Ch.268 Overwhelmingly Powerful

Looking at Ido's now tangible spiritual form, Uchiha Shinji's expression grew slightly stern as he mused inwardly, "A variant of the 'Spirit Transformation Jutsu,' huh?" 

He was well aware of the power of the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu." 

Kato Dan, an elite jonin who aspired to become Hokage, had relied on his mastery of the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu" to shine brilliantly in countless wars. 

The "Spirit Transformation Jutsu" allowed his soul to break free from the confines of his body, moving freely across the battlefield as a spirit. He could either use his spiritual form to directly slay enemies or invade their mental worlds, seizing control of their bodies and shattering their minds. 

In short, once transformed into a spirit, he gained the ability to reap enemy lives at will on the battlefield! 

But just as terrifying as the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu's" power was, its training difficulty was equally fearsome. 

In difficulty rankings, it was classified as S-rank. 

In other words, it was a ninjutsu that even Kage-level powerhouses weren't guaranteed to master. 

At the same time, because it required the soul to detach from the body, the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu" was also a forbidden technique. 

While the body constrained the soul, it also constantly protected it. For any shinobi below the Six Paths level, the spiritual form was relatively fragile. 

Thus, for practitioners of the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu," once their spirit left the body's protection, they were vulnerable to unexpected dangers at any moment. 

Beyond that, the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu" had a glaring weakness. 

When the caster activated it and their spirit detached, their physical body lost all ability to act, leaving it completely defenseless. 

Shinji recalled that Kato Dan's death had been due to severe damage to his body. 

Though he didn't know the exact details, given the nature of the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu," Dan's body should've been far from the battlefield. The fact that it was critically injured suggested the enemy had specifically targeted him, deploying a squad skilled in sensory ninjutsu to ambush his unguarded form! 

But for the duo of Yakumo and Ido before him, this fatal flaw of the "Spirit Transformation Jutsu" wasn't an issue at all. 

Because the one detaching from Yakumo's body was Ido, a being born from her inner world. 

While Ido used her spiritual form to move and kill, Yakumo herself remained unaffected, still able to control her own body and fight. 

In other words, with the Koryugan, Yakumo had gained a spiritual clone! 

"The Koryugan stabilizes and enhances spiritual forms—its power surpasses that enhanced pair of Hogan eyes by so much, it's almost…" 

Shinji was secretly stunned. 

For a fleeting moment, he felt like he'd created a monster! 

At that moment, Ido, having adjusted to her newfound spiritual state, didn't even offer a greeting. With a *whoosh*, she zipped through the mansion and vanished from sight. 

Yakumo jolted in surprise. Looking up, she realized that in just a breath or two, Ido had already soared hundreds of meters into the sky. 

Shinji furrowed his brow: "Call her back!" 

"Yes!" 

Yakumo responded immediately, hastily attempting to reach out to Ido. 

She soon discovered that despite the hundreds of meters separating them, their mental connection remained intact. Her call from deep within reverberated instantly in Ido's ears. 

"Yakumo, you're such a buzzkill!" Ido, gazing down at Hidden Leaf from high above, brimmed with confidence: "I feel like I can do anything right now!" 

Yakumo urged, "Come back quick! This is the Leader's command!" 

Ido's heart tightened at first, but then she thought of her newfound strength and how she feared no one. She replied, "Just stall for me a bit—I'll come back after I've had some fun!" 

Before Yakumo could respond, Ido's ears caught Shinji's voice: "How exactly do you plan to stall me?" 

"Leader!?"

Ido froze in terror! 

Moments later, she felt the Koryugan's dojutsu power sustaining her spiritual form being rapidly drained by an inexplicable force. As the Koryugan's power slipped away, her once solid, tangible spirit quickly faded into transparency, teetering on the edge of collapse like a flickering candle in the wind. 

"Ah!" 

Panic-stricken, she didn't dare hesitate. She spun around and streaked back to the Kurama clan's main residence, returning to Yakumo's side in a flash. 

Inside the room. 

Yakumo knelt on the floor, trembling: "Please forgive us, Leader!" 

She knew everything she'd gained was a gift from the leader. Seeing Ido defy him, she immediately dropped to her knees, devoutly begging for mercy. 

Ido, back at her side, hurriedly knelt as well: "Leader, I know I was wrong! Please spare me!" 

Shinji silently observed Yakumo and Ido kneeling before him. 

At that moment, he felt a bit conflicted. 

Not for any other reason, but because the Koryugan was simply too powerful. Its abilities—combining traits of the Blood Dragon Eye and Hogan—transparency, blood manipulation, and spiritual enhancement—offered incredible potential for development. 

Moreover, this pair of Koryugan likely harbored a dojutsu even he didn't fully understand, greatly increasing the risk of losing control. 

He trusted Yakumo to an extent. 

But Ido, the inner demon of Yakumo, was another story. From his interactions with her over the past few days, she was far too wild and untamed, showing almost no loyalty. 

Fortunately, he could still suppress her using the spiritual link of "Jikibi" and the chakra-draining power of "Wazunagi." 

If not for these countermeasures, the moment Ido had flown off without his permission, he would've already removed the Koryugan from Yakumo's sockets. 

Shinji's silence only deepened Yakumo and Ido's unease. 

Yakumo, growing desperate, banged her head on the floor while pleading, "Leader, please spare Ido! I'll make sure to keep her in check from now on!" 

Ido remained trembling, too afraid to speak. 

In that moment, she finally realized that the Koryugan, which made her powerful, was a gift from the leader. And since he could give it, he could take it back—or even kill her! 

Shinji continued to weigh his options as he looked at Yakumo and Ido. 

When he'd wielded the Koryugan himself, he hadn't noticed its ability to enhance spiritual forms to this degree. Yet the moment it was transplanted into Yakumo, she could harness it, and Ido could even tap into its dojutsu power directly to manifest her spirit. 

This undoubtedly meant Yakumo was more compatible with the Koryugan than he was. 

Thus, entrusting the Koryugan to Yakumo for development would likely be far more efficient than keeping it for himself to slowly explore. 

After a pause, just as Yakumo and Ido's hearts raced to their throats, Shinji spoke: "There won't be a next time." 

"Thank you, Leader!" 

Yakumo exhaled in relief, collapsing to the floor as if drained of strength. 

Ido didn't dare make a sound, keeping her head buried low. 

Shinji gave a faint order: "Yakumo, from now on, Ido isn't to leave your body without my permission!" 

Yakumo assured him, "Rest assured, Leader, I'll keep a close watch on her!"