The trial grounds ended up in complete ruin, with Orochimaru using Earth Release to alter the terrain.
"It's a pity it wasn't the real Two-Tails," Orochimaru remarked, sounding somewhat regretful toward Kagetsu.
"This is already good enough," Kagetsu replied, gently shaking his head as he used Mystical Palm Technique to heal his wounds.
After all, it was a tailed beast. If they had truly captured the Two-Tails, the Hidden Cloud would have gone mad. They might have pulled out of the battlefield with the Hidden Sand and launched a full-scale war against the Hidden Leaf.
As for whether the Leaf could handle the pressure, Kagetsu never entertained such thoughts.
"Let's go. The old man has assigned a task to the Technology Development Department," Orochimaru said as he cleaned up the battlefield and waited for Kagetsu's injuries to mostly heal.
"The First Hokage's cells?" Kagetsu instantly understood the task Orochimaru was referring to.
Wood Release had become an obsession for the higher-ups. No matter what stance the Third Hokage took on the Wood Release experiments or what purpose he hoped to achieve, the desire to recreate the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai was undoubtedly real.
"What's your take on it?" Orochimaru asked as he walked side by side with Kagetsu. There was no doubt that Kagetsu would be deeply involved in this experiment—he had demonstrated the First Hokage's Wood Release on the battlefield himself.
"The Kekkei Ikai Technique isn't something that can be easily popularized," Kagetsu answered honestly. He understood the Third Hokage's ambitions, but the process would take time.
"I see. The knowledge involved is extensive, and it's difficult to make the technique widely applicable," Orochimaru nodded in agreement.
From Orochimaru's perspective, the current Kekkei Ikai Technique was a creation unique to Kagetsu—something specifically developed to suit Kagetsu's abilities and nature.
Only someone at Kagetsu's level could use the Kekkei Ikai Technique effectively. And that threshold was set intimidatingly high.
Even Orochimaru himself couldn't meet the criteria.
"The Kekkei Ikai Technique is still a prototype. For now, I classify it as a type of bio-puppet. If needed, I can make adjustments. The Yamanaka clan would be a good fit to control it," Kagetsu suggested after some thought.
"The Yamanaka clan?" Orochimaru considered this. Based on his understanding of the technique, the Yamanaka's abilities did seem like a perfect match.
Their mastery of Yin Release, high resistance to genjutsu, and innate offensive nature of their secret techniques made them ideal candidates.
If their mind-based jutsu could be combined into the Kekkei Ikai Technique, it could achieve a similar effect to Kagetsu's Shadow Release Kekkei Genkai control.
However, the Kekkei Ikai Technique needed to become more stable. If it malfunctioned, it could cause severe mental backlash to the Yamanaka users.
"The truth is, the technology for this is resource-intensive, and it's not something that can be perfected quickly," Kagetsu admitted openly, discussing the flaws of the Kekkei Ikai Technique.
Unfinished products are disposable.
"They're expensive to make, difficult to control, have high entry requirements, and a short lifespan."
"But in the process of creating the Kekkei Ikai Technique, I discovered some techniques worth refining and reusing," Kagetsu said calmly.
"The old folks only want Wood Release," Orochimaru murmured.
"Then I'll give them Kekkei Ikai Technique." Kagetsu had no intention of keeping his achievements hidden. The more his work was used, the more recognition it would receive, leading to more inspiration for future development.
"What do you intend to do with these derived techniques from the Kekkei Ikai Technique?" Orochimaru asked, smiling faintly.
"Chakra," Kagetsu replied softly.
"Chakra?" Orochimaru stopped in his tracks, looking at Kagetsu curiously.
"Ninjas rely heavily on chakra during combat. As long as they're alive and have chakra left, they can continue using ninjutsu and fighting."
"In times of war, repeated battles drain chakra significantly. Even Jonin-level shinobi try to conserve their chakra to maintain their strength throughout a fight."
"That's why food pills like the Soldier Pills are vital—they help extract chakra quickly by overexerting the body. During the Ninja Wars, these pills were among the most essential supplies."
"Now, what if we could increase a ninja's chakra reserves? Wouldn't that directly enhance their combat capabilities?"
"And during wartime, if all Konoha's ninjas had more chakra, could that extra edge shift the tide of a battle?"
Kagetsu and Orochimaru locked eyes as they asked these questions in succession, fully aware of the potential impact.
"Like a Jinchuriki?" Orochimaru mused, mentally comparing Kagetsu's idea to the concept of tailed-beast hosts.
Everyone knew how powerful Jinchuriki were. With access to a tailed beast's chakra, they gained an overwhelming advantage. They could unleash devastating large-scale ninjutsu without worrying about chakra consumption, inflicting destruction akin to a natural disaster.
That was why every hidden village treated their tailed beasts as their trump cards. In the chaos of war, these beasts had the potential to single-handedly decide victory or defeat.
"You could say that." Kagetsu paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Are you talking about the Cursed Seal?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he made an educated guess, drawing from his own research.
The Cursed Seal—a forbidden jutsu developed through studying Jugo's unique abilities to harness natural energy.
Over the years, Orochimaru's research into Jūgo's powers had made significant progress, with some promising breakthroughs. However, it hadn't yet reached the point of practical success.
The power of natural energy was too wild and uncontrollable. Additionally, the scarcity of suitable test subjects for human experiments slowed Orochimaru's progress.
Still, this didn't mean Orochimaru was unaware of the potential this technique could unlock once perfected.
According to his vision, the curse mark not only carried fragments of his consciousness and invaded the bearer's body and soul, altering them, but it could also significantly enhance the bearer's strength. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"This has nothing to do with natural energy," Kagetsu waved his hand dismissively. While the curse mark was powerful, it hadn't yet been fully developed, and it was unlikely to become widely applicable.
Those who could withstand the curse mark's erosion might survive, but those who couldn't would die.
"What I'm talking about is a chakra amplifier that stores chakra and releases it when needed," Kagetsu explained seriously. "It would be a device that collects chakra and returns it to the user during critical moments."
"A device that stores chakra?" Orochimaru nodded in partial understanding. He recalled that Kagetsu had once asked him for knowledge about crafting ninja tools.
"Yes. If this device is successfully developed, the village will certainly treat it as essential military equipment, just like kunai," Kagetsu continued. "It will give the village a strategic advantage in war, increasing the chances of victory."
"I'll speak with my teacher about this. As long as you succeed, it'll be worth it," Orochimaru responded, recognizing the prestige and benefits this technology could bring to both himself and the department under his control.
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