Chapter 554: Chimera Bud Backlash

Chapter 554: Chapter 554: Chimera Bud Backlash

The intelligence Itachi had passed to Akatsuki last time had not been provided under Kagami’s instructions.

As one of Kamigami’s Homura, Itachi knew exactly who the members bearing that codename were. He also knew that none of them were Uchiha clansmen who had gone missing during the Third Shinobi World War. Therefore, following Obito’s instructions at the time, he had genuinely investigated the clan’s records concerning members who had disappeared during the war.

According to those records, the remains of nearly all the clansmen who had gone missing during the Third Shinobi World War had been recovered after the war. As for the small number who remained unaccounted for, either there had been witnesses to their deaths, or spies planted in other villages had confirmed that their bodies had been taken by a particular shinobi village.

In short, there was only one missing person who had truly vanished without a trace, with neither a living person nor a corpse ever found—the Uchiha hero of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Uchiha Obito!

Although there had also been witnesses to Uchiha Obito’s supposed death, Itachi discovered while examining the records that both Kakashi and Nohara Rin had described Obito’s death as being buried beneath rocks.

In other words, they had merely witnessed Obito being buried beneath the rubble. Neither had actually witnessed his death. It was entirely possible that Obito had been captured or rescued.

Had nothing happened afterward, the Battle of Kannabi Bridge would have marked the final Chapter in the life of Uchiha Obito, the hero of Konoha.

However, as Akatsuki became increasingly active throughout the shinobi world, strange incidents began occurring one after another. In particular, Kakashi’s ambush and the theft of the Mangekyo Sharingan he had received from Obito had cast even greater doubt on the mystery surrounding Obito’s supposed death!

Itachi had always excelled at analysis, possessing the ability to untangle clues from even the most complicated web of information. Thus, after noticing this discrepancy, he deliberately passed Akatsuki the intelligence that Uchiha Obito was suspected of being Kamigami’s Homura.

And judging from Akatsuki’s response, he had begun to suspect that he had finally uncovered the identity of the Uchiha clansman wearing the spiral-patterned mask.

There was just one thing he couldn’t understand.

Why would Uchiha Obito, once hailed as a hero of Konoha, become a member of Akatsuki and devote himself so wholeheartedly to destroying the village?

Faced with Itachi’s question, the White Zetsu clone let out a couple of dry chuckles before changing the subject.

"The reason we’re asking you to provide other suspects is that there’s another Homura in Kamigami—a woman. Your Uchiha clan should have received word of that as well, right? We need you to find her!"

Itachi stared at the White Zetsu clone without saying a word.

The White Zetsu clone continued, "That female Homura possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan. A woman with such formidable power must be quite rare in your clan. Finding her shouldn’t be too difficult for you."

"I can give it a try." After a brief pause, Itachi continued, "But you must release my younger brother first!"

The White Zetsu clone nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ll report your condition to the organization."

...

Akatsuki Base.

"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling wail, like the anguished cry of a vengeful spirit, pierced through layer upon layer of walls and assaulted the ears of Sasuke and Neji.

The two, who had been training in the practice grounds, immediately stopped and exchanged bewildered glances!

Sasuke asked Neji, "W-What was that sound just now?"

Neji shook his head, his face equally filled with terror.

That scream had seemed to contain unimaginable pain and despair. Its pitch and tone were nothing like anything a human could produce. It sounded as though some kind of ghost or monster was lurking deep within the base, shrieking in agony!

Sasuke turned toward Shinichi, who was standing at the edge of the training grounds, and asked, "Brother Shinichi, what was that sound just now?"

"Don’t get distracted! Keep training!"

After reprimanding Sasuke, Shinichi glanced in the direction from which the wail had come, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

Deep within the base, outside a secret chamber.

Konan asked Sasori with a grave expression, "How is his condition?"

Sasori shook his head.

Kakuzu also remained silent.

The agonized wail from earlier had come from this very secret chamber. And the person imprisoned inside was none other than Hiruko, whom Obito had rescued using Kamui.

On the battlefield, Hiruko had indeed been decapitated by Kagami, who had been controlling his Wind Release clone.

For anyone else, such an injury would have meant certain death. But Hiruko was different. When he recruited Yomi, he had acquired Yomi’s Dark Medical Ninjutsu.

Back then, Yomi had used this very Dark Medical Ninjutsu to feign death and deceive Kagami. Even after Kagami severed his head, Yomi had managed to come back to life.

However, although Hiruko had escaped the misfortune of dying on the spot, he could not escape the backlash of the Chimera Bud within his body.

After being decapitated, his organs began to fail, and his chakra gradually started to dissipate. This directly caused the Chimera Bud within him to lose their restraints.

In just a few dozen minutes, they had twisted and distorted his body beyond recognition. By the time Obito returned to the Kamui dimension after the battle, he was shocked to discover that Hiruko’s body had already become a complete mess.

Everything had unfolded exactly as Kagami had predicted.

The very Chimera Bud that had brought Hiruko his power would ultimately become the instruments of his death. Hiruko was destined to die because of them; the only question was when.

And this was precisely why Kagami had gone to such lengths to join forces with Danzo and Orochimaru to improve the Chimera Technique.

A moment later, Konan, still unwilling to give up, asked again, "Is there really no other way?"

Hiruko was one of Nagato’s most loyal supporters, and his strength was formidable enough to make him an invaluable asset. Konan was therefore unwilling to abandon such a powerful subordinate so easily.

Sasori replied, "His body has already been contaminated. My Puppet Technique can’t do anything for him."

Seeing Konan turn her gaze toward him, Kakuzu had no choice but to speak.

"That forbidden technique of his, the one that fuses Kekkei Genkai, had enormous hidden risks from the very beginning. The fact that he’s managed to survive until now is already a miracle. There’s nothing we can do to help him anymore."

The Chimera Bud within Hiruko’s body was somewhat similar to the Earth Grudge Fear within Kakuzu’s body.

However, the Chimera Bud’s ability to dissolve and devour flesh was simply too terrifying. In Kakuzu’s eyes, incorporating something like that into one’s own body meant risking being consumed by it at the slightest mistake. It was practically no different from courting death.

Seeing that neither Sasori nor Kakuzu had any solution, Konan could only accept the reality of the situation.

"Then what will happen to him now? Is he just going to keep screaming in agony until he dies?"

Sasori peered through the observation window of the secret chamber before shaking his head.

"I’m afraid no one knows what he’ll eventually become. Perhaps a lifeless mass of flesh, or perhaps some kind of monster..."

None of those present could predict the consequences of the Chimera Technique running out of control.

In fact, there was probably no one in the entire shinobi world capable of making such a prediction.

After all, the Chimera Technique developed by Hiruko had genuinely touched upon the domain of gods. What the rampaging Chimera Bud would ultimately become was something no one could say for certain.

But regardless of what they eventually turned into, it would no longer be Hiruko...