Chapter 339: Natural Energy? Where Does It Actually Come From? Could It Become the Key to Dealing with the Ōtsutsuki Clan? [HN]

The atmosphere inside the Hokage’s office was heavy.

Namikaze Minato stood upright in front of Chiya’s desk. His golden hair looked somewhat dazzling under the light, but his blue eyes remained as calm as still water.

“…In summary, Lord Hokage, the core of the power displayed by our mission target, Sasori of the Red Sand, was not traditional puppet techniques. Instead, it relied on an extremely special and violent form of Natural Energy.”

Minato paused slightly, his brows drawing together almost imperceptibly.

“This energy appeared very suddenly, as if it were a tree without roots or water without a source. Its nature is somewhat similar to the Natural Energy known to exist in the Three Great Sage Regions, but it is more aggressive and chaotic. Most importantly, after Sasori was sealed and lost control of it, the energy inside his core did not return to nature. Instead, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the energy in the core rapidly deteriorated and dissipated, making it difficult to trace its true source.”

Chiya listened quietly, leaning slightly back in his chair as his fingers unconsciously tapped the smooth surface of the desk with a regular, soft “knock, knock.”

“The energy in the core rapidly changed?”

Chiya repeated the key point in a low voice, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

“Then Sasori was not the creator of this power. He may not have even fully understood it. He was more like a lucky yet unfortunate ‘discoverer’ who accidentally encountered this power, which did not belong to him, somewhere unknown and forcibly brought it under his control. This power clearly possesses an extremely strong sense of exclusion and independence.”

Minato nodded in complete agreement.

“Yes, my judgment is the same as yours. Although the main energy in that forest has dissipated, there may still be some faint ‘traces’ or ‘coordinates’ remaining that can guide us to the original location where he obtained this power. Should I immediately organize an elite team, especially one containing members skilled in energy perception and tracking, to conduct a thorough search of that area? We may be able to find that ‘connection point.'”

“That is necessary.”

Chiya gave the order decisively, leaning forward with a sharp gaze.

“Minato, you will take full responsibility for this matter. The team members must be carefully selected, with priority given to sensory ninjas or those with special tracking abilities. Expand the search area and do not overlook even the slightest clue. You must find that place and determine the nature and source of this energy, as well as why it appeared at the border of the Land of Fire. I have a feeling this is not a coincidence. Something behind it may involve an existence beyond our current understanding of the ninja world’s laws.”

His instincts told him that the appearance of this energy might be a sign.

Perhaps a crack leading to an unknown realm was quietly opening.

“Understood! I’ll take care of it immediately!”

Minato answered solemnly and turned to leave without hesitation.

However, just as he reached the door, it was suddenly pushed open from outside with a hurried bang.

Orochimaru appeared in the doorway.

His pale face carried the uncontrollable excitement of a researcher who had encountered a groundbreaking subject, while his golden snake eyes burned with the flames of knowledge seeking…

Or rather, the flames of exploring an unknown power.

But when he saw Namikaze Minato inside the office, his footsteps paused slightly.

The excitement on his face quickly disappeared and was replaced by a gloomy mask of calm, although the fanaticism in his eyes was difficult to conceal completely.

“Oh? Minato-kun hasn’t left yet?”

Orochimaru’s hoarse voice carried a faint hint of probing as his gaze shifted toward Chiya.

“Have I come at a bad time?”

Chiya looked at him calmly and asked directly.

“Minato has just finished his mission report. Orochimaru, you seem to be in a hurry. Did the Scientific Academy make a breakthrough in its research on the ‘Regeneration Core,’ or has the experiment reached a stage that requires my approval?”

Hearing this, Orochimaru walked several steps forward and approached the desk. His voice became lower, which only made his suppressed urgency more obvious.

“Chiya-kun, it is indeed about the research on the ‘Regeneration Core.’ The conventional static energy analysis and material structure analysis have been completed preliminarily, but the results… are both confusing and fascinating!”

His speech became faster without him realizing it, as though he wanted to pour out every discovery in his mind.

“The complexity and instability of its internal energy structure far exceed any chakra system or Natural Energy pattern we have encountered so far! It is like a completely independent, highly aggressive living ecosystem! Conventional analysis methods are like scratching an itch through clothing. They cannot touch its core secrets at all! Chiya-kun, I formally request that we proceed to the next stage, the ‘Limited Consciousness Resonance and Energy Tracing Experiment’!”

Seeing Chiya’s eyes move slightly without giving an answer, Orochimaru immediately added an explanation.

“Please rest assured. We will not completely remove the seal. Under the absolute protection of the existing seals, we will use the ‘Consciousness Resonance Device’ to pry open an energy gap thinner than a strand of hair and inject chakra and Natural Energy mixed waveforms at specific frequencies. It will be like gently touching a lock with a specially made key. Our goal is to observe its most basic energy flow patterns and its responses to stimulation! This is the only shortcut to understanding how this energy operates and how Sasori crudely grafted it onto his puppet techniques! More importantly, this may help us determine whether the energy leaves any ‘coordinate’ information pointing toward its true source during its changes!”

Namikaze Minato stood to the side and listened to Orochimaru’s explanation.

Although he did not understand the specific details of scientific experiments very well, words like “consciousness resonance” and “prying open a gap” still made him instinctively uneasy.

This energy had an unknown origin and a violent nature.

Any stimulation could bring unpredictable risks.

Chiya’s fingers stopped tapping.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze slowly moving between Orochimaru’s research fanaticism and Minato’s cautious expression.

The office fell briefly silent.

Only the faint sounds of the village outside could be heard.

After a moment, Chiya made his decision.

“All right.”

He stood up, and his Hokage robes moved with him.

“I’m going to the laboratory with you. Minato, you are coming too. An experiment of this level must be completely safe. We need to be there in person in case anything unexpected happens.”

This was not only for safety.

It was also the best opportunity for him to personally sense this strange energy.

A brilliant light instantly burst from Orochimaru’s eyes, and a satisfied, even somewhat sinister smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Hehehe… Of course. With the Hokage personally watching over us, safety will be our highest priority. I assure you, this will be a crucial step for the Konoha Scientific Academy as it enters a new era!”

The three of them wasted no time.

They quickly left the Hokage Tower and passed through layers of heavily guarded security before entering the Konoha Scientific Academy’s highest security isolation laboratory deep underground.

The air here was cold and dry, filled with the strong smell of disinfectant and the faint ozone produced by the operating equipment.

It felt like an entirely different world from the outside.

Complex pipes and cables covered the ceiling and walls like the roots of a giant tree.

Various precision instruments emitted low humming sounds, while countless streams of data flowed across the screens.

At the center of the laboratory stood an especially conspicuous isolation chamber made from high strength transparent material.

Countless layers of sealing formulas covered both its interior and exterior.

The “Regeneration Core,” surrounded by layers of sealing light, floated at the center of the energy guidance device inside the chamber.

It resembled a sleeping, ominous heart, slowly pulsing with a faint dark red glow.

This was the first time Minato had observed the sealed “Regeneration Core” from such a close distance.

Even through the powerful seals, he could still feel an indescribable sense of oppression.

Chiya had already activated his Sharingan.

The tomoe slowly rotated as he carefully observed every fluctuation in the seals and the chaotic energy flowing within the “Regeneration Core.”

His perception was far sharper than that of ordinary people.

He could also sense the fundamental difference between this energy, chakra, and Natural Energy.

It was more primitive and more chaotic, filled with a desire to destroy and devour.

Under the close watch of Chiya and Minato, Orochimaru took a deep breath and walked toward the extremely complex “Consciousness Resonance Device.”

His pale, slender fingers moved rapidly across the control panel covered with buttons and knobs as he adjusted the various parameters.

His eyes were focused like those of the most devout believer.

“All safety protocols have been confirmed. The backup sealing system is standing by.”

An assistant quietly reported.

His voice sounded especially clear in the silent laboratory.

“Begin injecting low intensity mixed energy waveforms… Start scanning from the basic spectrum…”

Orochimaru concentrated completely on the main screen.

Data streams flowed down it like a waterfall, accompanied by multidimensional energy waveforms.

At first, the “Regeneration Core” remained completely unresponsive, as though it were asleep.

The sealing runes continued to flash with a stable, faint light.

Orochimaru patiently and extremely slowly fine tuned the frequency of the energy waves, like someone trying possible combinations one by one inside an endless code library.

Time passed second by second.

The atmosphere inside the laboratory almost solidified.

Suddenly, when Orochimaru adjusted the energy frequency to an extremely obscure and even somewhat strange resonance point, an unexpected change occurred!

“Vmmmm!”

A low yet heart shaking hum suddenly erupted from the isolation chamber.

The “Regeneration Core” trembled violently like a ferocious beast that had suddenly been awakened.

The originally dim dark red patterns on its surface suddenly lit up, becoming as bright and scorching as molten lava.

They rapidly spread and formed an eerie, complicated network of “veins” covering the entire core.

An energy far more concentrated, violent, and… filled with “life” than anything previously detected suddenly exploded outward.

It crazily slammed against the surrounding sealing barrier, producing an ear piercing “creak.”

At the same time, the data curves representing the energy’s nature on the main screen began jumping and rising wildly.

“Unknown high density wavelength detected! Energy spectrum analysis… unable to match any known chakra or Natural Energy model!”

A researcher spoke with a trembling voice filled with disbelief.

Orochimaru stared fixedly at the screen.

He instinctively stuck out his tongue and licked his slightly dry lips.

“Quick! Prepare a standard living test subject! Use the healthiest batch of white mice!”

Soon, a white mouse inside a specially reinforced transparent observation box was brought in.

The mouse had a well proportioned body and lively eyes.

It appeared extremely healthy.

Orochimaru carefully guided a trace of mixed energy from the “Regeneration Core.”

It had been heavily diluted and purified through multiple layers of isolation.

Using a dedicated energy conduit, he slowly injected it into the observation box.

Although it had already been processed, the energy still emitted a faint dark red glow.

At first, the mouse merely became restless for a few moments and sniffed the air.

But the instant the energy merged into the environment inside the box, its body suddenly stiffened!

Under everyone’s gaze, its eyes rapidly turned blood red.

Its body slightly expanded as if it were being inflated.

Its originally soft fur stood on end one strand after another and became coarse and hard.

A low, threatening “hiss” came from its mouth, a sound that no ordinary mouse should have been capable of making.

It completely ignored its surroundings and began violently smashing against the reinforced glass walls with astonishing strength, using both claws and teeth.

It even continued attacking after smashing its own head bloody.

Its crazed appearance was as though it wanted to tear everything in front of it to pieces!

“Perfect! A perfect result!”

Orochimaru’s voice became slightly shrill from excitement.

“Even such a tiny exposure after such strict dilution and purification is enough to instantly distort the mind of an ordinary creature and awaken its most basic animal instincts and destructive urges!”

Chiya and Minato stared at the crazed and violent white mouse inside the box.

Their expressions became extremely serious.

The corrosiveness and danger of this power were even more terrifying and strange than they had expected.

It did not merely affect the mind.

It seemed to be rewriting the form and will of life at the level of its fundamental laws!

However, after his initial surprise, a sharp light of insight flashed through Chiya’s eyes.

He slowly spoke.

“An extreme tendency toward violent attacks… What if we look at it from another angle?”

He looked toward Orochimaru and Minato, his gaze sharp.

“Since it already contains the factors of ‘attack’ and ‘destruction,’ is it possible that, without directly coming into contact with its core will, we could find a way to ‘guide’ and ‘use’ this externally expressed offensive nature?”

Orochimaru froze for a moment.

Then an even more fanatical and excited smile appeared on his face.

“Hehehe… Brilliant! Chiya-kun! Your ideas always see through the surface and reach directly toward the core! Exactly! Why only see its danger? This also means that it is an extremely powerful ‘force of law’! We can treat it as a special ‘energy source’ and study how its offensive rules operate. Then we can try to separate, imitate, and even controllably ‘program’ it, incorporating it into our barrier techniques, defense systems, or even specific tactical weapons!”

His thoughts quickly expanded, and his speech became faster.

“Imagine a defensive barrier covering an important area. It would not merely defend passively. It could also actively release these ‘directed’ energy waves. Anyone who entered without permission would be affected by a negative status! Or we could place ‘land mines’ containing this energy along the border. Anyone who triggered them would instantly have their destructive urges awakened and fall into a state of madness where they could no longer distinguish friend from foe, causing a small infiltrating force to collapse from within! What an incredible strategic advantage that would be!”

Namikaze Minato also recovered from his initial shock.

He considered the possibilities described by Chiya and Orochimaru before cautiously adding his own thoughts.

“If we can truly achieve safe and controllable application, it could indeed bring revolutionary changes to defense and specific tactical operations. However, how do we ensure that the ‘use’ of this power does not allow the power itself to corrupt and retaliate against us? How do we establish an absolutely reliable ‘firewall’ and ‘switch’ mechanism? That will be the greatest challenge and the most important prerequisite throughout the research.”

Chiya gave Minato an approving look and nodded.

His gaze once again fell upon the “Regeneration Core” inside the isolation chamber, which continued to emit an eerie red glow.

His voice was solemn and firm.

“Challenges exist to be overcome. Orochimaru, this entirely new subject of ‘alien energy application’ is now officially assigned to your Scientific Academy. Establish a special research group with the highest security clearance immediately and mobilize every resource necessary. The priority is to study how to safely separate and analyze this energy, how to attempt to guide its ‘offensive characteristics,’ and how to establish multilayered protective measures. Remember, safety comes first. Every experiment must be conducted under absolutely controllable conditions.”

He paused and looked toward Minato.

“At the same time, Minato, raise the priority of your source investigation to the highest level. Finding the original location where Sasori obtained this power is extremely important. There may be more primitive energy samples there, or… something unknown to us. Only by finding the source can we truly understand the nature of this power and prepare for everything that may come afterward.”

“Yes!”

Orochimaru and Minato answered solemnly at the same time.

One had a blazing fire in his eyes, driven by the desire to explore unknown laws and powers.

The other was filled with the firm determination to carry out a critical mission and eliminate unknown threats to the village.

Chiya suddenly thought about the first time he had cultivated Sage Jutsu.

He remembered how he had once wondered about the source of Natural Energy.

“Where does Natural Energy actually come from?”

Chiya’s interest was aroused.

‘I just wonder whether it can be used against the Ōtsutsuki Clan later…’