Chapter 118: The Price of Power
In the quiet aftermath of the slaughter, Kagenori found a secluded clearing to rest. The immediate consequence of using his Mangekyō power was a deep, throbbing ache in his left eye, a dull soreness that felt embedded in the bone itself.
He analyzed the abilities he had unveiled. The left eye's power, Kyozetsu (Rejection), was formidable—it allowed him to nullify any incoming chakra-based technique for a limited duration. However, its weaknesses were clear: it offered no defense against pure physical taijutsu, and like the infamous Kamui, it had a strict time limit. Kyozetsu could only be maintained for three minutes.
The ability housed in his right eye was Fumetsuzan (Unfading Mountain). Its power was one of record and return. It could "record" the chakra signature and nature of techniques used against him, storing them until a certain threshold was reached. Once the limit was filled, he could release all recorded techniques in a single, concentrated counter-assault. It was akin to the Lava Release's "Kaleidoscope" ability or the Rinnegan's "Shinra Tensei," but with a key difference: Fumetsuzan could not absorb the attacks in real-time; it merely copied their blueprint for later use.
He hadn't used Fumetsuzan against the Cloud-nin. Their collective power, even combined, wouldn't have reached the recording threshold necessary for a meaningful retaliation. The true synergy would be pairing it with Kyozetsu—using one eye to negate an attack while the other recorded it for a future, overwhelming reprisal.
The feeling of effortlessly ignoring their most powerful ninjutsu had been intoxicating. The battle had been less a fight and more a demonstration. After a night's rest, he resumed his grim work, becoming a specter that haunted the Cloud-nin's every operation.
His relentless, unpredictable hunting sowed deep-seated anxiety among the Cloud forces. The chance of encountering the Blood-Eyed Shura on any given mission was low, but the consequence was absolute annihilation. The report of the twenty-strong squad's demise had made that terrifyingly clear. They couldn't spare the forces for a dedicated hunt, and no standard team could stand against him.
Grudgingly, pragmatically, the Cloud commander in the Land of Hot Springs was forced to issue the same order as his Iwa counterpart in the Land of Grass: upon sighting Kagenori, immediately deploy the Lightning Release: Lightning Lure Technique to impede his speed and retreat. Do not engage.
With this order, the title "Blood-Eyed Shura" was cemented. Kagenori's name now carried weight in the shinobi world. He had achieved a level of notoriety reserved for figures like Konoha's White Fang or the Sannin. But he was not yet a true legend. That final step required a definitive victory over a recognized elite—a feat like Minato Namikaze fighting the Brothers of Cloud to a standstill, earning the name "Yellow Flash."
Still, the Cloud-nin's specific counter-measure, the Lightning Lure, was a testament to his impact. It was a ninjutsu crafted specifically to counter his Thunder Breathing, using the attraction of lightning to slow him down. It was a sign of respect born from fear.
Pondering his next move, Kagenori opened the System's exchange interface. With over 3,000 Witness Points, it was time to see what avenues of power were open to him.
His first instinct was Wood Release. But when he saw the price, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"System, I possess Senju blood. Why does awakening Wood Release cost 5,000 points?!"
[Wood Release is a ninjutsu that utilizes the user's own life force and chakra as its source. Hashirama Senju could perform it because he possessed a Sage Body. The host's current chakra reserves—equivalent to two Sharingan-active Kakashis—are insufficient to meet the threshold for Wood Release awakening.]
Kagenori's mind immediately went to Yamato, but he dismissed the thought. "Right... he's a flawed product of Hashirama's cell implants. A cheap imitation." He refocused. "So, these 5,000 points are to grant me a Sage Body and awaken Wood Release?"
[Incorrect. The exchange for the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai costs 2,000 Witness Points. The remaining 3,000 points are required to artificially augment the host's total chakra capacity to the minimum threshold necessary to sustain it.]
Kagenori inhaled sharply. Three thousand points just to raise my chakra levels? The cost was staggering.
His mind then turned to the source of that power. "And how much for the Sage Body itself?"
[The Sage Body is the heritage of Asura Ōtsutsuki, the second son of the Sage of Six Paths. Hashirama Senju possessed Asura's chakra, thus awakening the Sage Body. The host lacks Asura's chakra and does not meet the prerequisites. Therefore, the cost is multiplied fivefold. The Sage Body requires 50,000 Witness Points.]
Fifty thousand. The number echoed in his mind, a distant, almost mythical sum. Even with the prerequisite, it would be 10,000 points. The Sage Body was a treasure far beyond his current means.
Temporarily abandoning the dream of Wood Release, he scanned the store for other options. Many of the cheaper abilities seemed insignificant, unworthy of his hard-earned points. Nothing within his budget seemed to offer the qualitative leap he needed.
Then, an idea sparked. If he couldn't afford the Sage Body, what about its derivative power?
He searched again. As a contractor of Ryuchi Cave, the path to their Sage Mode was open to him.
[Snake Sage Mode (Ryuchi Cave). Prerequisite: Ryuchi Cave Summoning Contract. Cost: 2,000 Witness Points.]
Learning the Sage Mode of Mount Myoboku or the Shikkotsu Forest, however, would cost 10,000 points each due to his lack of a contract.
Sage Mode. A power that could massively amplify all his capabilities—ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu. From his current perspective, it represented one of the most efficient and profound power-ups available. It was a path to strength that could potentially rival, or even surpass, an ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan. And it was, just barely, within his reach.
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