101-105

Chapter 101: Experiment Complete

Two days later, as expected, Might Dai appeared before Shikane, agreeing to the experiment.

This time, Might Dai didn't bring Might Guy along; he came alone.

"I'm ready!" Lying on the operating table, Might Dai nodded at Shikane, indicating his preparedness.

"The process of the potion taking effect will be very painful," Shikane reminded once again as he drew sealing technique runes on the floor.

"I know! I'll try my best to stay conscious! Please believe me, pain is something I can endure!" Might Dai said with a serious expression.

Years of training, pushing his body to its limits every time, and the injuries and recoveries from training, felt like dying and coming back to life for ordinary people. Might Dai had persevered and endured it all.

The Eight Gates Released Formation itself was the most foolish and pain-inducing technique.

"I need to restrain your body with cursed seals and tools first. This is to prevent accidents. Although the experiment won't fail, it's always good to take precautions. The final sealing technique will buy me time and opportunity to save you if the experiment does fail."

Shikane finished drawing the last sealing rune on the floor and injected a needle into the skin under Might Dai's neck.

Worm-like bulges appeared and moved under Might Dai's skin, his veins throbbing, his eyes bulging. He looked terrifying on the operating table.

Shikane stood aside, ready to activate the Shadow Imitation Technique. He would act as soon as Might Dai broke free from the restraints.

But unexpectedly, although according to Shikane's calculations, Might Dai's pain was constantly increasing, he was still able to restrain himself, maintain consciousness, and endure the pain while controlling his body.

Time passed minute by minute, and Might Dai's condition was transitioning to the final stage. After fourteen long hours, under Shikane's observation and intervention, Might Dai's physical condition finally stabilized.

The experiment was a success!

Might Dai's body had absorbed and digested the effects of the physique-enhancing potion.

"Did it succeed?"

Feeling the soul-tearing pain gradually subside, Might Dai's consciousness, flickering like a candle in the wind, on the verge of fading, gradually regained its ability to think under a refreshing sensation.

His eyes focused, landing on Shikane, who was using medical ninjutsu to examine and heal his body.

"How do you feel?"

Noticing Might Dai's gaze, Shikane asked softly while maintaining the medical ninjutsu examination.

"Feeling? A bit weak." Might Dai carefully sensed his current body and answered honestly.

At the moment, he indeed didn't have much strength left, like the weakness he felt after intense training.

Also, his throat felt itchy as if it had been thirsty for a long time, and his voice was hoarse and strained.

"Is there any discomfort or pain anywhere?" Shikane asked.

Might Dai shook his head. Although his body was currently weak, under the effect of medical ninjutsu, it felt like a tired body soaking in warm water, washing away fatigue and restoring his strength.

He knew this was Shikane's unique recovery technique, based on medical ninjutsu, which could quickly restore a ninja's physical strength, condition, injuries, and spirit. It was a comprehensive and powerful recovery medical ninjutsu.

"What about hunger?" Shikane asked again.

"Very hungry!"

Strangely, before Shikane asked, Might Dai hadn't felt hungry, but after the question, a sudden hunger swept over his body.

It was as if his previous sensations were an illusion, and now that the illusion was lifted, his true physical state was sending him warnings and messages.

"I'm accelerating the recovery and stimulating your organs," Shikane said. A moment later, he dispersed the medical ninjutsu in his hands and untied the restraints and tools that bound Might Dai.

Might Dai felt his body regain some strength. Although his muscles were still sore, the itchy feeling overshadowed the soreness. He still had difficulty utilizing his full strength but had regained the ability to勉强 control his body.

He could give commands to his body, and his body would execute them.

Might Dai used his arms to prop himself up on the operating table and sat up. He watched as Shikane removed the various instrument patches from his body and asked in a daze, "Is it over?"

"Yes, there's an observation period next. Don't worry, it's not that there's any problem with the potion. I need to observe your physical changes over the next few days."

Shikane looked at Might Dai, who was drenched in sweat as if he had been caught in a rainstorm, his hair wet and clinging to his head, and answered.

"For your training in the next few days, if possible, please spare some time to come here for some tests and also provide me with the physical changes you experience."

"No, no problem!" Might Dai struggled to raise his arm and gave Shikane a thumbs-up.

"Go eat first. Your body needs a lot of nutrients now. Your appetite will be very good and large for a while. This is normal."

Shikane said as he watched Might Dai tentatively put his feet on the ground, his knees buckling, almost falling. He sighed.

A black shadow from Shikane merged into Might Dai's shadow, and black nerve branches quickly climbed all over Might Dai's body. Might Dai, who had just regained control of his body not long ago, suddenly felt a surge of strength supporting him.

His weak body was forcibly propped up like by crutches, and he stood firm on the ground.

Might Dai knew about the Nara clan's Shadow Imitation Technique and had even personally experienced Shikane's Shadow Imitation Technique many times. But the feeling of his body being forcibly controlled was completely different from now.

This was a very strange feeling.

He didn't need to fight with the shadow for control of his body, but his body had two control authorities at the same time. The sudden control felt more like an assistive tool, like a crutch.

It had consciousness and replaced his body's functions.

It was as if his body couldn't move, but with the help of the tool, he could control the tool to, in turn, control his own body.

"I'll take you out," Shikane said as he walked, motioning for Might Dai to follow.

"I've prepared some special military ration pills for you, which can temporarily relieve your current hunger," Shikane said as he walked around the operating table and handed Might Dai a palm-sized bag.

Might Dai opened the bag, revealing three ration pills sealed in wax capsules. He didn't hesitate, pinching open a capsule and pouring the black pill inside into his mouth.

After chewing it a couple of times, he swallowed the pill with his saliva.

Instantly, he felt a noticeable change in his body. His digestive ability felt unfamiliar to him.

As soon as the pill entered his stomach, Might Dai felt it being completely digested. His hungry body almost instantly consumed the ration pill.

At this moment, Might Dai couldn't tell whether Shikane had improved the military ration pills he made or if his body's digestive ability had become terrifying.

"Guy!"

After leaving the Technical Development Department, Might Dai immediately saw Might Guy training near the laboratory. Knowing that Guy had been training there for who knows how long, waiting for him, Might Dai was moved and rushed over to hug Guy.

"Father!" Might Guy, embraced by Dai, also hugged his father back excitedly.

"Guy, to celebrate youth and passion, let's start training!" After the tearful reunion, Might Dai declared his training intentions to Might Guy.

"No, you can't, Dai-senpai! You should go eat now and replenish your body," Shikane's faint voice came from behind them, causing the excited father and son to freeze.

"Hahaha, I forgot!" Might Dai turned around, scratching his head awkwardly and smiling at Shikane.

...

Seven days later.

After a thorough examination, Might Dai and his son were completely cleared.

"Physical fitness increased by almost double. Chakra reserves also doubled. The cost is an increased appetite and enhanced digestive ability.

Fatigue after training can be quickly recovered in a short time. With food supplementation, this recovery time will be even faster!

Dai-senpai's Eight Gates, previously, you could only handle the aftereffects of opening five gates without burden. After opening the sixth gate, your body would suffer backlash due to the strain of the Eight Gates, significantly reducing your combat effectiveness for a certain period.

But now, senpai's physique can withstand the pressure of six gates. This means you can use the sixth gate as a regular technique, and its power is even greater due to the increase in chakra."

Shikane summarized while contentedly saving Might Dai's body data from these past few days into his experimental log scroll.

Might Dai's body data was invaluable for a taijutsu ninja. For a research-oriented ninja who could utilize it, the effect was even greater.

If this ninja practiced the Eight Gates Released Formation, it was even more precious and important.

"Yes, everything is great, except for the increased appetite, which is a bit troublesome," Might Dai said with a wry face.

Chapter 102: Parting and Discovery

The Land of Rain.

Within a canyon, members of the Akatsuki, clad in black robes, were fiercely battling a group of ninjas wearing the Iwagakure headbands.

The torrential rain pouring from the sky gave the Akatsuki's water-style ninjas a natural advantage.

Led by Yahiko and Nagato, they confronted the Iwagakure's lead Jonin head-on.

This was a sudden battle!

After Konan was able to start producing Healing Talismans, Yahiko of the Akatsuki immediately sought out customers: the Rain Village and the Iwagakure ninjas who had entered the Land of Rain in search of something.

Due to the unique nature of the Healing Talismans, both the Rain Village and Iwagakure unsurprisingly expressed a need for them.

Compared to the impoverished Rain Village, Onoki of Iwagakure didn't reject the Akatsuki's proposed trade of goods for Healing Talismans.

The two sides had already conducted a transaction once before, and Iwagakure had delivered supplies, including food, as promised.

This was the second transaction!

The location was chosen by Iwagakure.

Just as the two sides met for the trade, Iwagakure suddenly launched a surprise attack on them.

At the same time, some Iwa-nin who had been lying in ambush also appeared, surrounding the Akatsuki.

Caught off guard, many Akatsuki members were injured. If Nagato and Yahiko hadn't acted instantly, the Akatsuki members they brought would have suffered heavy casualties from Iwagakure's sneak attack.

"Why?"

Yahiko's roar, accompanied by the clash of kunai, echoed through the rain. His face was filled with anger.

However, in the face of Yahiko's fury, the Iwa-nin Jonin fighting him only showed a hint of mockery and coldness in his eyes.

A rogue ninja organization not even recognized by the Rain Village actually thought they could conduct equal trades with Iwagakure, one of the Five Great Nations?

How pathetically naive.

...

"Is it really okay? Not going to help them?"

Outside the battlefield, on the cliff of the canyon, Shinno softly spoke as he watched the battle below.

"This is something they must go through! Only by proving their strength can they gain a foothold in the ninja world surrounded by enemies.

Otherwise, the Healing Talisman won't be the salvation of the Land of Rain but a death sentence.

Today it's Iwagakure coming for the Healing Talismans, tomorrow it might be Kirigakure, Sunagakure, or Kumogakure. I can't protect them all the time." A hint of reluctance flashed across Jiraiya's face, but his tone remained firm.

"You're being a bit contradictory! If they were in danger, even if it meant exposing your identity, you would still go and save them, wouldn't you? They are all kind-hearted children who pursue peace." Shinno didn't take Jiraiya's words seriously.

"What about Mr. Kakuzu?" Shinno turned his gaze to the third person on the other side, the taciturn Kakuzu! During this time, he occasionally felt a sense of being watched, but whenever he tried to investigate, that feeling would disappear.

Shinno, confident in his perception and strength, couldn't help but feel a bit paranoid in the face of this situation.

Both Jiraiya and the mysterious Kakuzu were on his list of suspects.

"I'm only responsible for protecting that girl named Konan. As for the other two, that's a different price!" Kakuzu said in a muffled voice.

"It seems Iwagakure's mission is about to fail."

After a while, watching the Iwagakure team starting to crumble below, Shinno spoke.

"Are you leaving too?" Jiraiya suddenly turned his head and asked Shinno.

"Yes, I've taught Konan everything I can. There are many other places in this world that I need to travel to, and many patients I need to heal. The Land of Rain has Konan and the Healing Talisman; they don't need me anymore."

Faced with Jiraiya's question, Shinno had a look of relief on his face, like a proud teacher watching his disciple grow up and become independent.

So far, Shinno had presented himself as a caring, gentle, and compassionate medical master. During his time with the Akatsuki, he easily gained the favor and respect of many members.

Especially Yahiko, whose compassionate views resonated with his own desire for a world without war and his pursuit of peace.

"You should be leaving the Land of Rain too, right? Iwagakure and Kirigakure have tacitly started a war with your Konohagakure. Konoha won't allow you, one of the Sannin, to stay in the Land of Rain for long."

As they talked, the battle in the canyon also entered a heated phase. Although the Akatsuki was caught off guard, under the leadership of Yahiko and Nagato, they inflicted heavy casualties and losses on the surrounding Iwa-nin.

Especially Nagato, in whose hands ninjutsu had become an art form. In the heavy rain, every water-style ninjutsu he unleashed meant significant damage to the Iwa-nin.

The Iwa-nin facing Nagato were terrified to discover that they were up against a monster who could seemingly perceive the secrets of ninjutsu and effortlessly replicate them!

He was like a highly skilled painter, freely wielding various ninjutsu with the raindrops as his brush.

Water Style, Lightning Style, Fire Style, and even their Iwagakure's specialty, Earth Style.

He executed them with ease and grace, yet their power was astonishing!

The two Iwa-nin Jonin leaders only held a brief advantage before Nagato quickly turned the tide.

Shinno watched the Akatsuki members below, who had already achieved victory and started cleaning the battlefield and sealing the captured enemies. He probed Jiraiya, "Yes, I've received the Hokage's summon to return." Jiraiya didn't hide anything, as he had a certain degree of trust in Shinno.

"What about Mr. Kakuzu?" Shinno's eyes turned to Kakuzu. Compared to Jiraiya, Kakuzu was under even greater suspicion in his mind.

He had a keen intuition for malice, and his exposure to the Zero-Tails' dark chakra gave him a special sense of people's emotional fluctuations and impressions.

But with Kakuzu, this intuition for malice left him puzzled. He couldn't accurately determine whether Kakuzu harbored any ill will towards him.

Fortunately, he was about to leave, taking the Healing Talisman technique with him.

The only regret was that Kakuzu was too protective of the girl named Konan, and with Jiraiya's presence, there was no opportunity for him to abduct her.

Otherwise, Konan would become a gold mine in his hands, playing a crucial role in his grand plan.

"I'll stay," Kakuzu replied.

As he spoke, Kakuzu could feel a slight warmth where the mask was placed on his shoulder, faintly hinting at something.

Shinno was the person Shikane was looking for! Or rather, he must have come into contact with the Third Raikage's corpse!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 103: Encounter

In the misty expanse.

Several agile figures swiftly moved through the forest.

"You're too late!"

A disgruntled voice echoed through the mist. Kakuzu, clad in a black snake-patterned robe, emerged from behind a tree, blocking the newcomers' path.

"It takes time for us to leave the village. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Kakuzu!"

A gentle voice followed. Shikane, along with Shisui and Anko, stopped in front of Kakuzu.

"Too much trouble! Why not let me handle it?" Kakuzu grumbled.

Just a medical ninja!

As everyone knew, unless that medical ninja was Tsunade Senju, most of them lacked combat prowess. Shinno, who traveled extensively, might be a bit more troublesome, but Kakuzu, whose strength had grown considerably, was confident he could handle him.

In Kakuzu's view, Shikane's personal presence was purely unnecessary.

"The debt will still be deducted as agreed. Where is he?" Shikane's words instantly calmed Kakuzu down.

"In the town ahead. To be honest, he seems like a good guy, and I got along quite well with him," Kakuzu turned around and led the way while speaking.

"Then it seems he's a good actor, even fooling a seasoned veteran like you," Shikane followed Kakuzu with a smile.

"Are you saying he's pretending?" Kakuzu's tone was slightly surprised by Shikane's words but quickly returned to normal.

To him, whether Shinno was a good person or not didn't change the fact that he saw him as a target for debt reduction. As a renowned bounty hunter in the black market, he wouldn't show mercy or feel guilty just because someone was a good person.

"Watch out!"

Shisui suddenly shouted, quickly forming hand seals. A wall rose from the ground in front of them, blocking a sudden rain of kunai from the mist.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The sound of kunai hitting the wall, accompanied by the clatter of mechanisms, filled the air. In an instant, several volleys turned Shisui's summoned wall into a porcupine.

Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!

Anko also quickly formed hand seals, her cheeks puffed out as she turned her head and blew a continuous gust of wind in a fan shape, clearing the thin mist and revealing a hundred-meter radius of visibility.

In front of the scattered earth wall, several ninjas held strange mechanical devices, guarding a figure familiar to Kakuzu in the middle.

"It seems my perception was correct. Someone has been following me in secret." Shinno looked at Kakuzu and the other three, raising his hand. "Mr. Kakuzu, we got along quite well, didn't we? Why do you harbor such malice towards me?

Is it because of these Konoha ninjas?"

As he spoke, Shinno's gaze fell on the three people behind Kakuzu: Shikane, Shisui, and Anko.

"You do have secrets!" Kakuzu remained indifferent to Shinno's questioning, even though he seemed to be surrounded by many ninjas. He merely looked at Shinno with a strange expression and said, "These ninjas don't seem like the kind a traveling medical ninja could recruit."

"Everyone has secrets. Why bother prying? Tell me, what's your purpose?" Shinno asked loudly.

If he hadn't sensed a threat, Shinno wouldn't want to expose his secrets now. But since they were exposed, Kakuzu and the other three would inevitably be eliminated.

He was stalling now, partly waiting for the encirclement to be fully established, and partly genuinely wanting to know why Kakuzu was targeting him and why he had come with three Konoha ninjas.

"Zero-Tails." Shikane stepped out from behind Kakuzu, standing at the front, locking eyes with Shinno and uttering a name that made Shinno's expression change drastically.

"Hey, hey! That's not what you told me! Aren't you here for the Third Raikage's corpse? And what's the Zero-Tails?" Kakuzu frowned.

As a living fossil of the ninja world, he didn't even know about the Zero-Tails! Seeing Shinno's drastic change in expression, it was clear that the Zero-Tails Shikane mentioned did exist!

An unknown tailed beast?

"As I thought! Did Konoha discover that I stole the Zero-Tails control technique and send people to eliminate me?"

Shinno's face darkened as he quickly came up with an answer in his mind. But soon, he realized something was amiss.

"The Third Raikage? How do you know the Third Raikage's corpse is in my hands?" Shinno's gaze darted between Kakuzu and Shikane, mistakenly believing they had joined forces for their own purposes.

"Does the Zero-Tails really exist?" A grin spread across Kakuzu's face. "If we sell it to a major ninja village, it must be worth a lot, right?"

"The Zero-Tails is mine! Kill them!" The kindness and compassion on Shinno's face vanished, replaced by ruthlessness and coldness.

"Looks like we're underestimated! But I wouldn't mind warming up a bit first." Kakuzu looked at Shikane, and after seeing him take a step back, quickly formed hand seals.

Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique!

Kakuzu's chest and abdomen swelled, and he spewed a stream of highly viscous acid towards the charging ninjas.

The acid, like spilled water, covered a large area in front of them. The ninjas who couldn't dodge in time were splashed with the liquid, their flesh and blood instantly melting, revealing their white skeletons beneath.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amidst the screams of agony, the ninjas, reduced to skeletons, struggled pitifully in the acid. Then, under Kakuzu's control, the acid reacted with the air, causing a series of explosions in front of them.

The flames obscured their vision.

The charging ninjas were swept away. The remaining ninjas, facing Kakuzu, stopped in their tracks, horrified.

Shinno's expression grew even darker. However, he didn't force his ninjas to continue charging forward. Instead, he made a gesture, and the ninjas beside him immediately took out a cylinder from their pockets and fired a signal flare into the sky.

Soon, a noisy airflow sound faintly echoed from the sky.

Shisui looked up, his Sharingan spinning rapidly in his eye sockets.

"A group of ninjas with special ninja tools are flying towards us from the sky." Shisui's expression changed, and he proactively asked Shikane and Kakuzu, "Should I take them out?"

Shikane nodded.

The three tomoe in Shisui's Sharingan instantly transformed, condensing into a four-pointed pinwheel shape. A green skeletal frame extended from his body, and a giant green figure wielding a green spear rose from the ground.

PS: Thanks to the reader 20171022050434737 for the reward.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 104: Zero-Tails

What is that?

Shinno and his ninjas stared wide-eyed in shock as they saw the green giant.

Was that also ninjutsu?

Feeling the surrounding area filled with that eerie and uncomfortable chakra, and the immense mental pressure the giant exerted on them, the ninjas surrounding Shikane and the others became momentarily flustered and timid.

This is really...

Seeing that Uchiha kid use Susanoo once again, Kakuzu's eye twitched.

Why did this Uchiha brat always like to go all out in battles?

If using it against him before was out of respect for his strength, then what was the reason now, against a group of ninjas who only had some special equipment?

Soon, Kakuzu found out the reason.

Countless figures riding strange flying wing devices appeared in the sky, raining down a barrage of kunai launchers and explosive tags from above.

In addition to kunai, explosive tags, and other ninja tools, there were also some wind-style ninjutsu mixed in.

The dense rain of projectiles, as numerous as raindrops, made even Kakuzu's face change involuntarily. An attack of this scale was enough to overwhelm a small ninja village.

Even a ninja village from one of the Five Great Nations would suffer heavy losses if caught off guard.

However, faster than the rain of kunai were countless emerald green arrows.

The chest armor of the emerald green giant opened, revealing a circular cavity. Densely packed green arrows shot out from the cavity, changing direction as the giant moved, expanding its attack range.

The explosive tags tied to the kunai, upon colliding with the green arrows, were instantly deflected in mid-air, exploding into bursts of flames.

The continuous explosions painted the sky with a magnificent scene, like a burning cloud. Occasionally, burning wing parts, along with human figures and screams, fell from the sky.

In just a few breaths, a sea of death and fire was formed in the fan-shaped area of the sky in front of Shikane and the others.

Shinno's face turned extremely ugly. He almost immediately ordered the ninjas around him to attack and block Shikane and the others, while he quickly retreated.

"He's running away. Should I go after him?" Kakuzu watched his prey disappear rapidly and turned to Shikane, asking.

Several burning fireballs fell from the sky. Just as they were about to hit the ground, a green giant arm swept them away. The strong wind generated by the giant arm's swing made Kakuzu's black robe flutter violently below.

"This should be his secret base. Let's go together." Shikane didn't care about Shinno's escape. He had locked onto his target's trail, and as long as nothing unexpected happened, he wouldn't get far.

"Is that so?"

As soon as Kakuzu finished speaking, he charged forward. With his hands forming wings behind him, he sprinted forward at high speed. Although he was alone, compared to the dozens or even hundreds of ninjas charging towards them, he seemed more like the one with overwhelming numbers and momentum.

After clearing the sky and sweeping away the falling debris, the green giant vanished, and the Mangekyo Sharingan in Shisui's eyes reverted to its three-tomoe state.

A trickle of blood flowed down from the corner of his eye, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins. But soon, a certain cursed seal on his shoulder became more active, releasing a special chakra that flowed throughout his body. The intense pain in his eyes and body from using Susanoo was immediately soothed by a refreshing sensation, making Shisui feel much better.

Kunai landed on Kakuzu's body, making a metallic clanging sound. In the moment of their shock and fear, Kakuzu's fist smashed into them, sending them flying backward without any resistance.

Ninjas' physiques weren't as weak as imagined, especially those specializing in taijutsu. The reason for those seemingly one-hit kills, giving the impression of high attack and low defense, was often due to being overwhelmed.

For example, a certain someone named Jiraiya could still be alive and kicking after enduring Tsunade's monstrous strength. Even if Tsunade held back, it wasn't a force ordinary people could withstand.

Kakuzu, possessing the Steel Release kekkei genkai, was extremely satisfied with his current physical strength. At least ordinary taijutsu attacks couldn't break his defense anymore. If he added Earth Style ninjutsu reinforcement, his defense would be even stronger.

What surprised Kakuzu even more was that the toughness and nature changes of the Earth Grudge Fear also benefited from the Steel Release and Lava Release kekkei genkai. After familiarizing himself with the power within his body, Kakuzu had begun to construct a new combat system.

A dozen ninjas leaped into the air, obscuring Kakuzu's figure, and thrust their weapons towards him. But in the next moment, their bodies were pierced by countless black spikes, suspending them in mid-air.

As the black spikes slowly retracted, the corpses, riddled with holes, fell to the ground, revealing Kakuzu, who resembled a hedgehog covered in black spikes.

Kakuzu retracted the black spikes into his body and pulled off his tattered black robe, tying it around his waist. The joints of his arms were pierced and sprouted by dense Earth Grudge Fear tentacles, growing and intertwining in mid-air like ropes, finally forming two double-edged axes, one on each side.

Under the influence of the Steel Release and Lava Release kekkei genkai, the woven double-edged axes that enveloped his hands displayed a metallic sheen and hardness after hardening. The edges even glowed with a red-hot temperature like a branding iron.

The body modified by the Earth Grudge Fear granted Kakuzu more diverse techniques and abilities. Under his control, the Earth Grudge Fear tentacles, with the toughness and hardness bestowed by the Steel Release, became versatile killing weapons.

Damn it!

Shinno moved forward rapidly, the scenery on both sides flashing by. In the distance, amidst the vast ocean and thick fog, a massive structure emerged, revealing a corner like an iceberg.

Sensing that no one was pursuing him from behind, Shinno breathed a sigh of relief and sped up towards the enormous building looming in the sea fog.

His feet stepped on the seawater, and as Shinno swiftly moved across the waves, he suddenly noticed a thick and massive shadow rapidly expanding beneath the water, as if a colossal creature was about to emerge from the surface to breathe.

Shinno's senses instantly sounded an alarm. The sudden sense of crisis made him jump high from the water's surface without hesitation, landing towards a spot away from the shadow.

Boom!

Water splashed violently.

A massive creature poked its head out of the sea, the waves it created surging in all directions, causing the surrounding seawater to violently shake and churn.

It was a serpentine monster with a long, slender body covered in dark brown scales and distinct segmented sections.

Its head was a ferocious mouth, resembling an octopus's beak, filled with sharp teeth. There were no visible eyes, but it clearly possessed a unique organ for locating its prey.

Just like now, the head of this monster, which had emerged from the sea and was at least ten meters long, was aimed directly at Shinno, who had just dodged it. The sharp teeth in its mouth rotated like gears, blooming like a flower, and lunged down towards Shinno from above.

Boom!

The water surface exploded with violent waves again. The surrounding seawater churned like boiling water.

What kind of monster was this?

Shennong could only feel the immense power within the massive beast that brushed past him. If possible, he didn't want to get entangled with this sudden monster, but it was clear that the other party had already locked onto him as prey.

Crash!

A ferocious mouthpart suddenly erupted from directly beneath Shennong. The monstrous mouth opened wide, and a massive, elongated body shot out of the sea, reaching a height of twenty or thirty meters before its upward momentum finally stopped, and it fell back towards the sea.

Shennong moved swiftly and agilely across the splashing waves. As he approached the monster, the muscles in his right arm suddenly bulged, and then he slammed it heavily into the monster's body.

Despite the monster's enormous size, Shennong's fist, which was vastly smaller in comparison, actually sent it staggering. Its long, straight body was bent into a U-shape.

A piercing shriek erupted from the monster's mouth, and its body rolled and crashed heavily onto the sea surface. Two ten-meter-high walls of water exploded from the water on both sides of its body, spraying a mist into the air.

All of this showed just how much power Shennong had put into that punch, rivaling even Tsunade, another medical ninja known for her monstrous strength.

When it came to understanding and enhancing the human body, Shennong believed he was no worse than Tsunade, even though they had taken different paths.

But ultimately, they both achieved the same goal. Neither Tsunade nor he was the kind of medical ninja who needed protection in the conventional sense.

Simply put, they were both very good at utilizing their bodies, maximizing their physical potential, and were very difficult to kill.

The punch Shennong had just thrown was the result of activating the muscles and cells in his arm, combined with his mastery of the Eight Gates Released Formation technique.

Even if an ordinary ninja's body could unleash its potential to the same extent as his, they would be completely incapacitated after such a blow. But as a medical ninja, he could perfectly avoid these aftereffects with the medical forbidden techniques he had developed.

However, there was no joy on Shennong's face, even though he seemed to have defeated the monster. Several faint figures were slowly emerging from the sea fog.

"Looks like we've encountered an unexpected situation."

Kakuzu, shirtless, spoke softly as he looked at Shennong, who was drenched and had chakra flowing rapidly within his body, clearly having just engaged in a fierce battle with some enemy.

A massive dark shadow emerged from below, lifting Shikamaru high into the air, much to Kakuzu's surprise and under Shennong's grim gaze.

A somewhat buzzing sound emanated from the monster's abdomen through its mouth, carrying a sense of grievance that even others could perceive.

"Alright, alright." Shikamaru crouched down to comfort the aggrieved creature. After checking its body, he found that everything was normal.

It might have suffered a bit at Shennong's hands, but it hadn't sustained any serious injuries.

Of course, this might also be because the creature's own vitality was too robust and powerful, making it difficult to inflict any truly damaging wounds.

At least after so many years of cultivation and modification, the creature's vitality alone had reached a level that even Shikamaru found somewhat troublesome.

"Hey, there's a city over there!" Anko quickly climbed up the creature's body as it emerged from the water. She shielded her eyes with her hand and looked at the vaguely discernible giant shadow in the distance, a portion of which revealed a carved stone face.

Ankor Bandian!

The former location of the Sky Ninja Village!

It was a massive fortress capable of moving and floating in the sky!

"What should we do? Should we cut off its limbs and slowly extract information? Or should we just finish it off right here?" Kakuzu moved a bit further away from the creature and looked at Shennong.

For him, the mission was paramount. Only by completing the mission could he reduce a portion of the debt he carried.

As for using his own savings to repay the debt, let's not even talk about whether Shikamaru would accept it; Kakuzu himself resisted the very idea.

That money was his lifeline!

Counting his money late at night, watching his wealth grow, was one of the few joys in his now monotonous and lengthy life.

"I'll hand over the Third Raikage's body to you, and our battle will end here. How about that?" Shennong took out a scroll from his body, placed it in his palm, and raised it high, shouting towards Shikamaru.

Since the four of them had caught up, it was clear that the Sky Ninja under his command had been completely wiped out. Shennong harbored a deep fear of that Uchiha. That giant even made him feel a sense of trepidation. If possible, he didn't want to continue fighting Shikamaru and the others.

"What about the Zero-Tails and the city behind you?" Shikamaru pointed to the massive structure that was gradually emerging from the sea fog.

Shennong's face instantly turned ugly.

The Zero-Tails and Ankor Bandian were two indispensable foundations for achieving his ambitions. Losing either one would render his ambitions futile.

Unless he was at his wit's end, this was simply unacceptable to him.

"In that case, I'll have to show you the terror of the Zero-Tails!"

Shennong didn't want to hand over both the Zero-Tails and Ankor Bandian. At least, he didn't think he was at his absolute limit yet.

He bit his fingertip, and bright red blood flowed down his finger. Shennong quickly formed hand seals with his blood-stained finger, then slammed both hands onto the sea surface beneath him.

Spiderweb-like runes spread rapidly across the sea surface, and a massive dark shadow emerged along with white smoke.

An evil, gloomy, and oppressive chakra instantly filled the surroundings, making everyone's hair stand on end.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Is this the Zero-Tails?" Kakuzu's eyes widened as he looked at the black monster that had appeared before them.

It was a black monster coiled like a snake, its head a masked face with a large "Zero" character engraved on its forehead. It was shrouded in a black and ominous aura, its chakra filled with cold darkness and despair.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 105: Birth

"It's darker and colder than the Tailed Beast's chakra." Shisui's Sharingan watched the giant creature coiled on the sea, the outline of the four-cornered windmill faintly emerging in his eyes.

"Sharingan's genjutsu? Without specific means, the Zero-Tails is uncontrollable."

Shennong pulled away from the Zero-Tails' vicinity, his words and actions showing a sense of fear towards it.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Invisible chakra tentacles shot out from the Zero-Tails' body, attacking all life around it indiscriminately.

Shennong nimbly dodged a few tentacles that were flung at him. Although he had just resurrected the Zero-Tails not long ago, no one present understood what kind of existence the Zero-Tails was better than him.

It was the dark side of humanity, or rather, all the dark emotions that nurtured and raised it, a chakra monster similar to the Tailed Beasts.

Like the Tailed Beasts, it was immortal.

However, the rebirth of the Tailed Beasts relied on chakra, while the rebirth of the Zero-Tails relied on the darkness in human hearts.

Like the Tailed Beasts, the Zero-Tails was full of chaos and destruction, and because it was an aggregate of dark chakra, it was even more violent and uncontrollable than the Tailed Beasts.

If possible, Shennong didn't want to awaken it so early, and summon it from Anker Bandian's power seal chamber.

The newly resurrected Zero-Tails was far from reaching his satisfaction. The current Ninja World War was the best time for the Zero-Tails to grow.

In the long war, despair, anger, fear, sadness, pain, and frustration were the common emotions of the people in the Ninja World, and also the Zero-Tails' favorite growth environment.

But now, without enough confidence to deal with Shikane and the others, Shennong could only use the Zero-Tails as his trump card and force it out.

The only pity was that he couldn't perfectly control the Zero-Tails' power yet.

A strong sonic wave vibrated from the worm's mouth, and a surging wind crisscrossed in front of it, cutting deep ravines on the sea surface, and then hitting the Zero-Tails.

The wind-style ninjutsu that掀起了巨浪的大海, when it came into contact with the Zero-Tails' body, it suddenly turned into a breeze and was swallowed by the Zero-Tails' wriggling body.

Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique!

Anko quickly formed hand seals, and in the blazing flames, several fire dragons emerged from the firelight and rushed towards the Zero-Tails' split and extended limbs.

One fire dragon after another collided with the Zero-Tails' split body. The split body instantly opened its mouth wide and bound the fire dragons tightly like a snake, quickly devouring them.

The dense mouths on the split tentacles even gently spit out a puff of smoke, as if a person had burped.

"It's devouring the chakra of my ninjutsu!" Anko only felt her control over the fire dragon being forcibly interrupted, and then the chakra was sucked away. This made her unable to even control the explosion of the Great Dragon Fire to cause damage to the Zero-Tails.

"Did you find out? That's right, the Zero-Tails can not only devour the darkness in human hearts, but also has the ability to devour ninjutsu and chakra! It's a Tailed Beast that restrains ninja abilities!"

Shennong exuded dark chakra similar to the Zero-Tails, which the Zero-Tails regarded as the same source and no longer attacked him.

"So, ninjutsu is useless?" Kakuzu hardened his body and cut off the black Zero-Tails tentacles that attacked him one by one.

But soon, he discovered that the Zero-Tails' tentacles were slippery and had extremely high toughness. The axe woven and condensed after the Earth Grudge Fear was hardened could not achieve the ideal damage when it was chopped on it.

Only the high temperature attached to the Melting Apparition Technique made the tentacles shrink and avoid it as if they were burned. But this was only a temporary solution, not a permanent cure. Soon, those tentacles seemed to be enraged and split into more tentacles. The front end of the tentacles turned into palms and grabbed towards Kakuzu.

The Zero-Tails was now like a piece of clay, constantly splitting and changing its body, dodging their attacks at will, and binding the targets it caught like ropes.

Then it activated its devouring power and devoured the chakra within the captured target.

As a creature with a size comparable to the Zero-Tails, the worm was immediately focused on by the Zero-Tails. Almost half of its body was wrapped around the worm, biting and fighting it in close combat.

Its teeth couldn't bite through the worm's body, so the Zero-Tails simply split into a large number of tentacles, wrapping the worm tightly like a cocoon. It emitted a shimmering luster and began to devour the power within the worm's body.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

Black spikes popped out from the gaps between the Zero-Tails' tentacles that wrapped the worm. Then, under the Zero-Tails' bewildered gaze, its body, fixed by the spikes, spun rapidly along with the worm's rotating body.

The seawater on the sea surface was siphoned over and rushed up into the sky along the rotating bodies of the two giant beasts, turning into a huge waterspout.

The Zero-Tails' mournful cries seemed to be heard around.

In just a moment, sections of the Zero-Tails' body were thrown out as fragments. When the waterspout dissipated and revealed the situation inside, the Zero-Tails that had tightly wrapped the worm only had some残缺的肢体still stubbornly attached to the worm.

Taking the opportunity to break free from the encirclement of the Zero-Tails' tentacles, Kakuzu instantly appeared beside Shikane and the other three. Seeing this scene, he asked in slight surprise, "Is it solved?"

Bearing the name of Zero-Tails, Kakuzu thought it would be as troublesome and powerful as other Tailed Beasts. But now, under a wave of aggressive attacks, it was actually solved by an unknown summoned beast.

This should be considered a disgrace to the Tailed Beasts, right?

After all, Kakuzu had never heard of a Tailed Beast being defeated one-on-one by a summoned beast.

"How is that possible? The Zero-Tails is immortal! As long as the darkness in people's hearts still exists, it will resurrect again and again. Besides, this kind of injury is nothing to the Zero-Tails!"

It was Shennong's voice that answered Kakuzu's question. At this moment, he had already formed hand seals and merged with the severed head of the Zero-Tails. Under his control, the Zero-Tails seemed to suddenly gain consciousness and reintegrated the scattered broken limbs and fragments around it into its body.

"I have to thank you for severely injuring the Zero-Tails. Otherwise, I would have to go through a lot of trouble to gain control of it so smoothly. Next, it's round two!"

After saying that, Shennong's body sank into the sea, submerging himself into the Zero-Tails' forehead.

Facing the Zero-Tails with soaring power, Kakuzu silently began to refine and squeeze the two bloodline limit powers within his body.

"This mission is a bit too much. Remember to add money after it's over!" Kakuzu said to Shikane with a sullen face, and then took the initiative to rush forward and launch an attack on the Zero-Tails.

Ninjutsu was useless.

Close combat was easy to be bound and entangled by the split tentacles.

The difficulty of the Zero-Tails was revealed at this moment. Coupled with the unpredictable Shennong, it could be said that this was one of the most difficult missions Kakuzu had ever taken in his decades of life.

Second only to when he faced his assassination target back then - the First Hokage.

However, the Zero-Tails under Shennong's control did not immediately launch any attacks. Instead, its slender body began to bulge left and right, and its body became bloated.

Its huge body curled up, like a struggling water snake or earthworm, constantly tossing on the sea surface, setting off waves of tall waves.

Seeing this scene, a hint of joy flashed in Kakuzu's eyes. Although he didn't know what exactly happened, it was obvious that something was wrong inside the Zero-Tails' body.

Shennong's body struggled out of the Zero-Tails' forehead, almost crawling out covered in wounds, and fell directly from mid-air into the seawater below.

The Zero-Tails' struggle became more and more intense, and also more and more feeble. Finally, it floated on the sea surface like a dead fish.

"What did you do to the Zero-Tails!" An angry voice sounded from the front. A burly, shirtless man jumped out from under the sea, glaring at Shikane and the others as he looked at the Zero-Tails that was stiff and motionless like a dead fish.

"Eating things without caution can upset your stomach. Didn't you teach it that?" Shikane stepped on the sea, and the worm swam around him, its opening and closing mouth inexplicably giving a sense of smugness.

"It's it?" Shennong's gaze locked onto the worm. He noticed that the worm was now unabashedly leaking a kind of power that was even more evil and darker than the Zero-Tails.

Shikane's gaze passed over Shennong's body and looked at the motionless Zero-Tails behind him, which seemed to be dead. "Although it's not an aggregate of souls, an aggregate of dark emotions is barely enough. Let me see, is it the so-called dark chakra that has higher quality, or is it the power level of the Hollow Seed that's higher."

"What are you talking about!"

Shennong's body instantly disappeared from its original spot, and the splashed waves rose half a meter high.

"Be careful!" Shisui drew the short knife from his back and blocked Shennong, who had suddenly appeared in front of Shikane.

Living Fist!

Black chakra gathered in Shennong's palm, forming a black dark sphere, which then slammed heavily onto the skeleton in front of him.

Susanoo!

Shisui activated his Mangekyo Sharingan at the first moment he sensed danger, using Susanoo as a barrier in front of him.

Under this blow, a large number of cracks appeared on Susanoo's skeleton. While Shisui's body was shaken, the Mangekyo Sharingan in his eyes had to release more Yin Release power to repair the damaged Susanoo.

Shennong's attack was obviously beyond the scale. Even the first stage of Susanoo almost collapsed under his fist.

Anko flashed forward. At the moment Shisui entangled Shennong, she cooperated tacitly with Shisui and took the initiative to attack, slamming her flame-wrapped fist heavily on Shennong's face.

The bones in Shennong's chest deformed instantly, and the high temperature scorched his skin, making a sizzling sound. It turned pitch black. As he flew backward, the flames surrounding him seemed to have accumulated enough power and exploded directly inside Shennong's body.

Shennong, who had turned into a burning man in mid-air, fell heavily into the sea, and sank with a gurgling sound amidst the sizzling sound of water and fire clashing.

"Is he dead?" Anko looked at the spot where Shennong sank. If an ordinary ninja took such a punch from her, even a Jonin would likely be killed instantly. However, Anko, who had physical contact with him, strangely felt that Shennong wouldn't die just like that.

His muscles were too strong! In terms of hardness conversion defense alone, it was almost catching up to the Steel Release.

"No, the chakra in his body is circulating at high speed." Shisui's Sharingan stared fixedly at the sea where Shennong sank. Under the gaze of the Mangekyo Sharingan, the circulation of chakra within Shennong's body was almost clearly presented in his eyes.

Those seemingly fatal wounds were also rapidly healing under his gaze. The somewhat weakened vitality rose again.

"Then let's do it a few more times!" Fireballs floated around Anko. Under her command, the fireballs lined up in three rows in front of her, bombarding the spot where Shennong fell into the water one after another.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Continuous explosions blasted the seawater, creating huge splashes one after another. The fireballs tracked Shennong's underwater movement and bombarded for nearly a minute.

The temperature of the surrounding sea surface rose by several degrees, and the high-temperature steam mixed with the thin sea fog around.

"It's useless. With this ultimate body, no matter how severe my injuries are, I can recover! Even if you tear my body into pieces, I can perfectly reassemble and resurrect.

On the path of resisting death, I have gone further than anyone else in this world." Shennong's voice sounded, and the burn scars and wounds on his body quickly healed and recovered under the gaze of Anko and the others.

"You are the first people to witness my state. Next, let's fight using the forbidden taijutsu I obtained from your Konoha."

Violent chakra exploded instantly on Shennong's body, and his chakra level soared dozens of times in an instant.

"The perfect Eight Gates Released Formation! Not a single bit of power leaks out, but is locked within this ultimate body! It fills every muscle and cell within my body. Even if I open the Gate of Death, I can maintain it for a long time and remain immortal!"

Shennong felt the tremendous power filling his body, and confidence suddenly surged throughout his being. This seemingly omnipotent power brought him a strong sense of security and confidence.

"Idiot." Shikane only had time to give a brief comment to Shennong before he was hit by a giant black tail, skipping across the sea surface like a stone, leaving a deep trench on the sea.

The pouring seawater quickly filled the trench. Shikane looked at the revived Zero-Tails, and a surprisingly satisfied look appeared in his eyes.

A half-finished Hollow.

A monster wielding Hollow power.

An aggregate of chakra that might evolve into a true Hollow in the future appeared in this Ninja World for the first time.

(End of Chapter)