Based on the characteristics of the blue chakra, there was no doubt—this was the prototype of Tenseigan Chakra!
Just as Hyuga Yu had previously suspected, the Caged Bird Curse was not created merely to establish the mundane system of Main and Branch families. Even without the curse, the strong have always enslaved the weak; that remains true in any era.
From another perspective, it was a limiter.
Through a cursed seal directly connected to the brain, eyes, the first thoracic vertebra, and the rest of the body, it simultaneously absorbed physical energy, spiritual energy, Byakugan chakra, and other elements Yu had yet to analyze. Using the seal's own mechanism, it converted them into a trace of blue chakra that approached the nature of "Tenseigan Chakra."
This blue chakra, which was of a far higher grade than Byakugan chakra, was used to "restrict" the Hyuga shinobi. Yet, it was more than just a restriction; it served as a reference point for evolution and growth.
Or, to be more conspiratorial, it was a backdoor designed to refine the Hyuga clan members into a "Giant Tenseigan."
Once this limiter was broken, members of the Hyuga clan could use it as a template to continuously convert their chakra into a form approaching that of their ancestor, Hamura Otsutsuki. Each time one survived a brush with death and shattered the shackles of the cage, they drew closer to true freedom—the Six Paths level.
Top-tier Tenseigan Chakra could directly condense into Six Paths-level Truth-Seeker Orbs. It allowed for even more refined control over nature transformations than the Rinnegan, enabling the creation of the planet-bursting Silver Wheel Rebirth Explosion or the star-cutting Golden Wheel Rebirth Explosion.
At this moment, Yu observed the blue chakra within his body. It was more condensed than before, nearly reaching the quality level of the "blue chakra" that leaked from the Caged Bird Curse.
He drew several conclusions:
First, the Caged Bird was now almost ineffective against him. Having survived an ordeal that was virtually certain death, his current blue chakra—amplified by the vitality of Hashirama's cells—was powerful enough to use its sheer volume to counter the higher-quality blue chakra within the Caged Bird Curse. While the seal still had a minor effect on him, it was no longer fatal.
Second, merely resisting the Caged Bird would no longer improve the quality of his blue chakra. Yu could vaguely sense that the next step in deciphering the Caged Bird lay in researching, decomposing, and fusing the properties of the blue chakra.
Once he completely analyzed this chakra and gained the ability to manually craft blue chakra from ordinary Byakugan chakra, Yu would be able to self-generate chakra of the same quality and grade as that in the Caged Bird. In other words, at that level, Yu would have mastered the technology of the Caged Bird itself, turning the cursed seal into a "weapon"—and he could even place the curse on others.
Regarding this research, Yu had two paths:
Start with the conversion of Byakugan chakra by dissecting Branch house members, forcing the Caged Bird to a halt to study and record the conversion process.
Start with chakra natures by decomposing the blue chakra, studying its attributes, and mastering those attributes to solve the problem at the source by crafting it by hand.
Complete Tenseigan Chakra was already Six Paths-level chakra. It was known that the way to fuse the Six Paths-level substance, "Truth-Seeker Orbs," was to do as the Sage of Six Paths did: fuse all seven chakra nature transformations. This was a painstaking process that required Yu to deeply study and master the principles of all seven natures, which would be time-consuming and arduous.
However, because he had integrated the "Eighteen-Handed" Hashirama cells, Yu could feel that in addition to his original Wind affinity, his body now possessed a new attribute.
Yang Release.
Many people possess both Yin and Yang attributes, but these natures usually don't manifest outwardly and are difficult to master or research. Those born with these attributes are often healthier, physically stronger, and possess more vigorous life force. They recover faster from injuries and have a natural affinity for medical ninjutsu.
Yu planned to start with Yang Release. Medical ninjutsu was itself a manifestation of Yang Release. Beyond that, the Multi-Size Jutsu of the Akimichi clan, or tracking down the remnants of the Uzumaki or Senju clans to study their bloodlines, were also potential directions.
As Yu calculated his future path, a steady, calm set of footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the room.
The thick door was pushed open, and a man wearing a cat-face mask and the standard Anbu uniform walked in. He looked into the room, his gaze lingering briefly on the steel wall Yu had smashed. Then, he turned his head and looked calmly at Yu without saying a word.
The atmosphere grew silent.
Yu looked at the newcomer. The man had grey hair; beneath the cat-face mask was a face more mature than Yu's but slightly effeminate. He looked to be under twenty years old.
"Who are you?" Yu asked.
The grey-haired Root member remained silent. He pulled a slip of paper from his ninja tool pouch, produced a brush from somewhere, and scribbled a line of text before handing the paper over.
Yu took the paper and saw a single line: I am Shin. This is our first meeting. I look forward to working with you.
Yu looked up, a bit surprised. Shin of Root—if he remembered correctly, this should be Sai's older brother. However, the man's age clearly didn't match. Sai wasn't even born yet, and even if Shin had been born, he should only be a small child. Furthermore, Shin was supposed to have died of tuberculosis around the age of twelve; it didn't match this twenty-year-old youth at all.
At that moment, the man scribbled two more lines on the paper and handed it over: "Change in the Hidden Mist!" "Lord Danzo has arranged a mission for you. Please follow me."
Yu looked at the small slips of paper being handed to him and asked wordlessly, "You can't speak?"
Shin nodded, then shook his head. He opened his mouth, revealing the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal carved onto his tongue. It meant that the upcoming mission involved Danzo Shimura and concerned top-secret information; he could not reveal any intel to others.
Yu frowned slightly and asked, "What's the date today?"
"January 15th."
Seeing the date, Yu realized he had been recuperating for over two months, even passing the New Year. Now, the Third Shinobi World War was about to enter its most turbulent period.
"What is the mission?" he asked.
Shin shook his head, turned to push open the door, and led the way. Yu followed closely behind. After passing through long steel corridors and several busy offices, Yu arrived outside the secret Root base.
Under the night sky, what met his eyes was a small frontier town turned to ruins by war. Broken walls, dried black bloodstains, shattered ninja tools, and chipped, broken swords thrust among the rubble... it was a scene of pure devastation.
Further away, a fierce fire blazed. Yu activated his Byakugan and peered into the distance. He discovered it was the palace of the Land of Bears, bearing the "Star" emblem. It was now filled with barriers. Outside the palace, the Hidden Mist ninja's tents stretched out in a long line; dense crowds of Mist shinobi moved about the camp, and war supplies were piled high like mountains.
Seeing this, Yu immediately realized they were in the Land of Bears. The presence of the Hidden Mist camp meant that the Mist had already captured the Land of Bears, the Land of Waves, the Land of Whirlpools, and the Kusunami coast, pushing the front lines into the interior of the Land of Fire.
They were currently behind enemy lines.
Shin shoved another slip of paper toward him. Yu took it and saw a single large word: "Go!"
When Yu looked up again, he saw Shin pull a scroll from his waist and flick it open. A lifelike bird drawn in ink manifested above the ruins—the Super Beast Scroll.
Shin leaped onto the bird's back first. Sitting atop the ink bird, he turned back and looked silently at Yu. For a moment, Yu couldn't figure him out. He stopped in his tracks, frowned, and asked, "What exactly is the mission?"
Shin paused. Finally, he let out a heavy breath, took out a piece of paper, and wrote: "The Hidden Mist Collapse Plan!"
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