Chapter 104: The Clouds of War
In practical terms, the Chimera Technique was an extremely powerful jutsu.
As long as it was used properly, even an ordinary shinobi could make a sudden leap and become a powerful kekkei genkai user.
However, from another perspective, this technique could just as easily destabilize everything and lead to all kinds of problems.
Furthermore, Kei himself was not optimistic about the long term future of a kekkei genkai obtained through devouring.
Using another person's body to mutate one's own body was never a truly clean process. No one could say for certain how many years of life would remain after gaining a kekkei genkai in such a way.
So no matter how useful it was, Kei had already decided that this technique would be sealed away. Aside from a very small number of people, no one would ever be given the chance to touch it.
Of course, that would be after he had used it himself.
Inside the quiet laboratory, Kei walked out alone.
He made his way to the deepest section of the lab, lay down on the operating table, and formed a hand seal.
Shadow Clone Technique!
With the jutsu activated, two identical Keis appeared on the spot.
"Even though performing surgery on myself feels a little strange, for the sake of secrecy, this is the only way."
Looking at the clone in front of him, Kei spoke softly.
"The procedure needs to be completed before the Shadow Clone Technique runs out."
"It should be fine."
The clone replied, "The chakra you split off is enough. It should last quite a while."
"Try to be as fast as possible."
The other clone added, "Once the operation is complete and everything returns to normal, no one will notice a thing."
"Alright."
Kei nodded, then lay down without hesitation.
After that, another long process began.
When the experiment finally ended, Kei quickly sat up.
"This feeling..."
He raised one hand. The fair arm before his eyes looked almost like an infant's, smooth and lustrous, carrying a crystalline sheen.
Across that arm, pale Hashirama cells spread visibly over his skin.
Yet unlike Hiruko's earlier situation, Kei's state was clearly very different.
He could feel those terrifying Hashirama cells reviving inside his body, but at the same time, they were being suppressed by another power, unable to display the rampant activity and erosion they should have had.
That power was none other than Kaguya's seal power.
"As expected, it works."
With a single thought from Kei, markings began to appear across his face, spreading densely over most of it and lending him an eerie, almost otherworldly beauty.
Seal Release!
The moment Kaguya's seal power was fully released, the Hashirama cells inside his body were rapidly subdued, then absorbed and fused into him.
That result directly proved Kei's previous hypothesis.
Kaguya's seal power really could unify and absorb these bloodline powers.
Even cells as overbearing as the First Hokage's, once they encountered the seal power within Kei's body, were like a grandson meeting his grandfather.
Well, in a certain sense, that comparison was not inaccurate.
Kei found the whole process almost absurdly smooth.
He had encountered virtually no obstacles and had absorbed the First Hokage's cells into his own body with ease.
Then, in the very next instant, changes began to appear.
The chakra within him started to expand rapidly. What had already been a massive reserve nearly tripled or quadrupled in the blink of an eye.
The boost the First Hokage's cells gave a shinobi was simply too great.
Most importantly, Kei had also obtained Wood Release. Though weaker than the original, it was still far stronger than what Hiruko had acquired earlier.
Kaguya's seal power and Wood Release were astonishingly compatible.
Just by obtaining the Wood Release bloodline, Kei could already feel the progress of his bloodline puzzle increasing dramatically, almost doubling compared to before.
"The effect is excellent."
A smile appeared on his face. He was clearly in a good mood.
"Then next... the Kinkaku Brothers."
His thoughts quickly shifted to them.
Those two were also direct descendants of the Sage of Six Paths and possessed powerful Otsutsuki bloodlines.
If he devoured them as well, then in theory, it should strengthen his bloodline puzzle even further.
However, after considering it for a moment, Kei still gave up on the idea for now.
One had to eat one bite at a time to digest it properly.
He had only just finished integrating Wood Release. His body still needed time to fully adapt. If he immediately used the Chimera Technique again, he might not be able to bear it.
To be safe, it was better to wait.
Stepping out of the laboratory, Kei felt the fresh air outside brush against him.
For him now, the enormous increase in chakra within his body was not a small enhancement. It had raised his combat power by an entirely different level.
And if the suppressive effect Wood Release had on tailed beast chakra was also taken into account, then if he were to face the Kinkaku Brothers again now, the battle would no longer be nearly as troublesome as before.
Of course, the most important thing was still Wood Release itself.
Now that the experiment was complete, Kei was prepared to settle down and remain quiet for a while.
Meanwhile, out in Konoha, changes were happening with each passing day.
Two years had passed, and under Kei's influence, the entire village had undergone enormous transformation.
All across Konoha, the old disorderly buildings had gradually disappeared, replaced by new structures arranged in neat, orderly rows that gave the village a sense of unified beauty.
Streetlights stood along the roads. At a glance, it almost felt as though one had stepped through time into a completely new era.
"The village has become even more prosperous."
Standing at the edge of Konoha and looking at the scene within, Danzo and the others, who had just returned from a mission outside the village, could not help but sigh.
"It really does look nice."
Only after spending time outside could one truly appreciate the scale of the changes Konoha had undergone.
One had to remember that in many parts of the Land of Fire, there were still people who could not even afford rice balls.
Yet inside Konoha, every household already had electricity, and every person could eat their fill and live without worrying about their next meal.
Of course, that situation was still limited to Konoha itself.
In many areas outside Konoha, life was still far from ideal.
Because of Konoha's prosperity, many upper class individuals from all across the shinobi world had begun choosing to settle in Konoha, not hesitating to spend huge sums of money to purchase land and houses there.
For a time, property prices throughout the village had climbed sharply.
Anyone who had originally owned a home there had now effectively become wealthy, earning substantial income simply by renting out property.
As for industry, there was even less to say.
"His ability to develop the village is truly impeccable."
Danzo looked at the prosperous sight before him and let out a sigh.
"My loss to him back then was not unjustified after all."
"But if we want to protect the prosperity here, we will have to continue working harder."
His gaze gradually deepened.
"War is coming."
.....
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