‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’
Watching from a short distance away, Uchiha Itachi stared at the scene with wide eyes.
He had already realized that his uncle had been holding back during his earlier spar with Uchiha Shisui.
The true power of Kyōka Suigetsu was Complete Hypnosis, something even the Sharingan could not see through.
If Riku had fought seriously, Shisui would never have stood a chance.
But looking back now, calling that merely “holding back” was ridiculous.
His uncle had practically let Shisui win.
Against Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, Riku had not used an absurd ability like Kyōka Suigetsu.
Nor had he brought out any of the advanced technology developed in the Land of Rivers.
He had simply drawn his sword.
One swing, and Orochimaru was down.
‘Could even Senju Hashirama, the man called the God of Shinobi, do something like that if he came back to life?’
Riku calmly stepped over Orochimaru’s “corpse” and walked straight toward Yakushi Nonō.
Still smiling, he reached out and grabbed her by the collar.
ROAR!
The sight sent the Hollowfied Yakushi Kabuto into a frenzy.
With an enraged howl, the boy lunged at Riku.
Slash!
Blood sprayed through the air as Kabuto’s small body was sent flying backward.
Riku smoothly sheathed his sword, looking almost disappointed.
“You’re nothing more than a defective prototype.
Were you really expecting a miracle?”
Still holding Nonō by the collar, he turned and walked back toward Itachi.
“We’re leaving, Itachi.”
“But Lord Danzō said—”
“Don’t worry about him.
The side effects of God’s Blood have already spread through his entire body.
Even if we leave him alone, he won’t survive.”
‘God’s Blood?’
Orochimaru, who had been lying motionless on the ground and pretending to be dead, immediately took notice.
His mind began racing.
ROAR!
Another deafening howl shook the forest.
The badly wounded Kabuto suddenly swelled to several times his previous size, while a long serpentine tail emerged from his back.
Facing the direction Riku and Itachi were leaving, he opened his mouth wide.
Hum—
Strange energy gathered between his jaws, condensing into a sphere of crimson light.
‘What is that boy doing?’
A terrible feeling came over Orochimaru.
The next instant, a devastating beam erupted from Kabuto’s mouth, bathing the entire landscape in blood-red light.
Orochimaru immediately forgot about playing dead.
He sprang to his feet in alarm, reopening the wound across his torso badly enough for blood to begin pouring from it again.
Everything in the beam’s path was annihilated.
A trench several meters deep was carved through the earth and continued stretching into the distance.
The dense forest ahead was sliced apart as effortlessly as butter, trees disintegrating from root to crown wherever the crimson light passed.
Orochimaru stared in horror.
He had seen a Tailed Beast Ball before.
He was certain the destructive power of this attack was already in the same league.
And yet, just as the beam was about to engulf Riku, the black-haired young man did not even bother turning around.
“Bakudō #81: Dankū.”
A translucent wall of light rose behind him.
BOOM!
The crimson beam slammed into the barrier.
Violent currents of energy exploded outward in every direction, flooding the surrounding landscape with red light.
After several moments, the glow finally faded.
Dankū shattered like a pane of glass and dissolved into countless motes of light, leaving behind a vast, fan-shaped wasteland.
Orochimaru swallowed.
‘So this is the power of God’s Blood…’
Desire immediately burned in his eyes.
If he could obtain this power for himself, then the entire shinobi world—
Thud.
A heavy impact interrupted his thoughts.
Orochimaru turned and saw the bone mask on the silver-haired boy’s face breaking apart.
With all the strength seemingly drained from his body, Yakushi Kabuto collapsed to the ground.
…
Land of Rivers, Administrative Hall.
“Welcome back, Nonō-sensei.”
Riku stood beside his desk with a warm smile.
“Thanks to all the trouble you went through, our infiltration plan worked perfectly.”
That was right.
Everything that had just happened was an elaborate performance designed to convince Orochimaru that Yakushi Kabuto was a defective experiment abandoned by Root.
“No, I hardly did anything.”
Yakushi Nonō shook her head.
“You and Kabuto were the ones who made it convincing.”
“I knew from the beginning that kid was a born actor.” Riku opened a drawer, pulled out two bags of chips, and handed one each to Nonō and Itachi.
“I’m already looking forward to seeing Orochimaru’s face when he eventually learns the truth.”
Itachi accepted his bag.
“Is there really no problem with Kabuto’s Hollowfication?”
“Relax.”
Riku waved dismissively.
“Our Hollowfication technology still isn’t completely mature, but Kabuto received an improved version.
At the very least, he won’t actually lose his sense of self.” The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
A smile appeared on his face.
“And for that, we really have to thank Lord Danzō for his selfless contribution to scientific progress.”
“If Danzō ever learns the truth, he might actually die of rage,” Itachi muttered.
“We can’t have that.”
Riku sounded genuinely concerned.
“The capable should always shoulder more responsibility.
I’m counting on Lord Danzō to continue contributing to the shinobi world for many years to come.”
His gaze shifted toward Nonō, who had been quietly eating her chips.
“You don’t need to return to Root anymore.
Why not find something to do in the medical department here?”
Nonō fell silent.
After a moment, she put down the bag.
“Lord Consul, I want to undergo Hollowfication.”
Riku rubbed between his brows.
“You heard what I said earlier.
The technology still isn’t completely stable.”
“That’s exactly why I want to do it.”
Nonō’s expression was unwavering.
“I don’t want Kabuto to be the only one who has to endure it.”
The two stared at each other through their glasses for several seconds.
Eventually, Riku sighed.
“I understand.
Report directly to the research institute.”
Relief appeared on Nonō’s face.
“Thank you, Lord Consul.”
She bowed and left the room.
Itachi watched her go, then cautiously turned toward his uncle.
“Uncle, I’d also like to—”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
Riku cut him off without expression.
Itachi frowned.
“According to Article Eight of the Land of Rivers’ highest law, every citizen has the freedom to choose their own profession!”
“So you memorized the law.
Very impressive.”
Riku gave him a mocking smile.
“But you seem to have forgotten the additional provisions.
Citizens under sixteen are prohibited from participating in labor or military operations, may not undergo unnecessary bodily modifications, and are required to complete compulsory education at the Land of Rivers Academy.”
He waved him away.
“If you want Hollowfication, wait until you’ve actually hit puberty.”
“Tch!”
Thoroughly defeated, Uchiha Itachi decided he had seen enough of his uncle’s irritating face for one day.
Without another word, he turned and headed toward the study next door.