Chapter 215: Pandora's Box
"Nagato-kun, I've caused you so much trouble," Kushina said guiltily as they walked.
Nagato waved it off nonchalantly. "We knew this would happen eventually. Let's head back to the town first to pack our things, then we'll go to the Land of Lightning for a while. The Konoha folks won't dare to follow us there."
Kushina nodded silently. She felt she was already a burden to Nagato; constantly apologizing would only make her seem hypocritical.
"But... is this speed okay?"
They weren't rushing. In fact, they were walking at the same leisurely pace as before.
"The more we rush, the more suspicious we look," Nagato explained. "Konoha will definitely be watching for anyone moving like a ninja—jumping through trees, running at high speeds. So, we need to act like civilians. We stick to the main roads. There's a post station up ahead where many caravans from the Land of Lightning stop to rest. If we can join one of them, it will be much safer."
By this point, both of them had used the Transformation Jutsu to change their appearances. Although a skilled sensor might see through it, it added a layer of cover. If they were lucky enough to find a caravan from the Land of Lightning—or even better, one affiliated with Kumogakure—they would be practically untouchable.
Konoha ninja likely wouldn't inspect such caravans. Not necessarily because they couldn't, but because they feared alerting the Cloud to their presence.
Early the next morning, the two merged onto a bustling main road. This highway cut across the Land of Hot Water, connecting the Land of Fire to the Land of Lightning. It was a famous trade route in the northern ninja world. Although the road was pitted and uneven from heavy use, travelers here rarely encountered bandits. As a result, many small merchants and peddlers chose this route.
Of course, while there were no bandits, there was no shortage of scammers and thieves.
Still under their Transformation Jutsu, the pair arrived at the post station, which was teeming with caravans. Nagato scouted for a while before spotting a medium-sized merchant group heading for the capital of the Land of Lightning.
"Are you looking for 'road-poolers'?" Nagato asked, using the jargon of the trade.
"Road-pooling" referred to small groups or individuals joining a larger caravan to boost numbers and deter threats. However, each party remained independent—food, lodging, and supplies were all self-managed.
The caravan leader looked Nagato up and down. Nagato flexed his muscular arm slightly, looking every bit the hired muscle.
"Two thousand ryo!" the leader barked.
Nagato shook his head. "One thousand. We're only going halfway."
This meant they would split off before reaching the capital.
Kushina remained silent the entire time. The caravan leader hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Meanwhile, back in Kumogakure.
When Dana first met Old Man Yoshitoki, the man looked like he was ready to hold his own funeral at any moment. Although he had received better care after joining the Cloud, human life had its limits, and he was simply too old.
If Yoshitoki hadn't been a master medical-nin himself, he likely wouldn't have survived to this age given the average lifespan in the ninja world. He was definitely born before Madara Uchiha's generation.
But after mastering Earth Grudge Fear (Jiongu), Yoshitoki's lifespan issue had been the first thing solved. His stamina and energy were comprehensively enhanced. It was, for all intents and purposes, rejuvenation.
As for how much life he had gained, that was uncertain. Yoshitoki's biological age wasn't necessarily younger than Kakuzu's, and the limits of the technique remained unknown.
From the village's perspective, having a key scientist regain his youth and potentially work for several more decades was a massive boon.
However, the nature of Earth Grudge Fear still gave Dana an uncontrollable sense of dread. Especially since Yoshitoki planned to promote it throughout the entire research institute. Dana couldn't bear the thought of a whole department filled with tentacle monsters.
Dana decided that the next time he met Kakuzu, he needed to ask seriously who invented this jutsu and if it affected the user's sanity.
With the mindset of an investigator, Dana cleared his schedule and headed to the Medical and Biological Research Base to see for himself.
Mamoru Anzai led Dana deep into the facility.
"What brings you here today?" Anzai asked.
"I haven't been here in a while," Dana replied. "Just wanted to look around and check on Grandpa Yoshitoki."
Anzai chuckled. "You probably haven't gotten used to the fact that Master Yoshitoki isn't an 'old man' anymore. He doesn't exactly need checking up on these days."
Before long, Dana saw a middle-aged man who looked about forty years old. He was observing a pig in a cage, likely a test subject. His shiny, bald head was somewhat distracting.
"Master Yoshitoki!" Anzai called out.
Dana's heart skipped a beat. That's Yoshitoki?!
The middle-aged man turned around. His features were indeed about seventy percent similar to the old Yoshitoki Dana knew—recognizable, but seeing that face on a younger body felt incredibly jarring.
"Oh, it's Dana," the man smiled warmly. "Long time no see. Ah, you haven't seen me like this yet. Are you surprised?"
Dana was used to the old Yoshitoki's slow, raspy speech. Hearing this full, resonant voice made him uncomfortable.
"Grandpa... Yoshitoki? Long time no see?"
"After the physical changes, the address does become confusing," Yoshitoki nodded. "As you can see, I used Earth Grudge Fear to remodel my body."
The Yoshitoki standing before him looked like a refined, gentle middle-aged scientist. Remembering the withered ninety-something-year-old from a few months ago, Dana felt an indescribable weirdness.
Somewhere underground, a certain dance-loving Uchiha waiting to die of old age was really limited by his lack of imagination...
"The drastic change has caused some trouble for those around me," Yoshitoki said softly. "Perhaps the only thing that hasn't changed is this head. The hair follicles were necrotic; even rejuvenation couldn't save them."
Dana: "..."
Yoshitoki brought out some tea, and the three sat in the lab to chat.
According to Yoshitoki, simply mastering the jutsu didn't instantly make one young. After learning it, he had spent weeks meticulously remodeling his body, bit by bit, using a lifetime of medical knowledge combined with the fine control offered by the black threads.
"If you had come earlier, you would have seen a young body that still had no teeth and had to use dentures," Yoshitoki laughed.
Even with his long life experience, Yoshitoki couldn't help but marvel at the technique.
"The person who developed this ninjutsu was absolutely one of the greatest geniuses the ninja world has seen in a thousand years. I am far inferior to him."
Dana nodded numbly. His mind was in chaos.
Inadvertently, something critically dangerous had happened right under his nose...
He never imagined that a jutsu he picked up by chance would bring such a massive change to the ninja world.
Yes, to the Ninja World...
Looking at Yoshitoki, Dana's mind was already racing through the implications.
"After becoming younger, my energy is abundant, and my curiosity is overflowing," Yoshitoki continued. "I thought I had reached the limit of my research in this life, but Earth Grudge Fear has opened up a new world for me. Since you're here, let me show you."
Yoshitoki led Dana and Anzai to the cage containing the pig.
"I heard the previous user of this jutsu used it for combat, implanting multiple hearts into himself. I don't know how strong that made him, but frankly, I think it was a waste. I believe this jutsu was tailor-made for biological technology."
As he spoke, Yoshitoki raised a finger. The finger detached at the second knuckle—without a drop of blood—and a mass of black threads, or tentacles, surged out.
Dana felt his scalp tingle.
"Earth Grudge Fear alienates and strengthens my vascular system. These 'vessels' can be controlled freely to modify one's own body. That's how the man who added hearts did it. But if the user possesses vast biological and medical knowledge, they can do more than simple organ transplants. Complex modifications—like my rejuvenation—become possible. Furthermore, if one is familiar enough with other organisms, one can influence them as well."
Dana thought to himself: Good lord!
So stuffing five hearts into your body is just 'basic operations' in Yoshitoki's eyes?
Several black tendrils writhed like snakes, moving toward the pig. The animal squealed in terror, but a tentacle pierced the back of its neck before it could react. The pig instantly went silent, staring blankly ahead like a doll.
"I have temporarily severed the connection between its brain and body," Yoshitoki explained calmly. "I have taken over its nervous system. Now, I can do this."
More black threads plunged into the pig's body from various angles. They seemed to swim beneath the skin without causing damage, performing operations Dana couldn't comprehend.
A moment later, the pig's flesh rippled. On both sides of its abdomen, the skin suddenly split open. A small amount of blood trickled out, followed by the emergence of two new limbs—pale, veiny, and grotesque.
Right before Dana's eyes, a normal domestic pig had been transformed into a six-legged abomination. Coupled with its wooden, lifeless stare and the writhing black tentacles connected to it...
Dana's scalp wasn't just tingling anymore.
His entire face felt numb.
Hello?! Police?!
I'd like to report a crime against nature!