Time passed by, second by second.
The intense pain had lasted so long that Genya could no longer make any sound.
To ensure Genya's safety, Hikari had been continuously channeling chakra into him, protecting his body, and was now almost completely exhausted.
Genya could feel that the transformation of nearly all the cells in his body was about to be completed.
Next were his internal organs.
The laboratory was especially quiet at that moment.
The late night chill had set in, and the air grew colder.
Water droplets condensed on some of the cold pipes, falling to the ground and creating a distinct dripping sound.
At that moment, Genya finally experienced what it was like to be in the environment of the Nine-Tails.
It was unclear how much time had passed.
The furrowed lines on Genya's brow gradually smoothed, and his body began to relax.
Genya murmured softly, then looked at Hikari, who was holding him tightly, her eyes filled with exhaustion and emotion. Ever since the cellular fusion began, she had been nurturing his body with her chakra. Now, her own chakra was nearly depleted, but she was still pushing herself to release more.
"Hikari, it's over. You can rest now," Genya said softly, moving slightly as he spoke.
Hikari lifted her head, her eyes swollen and red. She felt guilty for the pain Genya had endured during the fusion process. But when she saw his face, now calm and steady, her eyes lit up despite their redness. "Genya-sama, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Genya said as he wiped away the tear stains on her cheeks. "Thank you for this."
Hikari nodded repeatedly, finally realizing she was still holding him tightly. Blushing, she quickly stood up.
But as she stood, her legs wobbled, and she nearly fell.
"Careful!" Genya quickly supported her. Using his Dual Pupil, he scanned her body and saw that she was nearly out of chakra.
He quickly had her sit down and gently comforted her: "Your chakra is depleted. Rest here for a bit, and soon, I'll take you out for a big meal!"
"Really?" Hikari's eyes lit up a little.
"When have I ever lied to you? We'll go soon!" Genya glanced at her and encouraged her to recover properly.
While Hikari was recuperating, Genya also began inspecting his own transformed body.
He could feel that his cells were more active and resilient than before, storing much more chakra. The most crucial point was that even without using Infinite Chakra World Jutsu, his cells could now continuously absorb chakra on their own!
If, in the past, the amount of chakra in his body could be compared to three Kakashis, after the transformation, he sensed that when fully charged, he now had chakra equivalent to twenty Kakashis.
He felt that under the nurturing of the chakra, the capacity of his cells to hold chakra was rapidly increasing. It wouldn't be long before it could match thirty Kakashis' worth of chakra.
"Is this what the new me is like?" A look of excitement spread across Genya's face.
Powerful, so powerful.
After checking the changes in his body, Genya sniffed the air and felt there was a strange smell around him.
It seemed very close, almost as if it was coming from him.
A thought crossed Genya's mind, and he quickly looked down at his body!
He saw that his skin was covered in a thick layer of grime, and the unpleasant smell was coming from it!
The transformed cells must have devoured the old ones, expelling their impurities out of his body.
"Is this like cleansing the body and refining the marrow talked about in Chinese novel?" Genya's lips curled into a smile as he watched the scene.
Although it was different in name, it was essentially the same process—transforming his body constitution.
The laboratory had living quarters for those who needed to stay long-term. Genya went to one of the washrooms and took a shower, scrubbing away the grime on his body before carefully examining himself in the mirror.
He looked a bit thinner now. He used to have a hint of youthful roundness to his face, but now there was a touch of seriousness.
There was no helping it—after expelling impurities from his cells, it was normal to appear leaner.
Once Hikari felt better, Genya took her out, and together, they went on a restaurant raid, eating to their hearts' content like two bottomless pits.
In the woods outside the village, Genya killed a charging bear with a single punch. Black flames flickered in his eyes as they began consuming the bear's flesh.
He had hunted countless bears and wild boars around the village's perimeter. To him, it was now so effortless that he felt no excitement or desire for a real fight.
His physical strength, chakra reserves, and even his mastery of ninjutsu had reached the level of an elite jōnin, surpassing most ordinary jōnin.
It could be said that if he fought Kakashi now, they would be evenly matched, or he might even win. However, fighting Shisui was still uncertain.
After all, Shisui had awakened Susano'o and wielded the powerful Kotoamatsukami, a top-level genjutsu that Genya still feared. He wasn't confident that his mental fortitude could withstand it.
"I wonder if my future genjutsu could ever reach the level of Kotoamatsukami," Genya thought to himself, eyes full of curiosity.
He now held limitless potential.
"Staying in Konoha is no longer useful for me. I need experience and battles with strong ninjas to improve my combat abilities," Genya murmured softly.
In fact, after completing his body's transformation yesterday, he felt that his Dual Pupil eyes might be on the verge of another evolution, possibly unlocking the fourth tomoe. But when he woke up after a night's sleep, everything was calm again.
Even after consuming so many wild boars today, there was still no sign of change.
"If this continues, the wild beasts around the village will all be consumed by my Black Flame, and that will attract attention from the villagers!" Genya muttered quietly, seemingly trying to think of a solution.
His eyes lit up, and he whispered to himself, "Since I can't stay around the village, I could leave with a merchant caravan!"
This way, he wouldn't just be able to hunt and consume more wild beasts outside, but if any ninjas attacked to rob the merchants, he could also gain battle experience. There might even be a chance to unlock the fourth tomoe!
It was a plan that achieved multiple goals at once! It was time for him to go out and see the world beyond Konoha.
With that thought, he stopped hunting the beasts and headed straight for the Merchant Association.
At the Merchant Association:
What was initially a calm atmosphere suddenly erupted with Uchiha Kinya's incredulous shout: "What? You want to go outside with the caravan? No way, absolutely not! I won't allow it!"
Uchiha Kinya's voice echoed throughout the entire guild, drawing the attention of many onlookers.
But his refusal was firm and resolute!
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