Chapter 443: Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Force
At the Kara Base.
"So you still haven't managed to infiltrate the innermost core laboratory of Konoha's Technology Development Bureau?"
Jigen sat in his chair, resting his chin on his right hand as he addressed Victor.
Victor sighed. "There's nothing we can do. We haven't been able to decipher or replicate the specific core tech of Konoha's Technology Development Bureau. We have no idea how they pull it off, but no matter what kind of ninjutsu we use to sneak in, Konoha's people spot us immediately."
Damn it all—as if he hadn't tried his absolute hardest!
Apart from Kara itself, Konoha's Technology Development Bureau was the most cutting-edge research facility in the entire world.
He desperately wanted to know what Orochimaru, Tobitake Tonbo, and the rest of them were actually researching in there.
After all, a massive portion of today's commercialized high technology had originated from that very lab.
As a scientist himself, Victor had long dreamed of sending operatives inside to steal their secrets.
He even wanted to get his hands on the legendary Hashirama Cells to boost his own regenerative capabilities to an entirely new level.
"And why is that? Don't tell me you haven't been giving it your all," Jigen said, his voice eerily calm.
With Amado's medical technology, his current body was now able to act for brief periods, but he required even superior technology to preserve and maintain this vessel.
At least until Kara's Karma vessel experiments were complete.
To accelerate those experiments and secure a suitable rebirth vessel as quickly as possible, advanced technology was an absolute necessity.
Victor explained, "We originally planned to use internal moles to infiltrate the core lab of Konoha's Development Bureau, but it proved impossible for two reasons. First, the core facility utilizes unbelievably advanced chakra detection technology, alongside mind-reading capabilities that can directly extract memories. We have no way around it.
Second...
The core lab only consists of four people in total: Orochimaru, Tobitake Tonbo, Kabuto Yakushi, and that kid Tobitake Keigo.
There are only four people in total—there's literally no opening to exploit.
And apart from the youngest, Tobitake Keigo, every single one of them possesses terrifying strength."
"Terrifying" was an understatement.
Aside from the known Five Kage and Sasuke, those three were the most formidable individuals alive. How was anyone supposed to make a move?
"Then why not target this Tobitake Keigo? Control him and force him to feed us intelligence," Jigen suggested.
Controlling a single person shouldn't be that difficult.
Cold sweat broke out on Victor's forehead. "Lord Jigen, that's far easier said than done. While Tobitake Keigo isn't as strong as the other three, he carries the highest concentration of Scientific Ninja Tools on his body. We've already tested the waters—every assassin sent after him ended up completely dead.
He's definitely not a target to be underestimated.
Not only that, but the other three have undoubtedly placed fail-safes and secondary measures on him to ensure no one takes advantage of his youth."
If it were feasible, Victor would have done it ages ago. It simply yielded no results.
In fact, the target had nearly tracked their assassin's intelligence back to perform counter-reconnaissance against Kara itself.
It was only thanks to their quick retreat and the space-time Scientific Ninja Tools engineered by Amado that they hadn't been wiped out entirely.
Thinking of Amado made Victor grumble with resentment.
That guy only knows how to research gadgetry—pure regenerative capability is the true god of this world!
Having lived through the Fourth Great Ninja War, Victor knew that in that kind of conflict, immortal regeneration was the ultimate truth.
That was precisely why he had modified his own body, craving an indestructible physical form.
"I see. That is indeed troublesome," Jigen murmured, frowning slightly.
Tobitake Tonbo, Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi...
These were names that had echoed across the Fourth War.
Even he was somewhat familiar with their reputations.
If only this current vessel could release his full power without breaking down...
Jigen glanced down at his body, knowing it wouldn't hold out much longer.
If possible, he would have preferred to step out personally to show the Shinobi World's ninja that they were nothing more than ants before him.
While individual ninja posed zero threat to him personally, for Kara's long-term organization goals, their rapid development was becoming a significant headache.
"In that case, continue building power. There is no need to rush, but since the Shinobi Alliance is advancing so rapidly, we must throw a wrench in their progress," Jigen stated. Thinking of Amado's technology, if the Shinobi World developed similar advancements on a mass scale, it could pose a genuine nuisance to his plans.
He was well aware that Konoha and the other hidden villages were aggressively developing Scientific Ninja Tools of their own.
Victor bowed slightly. "I will find a way to obstruct their progress and ensure they never surpass Kara. And frankly, they couldn't surpass us anyway—we possess the greatest scientists in the world, along with complete intelligence files on every laboratory across the globe. It is utterly impossible for them to overtake us."
On this point, he was brimming with absolute confidence.
Science was the ultimate truth.
It would inevitably bring about the extinction of that damned ninja profession.
To label someone a "One-Star Scientific Ninja" was a joke.
For mere ninja to think they could absorb and encompass every profession in the world was pure, naive delusion.
"I expect results. Within five years, I require a Karma vessel capable of sustaining my rebirth," Jigen issued his final command.
That was the ultimate objective.
The Shinobi Alliance didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Once he obtained a perfect vessel, his full power would be more than enough to wipe out the entire Shinobi World.
No one would be capable of standing against him.
Or rather, no ninja could ever hope to be his match.
...
Back at the Fresh Recruit Ceremony.
"It's time! Neji Hyuga—the greatest genius of the Hyuga Clan! Word has it he's already the absolute strongest shinobi in the entire Hyuga."
Neji Hyuga drifted slowly out from the giant bird, gliding past Tobitake Tonbo, Naruto Uzumaki, and the others toward the island below.
"Give it your all, Neji!" Naruto called out with a bright grin.
Neji glanced back over his shoulder. "Of course..."
Before the words fully landed, his figure blurred, reappearing directly in the sky above the island.
His eyes flashed, and in the next instant, his Tenseigan slowly opened!
Eight Trigrams: Domain!
Without a single grand gesture, a colossal Eight Trigrams formation descended from the heavens, instantly enveloping the entire island in a tight lock.
In a fraction of a second, an invisible, boundless ocean of chakra erupted from his form, flooding the surrounding space. Simultaneously, a miraculous change swept over his body as a specialized chakra mode manifested—intertwining stark black and white aura like the opposing forces of Yin and Yang.
"Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Force, double-split by the light of the Sun and Moon!"
The massive Eight Trigrams array began to spin at a terrifying speed as the powers of Yin and Yang fused and interchanged.
A giant Taiji fish pattern flickered ominously in the sky, looking as though it were about to shatter the bonds of space and burst forth. Before the wide, stunned eyes of the audience, the entire island began to rotate slowly—as if placed inside a giant, cosmic grinding mill.
Across all four directions of the island and throughout the surrounding cosmos, countless intersecting magnetic fields surged into existence.
These crisscrossing magnetic forces collided and tangled wildly, warping the once-stable space into a twisted distortion.
In some areas, gravity spiked exponentially, causing rocks to crash to the earth like heavy lead weights; in other spots, gravity vanished entirely, sending mountainside boulders floating upside down into the sky.
In an instant, blinding dust storms roared across the island as the sky darkened into total twilight, as if the end of the world had arrived.
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