Chapter 158: I Want You, the Mutation Explodes (Ten‑Thousand‑Word Chapter)

In the Field Country, at the address supplied by Orochimaru, Yuzhi walked over alone at a leisurely pace.

The matters that needed handling within Leaf Village have been mostly settled; what remains is to see how Shui Men, Nai Liang Lu Jiu and the others implement the policies they themselves have set.

Yuzhi has always been a person willing to delegate authority; after all, before he transmigrated, during his "receiving societal beatings" he learned many things.

As a staff member, you must hone yourself and continuously learn various abilities, adapting to each position's duties.

As a leader, you are not supposed to do everything personally.

You indeed need to be familiar with these roles, but more importantly you must learn to appoint others to handle them.

The ancestors have said classic, thought‑provoking maxims like "Know people and use them well" and "Each discipline has its specialty."

Of course, Yuzhi also slacks off; besides his "business competence" being somewhat worrisome, he truly wouldn't dare emulate the Chancellor's "bowing and exhausting oneself, dying only after the task is done."

If it were him, he'd probably end up with "The late emperor's enterprise unfinished, dying between the stalls," which isn't worthwhile.

Moreover, he prefers to study another Chancellor, for example saying to a young widow, "I wonder if you would be willing to share a bed with me tonight."

"But such matters still require caution; after all, 'Wei's whip swing feels great for a moment,' and then it ends badly."

"You've got the spirit."

"Hokage, this time you must have come for Bei Liu Hu, right? I have already captured him according to your wishes, and he is here now."

Yuzhi pursed his lips; Sasuke could never chase him down, and this kid probably hopes to have a grand life with his mother, perhaps even a brother or sister for him.

"He thinks I'm capturing him out of duty, but I guess, Hokage, you want to obtain one of his secret techniques."

Thinking to himself, Yuzhi walked at a leisurely pace to the designated spot, then stopped and surveyed his surroundings.

Seeing the figure drenched in transparent slime appear before his eyes, Yuzhi couldn't help his mouth corner twitch slightly.

He feels that he and Yuzhi are of the same kind; lying completely to such a person has no meaning.

"Indeed, in some sense he is a genius."

"Is it too dangerous?"

But Orochimaru isn't dwelling on this now; if Yuzhi were to speak, he would certainly do so at the right moment, and there's no need to rush.

Yuzhi smiled and said to Orochimaru,

"If that's the case, I truly need to thank the Hokage properly."

"You certainly have the talent to be Hokage, Orochimaru."

Yuzhi stroked his chin, then simply shook his head; after all, they're both Chancellors, so the issue isn't big.

"Unfortunately, I haven't had time to study it carefully, and I've already gone to Mist Village…"

Orochimaru knows well that some things are better not lied about in front of Yuzhi.

So Yuzhi never dares to "brandish the whip"; whatever it is, he must settle Hikari first before speaking.

However, Hikari's side is not so easy to discuss; she is his bona fide fiancée and a powerhouse so strong that even he might be caught off guard and unable to resist.

"If the Hokage wishes to take her away, I'll release her immediately."

Yuzhi raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed over his chest, and looked at Orochimaru indifferently.

"So, have you extracted any suitable intelligence?"

"However, the experiments I'm currently handling are too busy, and I'm probably unable to study anything else."

"Alas, I'm not thinking about Chancellor Zhuge; why did it suddenly jump to Chancellor Cao?"

"I naturally want to…"

Moreover, the issues over at Leaf Village don't require me to worry too much; that's the most important thing, just as when he's in the police department, all he needs to do is wait for the outcome.

His eyes flickered slightly, then he smiled and spoke.

If I recall correctly, Ziraiye went to Rain Country for an investigation using a similar technique; who knows why Orochimaru and Ziraiye both like to appear this way.

Speaking of it, shouldn't you thank me, after all I killed Danzo?

"Fifth Hokage, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Accompanied by a surge of chakra, Yuzhi suddenly noticed an arm emerging from the mouth of a white viper, and a body quickly appeared.

"The Hokage's power truly leaves one in awe; unfortunately, due to different status, a few days ago in Mist Village I dared not approach the Hokage. If I was impolite, I hope you can forgive me."

"Orochimaru."

Yuzhi smiled, then asked meaningfully,

In a short while, a white viper slithered out from behind the bushes, its tongue flicking at Yuzhi, then it suddenly opened its mouth wide.

Orochimaru blinked; his yellow eyes, like serpentine pupils, flashed with a sharp light, realizing Yuzhi's words held hidden meaning.

"Oh, I remember, you originally had a chance to become Hokage, but unfortunately you lost everything because of Danzo."

Orochimaru paid no mind to his slime‑covered body, even licking it with interest before speaking.

"Not yet; he doesn't even know I've already left Leaf Village."

After all, when they captured him, he was adjusting some very interesting formations, somewhat like spirit communication but quite different and feeling dangerous.

Orochimaru licked his tongue; a hint of interest glimmered in his eyes, but he quickly shook his head.

"His technique is so fascinating that even I find it intriguing, Senior Orochimaru, would you like to study it?"

Yuzhi's eyes gradually turned crimson, and he said confidently.

"Senior Orochimaru, although you are frank, saying only half of something renders it meaningless."

Yuzhi sighed, looked at Orochimaru, and said leisurely.

"In some sense we are alike; regarding the pursuit of the world's truth, we share a similar obsession, don't we?"

Orochimaru stared silently at Yuzhi, thinking perhaps this guy had interrogated Itachi Uchiha and learned some of his thoughts?

Orochimaru has never revealed his feelings to anyone except Itachi Uchiha; even that accidental confession was brief.

Although the reason is unknown, Orochimaru finally just nodded.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I indeed shouldn't have hidden so much from the Hokage; I was just curious."

People have always been curious, especially those like me who possess an endless thirst for knowledge.

However, Lord Hokage, I think I need to remind you that the Kigamura Technique is only a half‑finished work; under normal circumstances no human body could bear that burden.

If anyone's body could endure it, I suppose they wouldn't need to devise such a mismatched technique, and Wood Release power doesn't necessarily integrate into the body that easily.

Since it was seen through, Orochimaru stopped pretending, and moreover, in his view Yuzhi's interest in the Kigamura Technique likely means he intends to grasp Wood Release power.

Otherwise he truly can't imagine what else could catch Yuzhi's eye, given how powerful he already is.

The Yuzhi of today is essentially the contemporary Madara Uchiha, and when the Leaf Village was founded, only the First Hokage Hashirama Senju could defeat Madara Uchiha!

Yuzhi's desire for such power is perfectly natural, but unfortunately, in his eyes Yuzhi has taken the wrong path.

After all, in his view, he himself is now the one who understands Wood Release and Sharingan power best.

"Wood Release."

Yuzhi's mouth twitched slightly; he had mastered that thing three years ago.

But thinking about it, it does seem like a decent excuse to conceal one's true purpose.

Moreover, Orochimaru is not wrong; the Kigamura Technique that Biruhuo concocted is indeed terribly crude.

His fusion of Bloodline power seems to disregard souls, cells, and the like, forcibly siphoning those forces, simply emphasizing a "reckless" nature.

In fact, the original work shows just how reckless this guy is—thinking himself invincible, he outright declared war on the entire Ninja World; is such a thing truly done by a person?

"He even bragged that he once was a 'Leaf ninja', nearly getting the Leaf Village into a huge mess."

A technique forged by such a rough guy is clearly beneath Orochimaru's notice, especially since he himself is a "scientist" of genetic modification and fusion; if he could appreciate it, that would be something.

But Orochimaru clearly underestimated Biruhuo's talent, or rather his terrible luck.

Biruhuo may lack the innate talent to become a ninja, yet he unexpectedly created the Ninja World's "only hope", a path that allows ordinary ninjas to access the "Bloodline Net".

Unfortunately, whether it's Orochimaru, who has now seen the Kigamura Technique, or Biruhuo, who invented it, neither has recognized its true potential.

The Kigamura Technique naturally has its own flaws, but in Orochimaru's mind, Biruhuo is always a step behind, forever a small figure left far behind.

A technique riddled with defects created by such a minor figure is something Orochimaru would never give a second glance.

Biruhuo, constrained by his limited "vision", may have invented the technique but is completely unaware of its potential—a true tragedy.

"It's precisely his lack of vision that caused such a commotion; he looks all impressive, only to be instantly taken down by Naruto's 'Spiral Shuriken'."

Yuzhi doesn't understand, nor bother to consider, such a person's thinking; all he wants is the technique, nothing more.

As for everything else, he doesn't care and has no desire to think about it.

"Very well, Lord Hokage, since that's the case, I'll hand the person over to you, and I'll return his records unchanged."

Seeing that Yuzhi's intentions remained unchanged, Orochimaru made no further persuasion; he smiled, nodded, and prepared to seal, but at that moment Yuzhi spoke up.

"No need to rush; this guy will stay with you for now. I have other matters to attend to, and once they're done, I'll come back to retrieve the person.

However, this time I'm coming not only for Biruhuo but also to discuss another matter with you, Orochimaru."

"Oh?"

Orochimaru paused briefly, licked his tongue, smiled, and asked Yuzhi.

"I wonder, Lord Hokage, what other matters you have?"

"You know, Danzo is dead, and you left the Leaf Village because of Danzo."

Yuzhi looked calmly at Orochimaru and said in a low voice.

"Although you indeed did things you shouldn't have, I bear no ill will toward you.

So I wonder whether you, senior Orochimaru, would be willing to serve the Leaf Village, or perhaps cooperate in another way?"

—

Rain Country, inside the high tower.

Konan is intently studying the documents in her hands; she cares deeply about Nagato's issue, but the situation in Rain Country also demands her serious attention.

After all, the livelihood problems of Rain Country also rest on her shoulders; to make Rain Country better, she must be even more diligent.

Fortunately, Nagato's body has recovered quite well, allowing her to worry less.

Perhaps those white medicines took effect, granting Nagato such rapid recovery.

But Nagato's leg cannot be restored; it was literally cut off by the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village with a single slash!

"That guy, how is his strength so great?"

Konan, while handling the documents, couldn't help muttering to herself.

She has met Yuzhi face‑to‑face; on the surface, Yuzhi appears to be a very dignified Hokage, and seems rather gentle.

However, she also knows this is probably the Hokage's traditional art, since Minato Namikaze also seemed very gentle, as did the Third Hokage.

Through her research, she understands that Yuzhi's rise to Hokage could not have happened without war, for Yuzhi is truly a war hero.

The wars this guy participated in spanned the Eastern and Western fronts, and the war against Rock Village was largely concluded smoothly because of him.

"Such a person probably has little to do with being gentle; at least his treatment of enemies can't be called gentle, and his strength..."

It is Yuzhi's strength that leaves Konan feeling most astonished.

In her view, few can defeat Nagato, and even fewer can grievously wound him when he's giving his all.

At least for now, the only ones who could single‑handedly sweep the entire Akatsuki Organization—aside from the other‑worldly Madara Uchiha—are this Uchiha Haori.

"Why is it always the Uchiha clan?"

Konan sighed inwardly, thinking that sometimes she wonders if they've poked the Uchiha Clan's nest.

That fake lunatic is a Uchiha Clan member, and the real one as well.

The Madara Uchiha who defeated Nagato and the current Fifth Hokage need no further mention; looking around, they truly seem surrounded by the Uchiha.

"And that black guy also brought back a Uchiha."

Thinking of the newly added Itachi Uchiha, Konan couldn't help but feel a bit flustered; she couldn't resist wondering how Yuzhi manages the Uchiha and the Leaf Village.

But on second thought she couldn't help shaking her head; Yuzhi, as the newly‑instated Fifth Hokage, truly cannot be held responsible for these Uchiha issues.

What are you thinking? Even though you have a poker face, always looking grim isn't good either.

Just as Xiao Nan was thinking, a voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

This moment made her extremely alert; anyone who could approach her so silently is definitely not a pushover.

However, when she lifted her head to look, she couldn't help but slightly startle, and then she spoke with a blank expression.

You're acting like this without permission— isn't that going too far?

Too far?

Yuzhi blinked for a moment— why does everyone nowadays like to say he's going too far?

He shook his head, Yuzhi also couldn't be bothered to dwell on this issue; he came this time partly to check on Nagato's situation, and partly to ask about the Sand Village.

The Sand Village not only has one tail, but also possesses that Self Reincarnation Technique he has long been thinking about.

Yuzhi hasn't encountered any life-threatening issues for now, but out of prudence, he will naturally make all preparations to avoid any accidents.

Therefore, he must obtain this technique no matter what; besides, even if he can't use it himself, he can give it to others!

Such a technique that can revive others, if used properly, is absolutely a perfect tool for winning people's hearts.

However, Yuzhi still raised his eyebrows; he sensed that Nagato's presence seemed to have locked onto this place.

Alright, I apologize.

Fortunately, he didn't mind; he tilted his head and spoke with a smile.

Perhaps I should greet you, but after thinking it over, I feel it's unnecessary.

After all, you guys are so brave that you wouldn't hesitate to reveal yourselves to confront the existence of Uchiha Haori; I suppose you wouldn't worry about me suddenly showing up at your door, would you?

Confronting Uchiha Haori is a mistake, and we won't deny that.

Although Xiao Nan looked a bit uneasy, she still took a deep breath and spoke earnestly.

But at least we've also gauged the strength of this Fifth Hokage; isn't that a good thing?

Do I need you to do this?

Yuzhi felt a bit embarrassed; doesn't he even know his own strength?

Looking at Xiao Nan's frown, Yuzhi lightly shook his head and spoke bluntly.

As Uchiha Haori, who possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan, I naturally need to find out everything about him.

His strength, personality, and so on are what we will investigate; what you investigated this time is merely what we already obtained.

In other words.

Xiao Nan's expression instantly turned grim, while Yuzhi calmly nodded.

That's right; besides describing your ordeal as 'you guys got beaten up for nothing,'

I really can't think of a better way to describe what you went through this time.

As Yuzhi's words fell, Xiao Nan's face truly turned completely black; she never imagined she would end up with such a result!

Getting beaten up for nothing— what could be more unpleasant than that?

Why didn't you tell us?

After a while, Xiao Nan, who could no longer hold back, directly asked.

Are you being too naive?

Yuzhi raised his eyebrows, tilted his head at Xiao Nan, and asked doubtfully.

Or perhaps your brain isn't working properly now?

Xiao Nan fell silent, realizing her question was really inappropriate.

If this guy had time, or could leisurely run around, he wouldn't let that idiot come out and cause trouble, would he?

Of course, I also need to apologize.

Just as Xiao Nan was pondering, Yuzhi suddenly spoke again.

After all, my time is quite busy; I have many other matters to handle, so I naturally can't attend to everything, which has caused you to suffer losses.

I also need to apologize; I was too presumptuous.

As soon as Yuzhi spoke, Xiao Nan's expression eased considerably; Yuzhi's main point is sincerity, and Xiao Nan really can't resist.

Moreover, she herself thought the same way, and with Yuzhi speaking now, she naturally doesn't want to think further.

Yuzhi indeed didn't deceive her; Leaf Village has plenty of troubles, and although he doesn't need to do much, he is the one who formulates the plans.

Furthermore, when he came, he was still busy for Leaf Village, for example, that guy Orochimaru.

Yuzhi indeed doesn't have much grudge against Orochimaru, and he has been thinking about one thing: after the Root is wiped out, who should be found to replace it?

The function of Root is to handle matters that Leaf Village is unwilling to deal with, as well as those inconvenient to handle.

There's a saying that's quite interesting: when ANBU takes action, it's anti-corruption, seeking evidence; when Root takes action, it's counter-terrorism— just a list is enough.

Since only a list is needed, why have our own people act?

Domestically, Yuzhi feels we should still look for evidence; besides, as an Uchiha, he never thought evidence was hard to find.

Under a genjutsu, you could probably recite your clan genealogy for me!

And externally, as well as for those inconvenient matters, why must it be our own people doing it?

Why not outsource it?

By then, the dirty work wouldn't be our own hands; besides, Orochimaru is also someone with 'professional competence' and is a strong individual.

With sufficient strength, he wouldn't have to worry about encountering enemies he can't resolve.

And Yuzhi, Hikari, and Zhishui three can ensure that Orochimaru guarantees his 'professional competence'.

Looking at it this way, Orochimaru's utility and cost-effectiveness are extremely high; thus Yuzhi really can't think of any reason to refuse.

Moreover, after talking with Orochimaru, Yuzhi found that Orochimaru seemingly already had this idea, and what he wants is extremely simple.

It turns out to be money, as well as various professional equipment that can be purchased through Leaf Village channels.

Orochimaru seems really short of money now, but upon careful thought it also makes sense, as he has been focusing on his experiments, so lacking money is normal.

Moreover, experiments require equipment, some of which cannot be bought just through the black market; one must have the channels of a major ninja village to purchase them.

Although he himself built a Sound Ninja Village, this village hardly has any reputation, or rather any small village lacks reputation.

He wants to purchase some professional equipment, but really he can only make it himself by hand, or find another way.

In the original, how he solved it, Yuzhi doesn't know, but now he can seek to try relying on Leaf Village; naturally he cannot refuse!

After a little thought, Yuzhi simply agreed outright; Field Country is also a small country bordering Land of Fire, and he naturally wants to incorporate this Field Country into his territory.

Although he won't say much more to Orochimaru now, this also counts as preparation for the future; moreover, he can obtain more timely information about the Akatsuki Organization through Orochimaru.

"Let's put the matter of Uchiha Haori aside for now; he currently has no time to deal with you, especially since you've already lost."

Although his mind is full of other thoughts, these considerations merely flash by; looking at the sighing Xiao Nan before him, Yuzhi spoke sincerely.

"Perhaps in the future you will draw his attention, but for now you are merely a group of insignificant minnows to him."

"As long as you don't court death too severely, he probably won't bother with you; moreover, he has just become Hokage and has many things to attend to."

Xiao Nan nodded lightly upon hearing this, but soon she questioned doubtfully.

"Do you understand him well?"

"Nonsense, I am exactly that!"

"I guess so, after all he is also a Uchiha; moreover, for someone who could threaten me, I would never be careless."

Although he complained inwardly, Yuzhi still calmly replied.

"Besides that, increase ties with Leaf Village in the name of Rain Country; although Rain Country now has Leaf Village's aid and appears to be doing well."

"But in practice you've done too little: the roads aren't repaired, so caravans can't enter; resources aren't mined; and the civilians' work remains unresolved."

"If this continues, you naturally cannot improve Rain Country; therefore you can come to Leaf Village to help—hiring more civilians to repair the roads."

"The same goes for resource extraction; likewise, Leaf Village can step in to draw the water source into Wind Country, so you can earn more and develop better."

After Yuzhi said all that, Xiao Nan was utterly stunned; she never imagined that the problem that had troubled her for so long would be solved by this guy in just a few words.

"Relying on Leaf Village, one can even play like this?"

"What can Leaf Village gain?"

After a while, Xiao Nan couldn't help but ask.

"Half of your profits, as well as influence over Rain Country."

Yuzhi thought for a moment, then spoke half-seriously, half-jokingly to persuade.

"Leaf Village's infiltration will actually make Rain Country completely dependent on them, but the rule of the ninja world is that big fish eat small fish; to survive in such a zero-sum game, one can only make one's own choices."

"You are strong and can defend yourselves, but you lack the foundation and ability to develop Rain Country; moreover, in fact you have already let Leaf Village's influence in, haven't you?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Nan fell silent; after allocating the mission quota, Leaf Village's influence has indeed entered.

"But after worrying for a while, Xiao Nan unhappily said: 'Then I can give part of the quota to other villages; wouldn't that eliminate Leaf Village's influence?'"

"That's a good idea, but also foolish."

Yuzhi chuckled and shook his head, speaking seemingly offhandedly.

"If other villages receive the quota, it will reduce Leaf Village's reinforcements to you; perhaps this reduction you could obtain from other villages, even more."

"But once their influence enters, it will inevitably clash with the influence supporting Leaf Village, thus forming a confrontational destructive situation within your village."

Furthermore, the more other villages' influence enters, the more disastrous it is for you, the actual controllers.

"Besides, it seems no other village besides Leaf Village can produce that much money to help you complete such construction."

"The Raikage and Tsuchikage are still being held by Leaf Village."

Xiao Nan now somewhat couldn't bear it; although she truly didn't want to admit it, upon reflection it really seems to be the case.

"In the whole ninja world, only Leaf Village seems capable of doing all this."

"If I didn't know Leaf Village's current strength, I would have thought you were a Leaf Village person."

After a while, Xiao Nan helplessly shook her head, then spoke seriously.

"That's indeed a good idea; if we can make Rain Country better, perhaps I need to make some changes."

"Your guess is actually spot on."

"Such battles between villages and nations have always been zero-sum, winner-takes-all; great powers have their responsibilities, small powers have their choices."

Although Yuzhi complained inwardly, he still tapped the table and replied with a calm smile.

"Of course, by finding Leaf Village you can also share Uchiha Haori's energy, making it less likely for them to focus on the Akatsuki Organization."

"At the same time, you can also use them to help Rain Country develop better; why not?"

"Yes."

Xiao Nan nodded, and then her expression suddenly turned solemn; she looked seriously at Yuzhi and spoke.

"I still have two questions I want to ask you. The first is about Chang Men; you should know Chang Men's current situation, right?"

Yuzhi nodded; he was the one who cut him down—how could he not know?

"Do you have a way to save him?"

Xiao Nan took a deep breath, then spoke again.

"Besides that, can Self-life Reincarnation really revive Mi Yan?"

"Both are possible; first answer your second question."

Yuzhi naturally knew Xiao Nan's thoughts; he smiled and casually spoke.

"Self-life Reincarnation can naturally be done, but it requires a price, and that price is endless life."

After all, life requires equivalent exchange, but there's really no need to worry, after all some people possess immortal bodies.

"As long as we use them to perform this technique, revival is naturally no problem, and it can even be used repeatedly."

"Regarding the practice of Self-life Reincarnation, Yuzhi actually had two ideas: one was to use Yi Xie Na Qi to exploit a bug, and the other was Fei Duan!"

Even though this cultist Feiduan had his head chopped off, he can still stay alive; this probably already shows that his vitality is tenacious to an unimaginable degree.

If we use him for self-reincarnation, perhaps we can achieve continuous recycling of resources!

However, where Feiduan is, Yuzhi is not quite clear; only knows this guy seems to be from the Hot Water Country, and moreover, considering his age, he's probably still young.

For such a thing, we should also let the Akatsuki Organization look for it themselves; Yuzhi just needs to pick up a bargain when the time comes.

"As for the first question, the answer is still yes."

Although Yuzhi was thinking about Feiduan in his heart, he still calmly spoke.

"Even in my memory, letting Nagato fully recover his mobility is not a problem; after all, for me this kind of thing has never been difficult."

"Then can you help us?"

Upon hearing Yuzhi's words, Xiaonan really couldn't sit still at this moment.

She had always been clear that this person before her and that impostor are completely different; whether in bearing or wisdom, it can be said to be beyond imagination.

And now this person before her has solved all the problems and difficulties she faces, so casually.

Looking back, this person also easily solved the problems of the Rain Country; Xiaonan really wants to keep this person.

Taking a deep breath, she looked seriously at Yuzhi and spoke.

"Whether helping Nagato or helping the Rain Country, we need you; no matter what price we pay, it's fine!"

"Whatever price?"

Yuzhi was somewhat taken aback; he had just been thinking about something like 'Wei Wu swinging the whip for a moment of pleasure,' and didn't expect it to come now.

However, upon thinking that Nagato that guy has been peeping, he instantly felt a bit annoyed.

He tapped his chin, and the face under his mask suddenly revealed a playful smile; then he deliberately stared at Xiaonan and asked with a smile.

"Is that so, does it include you too?"

However, just as his words fell, Xiaonan still had a look of astonishment, and a strange aura burst forth.

"Where have you been? Honestly, I still have to help you provide cover."

"Next time I'll bring you along."

Inside Leaf Village, the returned Yuzhi took Hikari's hand and headed toward the laboratory.

Facing Hikari's displeased complaint, Yuzhi immediately gave a knowing smile and replied, though he couldn't help thinking of that guy Nagato.

That damned peeping Nagato is really annoying, although Yuzhi also didn't have the thought of 'Wei Wu swinging the whip'.

But being constantly stared at is also not good, so he deliberately disgusted Nagato a bit, while also wanting to see how Xiaonan would respond.

Unfortunately, before Xiaonan could speak, that bastard Nagato exploded.

What will become of these two, Yuzhi doesn't know; anyway his purpose has been achieved, so there's no need to stay there.

Next time he goes, he will go with Xiaonan and Xie to check the situation in Sand Hidden.

More than three years have passed; Qian dai's experiments should have made some progress by now, right?

"Hmph, just saying nice things."

Hikari doesn't know that Yuzhi's mind has been flooded with all those thoughts; she's also quite annoyed.

Yuzhi steadily moved forward, continuously realizing their dreams, or rather her dream, but she gloomily discovered she was starting to fall behind.

Yuzhi's some actions didn't even bring her along, which made the fiercely competitive Hikari really feel bad.

"I'm not lying to you; this time I'm going out to meet Orochimaru and also make a trip to the Rain Country; although a wood clone could solve the problem, having you makes it more believable, right?"

Yuzhi pinched Hikari's palm, he tossed aside the thought of 'Wei Wu swinging the whip,' and then smiled and said.

"Moreover, you're about to undergo some special experiments; perhaps you'll get a significant boost, so what reason do I have not to bring you?"

"Seeing other women?"

"Don't talk nonsense; I'm not the Third Hokage nor Ziraiye!"

Yuzhi felt it's better not to discuss these topics with Hikari; this woman is practically a radar, she can guess whatever he thinks.

"Or maybe she has some ability to eavesdrop on 'heart voices'; if so, that would be too terrifying."

"Alright, don't overthink; although your reaction after this injection probably won't be as big as mine, it still won't be easy."

Yuzhi shook his head, blocked all miscellaneous thoughts in his mind, then seriously looked at Hikari and spoke.

"The acquisition of power comes with a price; you need to be mentally prepared."

"I know, don't worry."

Hikari also seriously nodded, and Yuzhi smiled.

"If luck is good, perhaps you can break free of the bloodline's constraints, letting your eyes reach a higher level; then we'd be back on the same starting line."

"Hope so."

Hikari's mood improved quite a bit; she also laughed along, but soon her smile froze.

"If the eyes sublimate, and standing on the same starting line as that guy Yuzhi, wouldn't that mean he could do as he pleases to her in the true sense?"

In that moment, she suddenly felt like retreating, but seeing Tou already appear before her eyes, she quickly gathered her composure.

"Sir, everything is ready."

Tou saw the two approaching, he immediately stood up and gave a slight bow; although it had been mentioned in the letter, he still seriously explained in a sentence.

"After many experiments, we can now determine the ratio that causes the least harm and is easiest to integrate."

"And after the blood fusion, we can be confident that these two powers can undergo a certain fusion; I think we can proceed with further attempts."

"Then please take care of it."

Yuzhi nodded, then looked toward Hikari at the side.

The material for Tou's experiment is naturally Hikari's blood; Yuzhi being so reckless is still a minority.

Like Hikari, repeatedly experimenting and attempting to fuse blood in vitro, that is the correct choice.

Although doing this would extend the timeline, overall it is still the safest approach.

Moreover, even if the fusion isn't as good as imagined, Yuzhi can later solve it with other methods.

The Gene Modification Technique gave Yuzhi great confidence; even though they still need to first handle the White Absolute's cells, relatively speaking they are not lacking in time.

Watching Hikari begin the experiment, Yuzhi also sat at the side and quietly started waiting.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

When Hikari injected the solvent mixed with her own blood, her complexion instantly turned somewhat pale, and Yuzhi grasped her hand and softly said.

"I certainly know, you will always be there."

After the solvent was injected, Hikari now feels pain all over her body, a sensation as if her entire skeleton were to be shattered and reassembled, something ordinary people could hardly imagine.

Even though Hikari is strong enough, her body still involuntarily begins to tremble, and that painful sensation has already begun to spread throughout her body.

Seeing this, Yuzhi also felt terrible in his heart; after a moment's thought, a hint of blue chakra suddenly blossomed on his hand.

"I naturally possess the power of the adaptable Bamboo Cutter Clan, and I myself have already undergone modification; perhaps my chakra can help Hikari."

Yuzhi thought that way and did so; however, the instant his chakra entered Hikari's body, both of their bodies suddenly stiffened.

Because at that moment, Hikari felt that the speed of her body's modification suddenly surged, and because of Yuzhi's chakra, the pain she endured seemed to ease somewhat.

And at this moment, Yuzhi unexpectedly discovered that the Chakra Origin Power he had just obtained within himself seemed to have been activated.

It slowly began to operate, unexpectedly starting to accelerate the fusion of the White Absolute and his own power within Yuzhi's body, and even the power of the Hyuga Clan and Bamboo Cutter Clan that he had re‑fused!

At that instant, he seemed to feel that sudden burst of pain again, and at this moment he also felt somewhat at a loss.

"What on earth is going on?"