141-145

Chapter 141: The Disappearance

Recalling the scene of Kimimaro fighting alone against the crowd, Shikaku and Kakashi found it hard to imagine that such a person would be sealed.

"This is troublesome now. Not only has the Third Hokage died in battle, but even Danzo is dead. Two of the top leaders are dead, and the subsequent impact will not be small."

Shikaku's mind began to spin rapidly.

It was pointless to think about who killed Danzo and who Danzo sealed.

The most important thing was to solve the immediate problem.

To govern an army, one must first select a general.

What Konoha needed most now was a leader, a prestigious leader.

Only in this way could the impact of the Third Hokage's death be mitigated.

As for Danzo's death, apart from the issue of Root's governance, there weren't too many problems.

"The only ones qualified to succeed the Hokage position now are Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama. Tsunade-sama's whereabouts are unknown, and Jiraiya-sama is in the village. But with Jiraiya-sama's personality, I'm afraid he may not be willing to take on the Hokage position."

Shikaku had a headache.

"These matters will be discussed with the two elders at the Jonin meeting later. For now, let's deal with the issue of Sunagakure and Otogakure. These two villages jointly attacked Konoha, but the Fourth Kazekage was impersonated by Orochimaru. There must be something wrong here.

I suspect the Fourth Kazekage may have already died at the hands of Orochimaru. With Konoha's current situation, we cannot completely turn against Sunagakure. This balance needs to be carefully managed."

"If the Fourth Kazekage is really dead, it would be much more advantageous for us. Let's go find the two elders."

"Okay."

Meanwhile...

With the end of the battle, the people at the competition venue woke up from the genjutsu and knew what had happened. They felt a wave of fear in their hearts.

"Gai-sensei, are you alright?"

Lee saw the injuries on Gai and looked worried.

"I'm fine. This opponent was really strong. I didn't even react to the move he used to defeat me. What a youthful battle! The next time I meet him, I will definitely defeat him!"

Gai was not discouraged by the defeat, but his fighting spirit became even stronger.

He only regretted that he should have opened the seventh gate earlier, knowing that his opponent was so strong.

If he had done that, he wouldn't have lost.

"Someone who can defeat Gai-sensei? So strong! Who is he?"

Lee was shocked.

In his impression, Gai was an invincible existence.

He didn't expect that someone could actually defeat him.

"I don't know either, but he used Shikotsumyaku, so he should be from the Kaguya clan."

"Shikotsumyaku? Kimimaro's clansman?"

Lee wanted to ask more, but Tenten ran over with a worried look on her face.

"It's not good! Gai-sensei, Neji is missing!"

"Neji is missing? What happened?"

Gai's expression immediately became serious.

"I just went to the contestant area to look for Neji, but I couldn't find him anywhere, and no one has seen him. Gai-sensei, could something have happened to Neji?"

Tenten's voice was already tinged with tears.

Neji was missing, and this was a huge deal for her.

"Tenten, don't panic yet. The enemy shouldn't target Neji, a genin. I'll go ask the Hyuga clan head, he might know some clues."

"Gai-sensei, I'll go with you."

"Me too!"

"Okay."

Gai took Lee and Tenten to find Hiashi Hyuga, who was dealing with matters.

"Hyuga clan head!"

The three of them ran all the way, kicking up dust as they came. Hiashi was puzzled, not knowing why they were in such a hurry to find him.

"Gai-san, what's the matter?"

"Neji is missing."

"What?"

Hiashi was startled. Missing? What did that mean?

Gai immediately explained the situation, and Hiashi's face grew increasingly grim.

He immediately activated the Caged Bird Seal in Neji's mind, trying to judge his location through it.

But no matter how he activated it, the Caged Bird Seal didn't react at all.

There was only one explanation for this situation: the Caged Bird Seal had been removed!

"Kimimaro!"

Hiashi was furious!

The only people in the world who knew how to remove the Caged Bird Seal were him and Kimimaro.

He didn't expect that after Kimimaro obtained the method to remove the Caged Bird Seal, he would actually target Neji.

Was he after Neji's Byakugan?

For a moment, Hiashi's heart was in turmoil.

If he had known this would happen, he shouldn't have trusted Kimimaro.

"You said Kimimaro? Could this matter be related to Kimimaro?"

Gai quickly asked.

Hiashi took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

"I suspect that Neji was kidnapped by Otogakure, where Kimimaro is from."

Naturally, Hiashi couldn't tell the whole truth and could only choose some things to tell Gai.

"What? Why would Otogakure target Neji?"

Tenten exclaimed.

Tenten now understood the fearsome nature of Otogakure.

If Neji was really captured by Otogakure, it would be too dangerous.

"Perhaps it's for the Byakugan."

"Then wouldn't Neji be in great danger?"

Hiashi nodded.

Upon hearing this, Tenten turned and was about to rush out.

"Tenten, where are you going!"

Lee grabbed Tenten.

"To chase after the Oto ninja, I must rescue Neji!"

"I'll go with you."

"Okay!"

"This is youth! Our third team will act together to rescue Neji!"

Gai was full of fighting spirit.

But Hiashi stopped the three of them.

"It's too late to chase after the Oto ninja now. Moreover, the village is in a precarious state. Gai-san, as one of the main fighting forces of the village, you cannot leave casually."

"This..."

Gai was caught in a dilemma.

On one side was the village, and on the other side were his students.

"Gai-sensei, if it's inconvenient for you, Lee and I will go!"

Tenten was very insistent.

"Give up. With the current situation in the village, no ninja will be allowed to leave. If you forcefully go, you will only be labeled as missing-nin. Do you want to become missing-nin?"

Hiashi said again.

Hearing the word "missing-nin," Tenten and Lee looked at each other, feeling a bit intimidated.

They had too many attachments in Konoha and certainly wouldn't choose to become missing-nin.

"Hyuga clan head! Aren't you worried about Neji's safety at all? He's your nephew!"

Tenten couldn't hold back anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes as she shouted angrily.

Under normal circumstances, she would never have the courage to do this.

But now, for Neji's sake, she couldn't care less.

"I will find a way to handle this matter. You guys shouldn't get involved. The Hyuga clan's matters will be resolved by the Hyuga clan itself."

After saying this, Hiashi turned and left, not giving Tenten a chance to speak.

Tenten couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Neji..."

"Tenten, don't worry, Neji will be fine. He's a genius."

Lee comforted her.

But this obviously didn't have much effect.

Tenten looked at Gai with red eyes.

"Gai-sensei, could it be that we'll never see Neji again?"

Gai's expression froze, and the emotions in his eyes were somewhat complex.

"No, Tenten. Neji will definitely come back safely."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 142: Arrangements

In the dim light, Neji opened his eyes, confusion clouding his vision.

"Where is this?"

The unfamiliar surroundings made him feel a bit uneasy.

"You're awake?"

Hearing the voice, Neji immediately sat up.

"It's you!"

Kimimaro sat on the side, quietly watching Neji.

"Welcome to Otogakure."

"Otogakure? What did you do?"

Neji was shocked.

Did the other party directly take him away from the Chunin Exam venue?

That was too outrageous.

"Before I answer your question, you can take a look at this first."

Kimimaro picked up a mirror from the windowsill and handed it to Neji.

Neji took it with confusion and looked at himself in the mirror.

"This is..."

After one glance, Neji's face was filled with shock.

The Caged Bird Seal was gone!

It was really gone!

"Byakugan!"

Neji activated his Byakugan and felt that his Byakugan had become completely different.

When he used the Byakugan in the past, there was always a sense of restraint, but now it was gone.

It was an extremely comfortable feeling.

The blind spot that originally existed in his Byakugan's vision also disappeared.

Just at this moment, Neji felt that both his Byakugan's power and his own chakra had increased.

And with his Byakugan's vision, Neji also saw the appearance of the place where he was currently located.

There were rooms all around, and some rooms were even covered by barriers that even his Byakugan's power couldn't penetrate.

So this was Otogakure?

"How does it feel?"

Kimimaro rarely showed a smile.

"It feels great! Is this the power that originally belonged to me?"

Neji was excited.

"This is just the beginning. Your Byakugan's purity is very high, only slightly inferior to Hinata and Hanabi from the main family. However, your talent surpasses theirs, and your future achievements will far exceed them."

"The main family... Sooner or later, I will take back what belongs to me and my father!"

Neji clenched his fists, hatred flashing in his eyes.

Although his hatred wasn't as intense as Sasuke's hatred for the destruction of his clan, the hatred for his father's death was still significant, not to mention the resentment he felt from being controlled by the Caged Bird Seal all these years.

"Good spirit, but being blinded by hatred will only make you reckless. Remember the word 'calm' at all times."

Neji looked at Kimimaro and said solemnly, "Thank you. Thank you for freeing me from the cage."

"You're welcome. We each get what we need from each other."

"What do you want from me? Do you really have to wait until I become the Hyuga clan head?"

Neji was curious about what Kimimaro wanted in exchange for helping him so much.

"You want to know? Alright, I can tell you now. Simply put, I want to conduct an experiment on you. After removing the Caged Bird Seal and restoring your full potential, can you awaken the Tenseigan?"

"Tenseigan? What Tenseigan?"

Neji looked puzzled.

"There are three great dojutsu in the ninja world, do you know what they are?"

Kimimaro didn't answer directly but instead asked Neji a question.

"Of course I know. The three great dojutsu are the Byakugan of my Hyuga clan, the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, and the legendary Rinnegan of the Sage of Six Paths."

"That's right, but actually, there should only be two dojutsu. The Rinnegan is evolved from the Sharingan through a special method. Correspondingly, the Byakugan can also evolve through a special method. The evolved form of the Byakugan is the Tenseigan."

Kimimaro's answer greatly shocked Neji.

"How do you know all this?"

"You don't need to know that. I see the possibility of the Tenseigan in you. So, I will do my best to help your Byakugan realize that possibility."

"You want the Tenseigan?"

Neji sensed Kimimaro's purpose.

"That's right. Of course, I'm interested in the supreme dojutsu that can rival the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan. Moreover, the Tenseigan has other uses for me."

Hearing this, Neji pondered.

"You're telling me this so directly, aren't you afraid that I'll be wary of you?"

"I believe Hyuga Neji is a man of his word. Besides, I said that if you go back on your word, I will make you pay a terrible price. Of course, if you can become stronger than me, then you can set the rules."

Kimimaro spoke calmly, but Neji felt a chill in his heart.

He couldn't afford to provoke this person.

"I understand."

"Otogakure will be the stage for your growth, so adapt well to the rules here. Oh, and it's best to keep this information a secret, otherwise, you'll be the one targeted."

Kimimaro stood up and said, "Jugo, come out. I'll leave him to you."

As he finished speaking, Jugo walked in from outside the door.

"Hello, I will help you adapt to Otogakure during this time."

After arranging for Neji, Kimimaro left the room.

Bringing Neji to Otogakure wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Just as he had told Neji before, he was after the Tenseigan.

His bloodline disease had been mostly suppressed after obtaining the Byakugan.

But as his Shikotsumyaku continued to grow stronger, the Byakugan alone couldn't suppress it anymore.

So he needed stronger dojutsu power.

The Tenseigan, the evolved form of the Byakugan, was naturally a good choice.

However, Kimimaro wasn't entirely sure whether he could awaken the Tenseigan.

So, by bringing Neji along, he had another possibility.

Even if the hope for this possibility was slim.

Having it was better than not having it at all.

Leaving Neji's room, Kimimaro turned and went to another room.

"Kimimaro-sama, you're here."

The person living in this room was the red-haired girl, Karin.

"Judging by your appearance, your injuries should have mostly healed, right?"

"Yes, they've completely healed."

"Are you adapting well to Otogakure? If you need anything, you can tell me."

"It's already very good."

Karin seemed a bit uneasy.

From birth until now, apart from her mother, no one had ever been so kind to her.

This kindness even made her a little afraid to accept it.

Because she was afraid it was all a dream.

"That's good. Since you've recovered almost completely, I also have a task for you."

Karin's heart tightened, and painful memories involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

In Kusagakure, her task was to be a medical pack. Was it the same here?

"It's okay, being a medical pack is fine too. Kimimaro-sama is much better than the people from Kusagakure. I'm willing to be a medical pack for him."

Karin had already prepared herself mentally, but then she saw Kimimaro placing a stack of books on the table.

"Your next task is to finish reading these books. Of course, this is just the first stage, there's much more to come. Some of these books are about medical ninjutsu, and some are about sealing techniques.

You have talent in both areas, so don't waste it. Both require knowledge accumulation, so start by reading."

"This..."

Karin was shocked.

Reading?

She hadn't had this privilege since her mother passed away.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"No, nothing. Kimimaro-sama, don't worry, I will definitely study hard!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 143: Yin-Yang Release

Konoha Hospital was currently overcrowded.

The Konoha Crush plan had left many injured in Konoha.

"Otogakure and Sunagakure jointly attacked the village? And Kimimaro participated? How could this be?"

Lying in the hospital bed, Naruto, who had recovered after a good sleep, was shocked when he heard the news.

"From the current information, it seems so. However, apart from seeing Kimimaro take action to block the Anbu when rescuing Orochimaru at the end, no one else saw him join the battle."

Kakashi said.

All three of his students were hospitalized, so of course he had to come and check on them.

Hearing Kakashi say this, Naruto calmed down a bit, but he still felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

He didn't have many friends, and Kimimaro was one of them.

Although they hadn't interacted much, Naruto could feel that Kimimaro had goodwill towards him.

How could such a person attack Konoha?

Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't as sentimental as Naruto. What came to his mind was Kimimaro's powerful fighting style and Naruto's terrifying strength when fighting against Gaara.

Among his peers, he seemed to have been left far behind, and the arrogance he had just gained from learning Chidori had vanished.

Thinking of this, Sasuke couldn't help but clench his fists.

"What am I doing? Playing ninja games? When will I be able to kill that man like this? Otogakure..."

Sasuke couldn't help but touch the cursed seal on his neck.

Recalling the terrifying power when the cursed seal first erupted, his heart stirred.

He suddenly felt that Orochimaru, who had killed the Third Hokage and launched the Konoha Crush plan, might be his best choice.

Especially Kimimaro's strength made Sasuke further understand Orochimaru's teaching ability.

His desire to join Orochimaru became even stronger.

Meanwhile, at the Hyuga Clan Estate...

Hiashi Hyuga looked solemnly at Kimimaro, who had somehow appeared in his house.

"You dare to show up here!"

"Uncle Hiashi, don't worry, this is just a shadow clone I left in Konoha. It will automatically disappear after I finish talking to you, and no one will notice."

"What else do you want to say to me! I trusted you so much, but you betrayed me! Not only did you collude with Otogakure to attack Konoha, but you also took Neji away.

What are you trying to do! Do you want Neji's Byakugan? If that's the case, I will never forgive you!"

Hiashi said angrily.

"Uncle Hiashi, I'm also just a guest in Otogakure. I have no power to stop what Orochimaru wants to do. Everything I do is just for survival. As for taking Neji away, it's also to help the Hyuga clan."

"Nonsense! When Otogakure attacked Konoha, I could still consider that you were forced to do it. But as for Neji, you dare say it's to help me?"

"Uncle Hiashi, don't get agitated yet, let me explain slowly."

"Alright! Let's see what kind of reasoning you can come up with!"

Although Hiashi was angry, he couldn't do anything to a shadow clone, so he might as well hear Kimimaro out.

"Uncle Hiashi, if you want to change the Hyuga clan, the first thing you need is a strong helper. Hinata is weak-willed, Hanabi is still young, only Neji has both talent and the right mindset. He's your best choice, isn't he?

If I'm not mistaken, you're going to tell Neji the truth about Hizashi's death and ask him to let go of his hatred and protect the main family, right?"

Hiashi remained silent. He didn't expect Kimimaro to even guess this.

He did have that intention.

"Continue."

"If Neji stays in Konoha, you know how fast he will grow. With your father around and the Konoha elders, the Caged Bird Seal cannot be removed, and his growth will be greatly restricted. And at Neji's age, this is the time when a ninja grows the fastest.

Three years, I'm confident that I can make Neji a Kage-level powerhouse within three years. But with you, he'll at most be a newly promoted Jonin."

Hearing this, Hiashi's heart stirred.

It had been many years since the Hyuga clan had produced a Kage-level powerhouse.

If Neji could really break through to Kage-level within three years, the Hyuga clan's reform could be rapidly advanced.

"Neji was taken away by Otogakure. His identity cannot be considered a missing-nin. This leaves the opportunity for him to return to Konoha in the future. As for how to operate this, Uncle Hiashi should know better than me."

Hearing this, Hiashi's anger had subsided significantly.

"You've done so much for the Hyuga, what do you want? Although I haven't known you for long, I can see that you wouldn't go to such lengths without any benefit."

"Uncle Hiashi truly understands me. What I want is simple, I want the Hyuga clan's half of the stone tablet!"

Kimimaro revealed his purpose.

"What do you want the stone tablet for?"

Hiashi was puzzled.

"The Kaguya and Hyuga were originally one family, and the two stone tablets were originally one. I want to know the complete contents of the stone tablet. It's useful for my bloodline disease."

Hiashi carefully examined Kimimaro and understood his intentions.

His previous words sounded nice, but in reality, Neji was now a hostage.

If Hiashi didn't agree to let Kimimaro see the stone tablet, Neji might never come back.

"Can you guarantee that your previous promises are true?"

"Of course. This isn't our first collaboration, Uncle Hiashi, you should know that I'm a man of my word."

"Alright! I'll let you see the stone tablet."

Only the caster could control the Caged Bird Seal, so Hiashi wasn't afraid of Kimimaro knowing the control method.

It wouldn't matter if he let Kimimaro see the stone tablet.

For Neji's life, he had no other choice.

Hearing this, the corners of Kimimaro's mouth slightly curled up.

It was done.

Otogakure.

Kimimaro's main body was sitting in meditation in his room, reconstructing the Yin Seal.

This trip to Konoha had yielded great gains, but the Yin Seal was the only thing he had lost.

More than a year of hard work had gone to waste, and Kimimaro felt quite distressed.

Fortunately, with his previous experience, the second reconstruction of the Yin Seal was much easier.

"The Yin Seal stores one's own chakra, and the cursed seal also has the function of storing senjutsu chakra. If I could combine the two..."

A new idea formed in Kimimaro's mind.

Just then, the shadow clone dispersed, and he gained another set of memories.

"I've also obtained the contents of the Hyuga's half of the stone tablet."

After seeing the contents of the Kaguya clan's half of the stone tablet, Kimimaro became very interested in the Hyuga clan's stone tablet.

Because what was recorded on the stone tablet was none other than the cultivation method for Yin-Yang Release!

The Kaguya clan's stone tablet recorded the Yang Release method, and the Hyuga clan's stone tablet recorded the Yin Release method.

Combining the two was Yin-Yang Release.

After merging the two into one, Kimimaro frowned, then revealed a helpless expression.

"As expected, this thing isn't easy to cultivate."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 144: A Condition More Difficult Than Reaching the Heavens (Please Subscribe!)

Yin Release represents spiritual energy, capable of creating form from the intangible.

Yang Release represents physical energy, capable of infusing life into form.

Combined, they form the Yin-Yang Release technique.

In ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths used Yin-Yang Release to divide the Ten-Tails into the nine Tailed Beasts.

Such a powerful technique naturally has extremely demanding cultivation requirements.

Yin-Yang Release can create life, it's a technique that defies the natural order. To learn it, the most basic requirement is a massive amount of chakra.

This "massive" refers to a chakra level comparable to that of a Tailed Beast.

For ordinary people, this requirement is more difficult than reaching the heavens.

And this is only the first requirement.

Besides massive chakra, one also needs to cultivate Yin and Yang Release to their utmost limits.

For Yin Release, one needs to at least reach the level of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

For Yang Release, one needs to nearly achieve the Sage Mode of Hashirama Senju.

These three conditions combined make it nearly impossible.

No wonder in the original story, only Kaguya Otsutsuki and Hagoromo Otsutsuki mastered Yin-Yang Release.

Naruto's Yin-Yang Release was only a temporary ability bestowed by the Sage of Six Paths when he granted Naruto Yang power.

"These three conditions are truly harsh to the extreme."

Kimimaro sighed helplessly.

Massive chakra, with some effort, he might have hope within a few years.

The Shikotsumyaku and Byakugan bloodline limits could generate a considerable amount of chakra.

Moreover, there's the Yin Seal, a secret technique to increase chakra capacity.

The cultivation of Yin and Yang Release is more troublesome.

It's almost like needing to awaken the Tenseigan and master the All-Killing Ash Bones.

"I originally planned to use Yin-Yang Release to cure my illness, but now it seems, by the time I'm qualified to practice Yin-Yang Release, my bloodline disease should be almost cured."

Kimimaro couldn't help but complain.

Of course, this cultivation method wasn't completely useless.

At the very least, the Yin and Yang Release cultivation methods were usable.

With these two cultivation methods, the improvement speed of his Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku should increase significantly.

"Let's try the Yin Release cultivation method."

Kimimaro took a deep breath and began cultivating.

Chakra surged, entering his Byakugan.

The veins that should have appeared around his eyes didn't show up.

But Kimimaro felt his Byakugan's field of vision expand.

Originally, it was only a two-kilometer diameter, but now it had increased by about ten meters.

Kimimaro was overjoyed.

This Yin Release cultivation method was quite useful.

"Seems like this trip wasn't in vain."

After trying the Yin Release cultivation method, Kimimaro didn't dare to practice Yang Release.

If his Shikotsumyaku power surged again, his bloodline disease, which he had finally suppressed, might act up again.

"Quite a fruitful harvest."

These four words summarized Kimimaro's thoughts on the Konoha Crush plan.

Besides Yin-Yang Release, he also had a bunch of photo rewards and the Scroll of Seals.

Thinking of this, Kimimaro opened the system panel.

"Congratulations, tourist, for successfully taking a photo with the Konoha Crush plan event. You have received the reward: Courage Crest."

Courage Crest?

A sun-like pattern appeared on Kimimaro's right palm.

The crest flickered faintly, but soon disappeared again.

"Seems useless."

Kimimaro tried to activate the Courage Crest, but it didn't react at all, not even reappearing.

The Courage Crest, from "Digimon".

Knock, knock, knock.

Just as Kimimaro wanted to study it further, there was a knock on the door.

"Kimimaro, are you there?"

It was Tayuya's voice.

"Tayuya-senpai, what's the matter?"

Kimimaro opened the door and asked softly.

"Orochimaru-sama wants you to come over immediately."

"What's the matter?"

"In the battle with the Third Hokage, Orochimaru-sama's hands were severely injured. Both Kabuto and I have examined them, but we can't think of a way to treat them. Orochimaru-sama wants you to take a look."

"I understand."

Kimimaro immediately went to the medical room with Tayuya.

In the medical room.

Orochimaru was sitting on the bed, his face pale.

His hands were placed on the table, looking very weak.

"Kimimaro, you're here."

"Orochimaru-sama, how do your hands feel?"

"Like they're being burned by fire. That old Third Hokage, I didn't expect him to trick me one last time."

A trace of resentment flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

"Let me see."

Kimimaro stepped forward to examine Orochimaru's hands.

He had never seen such injuries before.

It wasn't like a surface wound, but something that touched the soul.

A moment later, Kimimaro finished his examination.

He understood Orochimaru's condition very well.

The damage caused by the Reaper Death Seal was probably not something medical ninjutsu could heal.

The only way was to find the Uzumaki clan's Reaper Death Mask, summon the Reaper, and retrieve his hands.

"Kimimaro, how is it?"

Kabuto Yakushi asked.

"It's not an ordinary injury. The meridians and bones in his arms are as if they've been burned from the inside by fire, it's very strange. This shouldn't be caused by an ordinary technique. To cause such an injury, it must have touched the soul."

"Soul?"

Both Kabuto Yakushi and Tayuya were shocked.

But Orochimaru seemed to have thought of something.

"Orochimaru-sama, do you remember what technique the Third Hokage used on you?"

"Reaper Death Seal. The forbidden technique the Fourth Hokage used to seal the Nine-Tails."

"This technique likely sealed your hands, which is why it's causing this situation. If that's the case, I'm afraid it's difficult to treat with medical ninjutsu."

Kimimaro gave his answer.

"You studied with Tsunade for two years, do you think Tsunade has a way to treat it?"

Orochimaru asked.

"The possibility is low. Even Tsunade-senpai's medical ninjutsu is limited to the physical level, it can't touch the soul. Moreover, we just carried out the Konoha Crush plan and killed the Third Hokage, why would Tsunade-senpai agree to treat you?"

"As long as Tsunade has a way to heal my hands, I have a way to make her agree. I know her weaknesses very well."

Orochimaru said coldly.

For his hands, he didn't mind hurting his old teammate.

"Orochimaru-sama, if you're talking about her fear of blood, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Tsunade-senpai's hemophobia is cured."

"Cured? She actually overcame her shadow?"

Orochimaru was quite surprised.

"Yes. I don't recommend going to Tsunade-senpai, she can't and won't treat it. There's no point in going to her."

"It seems you have another way?"

"I once read in a book that the Uzumaki clan is famous for their sealing techniques, each one extremely powerful, but they also have corresponding methods to break them.

These breaking methods exist within the twenty-seven masks passed down through the Uzumaki clan. If we can find the mask corresponding to the Reaper Death Seal, we might be able to eliminate the damage from the Reaper Death Seal."

(End of Chapter)

***

Chapter 145: The Art of Spiritualization

Kimimaro's words made Orochimaru's eyes light up.

"The forbidden land of the Uzumaki clan - the Hall of Masks?"

Orochimaru, who was once a high-ranking member of Konoha, naturally had a deeper understanding of the Uzumaki clan than most.

For example, this Hall of Masks.

After the Uzumaki clan was destroyed, Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the First Hokage, who was already on her deathbed, sent her confidants to the ruins of the Uzumaki clan to bring back twenty-seven masks and built a place called the Hall of Masks in a hidden place in Konoha to enshrine these masks.

Others thought it was strange, but didn't ask much.

Firstly, Mito Uzumaki had a high reputation, she only needed to say that these were the offerings of the Uzumaki clan since ancient times, and others had to believe it even if they didn't.

Secondly, these masks didn't look special, so others didn't pay much attention.

Who would have thought that these ordinary masks would be related to the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan.

"If there are masks of the Uzumaki clan there, it should be that place."

Kimimaro gave Orochimaru a definite answer.

"The Hall of Masks? I've been in Konoha for so many years, how come I've never heard of this place."

Yakushi Kabuto pushed his glasses, his expression puzzled.

"It's normal that you don't know. This place is extremely hidden, no one in Konoha knows about it except for a few people. I was very interested in the Uzumaki clan before and studied them for a while. That's how I know.

I just didn't expect that these inconspicuous masks would be related to the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Kimimaro, where did you see it?"

Orochimaru was a little curious.

Even he didn't know these secrets, so where did Kimimaro learn about them?

That white-haired boy was becoming more and more incomprehensible to him.

Moreover, his bloodline disease seemed to have improved a lot.

He hadn't coughed up blood even once after talking for so long.

If it were before, he would have coughed up blood at least twice.

It seemed that the biggest gain from this Konoha trip was his.

"I see. Then I'll set off for the Hall of Masks in Konoha Village now and bring that mask back."

Yakushi Kabuto was about to leave, but Orochimaru stopped him.

"With your strength, I'm afraid you can't enter Konoha now. After this uproar, Konoha's alert level will be raised to the highest."

Orochimaru said, looking at Kimimaro.

"Kimimaro, it seems you need to go this time. I remember you developed a technique with extremely strong camouflage ability, even I can't see through it. Using this technique to infiltrate Konoha shouldn't be difficult."

"Okay."

Kimimaro didn't refuse.

In fact, he was also interested in the Hall of Masks.

There were a total of twenty-seven masks inside, he wondered if there were other gods besides the God of Death.

For example, the evil god who granted Hidan immortality.

He didn't know where the Hall of Masks was before, but now that Orochimaru had given him the specific information, it was no longer a problem.

After getting the location information, Kimimaro immediately set off for Konoha.

Looking at his departing back, Orochimaru was thoughtful.

He didn't know when it started, but Kimimaro seemed to have exceeded his expectations.

"What an interesting guy, I wonder how many secrets he's still hiding."

Recalling Kimimaro's final move in the Konoha Crush plan, Orochimaru's eyes were still filled with amazement.

What an amazing technique, he had never seen it before, yet it was incredibly powerful.

Were these all created by Kimimaro himself?

Had his attainments in techniques reached such a level?

"Kabuto, go to the secret room and bring out all the information about the Uzumaki clan, see if you can find any records about the masks. A technique of this level probably can't be performed just by having the mask."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Meanwhile.

Kimimaro used Gaia Foundation to change his identity and set off towards Konoha.

It would take him three days to reach Konoha using Sound travel.

Night fell, and Kimimaro found a cave in the wilderness to stay in.

He hadn't finished counting all the gains from the Konoha Crush plan, so he took out the things he got from Danzo.

A Mangekyo Sharingan, eight three-tomoe Sharingan, and a hand full of Hashirama cells.

"The Mangekyo Sharingan just used Kotoamatsukami, it will take more than ten years to recover its power. Unless I extract the Hashirama cells from Danzo's arm and inject them into the Mangekyo Sharingan, I can shorten the cooldown time. This is a big project, I have to take it slow and put it aside for now.

As for these eight three-tomoe Sharingan... besides using Izanagi, they don't seem to have much use. Danzo used Izanagi twice and wasted two Sharingan, what a pity."

After complaining about the deceased Danzo, Kimimaro put these things away and then took out the Scroll of Seals.

The Scroll of Seals, a collection of forbidden techniques that only Hokage could see.

The techniques inside were all-encompassing, and at the very least, they were all A-rank ninjutsu.

The so-called forbidden techniques were not judged by the difficulty of learning and the power of the techniques, but by their effects.

There were two criteria for classifying ninjutsu as forbidden techniques.

One was like the Eight Gates Released Formation and the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, techniques that caused great harm to one's own life, or even threatened life, could be classified as forbidden techniques.

The other was like the Edo Tensei, a technique that violated ethics and morality, was also classified as a forbidden technique.

After reading through the techniques inside, Kimimaro was most interested in the Art of Spiritualization!

The Art of Spiritualization allowed one to separate their soul from their body while still alive and fight with their soul.

It could ignore distance and enter the spiritual world of others, controlling or killing them.

It could be said to be an invincible enhanced version of the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique.

Even the flaws were the same.

That was, when the soul left the body, the body was like falling into a deep sleep. If there was no one to protect it, even a child could easily kill it.

To make the soul able to travel thousands of miles away from the body, one first needed to strengthen the soul to an extremely terrifying degree.

And this Art of Spiritualization had such a method.

Of course, the difficulty of cultivation was very high, and there were also certain risks involved.

Currently, besides his soul being his own, nothing else was.

So this cultivation method was quite appealing to him.

If one day, his bloodline disease really couldn't be completely cured, he could also use his powerful soul to perform the Living Corpse Reincarnation.

If he learned Yin-Yang Release, he could even create a body for himself out of thin air using Yin-Yang Release.

In Kimimaro's view, a powerful soul was also one of the conditions for longevity.

"Everyone has a soul, but not everyone can touch it. To cultivate the soul, one needs strong mental power and Yin attribute chakra. These two are the whetstones for honing the soul."

After reading through the Art of Spiritualization, Kimimaro began to cultivate.

Something came up today, I'll write another chapter, until two o'clock, the third chapter will probably have to be made up tomorrow.

(End of chapter)