"..."
Upon hearing Hyuga Kawa's question, the middle-aged man took a deep breath, a bitter smile appearing on his face. He swiped his screen and pulled up several extremely blurry, shaky video clips that were clearly filmed from a distance. The images vaguely showed three figures with terrifying auras, the Espada codenamed "White Fang," "Puppeteer," and "Vortex."
"Based on the information we have and the data we've collected, as we haven't captured any similar 'Voids' yet, those three individuals who appeared in the Uchiha clan's compound..."
His voice held an unconcealed sense of awe as he spoke. "Whether it's their physical structure or their fighting style, there's a fundamental difference from the 'Voids' we have captured."
He pointed to the figure of "White Fang" on the screen, whose entire body was covered in a pale bone-like armor, with a massive bone blade crossed behind its back as a weapon.
"Take 'White Fang' as an example. We deduce that its entire body, from the bony parts to its internal structure, presents a highly condensed, solid form."
"We speculate that the spiritual energy within its body has been compressed, condensed, and solidified to an unimaginable extent. Its density and stability are equal to or even surpass steel!"
The middle-aged man then brought up the footage of "Vortex," explaining, "Based on the currently known information, 'Vortex' is similar. Its attack style, like 'White Fang's,' leans toward pure physical destruction."
"In other words, these beings known as the 'Espada' have transcended the category of ordinary 'Voids.' They are true, intelligent, and sentient physical beings!"
"Their entire bodies, including their skin, muscles, bones, and every other part, can directly touch and destroy matter, and they can be directly hit by physical attacks."
Hearing this, Danzo Shimura's eyes lit up. He said in a raspy voice, "Does this mean that conventional Five Elements Ninjutsu and physical damage can also harm them?"
Upon hearing this question, the middle-aged man unconsciously adjusted his glasses, hiding a flash of speechlessness. He patiently explained:
"Lord Danzo, you are correct. Because they are completely solidified, the physical damage of conventional ninjutsu is no longer ineffective. They can affect their bodies on a physical level, just as they would with a regular ninja."
"But I think you've forgotten one thing."
"This also means that they are no longer like those 'Voids,' where only the bone-like parts have physical interaction capabilities. Their entire bodies can be used as weapons for destruction."
"Furthermore, with their high-density bodies, their physical strength is terrifying, and they possess powerful resistance and regenerative abilities."
"The bone structure is still the strongest part of their bodies..."
Hearing this, Danzo Shimura's expression froze slightly, while the eyes of Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado grew even gloomier. Just one of these humanoid monsters would come at a great cost, and there were at least three of them.
"And finally, the 'Puppeteer'..."
The middle-aged man paused here before continuing. "Its body is also highly solidified. However, the 'threads' it uses are not physical threads."
"We speculate they are chakra threads..."
Homura Mitokado blurted out, "Chakra threads? The kind used by puppeteers to control puppets?"
"Yes," the middle-aged man nodded. "The chakra threads used by puppeteers are an extension of their consciousness, essentially spiritual energy."
"However, the chakra threads of a normal puppeteer are incredibly fragile, and most puppeteers' minds cannot control multiple puppets at once, as it's akin to multitasking."
"Only a very few genius puppeteers, such as the first person to learn the puppetry jutsu developed by the Second Kazekage and improve upon it to create the 'Collection of Ten Puppets,' Monzaemon, can control multiple puppets at once by himself."
Koharu Utatane said in a low voice, "But even that Monzaemon only controlled ten lifeless puppets, right? And that 'Puppeteer'..."
Danzo Shimura couldn't help but recall the horrifying sight of the 'Puppeteer' standing in the air, using countless threads to make the Leaf shinobi kill each other. He slowly took a breath.
"That's exactly where the 'Puppeteer's' power lies."
The middle-aged man's expression was grim. "Its actions are like turning its consciousness into dozens of parts, suppressing the controlled person's consciousness while precisely controlling their bodies like puppets..."
"No, we shouldn't call them puppets. We should call them 'dolls,' as its name suggests. It is a 'doll master.'"
"According to our speculation, if the 'Puppeteer' compresses its entire spiritual energy into just a few chakra threads, those threads would likely possess terrifying toughness and sharpness."
"We don't yet know the 'Puppeteer's' upper limit on the number of dolls it can control. We speculate the difficulty of control is determined by the 'doll's' mental strength and chakra level."
"We believe it's still unable to single-handedly destroy any of the Five Great Shinobi Villages in a head-on confrontation."
"But the most crucial point is that this 'Puppeteer,' who possesses such great power, is only 'Espada Three' according to that 'Shadow.'"
"If this number represents a ranking within the 'Espada' based on strength, then..."
The middle-aged man didn't continue, but the faces of Danzo and the other two twitched. They understood what that meant. It meant that among the 'Espada' that appeared that day, only the one ranked third, the 'Puppeteer,' truly displayed its abilities. The other two, 'Vortex' and 'White Fang,' never showed their true power.
If the 'Espada' had ten members as their name suggested, then, not even including the 'Shadow,' there were at least two, possibly three, beings more powerful than the 'Puppeteer.'
Espada Zero, Espada One, Espada Two...
If they, like the 'Puppeteer,' possessed the power to slaughter any small country, or even overthrow a shinobi village...
"To put it simply," Hyuga Kawa summarized, "the 'Espada' are no longer in that 'half-energy, half-material' transitional state of ordinary 'Voids.' They are 'solid.'"
"This means that when facing the 'Espada,' we don't have to go to great lengths to attack their single weakness, the mask, like we do with other 'Voids.'"
"In theory, although the effect may be limited, attacking any part of their body can cause them harm. At the same time, this also means that the 'Espada' have almost no weaknesses."
"Their threat level has increased exponentially. They are no longer 'monsters' that kill by instinct but beings with immense power and human-like intelligence."
Danzo and the other two listened in silence, staring at the blurry yet imposing figures in the footage. The solemn look in their eyes deepened.
'Shadow,' 'Espada,' 'Void Realm'...
The three of them silently repeated these names in their hearts. An unprecedented sense of terrifying crisis washed over them like a tide.
The appearance of just three 'Espada' members had already caused devastating losses to the Leaf. So what about the remaining seven 'Espada'? What about the unfathomable 'Shadow' himself and the 'Lord' he spoke of who would return to the world?
"Continue the research," Danzo Shimura said with an undeniable coldness. "We need to find methods to effectively counter these monsters besides just destroying their masks."
"Also, we need to find out the pattern of the 'Voids' energy beams and how to effectively interfere with or defend against soul consumption."
"Especially the changes that appear on the killer after a 'Void' is killed."
"My gut tells me that the key to an efficient way to kill a 'Void' is hidden within that."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man responded solemnly, "Yes, we will do our best." He knew that the results of this research would directly affect the survival of the Leaf, and even the entire shinobi world, in the future.
Afterward, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado each gave some instructions. They then looked at each other and turned to the long-silent Hyuga Kawa.
"Yugawa, do you have any more questions?" Homura Mitokado asked proactively.
The three of them, including Danzo Shimura, knew the meaning behind Hiruzen Sarutobi sending Hyuga Kawa here while he was recovering in the hospital. Even though the "Caged Bird" curse would prevent Hyuga Kawa from becoming the next Hokage, he would still be cultivated as a future senior leader of the Leaf. As a future leader, he naturally had the right to know some secrets.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were worried that the still-young Hyuga Kawa would become arrogant and condescending due to Hiruzen's high regard. For example, he might think he was on equal footing with them, the elders...
Hyuga Kawa seemed to have just snapped out of his thoughts. He shook his head at the three elders. "I came on behalf of the Third. I have finished asking all the questions he wanted to be asked."
Seeing that Hyuga Kawa did not seem to be overstepping his bounds, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's eyes showed a flash of satisfaction. They smiled and said, "Then we'll have to trouble you to tell Hiruzen everything."
"We heard that Kakashi is also in the hospital like Hiruzen. Once all the post-war matters are arranged, we will visit them."
The two of them were already aware of what had happened to Kakashi Hatake, including the fact that the true identity of the masked man who caused the Nine-Tails incident and the Uchiha massacre was Obito Uchiha, who had supposedly died during the "Kannabi Bridge Incident." Even if he wasn't the real Madara Uchiha, he was still a strong individual with the Mangekyō Sharingan. Kakashi repelling him was a great achievement.
If nothing unexpected happened, with the losses from the Fourth Great Shinobi War and the casualties from this incident, Hiruzen Sarutobi would likely be unable to continue as Hokage. If Tsunade and Jiraiya still refused to take the position of Fifth Hokage, the special circumstances of Kakashi Hatake meant he would be one of the candidates. When the severely injured Shisui Uchiha woke from his coma and clarified the cause of the Uchiha massacre, he might also become a candidate.
The prerequisite is that Shisui is completely innocent in this matter, was unaware of everything from the start, and no one secretly interfered...
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado glanced at the expressionless Danzo Shimura but quickly averted their eyes. They took the research report and left the institute. They were extremely busy now. Hiruzen Sarutobi's aging body and mental state were severely depleted, and only the two of them could stabilize the volatile post-war Leaf Village.
After the two of them left, Danzo Shimura also turned and left with the research report, with Hyuga Kawa following closely behind.
Click, bang!
The heavy door of the Technical Research Institute slowly closed behind them, shutting off the cold light and oppressive research atmosphere inside.
Danzo Shimura walked with his cane into a wooded path leading to the Anbu Foundation base, his steps unhurried. The sunlight was cut into fragmented spots by the dense canopy. The surroundings seemed silent, with only the slight sound of his cane tapping on the fallen leaves and Danzo's breathing.
Danzo walked for several hundred meters without stopping, but he suddenly spoke, breaking the eerie silence of the woods:
"How long do you plan to follow me?"
His voice echoed through the silent path, but there was no response, only the rustling of leaves in the wind, as if mocking his self-talk.
There was no expression on Danzo's face. His single eye gleamed coldly in the shadows. He suddenly raised the hand holding his cane.
Clang!
With a subtle click, a long senbon needle shot out from the bottom of his cane. Its target was not in front of him, but to his side.
Crunch!
The sharp tip of the needle plunged into a tree trunk without any hindrance. The next moment, the previously empty space rippled like water.
A figure silently appeared.
Hyuga Kawa stood in front of the tree trunk, his head slightly tilted as he looked at Danzo. The tip of the poisoned blade was just a hair's breadth away from him. The wind from the blade even ruffled a few strands of his hair, but his pure white eyes remained calm and unruffled.