Chapter 412: Unlimited Void · Modified
"Unlimited Void."
Within the core laboratory of Scientific Technology Development Zone 13, Tobitake Tonbo formed a hand seal. A monstrous surge of chakra erupted from his body.
Countless runic formulas instantly manifested, swirling rapidly around him. Torrents of massive data streams pulsed outward from the epicenter, the sheer volume of information severely disrupting the localized space and completely warping the surrounding magnetic field.
Eventually, the magnetic field twisted to such an extreme degree that the space housing Tonbo seemingly faded entirely from the world's perception—as if he no longer existed in reality.
Outside the containment chamber, two individuals wearing specialized goggles monitored the data flooding onto the screens.
"Warning. Warning. Colossal stream of information detected. System processor has stalled. Initiating automated data-stream filtering... Filtering complete. System processor has resumed normal function."
A mechanical voice chimed from the intercom speakers. The processing unit, which had been overheating into the red zone alongside the diagnostic monitors, gradually stabilized as the indicators shifted back to a safe green light.
"What an extraordinary ninjutsu... or rather, what an extraordinary kinjutsu," Orochimaru remarked, his lips curling into a look of profound intrigue as he stared at the figure practicing inside the chamber. The sheer volume of data generated was something even the diagnostic tools of Zone 13 struggled to fully calculate.
"Incredible. If anyone were to be directly struck by this technique, I suspect their brain would be instantly incinerated from information overload," Kabuto added. Even through his specialized goggles, he could distinctly perceive the crushing weight of that data stream. It felt as though the complex biological data of countless Otsutsuki had exploded into existence all at once.
Crack!
Suddenly, a faint snapping sound echoed as a fracture spiderwebbed across the frame of Kabuto's specialized goggles.
It was genuinely hard to fathom how a human being could master such a power. To duplicate an astronomical amount of memory, trigger it into a localized explosion, and maintain it in a perpetual loop—such an ability was nothing short of miraculous.
Orochimaru analyzed, "But it's still not quite enough. Expecting this tier of power to completely bypass Future Sight is a bit too idealistic."
While the sensory impact of the data flood was sufficient, it only sustained itself for a brief instant; it lacked the capacity to loop automatically and endlessly. Furthermore, the chakra consumption was astronomical. Tonbo couldn't maintain it as a passive, constant aura around his body without wreaking absolute havoc on his immediate environment and everyone around him.
According to their joint research, the fundamental fabric of the universe was woven from information. If an excessively massive concentration of data manifested in one place, it would inevitably warp reality, rewriting the localized data structure of the world itself. This truly was a monumental feat of ninjutsu engineering.
"This technique behaves quite similarly to the Uchiha's Izanagi," Kabuto observed. "Or perhaps, it's more accurate to call it a heavily modified variant of Izanagi."
Judging by the underlying execution method and the resulting data metrics, the core philosophy closely mirrored Izanagi. Both utilized Yin Release to materialize intangible concepts into reality, thereby rewriting the future. Based on their years of collective research, Izanagi's ability to alter an unfavorable future was achieved precisely by manipulating and restructuring the world's localized information. The user would force a specific parameters into the informational field and execute the jutsu formula according to that design.
"The direction is absolutely correct," Orochimaru noted. "The real challenge now is whether he can successfully refine it into a passive technique that remains constantly active on his person without causing collateral damage to his surroundings or other people."
What an absolute anomaly Tonbo was, to be capable of independently engineering a jutsu of this caliber. His sheer genius easily rivaled the ninjutsu development capabilities of the Second Hokage.
However, the pivotal factor remained whether Tonbo could execute the subsequent phase of development. After all, he couldn't realistically spend every second of his life actively casting a high-level ninjutsu just to counter a conceptual threat like Future Sight.
Kabuto countered, "Lord Orochimaru, if your hypothesis holds true, then even a single deployment of this ninjutsu should theoretically disrupt Future Sight, wouldn't it? After all, an enemy utilizing Future Sight must actively observe the timeline. As long as Senior Tonbo deploys this technique right after the enemy initiates their vision, it will inevitably corrupt their observation."
It was akin to a footrace from the starting line to the finish. The finish line represented the chosen future, Tonbo was the runner advancing toward it, and the enemy utilizing Future Sight was a trailing competitor trying to peer ahead. To predict the future, the trailing runner had to look at Tonbo. The moment Tonbo activated the technique during that window, the enemy would slam face-first into the informational wall.
"We can tell him to stand down now. This is exceptionally well done," Orochimaru said, his eyes gleaming. "Such an extraordinary talent for genjutsu... frankly, even Uchiha Itachi falls a bit short in comparison."
By this point, Orochimaru no longer held Itachi's ocular prowess in high regard; he felt it had hit its absolute ceiling. In fact, even the current Sasuke didn't quite measure up. Working alongside Tobitake Tonbo was an endless stream of fascinating revelations; the man constantly unveiled concepts that defied Orochimaru's existing knowledge base. The Otsutsuki biology, his current ninjutsu formulas, his strategic intellect, and his political acumen were all utterly peerless.
Orochimaru couldn't help but wonder what other eccentric ideas Tonbo would conjure up in the future. The looming threat of the Otsutsuki was turning out to be quite magnificent, forcing so many hidden marvels into the light.
A brief moment later, Tonbo materialized right in front of the laboratory control screens.
"Well? how do the metrics look? Did we hit the target parameters?" Tonbo asked immediately.
Deepening the development of Unlimited Void strictly required the feedback of external observers. Even if he utilized Shadow Clones, their insights couldn't match the analytical genius of Orochimaru and Kabuto. Different perspectives naturally birthed different streams of logic, and he had no intention of underestimating these two prodigies. After all, he didn't possess a cheat system; he was simply a bit smarter than average.
Orochimaru responded, "It's flawless. The next step is converting this into a permanent, passive seal on your body that remains perfectly harmless to bystanders and the environment."
That was the true bottleneck.
"Understood. What about the sealing formula you've been working on? Any breakthroughs?" Tonbo nodded, turning his attention to Orochimaru.
His own information-based ninjutsu was merely one vector of attack. The alternative approach had to rely on Fuinjutsu. Sealing arts were an absolute staple of the Shinobi World that would never truly fall out of style, no matter the era.
Orochimaru smiled confidently. "I've found a solid lead, and substantial progress has already been made. I've named the technique the World-Sealing Barrier. It is a fuinjutsu designed to completely isolate and sever all incoming and outgoing information from a designated space. Your own technique provided the vital inspiration for it."
Since the universe was built on information, completely blocking the flow of that information would logically blind any attempt at Future Sight. That was Orochimaru's core methodology. Furthermore, by a stroke of brilliance, this information-blocking seal could be integrated into standard laboratory settings to serve as an ultimate anti-interference shield for delicate experiments.
"However, it's currently just a baseline prototype. It still requires extensive fine-tuning."
Kabuto suggested, "Lord Orochimaru, perhaps we could utilize the Reanimation Jutsu to summon the Second Hokage? His expertise could drastically accelerate our progress."
Kabuto's current moral compass generally forbade him from disturbing the deceased. However, if temporarily disturbing a historical figure meant securing a safer world for the upcoming generation of children, he felt the trade-off was entirely justifiable.
Hearing this, Tonbo let out a soft chuckle. He liked the idea in theory, but he highly doubted Tobirama would be particularly thrilled about being pulled back to work. Furthermore, constantly interfering with the Pure Land might trigger unforeseen cosmic repercussions.
Orochimaru casually waved off the suggestion. "There is no need. His methods have already grown outdated; the resources we possess right now are more than enough."
He no longer felt the need to rely on the dead. To him, the figures of the past—whether it was the Third Hokage or the Second—were ultimately failures of their respective eras, and failures could only offer insights born of failure.
"Alright then, I'm heading out to pick up Keigo from school. I wonder if he made any new friends today," Tonbo said with a light smile before vanishing from the laboratory in a flicker of movement.
Watching him leave, Kabuto turned to Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, Mitsuki has already successfully synchronized his chakra with nature, achieving a natural Sage Body from birth. I wonder how large the disparity is between him and Keigo?"
Orochimaru chuckled warmly. "Mitsuki is the ultimate culmination of our synthetic research. However, Keigo is capable of independently generating his own research breakthroughs. Mitsuki cannot be compared to Keigo in that regard; that boy is undeniably one of the sharpest minds I have ever encountered in the field of scientific research."
A soft, proud smile graced Orochimaru's face. The synthetic lifeform he had painstakingly engineered had finally entered the world; he was officially about to experience parenthood.
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