Chapter 245: Infiltration (Part 2)
Back when he created the Space Ring, Baishi had taken the opportunity to abduct Iwagakure's Five-Tails Jinchūriki—Han.
Upon discovering this, Iwagakure dispatched hundreds of ninjas to track him down.
However, in the Land of Craftsmen, Baishi crushed them all with overwhelming power.
But at that time, he chose not to kill them all, instead implanting the 'Seed of the Mind' in their consciousness.
Even now, Iwagakure had yet to resolve this problem.
Those affected ninjas were now held in captivity in the eastern part of the village.
Many among them were highly skilled shinobi, and Baishi's goal was to retrieve them.
If he could bring all of them under his control, then for a long time, he would no longer need to search for new targets for his mental connections.
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Iwagakure - Eastern Region
Inside a rocky forest, a group of ninjas led by former Iwagakure elder Chiba Sekirin were idly training.
They appeared to be free, but in reality, they were not.
Upon closer inspection, one could spot hidden figures in cloaks and masks, lurking in various concealed corners.
Clearly, these were Iwagakure's ANBU ninjas.
And their purpose here?
To monitor Chiba Sekirin and the others.
When Baishi had implanted the 'Seed of the Mind' in them, he had not issued any commands.
Thus, after these individuals were brought back to Iwagakure, they remained completely passive.
Even though Ōnoki knew they had been compromised, he did not dare execute them all.
Not only would it cause a public uproar, but many of them had also once been key figures in Iwagakure's ranks.
If they were all eliminated at once, it would further weaken an already struggling village.
So, the best course of action for Iwagakure was not to eliminate these individuals, but to eliminate Baishi himself.
This, coupled with old grudges over the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, made Iwagakure the village that resented Baishi the most.
So when Konoha followed the Five Kage Summit's agreement and shared Baishi's whereabouts, Iwagakure was the first to respond.
They immediately deployed ANBU squads and reinforced the rocky forest's security.
There were not only hidden ANBU guards, but also multiple ninja battalions stationed on the outskirts.
However, none of that mattered.
Baishi effortlessly bypassed the outer Iwa-nin patrols.
Arriving at the rocky forest, he observed the hidden ANBU agents.
After thinking for a moment, he formed a seal, channeling Earth Release chakra to his feet and activating D-Rank Earth Release: Earth Travel Jutsu.
As chakra poured into the ground, the earth beneath him softened like quicksand, silently swallowing him underground.
Once he had reached a sufficient depth, Baishi created a hidden chamber using Wood Release.
Sitting cross-legged, he exited his body, activating S-Rank Soul Technique: Spirit Transformation Jutsu.
Observing his own lifeless physical body, Baishi muttered to himself:
"Looks like I need to accelerate my progress on Soul-Body Unification."
Even though he was always cautious when using Spirit Transformation Jutsu, there were still risks involved.
If he could achieve soul-body fusion, his soul would become indistinguishable from his body.
That way, using Spirit Transformation Jutsu would simply be a change in state, without vulnerabilities.
Moreover, once he achieved Soul-Body Unification, he would no longer fear techniques like the Human Path's Soul Extraction.
Unfortunately, he had yet to find a proper method.
If he relied solely on the system and passively evolved, the time and energy required would be excessive, and the final result might not be what he wanted.
Shaking his head, Baishi set the thought aside and locked onto an Iwa ANBU's position.
His chakra-infused spirit soared toward the target.
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Rocky Forest
An Iwa ANBU agent sensed a figure rapidly approaching and was about to sound the alarm—
But before he could utter a word, Baishi had already invaded his mental world.
From an external perspective, Baishi's spirit vanished, and then instantly reappeared.
Upon materializing, he immediately targeted another ANBU member, streaking across like a shooting star and invading their mind before they could react.
Baishi repeated this process, and in just a few seconds, every Iwa ANBU had fallen under his control.
From now on, they were his most loyal subordinates.
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Minutes Later
The controlled ANBU agents awakened.
This time, when they looked at Baishi, their gazes had changed.
Their eyes gleamed with unwavering loyalty.
"My lord!"
They all bowed respectfully before him.
Seeing this, Baishi nodded in satisfaction and led them toward the inner section of the rocky forest.
Before long, the Iwa-nin captives noticed him.
However, their expressions remained calm.
Though the 'Seed of the Mind' had already influenced them, it had yet to fully activate their loyalty.
Baishi wasted no words—
He unleashed the mental influence technique he had learned from Kurokage.
In an instant, the hidden backdoor within their minds activated, forcibly rewriting their thoughts.
A brief moment of daze later, their gazes mirrored the ANBU's—filled with absolute devotion.
Facing their fervent expressions, Baishi opened his Space Ring.
A spatial rift dozens of meters wide emerged before them.
Baishi looked at them and said:
"Enter."
"Yes, my lord!"
They responded in unison before orderly stepping into the rift.
It didn't take long for Baishi to store all of them within the Space Ring.
With his task completed, Baishi did not linger.
Returning to his hidden chamber, he reunited his soul with his body.
Then, locking onto a distant Flying Thunder God mark, he teleported away.
Shortly after his departure, several Iwagakure squads arrived at the site.
Upon discovering that all personnel were missing, they immediately reported it to their superiors.
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