"To defeat you—and my rival Kakashi—I have been burning my youth for a year!" Might Guy shouted a bunch of nonsense.
The ground beneath his feet exploded. A gust of wind spread outward.
His powerful fist was already imprinted on Gojo Satoru's chest, the force radiating outward and producing a thunderous roar.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Might Guy became a phantom—his blurred figure flickering around Gojo Satoru in rapid succession.
But if not for the continuous roars of bursting force, the attacks appeared to have no effect whatsoever.
Gojo Satoru even continued yawning.
Zenji walked over to Toji Fushiguro, whom he hadn't seen in some time. He tilted his head forward.
"What's going on? How did he get so much stronger in a year?"
Looking at Might Guy's state, he'd clearly opened the Third Gate of the Eight Inner Gates.
To possess such speed now, his strength had very likely reached Jonin level.
"I taught him how to absorb chakra and reverse the process to repair his own cells." Toji's tone remained flat.
Zenji understood immediately.
With Might Guy's self-torture-style training willpower, if he had sufficient life energy for restoration, he would definitely experience an explosive period of physical strengthening.
Coupled with mastering a series of chakra enhancement techniques, his power would naturally increase significantly.
Especially given the Eight Inner Gates' characteristics—extremely suitable for the enhancement technique series.
Every time a gate opened, it could erupt with even more massive chakra. But before the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—the chakra surge wasn't the primary source of strength enhancement.
The true key lay in breaking through meridian and physical limits after each gate opened.
But more massive chakra was still a fact. Combined with the Chakra Enhancement Technique, it could instantly multiply taijutsu power.
Zenji turned to look at Toji Fushiguro. He'd also cultivated the Eight Inner Gates—just a specialized version.
The current Toji Fushiguro was Zenji's insurance. His trump card against Madara Uchiha or other unexpected situations.
His uniqueness didn't stop there. As the first created Soul Book, Zenji hadn't blurred his past life memories for a specific reason.
Unlike the others, who all believed themselves to be reincarnated locals.
"By the way, how come I haven't seen Ryomen Sukuna these past few months?" Zenji suddenly remembered and asked with some curiosity.
"He ran off to Orochimaru's place. Borrowing the laboratory for a lot of research." A sudden voice rang out from behind.
Blood-red light condensed into Choso. This was his Blood Clone—each of the three had a clone protecting them.
"Orochimaru? No wonder." Zenji sounded somewhat surprised.
Inside the secret base where Orochimaru collaborated with Root, the snake wore a white lab coat, his face showing irrepressible joy.
Before him, a figure writhed forward in serpentine motion.
"No negative effects whatsoever. A perfect soul transfer!" The joy on Orochimaru's face transformed into an eerie smile. "It's finally complete."
"Four-legged snake, I've already helped you finish the experiment. Hurry up and hand over this great one's reward." Ryomen Sukuna stood to the side, face full of dissatisfaction.
Hearing the voice, Orochimaru turned around. His eerie gaze regarded the nearly eleven-year-old Sukuna. Greedy desire stirred in his heart.
"To think that a Wind Release slash could sever the connection between soul and physical body. What a genius idea." His voice brimmed with pleasure.
It was precisely this technique—combined with the Incarnation ritual and baptism ritual he'd researched—that made the soul transfer so perfect.
But without that Wind Release soul slash, achieving such flawless results would have required at least another five to ten years of research.
Capture him?
No. This brat's strength wasn't negligible.
And that old thing.
Thinking of Zenshu—that creature even more eerie than himself—fear rose in Orochimaru's heart.
I can only use bait.
"Of course it's all prepared." He wore his usual practiced smile. "But researching Hashirama's cells isn't simple. Would you like my assistance?"
Ryomen Sukuna cast a glance at him without replying. His attitude was obvious enough.
Orochimaru smiled and formed a hand seal. A door suddenly opened in the laboratory wall, revealing a new chamber.
A piece of Hashirama's cellular tissue lay in a cultivation pod.
Sukuna turned and walked over. Arriving before the pod, his gaze fixed on the flesh and blood tissue.
A savage smile gradually spread across his features. He could clearly perceive the exuberant vitality contained within.
"An unparalleled delicacy."
An irrepressible craving emerged from within his body—as if this form inherently hungered for this tissue.
Almost the instant the feeling appeared, Sukuna formed a guess.
His expression turned slightly peculiar. Then he snorted coldly.
Old thing. I didn't expect you actually remembered me.
Having formed his conclusion, Sukuna moved decisively.
He pointed two fingers forward. An invisible Wind Release slash instantly cut through the cultivation pod's glass.
Crack.
Cultivation liquid spilled out. That piece of vitality-brimming flesh was grabbed with one hand.
Sukuna covered the cellular tissue with both palms. Wind Release surged in his left hand, fusing with forty percent Yin Release chakra to form a slash that severed souls.
Fire Release blazed in his right hand, fusing with fifty percent Yang Release chakra—forming flames that smelted flesh and blood cells.
"Sukuna, what are you doing?" Orochimaru approached, frowning deeply.
What use could directly attacking flesh with raw chakra possibly have?
But as he watched, his expression shifted.
"What is this?"
Before his voice even faded, a new transformation appeared.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"
Sukuna's ecstatic voice rang out.
Black-red chakra swarmed from his body, instantly enveloping the surroundings and forming a circle less than three meters in diameter.
The original Malevolent Shrine was an open-barrier Domain. But after Zenshu's localization modifications, and Sukuna's own strengthening and deduction...
The original Domain Expansion had changed completely.
"Is this Domain Expansion?" Orochimaru frowned slightly.
There was absolutely none of the oppressive feeling Minato Namikaze had reported. Had the other party been lying?
Impossible.
It seems this isn't a fixed technique.
Orochimaru licked his lips. His eyes filled with exploratory desire as he regarded the red-and-black sphere.
The greed in his heart grew even more vigorous.
The circular barrier emitted a glow—and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Hahaha!"
Ryomen Sukuna, bare-chested, raised his two muscular arms high and laughed maniacally.
"Old thing, you really do have some skills!"
Orochimaru's pupils contracted as he regarded Sukuna—whose entire body now erupted with robust chakra.
"You successfully fused the cells!" Astonishment filled his voice, mixed with a hint of ecstasy.
"How did you do it? Let me research it!"
Hearing that cold voice, Sukuna turned to look at Orochimaru.
His remaining pair of eyes blazed with ferocity. His fingers twitched slightly.
An invisible Wind Release soul slash formed instantly.
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