this meager income, they wouldnt6 be able to sustain their life, and even renting a house, they would be a bit reluctant.
After all, he isn't a full-time teacher, so he can support himself with his monthly salary, and there's still a remainder.
As an assistant teacher to Tsunade, the child-foster husband of a Uchiha prodigy, Shiraishi considered his tenure at the ninja academy an opportunity to experience life.
It doesn't matter whether it was money or not, only positive and optimistic attitude towards life mattered.
Hyuga Kare, who had been comatose on the operating table, was transported back by General Tu.
Shiraishi had slept for a few hours before reversing his trance. He needed to ensure he was fully energized for his upcoming studies.
Shiraishi didn't intend to waste time. After resolving the Caged Bird seal, he would commence his exploration of Sage Mode, focusing intensely on this aspect. It would not only enhance his, Ruri's, and Ayane's strength but also greatly benefit core cadre members.
He had administered a special sleeping agent to Hyuga Kare and used restraining props to secure him on the operating table. By disrupting the flow of chakra in his body, Shiraishi ensured he couldn't use his Byakugan or Gentle Fist to resist and wake up abruptly to disturb his research.
"Ruri hasn't awakened yet..."
Shiraishi thought for a while. However, he chose not to disturb her any further and assigned General Tu to monitor her.
Shiraishi approached Hyuga Kare, forming hand seals, and projecting his illusionary spirit body. It entered the unconscious Hyuga Kare's mind, establishing a connection with his mental world, accessing the secrets of the Byakugan.
As for ninja of the Main family of Hyuga vlan, they knew more about the Byakugan and the secrets of the caged bird.
This guy's status in the Hyuga family isn't low.
Unlike the blank spiritual world of the white creatures he previously entered, the Hyuga Kare's spiritual world was rich with details.
Shiraishi navigated this unfamiliar world, encountering a stone pillar with a white rope blocking his path. He could feel the stone's pressure, but it wasn't as intense as the Sharingan. It was still a formidable technique, however, with an unusual composition different from ordinary sealing techniques.
"It's going to be quite a challenge," Shiraishi noted. Now aware of the power of this seal, he set out to find its specific structure, searching for its weaknesses to breach it.
Shiraishi rested his palm upon the stone pillar, bound by a white rope, and contemplated. The Spiritualization Technique, an S-level Ninjutsu, possessed versatile functions, particularly within the realm of the soul and spirit.
Given that the seals within the mind of the Hyuga Kare were rooted in the spiritual world, Shiraishi used the Spiritualization Technique to locate weaknesses and uncover the entry point.
"The weakness lies here," he declared, swiftly untying the white ropes from three stone pillars in order.
Instantly, the stone pillar obstructing his path disintegrated and crumbled into pieces.
"However..." Shiraishi barely finished his thought when numerous stone pillars, all tied with white ropes, descended from above. They encircled him, ensnaring Shiraishi within a cage.
Cold sweat formed on Shiraishi's forehead. "Multiple seals? This complicates matters."
Reluctantly, he resumed his quest to discover the seals entry point. However, he discovered that, regardless of his movements, the stone pillars remained beyond reach. Their distance seemed to stretch infinitely.
Realizing that futilely traversing the stone pillars would only deplete his mental energy, Shiraishi paused. The second technique was undeniably more complicated than the first.
Composing himself, he examined the surrounding stone pillars meticulously, attempting to discern a pattern. After a while, Shiraishi noticed that the stone pillars' formation bore some resemblance to a trigram.
"This formation...a trigram diagram?" he murmured to himself. "Infinite, invisible, all-encompassing... Cracking this will take quite some time."
Shiraishi resolved to persevere and began his meticulous search for an exit.
Time crawled by.
When his illusionary spirit body re-entered his physical form, Shiraishi glanced at the time. It was already 9 o'clock in the evening, and he was acutely aware of the gnawing emptiness in his stomach due to prolonged hunger.
"Did it take this long?" Shiraishi wondered, feeling as though he hadn't spent much time within the Hyuga Kare's spiritual world. Yet, a whole day had passed like that.
Hyuga Kare, lying motionless on the operating table, had turned white. Bloodshot veins streaked across his formerly pure white eyeballs, and drool dripped from his mouth, revealing signs of a fierce struggle.
On the adjacent experimental table lay some cold food, presumably left by Ruri. Shiraishi quickly finished eating, then instructed General Tu to tidy up the dishes.
His journey through the Hyuga Kare's spiritual world had proven fruitful. In a single day, he'd unraveled the complexity of the second entity, gaining a clear path and access to the Hyuga Kare's memories, including details about the Caged Bird and Byakugan.
By physically experiencing the Hyuga Kar's sensations, Shiraishi understood the distinctions between the main family's Byakugan and the branch family's Byakugan. The flaws in the branch family's Byakugan were interconnected with the Caged Bird.
Armed with this knowledge, Shiraishi identified the "thread" linking the separated eyes and the Caged Bird, similar to defusing a bomb where one wrong move could lead to an explosion.
"Transport him to the Land of Ghosts; there's no use keeping him here. And take this letter to the Land of Ghosts' witch," Shiraishi directed, handing General Tu a sealed letter. He then arranged for Hyuga Kare's body to be sent to the Land of Ghosts.
"The next step is to decode the Caged Bird..." Shiraishi had the necessary materials on hand.
On a separate operating table rested another Hinata clan ninja, Hyuga Shingo, the first captive taken by Shiraishi. His purpose was to replace Ayane in the search.
Shiraishi approached the experimental bench, readying his concoctions. His initial approach was to devise a solution for cracking the Caged Bird seal, and he already possessed a comprehensive and viable plan.
Exploring the Hyuga Kare's spiritual world had primarily confirmed this plan and illuminated the differences between the branch family's Byakugan and the main family's Byakugan.
According to Ayane, a blind spot exists in the Byakugan of the branch family, whereas the white eyes of the main family are flawless and have no blind spots.
The difference between the two lies in the presence of the caged bird, which is responsible for the defects observed in the branch family's white eyes. These defects are evidently attributed to the caged bird.
To accurately identify the "defect" within the branch family's Byakugan and determine the surgical method required for correction, Shiraishi must first compare it with the successful case of the main family's Byakugan.
His plan involves pre-injecting a natural energy potion, extracting chakra, and also triggering the caged bird's seal. This critical moment is not only dangerous for the Hyuga branch ninja but also represents the vulnerability of the caged bird itself.
Shiraishi's previous failure stemmed from his inability to pinpoint the "defect" in the branch family's Byakugan, which lay hidden like a hidden detonation line. Only by examining the flawless eyes of the main family could he identify the specific explosive line to deactivate, preserving the Byakugan.
Regrettably, the subject had already died due to chakra exhaustion, rendering this approach reliant on the condition of "death."
However, Shiraishi had devised a unique method involving chakra-induced "suspended death". The natural energy initially sustained within the experimental body, synthesized through various procedures, would actively support the living body upon the host's demise, ensuring minimal life functions for a period of two to three hours. The completion of the recovery operation within this window would facilitate the revival of the experimental body.
With the steps clearly laid out, Shiraishi meticulously reviewed them numerous times and conducted mental simulations before commencing the operation on Hinata Shingo.
The theoretical framework was comprehensive, requiring no further adjustments. Now, it was time to observe practical results.
Failure in this endeavor would result in death, and Shiraishi steeled himself as he stood before Hinata Shingo, injecting natural energy into his body to initiate the procedure.
◎
Darkness.
Pain.
And a sense of confinement.
Hyuga Shingo awoke once more from the darkness, experiencing a surreal sensation akin to emerging from an elaborate dream about the entire world.
Did his presence in this world feel too small?
Struggling to sit up from the operating table, he looked around with confusion. The previously cold steel shelves and lab equipment, along with the pervasive scent of disinfectant, failed to elicit any revulsion.
Lowering his head, he examined his hands. "Am I still alive?" he wondered aloud, his thoughts drifting.
A peculiar stiffness plagued his body, making him feel like a zombie.
"Of course. How does it feel to return from the depths of hell?" remarked a cold voice, abruptly interrupting Shingo's thoughts.
Shiraishi, having approached without warning, scrutinized Shingo's entire body with a weird smile, as though studying something of great interest.
Shingo felt an urge to step back but found himself unable to do so. He was not only famish but also severely drained of energy.
Shiraishi remained silent, producing a mirror instead.
"?"
"Look at your face."
Confused but left with no alternative, Shingo accepted the mirror and examined his own face.
He looked at his face in the mirror.
He appeared young and handsome, yet his expression appeared somewhat troubled. Otherwise, he seemed perfectly normal.
What was there to see in himself?
"Have you not noticed?" Shiraishi prompted.
"Noticed what?" Shingo asked, confused.
"Your forehead."
"My forehead?"
What was significant about his forehead? Shingo hesitated, avoiding confronting whatever it was.
Yet, Shiraishi's insistence left him no choice. He reluctantly turned his gaze toward his forehead.
He was stunned.
The mark on his forehead had vanished completely, leaving no trace behind. He reached up to touch it, confirming that it hadn't been concealed but had genuinely disappeared.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Shingo couldn't control his tears. This was the first time in over twenty years that he felt such a potent mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity, emotions that transcended any other experiences and left him overwhelmed.
Freedom!
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