Chapter 272: The Immortal Legend!
The vast battlefield was littered with scorched marks and deep craters, stark evidence of the intense battle that had just taken place.
The prior destruction of Sunagakure further highlighted the strength of the so-called immortal duo.
Thus, when Chiyo saw that the Konoha shinobi had defeated Kakuzu and his partner without a single casualty, even she couldn't hide her shock.
However, her admiration was accompanied by a growing sense of unease.
The stronger Konoha became, the greater the pressure on Sunagakure.
The intelligence the Fourth Kazekage had returned with revealed Konoha's ambitions all too clearly.
Moreover, while Konoha's talents seemed endless, Sunagakure appeared to lack promising individuals. They had no one comparable to Kakashi, let alone someone who could rival Hoshita Shūichi.
What future awaited Sunagakure?
---
After a brief exchange between the two groups, the shinobi from Konoha and Sunagakure set up camp to rest for the night before heading to Konoha together.
With a simple Wood Style jutsu, Yamato created two comfortable lodges—one for the Konoha shinobi and the other for the Sunagakure shinobi.
However, Chiyo found herself unable to sleep on the hard wooden floor that night.
Several times, she felt a surge of murderous intent.
Her feelings were not only driven by her grudge against Konoha's White Fang but also by a deep-seated jealousy.
Yet her rationality held her back.
Even if she succeeded in killing Kakashi and his team, Sunagakure could not withstand Konoha's wrath—or worse, the wrath of Shūichi.
---
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, after a simple breakfast, Kakashi and his team began their journey back to Konoha, accompanied by the shinobi from Sunagakure.
---
After they departed, White Zetsu's clone, Tobi, emerged from the ground and unearthed the dismembered immortal White Zetsu that Nara Suzaku's group had buried in separate pits.
Casually piecing the immortal White Zetsu back together, Tobi chuckled, "How was it, being buried underground?"
The immortal White Zetsu pondered seriously. "Well, though we're used to moving through the ground, this was a novel experience. But I must say, being dismembered limited my abilities. I honestly thought I could escape on my own."
Tobi nodded in realization. "Ah, that makes sense."
"Of course it does," White Zetsu replied, moving his reassembled body. "If I could move through the ground while dismembered, wouldn't that make me even better?"
Tobi laughed. "Hey, we're just knock-offs—defective products. If it were Lord Shūichi, he'd have no problem doing that."
"I once saw Lord Shūichi conduct experiments where his scattered body parts could fly back and reassemble on their own. Each part could even transform into a clone with the same abilities as the original body."
The immortal White Zetsu was stunned. "He's already reached that level?"
"Looks like I've missed out on a lot!"
As Tobi slowly sank back into the ground, he teased, "Of course! If you stayed gone any longer, someone might have taken your place with Lord Shūichi!"
White Zetsu hurriedly disappeared into the earth. "Now I can't wait to see Lord Shūichi again!"
---
Meanwhile
Shūichi was inspecting Pakura's recent training progress in his laboratory at the daimyo's estate.
Unfortunately, her results were disappointing. She begged for mercy after only half an hour.
Shūichi could only impart more guidance, hoping she would improve next time and not fall too far behind.
After placing Pakura in a bathtub, Shūichi stepped out feeling refreshed—only to freeze when he noticed Mizu's hurried retreating figure.
Could it be?
Shūichi glanced back at the door. Did he forget to close it properly?
...Was the training session with Pakura overheard?
Pakura's cries during her sparring might have sounded… a bit tragic?
---
Back to Business
After a quick tour of the Tensai Village he had established for the daimyo, where he instilled the Will of Fire in its students, Shūichi returned to his experimental base.
By then, Pakura had recovered, but Mizu couldn't meet Shūichi's gaze, her face flushed red with embarrassment.
Ignoring her reaction, Shūichi got to work with Pakura. After a quick lunch, he returned to Konoha to discuss ninjutsu with Tobirama Senju.
---
That evening, under Shizune's guidance, Shūichi and Tobirama dragged Tsunade and Hashirama out of a gambling den.
The rescue came at the cost of ten million ryo.
Considering it was only a day's worth of gambling losses, it became clear that Hashirama and Tsunade were equally terrible gamblers.
While Hashirama endured his younger brother's scolding with a sheepish grin, Tsunade remained unscathed. She reassured Shūichi with her usual confidence, "Don't worry! I'll win it back next time!"
Hashirama nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
Shūichi's expression darkened.
Next time?
One more round of this, and he'd be bankrupt!
Reckless gamblers!
Resolved, Shūichi vowed to teach them a harsh lesson.
Sensing his rising irritation, Tsunade quickly retreated to her lab upon their return, diving into her work to avoid his wrath.
Shizune pulled Shūichi's hand and whispered, "Shūichi, how about I use my savings to help Lady Tsunade pay off her debts?"
Shūichi chuckled at her suggestion, ruffling her hair affectionately. "You silly girl."
"Of course not. It's not about the money."
"It's because Tsunade's behavior has gone too far. Gambling is not a good habit."
Shizune nodded in agreement but added, "But Lady Tsunade doesn't seem able to change."
Shūichi smiled. "Don't worry, there's always a way."
"Speaking of which, my birthday is coming up. What have you prepared for me?"
Blushing, Shizune smiled shyly. "That's a secret for now. You'll find out soon, Shūichi!"
"I'd better go help Lady Tsunade first."
With that, Shizune turned and ran off.
"So mysterious."
Shūichi laughed quietly to himself before heading off to find the First and Second Hokage to learn the Gate of the Great God Sealing Technique from Hashirama.
For someone like Shūichi, who had already mastered Sage Mode and Wood Release, learning from Hashirama made things remarkably easy.
In less than half an hour, Shūichi had already grasped the technique.
---
Inside the Eight Trigrams Seal, Kurama was in the middle of an argument with Shukaku when a massive red torii gate descended from the above, pinning him down. Kurama was momentarily stunned.
Shukaku, however, burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Serves you right, you stinky fox!"
Fuming, Kurama roared, "Shūichi, what is the meaning of this?!"
He had been minding his own business, arguing with Shukaku, when suddenly he was attacked.
Outrageous!
Kurama had even been considering cooperating with Shūichi to persuade his other half, but now?
Hmph!
Shūichi appeared outside the cage, smiling apologetically. "My deepest apologies. I just learned a new sealing technique designed specifically to deal with the Ten-Tails."
"Since you, Kurama, are the strongest of the Nine Tailed Beasts and the one closest in power to the Ten-Tails, I thought you'd make the perfect test subject."
Kurama instinctively lifted his head proudly at the praise but quickly sensed something off.
Snorting coldly, he said, "It's Sage Art-level, but if you think this technique alone is enough to handle the Ten-Tails, you're far from it."
At that moment, Hashirama and Tobirama appeared beside Shūichi, their presence causing all the Tailed Beasts to tense up under the sudden pressure.
Kurama's pupils shrank as he locked eyes with Hashirama. "This guy... He doesn't feel as powerful as before, but still..."
Sensing Kurama's wary gaze, Hashirama smiled warmly. "Relax, Kurama. I'm not here to fight you."
"By the way, may I call you Kurama?"
Had it been anyone else, Kurama would have snapped at them, but facing Hashirama, the harsh words got stuck in his throat. Instead, he let out a grudging snort. "Do as you please."
"But don't expect me to trust you."
Hashirama didn't mind, but Tobirama spoke coldly, "Kurama, the situation is clear enough. If we don't cooperate, none of us can guarantee victory against the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki."
"And besides, how much do you even know about the Ten-Tails?"
At the mention of the Ten-Tails, all nine Tailed Beasts fell silent.
Finally, after a brief pause, Son Gokū spoke. "To be honest, we don't know much about the Ten-Tails either."
"After all, we're merely fragments of its chakra. That alone should tell you how serious the situation is."
Shukaku chimed in, "The Ten-Tails' power is tens of times greater than ours combined."
"Its strength is utterly cataclysmic."
Tobirama frowned. That was an extremely vague assessment.
Even so, the idea that the Ten-Tails' power dwarfed the combined might of the Nine Tails was terrifying.
Shūichi, however, knew the Ten-Tails' capabilities exceeded even their expectations—especially with its ability to siphon power through the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Suddenly, Kurama spoke up, "Enough speculating about the Ten-Tails' power."
"We are but fragments of its chakra. That it's so powerful is only natural."
Hashirama furrowed his brow at this. "Shūichi, you're still young. There's no need to rush."
But Shūichi shook his head. "Lord First, this isn't about my pace."
"I can sense unseen hands pulling the strings from the shadows."
"Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Rinnegan, hatred, the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki, the Eye of the Moon Plan..."
"And... the Sage of Six Paths' prophecy."
Tobirama nodded. "If it's come to this, we have no choice but to press forward."
"Besides, with Madara's current strength, it won't be easy for him to claim the Six-Tails and Nine-Tails. We still have time."
Hashirama turned to Kurama and said earnestly, "Kurama, please work with us!"
"You should be able to feel our sincerity."
"You Tailed Beasts are as wise as humans. Surely you understand that, whether from a standpoint of mutual benefit or otherwise, cooperation is the best choice."
Kurama was silent for a moment before replying, "I'll cooperate, but..."
His gaze landed on Shūichi. "I want to know—what's your true objective?"
All eyes turned to Shūichi.
Caught off guard, Shūichi paused, then gave it some serious thought. "My true goal... or perhaps my ultimate goal?"
"Of course, it's to attain immortality and unparalleled strength. That's the ultimate pursuit."
"As for gathering the Nine Tails' power, obtaining the Ten-Tails' strength, uniting the ninja world, and resolving its hidden conflicts for future generations—those are just milestones on my journey."
"After all, I'm still young. With my current body, living for several hundred years won't be an issue."
"In such a long life, one needs goals to accomplish to keep it meaningful."
"That said, I won't become a Jinchūriki of either the Tailed Beasts or the Ten-Tails."
"To be honest, I find the idea of sharing my body with others... unappealing."
Shukaku snorted. "Never thought I'd see the day when we Tailed Beasts would be rejected."
Shūichi raised a brow. "I never said that."
Son Gokū grumbled, "We don't enjoy being sealed inside others either."
Hashirama clapped his hands together, smiling. "Perfect! Then it's settled."
Everyone turned to Kurama, who nodded silently, offering no further resistance.
With that, Shūichi dispelled the cage, and all nine Tailed Beasts gathered together.
Chōmei (Seven-Tails) remarked, "I never thought we'd reunite like this."
Isobu (Three-Tails) added, "Does this fulfill the Sage's prophecy?"
...
After resolving the matter with the Tailed Beasts, Hashirama and Tobirama left the research base. Shūichi, however, made his way to the Tailed Beast incubation chamber.
He had yet to consume the flesh of the Seven-Tails.
After eating it, his chakra and physical constitution saw improvements, but the effects were far less pronounced than before.
At the same time, Shūichi sensed something different. With his body now infused with the essence of all nine Tailed Beasts, he felt as if something was brewing within him—something incomplete.
"The Ten-Tails' shell, perhaps?"
His gaze shifted to the glass container holding fragments of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. A primal desire to obtain it welled up within him.
"Not yet..."
He averted his eyes and then headed toward Tsunade.
At that moment, Tsunade and Shizune were diligently working. Shūichi stood silently at the doorway, observing them without interrupting.
After a while, he disappeared without a sound, reappearing in another laboratory.
This was the immortality research lab.
By now, the upgraded Immortal White Zetsu had been completed.
When Shūichi arrived, the White Zetsu had been dissected by shadow clones, with its limbs, head, and torso separated.
Yet, these dismembered parts floated in the air, moving autonomously around the lab. "Marvelous! As expected of the genius Lord Shūichi"
"You're the true deity of evil arts!"
White Zetsu showered him with flattery.
After playing around for a bit, White Zetsu activated its unique ability. The dismembered body parts immediately synchronized and began to transform.
Shūichi, Kakuzu, Tsunade, Shizune...
Each limb and torso morphed into independent figures resembling these individuals.
White Zetsu marveled, "What a magnificent technique!"
"With this, there's no need to fear dismemberment anymore."
"Lord Shūichi, this is the pinnacle of immortality!"
More flattery followed.
Shūichi, however, remained clear-headed. "There's no such thing as a perfect technique. This one is highly refined, but it's not without weaknesses."
For instance, Yin-Yang Release could render immortality meaningless.
Yin-Yang Release was capable of directly attacking the soul.
Moreover, there were other techniques targeting the soul that could pose a threat.
Sealing techniques were also effective; they could seal off and isolate the separated body parts, severing their connection.
Of course, ordinary sealing techniques wouldn't suffice.
Shūichi had used Electromagnetic Release to establish a powerful connection between his body parts, enabling them to sense one another and reassemble automatically.
In addition to being capable of independent transformation thanks to advanced transformation jutsu, his immortality also relied on soul-related methods, such as the Soul Binding Technique.
In other words:
Shūichi's current form of immortality meant that if his body were divided, his soul would also be fragmented.
When White Zetsu reassembled its body, there were no issues at all. At that moment, Shūichi sensed activity from the Tag Tree system.
(End of Chapter)
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