For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!
In the quiet room, the dim light enveloped the entire space. The occasional bubbling sound from the liquid-filled equipment in the center of the room broke the silence.
Outside the door, Sakana peeked in, watching the two people embracing inside. From her angle, she could see Nanako's face, eyes closed with an expression of pure happiness—an expression that only appeared when someone touched someone truly important to them.
Sakana quietly observed them, her pale, grotesque arm intertwined with Nanako's. Together, they seemed to merge into one, like a painting frozen in time, deeply etched in her memory.
"This man must be the one who is important to Nanako. And for me, the person who matters most is you, Nanako."
Sakana smiled faintly, though the joy in her eyes quickly turned cold as she thought to herself, If you dare betray Nanako, I will give everything to take you down with me.
The scar on her face twisted into a snarl, a reflection of her unwavering resolve to protect someone important to her.
Inside the room, Ye Zi gently pushed Nanako away. He bent down to pick up the black cloak, using the motion to hide his discomfort from the emotional moment.
This world was not where he belonged, and forming bonds here might make him vulnerable.
With the cloak in hand, he walked over to the equipment and stared at it silently. The green glow reflected off his face, but it didn't reach his eyes. His eyes showed fatigue—fatigue that he had hidden deep inside for so long, never allowing anyone to see.
"Destroy this place," he said calmly.
Nanako snapped back to reality and, though she felt a sense of regret, she nodded. "Alright, but I can't go back to Konoha anymore."
Ever since arriving in the Land of Grass, Nanako had dedicated herself entirely to her research. Her only connection to the outside world was through Sakana, who wasn't aware of Nanako's relationship with Ye Zi. Even though Sakana knew Ye Zi had been branded a rogue ninja by Konoha, she hadn't informed Nanako.
Ye Zi, realizing that Nanako didn't know he had become a rogue ninja, replied, "I have no ties to Konoha anymore. I'll prepare a new base for you elsewhere."
As his thoughts began to solidify, the first steps of his plan took shape. Suddenly, many considerations surfaced in his mind.
He had always walked alone in the shadows, never thinking of building his own subordinates. But now, with the idea of cultivating his own power, new thoughts filled his mind.
First, the base would need funding and manpower unrelated to Akatsuki. This force needed to be hidden from Nagato's watchful eyes—it would be his own, secret power.
"You've defected?" Nanako asked, surprised.
"More or less. I have nothing to do with Konoha anymore," Ye Zi responded calmly as he put on his cloak.
Nanako was silent for a moment, then said with some regret, "I was hoping to suggest that you convince Orochimaru to join this research. With his help, we could make much faster progress."
Nanako's survival was due to Orochimaru's intervention, and she understood his motives—they were all because of Ye Zi. In her mind, Ye Zi and Orochimaru had a good relationship, and since Orochimaru was deeply interested in this type of research, she thought he would surely want to participate.
Ye Zi's eyes flickered briefly. As Nanako had mentioned, if she and Orochimaru worked together, they could push this research to its peak. Unfortunately, Ye Zi and Orochimaru were now enemies. Still, if given the chance, he would definitely try to bring Orochimaru into his fold.
"One person's power is limited, and I can't keep waiting for Nagato's next move," Ye Zi thought, feeling his perspective shift dramatically.
With his back to Nanako, he said, "Given my current situation, working with him is impossible. I'll need some time to set up the new base, and I don't have much of a plan for gathering personnel yet."
Nanako suggested, "Wars have left many orphans in smaller nations. Root recruited many of its members from these war orphans. If you're looking to build your forces, I'd recommend starting there."
"War orphans..." Ye Zi couldn't help but think of this body's original identity, as well as Nagato and the others. After considering it for a moment, he realized that while recruiting war orphans would take time, delaying it any longer would only push things back further.
"Alright," he said, making his decision.
"What happened to your arms and your hair? Is it because of Orochimaru?" Nanako asked, finally voicing the question she had held back since the beginning.
Ye Zi turned, glanced at his arms, and said calmly, "I lost my arms during a mission in the Land of Earth. These new arms were created using Hashirama's cells, and my hair turned black because of the purity of those cells."
He didn't want to explain too much, so he kept it brief.
"How is that possible? Your cells have always been incompatible with Hashirama's, even devouring them," Nanako frowned. This seemed to contradict her research. Ye Zi's cells had always destroyed Hashirama's cells, making fusion impossible.
If the fundamental principles had changed, it could mean overturning all previous data.
"I'm not entirely sure either," Ye Zi said, looking at his arm. "It's probably a matter of quantity."
These arms had been difficult to adjust to at first, but once they did, chakra flowed smoothly through their pathways. He could now use chakra more efficiently, without wasting any.
There was no doubt—Hashirama's cells were incredibly powerful. Before, his cells had devoured Hashirama's only by burning through his own life force.
That power had been unsustainable, draining his life. Now, with the fusion of Hashirama's cells, his own weaknesses were diminished, and his strength had increased.
"Quantity!?" Nanako caught the term immediately. Cultivating Hashirama's cells wasn't simple.
"Yes. From now on, you won't need to worry about running out of material, and you won't need to cultivate it yourself. You don't need to know the details, but just understand that whatever amount of Hashirama's cells you need, I can provide," Ye Zi said calmly.
Nanako's heart raced, and she replied, her voice trembling slightly with excitement, "If that's the case, I can carry out my experiments freely."
"Exactly."
Ye Zi glanced around the room and said, "Let's go. We'll talk more once we're out of here."
"Alright," Nanako said, suppressing her excitement.
Ye Zi's defection from Konoha was a relief for her.
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Currently on Chapter 274 - The One Who Gives Their All