Kurogane Ren considered the feasibility of this plan. It could serve as Plan B, though he wasn't sure whether Kumogakure would make a move again in this timeline. The possibility was still high. After all, kidnapping talents from other villages wasn't something new for them.
They had previously infiltrated Konoha to abduct Uzumaki Kushina, only to be stopped by Namikaze Minato. That incident had instead accelerated the development of their relationship.
So there was no way Kumogakure would ignore the Byakugan.
In fact, even if they didn't act, he could subtly push things in that direction and benefit from it himself.
With that thought, Kurogane Ren left the laboratory, no longer dwelling on it. No matter which plan he chose, it would require long-term preparation. It wasn't something that could be completed immediately.
As for those experimental subjects, he would continue cultivating them. If no changes occurred after a long period, he would terminate the experiment and repurpose them for other studies.
......
Night fell over a remote forest. Kurogane Ren held a map, scanning his surroundings as he searched for his destination.
"Really out of the way…" he muttered, frowning. "It should be somewhere around here."
He bit his finger, formed hand seals, and summoned several crows, sending them out to search for the village he was looking for.
Its name—Hoshigakure.
Before coming here, he had specifically investigated the legends to confirm that such a village truly existed. In the original story, Hoshigakure only appeared in an anime-exclusive arc, so he hadn't been certain whether it existed in this world.
He had considered the "star" of Hoshigakure before, but at that time, with only Special Jonin-level strength, facing a village where shinobi mastered the Peacock Mystical Method made him hesitant. He hadn't paid it much attention back then.
While the crows searched, Kurogane Ren reflected on the nature of the star.
It was an object that allowed Hoshigakure's shinobi to cultivate chakra. By harnessing the star's unique ability to alter chakra activity, they could shape their chakra into beast-like constructs for combat.
However, the star also emitted intense radiation. While enhancing chakra activity, it simultaneously damaged the user's body. As a result, shinobi who trained with it had extremely short lifespans.
Then again, being a shinobi wasn't exactly a long-lived profession to begin with. Extracting physical energy from one's cells inevitably took a toll on the body.
Those who lived long lives either retired from active combat early, like Konoha's two elderly advisors, or possessed exceptional abilities, like the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, whose mastery of Kekkei Tota prolonged his life.
Of course, the Uzumaki clan was an exception. Their natural vitality and immense chakra reserves allowed them to live longer.
Still, compared to ordinary shinobi, Hoshigakure's ninja had it worse. Surviving more than a decade after training with the star was already considered exceptional talent. Most died from radiation exposure before completing their training.
Kurogane Ren understood the star's drawbacks, but what truly interested him was its nature.
Something that could alter chakra activity and even allow users to manifest chakra externally in forms resembling tailed beasts… it strongly resembled something connected to the Ten-Tails.
After all, chakra itself originated from the Divine Tree's absorption of natural energy. Yet this meteorite could manipulate chakra in such a fundamental way and even mimic tailed beast-like manifestations.
It was too suspicious to ignore.
As for the radiation, if the star truly was a fragment of the Ten-Tails, it made perfect sense. Ordinary humans simply couldn't withstand that kind of power, even in small amounts.
His purpose here was to obtain that meteorite.
Not to practice the Peacock Mystical Method. While powerful, it had a fatal flaw. When using it, the user's physical body couldn't move freely. Although they could maneuver using externalized chakra, it was still far from flexible.
In battle, that limitation was deadly.
With an entire arm of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path in his possession, Kurogane Ren intended to compare it with the meteorite from Hoshigakure.
If the meteorite truly originated from the Ten-Tails, then it might represent a core component. The arm he had obtained didn't exhibit any properties that aided chakra cultivation.
At that moment, a fluctuation from one of the crows snapped him out of his thoughts. He immediately connected to its vision using the Clairvoyance Technique.
What he saw was a village surrounded by a valley filled with toxic gas.
There was no mistake. That was Hoshigakure.
His eyes lit up. He instructed the crow to continue observing while he moved toward the valley.
This level of toxic gas couldn't simply be dispersed with Wind Release. Without hesitation, he removed his mask and replaced it with a gas mask.
His laboratory was filled with poisonous mist. Of course he had prepared proper protection.
He stepped forward, entering the valley.
As he moved through the air above the chasm, the ground beneath him extended rapidly. Rock surged outward, forming a solid bridge across the valley.
Once he crossed, he dismissed the stone bridge manually rather than letting it collapse naturally. He didn't want unnecessary noise drawing attention.
Just then, another signal came from the crow.
"Hm? It shouldn't have reached the village yet…"
Confused, he reactivated the Clairvoyance Technique.
What he saw was a man and a woman wearing headbands marked with a star, surrounded by ANBU operatives.
"Ah… the only Jonin of Hoshigakure, Natsuhiboshi, and her husband," Kurogane Ren muttered. "Looks like my timing is perfect."
This was the moment when the couple discovered the harmful effects of the star and decided to leave the village with it.
Which meant—the meteorite was currently in Natsuhiboshi's possession.
"So, how should I take it?" he murmured, rubbing his chin. He wasn't afraid of fighting her, but it would be troublesome. Securing the meteorite first would be the smarter move.
In the end, the most efficient method… was still using a hostage.
Kurogane Ren shook his head. He genuinely found such tactics despicable, but effectiveness mattered more.
Having made his decision, he moved toward their location.
Deep within the forest, the Third Hoshikage was making a promise to Natsuhiboshi. The village would no longer use the star's power. He also asked her and her husband to remain outside the village and watch over it.
If the village ever resumed using the star, then it would be their responsibility, from outside, to stop Hoshigakure.
After hearing his words, Natsuhiboshi finally agreed. She prepared to hand over the meteorite along with a pendant meant for their child.
At that moment, she froze.
Just as the Third Hoshikage and the surrounding ANBU thought she was hesitating, she suddenly turned her gaze in a certain direction and shouted sharply,
"Who's there?!"