"I came this time for 'Shāi'..."
Hearing the kunoichi's words, an involuntary chill permeated Kazuo Soga's entire body. Looking at her lying there, Kazuo Soga opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
He had awakened from within "Shāi." When he opened his eyes, everything around him had become unfamiliar. There were no familiar buildings, no familiar people, nothing at all. It was as if a civilized man had suddenly returned to a barbaric age.
Due to the curse, he couldn't leave the vicinity of "Shāi," so he had no way of knowing what kind of world he was in, until... that day....
The ground where he and "Shāi" were located experienced a violent tremor. Amidst the earth-shattering shaking, he saw a massive fissure crack open in the ground not far away. Subsequently, floodwaters filled the fissure. It wasn't until many years later that he suddenly understood: that wasn't floodwater, but seawater. His location had become an isolated island at sea.
This extremely rare geological event, he naturally wouldn't believe it to be naturally formed. It was clearly man-made. In his understanding, only the Tsu Gods possessed such power...
After that day, Kazuo Soga lived diligently around "Shāi" for several decades. He had initially thought that "Filters" would soon come to deal with him, but nothing happened. He kept company with weeds and rubble. After waiting for over a hundred years, he still hadn't seen any sign of the "Filters."
An impractical yet thrilling conjecture surfaced in his mind: perhaps... the Tsu Gods no longer existed...
Once this idea emerged, it grew like wildfire, impossible to dismiss. He wanted to prove his conjecture, but he was bound to this island, unable to take even half a step outside this area.
He had a wish that was previously impossible to realize. Now, if "they" no longer existed, then half of the shackles around his neck were already removed. As long as he could deal with "Shāi," he would be free, and he could then fulfill that wish.
But... the reality was, this was just an isolated island. He couldn't leave....
....
Countless years passed. One day, as Kazuo Soga was observing the sea as usual, he noticed several small boats drifting over. He was overjoyed and hurriedly lit a signal fire. Eventually, those rickety little boats reached the island.
Although the language was different, Kazuo Soga was a quick learner. Within a few months, he had basically mastered their language. In the process of getting along, he learned that these people were refugees. He learned that the continent he longed to reach was at war, dominated by samurai, ninja, and daimyo.
At the same time, information about "them" seemed to have never existed. But Kazuo Soga, upon learning this, was no longer as excited. He had to start planning how to lift the curse of "Shāi"...
To untie the bell, one needs the one who tied it. To lift the curse, only by using the same power as the "Tsu Gods" could it be done. But none of the people who had fled to this island were suitable for learning Seijutsu.
Kazuo Soga didn't give up. He constantly persuaded those people to return to the mainland and bring more people to this island. But how could those who had fled the war be willing to go back?
Helpless, Kazuo Soga could only continue to wait, waiting for their next generation, and the generation after that, to be born, persuading them to go to the mainland. Finally, the war ended with the downfall of the samurai, and the era of ninja arrived.
But what followed was war between ninja. Kazuo Soga watched these ant-like struggles in dumbfounded disbelief, not understanding why they had to fight so fiercely. How wonderful the era without "them" was...
This island remained an isolated, barren place, and it wouldn't attract large numbers of people. Fortunately, the formation of ninja villages allowed Kazuo Soga to hire ninja to come here.
Hiring ninja required money. This island had nothing. Kazuo Soga could only use the characteristics of "Shāi" to try and make money. Eventually, he waited for Sakura Haruno.
Kazuo Soga admitted he was gambling, but after waiting for a thousand years, she was the only one who could discover the special nature of "Shāi." "Shāi" was connected to natural energy. If one couldn't even perceive this, they couldn't possibly cultivate Seijutsu.
Kazuo Soga had once thought that heaven was taking pity on him. Not many people had come into contact with "Shāi" over the millennium. He had found someone suitable for cultivating Seijutsu by only the eighty-ninth batch of hired ninja.
Could there be anything that made him happier? In order to trick Sakura Haruno, Kazuo Soga had meticulously observed her every move, ultimately orchestrating some events that seemed accidental but were within his plan.
But only the incident where Sakura Haruno took a section of "Shāi" and an independent "collective consciousness" was formed, had exceeded his control. In the end, what he worried about happened...
If it were merely the Tsu Transformation, it wouldn't have been beyond his expectations. However, the crystal she brought back some time ago had exceeded his expectations. He had wanted to steal it secretly but failed. Subsequently, the actions of that "collective consciousness" made things completely spiral out of his control.
From the bottom of his heart, Kazuo Soga didn't want another Tsu God to awaken. Without the crystal, Sakura Haruno wouldn't have undergone the Tsu Transformation even if she learned Seijutsu. But alas, things had already surpassed his predictions.
This plunged him into utter despair. No one could resist that kind of temptation, and no one could oppose that kind of power. Now, she finally couldn't resist this temptation. Was she going to make a move on "Shāi"...
Kazuo Soga looked at Sakura Haruno, who had sat up again, his face ashen. His throat bobbed, and then he spoke in a hoarse voice, "In consideration of me answering your questions, can you let me fulfill my unfulfilled wish?"
"No." Sakura waved her hand. "Your curse will be lifted after I've finished all my business. I don't trust you. We'll talk after my affairs are successfully completed."
"Your affairs..." Kazuo Soga said with difficulty. "You... you still want to complete the Tsu Transformation...."
"Hmm?" Sakura said strangely. "Did I say I wanted to complete the Tsu Transformation?"
"No... you don't?" Kazuo Soga's hoarse voice carried a hint of surprise.
"Of course not," Sakura said affirmatively.
"Then... then why did you say you came for 'Shāi'?" Kazuo Soga stammered.
"'Shāi' can also be used for the Tsu Transformation?" Sakura asked curiously in return.
"No... no, no, the Tsu Transformation doesn't use it," Kazuo Soga denied vehemently.
"Forget it, I can't be bothered to talk to you anymore." Sakura stood up and stretched lazily, looking sideways at Kazuo Soga. She continued, "You said 'Shāi' is a vessel. I learned from Junko's intelligence that it can seal natural energy. In that case, sealing chakra shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Cha... chakra?" Kazuo Soga was taken aback. He thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "It should be fine, I suppose. I know the composition of chakra. If you consider the entire planet as a living being, then natural energy is this planet's chakra. Sealing a subordinate level of energy should... be no problem..."
"It seems you've researched chakra quite a bit," Sakura said, remembering how this old liar had initially claimed he wasn't familiar with chakra.
"A little, a little," Kazuo Soga said. "If you're only using it to seal chakra, then you can take 'Shāi' as you please. If one day you can't resist the temptation and want to undergo the Tsu Transformation, please, in consideration of me answering your questions, help me lift the curse."
"Heh, I'm not like you, saying one thing and doing another. Take me to eat," Sakura said mockingly to Kazuo Soga. Just now he said the Tsu Transformation didn't use "Shāi," and now he was saying it did. However, at least this old liar wasn't stopping her from interacting with "Shāi." There probably wasn't a risk of suddenly undergoing the Tsu Transformation; perhaps it required some special method to trigger.
The waters of the Tsu God civilization ran deeper than she had imagined. The old liar would rather die than reveal the purpose of "Shāi," and he repeatedly emphasized his fear that she wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. He didn't even say what this temptation was, just that he was afraid she couldn't resist it. Perhaps this temptation wasn't something that could be resisted based on one's own consciousness.
What exactly was that temptation? Sakura really couldn't imagine. But since the old liar was so resolute, there was no need for her to open this Pandora's Box. Completing her own goals was enough. Finally, she would cut down this old liar with one stroke. Keeping him alive was too dangerous. However, she could let him fulfill his wish before cutting him down...