Chapter 66: 64: Chakra and Natural Energy (1)
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Tailed beasts.
Ancient, formidable creatures.
They've symbolized natural disasters since time immemorial.
Possessing power beyond human reach.
The name itself derives from their varying number of tails, ranging from one to nine, giving birth to nine unique tailed beasts. These creatures are formed through the materialization of immense chakra.
Immortal, yet only able to be sealed.
Shiraishi had been scouring various sources for information on tailed beasts, and all the texts he found portrayed these chakra entities as calamitous forces of nature.
To prevent tailed beasts from rampaging, sacrifices in the form of human hosts, known as Jinchuriki, were necessary to seal these beings.
Presently, each of the five major ninja villages had a human vessel for containing a tailed beast, including Konoha, where Shiraishi resided. Among the tailed beasts, the most potent was the Nine-Tails.
The Nine-Tails was a colossal fox-like creature with, as the name suggests, nine tails. It had once been under the control of Uchiha Madara of the Uchiha clan. However, after Madara's defeat by the First Hokage, it was deemed too malevolent and overpowering. Thus, the First Hokage seized the opportunity to seal the Nine-Tails, confining it within Konoha.
The records suddenly ceased after this point, but the information was sufficient for Shiraishi's purpose.
Tailed beasts were living beings born from the materialization of chakra, wielding the might of natural disasters.
Recalling the rampage of the One-Tail, Shiraishi felt a sense of inadequacy and fear even from a distance.
Hence, naming these creatures as symbolic natural disasters appeared appropriate to Shiraishi. Their power was indeed beyond human control.
Equally noteworthy was that even when tailed beasts were killed, they'd randomly regenerate at different locations across the ninja world over time.
As a result, the only recourse was to employ sealing techniques against them.
Shiraishi observed the sealed glass chamber adjacent to him. Within, solid chakra emitted a lavender radiance.
"It is indeed chakra, though it seems to possess a unique combination of yin and yang attributes."
Guided by his acquired knowledge and practical experience, Shiraishi understood that chakra was volatile; when chakra materialized, it eventually dissipated. This wasn't the case with tailed beasts, as they utilized physical chakra to maintain their forms, exempt from the normal volatilization process.
At least based on current knowledge, tailed beasts didn't possess this persistent volatility.
"Could this be attributed to changes in the yin and yang properties? There's an unknown aspect to this as well. If I hadn't experimented earlier with natural energy, detecting this would've proven arduous."
Shiraishi fixed a dubious gaze on the peculiar chakra. Its origin traced back to Suna's One-Tail.
Shiraishi deemed this type of chakra to be of significant research value. Thus, before his escape, he had employed a chakra-absorbing experimental container to secure a sample.
He had already conducted preliminary analyses of the tailed beast chakra.
However, the matter held a deeper complexity, and avenues for exploration and decryption remained elusive.
What's more, Shiraishi possessed proficiency in manipulating the yang attribute of chakra but not the yin attribute. Additionally, the spiritualization technique Ruri had bestowed upon him constituted a form of ninjutsu governed by the yin attribute. This technique bypassed defenses to infiltrate an adversary's spiritual realm for control and destruction.
Thus, to unravel the tailed beast chakra's secrets, mastery over the yin and yang attributes was essential.
Just as Shiraishi ruminated, the laboratory's entrance creaked open. Footsteps echoed, growing nearer.
Descending the stairwell was a diminutive figure.
"Back already? You took your time," Shiraishi teased upon seeing Ruri.
"All thanks to you," Ruri retorted.
Taken aback, Shiraishi rested his chin upon his palm, appearing deeply contemplative.
"So, the Hokage faction plans to utilize remaining interests to sway Uchiha from pursuing this matter. However, the Uchiha high council rejected your proposal, as though the event never transpired?"
Upon the statement's completion, a handful of kunai hurtled toward Shiraishi's face.
Expertly, Shiraishi pinched the blades midair, smoothly catching them. He twirled the kunai by the ringed handles, a grin playing on his lips.
Leaning against the laboratory table, he quipped, "Your reaction is rather tepid. Didn't I mention? While the Uchiha clan as a whole benefits, the resolution might not align with your personal satisfaction. Politics necessitates a compromise between factions to maintain equilibrium. If one side disavows compromise, then bloodshed follows."
This approach, however, was not intended by either Uchiha or Konoha's leadership.
"Your talent for pessimism is truly impressive."
"After all, you're an advocate of force. Power begets power; personal gain through political maneuvers isn't your style. For you, having power means refraining from compromise, whether it's seizing or protecting something. Profit is irrelevant. That's where our greatest disparity lies."
Ruri regarded Shiraishi with a trace of disdain, as if she stood before a transparent being.
"You've got quite the insight."
"Your unwavering pursuit of power and your disregard for political gains define you," Shiraishi responded nonchalantly.
Ruri's gaze lingered on Shiraishi, not veiling her distaste. It felt like he was peeling away her layers.
"Yet, I believe the Uchiha council's decision is a form of strategy. The Uchiha clan isn't insignificant. Politics, economy, and military might constitute an inseparable triad. Politics is continually sliced into chaos..."
"Spare me the long speeches. I didn't come here for a lecture."
Facing Ruri's resolute demeanor, Shiraishi offered a helpless shrug, spreading his hands innocently to convey his surrender.
"Alright, let's drop this subject. I want to change the topic. I need your assistance with something."
Shiraishi had become adept at asking Ruri for favors, showing no signs of embarrassment.
"What do you need?"
"I'm looking to gather information on Tailed Beasts. The Uchiha clan should possess more knowledge about this, right?"
"Yes, that's what you want..."
Ruri's gaze shifted to the glass column in the adjacent detection instrument, containing a mass of tangible chakra emitting a lavender glow.
"Is that One Tails Chakra?"
Ruri quickly grasped Shiraishi's intention.
"Yes, indeed. Didn't you find his power display that day astonishing? I believe that researching Tailed Beasts and my current studies share certain common elements. Accessing more information or chakra from Tailed Beasts could be invaluable..."
Shiraishi spoke openly, not bothering to hide the fact that Tailed Beast Chakra held immense research value, even if he didn't explicitly mention its relevance to his current research.
"I can help you gather the information, but concerning things like Tailed Beast Chakra, that's a core secret of every village. It's off-limits to outsiders."
"Fair enough."
Shiraishi wasn't disheartened; obtaining more Tailed Beast information alone would be satisfying.
Nevertheless, his earlier statements hadn't eluded Ruri's sharp perception.
The connection between Chakra, Tailed Beasts, and his ongoing experiments wasn't lost on her, especially in relation to natural energy.
"Additionally, I require detailed information about the shifts in Yin-chakra properties. Could you help with that as well?"
After requesting Tailed Beast information, Shiraishi moved on to his second inquiry.
The chakra of Tailed Beasts encompassed shifts in the attributes of Yin and Yang. To unlock the secrets of Tailed Beasts, understanding the changes in these chakra attributes was paramount.
Ruri felt an impulse to step on Shiraishi's smiling face.
Who did he think she was? His personal information retriever?
"Fine."
Shiraishi's thoughts took another turn, prompting him to speak up.
Ruri's brows furrowed in response.
"What else?"
"Did you divulge anything about Tailed Beasts when you reported to Orochimaru Joinin that day? Preparing to employ Tailed Beast powers clandestinely isn't a joke."
"There was no need. If we hadn't known about Shukaku's presence there, the Root ninja wouldn't have lured us. Konoha's front-line ninjas were already aware. Furthermore, if Sandyin had detected that the pursuing squad had failed, there's a chance he'd tap into One Tail's power."
After a brief pause, Ruri answered Shiraishi's query.
"I see... that's alright, then."
"In the aftermath of such an incident, the village will likely treat us with suspicion for quite some time. You'll have ample time for your research. Don't squander this period of respite."
"Of course. Speaking of which, I ought to extend my gratitude to those Root operatives."
A smile crept across Shiraishi's face.
In the future, he'd be sure to offer them an extraordinary gift, a thought he tucked away in his mind.
◎
In line with Ruri's words, all but Hatake Sakumo, who remained engaged in his mission, were granted a leave of absence.
Anbu's inefficiency resulted in a mission mishap. To jolt Shiraishi's trio, a two-month hiatus was awarded for recuperation.
This was the official decree from Naruto, albeit somewhat implicit.
Shiraishi gave it a cursory glance before shifting his attention away.
It provided him with ample time to tend to his research, a plethora of subjects demanding his attention.
From delving into Yin-chakra attribute shifts to experimenting with magic, spiritualization, verifying chakra loss's equivalence to death, and unraveling Tailed Beast Chakra—his hands were full.
These two months seemed too short for the extent of research Shiraishi needed to conduct.
Thankfully, several experiments could be conducted concurrently without undue delay.
Fairy magic experiments and assessments of the human body's chakra loss could run parallel.
Simultaneously, he could hasten his mastery of the spiritualization technique, refining his aptitude in manipulating the Yin-chakra attribute.
The trade-off was Shiraishi's sequestration in the lab, his days consumed by research, punctuated only by meals and sleep.
Grasping the shifts in Yin-chakra attributes didn't pose a formidable challenge for Shiraishi.
Mastering the yang attribute chakra properties' changes had been swift, and achieving the same degree of mastery with the Yin attribute proved equally feasible.
Within a week, Shiraishi had acclimated to the intricacies of Yin-chakra attribute shifts.
Following after, he petitioned Ruri for instruction in a basic illusion—the Narakumi no Jutsu.
This technique facilitated projecting the most horrifying fears lurking within an enemy's mind—an introductory illusion.
Shiraishi's pursuit wasn't combat centric; rather, he aimed to acquaint himself with the spiritualization technique's fundamentals.
In contrast, the higher-level spiritualization technique involved manipulation at the soul's level—its mastery demanded considerably more effort.
Thus, Shiraishi didn't anticipate swift success; after all, mastering S-rank ninjutsu at a glance wasn't feasible, and he wasn't deluded about his capabilities.
Such a prodigious feat was nigh impossible even for a Copy Ninja of Shaker's caliber.
After a few additional days, Shiraishi had finally breached the threshold of spiritual transformation.
Even though he had only made slight progress, Shiraishi felt that he had reaped substantial benefits.
The technique of spiritualization presented not only the capability to utilize one's spiritual form to manipulate an adversary's mind but also the potential to invade and dismantle another person's spiritual realm.
With an extended range targeting and expansive perception capabilities, this technique could efficiently lock onto distant subjects.
All Shiraishi required now was to form a seal and release his thoughts, allowing him to sense occurrences within a twenty-meter radius.
It seemed this ninjutsu granted him a deity-like perspective, bolstering Shiraishi's confidence for future Tailed Beast research.
Shiraishi's objective was lucid: whether it was the rudimentary illusion technique or spiritual transformation, both aimed to unravel Yin-chakra attribute alterations, ultimately serving his research goals.
During a moment when Shiraishi was seamlessly extending his consciousness to unrestrictedly perceive the external environment, a sudden sharp headache gripped him, accompanied by persistent warning signals. Reacting promptly, he disengaged his Chakra, aborting the continued external perception.
"Hmm... only eleven seconds? As expected of an S-rank ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals, it's not something I can employ casually at my current level."
Presently, Shiraishi's perception of the external world was still rudimentary; he couldn't even remotely target subjects, let alone engage in spiritual attacks or manipulate complex enemy mental spaces.
Such progress fell far short of his aim to complete bodily spiritual transformation, rendering complacency unwarranted.
Furthermore, the spiritualization technique harbored a significant risk—perception and spiritual attacks immobilized the body and impeded defensive action.
Ergo, the successful execution of this ninjutsu hinged on the presence of secure and dependable teammates.
Moreover, the farther the spiritual form ventured from the body, the greater the demand on Chakra.
Though potent, the technique proved challenging to apply.
For the practitioner, it was a double-edged sword—powerful yet hazardous.
Thankfully, Shiraishi's interest in learning this technique lay predominantly in further comprehending Yin-chakra attribute transformations and advancing research objectives.
Even if the spiritualization technique held limited combat utility, its substantial research value overshadowed drawbacks.
In that moment, a voice emanated from a particular spot:
"Shiraishi-sama, the experimental data has been updated."
The five experimental subjects demonstrated remarkable compliance, dutifully following Shiraishi's directives.
This seemingly implausible situation had transformed the subjects into individuals physically superior to regular humans—each capable of effortlessly overpowering a typical Genin.
Hence, these five subjects served as both Shiraishi's invaluable experimental participants and dependable assistants.
While Shiraishi was delving into spiritual transformation, the five subjects were engaged in experiments meticulously outlined by Shiraishi.
Collecting himself, Shiraishi approached the workstation. The computer screen displayed data concerning the Senjutsu fusion, with the striking figure of 37% success probability.
Despite collating physical data from Ruri's earlier Immortality trial, encompassing the positive and negative impacts of immortal chakra on the human body, the success probability remained unsatisfactory.
Though progress had undeniably been made compared to previous attempts, this probability didn't inspire Shiraishi to immediately embark on Immortality practice.
Ruri's Immortality trial, a venture that could be perceived as either a success or failure, was a blend of achievements and failures. Success lay in her successful Immortality Art release, whereas failure manifested in the rampant Chakra upheaval.
While it offered a certain reference point, it wasn't an entirely accurate gauge.
"Shiraishi-sama, this represents the highest fusion result thus far."
Noticing Shiraishi's discontent, an assistant offered an apologetic reassurance.
"It's not your fault. The steps were designed by me, after all. It seems I need to approach this from a different angle. Oh well, how about the results of Experiment No. 2?"
Experiment No. 2 referred to the endeavor examining whether chakra depletion equated to death.
Upon Shiraishi's inquiry, another assistant in charge of Experiment No. 2 responded, "The mice used in the experiment are nearly deceased. Yet, there's one mouse that's behaving rather oddly..."
"Oddly?"
Shiraishi approached to observe—a white mouse within a glass enclosure twitched spasmodically. Astonishingly, it persisted, even after chakra was withdrawn, refusing to expire instantly.
Shiraishi regarded the spectacle with interest.
While the mouse appeared somehow, it undeniably didn't succumb upon the removal of its chakra.
"What happened?"
One of the subjects scratched his head sheepishly, confessing, "I made a blunder, injecting the wrong syringe with another substance into this particular mouse..."
As soon as he disclosed this, the mouse within the enclosure ceased its convulsions, falling lifeless.
Shiraishi identified the syringe in question, which still bore traces of the mysterious substance.
Gazing at the syringe, he murmured, "A Vitality potion..."
The potion contained a specially refined component capable of replenishing the life energy absorbed by living beings.
Shiraishi's expression twisted in confusion.
He had indeed contemplated substituting natural energy for chakra earlier, supplying it as life force to experimental rodents.
However, this venture proved catastrophic, resulting in the death of all mice when their chakra was withdrawn.
Subsequently, he hadn't employed natural energy as a replacement, opting instead to explore the connection between chakra and the human body.
Now, Shiraishi pondered the implications.
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