Next up was the battle within the Forest of Death.
It was worth noting that this time around, Orochimaru had not decided to participate in the Chūnin Exams.
Perhaps it was because both Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi no longer existed due to the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
Without ever having crossed paths with Itachi, Orochimaru still craved Kekkei Genkai, but his obsession with the Sharingan wasn't as intense.
Or maybe… Orochimaru was currently too busy researching how to decode the "Fission Technique" or preparing to transfer into Kimimaro's body to make time for the exams.
On top of that, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, had been gravely injured by you and stripped of most of his Kekkei Genkai. The remaining Magnet Release in his bloodline was now so diluted he could no longer control a sufficient amount of gold sand…
Even the Tailed Beast had been lost. In order not to show weakness to other nations, Sunagakure had been acting extremely low-key lately.
With the two most crucial figures absent, the so-called Konoha Crush Plan naturally never came to pass.
But you weren't the kind of person who simply followed the flow of events.
If your strength was enough…
Then you'd do whatever you wanted to do.
You'd never allow anyone to stand in your way!
And so now, you were enacting your own version of the Konoha Crush Plan!
Once the participating genin had entered the Forest of Death in three-man teams, you sent in a shadow clone capable of using Permeation Release to infiltrate the area.
This was to ensure that the makeshift team from Yugakure could safely escort Konohamaru to the final round…
Meanwhile, your real body had its sights set on another target—
Yamato—also known as Tenzo—the only shinobi in Konoha currently capable of using the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai!
You already possessed both Water and Earth affinities, meaning you should theoretically be able to synthesize Wood Release. However, like any other Kekkei Genkai...
Even with your current talent, you still needed a specific reference material to synthesize a new bloodline.
That meant having the blood of someone who actually possessed the Kekkei Genkai—at the very least, a blood sample!
Originally, you had considered using Obito as the base. After your battle near the Land of Whirlpools, you had left Obito maimed and had collected a sample of his blood.
But all you found within it was pure Uchiha blood—there wasn't even a trace of Wood Release!
You recalled that in previous simulations, you had killed Obito more than once—and in the last simulation, you'd even drained every drop of his blood…
And yet, all that did was enhance the Uchiha bloodline within your body. There was still no sign of Wood Release.
Thus, you concluded that artificially transplanted Kekkei Genkai couldn't truly integrate into the bloodline.
It was just like how Kakashi, despite having Obito's transplanted Sharingan, still didn't carry any Uchiha blood within him.
Besides that, you had plenty of White Zetsu samples in your possession. But your Ocular Powers didn't work on them—apparently, they weren't recognized as normal biological beings. They also didn't contain blood, which meant you couldn't obtain any viable Wood Release materials from them.
Sure, you had swiped some Hashirama cells from Orochimaru's lab and cultured them on the floating island—but the sample size was tiny.
Worse yet, every time you analyzed them, the cells would often undergo lignification when stimulated by your Sharingan, turning into something as useless as White Zetsu cells…
So, your gaze had now fallen on Yamato.
He had genuine Hashirama cells transplanted into his body—not the White Zetsu-like variant Obito had.
And they'd been implanted when he was just a child.
Though technically still a transplant, there were no signs of white patching on his skin, which meant the cells had fused extremely well—he was practically a diluted version of a true Wood Release bloodline…
Due to the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto, Yamato served as his personal bodyguard. The two were extremely close, almost like brothers.
But once Naruto entered the stadium, basking in the villagers' cheers, Yamato had left for the village center to eat alone.
"I wonder… what kind of expression you'll have when you're bathing in glory and celebration—only to watch your friends and loved ones die around you."
You had to admit:
Deep down inside, you harbored a level of jealousy toward Naruto that you never thought possible.
Even though he had nothing to do with the Uchiha Clan Massacre…
Even though you had no personal grudge against him…
There was still an envy inside you—especially when you saw him living under the protection of the Hokage, admired by those around him, enjoying a blessed life and carefree growth...
And then came the memories of your past life—so full of loneliness and weakness, helplessness and pain.
Ever since arriving in this world, you'd lived in constant fear, surrounded by death. Not once had you been able to live openly under the sun. Your world consisted only of interests… and spreading fear.
You couldn't even remember the last time you genuinely tasted food…
You wanted to live in the light too.
Ever since the first time you met Naruto, a voice deep inside had been whispering to you:
Let go of the hatred.
Abandon your pursuit of power.
Go embrace that warm sun...
But…
Impossible.
Because your rational mind always reminded you: the path you were walking now was the correct one.
Only once the Shinobi World was unified...
Only once you stood as the strongest in existence...
Would you finally be able to bask in a sunlight that belonged solely to you!
Not something granted by others out of pity.
Not the fleeting happiness of those who prospered amidst chaos...
"Haha… I really am not cut out to be the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails."
You were incredibly grateful that you'd had the clarity to let Nagato handle the actual unification process of the Shinobi World.
Never had you imagined that beneath your seemingly frozen heart, a sliver of humanity still remained.
Even though you would never admit it!
But now that you had recognized this emotional wavering, you immediately reasserted control over your body with sheer logic.
Those who achieve greatness do not quibble over details.
A single life was nothing.
History moves like a roaring river—those who go with it will prosper, those who resist will perish!
...
You had once again overcome the influence of Asura's Will—and you were astonished to find how strong and deeply rooted this hidden power had become as Naruto continued to grow!
You decided to act swiftly. You would leave no time for hesitation.
You tailed Yamato as he finished lunch. Just as he passed a secluded street corner, you suddenly appeared—
A sharp, hollow bone spike pierced into his back.
Sharingan activated.
Within a single second, all the blood in Yamato's body—along with the bloodline within—was completely drained.
As his dried-out corpse collapsed to the ground...
Your figure vanished once more.
Moments later, you returned to the floating island—eyes gleaming with joy and excitement.
Upon analysis, Yamato's body indeed contained the true Wood Release Kekkei Genkai. Though slightly diluted, it was fully analyzable through your Ocular Powers!
Next up… find a pure-blooded member of the Hyūga clan's main family.
Once that was done, you would possess the bloodlines of the Uchiha, Uzumaki, Kaguya, and Hyūga clans. Even without the Senju line, the Uzumaki would be an adequate substitute.
You would finally begin the transformation toward an Ōtsutsuki being!
In your opinion, Hinata would make a perfect candidate. The fact that Toneri chose her as the vessel for the Byakugan transplant proved that her Byakugan purity was incredibly high—
And that her Hyūga bloodline was just as strong…
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo