"!"
What? Maki!
Pakura instantly thought of her adorable disciple. If there was one person she couldn't let go of right now, it was undoubtedly Maki. Maki likely still believed that she had simply gone out on a mission, only to be killed by the enemy.
Pakura, who had been avoiding Shimizu's gaze, slowly turned her head and looked at him solemnly.
"I must go see Maki right now."
"Look at you. How do you intend to go like this?"
Shimizu pointed at Pakura's current state with his One-Horned Beast of Fire. She would probably collapse after taking two steps.
"..."
Pakura's eyes lowered, gazing at the pristine white bedsheets. Shimizu took a step forward and turned Pakura over. A person can feel quite heavy when they cannot cooperate. Right now, Pakura's condition was like that of a patient under anesthesia, devoid of any strength. However, Shimizu's strength had grown increasingly immense, so he flipped her over with ease, making her lie on her side facing him.
"Hmm..."
After a thought, he moved her again, adjusting her position. The soft moonlight spilled in from the window, intertwining with the fiery red glow, casting dancing shadows. A tranquil atmosphere permeated the air, as if the earth itself was slumbering. A gentle breeze brushed past, and the leaves outside rustled softly, whispering the secrets of the night. The room seemed to respond in kind, gently and slowly, as if the entire world was intoxicated by this quiet melody.
Kirigakure.
"I finally escaped."
Hiruko looked at his tattered and broken body, his hatred for Shimizu Uchiha rising to an unparalleled level in his heart.
"Shimizu Uchiha, you are nothing but a lucky brat relying on your Kekkei Genkai."
Hiruko casually killed an old boatman and piloted the boat himself, drifting across the boundless ocean.
"I have already planted the Puppet Curse on Kakashi. Once I gather all four Kekkei Genkai, and when the time and place are right, I will seize Kakashi's Kekkei Genkai!"
A look of fanaticism appeared in Hiruko's eyes. To use the Kimera no Jutsu (Chimera Technique) to perfectly fuse five types of Kekkei Genkai, creating a cycle of the five elements within the body and becoming a perfect ninja who is immortal and eternal—what he had now was decidedly insufficient. Even though he was peerless in the field of human experimentation, it was still not enough.
He needed the right time, the right place, and the right people (Renhe); not a single one could be missing.
The "Right Person" was Kakashi, whom he had been coveting all along. Kakashi had perfectly integrated the power of the Sharingan. Hiruko believed that as long as he seized Kakashi's Kekkei Genkai, that power would serve as a stabilizing force for the other Kekkei Genkai within his body.
The "Right Place" was much simpler; it just had to be Mount Shumisen. That place was uninhabited and could be easily occupied.
But the most critical "Right Time" required waiting for the appearance of the Annular Solar Eclipse. It would be at least a few years before the Annular Solar Eclipse would occur.
"After obtaining the power of the light from the Annular Solar Eclipse, I will fuse to become a perfect existence."
Hiruko laughed loudly. At that time, he would definitely show Shimizu Uchiha what the true power of a Kekkei Genkai really was!
The next day.
Morning light penetrated the windows, plating every corner with a layer of warm gold. The curtains fluttered slightly, and dappled sunlight scattered across the wooden floor.
Miroku slowly opened her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering. Her back felt the warmth of a wall. When she turned her head, it was Shimizu's solid chest.
"Hmph, so you do know how to come back."
Miroku scoffed coldly. Shion, still in her womb, gave her a gentle kick, causing a look of motherly love to return to Miroku's eyes.
"Never mind."
Miroku sighed, then dressed quietly, tiptoeing out without making a sound.
At the same time, Shimizu opened his eyes. He had conducted a simulation. A moment later, Shimizu looked at the scroll for the Bubun Baika no Jutsu (Partial Multi-Size Technique) in his hand, feeling secretly speechless. This was the reward drawn from this simulation.
The Akimichi Clan's family secret technique, the Bubun Baika no Jutsu. Did he need this thing?
With the existence of Raiton: Regenerative Body Tempering, Shimizu's One-Horned Beast was already approaching a non-human state, perfectly reaching the limit of what a human could accommodate. Any larger, and he would have to go find a giant.
After thinking about it, Shimizu decided to read through it to see what the operating principles were. The Akimichi Clan's secret techniques were classified as Yang Release ninjutsu. The Bubun Baika no Jutsu, as the name suggests, is a move that allows one to enlarge a specific part of the body to attack an opponent. It applies to any limb or body part without restriction.
The Akimichi Clan also possesses unique talents in Yang Release. Their clan has passed down a god-given plump physique and an endless, terrifying appetite through generations. They can withstand a food intake several times that of an ordinary person, and consequently, their digestive systems are particularly developed. They practice the Baika no Jutsu to enlarge their physical bodies, a technique that plays a role in both offense and defense.
"The only flaw is likely the consumption of a massive amount of calories."
Shimizu looked at the complicated meridian routes on the scroll and understood the foundation. If it were anyone other than an Akimichi, they probably wouldn't be able to train in it. Even Naruto Uzumaki, the reincarnation of Asura, couldn't do it. Naruto simply had a massive amount of chakra and good recovery capabilities; aside from that, he didn't inherit other traits of the Uzumaki clan. Others simply could not withstand such a volume of food intake.
The glutton Hinata Hyuga ate more than Naruto, which showed that Naruto's digestion capability wasn't up to par with specific caloric conversion.
"My physique has long since mutated beyond that of a normal person. Even my stomach and intestines have undergone thousands of temperings."
The fact that Shimizu could casually eat several times the amount of Military Ration Pills as others was proof of this.
"It's not difficult."
Shimizu placed the secret technique scroll into a storage scroll. The Baika no Jutsu could perhaps be used to reverse-engineer compression ninjutsu, continuously compressing one's own cells to increase density. A single person could become a humanoid Tailed Beast. He could try to see if he could integrate it into Raiton: Regenerative Body Tempering to improve efficiency. In his spare time, he could let his Shadow Clones practice it.
"Cough, cough..."
Pakura was still coughing. In the morning, some guards had delivered a meal. Rice. Her stamina had recovered somewhat after half a night, enough for her to sit up and eat by herself, though her throat burned with pain.
"Is this guy livestock?"
Pakura ruthlessly speared a piece of meat and stuffed it into her mouth. She had eaten her fill last night, but by morning, it was all digested. Her body continued to crave nutrients, leaving Pakura famished. She wanted nothing more than to beat that bastard Shimizu Uchiha to relieve her anger.
"Forget it."
Pakura shook her head. Her vengeance was yet to be exacted, and more importantly, she had to think about her path forward. She definitely couldn't return to Sunagakure. Her public identity was already "dead." This meant she either had to live anonymously or continue bearing the name Pakura and become a Missing-nin.
As for going to Sunagakure to clarify the facts, Pakura hadn't considered it at all. After this ordeal, her impression of Sunagakure had plummeted; she dared not continue trusting the village she had stayed in for so many years. The fact that a nominal "classified mission" could be conveyed to her as a command proved that the high-ranking officials of Sunagakure were all in cahoots.
"Recovering nicely, aren't you?"
Shimizu pushed the door open and saw Pakura wolfing down her food. There was not a shred of elegance; her beautiful face was even smudged with food because of it.
"Hmph."
The events of last night were like a carving knife, forcefully etched into her mind.
"What do you plan to do from now on?"
"I'll talk about it after my body recovers." Pakura shook her head. Her mind was still a mess of paste. Everything had happened too suddenly—from being the Hero of the Sand to suddenly being on the verge of becoming a Missing-nin.
"By the way, could I ask you to go and see how my disciple is doing?"
With a trace of pleading, Pakura handed her other ninja armguard to Shimizu.
"Hmm... alright."
Shimizu nodded and took it. He had left a Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) formula in a concealed location in Sunagakure, so he could go at any time.
"Make me a copy of all the Sunagakure ninjutsu you know."
Shimizu tossed out a large storage scroll, inside of which were piled countless blank scrolls.
"...Fine."
Pakura, still wanting Shimizu to check on her disciple's situation, could only agree to his request. In any case, she was no longer a ninja of the Sand. If anything, spreading the secret techniques Sunagakure excelled in would make those techniques easier for others to counter, leaving Sunagakure too busy to fend for itself. After all, her reputation in the Sand had once been at its zenith, and the number of ninjutsu she had access to was not small.
"There are pens inside too."
After giving his instructions, Shimizu turned and left the room. He planned to make a trip back to Konohagakure to see how Rin Nohara's research was progressing.
Konohagakure.
A gaunt man sat on a sofa.
"Father, is there something you needed me for?" Kurenai Yuhi asked. She looked somewhat haggard.
"How are things with Asuma Sarutobi lately?"
Seeing his daughter's expression, Shinku Yuhi felt a bit unbearable. How cute Kurenai had been as a child, so round and chubby. After growing up, she had changed completely. Shinku felt she had become somewhat cold, maintaining a sense of distance from others.
"Same as usual."
Kurenai nodded. Asuma Sarutobi had been pestering her constantly. Their relationship had improved slightly, at least to the point of being genuine childhood friends.
"Go find Asuma more often when you have time."
Knock, knock.
A knock came at the door. Kurenai went to open it; the person at the door was Asuma Sarutobi.
"Kurenai, want to go eat dango?"
Kurenai subconsciously looked back at her father.
Shinku Yuhi nodded and said, "Go ahead, don't stay out too late."
"Okay."
Kurenai nodded, then left. That demon hadn't sought her out since the last time at Yakiniku Q. Kurenai felt a sense of liberation in her heart.
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