Chapter 163: Learning Ice Release

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Learning Ice Release

Upon hearing that the mission had failed, Obito asked with some disappointment, "You didn’t even manage to uncover their identities?"

"Yama has vanished without a trace, and the attempt to capture Kawa failed. At present, the only thing we know is that they are both members of an organization called ’Kamigami,’ and Yama appears to be its leader!"

"Kamigami..." Obito’s gaze gradually turned cold as he thought to himself, "Just who was that person I encountered at the Root base? Why did they feel so familiar?"

Pain then added, "Orochimaru has defected."

Obito wasn’t particularly surprised by this. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Looks like we’re going to need more manpower."

Pain gazed into the distance and said calmly, "Don’t worry. No one can stop me!"

......

Inside Hyuga Kagami’s secret laboratory.

After dragging his battered body back to the laboratory, Kagami immediately extracted his soul and returned to his original Yin Release body.

"Tsk, tsk... I really messed this body up, huh!"

Rubbing his chin, Kagami sighed in amazement.

While he had been fleeing for his life earlier, he hadn’t really noticed it. But now that he had returned to his original body and was looking at the Type-A clone lying on the operating table from a different perspective, he finally realized just how badly damaged it was!

"The right arm is completely gone...

"The muscle groups across the back were torn apart by ice senbon...

"The chakra pathways along both sides of the ribs are damaged too. That was probably caused by the ice senbon as well..."

Kagami carefully examined the Type-A clone’s injuries with his Tenseigan while making detailed records.

He had originally assumed that the loss of the right arm was the most severe injury. But after conducting a thorough examination, he discovered that the damage inflicted by the ice senbon was no small matter either.

In some respects, it was even more serious than losing the right arm.

That was because the ice senbon hadn’t merely shredded large sections of the Type-A clone’s muscles and ligaments—they had also damaged many important chakra pathways and tenketsu.

"Ice Release ninjutsu is even more destructive to the human body than I thought!"

Taken individually, none of these injuries seemed particularly remarkable. But when combined, they became terrifying, capable of completely stripping someone of their ability to fight before they even realized what was happening.

After compiling all the data, Kagami removed everything from the Type-A clone’s body, then destroyed the clone now that it had outlived its usefulness.

This encounter with the Akatsuki had taught Kagami an important lesson.

Water Release ninjutsu alone was not enough to deal with enemies on the Akatsuki’s level.

If he wanted to ensure the safety of his Water Release clone, then at the very least, he would first have to master Ice Release.

At this moment, Kagami turned his gaze toward the Type-B clone inside the nutrient tank.

After removing the Type-B clone from the tank, Kagami didn’t hesitate. He immediately used his Tenseigan’s Soul Descent Technique, transferring his soul into the Type-B clone.

After taking a moment to adjust, Kagami discovered that although the Type-B clone and Type-A clone were extremely similar on paper, there were some fairly obvious differences between them when actually controlling the bodies.

The most noticeable difference was that in the Type-A clone, its primary Water affinity was far stronger than its secondary Wind affinity, resulting in the clone having insufficient affinity toward Wind-natured chakra.

The Type-B clone was different. Its Water and Wind affinities were much more evenly balanced.

Although this meant that the Type-B clone’s Water Release ninjutsu was noticeably weaker than the Type-A clone’s, it also meant that the Type-B clone had a higher probability of successfully fusing Water and Wind chakra natures and awakening Ice Release.

Both the Type-A and Type-B clones had been created using Haku’s cellular tissue.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, both clones possessed the potential to inherit Haku’s Ice Release kekkei genkai. After all, Ice Release was merely a kekkei genkai formed through the fusion of Water and Wind chakra natures.

It was unlike kekkei genkai such as the Byakugan and Sharingan, which required spiritual power and involved Yin Release at the level of the soul.

Before long, Kagami, now controlling the Type-B clone, arrived at Haku’s underground residence.

After bringing Haku to a secluded, deserted forest, Kagami immediately instructed him, "Right here. Show me an Ice Release ninjutsu."

Haku nodded. "Yes!"

With that, he gently extended his right hand, palm facing upward. In an instant, an ice flower blossomed in the center of his palm.

Activating his Byakugan, Kagami asked, "Without forming any hand seals, how far can you go?"

Haku closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Then, the ice flower in his palm condensed into an ice senbon radiating a biting chill!

Kagami hurriedly took out a small notebook and carefully recorded the path of chakra flowing through Haku’s chakra network.

Through his Byakugan, Kagami could clearly see that when Haku used Ice Release, the ratio between Water-natured chakra and Wind-natured chakra being fused within his chakra pathways was approximately 8:2.

Of the two, Water-natured chakra was primarily responsible for shaping the ninjutsu, while Wind-natured chakra seemed to be involved only in the fusion of their chakra natures.

After finishing his notes, Kagami instructed, "Alright. Now show me an Ice Release ninjutsu that requires hand seals!"

Haku cautiously asked, "Lord Kagami, what kind of Ice Release ninjutsu would you like me to demonstrate?"

After considering it for a moment, Kagami replied, "Your strongest one!"

Haku took a deep breath, then slowly began forming hand seals.

"Ice Style: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals!"

In an instant, one smooth, crystalline ice mirror after another materialized out of thin air, forming an enormous dome of ice that enclosed both Haku and Kagami within the clearing.

Looking around curiously at the ice mirrors radiating waves of cold air, Kagami asked, "Haku, can you control these ice mirrors while they’re suspended in the air?"

"Mm!"

Haku nodded, then lightly leaped forward and merged into one of the ice mirrors.

Immediately afterward, the previously motionless ice mirrors suddenly began to spin. At first glance, it looked as though the entire dome of ice itself was rotating.

Kagami’s expression sharpened.

To his surprise, he discovered that even with his Byakugan activated, he was unable to pinpoint Haku’s true body among the rapidly spinning ice mirrors.

At that moment, Haku stopped the mirrors from rotating and leaned halfway out of one of them. Panting lightly, he asked, "Lord Kagami, is there anything else you need me to do?"

Kagami shook his head.

He then carefully recorded the paths Haku’s chakra had traveled through his chakra network while using Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, before slowly putting away his notebook.

Under Haku’s puzzled gaze, Kagami began imitating the sequence of hand seals Haku had just used for Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, forming them one after another.

Haku exclaimed in surprise, "You can use Ice Release too?"

Kagami didn’t answer. Instead, he focused his full attention on controlling the flow of Water-natured chakra through his chakra network.

As Kagami completed the final hand seal, curtains of water instantly appeared all around him.

"The shaping is complete!"

After glancing at the curtains of water, which closely resembled Haku’s ice mirrors, Kagami began attempting to fuse Wind-natured chakra into them.

Splash—!

But the moment he directed his Wind-natured chakra into the water curtains, the suspended curtains immediately collapsed, bursting into masses of water that splashed onto the ground...