Takuno paused for a moment, his gaze calm as he observed the Mini Ten-Tails absorbing energy from the Vein of Gelel.
After confirming everything was safe for the time being, he formed hand seals.
With a soft "poof" and a burst of smoke, a Shadow Clone identical to him materialized.
The original Takuno had no intention of staying here long; even for training this place was far from the most efficient choice.
Moreover, there were other things in his plan that needed to be done.
He exchanged a glance with the remaining Shadow Clone, conveying the command to guard this place without needing words.
The Shadow Clone immediately sat cross-legged, focusing on gaining deeper insights and tempering various chakra nature transformations.
It wasn't that Takuno didn't want the Shadow Clone to share the burden of Yin-Yang Release.
However, the foundation of Yin-Yang Release lay in physical and spiritual energy, its essence far exceeding simple chakra form.
The ingenuity of the Shadow Clone Technique was that it could equally divide the user's current total chakra.
But therein lay its limitation: it could not equally divide the physical and spiritual energy that constituted the source of chakra.
What the Shadow Clone carried was, ultimately, just the energy result known as "Chakra."
Of course, if such a limitation didn't exist, it would mean a Shadow Clone would have the ability to refine chakra themselves or even create more Shadow Clones, which was clearly impossible.
Therefore, for Takuno, the current Shadow Clone Technique could not be used to cultivate Yin-Yang Release, which required direct control over the source of life and spirit.
Unless he could master a secret technique to reverse-decompose chakra, restoring it to pure physical and spiritual energy.
Regrettably, Takuno did not possess such a method.
The entire Shinobi World lacked such a secret technique; if the chakra refined by a Shinobi wasn't used, it would simply dissipate slowly.
So, for Takuno, the Shadow Clone's greatest help currently lay in research and the in-depth exploration of various chakra natures.
As for the practice of Yin-Yang Release and the Taijutsu training to temper the physical body, these had to be performed by Takuno's original self.
After leaving the Shadow Clone behind, Takuno's figure stepped out from the Vein of Gelel's barrier, facing that exceptionally empty and lonely grand hall.
With the task completed, there was no need to linger here.
With a slight thought, chakra flowed within him. Just as he was about to activate "Sarutahiko" to leave, his movements suddenly froze.
His gaze shifted toward an inconspicuous corner deep in the hall.
There, a stone platform protruded slightly from the ground.
It was a place Takuno had set foot on before.
A very ancient Sealing Jutsu formula was engraved on the platform's surface.
Its name was known as the Space-Time Hole, and the condition to activate it required the infusion of blood from the royal family.
In the past, driven by a researcher's instinct, he had carefully made a copy of this formula.
However, subsequent research failed to discover a use for this formula, and that copy was eventually sealed away in some corner of his laboratory, gathering dust and nearly forgotten.
But at this moment, an idea suddenly surfaced in Takuno's mind.
Could something that was useless in the past have a different use under a specific opportunity?
A sharp glint flashed in Takuno's deep eyes.
Without hesitation, his figure abruptly vanished from the Vein of Gelel.
This was by no means the ideal place to verify this sudden inspiration.
The reason was clear enough.
The complete structural diagram of the "Space-Time Hole" formula had long been safely backed up in the core laboratory of the Moon Base.
As for the "fuse" required to activate the formula—that pure blood sample he had extracted and properly stored when Temujin was still an infant.
It was also stored in the lunar laboratory; naturally, Takuno wouldn't carry such a thing on his person.
Furthermore, activating the Space-Time Hole here would be equivalent to abandoning the entire Vein of Gelel, which would render everything he had just done a waste. Thus, he naturally wouldn't verify the Space-Time Hole here.
...
On the moon.
Takuno's figure appeared inside that laboratory.
Without a moment's delay, he walked toward the storage area with a clear goal.
He took out the dust-covered copy of the Space-Time Hole Formula and Temujin's blood.
The next moment, Takuno's figure vanished from the laboratory again, arriving on the lunar surface.
Based on his limited understanding of the "Space-Time Hole" formula's characteristics from the original work, once activated, it would manifest an extremely overbearing and uncontrollable "devouring" trait.
This devouring made no distinction between friend and foe and ignored the boundaries of matter and energy, greedily pulling in and annihilating everything in its surroundings.
If he were to rashly activate it in a laboratory filled with precision instruments and precious data...
The consequences would be unimaginable; the entire laboratory would likely vanish in an instant, becoming dust in the space-time turbulence.
However, on this barren lunar surface, there would be no problem at all.
Takuno mobilized a massive amount of chakra, tracing it onto the lunar rock surface.
Chakra condensed like a blade, and accompanied by a faint energy hum, a "Space-Time Hole" formula pattern, identical to the one seen in the mineral vein hall, was perfectly replicated on this lunar soil.
The engraving was complete.
Takuno took out Temujin's blood.
Drip... drip...
Several drops of crimson blood from the royal family's descendant, Temujin, fell precisely onto the core node of the newly engraved formula.
The moment the blood touched the lunar rock and the chakra carvings, it seemed to be endowed with life, rapidly spreading and permeating along the lines of the formula...
Temujin's crimson blood spread, eventually completely saturating the ancient patterns of the Space-Time Hole.
In an instant, the previously dormant symbols seemed to be ignited, erupting with a bizarre and piercing blood-red light that reflected off the barren and silent white surface of the moon, looking exceptionally eerie.
Immediately after, a terrifying power was awakened.
A giant tornado as deep as ink, carrying an aura that devoured all, rose from the center of the formula and pierced straight into the boundless black space.
It swirled frantically, forming a massive gravitational vortex that greedily snatched everything in its vicinity.
Countless loose moon rocks were uprooted amidst the howling and sucked into that bottomless black vortex.
The suction at the storm's core was enough to swallow mountains and rivers; however, for Takuno standing at the edge of the storm, this violent pulling force was merely like a breeze on his face, and his figure remained motionless in the energy turbulence.
Takuno calmly watched the raging sand through the storm, staring at the black tornado that was firmly anchored in place by the Space-Time Hole Formula, unable to move even an inch elsewhere.
Though it possessed the power to devour all things, it could only futilely tear at the limited lunar rock fragments around it.
"If this were at the Vein of Gelel, facing that surging liquid energy, such suction would indeed be enough to completely drain it dry," he evaluated in his mind.
Unfortunately, there was only silence and stubborn stone here.
His goal in activating this technique was definitely not these insignificant stones.
With a shift in thought, Takuno formed hand seals, chakra surged, and a Shadow Clone identical to his main body instantly solidified at his side.
The Shadow Clone did not hesitate for a second; the moment it was born, it resolutely threw itself into the core of the black tornado that seemed capable of shredding everything!
The storm continued to rage for a long time.
Finally, the pitch-black tornado that stirred space exhausted its last bit of energy and gradually dissipated into nothingness.
Disappearing along with it was the Shadow Clone Takuno had thrown inside.
It had been completely devoured by the irresistible power of the Space-Time Hole and sent to an unknown shore.
However, just as the dust from the dissipated storm had yet to settle, Takuno's Shadow Clone actually appeared beside his main body again, completely unharmed!
It was as if that terrifying devouring had never happened, or perhaps it had completed an incredible crossing.
Takuno's gaze immediately met the Shadow Clone's.
Without words, the unmistakable surprise and a touch of intense joy in the Shadow Clone's eyes were clearly transmitted to the main body.
Instantly, Takuno's heart stirred, and he dispelled the Shadow Clone.
In a flash, everything the Shadow Clone had experienced—the journey through the Space-Time Hole and the sights glimpsed on the other side—flooded into Takuno's main consciousness.
Soon, having understood everything, the corners of Takuno's mouth curled up, and his figure vanished from the spot.
When Takuno's figure reappeared, he found himself in a void of absolute nothingness and chaos.
As far as the eye could see, there was no sun or moon, no sky or earth.
There was no solid ground beneath his feet to rely on, nor was there a firmament dotted with stars above his head.
This place discarded all basic elements that constituted a world, leaving only pure blankness.
It was boundless, as if stretched to the ends of the universe. Takuno gazed into the distance, his vision extending infinitely into the void, yet he could never catch a trace of a boundary or a reference point.
The scale of this space seemed to be inherently infinite.
Takuno clearly perceived that this place was distinctly different from the space-time where the Shinobi World resided; it was a completely severed alien domain.
However, a discovery made the corners of his mouth curl up: with his unique "Sarutahiko" Ocular Power, those space-time coordinates he had once visited were now within reach.
But that was not the most shocking part.
What truly pleased Takuno was that no matter which distant coordinate he wanted to jump to, the Ocular Power consumption required to activate "Sarutahiko" here was surprisingly consistent and minuscule!
It was as if within this strange space called the "Space-Time Hole," the very concept of spatial distance had been completely erased.
All he needed to provide was the basic energy required to drive the Ocular Power across space.
This characteristic was so similar to Obito's "Kamui" dimension that he knew of!
The Kamui Dimension was famous for its characteristic of being ubiquitously embedded in all real spaces.
The Space-Time Hole was the same.
In essence, it also transcended conventional spatial structures, existing in the "cracks" or "nodes" of all possible spaces.
This perfectly explained why, no matter which corner of the Shinobi World he was in, or even... even if he were inside the core of the Kamui Dimension!
As long as the formula was activated, the entrance to the Space-Time Hole could always be summoned and opened without obstruction.
Therefore, the Space-Time Hole itself was a dimension that completely discarded the concept of "distance."
It was like an infinitely extending hub, maintaining zero-distance "contact" with the world.
The key to connecting to it was that profound Space-Time Hole Formula.
And Takuno, relying on the ability of "Sarutahiko," was able to skip the tedious construction of the formula and directly cross into this void space using Ocular Power.
Of course, this convenient shortcut was by no means a smooth path.
The essence of the Space-Time Hole was a one-way street.
If one did not possess top-tier Ocular Power like "Sarutahiko" or "Kamui" that could freely manipulate space-time.
Any living being that accidentally entered this place would be completely lost in this eternal void with no exit, becoming an exiled prisoner with no possibility of returning to reality.
This unique space called the "Space-Time Hole" held extremely important strategic significance for Takuno.
It became the best transit hub for Takuno's "Sarutahiko" ability.
Since the concept of "spatial distance" in this space itself was almost invalid, Takuno cleverly utilized it as a relay point for teleportation.
This meant that no matter how vast a distance he needed to cross, the consumption of his Ocular Power would become minuscule.
Recalling before, his highest Ocular Power consumption was teleporting directly from Earth to the moon.
But now, he only needed to first reach the Space-Time Hole via "Sarutahiko," and then instantly jump from the Space-Time Hole to the moon to completely avoid the massive Ocular Power burden brought by such long-distance teleportation.
This space became his perfect springboard for achieving low-consumption long-distance spatial movement.
Furthermore, this was his absolute safe haven that could not be tracked.
Within the Space-Time Hole, besides Takuno himself, it could be almost certainly concluded that no other living beings existed.
Even if someone had been sucked into this place by the Space-Time Hole in the long ages past, if they didn't master a way to leave, they would have surely perished here long ago.
Therefore, when Takuno encountered a strong enemy or needed to hide, this was his most reliable hiding place.
No existence could track his whereabouts!
Its safety was even enough to evade the detection of space-time Ninjutsu experts like Obito.
The key lay in the fact that when Takuno's "Sarutahiko" was activated, its operational essence was manipulating time rather than causing spatial fluctuations.
Therefore, even if an enemy locked onto him without blinking, the moment he escaped into the Space-Time Hole, his spatial coordinates after the transfer could not be perceived or locked by the opponent at all, completely vanishing from the tracker's field of vision.
Unless the opponent had left a spatial coordinate like the Flying Thunder God Mark on Takuno's body.
At this, Takuno couldn't help but chuckle.
Just a while ago, he was still yearning for Obito's "Kamui Dimension" that existed independently of reality.
Yet the wonder of fate lay right here; a "Space-Time Hole" with a concept similar to the "Kamui Dimension" had actually manifested before his eyes.
Though strictly speaking, this strange space did not belong to him.
But at this point in time, he was the only one who could set foot here.
With this unique authorization, what was the problem with him saying this was his space?
Moreover, in Takuno's view, the Space-Time Hole was even safer than the Kamui Dimension.
After all, over in the Kamui Dimension, one still had to guard against Kakashi throwing things in from his side...
And in the future, Takuno would also find an opportunity to let a Shadow Clone enter the Kamui Dimension once.
If he could still activate Sarutahiko there, then the Kamui Dimension would no longer belong to Obito alone!