For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!
26 Power Stones Left!!
Building a secret base required careful consideration of funding, manpower, and location. Starting from scratch was complex and tedious. With the shell of the Gedo Statue in the Land of Earth, choosing a location within that country made sense. As for securing funding quickly, Ye Zi thought of Moko, a woman he once preferred to stay far away from. Now, he realized how fortunate he had been to take the mission to escort her back then.
The general direction, location and funding wasn't difficult to resolve, but manpower was another matter. Currently, he had no suitable personnel, aside from Nanako's subordinate. If he intended to recruit war orphans, he would need someone to oversee it.
Being a member of Akatsuki, Ye Zi was constantly tied up with missions, leaving little time to search for talented orphans. It was a hassle, but even if manpower couldn't be secured immediately, the base itself needed to be established first.
There were also other concerns, such as ensuring Zetsu didn't learn the true purpose of the base, as Ye Zi didn't trust him. If the goal was simply to enhance the strength of the Hashirama cell clones, it wouldn't be much of a problem. But Ye Zi's deeper ambition was to claim the Rinnegan for himself.
With the location settled, Ye Zi took advantage of the time before Nagato issued his next mission to head toward the Land of Earth with Nanako and Sakana.
The shell of the Gedo Statue, as well as Madara's body, lay near the remains of Kannabi Bridge, which had been destroyed by Minato. Since then, Iwagakure had abandoned plans to rebuild the bridge and rerouted their supply lines, leaving Kannabi Bridge as nothing but ruins and legend.
Naturally, Ye Zi's movements didn't escape the eyes of White Zetsu's surveillance.
When the three arrived near Kannabi Bridge, White Zetsu appeared from the shadows.
Ye Zi had expected Zetsu's appearance, so he wasn't surprised. However, Nanako and Sakana were startled, especially Nanako, who couldn't stop staring at Zetsu's half-white, pale body.
The steel beams of the collapsed Kannabi Bridge were rusted and exposed. Beneath the bridge, the riverbed was still littered with debris.
Standing where Ye Zi had once ambushed Minato, White Zetsu looked at Nanako and Sakana with curiosity. "Who are these two? And what are you planning?"
His tone wasn't accusatory, perhaps out of curiosity or something deeper that he didn't express. What concerned him most was Ye Zi's motive for returning to this place.
Without hesitation, Ye Zi responded, "They're my subordinates. I'm here to strengthen my trump cards."
Nanako and Sakana didn't react to being labeled as subordinates.
"Subordinates?" Zetsu was surprised, his gaze lingering on Nanako and Sakana. He calmly added, "I'm curious what you mean by strengthening your trump cards."
Though Zetsu hadn't closely monitored Ye Zi, he had left some clones scattered across various locations. He knew Ye Zi had recently gone to the Land of Grass and returned with these two people, but the Land of Grass was so insignificant that he hadn't bothered to place spies there, leaving him clueless about Nanako and Sakana.
While taking two people with him wasn't unusual, the fact that they were headed to this location had caught Zetsu's attention, prompting him to arrive personally.
The sudden appearance of these subordinates surprised him slightly, but his primary concern was Ye Zi's motive for returning here.
Ye Zi took out the serum developed by Nanako and said calmly, "Call a clone over."
Zetsu hesitated but then extended his hand, summoning the nearest clone.
"Inject it," Ye Zi ordered as the clone arrived, tossing the serum to it.
The clone caught the serum and, under Zetsu's watchful eye, injected it into its chest.
"Hm?"
About five seconds later, Zetsu's expression changed.
The clone's body suddenly grew larger, its muscles bulging, and thick veins protruded beneath its skin. The energy within it surged, more than doubling in intensity.
"What is this?" Zetsu could feel the clone's energy increasing, but more importantly, he noticed its life force rapidly draining. His first concern wasn't the enhanced power, but the clone's rapidly diminishing life force.
"This interferes with Hashirama's cells… no, it doesn't just interfere—it forcibly alters them." Zetsu suppressed his surprise as he observed the clone's waning life force and growing chakra.
Was this power gained at the cost of life itself? What kind of serum was this? If it were used against him, it would be a serious threat. Hashirama's cells were incredibly powerful, and the fact that this serum could influence them was shocking.
Zetsu watched in silence, needing no further experimentation to understand what was happening.
About five minutes later, the clone's life force was completely drained, and cracks began to form across its body. With a blank expression, the clone's body crumbled, starting from its feet, and within seconds, it had disintegrated into a pile of dry remains.
"What do you think?" Ye Zi asked, turning to Zetsu.
"Did those two women develop this serum?" Zetsu's brows furrowed deeply—this was the first time he had shown such an expression in front of Ye Zi.
If this serum could affect Hashirama's cells, it could also affect him. If he were injected with it, he would likely meet the same fate as the clone.
Ye Zi glanced at Nanako and explained, "Nanako developed it. She was once with Konoha, and a colleague of mine. There's no need to be alarmed by the serum. Even Orochimaru likely understands Hashirama's cells completely by now."
Nanako had many questions but wisely stayed silent.
"This is not good news for me," Zetsu muttered.
Ye Zi looked at him calmly and said, "This serum wasn't created to target you. Don't focus only on its flaws. The clones are one of our trump cards, and with this serum, we can quickly boost their combat power. That's its purpose."
Zetsu remained silent, and Black Zetsu said nothing throughout the conversation.
"I'm going to set up a research base nearby to refine this serum further," Ye Zi said, surveying the surroundings. He had no intention of building the base in such an obvious spot—it needed to be hidden.
"I see," Zetsu replied, relaxing his furrowed brow. He understood that while the serum was deadly for the clones, it undeniably tripled their combat strength. The downside was the life cost, but for the clones, life was a negligible concern.
With Zetsu now aware of the serum and its effects, Ye Zi led Nanako and Sakana to a nearby mountain, surrounded by thick trees and dense underbrush.
"This will do."
Ye Zi looked at the mountain, which was only a few kilometers from the Gedo Statue.
Wood Release...
Ye Zi clasped his hands together, channeling a large amount of chakra, his eyes narrowing in focus.
His chakra flowed from his feet into the ground, forming roots that spread like tendrils into the earth. Once he had established the basic structure, Ye Zi increased the flow of chakra.
The thick roots rapidly expanded, displacing the earth and creating tunnels. Several roots intertwined to form rooms, and the massive movement caused the ground to rumble and the mountain to shake.
The ground swelled and cracked as trees collapsed.
After expending a large amount of chakra, Ye Zi began to breathe heavily.
"Impressive, using Wood Release to build a base," Zetsu commented.
Nanako and Sakana felt the vibrations under their feet as they gazed at Ye Zi, their expressions beginning to change as they realized the extent of his power.
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Currently on Chapter 276 - Surrounded by The Enemy