Ch-205 Should we retreat?

Kabuto's consciousness slowly returned to his body, a sensation akin to awakening from a deep slumber. Despite the shock rippling through him from the recent events, he gathered himself and briskly made his way to his laboratory.

Entering the dimly lit chamber, Kabuto's eyes fell upon the remnants of the Seven Ninja Swordsman. Among them lay the fragmented remains of Juzo's body. With determined resolve, Kabuto immediately attempted to use 'Edo Tensei'. Yet, despite his expertise, the 'Edo Tensei' failed, leaving him momentarily bewildered. Refusing to yield to defeat, Kabuto persisted and attempted 'Edo Tensei' again and again on other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsman. Each effort met with failure. The sense of frustration gnawed at him, driving him deeper into desperation.

Then, amidst the growing despair, Kabuto's keen eyes caught a chilling sight: the lifeless remnants of the Seven Ninja Swordsman began to disintegrate into mere particles of dust.

"How is this possible?" exclaimed Kabuto, his voice tinged with disbelief as he surveyed the disintegrating remnants of the Seven Ninja Swordsman. Every body part seemed to succumb to the same fate, turning to dust and vanishing before his eyes, whether it was a mere strand of hair or a sturdy bone.

"What kind of ability is this?" Kabuto muttered to himself, his mind racing to comprehend the inexplicable phenomenon unfolding before him.

Then, in a sudden flash of realization, Kabuto's thoughts shifted to the powerful ninja he had dispatched to attack the village in the Fire Country. With a sense of urgency gripping him, he swiftly sought to seize control of the ninja's body, his curiosity driving him to seek answers to the mysteries unraveling around him.

However, his hopes were dashed as soon as he established control. Before he could even begin his investigation, the body he commandeered was mercilessly slashed by Jiryoku, leaving Kabuto to confront yet another unexpected turn of events.

And like the bodies of the Seven Ninja Swordsman, the body of this ninja had also begun disintegrating, a grim echo of the fate that had befallen Kabuto's previous subjects.

Without wasting a moment, Kabuto swiftly inquired, "What kind of ability did you use? I am unable to resurrect the Seven Ninja Swordsman."

Jiryoku, his demeanor calm and composed, turned his gaze towards Kabuto and calmly stated, "As I mentioned before, I simply killed them."

"What kind of answer is that? Just tell me already. How did the remains of the Seven Ninja Swordsman also turn into dust after you destroyed their 'Edo Tensei'?" Kabuto's frustration seeped through his voice, evident in the furrow of his brow and the tension in his posture.

Surprise flickered across Jiryoku's face as he responded, "Oh? I never knew that my ability had such an effect. Thank you for enlightening me."

Jiryoku was clearly surprised, as he never expected that after he killed someone using the 'Eye of Death', even the remains of that person would be destroyed.

"Now, give me an answer," urged Kabuto, his voice laced with palpable anxiety as he watched the ninja's body nearing complete disintegration.

"You are quite smart, aren't you? Then why don't you go and figure this out yourself," retorted Jiryoku, a hint of defiance in his tone, as he remained resolute in his refusal to disclose the true capabilities of his 'Eye of Death'.

With an unwillingness etched across his features, Kabuto's consciousness retreated back to his body. Frustration surged within him, evident in the clenched fists and furrowed brow as Kabuto unleashed his vexation by destroying a few pieces of equipment in his laboratory.

Finally, after venting his anger for a few moments, Kabuto regained his composure and muttered to himself, "I have to inform Obito and 'Black Zetsu' about what just happened." With determination in his voice, he called for one of the 'White Zetsu' and instructed, "Inform Obito and 'Black Zetsu' that I have something very important to report. Tell them to meet me immediately."

Upon receiving the message from the 'White Zetsu', both Obito and 'Black Zetsu' promptly made their way to meet Kabuto. Understanding the urgency of the situation, they hastened to the base where Kabuto awaited them.

Upon their arrival, Obito addressed Kabuto, "Kabuto, what happened? Why did you call for us?"

Kabuto then proceeded to explain, his voice laden with frustration and disbelief, how meticulously he had orchestrated the attack by the Seven Ninja Swordsman on the village in the Fire Country, intending to divert Jiryoku's attention. He recounted with vivid detail how Jiryoku, with seemingly effortless precision, decimated each of the Seven Ninja Swordsman with a single, devastating sword slash, leaving Kabuto unable to employ 'Edo Tensei' to resurrect them.

"So, let me get this straight," Obito interjected, his tone a mixture of confusion and urgency. "After Jiryoku obliterated those seven ninja swordsman and other ninja, they can't be revived through 'Edo Tensei'?"

"Exactly," affirmed Kabuto, his expression mirroring his inner turmoil. "And not only that, even the remains of their bodies were utterly obliterated."

Obito furrowed his brow, deep in thought. "But even if you had the DNA samples of the Seven Ninja Swordsman, you were unable to use 'Edo Tensei'. That suggests only one possibility: somehow, Jiryoku managed to eradicate the very souls of these individuals," he concluded, a sense of foreboding evident in his voice.

"And perhaps this is the main reason why we were unable to find any remains of Sasori, even after our best efforts," 'Black Zetsu' concluded, his tone thoughtful and his expression reflecting deep contemplation.

"I agree with 'Black Zetsu'. It must be that Jiryoku somehow killed the souls of these people. But this doesn't explain why the remains of the Seven Ninja Swordsman killed by him disappeared," Obito mused, his brow furrowed in concentration as he attempted to unravel the mystery.

Turning to 'Black Zetsu' with a determined gaze, Obito pressed on, "You must have witnessed different battlefields of Jiryoku, right? Has this happened before, aside from Sasori's case?"

'Black Zetsu' nodded solemnly. "No, except for Sasori, not even once," he confirmed, his voice tinged with a hint of concern.

"I don't care about the deaths of the souls of the people resurrected through 'Edo Tensei', but we need to discover the extent of Jiryoku's abilities and what exactly he can do with this power," Obito asserted, his tone firm and resolute, emphasizing the urgency of their investigation.

========

You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on patreon.Link:https://www.p@treon.com/Hkj822

https://discord.gg/C7s9YjvG3p

(A/N: If you like the story please vote power stones.)