Konoha Notes.

Chapter 467 Scale

Neji wasn't completely asleep.

Upon entering the nutrient tank, one's consciousness floats on a blurred boundary.

As the liquid flowed rapidly away through the holes in the tank walls, the feeling of weightlessness vanished, and the weight of his body returned to every inch of his skin. He opened his eyes.

The field of vision seemed clearer than usual. The patterns on the training field ceiling, the numbers flashing on the instrument screens in the distance, even the dust particles floating in the air—everything was exceptionally distinct.

Neji braced himself and left the still-warm bottom of the tank.

The tubing attached to his body detached automatically when the liquid was drained.

He stood barefoot on the floor, trying to move his fingers, clench his fist, and then relax.

"Do you feel like you've gotten stronger?" Kabuto put away his record board and stood to the side, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on Neji.

"Yes, there are some differences, Kabuto-senpai."

"That's probably just an illusion." Kabuto handed over a dry towel. "The initial implantation dosage is very conservative. It's just to let the body get used to the presence of these foreign cells and establish basic compatibility. It won't bring about an immediate change in strength."

"If I had to point out any difference," Dou pointed to the nutrient tank, "it's that you just soaked in a rather expensive culture medium for over an hour. Your bodily functions were fully replenished, your spirits were high, and your senses were naturally more acute."

"I see."

Neji took the towel and began wiping away the remaining liquid from his body. Water droplets slid down his skin, forming a small puddle at his feet.

Then he went into the locker room to change back into the clothes he had come in.

Neji looked at the curse mark on his forehead, then picked up the bandages placed to the side and wrapped them around his forehead.

When the white cloth covered the curse mark, the boy's expression in the mirror did not change.

When I walked out of the locker room, Dou was already waiting in the corridor.

"Over here."

He led him down to the second floor, where there was a testing area with walls and floors covered with special shock-absorbing materials.

Mitarashi Anko was sitting cross-legged in the middle, with Shuji not far in front of her.

Tsunade and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, stood at the edge of the testing area, observing the surroundings.

Neji no longer needed the assistance of the live gecko to sense the presence of natural energy. At this moment, he sensed that natural energy was gathering around the red bean.

Then, change began.

The first thing to appear was the lines on her face. Dark lines spread from the corners of her eyes, extending down her cheekbones to her jawline, and intersecting at her forehead. These lines were not randomly drawn; they interlocked, forming a pattern resembling scales, adding a touch of wildness to Hongdou's facial contours.

When she opened her eyes, the whites of her eyes turned completely black, while her pupils had a yellow outer ring and a deep black inner ring.

But that's not all; a short, sharp horn grew out from the center of her forehead.

"This is... Sage Mode?"

Neji had seen Guy, who was the fastest progressing in the Sage Mode training group, and who had absorbed natural energy into a relatively stable state, but apart from the facial markings, there were no such changes in his limbs.

Kabuto nodded: "Yes, this is Miss Red Bean's Sage Mode."

"Is this the complete form of Sage Mode?"

"This is a different system," Kabuto explained. "Although your Sage Mode training is conducted by Master Shuuji, Miss Anko's foundation is different from ordinary people due to another factor that existed in her body earlier."

In the middle of the field, Hongdou stood up.

A smile appeared on her face beneath the black lines, a smile tinged with a madness rarely seen in her usual demeanor, the corners of her mouth widening even further than usual. She nimbly took two steps forward, closing the distance to Shuuji's front, and her right fist slammed straight towards his chest.

Xiu Si raised his left hand, palm facing upwards.

The dull thud of the collision echoed in the testing area. Red Bean's fist was caught firmly, but her offensive did not stop. Using the recoil, she spun to the side, sweeping her left leg towards Shuuji's waist.

Shuji blocked downwards with his right hand, his forearm colliding with her shin with another dull thud.

Hongdou began moving quickly within the testing area. Her movements were faster and smoother than usual.

The third blow was an elbow strike from the side, which Shuuji deflected with a raised hand.

The fourth strike was a low sweeping leg, which Shuuji avoided by taking a half-step back.

After failing in her physical attacks, Hongdou retreated and began forming hand seals.

However, just as she was about to complete her final seal, Shuuji stepped closer.

His movements didn't seem fast, but they were perfectly timed to coincide with the gaps in the hand seals.

He raised his right hand, flicked his finger, and tapped Hongdou's forehead: "That's enough. The equipment here is expensive; if you use Fire Release and damage it, you won't be able to afford to pay for it." Hongdou's expression fell: "Eh, weren't we supposed to be testing the data properly?"

"This is just a test to see if your Cursed Seal Sage Mode differs from other regular Sage Modes in terms of physical enhancement." The Second Hokage crossed his arms. "The focus is on observing the changes in basic stats like strength, speed, and reaction time. Techniques like Fire Release are not within the scope of this test." "At least let me try it out," Anko pouted. "Shuji, it's rare for me to be in such good shape."

"It's been a long time since I've fought this guy either." Tsunade laughed, her hand on her hip. "As Hokage, I'll allow you to take action one more time, Anko."

Shuji glanced at Tsunade.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her smile widening.

Xiu Si raised his hand again, flicked his finger, and tapped Hong Dou's forehead a second time.

This time I used significantly more force.

"it hurts!"

Hongdou covered her forehead and squatted down. The black lines on her face quickly faded, the whites of her eyes returned to their normal color, and the corners of her forehead shrank back under her skin, disappearing without a trace.

She squatted on the ground, muttering softly, "Hokage-sama, Captain-sama disobeyed orders..."

Tsunade immediately hardened her expression and pointed at Shuji: "Disobeying the Hokage's orders is a serious crime, Shuji!"

"There are a lot of Hokage in the village lately," Shuuji said unhurriedly. "So the principle is that whoever sits in the Hokage's office gives the orders. If you want to issue such an order, go back to the Hokage Building and sit in that chair first."

Tobirama Senju looked at the three people who had steered the serious test in a strange direction in an instant, sighed softly, and shook his head.

"While we don't lack time for this bit of playful banter, it's time to get back to the main topic."

The Second Hokage walked to the edge of the testing area, his gaze sweeping over Anko before turning to Shuji and Tsunade.

"This Sage Mode, which is influenced by the power of the cursed seal and leans towards the Ryuchi Cave system, is not fundamentally different from other Sage Mode systems in terms of the multiplier of physical strength and chakra amplification."

Xiu Si nodded in agreement: "Essentially, it is all about the deep transformation and integration of natural energy into living organisms. Although the external manifestations and energy properties may have their own tendencies, the upper limit of the basic amplification should be similar."

"If I had to point out the differences..."

"The toads of Mount Myōboku are not human in terms of their species. Their standard for judging Sage Mode is based on the degree of de-frogification; the more indistinguishable they are from ordinary people, the more perfect they are."

"Ryuchi Cave is quite different. Their immortal arts system is more inclined towards physical modification and activation. The so-called degree of dragonification, that is, the existence of horns, is actually proof of the cultivator's level."

Tobirama Senju pondered, "The horn is one of the most obvious symbols of the Otsutsuki clan. It seems that these holy sites also have a tendency in their development direction."

Neji stood quietly to the side, listening to every word of the conversation.

The appearance of the unfamiliar name "Otsutsuki clan" added a few more doubts to his mind.

"However, a slight difference in preference for the perfect symbol of life form does not affect our current judgment." Tobirama brought the topic back, "The key point is that Hyuga Neji's stable condition after the initial micro-implantation further corroborates the possibility of White Zetsu cells being implanted into the body under strictly controlled dosage."

"This means that the pool of people who can safely receive advanced training in immortal arts and lay the foundation for potential future guidance of power can be cautiously expanded."

"Considering the existing conventional ninjutsu system based on chakra nature transformation, its effectiveness will likely be greatly reduced when facing the Otsutsuki clan."

"Therefore, the strategic necessity of developing and popularizing physical enhancement techniques that can directly and significantly improve one's basic qualities and survival ability is increasing."

"The cursed seal developed by Orochimaru, despite being mixed with many of his own personal agendas, proved one thing from a technical standpoint."

"Based on some characteristics of the Ryuji Cave Immortal Arts system, it is possible to artificially create a switch through implantation."

"This allows users to bypass the lengthy training process and quickly enter a godlike state."

"But this brutal approach is extremely dangerous for individuals who do not have sufficient natural energy adaptability."

"Therefore, based on Shuji's experience in cultivating Sage Mode aptitude users in a relatively gentle manner in the early stages, perhaps we can try a compromise path." "Using Orochimaru's cursed seal as a template, develop a new cursed seal."

"Then, a cursed seal is implanted into the adaptee, serving as a controllable auxiliary switch for Sage Mode that can be quickly activated at critical moments."

Tobirama turned to Neji: "You are the one who has already fulfilled all the prerequisites."

"Would you like to try this method? In terms of expected results, it's not just a combat switch, but also a deep development of your physical potential."

Neji could feel the gazes of all three people fixed on him.

He didn't hesitate: "I'm prepared. I'm willing to accept whichever path I choose."

Tobirama Senju looked at him for a few seconds and slowly nodded.

"This time, you don't need to make a decision immediately."

"The development of the improved curse seal will still take time. There are many preliminary technical challenges, and the existing experimental materials are quite limited. It's enough to be mentally prepared for that."

He gestured to the pharmacist, "Take him home first. From now on, he needs to come in for a physical examination every day and have all the data recorded. Any abnormal reactions, no matter how minor, must be reported immediately."

"Yes, Nidaime-sama."

After Kabuto and Neji left the testing area, Tobirama looked at Anko, who was still squatting on the ground.

"Regarding the original cursed seal materials used by Orochimaru, we will need your cooperation in extracting and analyzing them."

"The extraction process may need to be repeated multiple times to ensure that a sufficiently pure sample is obtained."

"Any other questions?"

Hongdou released her hand from her forehead, slowly stood up, patted her clothes, and thought seriously for a moment before asking, "Second Generation Leader, is there any extra allowance for cooperating with this kind of physical experimentation?"

Tobirama Senju fell silent.

After a long while, he finally spoke: "I wouldn't mind giving a little, but I'm already dead, and all my possessions were inherited long ago. I don't have any of those things on me."

"Let's go find Tsunade."

The Fifth Hokage immediately waved his hand: "The village's financial allocation has a fixed procedure. I only look at the accounts and budget reports. I am not directly responsible for the specific distribution of allowances."

"For questions like this," Tsunade looked at Shuuji with a smile, "it's best to ask the Shuuji-sama in front of you. He always has a way of dealing with the advisory group and getting some experimental stipends, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Shuji looked at Tsunade, then at Anko: "I will apply for special funding."

Red Bean finally expressed her satisfaction, but she leaned closer and pleaded with Shuji, "Captain, this kind of experiment must be very harmful to your body, right?" "Please make as many as possible."

"Several new dessert shops have recently opened in the venue area, and they're all quite expensive."

As she spoke, she noticed Shuuji's expression.

She immediately covered her face, saying, "I've already lost a lot of weight from working so hard, so please don't say such hurtful things about sweet potatoes, Captain." Before she finished speaking, she had already turned and run towards the door, her figure quickly disappearing around the corner of the corridor, leaving only a series of fading footsteps behind.

The testing area fell silent.

Tobirama Senju looked at Tsunade, his expression turning serious again.

"You can start trying leukocyte transplantation now."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade put away her joking expression.

"In the battles to come, as Hokage, I need to have sufficient capabilities to handle them." The Second Hokage's attitude was clear. "Using you and Shuji as reference points, and comparing your physical data with that of Hyuga Neji, we need to explore the possibility of developing eye techniques using the Senju bloodline." "Furthermore, your Yin Sealing Technique's ability to continuously accumulate natural energy is a good reference template. The enemies we will face in the future are beings that devour the life of the world; we cannot easily let go of any potential breakthroughs."

Tsunade sighed. "Yes, yes... Grandpa Tobirama, you really haven't been able to relax at all since you came back."

"You've been too lazy," Tobirama Senju replied. "I'll be returning to the Pure Land sooner or later. Now, I'll take care of the things that can be arranged first."

He paused for a moment, his red pupils gazing at the empty ceiling of the testing area.

"Moreover, we didn't think about it before we didn't know. But now that it's clear that the Sage of Six Paths exists, the limit of the Impure World Reincarnation technique's existence is not just something we can imagine."

"Therefore, we must hurry."