Chapter 368: The Box of Ultimate Bliss

Chapter 368: Chapter 368: The Box of Ultimate Bliss

The cellular tissue of a White Zetsu clone could not, in fact, be completely equated with Hashirama’s cells.

Although White Zetsu had been created by Uchiha Madara using the Divine Tree and Hashirama’s cells, there were many different types of White Zetsu. Among them were the original White Zetsu, a small number of specially modified variants—such as Tobi, who had once assisted Obito while he was still recovering from his injuries—as well as the tens of thousands of mass-produced clones that later participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Only the original White Zetsu and a small number of those specially modified variants could barely be considered equivalent to Hashirama’s cells.

As for the tens of thousands of mass-produced clones that participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War, they were all degraded White Zetsu clones. Although traces of Hashirama’s cells still remained within their bodies, the power of those cells had already become extremely weak, to the point that they no longer possessed any meaningful value for research or transplantation.

The White Zetsu clone currently in Hyuga Kagami’s possession was the one Akatsuki had originally dispatched to monitor Shinichi.

At that time, Shinichi had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, causing his strength to leap beyond the level of an elite jōnin in one fell swoop. Even across the entire shinobi world, someone possessing that level of combat power was exceedingly rare.

Therefore, considering how highly Obito valued Shinichi, there was a very high chance that the White Zetsu clone assigned to monitor him was a specially modified variant similar to Tobi.

Of course, whether it truly was a specially modified variant would still require further verification.

Previously, Hyuga Kagami had been so busy with his own Kekkei Mōra Plan that he simply hadn’t had the time to study the cellular tissue of this White Zetsu clone. But now that he needed to transplant Hashirama’s cells into Shisui, he had no choice but to set aside some time to research it.

Slowly sliding the container holding the White Zetsu clone’s cellular tissue beneath the microscope, Kagami carefully observed it for a while, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Under the microscope, the small clump of cellular tissue inside the container displayed astonishingly high cellular activity.

According to Kagami’s estimation, the cellular activity of this tissue was roughly ten to fifteen times that of an ordinary person, and about three to four times that of his own cells.

"Tsk, tsk..."

Based on this level of cellular activity alone, Kagami could confidently conclude that the White Zetsu clone he had collected was definitely a specially modified variant.

However, even a specially modified White Zetsu clone was still somewhat degraded compared to genuine, pure Hashirama cells.

But far from being a disadvantage, when it came to transplanting Hashirama’s cells, this was actually a good thing.

That was because genuine, pure Hashirama cells were simply too domineering. Transplanting them directly carried an enormous risk, regardless of whether the recipient was an Uchiha or how powerful their ocular power was.

In fact, specially modified White Zetsu clones could essentially be regarded as the fruits of Uchiha Madara’s research into Hashirama’s cells.

The cellular tissue of these specially modified White Zetsu clones was the crystallization of Madara’s research into Hashirama-cell transplantation technology. Transplanting the cellular tissue of a specially modified White Zetsu clone might not necessarily produce results inferior to directly transplanting Hashirama’s cells, while the risks involved were far lower.

Obito himself was the best proof of that.

Resting his chin on his hand, Kagami thought to himself, "Before the transplant, I should still conduct some cell-fusion experiments..."

Although transplanting the cellular tissue of a White Zetsu clone carried relatively little risk, that was only in comparison to directly transplanting Hashirama’s cells. In reality, transplanting White Zetsu cellular tissue still carried its own dangers.

Therefore, for safety’s sake, before transplanting the White Zetsu clone’s cellular tissue into Shisui, Kagami needed to conduct a cell-fusion experiment first to determine whether Shisui’s cells and the White Zetsu clone’s cells would exhibit any severe rejection.

Over the next few days, Kagami remained at home. While recuperating from his injuries, he simultaneously carried out a series of small-scale cell-fusion experiments.

By nature, Kagami wasn’t someone who enjoyed constantly running around and keeping himself busy. As such, this leisurely period of recuperation suited him quite well, allowing his mind—which had been weighed down by countless complicated matters—to relax considerably.

A few days later, just as Kagami was in his bedroom examining the results of the cell-fusion experiment between Shisui and the White Zetsu clone, the doorbell rang outside the courtyard.

The visitors were none other than Kagami’s teammates from Team 11, Kakashi and Guy.

Because they had been so busy with official duties, the two had only managed to find the time today to visit Kagami and check on his injuries.

After welcoming them inside, Kagami poured tea for the two of them and teased, "You guys have been worked to the bone these past few days, haven’t you?"

Flashing his gleaming teeth, Guy burst into hearty laughter. "Kagami, this is exactly what blazing youth is supposed to be like!"

Beside him, Kakashi merely hung his head, looking utterly speechless.

Compared to Guy, who seemed overflowing with energy every waking moment, Kakashi looked considerably more listless. His eyes were deeply sunken, and he had the unmistakable appearance of someone who had been severely deprived of sleep.

Without a doubt, training in the Flying Thunder God Technique placed an enormous burden on Kakashi, whose chakra reserves were relatively limited.

Guy completely ignored Kakashi’s deadpan glare and continued enthusiastically talking about the specialized tactical drills they had been conducting against Akatsuki’s members, occasionally even jumping to his feet to demonstrate a move or two.

Perhaps because the matter needed to remain confidential, Kakashi made no mention of the Third Hokage arranging for him to train in the Flying Thunder God Technique.

After chatting casually for a while, Kakashi said, "Kagami, the village just made a decision. Every ANBU member who participated in this assault will receive a commendation. You can apply to the village to learn a powerful ninjutsu, or request a special ninja tool."

Kagami smiled and nodded.

He wasn’t surprised by this. The ANBU had suffered such heavy losses during the assault that the Third Hokage naturally had to reward and reassure the ANBU members who served directly under him.

Guy said, "I heard Lady Tsunade has returned to the village too. Now we won’t have to worry about getting injured anymore!"

Kakashi glanced at Kagami, whose limbs were still wrapped in bandages, and said, "Lady Tsunade really has returned. Kagami, if you need it, you can ask her to treat you. With Lady Tsunade’s medical ninjutsu, I’m sure your injuries would heal in no time."

"Lady Tsunade returned to the village?"

Kagami’s heart immediately leapt with joy.

Who had persuaded Tsunade to return, or what method they had used to convince her, Kagami didn’t care about in the slightest, nor did he have any interest in finding out.

There was only one thing he cared about—

How to get Tsunade to accept Rei as her disciple.

As the captain of ANBU Team 11 and someone the Third Hokage was deliberately grooming for greater responsibilities, Kakashi naturally knew far more than Guy. He nodded and replied to Kagami, "Yeah. Apparently, Lady Tsunade returned to the village to treat a poisoned elder from Sunagakure. Not many people in the village know about it yet, and no one’s sure whether Lady Tsunade intends to leave again."

Kagami said, "Since Lady Tsunade chose to return, she probably won’t be leaving again anytime soon."

Either she wouldn’t return at all, or once she did, it meant that deep down, Tsunade still couldn’t let go of the village.

And with the village currently facing such a dangerous situation, the chances of Tsunade immediately leaving again were extremely low.

With that thought, Kagami began considering how he could arrange for Rei to become Tsunade’s disciple.

As one of the legendary Sannin whose name resounded throughout the shinobi world, there were countless people in the village who wished to become Tsunade’s disciple.

Yet Tsunade had only ever accepted Shizune as her disciple. And even then, Kagami couldn’t quite tell whether Tsunade’s original intention had truly been to pass down her ninjutsu or whether she had simply wanted a little follower to accompany her.

So getting Rei accepted as Tsunade’s disciple would by no means be easy.

"I’ve just earned a commendation, but this achievement alone probably isn’t enough for the village to step in and pressure Tsunade into accepting Rei as her disciple."

Accepting a disciple was an extremely personal matter. Even if Kagami tried to exchange his own merit for it, there was no guarantee it would work.

After pondering for a moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck Kagami, and another idea came to mind.

At present, the village leadership’s efforts to mobilize the major ninja clans were not progressing smoothly.

Not only were powerful clans such as the Uchiha and Hyuga resisting to varying degrees, but many of the village’s secret-technique clans had also responded rather lukewarmly.

After all, once every clan member was officially registered and became a numbered shinobi of the village, the authority to mobilize those clan members would thereafter fall into the village’s hands.

Kagami secretly thought that if he could persuade the Hyuga Clan to comply with the village leadership’s mobilization order, that would be no small achievement.

It should be more than enough for the village to step in and help arrange for Tsunade to accept Rei as her disciple.

Finally, Kagami grumbled inwardly, "If that still doesn’t work, then I’ll just have to bury her in money. I refuse to believe Tsunade wouldn’t be tempted with stacks of colorful banknotes piled right in front of her!"

As a veteran gambler, Tsunade’s attraction to money was beyond question.

Kagami even suspected that part of the reason Tsunade had agreed to return to the village might have been to hide from her creditors.

Having settled on a plan for Rei’s apprenticeship, Kagami asked, "What happened yesterday? Why were the streets so lively?"

Kakashi replied, "Delegations from Kusagakure and Takigakure arrived in the village at the same time yesterday. The Hokage arranged a small welcoming ceremony for them."

Kagami smiled.

"They sure reacted quickly!"

It wasn’t difficult to imagine just how shocked and terrified smaller shinobi villages like Kusagakure and Takigakure, both located relatively close to the Land of Rain, must have been upon learning that such a terrifyingly powerful force had been hiding practically right next door in Amegakure.

Therefore, it was only natural that they would successively dispatch delegations to Konoha seeking assistance, hoping to gain the protection of Konoha, the foremost of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

At that moment, Kakashi’s expression darkened as he said seriously, "According to classified intelligence received by the Intelligence Division, Kusagakure appears to have split into two factions. The radical faction is attempting to cooperate with Akatsuki to overturn the existing order of the shinobi world. Unable to suppress the radicals, the conservative faction had no choice but to send a delegation to Konoha and ask us for help!"

This was also the first time Guy had heard about it. Puzzled, he asked, "Have the radicals in Kusagakure lost their minds? How could they dare cooperate with those monsters from Akatsuki?"

Kakashi explained, "Because of the Third Shinobi World War, all five Great Shinobi Villages suffered enormous casualties. There were practically no true winners. Whether in terms of military strength or spheres of influence, everyone suffered significant losses.

"Meanwhile, over the past decade or so, Kusagakure has been secretly expanding. Its strength and influence have grown considerably, and it seems they’ve been trying to establish themselves as the sixth Great Shinobi Village after the existing Five."

After a brief pause, Kakashi continued, "Moreover, according to historical records, before Kusagakure was established, there was a period when the Land of Grass was once the strongest nation in the entire shinobi world.

"According to legend, the Land of Grass possesses the ultimate weapon of war—something powerful enough to destroy the entire shinobi world. Because of that, the Hokage believes the radicals in Kusagakure must have some confidence in that weapon. Otherwise, they wouldn’t dare cooperate with Akatsuki."

Hearing this, Guy’s brows immediately knitted together.

"If that’s true, then we absolutely can’t let Kusagakure’s radicals succeed! Akatsuki is already difficult enough to deal with as it is. If Kusagakure joins them too, wouldn’t that make things even more troublesome?!"

Kakashi replied, "Don’t worry. The Hokage has already made arrangements. Kusagakure’s radicals aren’t idiots either. They probably wouldn’t risk openly cooperating with Akatsuki if it meant simultaneously making enemies of Konoha, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure.

"So the moment Kusagakure’s conservative faction exposed the matter, the radicals’ plan had essentially already failed."

Kagami didn’t respond.

Instead, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully as his mind began wandering in an entirely different direction.

From what Kagami remembered, Kusagakure’s source of confidence seemed to be something called the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

However, Kagami wasn’t entirely sure what the thing actually was or who had created it. He only vaguely remembered that if the box absorbed enough chakra, it could release a monster known as Satori.

In the distant past, the Land of Grass had apparently relied on controlling the monster Satori and nearly succeeded in conquering the entire shinobi world. That was precisely why Kusagakure remained so obsessed with restoring the glory of its ancestors.

The problem was that opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss required an enormous supply of chakra.

Across the entire shinobi world, there were exceedingly few beings capable of providing such a tremendous amount of chakra. Aside from a handful of exceptional individuals, only the Nine Tailed Beasts possessed chakra reserves on that scale.

And Kusagakure just happened to be a shinobi village without a Tailed Beast.

Thus, no matter how much effort they poured into it, they had still been unable to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

Based on his memories from his previous life, Kagami knew that Kusagakure did indeed possess the Box of Ultimate Bliss. But he also knew that over the long passage of time, Kusagakure had already lost the method for controlling Satori.

Therefore, the moment they succeeded in opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss and released the monster known as Satori, the first ones to suffer would undoubtedly be the people of Kusagakure themselves.

Kagami sighed inwardly.

"These guys don’t even know what’s inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss, yet they still dare mess around with it like this. It’s only a matter of time before they get themselves killed!"

After chatting for a little while longer, Kakashi and Guy took their leave, as they were both still busy with official duties.

Not long after the two departed, Rei arrived as usual to bring Kagami his meal.

While eating the food Rei had carefully prepared for him, Kagami said, "Rei, Lady Tsunade has returned to the village. I want her to accept you as her disciple. What do you think?"

Rei, who had been happily watching Kagami eat, was startled.

"What?!"

Kagami glanced at her.

"You don’t want to become Lady Tsunade’s disciple?"

Rei hurriedly replied, "Of course I want to! Becoming Lady Tsunade’s disciple is practically the dream of every female ninja in the village! It’s just... Lady Tsunade is so strict. How could she possibly choose me as her disciple?"

The corners of Kagami’s mouth curled into a grin.

"As long as I want it to happen, nothing is impossible. Just stay home and wait. Leave this matter to me."

Rei said worriedly, "But Lady Tsunade is the First Hokage’s granddaughter. The reputation of our Hyuga Clan probably won’t mean much to her."

Kagami smiled.

"I have my ways!"