Chapter 132: The Night Before
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"You actually have good intentions?"
Back in Konoha, Sukuna let out a mocking chuckle.
"That white snake's natural energy concentration is second only to the Dragon Vein, you know."
"I thought you'd just eat her."
Kagami swirled a glass of pomegranate juice, its deep red liquid glistening.
"I don't eat just anything."
"And as far as ornaments go, you're already quite functional."
"I was being genuine—I really do want to help that old hag become a dragon."
"The Dragon Vein Crystals—I really do plan on giving her one."
…
The Dragon Vein Crystals.
Just like how the God Tree absorbed natural energy to create the Chakra Fruit—
Kagami harvested the Dragon Vein's power into a condensed crystal form.
All while ensuring Fire Country's foundation remained intact.
Raw Dragon Vein energy was far too violent for most shinobi.
Even someone like Sasori, a genius, could only use tiny diluted scraps.
Compared to a Chakra Fruit, a Dragon Vein Crystal was far weaker.
But—
For a normal human, it was the pinnacle of what they could handle.
…
A suitable comparison?
Jugo.
With a Dragon Vein Crystal—
A shinobi could maintain Sage Mode indefinitely.
Unlike Jugo—
There would be no risk of losing control.
The power was stronger.
More stable.
In simple terms—
One Dragon Vein Crystal was enough to elevate a shinobi to the level of a Sage-tier Kage.
For someone like Moryo…
It could erase his weaknesses, bringing him to Eternal Mangekyou Madara's level.
For the White Snake Sage, if she fully evolved into a dragon…
She would be even stronger.
Her current power already rivaled Nagato.
She was among the strongest beings in the shinobi world.
…
In the ninja world—
Combat ability was a complex thing.
Most shinobi were glass cannons.
To Kagami—
Only those who mastered all aspects—Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu—and possessed a powerful body…
Could be called true warriors.
…
Take Shisui, for example.
In terms of Genjutsu talent, he was the strongest Kagami had ever seen.
At just three tomoe, his latent potential already matched Kagami's own when he had the same level.
Kagami was intentionally suppressing him.
Otherwise, Shisui would have awakened Mangekyou by now.
But—
Shisui had one major weakness.
His body.
Even though he trained from a young age—
His durability would eventually be surpassed by Sasuke in a few years.
Shisui and Itachi were Genjutsu specialists.
More emotional than logical.
In contrast—
Madara and Sasuke were balanced fighters, excelling in all fields.
Perhaps due to Indra's chakra, they only awakened the Sharingan after their bodies could handle it.
Kagami contemplated—
What kind of Mangekyou ability should he grant Shisui?
---
Uchiha District
Tonight, Shisui stayed in his clan's residence.
He was studying a scroll.
It was—
The Yin-Yang Release techniques.
One of the final rewards of the tournament.
After Kagami compiled his knowledge of Yin-Yang Release—
He had personally passed it on to Shisui.
…
Shisui excelled in Yin Release.
But Yang Release?
That was another story.
The most common Yang Release techniques were:
Medical Ninjutsu
The Akimichi Clan's Expansion Jutsu
Shisui had no problem learning high-level techniques like Flying Thunder God.
Yet—
Yang Release utterly stumped him.
…
Yang Release drew power from life energy, creating life from form.
Aside from Kagami, Shisui had several people around him who used Yang Release.
One was—
Ryūzetsu.
Her Dragon Life Reincarnation technique was a high-tier Yang Release technique.
But—
It was a one-time ability.
She couldn't teach it to anyone.
Unless he wanted her to die just to demonstrate it.
The second?
Zorun.
His fat-to-energy conversion ability was actually a primal version of the Akimichi Clan's technique.
Also—
A manifestation of Yang Release.
Shisui even tried binge eating, hoping to replicate it.
But his metabolism couldn't keep up.
…
Shisui sighed.
He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice Ryūzetsu entering with a tray of snacks.
Her long white hair was tied in a low ponytail, her expression calm as always.
"Eat something first," she said.
"The tournament starts tomorrow. You should rest early."
…
Ryūzetsu had lived here for years.
Unlike Kabuto—who still had an adoptive mother—
She was truly alone.
Despite that—
There was no romance between them.
Their relationship was more like siblings.
They were simply used to each other's presence.
Shisui rubbed his forehead, feeling conflicted.
He recalled Kagami's words…
This was strange.
Shisui knew that Kagami only did things for his sake.
If he followed Kagami's path, he would become strong.
He had no objections to this.
But—
He also knew that to Kagami, almost everyone was a disposable pawn.
If Ryūzetsu needed to die for his growth—
Kagami wouldn't hesitate.
Shisui clenched his fists.
He didn't resent Kagami.
Just as Kagami prioritized him above all others—
To Shisui, Kagami was also the most important person.
He began to reflect—
On the secret massacre that happened years ago.
His grandmother never knew what had transpired.
Even he himself had only learned the truth after becoming a full-fledged ninja.
…
What should I do?
How do I follow Kagami's will… yet protect Ryūzetsu?
His hand covered his eyes.
When one reached the depths of despair—
The Sharingan would grant a wish.
The eye was the mirror of the heart.
But if Kagami wanted him to awaken the Mangekyou, why warn him beforehand?
Did Kagami want him to follow orders?
Or…
Was he pushing him to rebel?
"…I don't understand you, Brother."
"…Do you want me to obey… or to break free?"
…
Well.
I'll figure it out when the time comes.
---
The Uzumaki Household
In the spacious living room—
Five kids and one giant orange cat sat around a table.
Crunch. Crunch.
Zorun devoured a massive bag of dried fish.
"Zorun!! Stop eating!!"
Naruto jumped on the table.
"We're trying to discuss tactics!!"
Crunch.
Zorun chewed one last bite.
"…I'm storing up fat reserves for tomorrow."
"You'll get plenty of food in the morning!!"
"We already ordered 300 bowls of ramen from Teuchi!!"
Zorun blinked.
"…Ramen is mostly carbs. I need protein and fat for long-term stamina."
The room fell silent.
Sasuke and Neji exchanged glances.
They—
Were the only ones in this group who ate the least.
They envied the others.
…
As the bickering continued—
Minato quietly returned home.
He saw Kushina tucking the children in.
He smiled warmly.
"The children of different clans… all playing together like this."
"…It's a beautiful thing."
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