Two or three hours flashed by in an instant.
When Saiken, the Six-Tails, essentially a giant slug, was extracted from the Jinchuriki and resealed within Allen's body, the process was complete. True to his word, Allen handed the half-dead Utakata over to the other side, then led his team away, vanishing from the spot using space-time ninjutsu.
Although Rock Lee and Tenten desperately wanted to say something to Neji, they were ultimately held back by Might Guy. Having seen them previously taken in for questioning by the Intelligence Division due to their past teammate relationship, Guy didn't want his disciples to suffer a second time.
In Konoha, the internal screening mechanisms were notoriously inhumane. Anyone who entered the Intelligence Division's interrogation rooms wouldn't be stepping out of that shadow for weeks. Some even found the mental and physical torment unbearable, ultimately choosing to end their own lives.
"Was that a space-time ninjutsu? To think that in just a few short months, Allen has reached a height I could never achieve in a lifetime."
Tenten looked at the spot where the space had just closed and returned to normal, a complex expression on her face.
"Alright, don't dwell on it. People like him will never walk the same path as us. After all, we are Konoha shinobi, while what he is doing is subverting everything we stand for," Might Guy consoled her, gently patting his disciple's head.
In truth, compared to the youngsters, he was the one who had taken the biggest hit to his pride. His Eight Inner Gates, which he had painstakingly trained for twenty years, had ultimately been outmatched by a young man who had trained for less than one.
When he had first taught this forbidden jutsu, Guy had intentionally only taught the first four gates. Who could have guessed that Allen would not only open the subsequent gates on his own but would also exceed him several times over in speed, strength, and reaction time? Because of this, Guy hadn't chosen to open the final Gate of Death to fight to the finish. On one hand, the situation hadn't escalated to that point; on the other, he had no guarantee of victory.
However, after witnessing that space-time ninjutsu, he realized he had even lost the qualification to take Allen down with him. Anyone who had seen the "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze, use the Flying Raijin Technique to instantly slaughter fifty enemy shinobi would never believe they could be faster.
By the same logic, Allen was now nearly impossible to kill. Unless he chose not to run, no one could stop him.
…
While Might Guy traveled back to the Tsuchigumo fortress with the rescued Hotaru and Utakata, Allen had already successfully used his placed Flying Raijin Technique formula to return to Otogakure in the Land of Sound.
The moment he appeared, he saw Orochimaru standing before him, eyeing him up and down with a playful, scrutinizing gaze. After a full thirty seconds, Orochimaru finally spoke: "Well? Did you get what you wanted?"
"Yes, I have everything. If possible, I'd prefer not to be disturbed for a while. I need some private space," Allen requested bluntly.
"No problem. If you need assistance, you know where to find me."
With that meaningful remark, Orochimaru turned and disappeared into the end of the sprawling underground tunnels. Evidently, through his intelligence network, he knew exactly what Allen had been up to on this trip. The device detonated dozens of kilometers outside Sunagakure was, for the world's foremost scientist, an irresistible temptation.
Unfortunately, given the gap in raw power, Orochimaru didn't dare use any underhanded tricks. Otherwise, the entire Hidden Sound Village might have been leveled to the ground.
Watching Orochimaru leave, Sasuke frowned and muttered in a low voice, "Strange. Why did his presence suddenly change?"
"His presence changed?" Neji looked puzzled.
"Yes. Orochimaru always felt strange, but this time it's entirely different. It's as if..." Sasuke seemed stuck, unable to find the right words.
"As if he's become a different person, right?" Allen stepped in to finish the sentence.
"Eh? You know what happened?" Sasuke asked, surprised.
"Of course. During this time, he has extracted a vast amount of genetic material from Kekkei Genkai users. If I'm not mistaken, one of the abilities of his Nen beast, Ouroboros, is to steal genes from others and integrate them into his own lineage," Allen answered with a cold smile.
As someone who also used gene theft to strengthen himself, Allen saw exactly what the changes in Orochimaru signified. The only difference was that Allen relied on the Red Dragon and the Chimera Ant King cocoon inside its belly to filter and optimize genes before making small-scale local modifications.
But Orochimaru? That madman was directly extracting all genes and forcibly merging them into his body, forcing constant mutations. It was lucky that the biological technology in this world was highly advanced; otherwise, he would be inviting all sorts of horrific diseases and terminal illnesses within minutes.
"Then what are the conditions for him to steal a Kekkei Genkai?" Sasuke was no longer a Nen novice; he knew that the more powerful and incredible an ability, the more restrictions it usually had.
"Unclear. Orochimaru guards the secrets of his abilities very well. But you'd better be careful. I can feel that he's starting to get impatient to make a move on you," Allen reminded him nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Sasuke showed a rare look of solemnity. "I know. But the problem is, while I've made progress with Sage Mode, I still haven't awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan."
"The Mangekyo Sharingan? That's easy. Just beg me, and I'll help you."
As he spoke, Allen gave a sharp whistle, instantly summoning Lupos and Lupos II.
Visible within the eye sockets of these two massive silver wolves was a pair of scarlet Mangekyo Sharingan. One didn't need to ask to know this was a product of the partnership between Allen and Vaelastrasz. The latter, ever since gaining the power to govern life, had been researching ways to strengthen the two pets via modification and transplantation, as they were starting to lag behind Allen's growth rate.
If they hadn't yet deciphered the core parts of the alien DNA, those eyes wouldn't be Sharingan, they would be the even more terrifying Rinnegan.
"You...!!! You actually put the Uchiha clan's Sharingan onto two dogs?"
Sasuke was both shocked and enraged. He could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that the Mangekyo he so desperately craved was something even his comrade's pets possessed.
"To correct you, they are wolves, not dogs. And since you currently can't beat them, you should watch your phrasing."
Allen gently stroked his pet's massive, furry head, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. He was truly looking forward to seeing how Madara would react upon being resurrected, only to find his pride and joy, the Mangekyo Sharingan, staring back at him from two canines...