"As expected of the ultimate summoning beast. It's constantly absorbing any energy it can use to evolve."
After a moment's thought, Nagi understood. The researchers on this island had designed the ultimate summoning beast with ninja warfare in mind. This meant that every time it encountered an attack from a ninja, it would adapt and evolve a countermeasure.
Given enough time, it could truly become the ultimate summoning beast, an existence comparable to the Ten-Tails. It was like Doomsday from the comics...
But what a shame, Nagi thought with a shake of his head. Such a powerful summoning beast, yet it has no intelligence and can't be controlled... Its consciousness was a complete mess, a chaotic jumble. Even with the Mangekyo, trying to control it with genjutsu felt like trying to grab smoke.
A summoning beast with no self, no intelligence, capable only of destruction and evolution... was useless.
"Five Elements Seal!"
Nagi's hands flew through a seal, and the ultimate summoning beast was sealed once more. This time, he used the seal Shukaku had developed specifically to counter the Nine-Tails; its effect was excellent.
The struggling creature was instantly sealed into two small, pyramid-shaped constructs. Problem solved.
Honoka ran over from a distance. "It's... not dead? And now there are two of them?"
Nagi nodded. "I cut it in two. This way, it will have even less strength to break the seal. And my seal is very strong; it won't be getting out."
"Its life force is incredible, though. It couldn't even be killed by being sliced in half. I don't think pushing it into lava, like you said before, would have killed it."
"But you don't have to worry anymore," he added. "Trapped in there, it'll probably starve to death in a few years."
Hearing this, Honoka first froze, then stared blankly for a moment. Then, tears of joy streaming down her face, she rushed forward and threw her arms around Nagi.
"Thank you, thank you, it's finally over, sob..."
A young girl, alone and helpless on this island for years... The loneliness and solitude, coupled with the constant fear of death, would have driven most people mad long ago. She had held on for so long that she was mentally and physically exhausted. The moment the words were out, she slumped forward and fell into a deep sleep in Nagi's arms.
Nagi: "..."
Is her mind this simple because she's been so far removed from the mainland? he wondered. Is it really okay to just fall asleep in the arms of a stranger? If I were the big bad wolf, this little lamb would have already been skinned and eaten...
Shaking his head, Nagi gently scooped up the red-haired girl. He found her bedroom, carefully placed her on the bed, took off her shoes, and tucked her in. After smoothing her red bangs, he returned to the main base.
He began to examine the data left behind by the researchers. Based on his deductions, this base was most likely established by a smaller, hidden village. The Land of Lightning would never have waited this long to check on their research results. And considering the Land of Water's role in the destruction of the Uzumaki clan, it was impossible that Honoka's mother would have accepted employment from one of their organizations. That left the smaller nations, outside of the Land of Lightning's influence.
Plagued by war and lacking strength, they must have discovered this island and conceived the idea of creating an ultimate summoning beast to turn the tide, only for their own village to be destroyed before their research could be completed.
This was why the isolated island had seen no visitors for so many years, and why the researchers and Honoka's mother had guarded it until their deaths without ever seeing their employers again.
The guards were likely not that strong—jonin at best. When the ultimate summoning beast finally emerged, it was a major threat, but clearly not at a Kage's level. The original team probably fought it and ended up pushing it into the lava, where it burned to death.
Nagi spent a long time looking through the data and then took a tour of the base. It was an excellent facility, complete with laboratories, cultivation rooms, lounges, training grounds, and even a plantation. It made sense; the researchers couldn't have survived on dry rations alone. They would have needed to grow their own food.
He had made up his mind. This would be his first major base of operations.
The island even had a small volcano, which could provide a certain amount of energy, and thanks to it, a natural hot spring...
As long as he set up a Flying Thunder God marker here, he could return to the base with just a few teleports. White Zetsu would never be able to monitor him again.
Putting his plan into action, Nagi began reinforcing the various seals in the cave and setting up some of his own research equipment. Without a permanent base, carrying around a bunch of storage scrolls all the time was inconvenient. Now, he could leave all his research equipment here, along with a portion of the White Zetsu cells.
Nagi was incredibly busy; it had been a long time since he'd been able to stop and focus on improving himself. He needed to develop his control over electromagnetism and master the Sun Breathing style, all while researching the fusion of White Zetsu and Uchiha cells. Even with 48 hours in a day, he felt it wasn't enough.
He hadn't forgotten that the ultimate evolution of the Sharingan was the Rinnegan. And technology could change everything.
Since he had no family to obtain an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan from, he would use science to solve the problem—and that included the Rinnegan. After all, anything was possible with atavism; the genes hidden deep within the body never truly disappeared.
He wanted to see if he could induce a qualitative change by using White Zetsu cells to complete the Uchiha clan's genetic makeup. Once the quantity reached a certain threshold, perhaps an external stimulus would be enough to awaken the Eternal Mangekyo.
As for Obito... after his complete fall to darkness, he had no attachments left, no love. It was impossible for him to be stimulated to awaken an Eternal Mangekyo like Indra, even if half his body was made of White Zetsu cells.
Or is it because White Zetsu cells are a weakened derivative? Nagi mused, stroking his chin. Looks like I'll have to find a chance to trade with Orochimaru again, to get the purest Hashirama Senju cells.
White Zetsu cells were cloned by Madara from the Gedo Statue. They were second-generation Hashirama cells—much weaker, but also gentler. The cells from Hashirama Senju's original body would surely be far more potent and volatile.
Right, and the Uzumaki clan. Nagi suddenly remembered that the Uzumaki were another branch descended from the Sage of Six Paths. Their cells were also worth studying. Now he had all the pieces.
Nagi glanced towards the bedroom where the red-haired girl slept. He had Uchiha, White Zetsu, and Uzumaki cells. All that was missing were the original Hashirama cells. He would have to pay a visit to Orochimaru in the Land of Sound.
But before that, he needed to get himself a summoning beast. Nagi had his sights set on that eagle.
While the eagle wasn't as massive as Gamabunta, for a flying summon, its size was more than sufficient. Its eggs were two meters high; the eagle itself was probably half of Gamabunta's height. But factoring in the combat skills of an avian predator, it wouldn't necessarily lose in a fight. The speed and force of an eagle's dive were terrifying; its talons could tear through steel plates. A giant eagle challenging a toad twice its size was not out of the question.
Nagi left the base and took flight with his iron sand wings. He wasn't faster than the giant eagle in the air, so he had to find its nest and wait for it there.
The eagle was enormous. It was lucky it lived by the sea, with an endless supply of fish to satisfy its appetite. Otherwise, it was hard to imagine how it would ever eat its fill.
Soon, Nagi located a cliff. Perched on the sheer rock face was an enormous nest made of withered trees and vines, bigger than a human house. You'd have to be dead to miss it.
He landed in the nest and found several giant eggs, not yet hatched.
Considering the baby eagle had just hatched when Guy came here in the future, does it take these eggs several years to incubate?
He shook his head. He just needed the giant eagle; he didn't have time to wait for these chicks. They could be left for Kimimaro in the future. A flying summon would be an excellent support.
[SKREEE!]
A loud cry echoed through the air. The giant eagle was returning from its hunt. Nagi quietly hid among the dry branches and leaves of the nest.
The eagle had taken a punch from Nagi's Susanoo that morning, but it now looked full of vigor, as if nothing had happened. Its defense was nothing to scoff at.
Waddling like a fat chicken, the giant eagle moved a few steps, then contentedly settled down on its eggs to incubate them.
Suddenly, the eagle seemed to notice something. It sniffed the air. A strange scent...
Seeing that his cover was blown, Nagi stood up. Two giant hands of the Susanoo instantly formed and grabbed the eagle's wings.
The eagle shrieked in alarm, pecking frantically at the Susanoo with its sharp beak.
Clang!
Clang!
Without the momentum of a dive, its pecks lacked the force to break through the Susanoo's defense.
[Mangekyo Sharingan]
Nagi activated his Sharingan, controlling the eagle and trying to force it to sign a contract. But the immobilized eagle just glared at Nagi, its face a mask of defiance, a picture of eternal submission.
Nagi chuckled. "From the look of you, you should be able to understand my words. I'll give you two choices. One, you willingly sign a contract and become my summoning beast. Two, I help you sign it. You choose."
As he spoke, Nagi placed his blade against one of the two-meter-high eggs and drew it across the surface, leaving a scratch. The eagle nearly died of fright.
"And," Nagi added softly, "you wouldn't want anything to happen to your children, would you..."
Instantly, the eagle, which had been glaring angrily just a moment ago, hesitated.
Seeing its hesitation, Nagi said, "Don't worry. I'll only call on you when I need help traveling. I won't summon you for fights, because I'm stronger than you and don't need your help. More importantly, I won't interfere with your incubation time."
Hearing this, and glancing at the blade resting on its egg, the eagle hesitated for another moment before blinking and nodding its head in agreement.
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