Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

"Ahhhhhh!"

The sudden sensation disappeared as Yahiko flailed his arms and legs, screaming as he plummeted from a height of ten meters.

Landing in the soft, earthen bed Nagato had created, Yahiko stared at the sky with a look of doubt, questioning his life choices.

He failed again!

That feeling—he could never sustain it for long. But according to Kagetsu, mastering that sensation was the foundation of this ability!

Only by fully mastering this ability could he move on to develop its next stages—or, in other words, create new, unique jutsu based on it.

Carefully recalling the feeling he had when the ability successfully activated, Yahiko climbed out of the dirt once more.

From initially being unable to enter the state at all, to occasionally experiencing a flash of insight, and now to remembering the feeling of success and replicating it—

Yahiko's progress was undeniable. What he worried about was that if Kagetsu returned and found he hadn't met the standard, Kagetsu might abandon teaching him.

During this time, he and Nagato had witnessed Kagetsu's shocking and almost otherworldly skills and creativity. 

If they lost his guidance for the next steps, Yahiko had a sinking feeling he would regret it deeply.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield between Iwagakure and the Land of Fire…

The air was thick with the scent of blood and fire.

The Iwagakure forces had launched relentless attacks without any hesitation, putting immense pressure on the Konoha ninja troops who stood against them.

Forced into multi-front combat, Konoha—having already endured clashes with Kumogakure from the Land of Lightning—was now stretched thin against the sheer numbers of Iwagakure's army.

If not for Iwagakure's jinchūriki being severely injured by the Third Raikage earlier in the war and forced to recover in the rear, the pressure on Konoha would have been even greater.

Facing Onoki, the Tsuchikage who wielded the power of a Kekkei Tōta, even Orochimaru could only do his best to hold him off. 

Onoki's mobility and strength were not much weaker than Orochimaru's teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

If not for Orochimaru's creation of various secret techniques to save his life or act as decoys, he might have already been taken out by Onoki's Dust Release in their battles.

The only one who could share some of the burden on the battlefield was Minato Namikaze. However, Minato, who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, was assigned to provide support across multiple battlefronts.

In other words, Minato was more of a firefighter than Orochimaru's subordinate. He couldn't stay on the Iwagakure-Konoha battlefield all the time.

Orochimaru had considered bringing members of the Uchiha clan under his command, but his request was denied by the Konoha Council. The Uchiha were mostly restricted to the village. 

Even in this time of dire need for combat power, the Council still refrained from fully mobilizing the Uchiha clan.

Only a handful of Uchiha were dispatched in waves to counter the Kirigakure ninja invading the Land of Fire.

Although Orochimaru was deeply dissatisfied with this, he couldn't abandon the front lines to argue with the Council members back in the village.

What disappointed him even more was that his once-revered teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, did not object to the Council's decision. Instead, Hiruzen tacitly approved it.

This made Orochimaru realize even more clearly that his teacher's mindset was changing in a direction Orochimaru did not want to see.

Although Hiruzen still appeared strong, his mentality had inevitably aged. He no longer had the heroic spirit of the Second Shinobi War.

If it had been the Hiruzen of the past, confident in his ability to control the Uchiha, he wouldn't have cared about their issues.

As for the Uchiha's ambition for one of their own to become Hokage?

What did that have to do with Orochimaru? 

If he could succeed as the Fourth Hokage, then, barring unforeseen circumstances, the Fifth Hokage would undoubtedly be Kagetsu! The matter would then become Kagetsu's problem to handle.

Why should Orochimaru worry about that?

In fact, his obsession with becoming Hokage had also changed. Now, his reason for wanting the position was solely that it would provide him with the best research environment with minimal interference.

In his right hand, Orochimaru held a deep blue orb, its interior shimmering like a nebula.

This was the Hōgyoku—the Soul Orb/Nature Orb.

An advanced form of the Hollow Mask, it was a treasure that Orochimaru, with Kagetsu's help, created after collecting enough souls from the battlefield and soaking it in the natural energy of Ryūchi Cave.

According to Kagetsu and Orochimaru's observations, this orb had the power to transform a person completely—provided they could endure the changes it brought.

Depending on the chakra nature a ninja possesses, the enhancement provided by the Hōgyoku varies.

For instance, ninjas skilled in the five basic elemental jutsu find their chakra reserves and the destructive power of their techniques significantly boosted under the Hōgyoku's transformation.

Ninjas proficient in genjutsu or Yin Release techniques experience changes in their soul, subtly influenced and altered. This makes their already mysterious Yin Release techniques even more unpredictable and bizarre.

For those adept in medical ninjutsu or Yang Release techniques related to the body, including taijutsu practitioners, the Hōgyoku offers the simplest and purest form of enhancement.

At first glance, these transformations appear distinct and automatic, as the Hōgyoku gradually modifies those who approach it. 

However, if someone knowledgeable about the Hōgyoku can guide and control its power, the possibilities for enhancement and transformation become far greater.

For example, a Yang Release ninja could incorporate the imaginative strength of Yin Release into their enhancements, granting their straightforward taijutsu unique abilities.

Beyond its transformative power, the Hōgyoku itself is a rare treasure! It possesses an immense and unique energy akin to that of tailed beasts.

This energy, a blend of countless souls and natural energy, creates a potent power within the Hōgyoku through the union of Yin and Yang. 

In critical situations, the Hōgyoku could even be used like a tailed beast, enabling its wielder to become a "Hogyoku Jinchūriki," amplifying their power immensely.

However, despite the Hōgyoku lacking self-awareness, it is not without danger. Improper usage can lead to rapid corruption, similar to donning a Hollow mask—granting power but quickly leading to the user's downfall, with their body and soul ultimately consumed by the Hōgyoku.

Even with proper usage, significant risks remain. The Hōgyoku is not a perfect creation but a flawed object. Perfecting it would require extensive research and time.

What intrigued Orochimaru most was how this Hōgyoku could transform chakra into another type of energy entirely. This energy was neither chakra nor natural energy, yet it possessed a captivating allure.

A fusion of the two—Sage Chakra?

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