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It was three days later when Sawara Kiri returned to Konoha Village.
Afterward, everything that happened on that battlefield was witnessed by the Konoha Anbu, but he didn't pay too much attention to it.
The current Ninja World was still too weak, so much so that Konoha's scientific system found it difficult to even absorb the nourishment needed to advance further. In such circumstances, even if an Ōtsutsuki corpse were found, it would only lead to the same research dilemma encountered with Hashirama cells in the past, making direct Exploit impossible.
However, their enthusiasm in improving their strength and testing their combat capabilities was not lost on him.
"This isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Sawara Kiri muttered to himself as he looked at another piece of intelligence delivered to his desk.
With the Ōtsutsuki Clan appearing as a target, his current focus was no longer limited to the scope of the present Ninja World.
Even with a blade from the future still in his possession, he remained highly vigilant against 'enemies' who might once again descend from an unknown timeline—besides that, there was also the Ōtsutsuki Clan of this world.
After all, he knew very little about this Ōtsutsuki group that had suddenly appeared before him, abandoning the Ōtsutsuki Clan's original pride to ambush and attack him.
If these people were connected to the Ōtsutsuki of this world...
Sawara Kiri thought, rubbing his brows slightly.
"Lord Sawara, Lord Orochimaru and the others are already in the conference room."
Just as he was pondering, a young female Ninja, a few years older than him, knocked and entered—she was his office secretary.
Yes.
After turning eighteen, in addition to the sofa in the Hokage Office, he finally had an office of his own in the Hokage Building.
His position was the rather insignificant 'Hokage Assistant'.
This position was equivalent to that of Orochimaru and Jiraiya, but he didn't have the series of departments under them.
"Alright, I'll be right there."
Sawara Kiri nodded to her, rose from his desk, and walked out.
Ever since his report on the recent attack was submitted to the Hokage Office, it had caused quite a stir among the top few individuals in Konoha.
The reason was simple.
This was Konoha Village's, or rather, the Ninja World's first direct contact with extraterrestrials.
Moreover, it was in such an unfriendly manner.
What worried them even more was the problem that would follow.
Konoha was still in a long period of reform and development, a process that might continue for several more years. During this period, the entire Konoha was very vulnerable.
What's more, the enemy they faced was an opponent that even Sawara Kiri had to go all out against.
Even before he returned, secret high-level meetings had already been held for several consecutive days.
"Lord Fourth?"
"Enter."
When Sawara Kiri entered the door, he saw the three members of the former "Substitute Hokage Council" sitting on the sofa, all looking grim and troubled.
"You're finally here. How was your rest?"
Tsunade rubbed her slightly darkened eyes and raised a hand to beckon him over.
"Nothing serious." Sawara Kiri nodded to them and sat down on the sofa as well.
"Tell us the specifics."
Orochimaru, as always, got straight to the point, but his expression was noticeably more solemn than usual.
Unlike the reports received by others, the intelligence they were able to gather was much more detailed.
For example, in the attack report they received, Sawara Kiri had for the first time used phrases like 'went all out' and 'almost lost'—something that had never happened before.
Even in the battle when Uchiha Madara attacked, Sawara Kiri still had strength to spare; even if he couldn't win, he could at least escape.
But the words used this time were clearly much more serious than that time. In addition, according to the battlefield trace investigation, he had also used a power far exceeding what he had used before.
According to Sawara Kiri's report, this move was extremely taxing even for him, and if he remained in his current state without improvement, he could probably only use it one more time.
The Sannin were all experienced and shrewd Ninja, and naturally understood what this meant—a 'secret technique' that required the consumption of life force or some more fundamental power.
Just like the Eight Gates Formation.
None of the people present reacted much to him possessing a technique of this level.
He was Sawara Kiri, after all; no matter what outrageous things he developed, it was not surprising.
"Currently, the situation we face is quite grim." Sawara Kiri began, setting a heavy tone for the upcoming meeting.
"According to the intelligence I gathered during the battle, there were a total of four opponents. Only one was directly killed, and among the remaining three, two should have completely lost their combat ability, while the situation of one is unknown."
"Most importantly, any one of them possessed the ability to contend with me in my regular state."
"Hiss..."
Just hearing this conclusion, the Sannin further lowered their previous expectations by several notches, instinctively taking a sharp breath.
Orochimaru, however, managed to remain calm: "What effect does that technique have on you?"
He was, of course, referring to that single blade strike that traversed over two hundred kilometers.
"No effect."
"It just can't be used again."
Sawara Kiri shook his head: "This is related to the weapon I obtained. If I use it one more time, the power within it will dissipate."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru nodded with a hint of regret.
If it were a weapon, he would have wanted to research it, but since it could only be used once, he absolutely couldn't risk losing this power to conduct research projects—the safety of the Village and Sawara Kiri came first.
These two were now bound together.
"What a pity..."
"Furthermore, it seems that changes in the timeline indeed have a significant impact on the world's progression."
Jiraiya's tone was somewhat helpless: "Originally, it was said there were still more than ten years. Kakashi's future information isn't very reliable after all!"
"What's the use of complaining about that now?"
Tsunade scolded him with a cold face, then changed the subject: "Kiri, do you think those Ōtsutsuki guys will appear again?"
"They definitely will."
Sawara Kiri's tone was firm: "However, their injuries will require some time to recover, and this factor should cause their attack to be delayed."
"The only uncertainty right now is whether another batch of Ōtsutsuki will appear besides them."
"..."
Upon hearing this, everyone present looked solemn, and no one could speak.
That's right.
This was the biggest problem.
The people from the future team's prophecy were said to be many times stronger than the group Kiri encountered this time, even capable of perishing together with Sawara Kiri of that era.
Clearly, Sawara Kiri's strength could not remain stagnant during a long-term arms race.
If that was the case, it could only mean that there might be other adversaries.
Even though Konoha's external environment was currently in its best state since the end of the First Ninja World War, the predicament they faced was, on the contrary, even more severe than during wartime.
After all, their enemies now were not their own kind, but the Ōtsutsuki, who called themselves gods.
"Do you have any thoughts on improving our strength?"
Finally, it was Orochimaru who raised the most crucial question.
"Chakra."
Sawara Kiri's tone was firm: "This is the basis of all strength. As long as there is enough Chakra, even if I were to replicate that previous fighting style, there would be no problem."
"But the total amount required is enormous. Even if all the Tailed Beasts were combined, it probably wouldn't be enough."
He was very clear about the true Upper limit of what were called 'Tailed Beasts'.
Because Kaguya Hime's actions in later generations demonstrated that even after she devoured the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and absorbed the Chakra of one hundred thousand Ninja troops, she could still be easily sealed by two half-Six Paths level individuals—the reason for 'half-step' was because they used entirely external power.
Stripped of this external power, Nine-Tails Naruto and Rinnegan Sasuke were actually only slightly stronger than the First Hokage.
Even Sawara Kiri couldn't think of any source that could supply him with so much Chakra right now.
However, upon hearing this conclusion, Orochimaru's eyes lit up instead:
"As long as it's Chakra?"
"That's the foundation." Sawara Kiri's voice was heavy.
Then, Orochimaru suddenly took a bead from his pocket.
Sawara Kiri was stunned.
That small bead was precisely the Shikon no Tama he had given Orochimaru for testing earlier.
"Lord Orochimaru, do you mean...?"
He was a bit puzzled.
Orochimaru said in a gentle tone, "Based on the tests conducted over this period, the jade you brought possesses a special power. When it comes into contact with a human soul, it can unleash a tremendous amount of Chakra, but it also has significant flaws."
As he spoke, he took out another small box and used tweezers to pick out fragments from it.
Sawara Kiri then noticed that the surface of the originally smooth and complete Shikon no Tama was now riddled with pits.
He was startled at first, then looked at the description of the Shikon no Tama again.
「Shikon no Tama (A)」
「Information localized, complete」
「Details: A special substance capable of holding a massive amount of Chakra. When integrated into the body, it grants incredible power—however, this unique property also actively attracts countless extreme souls to contend for it.」
「This item originates from Inuyasha」
「Cannot be upgraded」
If he remembered correctly, in the manga Inuyasha, the Shikon no Tama indeed possessed the power to strengthen both demons and ordinary people, which was why he had given it to Orochimaru for testing in the first place.
However, he had previously tried touching it with Chakra or inserting it into his wounds, but there had been no reaction then.
"Orochimaru, how did you…?"
Sawara Kiri's eyes gradually lit up with fervor.
Not only him, but Tsunade and Jiraiya also turned their heads to look at the small jade—Jiraiya was seeing it for the first time.
Orochimaru smiled smugly, "I only discovered it by accident."
"When I first got this jade, I tried various contact methods, but whether it was injecting Chakra or performing Ninjutsu experiments, there was no reaction. The material was also very ordinary, even fragile."
"It wasn't until I was contemplating a Hashirama cell problem that I noticed it suddenly burst into light. After I inserted some of its fragments into my body, those difficult points were surprisingly resolved."
"Later, after many experiments, I discovered that one must possess a very strong desire to resonate with it and obtain its power."
"The reason for this, I still haven't understood, but it can likely be confirmed that it must react with some kind of resonance from the human soul to reveal its true nature—and its true power."
However, as he spoke, Orochimaru suddenly sighed, "It's just a pity that, according to my control experiments, only Ninja with a certain level of strength and sufficient desire can manifest this essential nature."
"At the same time, if worn for too long, it can cause extremely strong addiction."
As he spoke, he took out a universal capsule.
Upon opening it, an arm was lying inside.
A pale pink Shikon no Tama fragment was embedded in that arm.
Sawara Kiri's gaze fixed upon seeing this, a little surprised.
Orochimaru, however, was quite natural: "Even I couldn't eradicate this addiction. After embedding it for just a few days, I had no choice but to remove the fragment this way."
"If Kiri-kun, you plan to use it, I suggest you do so in moderation—and, it's best not to let it fall into the hands of Konoha's own Ninja."
Upon hearing this, Tsunade and Jiraiya both couldn't help but feel a chill.
"Even your will, Orochimaru, can't resist it?" Tsunade's tone carried a hint of disbelief.
They, who had grown up with Orochimaru, knew perfectly well what kind of Lunatic he was.
He was the old drug addict among the three perverts.
But he openly admitted that he couldn't resist this addiction.
"Kiri-kun, you'd better be careful," Jiraiya advised with a solemn expression.
He had always been highly wary of things that eroded one's will—which was why he only indulged in gambling.
Sawara Kiri, however, frowned and asked, puzzled, "Orochimaru, if the entire Shikon no Tama were used directly, would it mitigate this reaction?"
"It would only be more intense, even making you work yourself to death under this temptation." Orochimaru sighed slightly.
Clearly, the 'temptation' he experienced was to constantly conduct various researches—which would lead to the danger of working himself to death.
"The only relatively safe way to use it is to extract fragments that have been 'filled' by other people's souls."
As he spoke, he carefully picked up the fragment from his severed arm with tweezers and handed it to Sawara Kiri.
Sawara Kiri instinctively took it.
Tsunade and Jiraiya both stood up simultaneously:
"Wait!"
However, before they could react, the fragment had already fallen into Sawara Kiri's hand.
"Buzz—"
A soft glow immediately emanated from the surface of this small fragment, simultaneously releasing the terrifyingly vast amount of Chakra contained within.
Just by holding it, Sawara Kiri could feel an endless stream of power pouring into his body.
Although it was still far from the power unleashed when Zanka no Tachi descended, it was already enough to be astonishing.
Orochimaru seemed to glance at the two with a hint of disdain, as if to say, 'How could I make such a basic mistake?', and said indifferently:
"This is a filled fragment."
"However, because the time was relatively short, the power within it is only a small portion."
"It's just that if I continue to 'fill' it, I'm afraid I'll find it very difficult to resist that intense temptation."
Sawara Kiri held the fragment, silent for a while.
It wasn't until a few minutes later that he suddenly looked up and spoke:
"Lady Tsunade, I have an idea."
"If we mark these fragments and let them circulate externally, and then re-collect them after they are all sufficiently filled—"
"Then wouldn't that solve the problem?"
Upon hearing him, both Tsunade and Jiraiya, who were still standing, and Orochimaru opposite them, were all stunned.
This kid, he's got a lot of bad ideas brewing, hasn't he?
But this plan…
Hmm?
Their eyes immediately lit up.
It's somewhat feasible?
Among them, Orochimaru's gaze flashed like a Japan light even more intensely.
That's right.
He only considered how to solve the problem through scientific means, but in reality, it didn't have to be that troublesome!
This way, even he could remain in that 'enlightened' state for a long time!
"Tell me in detail."
Orochimaru immediately showed extraordinary enthusiasm.
When it came to wicked schemes, he was no slouch either.
"I'm thinking, we need to put on a show first—"
In this small office, the 'Jade Fishing Plan,' which would continue for many years in the future, gradually set its tone.
At the same time, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki also began his own plan.
"If he truly possesses that kind of strength, the magnification this body can provide would likely be beyond my imagination."
He walked through the deep forest, his expression solemn.
Currently, the only thing that made him wary were the other Ōtsutsuki Clan members who had suddenly appeared in this world.
What was their purpose? Whose orders were they following? What was the current situation? Was there a possibility of alliance?
These were all questions.
Although the Ōtsutsuki Clan often referred to humans as a lower species, they were actually no different from these lower species, also having very fierce internal struggles.
If they were not of his own lineage, no matter how strong they were, there would be an insurmountable chasm.
The only thing that could unify them was their reverence for Ōtsutsuki Shibai.
Therefore, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki dared not trust his so-called 'clansmen.'
Moreover, he was currently in such a weakened state.
"Since I can't command those guys, then capturing that body will have to rely on others..."
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki frowned slightly.
In his mind, he subconsciously thought of the Moon Organization.
"No."
"The relationship between that woman and Sawara Kiri is still very ambiguous."
"Instead, that young one with the Rinnegan..."
"I remember, he should be the eye vessel of that fool Uchiha Madara, right?"
He suddenly stood still, lost in thought.
"It seems I must modify it before I can use it with confidence."
When he looked up again.
Before him was the waterfall curtain outside Takigakure.
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