Chapter 659: Ōtsutsuki Mugetsu
As the changes in his right eye concluded, Mugetsu's restless chakra finally settled down.
Feeling the powerful chakra within his body, Mugetsu opened his panel to check his current status.
[Name: Hayate Mugetsu]
[Chakra: 3,650,000]
Mugetsu was slightly stunned when he saw the amount of chakra displayed on the panel.
He had worked tirelessly for four years to raise his chakra to just over one million. Yet with a single evolution of his eye, it had directly increased by more than two million.
Perhaps this truly was the Ninja World known as the Legend of the Eyes. Having a good pair of eyes was incredibly effective.
This far exceeded Mugetsu's expectations. He had originally thought that an increase of one hundred thousand chakra would already count as a great success.
After all, when Obito awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, it had only added twenty thousand chakra at that moment, and he still needed later training to transform the surging spiritual energy into true strength.
Judging only by the chakra increase, his evolved Byakugan was equivalent to one hundred pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan.
Mugetsu took off his glasses, pulled out a mirror, and observed the changes in his eyes.
He was very curious about what kind of eye his Byakugan had evolved into, considering how powerful it was.
When he looked at his eyes in the mirror, Mugetsu was somewhat surprised.
His eyes were actually different. His right eye was golden, with several black triangles forming a star like pattern, while his left eye looked no different from an ordinary Byakugan.
In Mugetsu's understanding, Eye Technique Kekkei Genkai usually involved both eyes evolving together.
He had never heard of someone whose Sharingan had only one eye evolve into Mangekyo while the other remained at three tomoe.
However, if Mugetsu had to mention a similar case, it would be Sasuke, who had received power from the Sage of Six Paths.
After Sasuke received the Sage of Six Paths' power, one of his eyes evolved into a Rinnegan with six tomoe, while the other remained an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"It's not quite the same either," Mugetsu said, shaking his head.
Although his left Byakugan appeared unchanged, its ocular power had clearly increased. Both its observable range and depth had improved.
Mugetsu put down the mirror, preparing to test the new abilities his evolved Byakugan had gained.
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Mugetsu created a Shadow Clone and had it use Ninjutsu to attack him.
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
The Shadow Clone flashed away, creating some distance. Then it condensed a large amount of chakra and fired a sharp spear of lightning at Mugetsu.
Sizzle!
The blue lightning spear emitted dazzling light, piercing through the darkness of the night as it sped toward Mugetsu.
Mugetsu stood still. He did not use a Breathing Technique to strengthen his body, nor did he use Armament Haki for defense.
When the lightning spear was one meter away from Mugetsu, the pupil of his right eye emitted a faint golden light.
"Sukunahikona!"
Whoosh!
The thick lightning spear suddenly vanished, disappearing in front of Mugetsu as if a mistake drawn in pencil had been erased.
"What a powerful yet simple ability," Mugetsu thought to himself.
In reality, the lightning spear still existed, but it had become imperceptibly small, losing its offensive capability.
His right eye possessed two Eye Techniques, and Sukunahikona was one of them.
The effect of Sukunahikona was not to eliminate Ninjutsu, but to shrink it. However, when Mugetsu pushed Sukunahikona's shrinking ability to the extreme, the actual effect was not much different from elimination.
"And there are no side effects when using it. Its level should be comparable to the Rinnegan."
Mugetsu sensed his own condition and found no abnormalities after using Sukunahikona.
Next, Mugetsu continued testing the applications of Sukunahikona.
After awakening his eye, he only knew that Sukunahikona's ability was shrinking. He still did not know exactly what it could shrink or to what extent.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
The Shadow Clone once again used Fire Release, sending a towering wave of flames toward Mugetsu.
The result was the same as with the Lightning Release. After Mugetsu used Sukunahikona, the flames instantly shrank until they were too small to possess any offensive power.
Whoosh, whoosh!
After confirming that energy attacks like fire and lightning could be shrunk, the Shadow Clone threw several shuriken at Mugetsu.
Golden light flashed in Mugetsu's right eye, and the shuriken also completely shrank out of sight.
Immediately afterward, Mugetsu glanced at a rock not far away.
Whoosh!
A large rock as tall as two people instantly turned into a tiny pebble.
"Matter and energy are both fine, so…"
Mugetsu slowly looked at his own body.
The next moment, Mugetsu's body rapidly shrank, transforming from one point eight meters tall to one point eight centimeters.
"The chakra consumption is much higher than shrinking Ninjutsu," Mugetsu thought as he felt the chakra in his body rapidly depleting.
After thinking about it carefully, he realized it made sense.
When shrinking Ninjutsu or objects, the chakra consumption was not entirely consistent.
The larger the range or the stronger the Ninjutsu, the more chakra was needed to shrink it.
For objects, the greater the mass, the more chakra was consumed.
Mugetsu not only had a massive amount of chakra in his body, but also an extremely powerful physique. Naturally, shrinking himself required a considerable amount of chakra.
Mugetsu scanned his surroundings. After shrinking, he felt as if he had entered a land of giants. Huge objects were everywhere, and even a random flying insect was several times larger than him.
Buzz, buzz!
At that moment, a large black mosquito suddenly flew toward Mugetsu.
"Shigan!"
Mugetsu condensed chakra in his finger and lightly poked the mosquito.
Bang!
A burst of air several times larger than the mosquito's body pulverized it completely, leaving no trace behind.
Although his body had shrunk a hundredfold, Mugetsu's physical strength had not changed.
"Shrinking living beings seems different from shrinking other things."
Mugetsu returned to his normal size, picked up the rock he had shrunk, weighed it in his hand, and began thinking.
The rock was very light. If Mugetsu had not personally used his Eye Technique to shrink it, he might have mistaken it for an ordinary stone.
When Ninjutsu was shrunk, it lost its offensive capability. When objects were shrunk, their mass decreased. But when living beings were shrunk, their strength did not decrease.
The next moment, Mugetsu threw the rock and activated Sukunahikona again.
Boom!
The rock returned to its original size in midair and slammed heavily into the ground.
Sukunahikona did not have the ability to enlarge things, but it could restore a shrunk object to its original state. Its restoration speed was the same as its shrinking speed, happening in an instant.
"Daikokuten!"
After sufficiently testing Sukunahikona, Mugetsu condensed chakra in his right eye and used his second Eye Technique.
A pitch black vortex appeared around Mugetsu, slowly engulfing him.
Mugetsu's vision rapidly changed. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in a strange space where countless giant black cubes floated.
This was the second ability of Mugetsu's right eye.
This ability was somewhat similar to Obito's Kamui, since both came with a personal dimension.
However, Daikokuten could not partially transfer the body into its dimension to avoid attacks the way Kamui could.
The special feature of Daikokuten's space was that it was a dimension where time was frozen. Only Mugetsu, who possessed the Eye Technique, could move freely within it.
If Mugetsu pulled others into Daikokuten, the person pulled inside would be completely at his mercy, unable even to think.
"It's a pity the speed is too slow," Mugetsu said, shaking his head.
With Daikokuten's capture speed, it was practically impossible to catch someone of a similar level in battle. An ambush might still be somewhat possible.
Mugetsu activated Daikokuten again and returned to the Ninja World.
"Daikokuten!"
Mugetsu thought for a moment and activated Daikokuten again. However, this time he did not enter Daikokuten's space. Instead, he took out the black cubes from within Daikokuten.
Boom, boom!
Several giant cubes crashed to the ground, creating a huge roar.
Unlike a person entering Daikokuten, the speed at which objects could be taken out of Daikokuten was extremely fast. Mugetsu felt that this might be Daikokuten's true purpose in combat.
"This Eye Technique is quite user friendly. It even comes with ninja tools."
Mugetsu walked up to the cubes, knocked on them, and tried to lift them. He discovered that the material of these cubes was extraordinary, both hard and heavy.
At that moment, Mugetsu activated his perception Ninjutsu as usual to sense his surroundings.
To avoid being discovered, even when training, Mugetsu would occasionally use perception Ninjutsu to check his surroundings.
"I can't sense anything."
Mugetsu found that his Observation Haki had failed.
He scanned his surroundings and finally focused his gaze on the giant black cubes on the ground.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Sukunahikona activated, and the black cubes rapidly shrank. Then Daikokuten activated, and the black cubes returned to Daikokuten's space.
Objects shrunk by Sukunahikona could be instantly stored inside Daikokuten.
Similarly, objects released from Daikokuten could be instantly restored to their original size by Sukunahikona.
The moment the black cubes were taken away, Mugetsu's Observation Haki recovered.
"This cube can be considered a high level ninja tool. It even has the ability to interfere with perception," Mugetsu thought, nodding inwardly.
On the surface, using the cube would prevent everyone from perceiving anything, meaning no one would gain an advantage. But in reality, that was not the case.
Mugetsu had the Byakugan, and it was a super Byakugan with insight far superior to an ordinary Byakugan.
Finally, Mugetsu found a wild boar and tried using Sukunahikona to shrink another living creature, but nothing happened.
After these tests, Mugetsu had gained a decent understanding of his two Eye Techniques and had a clear combat strategy.
A standalone Sukunahikona could only be used for auxiliary defense, basically blocking all attacks except Taijutsu.
However, when Sukunahikona was combined with Daikokuten, it provided decent offensive capability. He could suddenly unleash a rain of kunai, or drop a giant cube from above without any warning.
The evolution of the Byakugan brought Mugetsu more changes than just that.
As Mugetsu activated his chakra, his body slowly lifted off the ground and flew toward the sky.
This was not Iwagakure's Light-Weight Rock Technique, but true flight.
This flying ability was not exactly Mugetsu's Eye Technique. After his eyes evolved, Mugetsu had somehow gained this ability naturally.
He felt that he could fly, and then he flew. That was roughly how it happened.
Having experienced bloodline enhancement, Byakugan purity enhancement, and all sorts of other rewards, Mugetsu could no longer even say whether he leaned more toward being a human of the Ninja World or an alien like Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
But Mugetsu did not care. Even if he grew horns one day, he would simply transform to hide them. It was not a big deal.
Mugetsu activated the Flying Thunder God Technique in the air and returned to his home in the main district.
After returning home, Mugetsu did not go straight to his bedroom to sleep. Instead, he slowly walked to the second floor guest room.
To accommodate Celebi's living needs, Mugetsu had cleared out the guest room and filled it with various flowers and plants.
When Mugetsu entered the guest room, Celebi was sleeping on a small tree.
Mugetsu sent an appraisal toward Celebi.
[Name: Celebi]
[Chakra: 202,000]
[Skills: Wood Release, Proficient, 1800/3000. Space Time Power, Beginner, 230/500. Yang Release Chakra Nature Transformation, Mastery, 900/15000...]
After two months of growth, Celebi's strength had improved significantly.
The only regret was that the proficiency of Space Time Power increased slowly and was still at the beginner level.
"Once Celebi's Space Time Power reaches proficient, I'll go to Mount Myōboku and take a look," Mugetsu thought as he closed Celebi's panel.
Sage Mode definitely needed to be learned. It was a pure enhancement.
A Thoughtless One-Slash used with ordinary chakra could shatter an eighty meter Susanoo. If it were a Thoughtless One-Slash infused with Senjutsu chakra, would it not be even more terrifying?
There was also Armament Haki driven by Sage Mode, as well as Taijutsu enhanced by Senjutsu chakra.
…
The next day.
Orochimaru was thinking about what method he should use to test Mugetsu when he suddenly sensed someone approaching his residence.
"Orochimaru-sama, please proceed to the Hokage Office immediately. The Sandaime has summoned you," an Anbu said after knocking and entering.
"I understand," Orochimaru replied indifferently, standing up and walking toward the Hokage Building.
Clearly, he had not been exposed. Or, if Mugetsu knew, then he had not shared the information with Hiruzen.
Otherwise, this would not have been a summons from Hiruzen. It would have been a group of elite Anbu arriving with weapons drawn.
Thump, thump.
Orochimaru walked to the Hokage Building, stopped as he approached the Hokage Office, and knocked on the wooden door.
"Enter."
Hearing Hiruzen's voice, Orochimaru pushed the door open and entered.
"Orochimaru, I have a very important mission to entrust to you," Hiruzen said, getting straight to the point.
Orochimaru closed the door and calmly walked forward, waiting for Hiruzen to explain.
Hiruzen picked up a scroll, handed it to the approaching Orochimaru, and continued, "You should be aware of the matter of Danzo's assassination, correct?"
Orochimaru nodded. Danzo had been an important partner of his.
"Sōsuke is the killer of Danzo, and his actions have severely impacted Konoha's security. This is a challenge to Konoha's strength."
Orochimaru quickly recalled Sōsuke's information.
Sōsuke had not made many moves. His most dazzling achievement was probably suppressing Hanzō's Water Release with Fire Release.
Orochimaru had fought Hanzō during the Second Shinobi World War and understood his strength clearly. Sōsuke's Fire Release ability was definitely the best in the Ninja World. Even Hiruzen could not do such a thing.
If Orochimaru were to assassinate Sōsuke, he would definitely demand that every squad member master Water Release. If one person could not block it, then they would use more people.
"However, Konoha is currently at a critical juncture, so it is not good to act rashly. Therefore, Orochimaru, your mission is to lead a negotiation team to Ninshū for negotiations and resolve the issue through negotiation as much as possible," Hiruzen stated the specific mission.
Orochimaru's expression remained calm. He had expected to be sent on an assassination mission, but it turned out to be only a negotiation.
"Our bottom line is that Sōsuke must pay with his life. We can forgo everything else."
Orochimaru showed a thoughtful expression.
As far as he knew, Sōsuke was the spiritual leader of Ninshū. Could Ninshū possibly agree to such a demand?
But Hiruzen was not foolish. He would not propose a demand that was completely impossible to accept.
Orochimaru guessed that his teacher, Hiruzen, was probably trying to use Konoha's vast influence to pressure Ninshū and make Sōsuke himself agree to the demand.
If Sōsuke cared enough about Ninshū, then there was indeed a high possibility that he would agree.
"During negotiations, Orochimaru, your attitude must be firm enough. Although it is not good for Konoha to act rashly, that does not mean we cannot act, nor does it mean we lack the strength to act against Ninshū," Hiruzen emphasized.
Aside from his personal friendship with Danzo, Hiruzen was also defending Konoha's prestige.
If a small faction killed one of their high ranking officials and Konoha did nothing, would other ninja praise Konoha for being kind and friendly?
No. They would only think that Konoha had no backbone and could be stepped on if the opportunity arose.
"I understand," Orochimaru nodded.
In other words, they would first try to intimidate Sōsuke and see whether he could be bluffed. If not, then they would act for real.
"The other members of the negotiation team have already assembled and are waiting for you at the mission desk on the first floor."
Although it was only a negotiation, the opponent was Sōsuke, who had killed Hanzō and Danzo. Hiruzen worried that ordinary ninja would not be able to withstand Sōsuke's aura. After thinking it over, he ultimately chose Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was very suitable for this mission in both strength and personality.
Orochimaru left the Hokage Office, opening the scroll to check its contents as he walked toward the first floor.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
When the members of the negotiation team saw Orochimaru, they all greeted him.
Orochimaru nodded slightly in response, his gaze fixed on the shortest ninja in the room.
Feeling that gaze on him, Shisui felt somewhat puzzled.
Was Orochimaru paying particular attention to him?
"If there are no problems, prepare to depart," Orochimaru said, retracting his gaze.
The scroll Hiruzen gave him contained information about the ninja in the negotiation team.
Because of that, Orochimaru knew that Shisui was a member of the new Root, or rather, the training squad.
Of course, merely being a member of the training squad was not enough to warrant Orochimaru's excessive attention. There were other training squad members in the negotiation team as well. The crucial point was that Shisui was also Mugetsu's disciple.
Orochimaru desperately wanted to know whether Mugetsu had truly obtained information about his cooperation with Danzo.
Orochimaru was not simply afraid of his secret being discovered. He even hoped that Mugetsu had the information about their cooperation.
The fact that he could currently carry out his mission safely meant there were only two possibilities.
The first was simple. Mugetsu had no information.
The second was that Mugetsu might not be so resistant to human experimentation, or perhaps he had a considerable amount of goodwill toward Orochimaru.
Naturally, Orochimaru hoped for the second possibility.
That way, he could gain another new partner. And this new partner, whether in terms of strength or future prospects, far surpassed Danzo.
In fact, Orochimaru himself had considerable interest in Mugetsu.
Senju Hashirama's cells possessed mysterious power. Then what would Mugetsu's cells be like, if he truly had the potential to become the second Senju Hashirama?
.....
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