After finishing his discussion with Shikaku, Kyoichi didn't go home. Instead, he went straight to the research facility.
Shikaku's experience had proved to be quite valuable.
Kyoichi could feel it—
although he was still a long way from realizing the materialization of the five senses, that wasn't truly what he sought. What he needed was a deeper, more refined mastery over the Yin Release nature transformation.
And now, he felt he was close.
All he lacked was a deeper layer of chakra—something that ordinary Sage Chakra alone could no longer satisfy.
His Sage Chakra was already formidable.
Though not on the same level as Hashirama Senju's innate Sage Body, it wasn't far behind. Yet, to reach the Six Paths level, there was still a considerable gap.
Moreover…
Even though he'd left Yang Release research to Nagato, that didn't mean Kyoichi couldn't study it himself.
Children make choices—
but adults? They take it all.
At present, Yin Release remained his primary obstacle. Once he completed that, mastering Yang Release would be a matter of time.
After all—
His body was already near the Sage Body level. With a bit more refinement, or by transplanting or sealing a replica of the God Tree, he might well achieve the pinnacle of Yang Release. Combined with the Ten-Tails' chakra, reaching the Six Paths tier wouldn't be out of reach.
But for now, Yin Release was key.
At this stage, Kyoichi had nearly perfected it—just one small step away.
He entered the lab and stood beneath the replica of the God Tree.
His shadow clone no longer needed to maintain its internal systems; by now, the Ten-Tails' chakra seal was completely stable. The replica tree itself had formed an internal circulation system.
However—
That clone hadn't been recalled for several days.
Though it could persist longer, Kyoichi wasn't sure if his main body could handle the feedback once the clone returned.
"Honestly, this isn't tiring at all. Not like the old days of endless research. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"…Uh."
Kyoichi didn't even know how to respond.
Truly—no one understands you like yourself. Without needing to say a word, the clone had already guessed what he was thinking.
A perfect match indeed.
"Has the tree been absorbing power from the earth's ley lines lately?"
"Yeah. It's inherited some of the God Tree's characteristics. I suspect that given time, it might even produce a chakra fruit. Though… who knows what quality it'd be, or how long it would take."
The clone spoke matter-of-factly.
It had been observing the replica continuously; in truth, even Orochimaru didn't understand it as well.
Kyoichi thought for a moment, then decided not to dispel it yet.
If the clone said it wasn't tired, then it could keep going. After all—
He'd need someone to stand guard while he experimented with a sample of the Ten-Tails' chakra, in case anything unexpected occurred.
Without another word, he opened part of the seal, extracting a small portion of the Ten-Tails' chakra. Then he swiftly layered seal after seal to prevent any further leakage.
Finally, he drew that chakra into himself.
The sensation—
Was indescribable.
At first glance, it didn't feel all that different from when he worked with the Nine-Tails' chakra, but in truth, this was something else entirely—far denser, more focused, and terrifyingly potent.
But more than its quantity, what truly stood out was its quality.
Kyoichi immersed himself in the feeling, then suddenly opened his eyes, astonishment flashing in them.
He hadn't entered the Six Paths Mode, yet there was a new and distinct sensation—
He could perfectly contain this chakra.
More precisely—
The Ten-Tails' chakra produced by the replica tree lacked the natural repulsion of the tailed beasts' chakra. It harmonized with his body seamlessly.
And Kyoichi had a vague realization—
If he were to absorb all the Ten-Tails' chakra currently stored, he might reach a form of Sage Power surpassing ordinary Sage Mode—
Not something "between" Sage Mode and Six Paths Sage Mode, but something altogether different.
Yet…
He suspected this had to do with the vessel he'd created.
The original Ten-Tails was formed from Kaguya's body—the true God Tree's trunk.
But this time—
The chakra of this "Ten-Tails" was produced through a vessel born of Hashirama's cells, merged with traits of the God Tree.
Judging from its properties—
This chakra likely contained traces of Hashirama Senju's Sage Chakra within it.
He couldn't say whether that was good or bad.
Asking the Nine-Tails was pointless.
That beast, despite its long life, had spent eons roaming wild after the Sage of Six Paths' death—it knew little about the true structure of chakra. Probably even less than Kyoichi himself at this point.
So, he'd have to rely on himself.
Kyoichi sighed.
Looks like…
He'd need to consult his favorite "toolman."
In Konoha, there was no one more knowledgeable about Hashirama's cells than Orochimaru. After his firsthand work with the replica God Tree, his understanding had even surpassed Tsunade's—
Though, that was mostly because Tsunade chose not to study such things.
Otherwise—
With her medical expertise, surpassing Orochimaru would've been trivial.
Kyoichi found Orochimaru in his lab.
At the moment, Orochimaru was busy "experimenting" on the Nine-Tails' clone. Unfortunately for him, the clone's chakra reserves were immense, and subduing it was proving troublesome.
"It's just a little experiment…"
"Get lost!"
The Nine-Tails' clone roared, its chakra flaring violently as it charged a Tailed Beast Bomb.
In truth—
Orochimaru could have overpowered it. A mere clone was hardly a challenge.
But if he destroyed the entire research facility in the process, Kyoichi would probably tear him apart afterward.
So the two were locked in an uneasy stalemate.
"Kyoichi, what brings you here—cough, cough!"
"Orochimaru, stop pestering the Nine-Tails. Its structure isn't what you're after; it's useless for your research."
Kyoichi sighed.
He understood Orochimaru's curiosity about the tailed beasts, but their nature was fundamentally different from what Orochimaru wanted to achieve.
Tailed beasts were chakra given form—living manifestations of it.
"Still… if their secret to immortality lies in being pure chakra, what if I could make myself the same? What if I could become chakra itself?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with fervor.
It was a mad idea—
but if it worked, it would be true immortality.
"Let's talk about the Ten-Tails' chakra first. I just extracted a portion and tested it."
"How did it feel?"
Both Orochimaru and the Nine-Tails perked up instantly, forgetting their little feud.
Because, really—
what grudge could compare to the Ten-Tails?
"The situation's… complicated. The chakra seems to possess both the Ten-Tails' properties and Hashirama's chakra traits. I can't tell if that's good or bad."
"That sounds like a good thing, doesn't it? More traits should mean more power," the Nine-Tails said uncertainly.
But Orochimaru frowned deeply.
Power wasn't arithmetic.
More… didn't always mean better.
***********************
Read advanced chapter ahead of everyone else on my P@treon.
P@treon/GodDragcell