Chapter 81: A Clan's Hope and a God's Seclusion
Akira nodded. "Yes, a significant breakthrough. The cloning technology is fundamentally complete and ready for application."
He paused, then delivered the more consequential news. "More importantly, we've had a major leap forward in Senju Hashirama cell transplantation. I've already ordered verification experiments to begin."
Uchiha Fugaku let out a long, controlled exhale, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "That… is excellent news." His mind immediately connected the possibilities. "Transplanting those cells into Shisui… it could replenish his lost vitality, couldn't it?"
"If the transplantation is successful, yes. It should restore what was burned away," Akira confirmed.
"Good." Fugaku's relief was palpable. Every Mangekyō wielder was a clan treasure, an asset to be preserved at almost any cost. "How long until Shentian completes the verification?"
"Approximately three to five months," Akira replied. The research team would use chakra-accelerated growth protocols to rush the clone maturation process.
"That's acceptable. Shisui's current state is stable enough to wait." Fugaku's strategic mind was already analyzing the next layer. "But… if he successfully integrates Hashirama's cells, he may develop Wood Release. If that power is exposed, explaining it to the village would be… problematic. We are not yet in a position for a full confrontation."
"There is a solution," Akira said, a faint smile touching his lips. "I have fully mastered the Spiritual Transformation Technique. When the time comes, I can enter Shisui's mental space as a spirit. As long as we do not inform him of the specific source of the cells, he will have no knowledge to reveal. The secret remains with us."
"You've truly mastered it?" Fugaku looked at him with renewed appreciation. "That simplifies matters greatly." A thought occurred to him. "Could the Spiritual Transformation Technique be used to rouse him directly?"
"His condition is beyond mere willpower," Akira explained. "His spirit is critically weakened, clinging to the edge of dissolution. I can communicate with him in that state, but to truly pull him back, to anchor his consciousness, requires a physical foundation—the restored vitality. The spirit guides, but the body must be strong enough to answer the call."
"I understand now," Fugaku nodded, the full picture clear. It wasn't just exhaustion; it was systemic collapse. "Then we wait for Shentian's results."
News of the brutal attack on Konoha's border forces rippled across the shinobi world, carrying with it new, terrifying details about Nagato and the capabilities of the Rinnegan—information deliberately leaked by Konoha's intelligence apparatus. Dossiers compiled from the battles of the Nine-Tails Night and the recent ambush soon landed on the desks of every Kage.
Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office.
Ōnoki scowled at the report, his aged face creased with worry. "Absorbs ninjutsu… nullifies my Particle Style… controls gravity…" he muttered. "The eyes of the Sage indeed… How does one fight such a thing?" He ran through his arsenal. Dust Release: neutralized. Flight: countered by gravitational manipulation. Taijutsu: laughable at his age. For the first time in decades, the veteran Tsuchikage felt genuinely outmatched. "A troublesome power…"
Kumogakure, Raikage's Office.
The Fourth Raikage, A, slammed the report down, a fierce grin spreading across his face. "Absorbs ninjutsu, huh? Gravity and repulsion? This just proves my new training focus is correct!" With Minato gone, he had shifted from pure speed to bolstering his legendary father's strengths: impregnable defense and earth-shattering strength. He'd even begun mastering the Third's signature Hell Stab. "Let's see if your 'Shinra Tensei' can repel this!"
The Mizukage and Kazekage, while reacting differently, shared a common thread: deep-seated fear. In response, they poured more spies than ever into the turbulent Land of Rain, trying to pierce the mystery of the Rinnegan wielder and his organization.
In Amegakure, now secretly under their control, Nagato and Konan monitored the influx of foreign agents.
"Nagato, what's our move?" Konan asked, her voice calm. "These spies from every major village…"
"Let them scurry in the rain," Nagato said, his gaze fixed on the perpetual downpour outside the tower window. "As long as they cannot uncover Akatsuki's core, they will eventually grow weary and leave. Their attention spans are short."
"You intend to let Hanzo's ghost continue to rule the visible Village Hidden in the Rain? While Akatsuki remains in the shadows?"
"Precisely," Nagato nodded. "Akatsuki's goal is the tailed beasts. An organization openly hunting the villages' ultimate weapons cannot stand in the light. It would unite them against us."
"But the villages already know of Akatsuki's existence," Konan pointed out.
"We will become quiet. Time erodes memory. They have their own conflicts, their own priorities. We will fade from their immediate concern." Having acquired Madara's true legacy, Nagato felt a pressing need for solitude—to train, to integrate his new knowledge, to grow into the power he now understood was his to claim.
"Do not forget Konoha," Konan warned. "From the Shisui incident, it's clear they have a master of the Spiritual Transformation Technique, and likely a space-time user as well. Be wary of assassination."
A flicker of cold confidence passed through Nagato's Rinnegan. "Do not worry. I have taken measures. The perception abilities of the Spiritual Transformation Technique… will no longer find us."
(End of Chapter)
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