Grass Lizard Swamp!
This was a muddy region saturated with stagnant water and dense vegetation, its soil composed entirely of peat and swamp muck.
Endless green miasma shrouded the swamp, creating an impenetrable barrier that seemed to stretch to eternity.
As Sasuke stepped onto the swampy ground, his foot was immediately pulled downward, sinking into the muck. Reacting instantly, he channeled Chakra beneath his sole, halting his descent.
"Lord Sasuke, you've arrived."
A thunderous roar, like a hurricane's fury, reverberated through the air. A colossal lizard, its body as massive as a mountain, materialized before Sasuke, its slightest movement blotting out the sun and darkening the sky.
"Hmph. I appreciate your assistance this time, Shiromari," Sasuke said with a curt nod. "I'll be staying here for a while. I'll be relying on you to look after me during my stay."
Great Lizard Shiromari regarded him with profound respect.
Perhaps this stemmed from the fact that Shiromari had never encountered humans since gaining consciousness, leaving him perpetually isolated.
Regardless, Great Lizard Shiromari treated each generation of contractors with utmost reverence and affection, and his current devotion to Sasuke was no different.
"Though I am clumsy, I will protect you with my life, Lord Sasuke!"
The thunderous voice still carried a deep, earnest sincerity.
Sasuke smiled faintly, completely trusting the Great Lizard Shiromari.
After all, once a Blood Contract was signed, a summoned beast couldn't harm its summoner.
Moreover, the Great Lizard Shiromari had quietly guarded Kubisaki Castle for over fifty years, all because of Kubisaki Koza's dying wish. This alone proved its unwavering loyalty as a summoned beast.
With a quiet nod, Sasuke turned his attention to his preparations.
First, he used a ninja technique to clear a complete, empty space in the swamp. Then, he retrieved a storage scroll and released the food, surgical table, and other items sealed within.
Various nutrient solutions, personally formulated by Sasuke, hung around the surgical table.
Sasuke's medical ninjutsu training had come from Yakushi Kabuto—a man who only possessed a rudimentary understanding of the art.
Naturally, Sasuke had also learned to formulate various medicines and nutrient solutions.
Uncertain how long he would remain unconscious, Sasuke, despite his strength, was still a mortal.
Unlike Six Paths-level beings who could go without sleep, food, or drink, he needed these provisions.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Having completed his preparations, Sasuke crossed his hands into a cross seal and released the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
Although Sasuke wasn't particularly fond of the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique...
Nevertheless, Sasuke still learned this ninja technique because his next plan required him to create hundreds, even thousands, of Shadow Clones!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a violent surge of immense Chakra, nearly three hundred Shadow Clones instantly materialized around Sasuke.
"Hah..."
Sasuke's face paled slightly as he gasped for breath.
'That Naruto, the Chakra reserve idiot, can summon a thousand Shadow Clones in one go without even breaking a sweat.'
Sasuke was far from achieving that level of mastery. Summoning nearly three hundred Shadow Clones in a single moment had drained nearly two-thirds of his Chakra reserves.
Even so, Sasuke's Chakra was significantly stronger than it had been in his original timeline. In this respect, even the Sasuke of three years later might not have been able to match him.
After all, Sasuke had poured tremendous effort into both his mental and physical training, supplemented by an endless supply of high-quality nutritional supplements.
As soon as the three hundred Shadow Clones appeared, they moved in perfect synchronization, performing a series of stretches, taking a few slow, deep breaths, then settling into cross-legged meditation.
They closed their eyes, focused their minds, and began to regulate their breathing to refine their Chakra.
Meditation!
In Sasuke's previous life, meditation held a pivotal position in various religions and spiritual practices—whether it was Zen meditation, yoga, or even the art of tea ceremony.
Training the Path of the Heart allows one to transcend the self, find liberation from kleshas (mental afflictions), and regulate one's mental state.
Even setting aside the religious mysticism, scientists in Sasuke's previous life had discovered that meditation, an ancient practice, genuinely alleviates fatigue and reduces mental stress.
It can even improve physical constitution, helping lower blood pressure, relieve migraines, and alleviate chronic pain—a host of physical benefits!
To merge with his inner dark persona, Sasuke would inevitably have to endure over two years of the dark persona's unfelt pain and boundless terror.
This fusion would also involve merging his own dark, sinister, and cruel emotions with the beastial instincts, murderous intent, and wild nature inherited from the Ten-Tails' primordial bloodline.
To be honest, even with the profound mental discipline Sasuke had cultivated over four years of training and his vast spiritual energy, he had no confidence whatsoever in successfully merging with this dark persona without making a mistake.
If Sasuke recklessly attempted the fusion directly, the outcome would almost certainly be one of two grim fates: either becoming a vegetative state or regressing into a creature driven solely by primal urges.
Therefore, Sasuke employed the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, intending to use the purifying mental clarity and tranquil meditative states continuously generated by the Shadow Clones during their meditation sessions as reinforcements to aid his integration with the dark persona.
This was to ensure he wouldn't be assimilated by the dark persona.
This was Sasuke's purpose in creating Shadow Clones. When the clones dispersed, their memories and experiences would return to his original body.
He had also discovered that Shadow Clones engaged in meditation placed virtually no strain on his body or memory, almost none at all.
But these numbers were still far from sufficient!
Sasuke slowly scanned the surrounding Shadow Clones, silently withdrew several of his specially crafted medicinal pills from his pouch, and swallowed them.
After meditating cross-legged for a while, he created another three hundred Shadow Clones to meditate.
By the end of the afternoon, Sasuke had finally created one thousand two hundred Shadow Clones.
"This should be enough," he muttered.
Sasuke could sense he was nearing his limit. Forcing himself to create more clones would only backfire.
He stopped, took several restorative pills, and rested until his condition had mostly recovered.
Gazing at the surgical table before him, he remained silent for a long moment, then gritted his teeth, lay down, and closed his eyes.
Beside the surgical table, two Shadow Clones stood guard, monitoring his every move to prevent any unforeseen complications or accidents.
In the chaotic, pitch-black, seemingly boundless mental realm, a silhouette materialized, solidifying into the form of Sasuke.
Before him stood his dark persona—Ido Sasuke.
Ido Sasuke remained trapped in the absolute silence of his sealed senses, yet the difference from two years prior was striking.
Back then, Ido Sasuke had exuded an aura of unrestrained indulgence, wanton depravity, and chilling darkness.
Now, Ido Sasuke radiated only stillness—utter, absolute silence.
It was as if Ido Sasuke had become a vegetable, devoid of all mental activity.
Even under Sasuke's close scrutiny, he could barely detect a faint, almost imperceptible mental ripple, bordering on nonexistence.
This faint mental pulse carried no fear, no resentment—not even loneliness or confusion.
Only emptiness.
Sasuke sighed and stepped forward, whispering softly:
"Your pain, I will bear it. Your solitude, I will carry it."
With these words, Sasuke placed his hand on Ido Sasuke's head.
___
This Sasuke Is Strange 210 advanced chapters: (5 ch updates everyday)
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