"Hm, now I have to air out the basement..."
Looking at Hiruko, whose death was unbecoming of a shinobi who was once a friend of the legendary Sannin, Suguru pitied him. If he had engaged in hand-to-hand combat, perhaps a more thrilling and glorious end would have occurred.
If he had fought a Hiruko whose Chimera Jutsu was moments away from completion, then an awe-inspiring battle would have shocked the eyes of many.
Unfortunately for both of them, Suguru was still weak. He could only rely on a cheap trick that exploited Hiruko's desperation to preserve his research results.
Poison and psychological suggestions were a pitfall that many would overlook.
"It's just a tad bit inconvenient."
Setting up the battlefield and infiltrating the enemy's home territory were all requirements for such a plan to work. Without the ability to spy on the enemy without being discovered, Suguru wouldn't have been able to pull today's assassination off in the way that he just did.
Shinobi had a variety of ways to escape a slow assassination like this one. From hiding like a mole and moving underground using Earth Release to simply blowing all the poison away with Wind Release.
There were a variety of options, prompting Suguru to use extremely lethal yet accessible poisons. One such poison was a gaseous mixture containing carbon monoxide — created when he used his Minor Burn jutsu to induce incomplete combustion of common household fuels.
The other poison was a depressant, not so distant from alcohol. With a dulled mind and the inability to think in an optimal state, details were easy to overlook. Emotions became the reigning decision-maker of the mind.
Thinking until here, Suguru shook his head.
He went around and began opening up the hidden exits of Hiruko's laboratory to air out the poison gas. When he was done, Suguru made a hand seal.
[Tiger]
'Minor Burn,'
No explosion occurred. Instead, a small fire rapidly moved throughout the laboratory. It was akin to a ring that cleansed the entire area, allowing new air to enter.
"Thankfully, my calculations were decent enough... Though the fire could have been smaller. It seems like Hiruko's ventilation system was subpar."
Suguru began his descent. He swiftly located the unconscious boy and stood before him.
"You have quite the unfortunate fate," Suguru said as he placed a hand on the child's forehead. "I'll be your guide to an eternal slumber."
'Living Corpse Assimilation'
Suguru's body began to dissolve. With each cell slowly melting into the flesh and blood of the child, his mind and spirit began to invade in the same manner. His consciousness attacked the vulnerable mind, and his spirit began to annihilate the sleeping soul.
This was Kagami Suguru's special Kinjutsu.
A technique that sacrificed a few pros to get rid of the most debilitating cons of Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation. There was no need for other souls to exist when all that mattered was his own.
As Suguru read the memories of the child once known as Hoda Arata, he sighed.
"An inheritor of the elusive Dark Release, yet your fate was to be devoured. Either as a part of a larger whole — a chimera. Or assimilated into the existence of another, through me."
Suguru assumed control of Hoda Arata's body and annihilated his soul. With a low chuckle, he made sure to keep his appearance inconspicuous.
"Goodbye, Hoda Arata. I am in your debt."
Suguru left Hiruko's lab, uttering those words. He stored Hiruko's body in a storage scroll and took everything of importance on his way out.
***
The Living Corpse Assimilation Kinjutsu allowed Suguru a little more leeway before fully assimilating someone's body. Unlike the time he used the serum, now he could delay the process until he found a suitable location.
Very much like a caterpillar who had grown enough before molting for the last time.
As for hiding... Suguru had an idea.
"I have Orochimaru to thank for it."
The most viable hiding place for him at the moment was indeed the lab that Orochimaru had sealed away, just for him.
With Orochimaru's impending defection, Suguru didn't worry too much about being discovered. Moreover, with the system that Orochimaru had set in place, he felt that the lab had been designed to elude even the keenest of sight.
At least, that was what Suguru hoped.
Either way, while he was vulnerable in the upcoming stage of his life, it would be hard to detect his presence. A cocoon's primary function, after all, was to create a safe space for his metamorphosis.
The Kinjutsu was designed with that in mind.
***
Suguru waited for midnight before heading to the familiar general store. After unlocking the seals for him to enter the lab, Suguru made sure not to touch anything else. Every item in this room had several traps written into them.
Laying down on the floor, Suguru thus began the complete assimilation process.
He thought, 'Hopefully, I don't take too long in my metamorphosis. If it takes six years, then I might very well wake up right before the Uchiha clan's downfall. Given my actions, there's even a chance it would happen earlier!'
For a moment, Suguru began to worry.
However, upon perceiving the torrent of chakra that began to surround his body, he eventually fell into a deep sleep. A cocoon of black, hardened silk encased his changing body.
The experience was no longer as hideous as before. Instead, it was quite peaceful to experience and beautiful to look at.
Suguru felt as if he was one with the dark room around him.
'...Perhaps... this is a feature... of the Kekkei Genkai... Dark Release...'
Such were Suguru's final, dream-like thoughts.
The following years would thus pass by in an instant. In the meantime, Suguru fed on the spiritual energy of Hoda Arata's annihilated soul while his body took whatever uniqueness Arata had and made it his own.
The process was slow and repetitive, yet relaxing beyond compare.
He felt at home, surrounded by darkness and his cocoon of chakra. There was even an unknown allure — a calling for him to slumber forever.
As well as a vampiric desire, bubbling from the bottom of his heart, to consume chakra until he was satiated.