Chapter 162: Kumogakure's Kekkei Genkai Transfer Plan
"How do I break free from Madara's control?"
Now that he fully understood everything had been orchestrated by Madara, Li Yao was furious—but he had no choice but to accept reality.
Until he freed himself from Madara's grasp, he could only continue being his pawn.
"Madara's methods are at the Six Paths level!"
"My strength must also reach the Six Paths level to undo whatever Madara planted in me."
Li Yao quickly ran through possibilities in his mind—how could he elevate his power to the Six Paths level?
To do that, he first needed to gain control over Six Paths-level chakra. That was the foundation.
There were two ways to acquire such chakra.
The first was to fuse the chakra of all Nine Tailed Beasts.
But Li Yao didn't have the Rinnegan, nor could he control the Gedo Statue. He couldn't absorb and merge the Tailed Beasts to form Ten Tails chakra—that path was out of the question.
Besides, that method carried immense risk. It was an external force, not his own, and it would require overwhelming power to suppress it.
Both Obito and Madara needed at least one Rinnegan to restrain the enormous chakra of the Ten Tails.
Without the Rinnegan, Li Yao wouldn't be able to handle it. He'd be devoured and turned into fuel.
That left the second option, which suited Li Yao much better.
Six Paths-level Kekkei Mōra was formed by fusing the seven chakra natures: wind, water, lightning, fire, earth, yin, and yang.
Given Li Yao's absolute control over chakra and his unique ability to sense subtle fluctuations in chakra nature, the path of elemental fusion was most suited to him. The Kekkei Mōra chakra he developed this way would be completely under his control.
No need to fear someone like Black Zetsu pulling strings to turn him into nourishment for Kaguya.
"Alright. I'll walk the Kekkei Mōra path from now on."
Li Yao made up his mind. But before that, he needed to fully develop the Perfect Transformation Technique.
The Third Hokage still ranked number one on Li Yao's revenge list—no one could take that spot.
Once he mastered Perfect Transformation and took control of Konoha, he'd gradually begin developing Kekkei Mōra.
There was still time.
And Madara hadn't died yet. No need to test or provoke him just yet.
Once Madara was gone, he'd have all the time in the world to pursue Kekkei Mōra.
…
Kumogakure
Morning.
Eastern Cloud-Lightning Gorge, atop a tall mountain.
Starting from midway up to the peak, the interior had been hollowed out and turned into a secret research facility.
Deep within, inside a dimly lit chamber, Uzumaki Yuzu squatted in a dark corner. She had long since awoken, her hopeless eyes now filled with hatred so dense it seemed tangible.
Clang… The iron door opened. A Kumo shinobi in a white coat entered. The yellow light behind him lit up Uzumaki Yuzu's curled figure.
It was clear she hadn't been physically abused. Her slightly chubby cheeks showed that at least she hadn't been starved.
"Get up." The Kumo shinobi stood over her and commanded.
Yuzu glanced up, then numbly stood and followed him out without a word or any resistance.
She wanted to live—wanted to survive long enough to gain the power to destroy this world. For that, she was willing to become a demon if she had to.
Inside the research facility, the hallways formed a cross, shaped like the kanji "十". Labs were positioned along either corridor.
Her holding cell was at the very bottom of the vertical corridor.
Without stopping at the crossroads, they walked to the far end of the upper hallway.
The Kumo shinobi opened a door to the left and entered.
Two research ninja in white lab coats were already waiting inside.
Yuzu didn't need prompting. She silently walked to the center of the room and approached the examination table.
It looked more like the restraint beds Li Yao once saw in Konoha—covered in straps and bindings to prevent the subject from moving during experiments.
Yuzu was about to lie down when one of the researchers said, "No other tests today. Just sit in the chair for a blood draw."
Yuzu's brows furrowed slightly. Something felt off.
For the past year, blood draws were the minimum. Cutting tissue from her body and injecting her with experimental drugs was the norm.
But now… just a simple blood draw? It didn't sit right with her.
Still, what could she do?
She complied, sat down in the chair by the wall, and extended an arm riddled with needle marks.
The researcher drew two tubes of blood, then signaled that she was done.
Yuzu's expression grew even more serious. Two tubes? That was far too little.
What were they planning?
She silently speculated.
"This way."
At the central crossroads, the Kumo shinobi gave her a tug, leading her down the right hallway. Yuzu's expression shifted, but she still followed quietly.
Normally, after experiments, they would return her to her cell.
But today, he was leading her somewhere else—toward the facility's entrance—and walked straight outside.
Yuzu's expression changed immediately. Inside, her guard went up.
What was Kumogakure planning? Did they no longer see value in her and now intended to kill her?
If so, she wouldn't go down without a fight.
"Relax. We're not going to kill you."
The shinobi seemed to sense her tension. He turned and gave her a knowing smile. His eyes lingered for several seconds on her chest beneath the loose shirt before he swallowed and looked away.
Yuzu felt a chill down her spine. His gaze reminded her of a starving wolf eyeing prey—she couldn't explain it, but it made her deeply uncomfortable.
Yet she still didn't fully understand what his expression meant.
Soon, the shinobi led her into a secluded mountain valley.
As she stepped in, a chill ran down her spine.
Rows of elaborately decorated wooden houses with lanterns lined the valley like a bustling town.
But the streets were completely empty.
Yet Yuzu could sense chakra in many of the houses.
Oddly, despite it being broad daylight, no one was moving inside any of them.
If it weren't for the chakra signatures, she might've thought everyone was dead.
"What is this place? A prison?"
"If it's a prison, why are the houses just wooden shacks—and why are some of the doors open?"
"This isn't right!"
Yuzu's unease deepened, though she couldn't pinpoint the source.
Soon, the shinobi brought her to an empty wooden house—no one inside.
"This is your new residence," he said.
"What is this place?" Yuzu finally spoke.
"Heh." The Kumo shinobi gave her another long look, eyes scanning her developing figure. "You'll find out tonight."
"Tonight…" Yuzu murmured, confused by his words.
Night came quickly. The lanterns outside each inhabited house lit up, along with the interior lights, illuminating the entire valley like a festive night market.
Yet the more vibrant it seemed, the more uneasy Yuzu felt.
Soon, she sensed a new chakra signature enter her range… then a second, third, fourth—more and more appeared.
That meant a large number of people were entering the valley.
Yuzu rushed to the door to peek out. She didn't dare leave—doing so would activate the curse seal inside her, causing unbearable pain and itching.
Before long, she saw groups of men entering the houses one by one.
Then came the sounds—pained screams from women, mixed with the moans of men.
Listening to those despairing cries, Yuzu's face turned ghostly pale.
No matter how naïve she might have been, it was now painfully clear what was happening in those houses.
(END CHAPTER)
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