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Is this person perhaps a Lunatic?
Hiruko subconsciously thought this as he looked at the guy in front of him, who was earnestly spouting nonsense.
Humanity's covetousness for Senjutsu was not a new thing.
However, there was a reason why the Sages of the Three Great Sage Lands, who mastered Senjutsu, had been able to continue from the era of the Sage of Six Paths to the present.
Even the Five Great Ninja Villages, standing at the pinnacle of the Ninja World, had to be cautious when facing those intelligent monsters, yet this man spoke as if he were discussing what to make for dinner.
He was truly… arrogant.
But it didn't matter.
Since he had already escaped from that dreadful place, and this guy's strength seemed decent, he couldn't act rashly before fully recovering, and the Sealing Technique also needed careful handling.
For now, he would just play along.
Thinking this, Hiruko whispered, "This, Lord Ren… My research is only in the initial stages, trying to fuse ordinary animals with humans."
"Instead, your suggestion of multiple fusions of Kekkei Genkai has provided me with an excellent research direction."
"As for Senjutsu Summoning Beasts, I have no experience with them and don't understand them well."
His words and actions were respectful and humble, perfectly fitting the sincere and genuine attitude of a rescued victim.
Clearly, Hiruko was not someone who could contentedly remain subservient.
This was evident from the original work, where he, after only absorbing four Kekkei Genkais, considered himself invincible and dared to declare war on the entire Ninja World, unilaterally announcing the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War—this person was somewhat chuunibyou.
However, Sawara Kiri didn't seem to care much.
He turned his head, his brilliant blue eyes meeting Hiruko's slightly raised gaze, and a reassuring smile appeared from beneath his masked black cloth:
"No matter."
"You have a long time to be willful."
"…"
Hiruko keenly noticed the subtle meaning in that sentence.
However, he did not realize the true root of the problem.
He didn't take it to heart.
After escaping the forest, the group quickly emerged from an underground loophole in a Konoha outer barrier and moved towards the border of the Land of Grass and Taki Country, located in the central part of the Ninja World.
During these days of travel, Hiruko maintained his cautious and humble demeanor, following behind the man who called himself 'Ren' as a subordinate.
However, in secret, he quietly used the time during outdoor cooking to gather various herbs for wound treatment, while also healing himself with his gradually recovering Chakra.
All of this happened silently.
Until several days later.
"Pfft—"
A steel Kunai pierced through 'Ren's' back, stained with blood, puncturing his chest.
He violently spat out a mouthful of blood, struggling to turn his head back, but the toxins that had permeated his entire body and surfaced on his skin turned a purplish-black, darkening his complexion.
"Hiruko, you…"
However, before the rest of his words could escape, Hiruko had already pulled the blade from his body.
"Arrogant fool."
Looking at the corpse on the ground, Hiruko disdainfully spat.
Ninja, in the end, were just humans.
As long as they were human, they needed to breathe, eat, rest, and excrete; no matter how strong they were, they could not avoid basic needs.
It took him a full four days to administer multiple complex toxins to this guy through scent, food, and water, sealing his Chakra, and finally killing him with one blow.
Fools who thought they would be repaid for their kindness were the most idiotic kind of people in this world.
And not just him.
Hiruko turned his head to look at Aburame Ryoma on the other side.
Various types of parasitic insects were rampaging on his body, continuously making fine sounds of gnawing flesh, causing his body to convulse in pain.
It seemed he wouldn't need to act; this guy wouldn't live much longer either.
Only at this moment did Hiruko truly escape from that 'cage'.
He took one last look at 'Ren's' corpse: "Although he was a fool, he had a commendable idea… The fusion of humans with Summoning Beasts and Kekkei Genkai?"
"Let's give it a try."
Thus, from that day on, Hiruko devoted himself wholeheartedly to his experimental research.
He had to find experimental sites, procure equipment, select proxies, and simultaneously evade various pursuits from Konoha.
After years of effort, Hiruko finally, after countless failures, developed the most powerful Chimera Technique in this world.
Storm Release, Dark Release, Steel Release, Swift Release, Sharingan!
The characteristics of the Three Sage Lands: Toad, Snake, and Slug!
This was the double Chimera Technique!
Powerful!
Unparalleled, formidable power!
The mountains he used as experimental grounds trembled under this immense power.
"That's it!"
"This peerless power that can sweep across the entire Ninja World!"
With just a slight clench of his fist, Hiruko could clearly feel the Chakra within his body rapidly increasing, surging, and exploding!
Damn it! With this power, what did he have to fear now?!
From today onwards, he was the king of this entire Ninja World!
"Let me experience it."
"The true power of the Sage of the Three Great Sage Lands, passed down for a thousand years."
Hiruko murmured, slowly closing his eyes.
Immediately after, the characteristics belonging to the Three Sage Lands flowed into his body.
Is this power…
The frog's sense of smell.
The snake's eyesight.
The slug's cell division.
Hiruko was instantly stunned.
What kind of weak stuff was this?
Almost the moment he realized he had become like this, all the muscles in his body seemed to turn into soft slugs, unable to support him, and he fell to the ground with a thud, his vision blurring, and his nose feeling blocked.
He couldn't perceive anything anymore.
Soon, a faint sound of a door opening came from outside.
Under those heavy footsteps, Hiruko could clearly feel his subordinate, who had followed him for ten years, stepping beside him.
At this moment, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
"Could it be, could it be you, in my experiment—"
However, his loyal subordinate slowly lifted his chin.
What came into view was a pair of unfamiliar yet familiar brilliant blue pupils.
"Not awake yet?"
"Mr. Hiruko."
The moment his voice sounded, the world around Hiruko suddenly shattered like a mirror into a fine spiderweb pattern, spreading in all directions, emitting a crisp sound.
"Crack."
Hiruko abruptly opened his eyes.
What was that sound?
However, once he regained his five senses, he realized his chin was being lifted by a hand, pointing upwards.
Hiruko was still on the ground, maintaining a half-kneeling posture.
But this familiar scene and familiar sensation suddenly made Hiruko understand something, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back, completely soaking his thin clothes.
The fire not far behind him was still burning.
'W-when exactly…?'
As if sensing his confusion, Sawara Kiri leaned slightly and whispered in his ear:
"The sky, in fact, is colorless; it didn't deceive you, only your own eyes deceived yourself."
"I told you, Hiruko."
"You have a long time to be willful."
However, even though he heard these words again, this time, Hiruko dared not harbor any thought of resistance, his entire heart gripped by fear.
After a long while, he finally heard himself say:
"Yes."
"Hiruko's Shallow Emotional Entanglement (Completed)"
"Emotional Entanglement Points +1"
Only at this moment did the corresponding display pop up on the system panel.
Sawara Kiri smiled gently: "Let's retreat. I'll go lead away the Konoha Ninja behind us first."
"After you've plundered Root's base, you can retreat on your own."
"When you reach the Land of Grass, I'll come find you."
"But don't think of escaping."
He pointed to his temple and calmly said, "You have a spatial Ninjutsu mark I left in your mind."
"Understood? Mr. Hiruko."
"…"
"Yes."
Meanwhile, in another secret room.
The one-armed Danzo struggled to get up from the stone bed, the dim lamplight illuminating half of his face, making him look sinister and terrifying.
"Hiruko?"
"And the Hidden Mist scoundrels."
"These inherently evil bastards, one by one, are causing trouble for this old man!"
"Internal stability must precede external threats."
This simple sentence completely changed Danzo's original planned course of action.
Even a year later, Hiruko, who was hiding in the Land of Grass, couldn't understand what heinous crime he had committed for the pursuit from Konoha to be so fierce and relentless.
However, that was a story for later.
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