"Kid!"
The Two-Tails, Matatabi, looked down from above at Kagetsu, who stood quietly beneath it, tilting his head upward to meet its gaze. Although the chakra radiating from its body felt as fiery and restless as a blaze, its voice was unexpectedly calm and gentle.
"How did you manage to split me into two parts?"
Matatabi lay down inside the prison, disliking the space that confined it but showing no signs of aggressive resistance.
"Sealing techniques and the power of Yin Release," Kagetsu explained softly, raising a single finger.
In truth, he suspected that there might also be traces of Yang Release mixed in, creating this peculiar situation, but it was just a theory that he had yet to confirm.
"Impressive," Matatabi murmured, resting its head on its crossed paws while maintaining eye contact with Kagetsu. "So... do you also desire my power?"
To Matatabi's surprise, Kagetsu slowly shook his head.
"I want to study your power," he said calmly.
"Study?" Matatabi narrowed its eyes, sensing no deceit in Kagetsu's words. There was no greed or urge to forcibly extract and use its power.
And that very fact intrigued the beast.
Over its long existence, Matatabi had encountered humans who saw it as a natural disaster, others who sought to control it and wield its strength, and still more who craved the power of a tailed beast to achieve absolute mastery over it.
But this boy—one without much desire for its strength yet with an insatiable curiosity—was unlike any it had ever met.
"I originally thought you'd treat me with hostility," Kagetsu admitted, surprised by how smoothly things were progressing. "But you're willing to talk, and that saves a lot of trouble."
Matatabi's burning chakra swirled around them, volatile yet contained.
"Not all tailed beasts are violent. We simply refuse to engage with those who approach us with prejudice," Matatabi replied, its eyes narrowing further.
It had even tried to invade Kagetsu's mind earlier, hoping to break free from the prison. However, to its amazement, his spirit—or perhaps his very soul—was unusually resilient and unyielding.
That indicated that the mental cage housing his consciousness was exceptionally powerful as well.
After all, this fragment of Matatabi lacked the full suppression force of a complete tailed beast.
"Are you not angry? I brought you here from the original Jinchuriki," Kagetsu asked tentatively.
"Yugito Nii is a good person, but she is her own self, and I am mine," Matatabi said, closing her eyes. "To me, it's just moving from one cage to another."
"Then let's make a deal! I can give you some freedom, and you can help me with my research." Kagetsu cautiously reached out a hand, sensing that Matatabi meant no harm.
Matatabi's tightly shut eyes suddenly opened wide, looking strangely at Kagetsu's outstretched hand. After a moment of mutual gaze, it closed her eyes again.
The light in the entire cell began to dim, mirroring the flames around Matatabi. Kagetsu felt a wave of rejection.
He understood that Matatabi was trying to push him away.
Although he didn't get a response from it, he considered it's silence as a form of acknowledgment that could be won over.
"You should be able to see the outside world with me, right? Then you can come out and see for yourself," Kagetsu said, observing the dimming cell without rushing to release Matatabi from its confinement.
With a thought, Kagetsu awakened a new panel.
[Broken Hōgyoku · Bloodline Limit Puppet
Quality: Purple (?)
Traits: A puppet made with biological cloning technology that can store spiritual souls. It allows the original user to adapt and control the puppet, using all of its abilities.
Skills: Bloodline Limit · Wood Release!
Description: This is a clone based on the First Hokage's cells, capable of using the First Hokage's signature Wood Release techniques.
Note 1: It is just a soulless shell and is not perfect. In the eyes of a harsh scientist, it is a flawed specimen. It is unstable and can self-destruct at any moment.
Note 2: You can balance the puppet's cells and chakra with strong mental power, excellent medical ninjutsu, and corresponding Yin Release power.
You must operate it carefully; if any part of the process goes wrong, it could turn into a giant tree.
Conclusion: Without sufficient knowledge of the human body, skilled medical ninjutsu, and strong mental strength, it won't be a helpful asset for you but rather a prison.
Hōgyoku Task: You've attempted to carve out a path, even if the beginning hasn't been smooth.
Recognition Level: 8800/10000, Physical Quality +30, Chakra +1500]
Kagetsu looked down at the approval rating and guessed that many people in the Hidden Cloud Village already knew about the information regarding Wood Release.
Although the main contributors were the six people from the Hidden Cloud who had firsthand experience and had seen it with their own eyes, it seemed that the information revealed by these six could also earn some recognition.
As long as there was enough trust in the source of the information.
"Kagetsu!"
While Kagetsu was deep in thought, a familiar voice accompanied by a swift figure landed beside him. Anko rushed in, her face filled with surprise as she looked at him by the bed.
"Have something to eat." Shishui entered with food, lifting the tent flap.
...
Konoha Village.
Hokage Office.
The Third Hokage, two advisors, Shimura Danzo, and Orochimaru gathered together because of one piece of information.
"Hiruzen, leave him to me! I will train him to be a powerful ninja!" Danzo's cane struck the ground forcefully, his exposed eye filled with eagerness.
For him, Wood Release was a crucial part of achieving his ambitions! He had almost lost hope, but unexpectedly, a kid from the Nara clan brought him such a surprise.
"You're crossing the line, Danzo-senpai," Orochimaru's cold voice echoed. "Are you questioning whether I've properly trained Kagetsu?"
"Enough! Both of you stop arguing." Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted, not looking at the grim-faced Danzo but turning to Orochimaru instead. "Did Kagetsu awaken the Wood Release bloodline limit?"
"No, he awakened a bloodline limit based on Yin Release," Orochimaru denied the Third Hokage's statement, shaking his head.
"Ridiculous! How long do you plan to hide this from us? Do you think Minato and the Hidden Cloud would team up to deceive us?" Danzo completely dismissed Orochimaru's words. His attention was solely on the Wood Release information.
"Orochimaru..." The Third Hokage squinted, looking at his disciple, wanting to hear his response.
"This is a success in technology!" Orochimaru scoffed, casting a disdainful glance at Shimura Danzo, feeling that the thoughts of everyone in the room were completely at odds with his own.
"Kagetsu is a genius! This genius refers to research and invention! He has created a technique for artificial bodies that can cultivate corresponding bloodline limit clones based on the cells of the bloodline limit clan."
****
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