BOOM.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The originally pristine laboratory instantly became a pile of rubble. Dense slash marks covered the surrounding walls.
Fortunately, this was underground. Otherwise, the commotion would have spread throughout the facility long ago.
Ryomen Sukuna cracked his neck. The ferocity in his eyes had somewhat dissipated—he'd finally vented a little.
The dense bite marks covering his body slowly healed. Toxins were burned by Yang fire and instantly converted into proteins to replenish his form.
After more than a year of research, Sukuna had determined the direction for his personal technique.
Cooking.
Only the ingredients were various special cellular structures. He used soul slashes to sever the connection between soul and flesh, and Yang Release flames to smelt and crack the remnant will and instinct within the cells.
Then he used Malevolent Shrine to cook these cells—transforming them into delicacies for his own cells to absorb.
This method wasn't direct cellular fusion, so he wouldn't gain one hundred percent of the other party's abilities.
Only suitable abilities would be absorbed. The rest became nutrients to enhance his existing cells.
But because of this, he gained an advantage: no negative side effects.
At the same time, even with identical ingredients—the same cells—if his cooking technique improved and he created higher quality delicacies, he could continue using them for enhancement.
His first meal had caused earth-shattering changes throughout his entire body.
"One hundred sixty trillion cells. A full twenty trillion more than before."
Sukuna felt his completely transformed form. Its strength had been greatly enhanced.
Previously, having two extra arms had only added ten trillion cells. Now his arms had reverted to two—yet he possessed twenty trillion more.
One could imagine how much his body's foundation had been elevated.
Beyond that, there was also a special change: actually restoring his four-armed, two-faced state.
The cooking wasn't perfect enough. At most, it's equivalent to a key unlocking hidden power within my body.
Sukuna made his assessment.
Opposite him, Orochimaru—whose hands had extended from his own mouth—shed a layer of skin and returned to his original state.
"No Wood Release. It seems your fusion also has flaws." His eerie voice carried across the wreckage.
Though this brat's strength had been enhanced, it wasn't as beyond common sense as the legends of the First Hokage.
Sudden footsteps approached. The outer laboratory door opened.
Danzo Shimura walked in with a dark expression. Looking at the destroyed inner chamber, his gaze swept over their faces like a blade.
"Orochimaru. What are you doing?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly. A playful smile appeared on Orochimaru's practiced expression.
Regarding Danzo opposite him, Sukuna raised his eyes. His gaze returned to its ferocious state.
"Nothing. Just testing some research results with this child."
Orochimaru's words made even Sukuna pause—then chuckle softly.
Danzo's gloomy face grew uglier still. Were these two bastards treating him like a fool?
"...This is a research facility. Not a playground for you two."
"Root's funds are certainly not for you to waste like this." He snorted coldly.
Orochimaru didn't care about Danzo's attitude internally. He merely turned his head.
"Is there something you came here for?"
Finally remembering his purpose, Danzo cast a glance at Sukuna.
After pondering a moment, he spoke.
"The village is under martial law recently. If you have nothing to do, focus on your research. Don't wander around."
Orochimaru understood instantly. He was being told to lay low.
"Understood."
Danzo stared at him for a moment, cast a final glance at Sukuna, then turned and left.
On the way out of the secret underground base, Danzo's eyes were profound.
Time passed day by day.
On the surface, the village looked perfectly normal. But some ninjas had already noticed the increasingly heavy security presence.
October 10th.
This morning, everything proceeded as usual.
Zenji got dressed and walked out of his bedroom. Breakfast was already prepared.
This time, he didn't use a Shadow Clone. He went to school with his main body—treating it as a day off.
The day passed quickly. The sky gradually darkened.
The masked man—Obito's incarnation—appeared in a shadow. Based on White Zetsu's intelligence, his gaze fixed on a cave outside the village, protected by numerous ANBU guards and layers of barriers.
"Futile methods." Obito's cold voice rang out.
He walked toward the cave.
The darkened sky enveloped brightly lit streets. Kakashi and Might Guy strolled along together.
The thirteen-year-old duo were at an age of rapid growth—obviously changed from their youthful appearances of a year ago.
"Let's continue our rock-paper-scissors competition today." Kakashi's voice was lazy.
It had been a year since the war. He'd buried his sorrow deep within. On the surface, he was no different from before.
"Not again! Isn't there a more exciting showdown?" Might Guy shouted with some disappointment.
"You're my lifelong rival! For this, I've been training bitterly all year. I've been completely reborn!"
"I have to get up early tomorrow. Let's just forget it for today." Kakashi smiled with relaxed ease.
"Don't use missions as an excuse—"
Might Guy's shout cut off mid-sentence. He stopped in his tracks.
Almost simultaneously, Kakashi looked toward the distance.
"Guy. Do you feel something strange?"
"I feel it." Might Guy's expression turned serious. "Like death descending."
On the other side, Hiruzen Sarutobi—relieved of his heavy responsibilities—was processing academy documents.
Gojo Satoru's personality is becoming clearer. Though he still doesn't quite agree with the Will of Fire, he seems to respect the First Hokage. What remains is finding companions so he can form bonds with the village.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen frowned deeply.
He'd recognized long ago that Gojo Satoru was an extraordinary genius—even more outstanding than Minato.
But his personality was completely different.
That brat is truly too arrogant. There's no way to make him acknowledge his peers. Forming bonds seems impossible.
Just as he was struggling with this headache, he suddenly noticed something.
He stood up immediately.
It can't be.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen went to retrieve his combat uniform.
In the courtyard, Zenshu stood in the corridor, gazing into the distance.
Is that the Nine-Tails' chakra? Completely different from the Three-Tails.
"What astonishing chakra." Zenji stood nearby and sighed.
"What is that?" Gojo Satoru walked over, face full of excitement.
Ryomen Sukuna hadn't returned and wasn't present.
Tengen—who hid away entirely except when working—slowly appeared nearby.
Choso's face was even more serious. Even having cultivated to the Fourth Stage, facing that kind of chakra, he still felt vigilant.
"Tengen." Zenshu spoke suddenly. "Use a barrier to protect the two nearby streets."
"Yes." Tengen's voice was decisive.
Protecting two streets wasn't a difficult task for her.
As long as she didn't have to face that monster directly, it was fine.
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