46-50

Chapter 46: It’s You Again, Hidan!

Relatively speaking, RC genes are not very stable and can transform into different forms based on mental states.

In other words, if you strongly desire to fly, you might mutate into a Ukaku form. If you feel insecure, you might evolve a protective Koukaku instead.

“This way, the diversity among ghouls will increase quite a bit,” Kaneki mused with satisfaction.

Experiments, after all, are all about collecting as many samples and possibilities as possible.

The more possibilities there are, the closer he gets to uncovering the *truth* of the world!

Adjusting his glasses gently, the sword-like Kagune on his back dissipated into thin air. Kaneki turned and walked toward the shrine.

Now, he was just over 1,000 reputation points away from leveling up. With this round of experiments concluded, it was time to find something new to do.

In the shrine’s blood pool, Hidan’s body floated and sank repeatedly.

As the research progressed smoothly, Kaneki gained a deeper understanding of the essence of chakra.

To be precise, ninjutsu involves extracting chakra, then using hand signs to guide it through specific circuits, transforming it into the form of ninjutsu.

Chakra is divided into two types: basic chakra and elemental chakra.

Basic chakra is present in everyone’s body, while elemental chakra is determined by a specific genetic fragment in the body’s cells.

Only through training to activate this genetic fragment can a ninja refine chakra with elemental properties.

As for how to enhance these chakra elements and apply them to their techniques—that’s another story altogether.

In short, Kaneki had now pinpointed the genes responsible for determining chakra attributes and could implant them into other people.

For now, this modification carried risks, but Hidan, with his immortal body, was the perfect guinea pig for Kaneki’s experiments.

Under Kaneki’s guidance, Hidan had already developed the ability to refine all five elemental chakras.

Kaneki also directly injected all the ninjutsu techniques he had mastered into Hidan’s body.

This allowed the techniques to simulate themselves within Hidan hundreds, even thousands of times. Once Hidan woke up, all he’d need was a little intuition to execute them as if they were second nature.

After all, Kaneki hadn’t forgotten that Hidan was an undeniable illiterate!

It was one thing for him to learn taijutsu, but asking him to study ninjutsu was practically a death sentence!

He couldn’t even read a scroll—how could he possibly learn?

“Sigh, I really am an understanding and benevolent person,” Kaneki sighed dramatically, clasping his hands in prayer over the blood pool.

“But before waking little Hidan, there’s one last thing to do,” he added with a sly smile.

Thanks to the sacrificial ritual from Sakamoto Trading Company, the Cult of the Evil God had reaped a wealth of offerings and reputation points. That ominous, shadowy Evil God was likely in an excellent mood right now.

With so much earned, surely the Evil God wouldn’t skimp on giving his underlings some operating funds, right?

…Right?

Gazing at Hidan’s body floating in the blood pool, Kaneki’s mysterious smile widened.

The next moment, the blood pool began to boil violently.

The *Primordial Creator’s Womb* was activated!

As Kaneki consumed his own life force at an alarming rate, countless RC cells and kagune—second-generation Kagune derived from his research on Shiroishi Mori’s genes—began to emerge in droves.

Dark silhouettes appeared deep within the blood pool, followed by a massive shadow rising to the surface.

*Boom!*

The surface of the blood pool shattered as an enormous, grotesque, dark red serpent emerged before Kaneki.

Its appearance was bizarre: the creature’s body was entirely encased in thick, dark red Koukaku armor. It stretched about 50 meters long, with a massive white, menacing, oni-like mask as its head. Crimson ghostly flames danced beneath the mask.

Unlike ordinary snakes covered in fine scales, this creature’s body was made of steel-hard black Koukaku plates, occasionally protruding with sharp spikes.

Rather than a snake, it resembled some sort of specialized pseudo-dragon.

Kaneki had fused ninja genes, kagune, and snake genes derived from Orochimaru to create this unique lifeform.

He named it *Akamengui Snake*—the Devil-Faced Serpent.

The Devil-Faced Serpent

- *Koukaku*: Its body is encased in Koukaku armor, offering incredible defense.

- *Ukaku*: Ukaku sac embedded in the armor's crevices allows it to attack enemies from a distance.

- *Evil Oni Mask*: Composed of Koukaku and Rinkaku, it can launch deadly attacks.

- *Heart of Five Elements*: Capable of utilizing Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Lightning ninjutsu.

Watching the serpent obediently bow before him, radiating a terrifying aura, Kaneki nodded in satisfaction.

While there was room for improvement—the serpent’s arsenal of ninjutsu was still limited, and it couldn’t combine elements—this creation marked the pinnacle of his genetic engineering skills thus far.

Perhaps he could create multi-headed serpents like twin-headed or even nine-headed hydras in the future by combining other genes.

For now, however, the Devil-Faced Serpent was unmatched.

Given the current strength of a minor ninja village, it would take at least 40-50 Chunin to even pose a threat to the serpent.

As for Jonin, Kaneki’s data on them was still incomplete, making it hard to assess their effectiveness.

After all, a ninja’s strength is never static. Even among Jonin or Chunin, their abilities can vary widely between villages.

Minor ninja villages lack the resources and training facilities of major ones, so their ninjas are naturally weaker.

In this field, having a good teacher or coming from a powerful clan is everything.

Some techniques and secret arts are never shared with outsiders, leaving ordinary ninjas with no access to them.

After producing 200 RC Kagune packs and the Devil-Faced Serpent, Kaneki had no intention of stopping.

Since his own life force had already been drained, the rest was coming straight from the Evil God’s reserves.

For Kaneki, the Evil God was nothing but a super-sized blood bank!

Praise the Evil God!

As Kaneki willed it, the blood pool churned again.

This time, he created a swarm of tiny, beetle-like creatures called *Explosive Beetles*.

As the name suggests, these beetles were the result of Kaneki’s research into Fire Release and explosive tags, combined with his expertise in biotechnology.

Though only the size of a thumb, they could produce explosions far more powerful than explosive tags.

Before long, a massive swarm of Explosive Beetles rose from the blood pool like a dark cloud, only to be absorbed into a mouth embedded in the palm of Kaneki’s humanoid clone.

This was another of Kaneki’s designs: a hand-mouth for storing Explosive Beetles.

He also created a batch of upgraded black beetles, now smaller than grains of sand but as hard as steel.

As Kaneki reveled in his unrestrained extravagance, the shadowy Evil God howled in agony.

Damn it! He had just started recovering after months of growth!

He had thought that at this rate, he might regain his freedom within a few years, unleashing terror upon the ninja world and showing the Otsutsuki clan what he was capable of.

But alas, today, he had been mercilessly drained yet again!

This was intolerable!

The enraged Evil God channeled his energy to focus his vision on the shrine’s statue.

And there, a man with slicked-back silver hair and a delighted expression came into view.

“It’s you again! Hidan!”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 47: I, Lord Hidan, Have Grown Stronger!*

“Fire Style: Flame Bullet!”

Hidan clasped his hands in a series of seals, and the chakra surging through his body concentrated at a focal point in his mouth. With a forceful exhale, a blazing fireball erupted outward.

*BOOM!*

The flames collided with a wall, causing a violent explosion.

Hidan wiped his mouth with his hand, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Who would’ve thought this great lord could use ninjutsu one day!”

This guy, notorious for being illiterate and despising study, had long assumed that ninjutsu was beyond his reach. But fate had a way of surprising him—especially after encountering Kaneki.

Turning toward Kaneki, Hidan hesitated for a moment before speaking with an awkward tone, “I don’t really like ninjutsu, but since it’s your heartfelt effort, I’ll reluctantly accept it.”

Kaneki gave him a deadpan look, rolling his eyes.

“If you don’t like it, I can help you get rid of it.”

Hearing this, Hidan panicked.

“Hmph, I already said I’ll reluctantly accept it!”

Before he could finish, Kaneki had already taken action.

“I don’t like forcing others.”

Black, ink-like wings spread open behind Kaneki, each feather shimmering with a metallic sheen. The massive, ominous wings loomed over Hidan like a tempest of destruction.

Seeing this, Hidan quickly dodged.

But Kaneki’s speed and attack range were far beyond what Hidan could evade. In no time, Hidan was struggling under the assault like a small boat caught in a storm.

“Damn you, Kaneki! What kind of technique is this?”

If it had been anyone else, Hidan wouldn’t have cared. After all, he was an immortal man—nearly unkillable.

But Kaneki was different. If this guy chose such an attack, he must have a hidden trump card to deal with Hidan!

Though Hidan wasn’t afraid of being subdued—what’s the worst that could happen, getting decapitated?—he still had his pride. He was Lord Hidan, after all, and he couldn’t always let Kaneki walk all over him. Sometimes, he wanted to turn the tables.

With that thought, Hidan’s gaze sharpened.

“Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!”

Hidan quickly formed seals, and a massive wall of rock erupted from the ground, blocking the oncoming storm of black feathers.

Although the wall only lasted three seconds before being blasted apart by Kaneki’s relentless assault, it was enough time for Hidan.

“Damn you, Kaneki, taste my power!”

Hidan’s voice echoed from beneath the ground.

A pale hand suddenly emerged, grabbing Kaneki’s ankle!

This crafty bastard had used the Earth Flow Wall as a distraction to burrow underground with the Subterranean Voyage technique for a sneak attack.

Kaneki couldn’t help but think about some... peculiar scenarios for a moment.

By now, Hidan had burst out of the ground, a massive grin spreading across his face. His shoulder blades twisted unnaturally as crimson armor began to sprout.

From the armor grew a gigantic, blood-red scythe in the shape of a crescent moon.

So, kagune can be used like this...

Kaneki stroked his chin, impressed. This guy did have some creativity.

Seeing Kaneki deep in thought, Hidan assumed his enemy was paralyzed with fear. He laughed triumphantly.

“Hahaha! Ken Kaneki, prepare to die!”

The blood-red crescent scythe swung down in a wide arc, aiming to cleave Kaneki in two.

But the scene Hidan imagined didn’t come to pass.

Before the scythe could reach Kaneki’s body, an obsidian layer of armor emerged from his skin, encasing him entirely.

*CLANG!*

A sharp metallic clash echoed, sparks flying everywhere.

Kaneki tilted his head, sneering. “Hidan, couldn’t wait to scratch my back after waking up, huh?”

That jab hit Hidan right where it hurt.

“AAARGH!”

He roared in frustration, swinging his oversized crimson scythe wildly at Kaneki.

But no matter how fierce the attacks appeared, they accomplished nothing. Aside from producing sparks, they couldn’t even leave a dent in Kaneki’s armor.

“Huff… huff…”

Hidan panted heavily, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

Kaneki? He casually dismissed the armor, yawned, stretched, and smirked. “Hidan, your massage technique has improved over the past few days. Not bad—keep it up!”

He even gave Hidan a thumbs-up for encouragement.

To Hidan, this “praise” felt like the ultimate insult.

“Damn you, Kaneki! Feel my wrath!”

“Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!”

A ferocious gust burst from Hidan’s mouth, tearing the ground as it surged toward Kaneki.

Unfazed, Kaneki adjusted his glasses. Behind him, the black wings of his kagune aligned into a massive blade. With one swing, the gust was completely neutralized.

Hidan wasn’t ready to admit defeat.

“Damn it, Lightning Style—”

Before he could finish forming seals, Kaneki appeared in front of him. A size-11 sandal slammed into his face, sending him flying.

As Hidan crashed into the ground, Kaneki dusted off his hands and said coolly, “I gave you these ninjutsu techniques so you’d have more options against enemies—not so you could abandon your best skill, taijutsu, to play with ninjutsu battles.”

Pausing for a moment, Kaneki smirked. “Then again, with you, getting things backward is pretty normal.”

“You’re the one who’s backward, Kaneki!” Hidan retorted indignantly.

Kaneki tilted his head playfully and asked, “Hidan, care to explain what ‘backward’ means?”

“Uh…”

Hidan’s face turned bright red.

Enraged and humiliated, Hidan charged at Kaneki again, only to meet his demise.

Hidan’s head was soon severed and held aloft like a lantern by Kaneki.

“Tsk, tsk. Useless without me, aren’t you, Hidan?” Kaneki taunted as he dangled the head.

“Damn you, Kaneki! One day, I’ll kill you!”

(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )

Kaneki smirked, his voice dropping ominously. “If that guy dies, there’ll be no need for the Jashin cult to exist.”

“AAAAARGH!”

“Hahahaha!”

Kaneki laughed heartily, leaving the temple with Hidan’s head in tow.

As he departed, countless ravens scattered into the sky, spreading across the land.

Back in the temple, the pool of blood rapidly dried up. If one could see beneath the surface, they’d find the blood flowing through cracks in the earth, converging deep below into a pulsating crimson sphere.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 48: Don’t Disappoint Me, Orochimaru*

“Hey, Kaneki, where are we going? Can’t we just kill someone for fun?” Hidan slouched, his arms dangling as he spoke lethargically.

It had been five days since they left the Jashin Cult headquarters, aimlessly wandering through the forest every day.

Whenever they got hungry, Kaneki made Hidan hunt or catch fish.

At first, Hidan had been excited, bounding around like a hyperactive husky. By the second day, though, his enthusiasm had completely faded.

In response to Hidan’s complaints, Kaneki adjusted his glasses and said calmly, “Don’t worry. You’ll soon get to do what you love most.”

“Really?”

Hidan’s eyes instantly lit up.

What he loved most? That could only mean one thing—cutting people down!

Kaneki continued walking forward until he suddenly stopped in front of a massive tree.

“After all, I’m not the kind of lunatic who enjoys being followed.”

Adjusting his glasses, he raised his foot and aimed at the giant tree.

Hidan stared, completely bewildered, his mental CPU fried as he tried to make sense of what Kaneki was doing.

Just as Kaneki’s strike was about to land, the ground beneath them turned muddy.

“So, you’ve finally shown yourself,” Kaneki murmured with a faint smirk.

The next moment, a figure emerged from the murky soil, holding a longsword aimed precisely at Kaneki’s heart.

“Whoa, we’ve got enemies?”

Hidan perked up immediately. Swinging his triple-bladed scythe, he extended it like a serpent. The crescent-shaped blade gleamed as it zipped past Kaneki, piercing through the attacker’s back like the fangs of a tiger.

Blood quickly spread across the muddy ground.

“Damn it…”

More figures appeared, clad in armor, gradually surrounding Kaneki and Hidan.

“This is Lord Orochimaru’s base. Intruders will die!”

The leader of the group shouted coldly, attempting to drive them away.

But this kind of threat didn’t faze Kaneki in the slightest.

“Hidan, these guys are all yours.”

Kaneki waved dismissively and finally brought his raised foot down.

Boom!  

The massive tree and the ground around it shattered, revealing a hidden entrance.

Without hesitation, Kaneki leaped in.

As for Hidan, he slung his triple-bladed scythe over his shoulder, licking his lips with his tongue.

“‘Intruders will die,’ huh?”

Hidan smirked playfully at the six ninja surrounding him. “Well, bad news for you—I’m not afraid of dying!”

Seeing Hidan’s manic expression, the six men instantly grew tense.

“You guys deal with this maniac. I’ll go after the other one. Don’t let him destroy Lord Orochimaru’s work!”

The leader issued his orders swiftly.

“Yes!”

After giving his instructions, the leader vanished with a teleportation jutsu, heading straight for the entrance.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

Hidan’s mocking voice rang out, followed by the sharp sound of rushing air.

The triple-bladed scythe extended once more, tearing through the air with brutal force and slashing toward its target.

The subordinate of Orochimaru turned pale, hastily forming hand signs.

“Earth Style: Earth Spear Jutsu!”

His skin hardened like stone, becoming as tough as rock.

But even that couldn’t withstand Hidan’s monstrous strike. The sheer force of the scythe tore through him as though a beast had bitten him in half.

In his final moments, the ninja’s face was frozen in disbelief and bitterness.

With a tug, Hidan reeled in his scythe, the blood-coated blades trembling slightly, as if celebrating the fresh kill.

Licking a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth, Hidan grinned. “Now, who’s next? Are you ready to be sacrificed to Lord Jashin?”

---

The sounds of battle and screams from above didn’t disturb Kaneki in the slightest.

If Hidan, armed with immortality, mastery of five elemental jutsus, and several Kagune, still managed to lose to Orochimaru’s underlings, Kaneki would simply call it deserved.

But that, of course, was impossible.

As Kaneki descended, the dimly lit underground passageway revealed itself.

The walls and floor were inscribed with intricate, winding patterns, and the pervasive darkness cloaked everything in mystery.

“Such theatrics.”

Kaneki’s expression remained impassive as he walked deeper into the passage.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew.

“Sir, are you certain you want to make an enemy of Lord Orochimaru?”

A woman’s voice echoed from the darkness, trembling slightly, though more in warning than fear.

“If you leave now, I can plead on your behalf before Lord Orochimaru.”

“Heh…”

Kaneki chuckled, unable to suppress his amusement.

He prided himself on professionalism and rarely laughed, but this…

“I must say, I’m quite curious about Orochimaru’s skill in training dogs.”

As he finished, eight crimson, scaled Kagune shot out like lightning, piercing through the darkness.

Blood splattered.

The woman screamed as her arms and legs were skewered.

“Im… impossible…”

She opened her mouth in disbelief. She had clearly attempted to dodge—why hadn’t her body moved?

“If you were trying to escape, my bugs probably disagreed with you.”

A faint glow reflected off Kaneki’s glasses, cold and unfeeling.

The woman looked down in horror.

Somehow, her feet were completely covered in tiny, black insects—like fine grains of iron sand. Their combined weight had immobilized her.

In the pitch blackness, she hadn’t noticed them at all.

“No… please…”

Her eyes widened in terror, then constricted.

A tingling sensation spread from her feet, crawling up her body until the insects invaded every orifice.

“Ahhh!”

Her scream of agony was abruptly cut off as her mouth filled with wriggling bugs.

“Lady Kanae…”

More figures emerged from the shadows, their faces filled with shock.

Kanae was considered the strongest experimental subject in the base, yet she had been utterly helpless before this man.

Feeling the presence of the others in the dark, Kaneki adjusted his glasses again and said indifferently, “Since you enjoy spectating so much, let me share the joy of my insects with you.”

His eyes remained calm as the darkness itself seemed to come alive. Swarms of bugs surged forth like a tidal wave, filling the entire passage within moments.

Only the despairing, frozen faces in the dark remained.

As the insect swarm receded, Kaneki continued walking into the base.

“If this is all Orochimaru’s base has to offer, I’m deeply disappointed.”

Truthfully, Orochimaru was the first and only person Kaneki had encountered in this world who seemed to pursue true knowledge.

That’s why Kaneki had spent months using ravens and black beetles to locate several of Orochimaru’s bases.

If this was the extent of his creations, it would truly be a waste.

“Don’t disappoint me, Orochimaru.”

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 49: The Strange Tech Tree

In the pitch-black corridor, a tide of black beetles emitted a grinding sound as they devoured the corpses submerged in the wave, consuming them completely.

These corpses would transform into energy stored within the beetles’ bodies, ready to fuel the battles ahead.

Of course, when upgrading the black beetles, Kaneki had deliberately assigned skill points to reproduction.

In other words, these black beetles were now a true species capable of self-propagation and survival.

If Kaneki relinquished control over them, they would immediately swarm and consume everything in their vicinity, driven by instinct, before starting to reproduce at an insane rate.

Under such circumstances, the black beetle population would continue to grow until they infringed upon the interests of stronger species, eventually triggering a life-and-death war to determine their fate.

This, however, was not merely the destiny of insects.

It was also humanity's destiny.

Adjusting his glasses, Kaneki continued down the corridor.

At the end of the passage stood a massive steel wall, seemingly accessible only through a specific technique or spell.

Kaneki, of course, didn’t know the technique. Orochimaru’s snake clone hadn’t yielded any information about it either.

So, Kaneki could only resort to a more brute-force approach.

“Perfect time to test the power of my children,” Kaneki muttered.

He slowly raised his hand, from which black insects crawled out of the mouth-like opening in his palm. The bugs clung to the steel door, arranging themselves in the shape of a large "大" character.

These insects were different from the black beetles.

While the black beetles were pitch-black and incredibly hard, with a toughness comparable to iron, the exploding insects had soft bodies with bulging abdomens. They were also larger than the black beetles.

After all, each exploding insect housed a full explosive tag formation within its body. With a single thought from Kaneki, the chakra generated by the insect would activate the embedded technique, triggering an explosion.

Kaneki made a hand sign with exaggerated motions and said faintly, “Insect Style: Great Insect Explosion Technique.”

The next second, the exploding insects on the door swelled grotesquely before detonating with a thunderous roar. A blinding flash of fire illuminated the entire corridor, and even the ground trembled violently.

The thick steel door couldn’t withstand such an intense blast. It turned red-hot, melted, and shattered under the shockwave before being blown away.

Beyond the searing heat and dense smoke of the explosion, a massive arena appeared before Kaneki.

The arena floor was stained with blood and scarred with marks left by various weapons.

Surrounding the arena were countless stacked prison cells, most of which were empty.

At the back of the arena lay Orochimaru's laboratory, the place where he conducted his experiments.

As Kaneki stepped into the arena, dozens of figures appeared almost Kanekiltaneously.

Without fear or hesitation, they launched an attack on Kaneki, the intruder.

However, the fight was brief. The moment they appeared, the black beetles had already assembled and, under Kaneki's control, transformed into a sleek black scythe of death.

“Insect Style: Evil Insect Blade Dance Technique.”

The scythe swept through the air, reaping the souls of more than a dozen enemies in an instant, leaving their bodies sliced cleanly in two.

As the bodies fell, Kaneki’s true target finally revealed itself: Orochimaru’s laboratory.

Kaneki was eager to see what kind of research Orochimaru had been conducting.

At that moment, Hidan, having just finished his battle, finally caught up and immediately voiced his complaint. “Hey! Dammit, Kaneki, you killed them all—what am I supposed to kill now?”

Kaneki glanced at Hidan and replied, “Blame yourself for being so slow. They were just small fry anyway.”

For someone like Hidan, who possessed an immortal body, exceptional taijutsu, and a kagune, dealing with those weaklings was as easy as drinking water.

Hidan tilted his chin arrogantly and retorted, “What do you know? Killing is an art!”

“Your method of slicing the enemy down in one blow would never satisfy Lord Jashin!”

At this, Hidan’s expression turned maniacal. “Only by torturing them to death, forcing them to release every ounce of pain and fear in their hearts, can Lord Jashin truly experience the ultimate ecstasy.”

“Boring,” Kaneki remarked bluntly.

“No matter how hard you try to please Lord Jashin, He will never forgive you.”

“Huh?” Hidan tilted his head in confusion. “I don’t recall doing anything that would require Lord Jashin’s forgiveness. Why would He be mad at me?”

“Actually, why would I need His forgiveness in the first place if I’ve done nothing wrong?”

Kaneki merely gave a mysterious smile and said, “You’ll understand when Lord Jashin returns to the Shinobi World.”

Hidan, naturally, was dissatisfied with this cryptic explanation.

“Ugh, I hate people like you who keep things to themselves!”

He wanted to press further but stopped when he noticed Kaneki’s black beetles crawling near his neck.

If he kept pushing, he knew exactly how things would end.

“Damn it! What an annoying guy!” Hidan grumbled, though he couldn’t do much about it.

Even though being decapitated by Kaneki wouldn’t kill him—and would even bring a strange sense of comfort—Hidan absolutely wouldn’t admit it.

Instead, he pretended to hate it, knowing that if he appeared to enjoy it, Kaneki would probably refuse to do it as punishment.

Heh, I, Lord Hidan, am such a clever genius!

When they entered the laboratory, Hidan’s face revealed rare astonishment.

“Huh? This Orochimaru guy seems more like a cultist of Lord Jashin than we are.”

Hidan wasn’t joking. The laboratory was packed with hundreds of large test tubes filled with a green liquid that seemed to be some kind of nutrient solution.

Suspended within each tube were various test subjects.

From infants to the elderly, test subjects of all ages were present.

And every single one of them showed varying degrees of deformity.

It was impossible to tell what kind of experiments Orochimaru was conducting.

Even the Jashinists only killed people to offer as sacrifices to their god. Orochimaru, on the other hand, captured people for horrific, inhumane experiments.

If anyone deserved the title of living hell, it was him.

Of course, Kaneki wasn’t particularly bothered by any of this.

On the contrary, Orochimaru’s laboratory amazed him with its level of technological sophistication.

Not only did it have various precision instruments, but also large computers designed to monitor test subjects and analyze data.

This completely shattered Kaneki’s perception of the technological level of this world.

After all, outside, the shinobi still fought with primitive weapons. But here? Computers were in use.

This tech tree was absurdly crooked.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 50: The "Sage" Project

Having not seen a computer for a long time, Kaneki immediately dove into research.

This was clearly a research-oriented computer—games were out of the question. It contained records of experimental subjects and research data.

A total of 127 experimental subjects were present, covering multiple research projects.

For example, "Artificial Alteration of Chakra Attributes?", "Fusion of Chakra Attributes and Realization of Kekkei Genkai", and "Research on the Possibility of Kekkei Genkai Transplantation," among others.

What intrigued Kaneki the most, however, was a project titled "Feasibility Study of Artificial Sage Mode."  

"Artificial Sage Mode, huh?"

Kaneki reviewed the data stored in the computer while pondering.

He had always been interested in the history of the Shinobi World before the Warring States period. According to the limited records of the Jashin cult, the world might have had an era dominated by various deities before the advent of chakra.

Many of these deities were referred to as "Sages."

Not to mention figures like the Sage of Six Paths—anything connected to "Sages" was far from ordinary.

Could this so-called Sage Mode be related to those deities?

It was evident that Orochimaru had done some research in this area as well.

As Kaneki delved deeper into the data, his interest grew even more intense.

"Subject Zero: Possesses the Uzumaki Clan's unique constitution. Compared to ordinary humans, they can endure the erosion of natural energy for longer periods and with greater intensity."

"Artificial Sage Body Project: By applying the [Natural Energy Perception Agent], the subject absorbs natural energy. Their condition is monitored to analyze methods of enhancing control over natural energy."

Kaneki's eyes wandered across the computer screen, gradually lighting up with excitement.

"Uzumaki Clan… Natural Energy… Sage Mode."

"This is fascinating."

After copying all the data and transmitting it to his main body, Kaneki adjusted his glasses and turned toward a test tube at the lab's deepest point.

Every test tube here was uniquely numbered.

The number on this particular one was…

Zero.

Kaneki's gaze passed through the green liquid inside, focusing on a teenage girl within.

The girl had long, vivid red hair. Her pale, slender arms were wrapped around legs as white as jade, her head resting on her knees. She floated, curled up, within the massive test tube.

"So, this is Subject Zero?"

Kaneki examined her carefully.

Suddenly, the tube's connected pipes moved, and the green liquid inside rapidly drained away. Subject Zero was exposed to the air.

"Damn it!"

Kaneki turned to see Hidan withdrawing his finger from a button. Hidan looked at him with an awkward smile.

"Uh, I’ve never seen this thing before. Thought it looked fun."

Before Hidan could finish explaining, the red-haired girl in the tube opened her eyes.

Without the special nutrient solution to act as a barrier, the natural energy in the surrounding air—and even from the forest above—began flooding into her body uncontrollably.

In mere moments, her skin turned ashen gray, becoming covered in a hard, keratinized layer. Her appearance shifted rapidly toward something monstrous.

Her once gem-like eyes turned blood-red. She opened her fanged mouth and unleashed a piercing scream that shattered the test tube.

A red blur shot out instantly, slamming into Kaneki.

The air compressed with a terrifying sonic boom as Kaneki was flung backward like a cannonball, smashing a massive hole in the wall.

"Damn it!"

Hidan grew furious. He grabbed his scythe and launched a frenzied attack on the creature.

The scythe carved afterimages as it spun, shattering many surrounding test tubes. However, the girl’s movements grew faster, and her strength became absurdly overwhelming.

A ferocious punch landed on Hidan's scythe, forcing him to retreat two steps.

Considering Hidan’s expertise in taijutsu, the fact that she could push him back with a single punch showed just how terrifying her strength was.

Still, Hidan’s core ability wasn’t his physical prowess.

During the fierce battle, Hidan easily sliced a wound into the shoulder of the frenzied, mindless creature.

In exchange, he lost an arm.

Not that it mattered to him. With a parasite spider, he simply reattached the arm like it was no big deal.

True detachable limbs.

But for the creature, that wound was no small matter.

Hidan quickly drew a Jashin symbol on the ground, stuck out his tongue, and licked his blade with a crazed grin, entering his Death Controlling Possessed Blood state.

"Heh-heh-heh! Prepare to face the judgment of Lord Jashin!"

Just as he pulled out a spear, a black feather shot through the air, knocking him aside.

"She’s still of use to me," Kaneki said, stepping out of the rubble.

The earlier blow had cracked his armor-like kagune in several places.

Such incredible power was rare.

But this only heightened his curiosity about natural energy.

From Subject Zero’s data, Kaneki understood that the girl had once been an ordinary member of the Uzumaki Clan. She had received no special training, yet simply absorbing natural energy had granted her such terrifying strength.

"Incredible."

The girl turned toward Kaneki, letting out a low growl.

The ground beneath her feet cracked as a dark red tail-like kagune burst forth, wrapping around her tightly like a centipede.

"Ahhh!"

She let out another sonic scream, shattering all the remaining test tubes around her.

"That’s enough," Kaneki said, his tail-like kagune tightening its grip.

Black beetles swarmed in from all directions, covering the girl like a tide.

The air filled with a maddening screech as the insects gnawed through her keratinized outer layer.

Her screams of agony lasted about ten minutes.

Kaneki raised his hand, and a mass of black beetles crawled back into his body through his palm.

"So, this is natural energy?"

He could feel a special energy flowing from the beetles into his body. It was potent but volatile and almost uncontrollable.

Kaneki frowned. Before he could study the energy further, his hand began to rapidly turn to stone.

"Absorbing natural energy without control leads to assimilation, becoming part of nature itself?"

Without hesitation, he swung his blade-like kagune, severing the petrified hand. Instead of showing pain, his face lit up with excitement at the discovery.

"Natural energy… now this is interesting."

(End of Chapter)