The atmosphere in the laboratory grew heavy.
Hyuga Yu raised his head, looking at Hiruko's face—which displayed a mix of exhaustion and intense excitement—as he waited for him to continue.
Hiruko turned and walked into the depths of the laboratory. From a locked safe, he pulled out a thick stack of experimental logs, flipped to a page in the middle, and handed it to Yu.
"These are the control experiment data for Fusion Group-017 through Fusion Group-028."
Yu took the logbook, his eyes falling upon the densely packed data.
"These are all failed cases, but they provide another possibility—"
Hiruko explained from the side: "These also involved the fusion of Hyūga and Kaguya cells, but the sources were different. 017 through 022 used cells from ordinary clan members; the success rate was 3.7%, and the post-fusion stability rate was 41%. 023 through 025 used cells at the elite jonin level; the success rate rose to 11.2%, and the stability rate reached 68%."
He paused, waiting for Yu to turn to the next page.
"026 through 028 used the cell samples you previously left with the Foundation, as well as the cell samples of the Kirigakure elder, Kaguya Shiro, that you brought back from Kirigakure. His degree of Shikotsumyaku awakening was extremely high."
Yu saw that set of data—
Success rate: 47.8%.
Stability rate: 92%.
"Forty-seven percent," Yu said softly.
"Correct." Hiruko's voice suppressed a surge of excitement. "With the exact same technique structure and the exact same conditions, simply because the 'quality' of the cellular source differed, the success rate varied by more than a hundredfold!
"Just as you mentioned before, these two lineages might very well originate from an even higher-tier bloodline. The more powerful the bloodline tier, the higher their degree of similarity—it is practically like two sides of the same coin!"
Yu raised his head and looked calmly at Hiruko. "However, all the fusions you attempted were failures."
Hiruko shook his head and explained:
"That is because the bloodline tiers of the two cell types were unequal. Among our existing materials, there are no Hyūga and Kaguya samples of perfectly equal bloodline tiers. In the end, I could only use the cells of ordinary Hyūga and Kaguya clan members to perform exhaustive testing."
"I have been thinking about a question." Hiruko turned around, his eyes burning as he stared fixedly at Yu.
"Without a doubt, right now, your bloodline represents the absolute pinnacle and highest tier of the Hyūga!
"So what if... we could obtain the true pinnacle bloodline of the Kaguya clan—a bloodline that has awakened the complete Shikotsumyaku and reached the level of their progenitor—and fuse it with your cells—"
He did not finish his sentence.
Yet the air in the laboratory seemed to freeze for several seconds.
Yu stared at the line of text on the whiteboard as a thought flashed through his mind.
The pinnacle of the Kaguya clan corresponded precisely to—
The Sage Body of the Hamura lineage.
In the bloodline inheritance of Hamura Ōtsutsuki, it was an existence that could echo the Tennin of the Hyūga clan from afar.
"Theoretically," Hiruko's voice became very soft, as if uttering a forbidden conjecture, "if we could find such a bloodline and pair it with the induced symbiosis framework of the New Chimera Technique, the success rate might approach one hundred percent. Furthermore, the product after fusion wouldn't be simple 'coexistence,' but a true—"
He paused, seemingly weighing his words carefully.
"—fusion!"
Yu stared at him, his gaze narrowing slightly as he remained silent for a few seconds.
"How confident are you?"
"Without actual samples, I cannot give a precise figure," Hiruko said excitedly.
"However, extrapolating from existing data, if both bloodlines reach their pinnacle and are actually two parts that complement each other, then the problem becomes very simple. All that's left for us to do is fill in the blanks. The success rate of this step would be at least ninety percent or higher!"
He walked over to the operating table, picked up the Petri dish containing the pale teal tissue, and held it up to his eyes.
"Look at this—this is merely the result of fusing cells from ordinary clan members, yet they already exhibit a certain 'rhythm,' taking turns dominating without interfering with one another. If it were a fusion of pinnacle bloodlines, I suspect this rhythm would disappear, replaced instead by true synchronization."
"Synchronization?"
"Correct. Not taking turns dominating, but simultaneous activation, mutually enhancing one another." A near-fanatical light gleamed in Hiruko's eyes. "Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku, perception and offense, a perfect fusion of two bloodlines—what would that become? I don't know, but it will certainly far surpass any existing Kekkei Genkai."
Yu's mind raced.
Fusing two chakra natures yielded a Kekkei Genkai; fusing three natures yielded a Kekkei Tōta.
So what would fusing two Kekkei Genkai yield?
He already possessed the pinnacle Hyūga bloodline.
As for the pinnacle Kaguya bloodline—
A specific person immediately came to Yu's mind.
Just then—
Knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the laboratory door.
His train of thought interrupted, Yu knitted his brows slightly and turned his head toward the door. Sensing the visitor's identity, his gaze flickered slightly as he spoke:
"Come in."
Wearing a mask, standard Foundation attire, and a hooded cloak, Terai pushed the door open and entered, immediately bowing slightly to Yu:
"Tennin-sama, word has come from the Hokage Residence. There is an emergency meeting, and your immediate presence is requested."
Another emergency meeting—except this time, it was called by the Hokage Residence, not the Daimyo's Manor.
Yu frowned. "What is the agenda?"
Terai raised his head, a trace of gravity beneath his mask that was difficult to conceal:
"Intelligence regarding the Land of Wind and Land of Water directions has been transmitted back."
He paused, seemingly organizing his words.
"Regarding the Land of Wind—all 40-plus intelligence personnel across the thirteen teams we previously dispatched have been confirmed lost to communication. Only a final intelligence report was transmitted back through the top-secret channel of the 'Walking Priestess.' Upon decryption... it contained only two words."
"Which words?"
"Ryūki [Mauryō]."
Yu's eyebrows raised slightly.
Mauryō.
That was a demon sealed deep beneath the Land of Demons, possessing an immortal body and power comparable to a Tailed Beast. Moreover, sealed underground alongside it was an "immortal army" impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire.
That Ōtsutsuki from the moon had landed in the Land of Wind, first taking control of Sunagakure in one fell swoop, and now extending his claws toward the Land of Demons to access the puppet army sealed beneath its soil.
Which meant—
The moon's Ōtsutsuki was finally making his move!
At that moment, Terai continued: "The situation in the Land of Wind isn't even the most urgent matter. The truly troublesome issue is—"
"Regarding the Land of Water, Kirigakure officially submitted a declaration of war to Konoha through formal channels early this morning."
A deathly silence fell over the laboratory.
Off to the side, even Hiruko was stunned.
He couldn't fathom where Kirigakure—having just experienced the collapse of their village—found the nerve to declare war on Konoha.
"Their pretext?" Yu's voice remained calm.
"Their pretext is that Konoha plundered the Three-Tails and refused to return it, breaking the rules established since the First Five Kage Summit," Terai bowed his head and said in a deep voice.
"The newly appointed Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, issued a public statement demanding that Konoha hand over the Three-Tails within three days; otherwise—"
"Otherwise?"
"—otherwise, it will be deemed a provocation against Kirigakure, and Kirigakure will unite with its allies to launch an all-out war against Konoha."
Allies.
The word echoed in the air.
Yu's gaze darkened.
Mauryō in the Land of Wind and Kirigakure's declaration of war—these two events occurring on the exact same day could by no means be a coincidence.
Someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
Someone was playing a very large game of chess.
"I understand." Yu stood up and looked at Hiruko. "Continue advancing the Chimera Technique project with full effort to optimize the formula structure. As for the issue of the missing Kaguya clan materials—"
He paused, taking a decisive stance:
"—I will resolve it."
Hiruko nodded without asking further questions.
Yu turned and walked outside. As he passed the Foundation shinobi, his footsteps suddenly paused.
"Yakushi... Where is the Walking Priestess right now?"
"She is still within the borders of the Land of Wind, in hiding," Terai answered. "After sending out the final piece of intelligence, she appeared to encounter an unmanageable danger. She proactively severed all communications and entered radio silence. This is standard infiltration protocol to ensure safety."
Yu thought for a moment and instructed:
"Dispatch personnel to rendezvous with her and bring her back."
"Yes."
Yu strode out of the laboratory, the elevator doors sliding open before him.
He stepped into the elevator and watched the numbers slowly change as it passed floor 4.
Mauryō.
Kirigakure declaring war once more.
And he just so happened to require the pinnacle Kaguya bloodline.
These three matters were like three independent threads, yet in his mind, they vaguely intertwined into a hazy outline.
The elevator stopped at the first floor, and the doors opened.
Sunlight streamed in from outside, causing him to squint slightly.
Yu walked out of the Black Tower and raised his head to look in the direction of the Land of Water.
Over there—
It seemed a new storm was brewing!
Ten minutes later, inside the conference room of the Hokage Residence.
When Yu pushed the door open and entered, both sides of the long table were already filled with people.
The Third Hokage sat in the main seat with a pipe in his mouth, his expression obscured behind swirling wreaths of smoke. To his left sat the two elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, both of their aging faces etched with gravity.
Jiraiya leaned back against his chair, for once lacking his usual goofy smile, his eyebrows tightly knit. Orochimaru sat beside him, his pale fingers lightly tapping rhythmically on the tabletop.
Shikaku Nara sat near the back, a map spread out before him as he sketched something on it with a pen in hand.
There were several others as well—Fugaku Uchiha, Inoichi Yamanaka, Chōza Akimichi, Shibi Aburame, Tsume Inuzuka... all representatives of the various major clans.
Yu took a seat in the empty chair to the right of the Third Hokage, beside Danzō Shimura. Based on this seating arrangement, even Minato Namikaze—who was about to become the Fourth Hokage—sat one position below him...
"Everyone is here," the Third Hokage spoke, his voice raspy yet steady. "Let us begin."
He looked toward an ANBU member beside him, who nodded, walked over to the wall, and pulled back a massive curtain.
On the curtain hung a map detailing the locations of the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, the Land of Water, and the surrounding small nations.
On the left and right sides, several red arrows extended out from the directions of the Land of Wind and Land of Water, pointing straight toward the heartland of the Land of Fire.
"This is the intelligence received this morning." The Third pointed at those red arrows. "Kirigakure has completed its war mobilization, gathering at least five thousand shinobi to advance toward the Land of Fire's border along two routes. Their vanguard forces have already secretly occupied the Land of Whirlpools and the Land of Bears. They are expected to converge at the Kusunami Coast in three days."
A low murmur of discussion rippled through the conference room.
"Three days?" Chōza Akimichi furrowed his brow. "That fast?"
"Kirigakure prepared long ago," Shikaku Nara spoke up, his voice calm. "The declaration of war is merely a formality; their actual movements began half a month ago. Half of the intelligence personnel we dispatched to the Land of Water failed to return."
"What's the situation on the Land of Wind's side?" Hearing this news, Jiraiya—who had been urgently summoned back to the village two weeks ago due to the Tenseigan incident—asked with a deep frown.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.
"Worse."
He gestured for the ANBU member to switch the curtain display.
The map was replaced by a crude, hand-drawn diagram—the attachment from the final intelligence report, depicting the terrain of the Land of Wind drawn by Nonō Yakushi's own hand.
There were only two arrows on the diagram.
Following the dual directions of the Land of Wind and the Land of Demons, they pierced straight through the Land of Rain, aiming directly at the front flank of Konoha in the heartland of the Land of Fire.
The point they aimed at was a place called "Kikyo Pass"—which was also the sole barrier on Konoha's western flank.
"Reports sent back from the border defense line and the hidden outposts deployed on the western side of the Land of Rain indicate that massive troop mobilizations were vaguely sighted. However, we know virtually nothing about the situation over there."
Hiruzen Sarutobi paused before speaking:
"The Land of Wind may have taken control of... Mauryō."
Those last two words were like a stone dropped into calm water, sending out layer upon layer of ripples.
Koharu Utatane immediately said in surprise: "That legendary demon? Hasn't the priestess of the Land of Demons been guarding the seal all this time?
"Did she fail to warn us this time? Furthermore, does the Land of Wind truly possess the means to control a demon like that?"
"Anything is possible. If even the priestess of the Land of Demons didn't have time to send out a warning, then Sunagakure is likely playing for keeps this time," Homura Mitokado said slowly. "Moreover, if someone deliberately unsealed it—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the implication.
Someone was intentionally breaking the seal on Mauryō.
At the exact same time, Kirigakure declared war on Konoha.
This was by no means a coincidence.
Behind the scenes, someone was likely colluding with various nations across the Shinobi World, preparing to wage war against the Land of Fire and Konoha.
The only good news now was that due to the meeting at the Daimyo's Manor two weeks ago, Konoha had also been making war preparations.
Although the enemy moved faster, at the very least, Konoha wasn't completely unprepared.
At this moment, Yu suddenly asked, "What movements are there from Iwagakure and Kumogakure?"
Everyone's eyes turned toward him.
The Third looked at him, his expression somewhat heavy, then turned to Shikaku Nara. "Shikaku, you explain."
Shikaku Nara stood up, walked over to the curtain, and drew two question marks at the locations of the Land of Earth and Land of Lightning with his pen.
"Current intelligence indicates that both Iwagakure and Kumogakure are maintaining a wait-and-see stance," he said.
"Iwagakure has already sued for peace with Konoha, remaining short of signing the alliance treaty. However, since Tennin-sama is handling that matter and all corresponding intelligence is scarce, I cannot guarantee they won't turn their backs on us.
"And while Kumogakure lost the Third Raikage, they preserved the largest military force in the entire Shinobi World because of it, which cannot be underestimated.
"However, based on past experience, a 'wait-and-see' stance from these two nations usually means—they are waiting for an opportunity."
"Waiting for us to be dragged into a two-front war," Danzō Shimura sneered. "And then stabbing us in the back."
"Correct." Shikaku Nara nodded. "Therefore, what we face right now is not merely the threat of Kirigakure and the Land of Wind, but—"
He paused, drawing a large circle on the map with his pen.
"—the entire Shinobi World is watching us!"
Silence fell over the conference room.
————
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