Chapter 459: Fulfillment and Abandonment

Even after seeing Shokui's memories, the relationship between Ye Zi and Shokui showed no signs of improvement. It remained one of mutual use and exploitation. Still, Ye Zi hadn't expected Shokui to reveal such critical information.

It turned out that Ye Zi's soul served as a coordinate. As long as he could break through space, the next world he reached would be Earth.

With this assurance, albeit unverified, Ye Zi felt a measure of relief. His next focus would be gathering all the tailed beasts to accumulate the energy necessary to break through space.

Furthermore, learning the method from Shokui meant Ye Zi no longer had to rely on Madara Uchiha. While he had never intended to resurrect Madara in the first place, this revelation solidified the decision.

However, reviving Madara as an Edo Tensei pawn for his plans wasn't out of the question, Madara could still be used as a piece on the board.

Ye Zi looked up at Shokui and said calmly, "You should focus on refining chakra while you're here."

Shokui glared coldly at Ye Zi but didn't reply. He was well aware of his predicament and knew the chances of escaping were slim. Still, he wouldn't give up. Even the smallest opportunity for freedom would not be wasted.

With a thought, Ye Zi exited the sealed space, his consciousness returning to his room in the base.

When he opened his eyes, fatigue hit him immediately. After a brief pause, he collapsed onto the bed, staring at the dim ceiling with his eyes half-closed.

His mood wasn't bad at the moment.

He had found the method to break through space, confirmed that collecting the tailed beasts was the correct path, and even refined the steps of his plan.

The Rinnegan was essential to obtain, but reviving Madara was unnecessary. Madara could still be used as a pawn, but as for their previous agreement...

Ye Zi let out a cold laugh. If he could avoid fulfilling it, he wouldn't, especially now that he had found an alternative method.

What would Madara think if he knew Ye Zi's current thoughts?

For now, Ye Zi's goal was clear: gather the remaining tailed beasts, then attack Nagato to obtain the Rinnegan and use its immense power to open the spatial barrier. This was the culmination of everything.

With that, Ye Zi closed his eyes completely, exhaustion overwhelming him as he drifted into a deep sleep.

When he awoke, it was already the evening of the following day.

He had a dream, or rather, fragments of old memories.

In the dream, he recalled moments from the time he escorted Moko back to Kyoto. There were glimpses of Kotoe, Guy, Kurenai, and Moko…

Suddenly, he remembered the deal he had made with Moko. Back then, he had extorted a significant amount of money from her but never followed through on arranging guards for her.

The matter had seemed trivial at the time, and he had completely forgotten about it. If not for the dream, it wouldn't have crossed his mind.

Sitting on the bed, Ye Zi thought for a moment and decided to fulfill the agreement. He would send Moko some guards, though he wasn't even sure if she was still alive.

After getting out of bed, Ye Zi freshened up, ate a quick meal, and went to find Shin.

"Five guards, my lord?" Shin asked, confused by Ye Zi's request.

"They're not for me," Ye Zi explained. "I made a promise to someone to arrange for guards. You know their capabilities best, select five suitable candidates."

"Understood." Shin nodded after a brief pause.

He quickly selected five capable children, each around thirteen or fourteen years old.

Ye Zi then instructed Shin to take the five children to the capital of the Land of Fire, fulfilling the terms of the long-overdue agreement, albeit a few years late.

After Shin and the children departed, Ye Zi left the base as well. He had nearly perfected the combination of sealing techniques and Wood Release, and now it was time to refine his ability to extract Shokui's chakra.

This process had to be honed until it became as seamless as using his own chakra. The training facilities in the base were insufficient for this purpose.

He found a secluded area and began extracting Shokui's chakra to train in various ninjutsu.

Inside the sealed space, Shokui immediately sensed his chakra being extracted. His expression darkened when he realized Ye Zi wasn't using it in combat but for training instead.

Shokui's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. Yet, he was utterly powerless to resist Ye Zi's demands. He could only focus on refining more chakra, knowing that if Ye Zi ever drained him completely, it would mean his death.

Because the chakra was being drawn from Shokui rather than his own reserves, there was a slight delay in the extraction process. Ye Zi's goal was to eliminate this delay entirely.

As he extracted more chakra, Ye Zi suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to eat.

"Does extracting a certain amount of Shokui's chakra lead to his influence?" Ye Zi frowned. For now, this hunger was manageable and didn't affect his rationality.

Suppressing the rising desire, Ye Zi continued training expressionlessly, using the chakra extracted from Shokui for various Lightning Release and Wood Release techniques.

This served two purposes: perfecting the chakra extraction process and engaging in auxiliary ninjutsu training.

A week later.

Shin, cloaked in a robe that covered his entire body, arrived in Kyoto with the five children.

Following the address Ye Zi had provided, he located the Kumokawa family residence. However, rather than entering through the front gate, he waited until nightfall to sneak past the family's unimpressive guards and into Moko's room.

By chance, Moko had returned to the residence that very day.

After handling some paperwork in her study, she headed to her room to rest. She didn't notice the six robed figures in the room until she turned on the light.

She froze in place, startled, and was about to react instinctively when Shin spoke.

"Lord Ye Zi sent us."

Hearing this, Moko massaged her temples with an annoyed expression. "That bastard… What does he want now?" she asked, glaring at Shin and the others with irritation.

Although they hadn't been in contact for years, Moko had kept track of Ye Zi's activities. She was well aware of his recent assault on Konoha. But what irked her most was that he had left her waiting for years without fulfilling their agreement.

Moko's tone was sharp, and Shin hesitated briefly before replying calmly, "Lord Ye Zi sent us to fulfill his promise to provide you with five guards."

Moko's eyes flickered slightly, her anger still simmering as she glanced at the five youthful guards. "That bastard's position is too sensitive now. At least you had the sense to sneak in. Did he teach you that?"

Shin maintained a stoic expression, though a trace of embarrassment flashed in his eyes. Indeed, Ye Zi had taught them that.

Moko's gaze lingered on the silent children, and she said coldly, "These are the guards he sent? They're so young. Can they even be trusted?"

Faced with her skepticism, the five youths showed no reaction.

"They're at least stronger than the guards currently stationed in your household," Shin replied evenly.

Moko's mouth opened slightly, rendering her momentarily speechless. The guards in her household, no matter how often they were replaced, always seemed useless.

After a brief silence, she waved her hand dismissively. "Fine, I get it. They can stay. You can leave now."

Shin, however, didn't leave immediately. He stood there quietly, watching Moko. Besides delivering the guards, Ye Zi had also tasked him with securing additional funds from her.

Noticing that Shin wasn't leaving but instead staring at her silently, Moko froze for a moment before realizing his intent. Her expression quickly turned angry.

"That bastard… Does he think my money just grows on trees?"

Having her intentions called out so directly, Shin felt a hint of embarrassment. Meanwhile, the five young guards subtly shifted their positions, watching Shin's awkward expression with faint amusement in their eyes.

"You want money? Not a chance. Tell that bastard to come here himself if he dares!" Moko crossed her arms angrily, her tone sharp and indignant.

Hearing her response, Shin recalled Ye Zi's instructions before he had left. Sighing inwardly, he thought, Truly, Lord Ye Zi never misses. He even anticipated what this woman would say.

Following Ye Zi's instructions, Shin activated a genjutsu to make Ye Zi appear before Moko. His Sharingan spun into the form of three tomoe as he locked eyes with her.

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Currently on Chapter 514 - Absolute Destruction