Hidden Rain Village.
Zetsu emerged from the ground, standing beside Pain.
"I have good news."
Pain: "Speak."
"In ten days, the Land of Fire will send people to Konoha for advanced studies in genjutsu release.
Didn't you almost get tripped up by Satoru in Konoha last time?
This time, I'll infiltrate the Land of Fire's Imperial Guard to learn Konoha's genjutsu release methods for you."
Zetsu's eyes were like green beans, and he chuckled.
Last time truly astonished him. For Nagato, who was already a genius and possessed the power of the Rinnegan, to have all six of his puppets sealed by genjutsu was simply incredible.
This kind of genjutsu ability...
Unless it's a forbidden Ninjutsu of the Mangekyo Sharingan, he couldn't think of anyone else who could do it.
It's been over a thousand years since the Six Paths Sage, and only a few individuals with such genjutsu ability have appeared in each era.
So, finding this opportunity, a chance to gather intelligence, he wouldn't let it slip away.
However, since Pain was still the leader of Akatsuki in name, he naturally had to report to him.
Pain paused: "Just don't get discovered."
After such a long period of research into that genjutsu ability, he had already found a way to counter it.
But if there were an easier release method, it would be more advantageous in battle.
He prided himself as a god, but he didn't dare to underestimate the power of the Five Great Nations.
Only by being careful and cautious could he end the world and rebuild order.
"Don't worry, don't you trust my intelligence-gathering abilities?"
Zetsu smiled, slowly merging into the ground, disappearing before Pain.
Pain looked down upon Hidden Rain Village from above, his thoughts swirling.
...
Training Ground 98.
A three-meter-high earth wall stood tall.
"Genjutsu: Iron Body."
As the genjutsu was cast, Chakra spread through Satoru's right hand's meridian system, while a surge of Chakra rushed into his brain.
A special neural signal was sent from his brain to his right hand, giving it a command.
Combined with the Chakra in his right hand, a special nature transformation was formed.
His right hand gradually turned black, as Chakra transformed into a special nature, filling the muscles, cells, bone seams, joints, skin, and meridian system of his right hand.
Satoru clenched his hand.
It felt like the world was in his grasp.
He looked at the Earth Release earth wall in front of him.
He swung his right hand.
Boom!
Crack!
Bang!
The sound of air breaking...
The sound of bones cracking...
The sound of the earth wall exploding upon impact...
Where his fist met the earth wall, the air was compressed three inches from his fist. Before even touching the earth wall, it formed a conical depression centred there, then the compressed air exploded, destroying the entire earth wall, inch by inch.
The air blast also lifted the ground in a fan shape, leaving only a base.
Hmph!
Satoru grunted.
He felt the connection between his arm and shoulder; his bones were broken, and his muscle ligaments were torn. As the Ninjutsu was released, his entire arm hung limply.
He released Mystical Palm Technique with his left hand, using the medical Ninjutsu he had learned for first aid.
"It's still not enough. Although the genjutsu effect of Pupil Setting Hand allowed me to use Yin Release's nature transformation of 'creation of all things from nothing' to create a second, independent yet connected muscle, bone, and flesh system in my arm, pushing my strength to an even greater limit, the recoil places immense pressure on my body!"
After briefly treating his arm, Satoru walked towards Konoha Hospital.
The muscle, bone, and flesh system was inspired by his study of various special animal structures, such as the ant's ability to lift a hundred times its weight, the mantis shrimp, and the frog's thighs.
On his existing body, he used Yin Release nature transformation to attach a second, precisely calculated structural system, which could explosively enhance his physical strength and make him as hard as iron.
However, just as the Eight Gates also had a price, his price was the temporary inability to use one arm.
If not healed, it would also leave hidden injuries, just like Naruto's Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
At this stage, it could be considered a forbidden Ninjutsu.
The power of this nascent Ninjutsu was already comparable to Tsunade's Monster Strength, and perhaps even superior.
Once his Ninjutsu was fully developed, piercing Susanoo with a Kunai would not be a dream.
Arriving at the hospital, he received treatment from medical ninjas, who were accustomed to his frequent visits.
This was already the tenth-something time he had been admitted for treatment in the past five days.
From the first day of his studies, he quickly absorbed the essence of medical Ninjutsu concerning muscles, bones, and nerves, and then eagerly began developing his Ninjutsu.
Medical Ninjutsu, a vast and complex field that could give anyone a headache, even with Satoru's sharp mind, he could only focus on learning what he needed.
It wasn't just medical Ninjutsu; it was primarily the knowledge within it.
"I heard he's a Jonin-sama. How come he's always getting injured within the Village? Could someone be invading?"
"He's so handsome. I want his contact information."
"Forget it, he already has a wife and two children."
"So what? Ninjas are such agile professionals, yet they still get killed by a Kunai."
...
Some female medical ninjas chatted excitedly, their gazes occasionally falling on Satoru.
...
After shooing away the 'spring-struck' female doctors, Satoru scratched his head, thinking it was time to speed up the process and get rid of the troublesome bandages.
Lying on the hospital bed, he picked up a medical book and began to read.
Click!
He hadn't read for long when the door opened, and a huge figure was carried in by doctors and placed on the bed next to Satoru.
"Eh, Choza-senpai?"Satoru looked at the heavily injured Choza, feeling puzzled.
Who could injure Choza like this?
Choza also turned his head and smiled when he saw him: "Eh, Satoru, how did you get injured too?"
"I was developing a new Ninjutsu and suffered a backlash.
What about you, Choza-senpai?"
Satoru was curious. Choza was an elite among Jonin who hadn't flinched even when facing the Nine-Tailed.
"I ran into the Three-Tails. We fought, and I got beaten." Choza said with an embarrassed smile.
"Eh, the Three-Tails?"
"Yeah, I don't know why, but it ran into a lake deep in the Land of Fire. We received a mission to guard it, prevent it from suddenly disappearing and causing damage to the Land of Fire, but we were discovered, so we fought."
"That's truly remarkable. That's a Tailed Beast. When I saw the Nine-Tailed back then, its power truly astonished me."
"Yeah, I even used the clan's secret medicine, but I still got severely injured. Luckily, the Three-Tails felt we weren't easy to mess with and slipped back into the lake, refusing to come out!"
Choza was still shaken.
"Don't tell anyone else, Tailed Beasts are classified information."
He finally warned him.
He told Satoru because he had always stood with them and was a very capable Ninja. He had also taken over Inoichi Yamanaka's Analysis Team and become its captain.
He was considered a high-ranking Konoha official.
A Ninja who had risen through the ranks in Konoha, and a Ninja with a family, was trustworthy.
"Then you should talk less. What if I accidentally let it slip?" Satoru chuckled.
Choza smiled: "I trust you."
"What kind of Ninjutsu are you developing? Maybe I can give you some inspiration.
Anyway, since we're both hospitalised, it's not bad to chat."