Konoha Year 50, January 17th, 8:20 AM.
A cylindrical building located in the heart of Kirigakure—an area specifically designated for foreign merchants and diplomatic missions—collapsed.
Following an investigation by the Kirigakure Cryptanalysis and Intelligence Squad, the official cause was announced: the building had fallen into disrepair, with the load-bearing pillars on the tenth floor suffering from significant structural aging. Simultaneously, an accidental gas explosion in a room on the tenth floor triggered a chain reaction, leading to the total collapse of the structure.
The disaster relief department arrived on the scene shortly after, utilizing Earth Style techniques to rapidly clear the debris.
Meanwhile, Mei Terumi, who was on-site coordinating the efforts, felt her expression tighten as she read the internal investigation report.
"First, he used that azure wind sword to pierce a row of load-bearing pillars on the tenth floor. Then, the follow-up swing expanded rapidly after slicing through my Lava Release wall, creating a massive concussive force that struck the pillars already weakened by the first strike. Finally, it caused the entire building to crumble."
"Every single point of impact was a critical structural support..."
"So, everything was within his calculations?"
As this thought crossed her mind, Mei's face darkened with a hint of resentment. Ultimately, however, she let out a helpless sigh. Even if she realized that Hyuga Yu's methods involved a degree of posturing and bluffing, the abilities he had displayed formed a perfect counter to her style of ninjutsu.
Her Lava Release couldn't hit him, the high-temperature solid walls generated by her Lava Release couldn't trap him, and her Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique couldn't even get close because of his control over the surrounding atmospheric pressure.
In this round of confrontation, Mei Terumi had suffered a total defeat in every aspect.
Soon after handling the cleanup, Mei walked toward the Hōzuki clan's island in the center of the lake. Her expression was complicated as she slightly unfurled the scroll Yu had instructed her to give to Elder Genji. Inside, she saw a long list of instrument names she had never even heard of:
Centrifuges, inverted phase-contrast microscopes, water baths, liquid nitrogen tanks, flow cytometers, microplate readers, qRT-PCR machines, atomic force microscopes...
At the end, the prices for the equipment and various experimental materials were thoughtfully noted:
98,000,000 Ryō.
Following that were three even more complex articles filled with various formulas... Mei recognized every individual character, but when they were strung together, she found she could only comprehend the main title:
"Theoretical Verification of Blood Release Cytoskeleton and Dynamic Observation & Expenditure List for Laboratory Construction"
"What on earth is this?"
Root actually wants to extort nearly a hundred million in funding from Kirigakure using this? That was equivalent to the pay for a hundred S-rank missions!
"Even that vampire, the Third Mizukage, isn't as good at sucking blood as you!" Mei muttered. Seeing the long string of zeros at the end of the scroll made her scalp tingle with disbelief. However, what she found even more incomprehensible was that when she handed the scroll to the Council of Elders, Elder Genji took on an unprecedentedly solemn posture after reading the document.
Inside the Kirigakure Elders' headquarters, an emergency meeting was convened. Genji, sitting at the head of the conference table, spread out the scroll and carefully studied the two articles written upon it: "Blood Release Cytoskeleton and Morphological Dynamic Observation" and "Framework for Countermeasure Technology against Changes in Cellular Mechanical Properties".
There was a significant amount of content he didn't understand, but Genji's years of reading official documents allowed him to keenly notice the conclusions these articles pointed toward.
The papers detailed that the Third Mizukage's "Blood Release" was a product of the combination of Water Release and Yang Release. It provided a systematic analysis of the Third Mizukage's abilities and proposed a plan to counter him—approaching from the perspective of Yang Release to limit the Third Mizukage's bizarre blood-draining ability. Furthermore, it appeared highly feasible; it simply required a massive investment of funds into research and development to urgently manufacture something called "Yang Release Serum."
Genji put down the scroll, rubbed his temples, and turned to look at Mei Terumi standing behind him. He didn't comment on the contents of the scroll, but instead asked a different question:
"Mei Terumi, what is your assessment of that Root member?"
"He is very strong."
Genji raised an eyebrow slightly. "Strong in what specific way?"
Mei thought for a moment and said gravely, "His right hand!"
"In his fight against me and Mangetsu Hōzuki, from start to finish, he only used his right hand."
"The azure wind sword, the crescent-shaped sword beams, and the taijutsu that was so unbelievably fast it defeated Mangetsu Hōzuki before he could even react or use his Hydrification Technique—all of it was executed with that right hand."
Hearing this, Genji narrowed his eyes. He couldn't help but think of that old dog Danzō Shimura, who also kept his right arm hidden from the outside world. Coupled with the impressive research results Root was currently displaying regarding Yang Release... could it be that this was Root's latest breakthrough? Their trump card?
Had Konoha's technological level really reached such heights?
A sense of anxiety rose in Genji's heart. At the same time, his desire to change Kirigakure became even more urgent. The Village Hidden in the Mist had been stagnant for too long under the Third Mizukage's rule... their mastery of various shinobi technologies remained at a rather primitive level.
At that moment, he beckoned to a high-ranking official from the Kirigakure Medical Department. "Yajima, come and look at these articles."
The middle-aged man with glasses, known as Yajima Junito, immediately stood up and walked to Genji's side, respectfully taking the scroll. Genji asked, "Look at them closely. Tell me, is there any possibility of realizing the content proposed in these papers?"
Yajima nodded, calmly adjusting his glasses. He was the director of the Kirigakure Hospital, the most skilled medical ninja in the village, and the foremost authority on the development of various new technologies in the shinobi world.
Despite his internal disdain for a biochemical paper produced by an espionage organization—no, it wasn't just disdain, he felt it was absurd; the idea of Root and cutting-edge medical papers being related was like night and day—under Genji's watchful eye, he maintained a serious facade and began to skim the papers provided by Hyuga Yu.
However, when he skipped past the flashy titles and read the numerous detailed operational methods and theories proposed in the section regarding "Cytoskeleton and Morphological Dynamic Observation", his expression shifted.
"Huh!?"
His face changed instantly, his expression becoming extremely grave. Then: "Tsk, this is actually quite interesting..."
After a while, Yajima ignored all decorum and plopped down right next to Genji, becoming completely absorbed in the relatively short document.
"Sss... This... So, medical ninjutsu research can actually be conducted this way?"
Seeing Yajima's shifting expressions, Genji realized that the articles Yu had produced were no simple matter. He immediately asked, "How is it?"
"Wait, Elder Genji, allow me to finish reading... this article, tsk, ah, how should I put it? For us medical ninja, this... this is simply too enlightening!"
As Yajima read on, his expression moved beyond gravity to one of sheer astonishment and shock. One moment, he would scoff at a proposed method, but after reading further, he would suddenly look enlightened.
Just like that, an hour and a half passed. Yajima lifted his head from the table, still feeling somewhat dazed, as if the entire world had advanced twenty years in that short span of time!
It was only then that he realized all the elders summoned by Genji for the emergency meeting had arrived and were all staring at him.
Startled, Yajima jumped up from the head of the conference table, looking a bit flustered under everyone's gaze.
"Well, Yajima?" Genji asked solemnly, posing the question most important to them at that moment. "If we allocate the funds and establish the laboratory, can we really develop a 'Yang Release Serum' that counters the Third Mizukage's abilities?"
Upon hearing this, Yajima almost couldn't help but laugh. If the concepts proposed in the paper were truly realized, they wouldn't just be developing a serum—Kirigakure could potentially use medical ninjutsu to directly cultivate Yang Release ninja similar to the Akimichi Clan of Konoha!
But under the cold stares of the elders, Yajima didn't dare speak too boldly, nor did he dare admit that there were parts of the paper he didn't fully understand. He merely shrunk back slightly and spoke cautiously:
"Elder," Yajima began, "According to the analysis in this paper, the Third Mizukage's Blood Release achieves 'Chakra Resonance' through mitochondrial membrane potential and calcium ion oscillations to send signals, thereby establishing a pathway within the enemy's body to directly extract blood. In essence, this is a Yang Release method."
"Therefore, according to the theory in the countermeasure framework, as long as we activate pathways such as the mTOR, Hippo, and Wnt pathways to inhibit the signal pathway proteome, we can form a counter to the Mizukage's jutsu..."
Yajima spoke at length, reciting the contents of the paper. Genji and the other elders looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion. Though they understood every individual word, they didn't understand a single thing when the words were put together.
Genji immediately lifted his snake-headed staff and tapped it on the ground.
Thump! Thump!
The meaning was clear: Speak in a way humans can understand...
Yajima snapped out of it, realizing the issue, and coughed. He summarized:
"To put it simply, it's like fighting an information war within the human body. By inflicting damage on oneself, we activate the self-repair mechanism in the cells to block the signals sent by the Third Mizukage, thereby evading his jutsu."
The elders present finally understood, nodding one after another. This sounded much more like a shinobi method.
Genji continued, "And how do we verify the authenticity of this scroll?" He frowned, calculating whether spending so much money was worth it. "100 million Ryō is no small sum for Kirigakure..."
Kirigakure's economy had always been a weak point. Although they monopolized maritime trade, most of the money from the shipping business ended up in the Daimyō's pockets—which was effectively the Third Mizukage's pocket. In the domains controlled by the Council of Elders, Kirigakure still relied on the traditional method of shinobi taking missions to earn funds to keep the village running.
As the director of the hospital, Yajima was extremely sensitive to the word "funding." Sensing Genji's hesitation, he immediately spoke up:
"Elder Genji, this article actually provides a 'crude method' to counter the Third Mizukage's blood-draining ability!"
"In other words, we can verify its truth at any time. But if we want to achieve true results, the 'Yang Release Serum' is indispensable!"
"Oh?" Genji raised an eyebrow. "What is the method?"
"By using a Chakra Scalpel to preemptively damage the body's hematopoietic system, we can temporarily form partial antibodies."
Genji narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and immediately made a decision. "Then, you will execute this step."
He then turned to the elder of the Yuki Clan. "Haku Jun, you organize the men. Verify the feasibility of this method today!"
The meeting ended quickly, and the Kirigakure Council of Elders swung into action.
That night, an assassination attempt on the Third Mizukage was launched.
Five Kirigakure Jōnin, experts in assassination sent by the Council of Elders, infiltrated the Mizukage Building with pre-inflicted injuries. At 9:00 PM, a massive battle erupted at the top of the building, and the entire roof of the Mizukage Building was leveled.
In the end, only one of the five assassins escaped. However, for the Kirigakure Council of Elders, this was already their most successful action against the Third Mizukage to date!
The Yang Release theory provided by Hyuga Yu was verified in this assassination attempt as—effective!
The next day, the Third Mizukage was furious, dispatching the Anbu and Hunter-nin to track down the assassins. On the same day, various departments in Kirigakure went on a massive strike, and the interior of the village fell into chaos.
January 18th, 9:00 AM. A port area on the west side of Kirigakure.
Hyuga Yu, who was staying in a safehouse and continuing to construct the Twelve Regular Meridians of his "Wind Release: Flowing Astral Body" system, unexpectedly met a special visitor.
The visitor was a mid-level member of the Mizukage's Secretarial Department named "Imai Rino," tasked with investigating residential water fees.
Of course, this was only a cover name and a disguise. This person had another name—the "Walking Miko," Nonoū Yakushi.
Entering the safehouse, Nonoū Yakushi pulled off her wig, revealing her long blonde hair. With an angry expression, she walked quickly to Yu, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, and demanded:
"What exactly did you give to Genji?"
"The Third Mizukage has started secretly recalling his elites to the village, and the Elders have started fully funding 'Kirisame'!"
"Now, both sides have launched their respective plans ahead of schedule!"
To the side, Terai, Shin, and Yamato looked at each other. Yu, meanwhile, unhurriedly stopped his training and slowly looked up at the head of the Root intelligence organization who had previously been uncooperative. He smiled slightly.
"Isn't this perfect? Lord Danzō requested that we subvert Kirigakure. The more chaos there is inside the Mist, the more it benefits us, no?"
Nonoū Yakushi frowned and snapped, "But our intelligence personnel are being caught in this storm because of your unilateral actions! This wasn't part of Lord Danzō's plan! Hyuga Yu, do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Yu wasn't surprised that she had discovered his true identity. He looked at Nonoū with a calm gaze and said softly:
"Who is the one acting unilaterally?"
"Don't forget, 'Miko.' You were the one who chose not to cooperate with the operation."
"Right now, I am the supreme commander of the Kirigakure Collapse Plan!"
Nonoū Yakushi fell silent for a moment, clenching her fists. Yu's actions had clearly disrupted Root's original plan, but she had to admit that Yu's current status was indeed a direct appointment from Danzō Shimura. She couldn't understand what Danzō was thinking, entrusting a mission vital to the entire village's safety to a fourteen-year-old boy.
But things had already reached this point. She wasn't here to make things difficult for Yu; on the contrary, Yu's actions had been a resounding success, achieving things she and Ryōma Aburame hadn't managed in months of infiltration!
Thinking of this, Nonoū let out a long breath, pulled a scroll from her pouch, and tossed it to Yu.
Yu caught the scroll and opened it. It contained detailed information on the various elders of the Council and the forces behind them. Most crucially, it included an investigative report on the Three-Tails Jinchūriki and the Six-Tails Jinchūriki!
Yu looked at Nonoū with a hint of surprise. He had thought she was here to pick a fight.
Nonoū warned him gravely, "Hyuga Yu, what you are doing now is very dangerous!"
"I don't know what you were planning with that "Theoretical Verification of Blood Release Cytoskeleton and Dynamic Observation & Expenditure List for Laboratory Construction" you submitted... but Genji is no fool with more money than brains, and the Third Mizukage is not that simple!"
"Once you enter the Elders' field of vision, it is equivalent to entering the Third Mizukage's field of vision."
"When that time comes, there is very little I can do to help you."
Yu's eyes sharpened. Entering the Elders' vision is the same as entering the Mizukage's? What did that mean?
He looked up and asked, "Are there spies for the Third Mizukage within the Council of Elders?"
"No," Nonoū shook her head, her face darkening as she warned, "The entire Hidden Mist—no, the entire Land of Water. Right now, it is all under the Third Mizukage's surveillance!"
Yu immediately thought of the Daimyō of the Land of Water, but just as he was about to ask, a clear voice called out from the doorway:
"Rino-san—are you finished yet? We need to go to the next block!"
Nonoū Yakushi donned her wig, adjusted her glasses, and instantly slipped into the role of "Imai Rino." She smiled, picked up her documents, and jogged toward the door.
"Sorry, I'm coming right now!"
Suddenly, Nonoū's surprised voice came from outside:
"Oh, Mei Terumi-sama? Why are you here?"
Hearing the name, Yu's gaze narrowed. He stood up and walked toward the door. There, Mei Terumi appeared with a complex expression. She looked at Yu, let out a deep breath, slapped a document against his chest, and lowered her voice:
"Your application passed the Council's approval."
"The laboratory will be built within three days."
She narrowed her emerald eyes, staring intensely at Yu's face. "I don't know how you managed to get past Elder Genji... but if you have any other designs on Kirigakure, I will be the first one to kill you!"
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