Takuno's eyes completely restored their tranquility, and all visible emotions were perfectly contained and hidden.
He slowly raised his hand, lightly drawing his fingertip across his skin.
A plump, rounded drop of blood, its color a fresh, dripping crimson, immediately seeped out, hanging at the tip of his finger.
He stared intently at this drop of blood belonging to himself; from this moment onward, this drop of blood, and even every single cell inside his body, would carry miraculous effects equivalent to those of Hashirama's cells.
Their vitality was equally majestic, and while they also possessed that matchlessly overbearing devouring and eroding characteristic of Hashirama cells, they had become more "gentle," making them easier to be accepted and fused by other bodies.
To the countless people in this ninja world who craved power, his cells might be even more "perfect" and more "applicable" than the legendary Hashirama cells.
However, sacrificing himself for others? Selfless dedication?
That was by no means his path.
He was a conqueror, the possessor of power, and would absolutely never become a stepping stone for others to climb.
Only when the rushing chakra within his body finally returned to stability did Takuno slowly stretch his long-tightened muscles and bones, letting out a thorough stretch accompanied by a long sigh.
The time consumed by this secluded training far exceeded his expectations.
"It really has been long..." he murmured in his heart.
His initial conception was merely to use the absolute power of the Mangekyo Sharingan to forcefully suppress the Hashirama cells and achieve success in one fell swoop, taking at most a few days to accomplish the feat.
He had never expected that this whimsically conceived path of "assimilation" would actually be so difficult, consuming a full year and several months of his time, with every single moment being a contest against his willpower.
However, feeling the torrent of chakra as vast as the sea within his Tenketsu at this moment, Takuno felt only that all the contributions made were incomparably worthwhile.
This power was by no means something that could be matched by a conventional transplantation of Hashirama cells.
Just like Obito—even though that person had transplanted half a body's worth of Hashirama cells, how could his chakra amount truly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the God of Shinobi, Hashirama?
As for himself... the corner of Takuno's mouth could not help but curl into an uncontrollable arc of confidence and satisfaction.
Although he might still be slightly inferior at this moment, the power flowing within his body already possessed the qualification to preliminarily "compare" with that legendary figure!
"A qualitative leap," he affirmed silently, "what comes from the outside is ultimately an external object; only power that has been thoroughly made one's own, fused into the bloodline and soul, is the truly self-belonging, most powerful foundation!"
The corner of Takuno's mouth hooked up; should these cells full of vitality within his body also be crowned with a new title, "Takuno Cells"?
Just as this thought arose, a sense of fatigue originating from the depths of his soul surged over like a tide, instantly submerging the excitement from just now.
For a full year's time, his spirit had been continuously tightened, without a single moment of relaxation.
Being able to support himself for so long was already ironclad proof that his mental strength was matchlessly resilient and his recovery ability far exceeded that of ordinary people.
Now that the goal was achieved and his mind relaxed, that forcefully suppressed weariness could no longer be blocked.
He urgently needed rest!
With a slight shift of his mind, that pair of black pupils instantly transformed into the extraordinarily sinister and magnificent Mangekyo Sharingan.
In the next instant, his figure had vanished without a trace from the laboratory.
When Takuno's figure reappeared, he perceived that damp, warm air carrying a faint scent of sulfur blowing against his face.
In front of his eyes was an extremely hidden hot spring embraced by natural mountain rocks.
This was a hidden paradise that Takuno had occasionally found by chance in his early years, which could be called an excellent location for relaxing the body and mind.
Pity that the complicated matters and endless training of the past had rarely given him a true opportunity to step into this place to enjoy a moment of peace.
Now, having "Tuguiyan"—which was the name he bestowed upon the ability of his right eye's Mangekyo—traveling back and forth from this place was just a matter of a single thought.
Perhaps he would be able to come frequently?
Takuno gave a bitter smile and shook his head, shedding his clothes and slowly sliding into the warm spring water.
The warm current instantly enveloped his fatigued limbs and hundred bones, bringing an indescribable comfort and relaxation.
With his current powerful physique that had been strengthened by "Takuno Cells," he naturally had no need to worry about the discomfort brought by prolonged soaking.
Coming frequently? It was ultimately just a luxury of a hope...
The warm spring water soothed his skin, dispelling the accumulated coldness and soreness.
The heavy burden on his spirit also dissolved bit by bit within this warmth.
After all, for a person who had already sacrificed even his sleeping time to the training of "Sage Mode," how much time could he squeeze out to use for luxurious relaxation?
The warmth enveloped him, and his tightened nerves relaxed one by one.
Takuno closed his eyes in satisfaction, as a long-awaited, pure sleepiness that did not carry any purpose gently attacked him.
He allowed himself to sink into this warm stretch of water, his consciousness gradually blurring, finally entering the first true deep sleep he had experienced in over a year.
...
After experiencing a sufficient rest, completely replenishing his consumed energy, and adjusting his physical and mental state to the peak.
Takuno did not have the slightest hesitation, immediately setting about advancing the next step of his plan.
To officially incorporate the cell samples of Naruto and Sasuke into his own body.
He did not need to assimilate their cells; it was just a simple incorporation.
After all, his current cells—their essence and level had long since reigned superior over ordinary ninjas, even transcending these two ninjas who carried special bloodlines.
Following the iron rule of life levels evolving from low to high, his cells naturally possessed an overwhelming advantage.
Therefore, what he needed to do was precisely to restrain his own overly powerful cell activity, preventing them from completely devouring the relatively "low-level" cells of Naruto and Sasuke at the instant of contact.
His goal was not to fuse or elevate himself, but to "seal away" these two sets of cells that contained special chakra perfectly intact.
By the time all the necessary conditions were fully prepared, he would be able to refine Asura chakra and Indra chakra from these cells.
When these two sets of chakra completed their blending, they would draw out the most mysterious... Power of the Six Paths!
A trace of burning heat flashed through Takuno's deep eyes.
At that time, his Mangekyo Sharingan would usher in its final transformation and sublimation, crossing the boundaries of bloodline to evolve into the supreme ocular technique of the ninja world, the Rinnegan!
Only pity was that right now he was also just incorporating their cells; wanting to wait until the final suitable timing would still require him to wait until after he thoroughly mastered the abilities of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
The road had to be walked step by step; haste brings no success.
Takuno suppressed the impulse of wanting to immediately draw out the chakra of the two to immediately evolve into the Rinnegan, turning his thoughts toward other places.
Seemingly thinking of something again, Takuno's expression looked a bit strange.
After completing the assimilation of the Hashirama cells, Takuno had not only stepped into the realm of the Pseudo-Sage Body, but it had also brought a series of unexpected, significant changes.
Therefore, a cursed seal sealing technique that had been previously set up for automatically absorbing natural energy had already completely lost its efficacy.
This was not that a problem had occurred with the technique formula, but that his own physique had achieved a qualitative leap.
Assimilating the Hashirama cells bestowed upon him the ability to proactively draw in natural energy without needing any assistance from external objects.
Therefore, that absorption sealing technique that relied on the cursed seal to function naturally became redundant, losing its meaning for existence.
Accompanied by this elevation of internal ability, when Takuno entered Sage Mode without relying on any cursed seal means, his external form had also undergone a fundamental shift.
The once-iconic cursed seal effects that covered the entire body and caused abnormal skin color had completely faded away, revealing the truer, purer state of Sage Mode.
The most direct change manifested in the eye region; that sinister purple eye shadow from the past had completely vanished without a trace.
Now, the only significant change was his eyes: his originally pitch-black pupils had transformed into a brilliant gold, and furthermore presented a vertical slit pupil form like that of a wild beast.
Takuno was not surprised by this either; the Sage Mode under the cursed seal state was actually a distorted external expression, whereas this appearance of golden eyes and vertical pupils at this moment was the proper countenance his own Sage Mode ought to have.
What made Takuno feel even more pleasantly surprised was the refinement of Sage Mode itself.
During the past year and more, for the sake of assimilating the Hashirama cells, he had almost never cultivated this technique.
However, when he tried to display it again, not only was there not the slightest unfamiliarity or regression, but he had instead taken a step forward on the original foundation, his realm becoming more harmoniously rounded and stable.
This could not help but make him full of varied emotions; the fundamental crux of why his past Sage Mode progress had been abnormally slow really lay within the innate shackles of his bloodline.
Now possessing the cellular foundation of a Pseudo-Sage Body, the long-pursued goal of a "Normalized Sage Mode" was already not far away; after a period of training, it was presumed that he would be able to complete normalization.
This kind of leap in *Cultiv* efficiency brought by bloodline elevation was an extra harvest that he had not completely anticipated at the beginning of assimilating the Hashirama cells.
This also verified the truth that "to do a good job, an artisan must first sharpen his tools."
Possessing a suitable physique, the path of arduous training would indeed achieve twice the result with half the effort.
However, his physical potential had already been developed to near the limit of mortals, and subsequent enhancements would be nothing more than the accumulation of quantity.
While the next key node wanting to lead to a higher-level life form lay within becoming the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
Recalling the experiences of Obito and Madara in the original work, after they became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, they immediately fell into fierce battles, having absolutely no time or opportunity to systematically explore the mysteries contained within this ultimate physique.
What they displayed was merely a tip of the iceberg—unimaginable recovery power as well as a powerful immunity capability against conventional ninjutsu.
As well as how their powerful physiques, after having the Tailed Beasts extracted, would also not affect their own lives.
Takuno believed that the physique bestowed by the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki—its capabilities were absolutely not limited to the combat level, and bound to have un-unearthed power latent within!
It was just that there was one point that could be determined, and that was that the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki was also not an eternally unperishing existence.
This was an unquestionable truth.
The Ten-Tails Jinchuriki indeed represented the pinnacle of power, able to change heaven and earth between raising a hand or moving a foot.
However, beneath this supreme power, there lay latent insurmountable shackles and many limitations.
Even that legendary ancestor who founded the Ninshu Sect and was like a deity, the Sage of Six Paths—his glorious life in the end also failed to escape the erosion of time, ultimately ushering in a natural demise just like a conventional human.
Then, where exactly lay the path of immortality that truly transcended the long river of time?
A sharp light flowed through Takuno's eyes, his thoughts operating rapidly.
The answer was actually clearly visible, and that was the path practiced by Otsutsuki Kaguya.
Consuming the ultimate fruit nurtured by the God Tree, thoroughly integrating one's own existence with the God Tree, combining two into one to become the God Tree itself, using this to achieve immortality.
The Ten-Tails Jinchuriki acting as a container could not live forever, but the Ten-Tails acting as the source of power—its existence itself was nearly eternally unperishing.
This was just like how a container would decay, while the energy within remained conserved and unperishing.
However, across this seemingly clear path, there loomed a massive obstacle for which Takuno currently had absolutely no solution.
He fundamentally did not know how to make the "Mini Ten-Tails" under his control re-enter a fruiting cycle to bear that legendary God Tree fruit.
The mechanism within this shrouded him like a dense fog.
What made him feel even more problematic was that a fundamental query refused to go away.
The "Mini Ten-Tails"—did it still retain the capability to nurture fruit just like a complete God Tree?
After all, speaking from its essence, this "Mini Ten-Tails" was not a naturally born God Tree sapling; it was severed from Otsutsuki Kaguya's body, its core still branded with Kaguya's imprint, being an inseparable part of that Ancestor of Chakra.
This essential difference made the path leading to immortality become even more blurred and unpredictable.
Takuno slowly shook his head; the current fog was too thick, and relying solely on his current understanding and power, he was completely without a clue regarding this, utterly at a loss.
Perhaps, only when he also stepped onto that pinnacle of power, personally became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, and completely accepted and took control of this ultimate power.
Would it then be possible to part the dense fog in front of his eyes and clearly see how exactly the next path leading to true immortality, hidden at the end of power, ought to be walked.
As for right now, Takuno paced his steps into another laboratory.
He looked at the Shikotsumyaku in front of his eyes, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly; this Kekkei Genkai obtained even earlier than the Hashirama cells was finally time to be fused.
As for the bloodline disease that might exist with the Shikotsumyaku—is it possible that it could erode the Hashirama cells?
Looking at the Shikotsumyaku, Takuno was also somewhat full of sighs; among the descendants of the Otsutsuki, it could be said that the Kaguya clan was the most pull-at-the-crotch failure.
They paid the price of mental abnormality, yet did not receive corresponding rewards.
Even to the point where, for the Shikotsumyaku, only Kimimaro alone reverted to his ancestors; if they paid the price of mental abnormality and every single person was able to possess the Shikotsumyaku.
Then, even if every single person of that clan was a lunatic, their status in the ninja world would absolutely not be low.
Of course, with their style of doing things, what was more likely was being swarmed and attacked by all the villages, vanishing into history even earlier.
But even so, they would be able to leave a thick and intense stroke within history.
Takuno shook his head, he looked at Kimimaro Kaguya; in truth, as of right now, the other party... was still alive.
After a long time, he made a decision; with the technology he currently mastered, he could switch a body for the other party just like Orochimaru, which would just waste a little bit of time is all.
Although he did not care about the life or death of other people, if the other party was not located upon his path of becoming strong as an obstacle that must be eliminated, there was actually no need to kill the other party.