Urashiki casually slung the red Chakra fishing rod over his shoulder, tilted his head, and the playful smile on his face grew even wider. He walked with light steps towards Jigen and Amado, his gaze, however, roamed with interest over the surrounding cultivation pods and instruments.
After being beaten and forced to flee in disgrace by Menma in the Land of Waves last time, Urashiki knew there was something wrong with this Space-Time. But with Karasuki in the hands of the other two, returning to his original timeline was temporarily impossible.
Urashiki was alone and weak, and the Chakra consumed by traversing Space-Time was too great for him to go to other starfields to find this Space-Time's Momoshiki and Kinshiki. So, he remembered Isshiki, who was still alive at this point in time.
After recovering from his injuries, Urashiki spent some more time searching and finally found Isshiki's 'vessel' in the Amegakure.
"Of course, I heard that our clan's legendary predecessor, Isshiki-sama, seemed to have run into a little 'trouble' on this unremarkable planet, so I came specifically to see if there's anything I can do to help~" His tone was frivolous, carrying undisguised mockery.
Especially when mentioning 'little trouble', his gaze deliberately swept over the black erosion marks faintly visible through Jigen's clothing on his abdomen.
"I will deal with Kaguya's matter myself," Jigen said, unmoved by Urashiki's mockery, his tone indifferent. "What exactly is your purpose in coming?"
"Kaguya?" Urashiki curled his lip, seeming somewhat disdainful of that name. After all, she was merely a lower-ranking Otsutsuki warrior.
But then his attention was quickly drawn to the clones in the nearby cultivation pods. He approached one pod, pressing his face almost against the glass, carefully observing the rapidly growing humanoid inside, clicking his tongue in wonder.
"Cloning technology? Using the technology of these lower creatures to manufacture 'vessels'? How creative, Isshiki-senpai."
He turned his head to look at Jigen's face, his smile turning somewhat eerie: "However, my visit this time isn't entirely to see you make a fool of yourself. It's mainly because I've discovered something... more interesting on this planet."
"Interesting things?" Jigen's expression furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Things that Urashiki found 'interesting' were usually not good.
"Yeah~" Urashiki turned around, his back to the cultivation pods, lightly tapping the end of his red fishing rod against his palm. "A while ago, on a small island on this planet, I encountered a... very strange native."
A flash of humiliation passed through his eyes as he recalled: "He possessed power like a Kama that had been unsealed to a certain stage. And his eyes..."
Urashiki paused, looking at Jigen: "Were a golden Tenseigan."
"Rinnegan?!" For the first time, a clear emotional fluctuation… surprise, and deep doubt appeared on Jigen's usually impassive face.
The Tenseigan, even among the Otsutsuki clan, was an extremely rare and powerful supreme Dojutsu!
It usually only existed in individuals with extremely pure Otsutsuki main family's bloodline, or required extremely stringent conditions to awaken. For warriors like them who came out to plant trees, the Byakugan was the lowest configuration, and the Rinnegan was also a standard configuration among upper-ranking Otsutsuki warriors. But the Tenseigan...
On this planet, aside from the traitor Kaguya and her son who possessed the Rinnegan, even the Rinnegan of that Akatsuki's leader was, in Isshiki's view, merely the most basic version.
But now Urashiki was telling him that there was also a native possessing the Tenseigan?
"It seems you haven't seen it either." Urashiki got his answer from Jigen's reaction, and the interest on his face grew stronger. "I later inquired around on this planet. In recent years, a force called the Land of Stars has suddenly risen. And the supreme ruler of that force, a guy called 'Shura,' seems to have appeared out of nowhere. Perhaps it's related to this 'vessel'."
Urashiki had clearly misunderstood.
He had mistaken the power of the simulated Kama form that Menma displayed in the Land of Waves for the unsealing of a Kama belonging to some 'vessel'.
And he had mistaken the identity Shura for a guard protecting that 'vessel', or some kind of clone or manifestation of will of the 'vessel' itself.
Hearing the name Shura, Jigen's gaze suddenly turned icy cold, and the temperature in the lab seemed to drop a few degrees.
The conflict three years ago, the humiliation of the juvenile Ten-Tails being stolen, the current situation of his vessel accelerating its collapse...
All of this was thanks to that mysterious Shura!
"Land of Stars... Shura..." Jigen repeated in a low voice, and deep in his eyes, it seemed black flames were dancing.
"That's right." Urashiki grinned, moved closer, and lowered his voice, beginning to share an interesting prank plan of his own.
"I found out that the 'vessel' with the Tenseigan, and that kid with the Nine-Tails, will both be appearing soon in a village called 'Konoha' to participate in something called the 'Chunin Exams'. It seems the final public match is in a few days. It's sure to be lively then."
He licked his lips, a gleam of eager anticipation shining in his eyes: "So, how about it, Isshiki-senpai? Interested in going to Konoha with me for a visit? Collect the Nine-Tails' Chakra, and while we're at it... dispose of that strange 'vessel'? I think, when Shura sees his 'treasure' in trouble, the expression on his face will surely be... quite spectacular, don't you think?"
Jigen fell silent.
He looked at Urashiki, then at the immature clones around him.
The Nine-Tails' Chakra was one of the keys for him to reclaim the God Tree's power and reshape his body.
And if that suspected 'vessel' possessing the Tenseigan really was the 'vessel' of some Otsutsuki clansman, then Shura's displayed abnormal abilities, his understanding of the Otsutsuki Clan, and his strength far exceeding ordinary Ninjas of this planet, could all be explained.
But likewise, the hostility and danger he displayed must also be eliminated!
Urashiki's proposal stirred the dormant ripples in his heart.
A surprise attack on Konoha, while Shura was in the Land of Stars unable to react, in full public view, destroying the 'vessel' Shura cared about, absorbing the Nine-Tails' Chakra...
This would not only strike at that despicable fellow but also pave the way for his subsequent plans.
More importantly, with Urashiki around, he might be able to share some of the pressure, and even... create more chaos.
After a moment, Jigen slowly raised his head. In his eyes, it seemed something dangerous was gathering.
He nodded lightly to Urashiki.
"...Agreed."
Under the cold blue light of the lab, the two Otsutsuki from distant starfields, who regarded the beings of this world as mere ants and weeds, reached a silent understanding.
The cooperation was reached. Urashiki raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
A Space-Time rift with black-red shimmering edges opened behind Urashiki.
"Well then, Isshiki-senpai," Urashiki turned his head, giving Isshiki a meaningful smile. "See you in Konoha."
With that, he lingered no longer, walking with light steps into the teleportation portal.
The rift rapidly shrank and annihilated, and the lab returned to calm.
Jigen watched expressionlessly the direction Urashiki had disappeared. After a moment of silence, he slowly turned his head and cast his gaze towards Amado, who had been standing silently by the control console, trying hard to minimize his presence.
"Amado." Jigen's voice betrayed no emotion, but carried a commanding tone.
"Yes, Jigen-sama." Amado immediately bowed slightly, his posture respectful.
He knew well that although Jigen appeared quite gentlemanly on the surface and was very tolerant of him, he was actually arrogant and cold inside, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals. If he were to go against Jigen's will, his fate would be dire as well.
"Begin immediately cloning the several materials you mentioned." Isshiki's gaze swept over the rapidly developing humanoids in the cultivation pods, a flicker of contempt passing through his eyes. "Jiraiya, Hanzo of the Salamander... prioritize them in that order. I need to see usable finished products with sufficient combat effectiveness as soon as possible."
He paused, then added: "Don't excessively pursue stability and lifespan. In the initial phase, you can sacrifice some quality, prioritizing quantity and the speed of forming combat effectiveness. Problems with genetic collapse and rapid aging can be gradually optimized in subsequent batches."
For Isshiki, these clones were nothing more than consumables, temporary tools to help him complete his 'reclamation' plan.
As long as they could exert a certain percentage of the original's strength, carry out orders, create chaos, and draw fire, that was enough.
As for their 'lifespan' and 'human rights'?
That was not within his consideration.
Even if it meant filling the way with mountains of corpses and seas of blood from these clones, as long as it bought him the time to reclaim the Tailed Beasts' Chakra, dispose of that bitch's leftover contingencies, and ultimately find a suitable 'vessel', it would be worth it.
"...Understood, Jigen-sama." Amado lowered his head in acknowledgment.
Jigen said no more. He took one last look at the clones floating in the pale green nutrient solution, then also opened a black-red circular teleportation portal and stepped into it.
After Jigen's portal disappeared, the lab returned to calm, leaving only the low hum of instruments running, the gurgling sound of the nutrient solution circulating, and the faint heartbeats and breathing of the clones in the cultivation pods.
Only after confirming that Jigen's presence had completely vanished did Amado's tense shoulders relax slightly.
He slowly straightened up and lightly wiped his forehead with his right hand, still wearing its white glove.
There, at some point, a fine layer of cold sweat had emerged.
'That guy with the fishhook just now... the pressure he gave off was too much...'
Amado's expression was gloomy. Behind the orange lenses of his goggles, his gaze flickered complexly, erratically.
It was a long while before he seemed to break free from some heavy thoughts and silently sat back down on the chair before the central control console.
The chair let out a soft creak.
He extended his hands, and his fingers began to tap on the complex control panel again, calling up various experimental data, checking the life support system parameters of each cultivation pod, recording the clones' cell division speed, gene expression stability, and the hidden damage data brought by accelerated metabolism...
His movements remained professional, precise, and meticulous.
However, if a careful observer looked closely, they might notice that the force with which he struck the keys was slightly heavier than usual, the speed at which he switched screens a little faster, and the eyes hidden behind the orange lenses occasionally drifted towards the lab's thick alloy door.
About half an hour later, Amado stopped his work.
He stood up and left this core cloning cultivation lab. His footsteps echoed through the empty and silent metal corridors.
Passing through several more sterile, cold-lit passages, he arrived at another laboratory area.
The style here was completely different from the previous cultivation room, and the lighting was dimmer.
The entrance was more like a heavily guarded gate.
After the thick alloy door slid open, a straight, long passage greeted the eye.
On both sides of the passage were arranged independent cells, separated by high-strength bulletproof glass and alloy grilles.
Each cell was about five or six square meters, containing only the simplest toilet and a metal bed fixed to the wall.
And confined in these cells were precisely those clones that had completed basic cultivation, been removed from the nutrient pods, and 'activated'.
They varied in form. Some maintained the standard physique of an adult male, muscles taut, yet their gazes were vacant, like puppets drained of their souls, sitting quietly on the edge of their beds, completely unresponsive to the outside world.
Some showed obvious developmental deformities or accelerated aging characteristics, their skin loose and wrinkled, their hair sparse and gray, pacing anxiously in their cramped cells, occasionally slamming against the walls and grilles with their heads or bodies, making dull 'thud' sounds and hoarse, meaningless growls.
Others appeared relatively 'normal', even retaining the appearance of youths or young adults, but their eyes flickered with confusion, fear, and sudden outbursts of violence and destructive madness.
Several researchers, wearing white coats similar to Amado's, were walking between the cells with clipboards, either recording the clones' conditions through observation windows, or passing in simple food and water through small openings in the cell doors, or stopping before a cell and, in calm, cold tones, ordering the clone inside to perform designated movements, testing its reaction speed, strength, and even compliance with simple Ninjutsu commands.
Seeing Amado enter, the researchers immediately stopped their work, turned, and bowed respectfully: "Amado-sama."
Amado nodded expressionlessly in acknowledgment.
He took a tablet computer connected to the central database from one of the researchers and quickly swiped his finger across the screen, calling up the latest observation data reports.
The reports were densely filled with various physiological indicators of these clones.
Charts showed that the clones' metabolism speed was astonishingly fast. The number of cell divisions had been extremely compressed, causing them to age and collapse at dozens of times the normal human rate.
Many of the earlier cultivated individuals had already shown severe aging and rejection symptoms, such as muscle atrophy, organ failure, and skin ulceration.
"The instability of the cell tissue is still very serious," Amado muttered to himself.
"Yes, Amado-sama." Another researcher responsible for life monitoring immediately responded, his voice carrying a hint of tension. "Although we have improved the nutrient solution formula and gene stabilizers, the metabolic overload and genetic damage caused by the 'ripening' technology are systemic and difficult to completely repair in the short term. Especially the development of the nervous system... there is a serious lack of synchronization with the rapidly growing body..."
Amado didn't listen to the end of his explanation. His gaze had already moved from the tablet to a relatively independent cell deeper in the passage, one with a larger observation window.
Housed there was one of the few individuals among this batch of clones that was relatively 'complete' and even faintly showed signs of 'self-awareness'.
He waved his hand, signaling the researchers to continue their work, while he himself walked towards that cell.
Standing before the observation window, Amado quietly looked inside.
Inside was a male clone who looked to be about twenty years old. His physique was well-proportioned, his features even somewhat handsome.
But his current state was extremely unstable.
Sometimes he would sit quietly in the corner, hugging his knees and burying his face in them, his body trembling slightly, as if afraid of something. Other times, he would suddenly jump up, his eyes bloodshot, emitting a beast-like growl from his throat, frantically pounding the walls and bulletproof glass until his fists were bloody and mutilated, his eyes filled with pure, irrational violence and destructive impulses.
"In terms of consciousness..." Amado didn't turn around, asking in a low voice. "Still unable to stabilize?"
A researcher responsible for behavioral psychology recording hurried forward and reported in a low voice: "Yes, Amado-sama. The vast majority of the clones are basically in a 'blank' or 'chaotic' state. They can only receive the simplest commands, like slightly more advanced puppets."
"And individuals like Number 7 in this cell, who can occasionally show 'self' reactions and strong emotions... are far too few. Moreover, their 'consciousness' is extremely unstable, filled with contradictions, fragmentation, and uncontrollable aggression."
He paused, his voice unconsciously lowering, carrying an indescribable fear and trembling with a certain forbidden excitement: "This... this already touches upon the realm of 'soul', 'consciousness', or 'personality forging'. We... we are, after all, attempting to create 'humans', not merely manufacturing a movable body."
"This is the authority of gods in mythology. Our existing technology is still far, far from sufficient..."
"Enough." Amado cut him off. His voice was not loud, but it silenced the researcher instantly, sweat pouring down his face.
Amado asked no more, nor did he reprimand.
He simply stood quietly before the observation window, looking at the clone inside that sometimes cowered, sometimes raged. The lenses of his orange goggles reflected the other's distorted face and desperate eyes.
In a trance, he remembered the words that man named Shura had said to him three years ago.
"Amado, I know what you want."
"But I want to tell you the truth that Jigen hasn't told you either."
"Akebi's soul has long since departed for the Pure Land."
"The cloning technology he gave you can, at best, produce an empty shell with your daughter's biological genes… a walking piece of flesh without a soul, without memories."
At the time, he had been skeptical of these words.
However, as his cooperation with Jigen deepened over these three years, and as the cloning experiment went from initially cultivating complete bodies to now having to directly confront the ultimate difficult problem of 'consciousness' and 'soul', the scales in Amado's heart were quietly tilting.