When it came to manipulating life force, Gisei Shiraishi currently had only one concept in mind.
He wanted to develop a cursed seal jutsu that combined barrier ninjutsu with sealing jutsu.
In his vision, this cursed seal would be activated through physical contact. First, he would use the sealing jutsu to restrict the enemy's movements. Then, the barrier ninjutsu would concentrate their life force into a single point. Finally, using his own unique ability to absorb chakra, he would drain their life force along with their soul power.
He had even already named it: The Great Art of Star Absorption.
It was, quite simply, the perfect name.
A flush of excitement appeared on Gisei's face.
He knew that once he successfully developed this jutsu, he wouldn't be far from becoming "Public Enemy Number One" in the ninja world.
No one can resist the temptation of immortality, and he was no exception. When the time came, he would inevitably have to engage in mass slaughter to sustain himself. And if people found out—whether for the sake of justice or their own greed—they would hunt him down relentlessly.
Thinking of this, Gisei revealed an intriguing smile.
A blessing in disguise.
The good or bad of a situation can't be judged solely by its surface.
If you give a bucket of water to a person dying of thirst, he might drink until his stomach bursts. But if you give him just a single bottle, he might try to kill you after drinking it because he suspects you're hiding more water.
In Gisei's view, the best way is not to give any water at all. Perhaps it's selfish, but aren't humans just selfish creatures by nature?
Good people don't live long. Why? Because there is no such thing as objective "good" or "bad" in this world. In the end, those definitions are just human self-perception.
Gisei actually began to look forward to the arrival of that chaotic day.
...
Death Forest, Secret Laboratory
Gisei stared at the ninja lying on the experiment table and fell into deep thought.
The concept for the Great Art of Star Absorption was solid, but he felt like he didn't know where to start.
He hadn't neglected his research into sealing jutsu over the years, so he could consider himself proficient by now. However, relying solely on the sealing jutsu collected by his clan wasn't enough to complete such a complex technique.
He needed more sealing jutsu, barrier jutsu, and even secret jutsu related to the human body.
It was basically impossible to obtain these things through normal channels. If he went through "abnormal" channels, he would eventually have to make a move against Konoha itself.
Thinking of this, Gisei took out the Blood Contract Cursed Seal that Mei had given him, frowning in thought.
The effect of this cursed seal was excellent, but its concealment was terrible. Especially when activated—the victim's eyes rolling back into their head was basically a neon sign telling everyone, "Hey, I'm being controlled!"
If he used this cursed seal to steal intelligence, people would figure out he was behind it in no time.
After hesitating for a while, Gisei put the scroll away.
Then, he thought of the Butterfly Seeds.
Mei had said she could use Butterfly Seeds to control others. If he carved the Blood Contract Cursed Seal onto the body of a Butterfly Seed, could he use that as a medium to control people more discreetly?
Let's give it a try.
He went to Butterfly Habitat Valley to ask Mei for some Butterfly Seeds.
After listening to his idea, Mei showed great interest and used space-time ninjutsu to transport him to a specific barrier.
The barrier was teeming with insects. The sheer density of them made Gisei's skin crawl.
"The Butterfly Seeds inside this barrier are basically all Lightning attribute. If you want other attributes, I can take you to a different area."
Gisei picked up a larva from a leaf. After observing it carefully, a gleam flashed in his eyes.
"There don't seem to be any formulas on these Butterfly Seeds. They look completely different from the one inside my body."
"Of course. These are all native species. If you want to raise butterflies specifically, I have to carve the formulas onto them first. It won't be that troublesome for you to use them for control."
"Is that so?" Gisei placed the larva back on the leaf. "I want three types of Butterfly Seeds: Fire, Earth, and Wind. By the way, have you ever tried cultivating dual-attribute Butterfly Seeds?"
"No. Native species are very fragile. A single attribute is fine, but dual attributes will die very easily. Only after they live in symbiosis with a human will they possess the capacity for other attributes."
Mei took him to several other barriers. After collecting ten Butterfly Seeds of each type, they returned to the palace.
Before leaving, Gisei asked one more question that had been nagging him.
"I've always been curious. The Butterfly Seed inherits everything from the user after death. But I've raised four Butterfly Seeds now. If I die, how will they decide which one inherits everything?"
"Of course it's the initial one—the strongest Butterfly Seed. The others will simply fuse with it."
"Fuse?"
"Haven't you seen my ability to manipulate flesh? It's that kind of fusion."
"But after they gain consciousness inside my body, they should count as different life forms, right? Will the other Butterfly Seeds willingly fuse with Cheng (the main one)?"
"Do you have some misunderstanding?" Mei looked at him like he was an idiot. "They are of the same kind, and their memories are almost completely identical. Such fusion doesn't count as 'death' to them."
Gisei gave Mei a meaningful look, then left.
Back in the laboratory, he didn't start the experiment immediately. Instead, he found a box to raise the new Butterfly Seeds.
He had heard something else in Mei's words. These native Butterfly Seeds didn't seem to be under Mei's direct control—though he couldn't be 100% sure.
Anyway, he now had a great interest in them and planned to cultivate them himself. He had learned the cultivation process before; it was simple, just time-consuming.
After setting everything up, Gisei lost interest in running experiments for the day and went home to rest.
...
Gisei rested for several days before returning to work at the hospital.
The office that Tsunade had smashed up had been renovated. Walking in, Gisei suddenly felt that Tsunade was actually quite nice.
If she came to smash my office every day, would I be able to get a brand-new office every day?
Hmm... never mind. Old clothes fit better, as long as the office looks pleasing to the eye.
But before he could enjoy even a few minutes of peace, Tsunade kicked his door open.
Gisei looked at her, speechless. "I'm your superior, at any rate. Can't you give me a little face?"
"Why were you working alone behind my back? If you don't give me a good reason today, I absolutely won't let you off."
Gisei spread his hands helplessly. "What other reason could there be? I'm short on money."
Tsunade looked thoughtful. "Why do you need so much money all by yourself?"
A trace of alertness flashed in Gisei's eyes.
Ever since the incident with Hatake Sakumo, he had raised his guard around these "plot characters."
Especially Tsunade. This woman's IQ was definitely not low. Although he had a valid excuse, it was hard to guarantee she wouldn't detect something fishy.
"That has nothing to do with you. Anyway, I'm very short of money, and I still owe someone tens of millions right now."
Tsunade gritted her teeth and sat down in the chair opposite him.
"I think we need a little more trust between us. I won't stop you if you want to make money."
"How about this? You teach me your method for improving chakra control, and I'll work for you for free in the future. And I'll still pay you back... you just have to give me a little time."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Tsunade said, "I'm proposing paying in installments."