Chapter 152: Chapter 155: Haku’s Mother, Blood Demon Art — Infinity Castle
After the hot pot was finished, the New Year holiday came to an end.
On the first day of work, Natsuki arrived at the Anbu base on time.
He sat at his desk and began today’s work.
The first matter was Anbu daily routine.
Sorting through the various pieces of intelligence collected by the Anbu during the New Year holiday.
It ranged from the Great Nations to the various hidden villages.
Natsuki read through them and found an interesting piece of intelligence.
That was Sasori, the grandson of Chiyo from Sunagakure, who had graduated early from the Ninja Academy to become a Genin.
The intelligence showed he was only seven years old.
The same age as Konan and Nagato.
Graduating at seven years old undoubtedly made him a super genius.
But it was also normal.
In the original work, when Sasori made his debut, he was full of oppressive presence and absolutely carried the demeanor of a master.
And when he killed the Third Kazekage, he was only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Natsuki stroked his chin.
Because of his butterfly effect, Sasori’s parents did not die.
The probability of him killing the Third Kazekage was almost negligible.
Natsuki then thought of Pakura.
He had previously established a cooperation with her, but what exactly they were cooperating on had never been initiated.
However, her situation in Sunagakure was not particularly good.
Because Rasa was stealing the spotlight and was already recognized as the next generation’s Kazekage.
There was no helping it. He had studied under the Third Kazekage and learned Magnet Release.
The status of Magnet Release in Sunagakure was no less than the status of Wood Release in Konoha.
Obviously, in terms of politics, Pakura could no longer beat Rasa.
A thought stirred in Natsuki’s mind as he considered what he should cooperate with her on.
That was the economy.
In terms of the economy, under normal circumstances, Pakura couldn’t beat him either, because Rasa’s Magnet Release could be used to pan for gold in the desert.
But Natsuki could help her, and that was with water.
The Land of Wind and Sunagakure were extremely short of water due to their desert environment.
The Land of Rain had abundant water resources due to its climate.
Both sides taking what they needed could be called a win-win situation.
The current problem was that the Akatsuki organization’s research department had not yet developed a rainwater purification device.
Besides that, there was the issue of transportation.
If Natsuki unlocked the Door-Door Fruit, transportation would be simple.
But he certainly couldn’t maintain the operation of the Air Door all day long.
The transportation issue could be handed over to Pakura to handle.
Whether it was building underground pipelines for transportation or opening a grand canal above ground.
With the capabilities of Sunagakure, they could certainly achieve this.
Of course, these were matters for the future.
The most urgent task was to recruit more researchers to develop the rainwater purification device as soon as possible.
Natsuki snapped out of his thoughts and continued sorting the intelligence.
After picking out the important information, this first task was considered complete.
The second matter was Natsuki’s personal affair.
Asayano’s squad’s investigation into the Ice Release had yielded results.
Kirigakure currently did not have any Ice Release ninjas.
However, they found five villages in the Land of Water where it snowed all year round.
After reading the data on the five villages, Natsuki had already determined which village Haku’s mother was in.
The reason was simple.
This village harbored an extreme hatred for Kekkei Genkai.
Haku’s tragedy stemmed from Ice Release.
Their family of three originally lived a very happy life. Until one day, his father discovered that his mother possessed Ice Release, and thus organized the villagers to kill her.
Witnessing this scene, Haku awakened his Ice Release in terror.
He used Ice Release to kill his father and the villagers, and fled in a panic.
From then on, he became an orphan, begging in the streets and alleys of the Land of Water.
Eventually, he met Momochi Zabuza, was adopted by him, and became his killing tool.
Haku was about three years older than Uzumaki Naruto.
Under normal circumstances, his mother was likely around the same age as Namikaze Minato, or perhaps two or three years older.
Of course, other circumstances could also exist.
Natsuki thought about it and decided not to bring Nawaki and Yakushi Nonou this time.
Because there most likely wouldn’t be any combat.
Even if there was, it would just be dealing with some villagers.
Judging from the situation in the original work, Haku’s father and the villagers were not ninjas, which was why they were killed by him who had just awakened his Ice Release.
After finishing his work, Natsuki left the Anbu base.
The only regret was that Hiruko still hadn’t been found.
But that was normal.
Ever since Hiruko defected, the Anbu had been searching for him, but his location had yet to be found.
Natsuki only vaguely remembered that he conducted the Chimera Technique experiments in a valley.
But there were too many valleys in the ninja world, making it impossible to pinpoint in a short time.
Besides that, there was the intelligence on the Yomi Cult.
Kakuzu had sent someone to deliver it to him.
He planned to make a trip to the Yomi Cult after some time.
Natsuki returned to the Senju clan compound.
With the New Year holiday over, Nawaki, Yakushi Nonou, and Uzumaki Kushina had all begun their training.
They had practiced Rankyaku for two months and had basically mastered it.
"I will teach you the final form of the Rokushiki, Kami-e."
Natsuki walked up to them and said.
After teaching them until the evening, he also told them that he would be going out on an Anbu mission tomorrow.
Because it was an Anbu mission, he wouldn’t be taking them along.
Although Nawaki and the others felt it was a pity, none of them said anything.
During dinner, Natsuki received unexpected news from Tsunade.
Namikaze Minato had already departed for Mount Myoboku to learn Sage Mode.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would likely be able to learn it before the Third Great Ninja War.
When that time came, combined with the Rokushiki, he would definitely be far more powerful than the Yellow Flash of the original work.
Natsuki didn’t think much of it.
After all, he had many cheats.
Nawaki, however, felt a sense of crisis.
If this continued, the gap in strength between him and Namikaze Minato would grow larger and larger.
This was something he could not accept.
The next day.
Natsuki left Konoha with Asayano’s squad and headed for the Land of Water.
The Land of Water was an archipelago nation.
In the southeast, there was a largest island.
The metropolis of the Land of Water and Kirigakure were both located on it.
The village Natsuki was heading to was in the northeast of the Land of Water.
After arriving at the southeastern coast of the Land of Fire, he changed his mode of transportation and took a boat.
After spending four days, he finally arrived at his destination.
A village covered in snow.
Natsuki walked into the village.
He had never seen Haku’s mother, but since she could awaken Ice Release, it meant she was a ninja.
Regardless of whether a ninja was strong or weak, they would always have chakra in their bodies. With chakra, they could be detected through sensory ninjutsu.
With a casual wave of his hand, he sent Asayano’s squad to scout the surroundings.
Meanwhile, he activated his electromagnetic wave sensing.
As Natsuki walked down the street, the nearby villagers noticed him and looked at him with curiosity.
Their small village rarely saw outsiders, and since Natsuki was young and strikingly handsome, he naturally drew a lot of attention.
Natsuki ignored them.
He quickly discovered a faint trace of chakra.
Natsuki walked straight toward it.
Before long, he saw a young woman wearing a white apron.
She had beautiful black hair, a delicate and pretty face, and an aura that somewhat resembled Haku when he wore female clothing.
Natsuki was certain she was Haku’s mother.
She was working as a waitress in a small snack shop.
Besides her, there was also a teenage boy and a woman.
Natsuki thought for a moment and didn’t approach directly.
He went to a corner and summoned Asayano’s squad over.
"Go investigate the situation of this snack shop."
Natsuki instructed.
"Yes."
Asayano nodded and disappeared again.
Natsuki found a tree, climbed up, and sat on a branch, checking his system while waiting.
He now had quite a few character templates, but unlocking most of the abilities required time.
The ability he was currently unlocking was the High-Speed Regeneration of the Kibutsuji Muzan template.
Its unlock condition was to learn the Mystical Palm Technique.
Although both were A-rank, the Mystical Palm Technique was even harder than Monstrous Strength.
Coupled with the fact that Natsuki had too many ninjutsu to learn previously, he still hadn’t completely mastered it.
But it would be soon, at most one or two months.
Besides that, he also had to learn the Chinoike Clan’s blood secret jutsu to unlock the Blood Demon Arts of the Kibutsuji Muzan template.
Natsuki didn’t wait too long. Half an hour later, Asayano reappeared.
He verbally relayed the situation of the three people in the snack shop.
The young woman was named Hyo-onna. She had fled to this village alone as a refugee five years ago.
The one who adopted her was that woman, named Naomi.
Naomi’s husband had died early, leaving behind a son, which was that teenage boy, named Katsusato.
The three of them ran a snack shop to make a living.
Natsuki nodded slightly.
A thought stirred in his mind, and he suddenly thought of a plan.
Although Asayano didn’t find out where Hyo-onna originally lived, it was highly likely related to Kirigakure.
After all, only Kirigakure had ever produced Ice Release ninjas.
Although Natsuki didn’t know what happened five years ago, internal strife within the Five Great Villages was a common occurrence.
Like the classic case of Konoha and the Uchiha Clan.
In the original work, Kirigakure also wiped out the Kaguya Clan, who possessed the Shikotsumyaku.
With this thought, Natsuki walked into the snack shop.
"Welcome."
Hyo-onna came up to greet him and asked. "Customer, what would you like to eat?"
"I want to chat with you."
Natsuki said with a smile.
Hyo-onna was momentarily stunned.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?"
Katsusato immediately stepped in front of Hyo-onna, looking at Natsuki with a wary expression.
He suspected that Natsuki had taken a fancy to Hyo-onna.
Ever since Hyo-onna was adopted by his mother Naomi, he had always treated her as his future wife.
His mother Naomi had also promised him that when Hyo-onna grew up, she would arrange for them to marry.
Now that Natsuki, who was much more handsome than him, had arrived, he was naturally displeased.
"Hyo-onna, do you still remember your hometown?"
Natsuki ignored him, looked at Hyo-onna, and said.
"Hometown?"
Naomi also walked out and asked. "Customer, what is your relationship with Hyo-onna?"
"She and I are of the same clan."
Natsuki replied.
Hearing this, Hyo-onna revealed a look of shock.
She clearly remembered that everyone had died.
How could there still be a clansman left?
"I can prove my identity."
Natsuki paused and said. "But I need to speak with Hyo-onna alone."
"Hyo-onna, this person’s background is unknown. Don’t trust him!"
Katsusato immediately said loudly.
"I..."
A look of hesitation appeared on Hyo-onna’s face.
"Hyo-onna lives very well here. We don’t need you people from her clan whom we’ve never met."
Naomi glanced at Katsusato and said bluntly. "Customer, please leave."
"Aunt Naomi, I want to talk to him."
Hyo-onna made up her mind and said. "But please rest assured, I will not leave. This is my home."
Naomi frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Since Hyo-onna had already put it this way, she couldn’t well refuse, lest she damage their relationship.
Katsusato hesitated to speak.
But since Naomi had agreed, he didn’t say anything more.
Natsuki and Hyo-onna walked to the side.
"What proof do you have?"
Hyo-onna looked at Natsuki, still not believing his previous words.
Natsuki raised his hand.
Ice Release chakra surged out and formed into a shuriken in his hand.
"Ice Release?"
Hyo-onna subconsciously widened her eyes.
"Have you awakened your Ice Release?"
Natsuki dispelled the shuriken and asked.
Hyo-onna reached out her hand and replicated the action, creating an ice shuriken.
"I want you to leave with me."
Natsuki nodded slightly and said. "This village harbors an extreme hatred for Kekkei Genkai. Once you are exposed, your life will be in danger."
"They won’t."
Hyo-onna shook her head and said. "I might not trust the other villagers, but I trust Naomi and Katsusato."
"Is that so?"
Natsuki raised an eyebrow and asked. "Then do you dare to test it?"
"You mean expose my Ice Release in front of them?"
Hyo-onna understood and asked subconsciously.
"Secrets cannot be kept for a lifetime. Your Ice Release will be discovered by them sooner or later."
Natsuki said in a deep voice. "It’s better to expose it proactively and see their reaction. If they can accept you, you stay."
"I..."
Hesitation appeared on Hyo-onna’s face.
"It seems you don’t truly trust them."
Natsuki said with a smile.
"I do trust them!"
Hyo-onna took a deep breath and said. "We will go tell them right now!"
Natsuki nodded.
The two returned to the snack shop.
"Hyo-onna!"
Katsusato hurriedly came up to greet her.
"He is indeed my clansman."
Hyo-onna spoke up.
"Then... are you going to leave?"
Katsusato’s expression changed drastically as he asked in a panic.
"I won’t leave."
Hyo-onna said with absolute certainty.
"Good girl."
A smile appeared on Naomi’s face as she said.
"Did you hear that? You can leave now!"
Katsusato turned his head and said to Natsuki.
"But I have something to confess."
Hyo-onna suppressed her inner anxiety and said. "You will discover this sooner or later, so I think it’s more appropriate to tell you now."
"What is it?"
Katsusato asked, puzzled.
"I... I possess the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."
Hyo-onna reached out her hand and created another ice shuriken.
Katsusato was stunned and subconsciously took two steps back. Naomi’s smile froze completely, her expression changing drastically.
"I can promise you that I will never use Ice Release in the future."
Seeing their reactions, Hyo-onna felt an ominous premonition, but she still chose to trust them.
"Why didn’t you tell us earlier?"
Katsusato snapped out of it and asked with a face full of anger.
Hyo-onna trembled in fear.
She had never seen such a terrifying expression on Katsusato’s face before.
"This matter is of great importance. You sit first. We need to discuss this."
Naomi grabbed Katsusato and walked outside.
Hyo-onna stared blankly at them, her mind in utter turmoil for a moment.
Natsuki shook his head.
He actually couldn’t understand why they would hate Kekkei Genkai so much.
But this sentiment was not only held by the residents of the Land of Water, but also by the ninjas of Kirigakure.
Kirigakure had a special period called the Blood Mist Village.
During this time, the Kekkei Genkai ninjas of Kirigakure faced endless persecution and slaughter.
Although it was influenced by Uchiha Obito controlling the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, the Blood Mist Village era likely started even earlier.
The reason lay with Momochi Zabuza.
When he graduated, he slaughtered all the students in his graduating class.
He killed them all but received no punishment whatsoever.
This highly indicated that it was during the Blood Mist Village period.
And at this time, Uchiha Obito was still in Konoha, perhaps even just recently graduated.
"Let’s wait."
Natsuki looked at Hyo-onna and said. "If they haven’t betrayed your trust, they will come back to see us very soon."
Hyo-onna nodded, hope rising in her heart.
Natsuki, meanwhile, activated his electromagnetic wave sensing.
He raised an eyebrow, sensing that after Naomi and Katsusato talked for a moment, they turned and left.
Soon, they gathered a group of villagers and headed toward the snack shop.
Just like their counterparts in the original work, they made the exact same choice.
Thinking about it carefully, it was normal.
At that time, Katsusato first killed Hyo-onna and then prepared to kill Haku.
If he could commit wife-killing and child-murder, it was even more expected now, considering he wasn’t even married to Hyo-onna yet.
Hyo-onna heard the dense sound of footsteps and subconsciously turned her head.
She couldn’t help but be stunned.
She saw Naomi and Katsusato leading a group of villagers, surrounding the snack shop.
They were all holding axes, meat cleavers, and other weapons in their hands, their intentions self-evident.
"Why... why?"
Tears streamed down Hyo-onna’s face.
"Hyo-onna, if we had known you were a Kekkei Genkai user, we never would have taken you in!"
Katsusato said viciously.
"Now it’s best if you two surrender without a fight!"
Naomi threatened.
"Do you want to kill them?"
Natsuki asked softly.
"Take... take me away."
Hyo-onna said, her heart completely dead.
Natsuki grabbed Hyo-onna’s shoulder and used Geppo.
He leaped into the air, and amidst the exclamations of Naomi and the others, smashed through the roof and arrived in mid-air.
Natsuki casually threw two kunai and left at an extremely fast speed.
After leaving the village, he landed on the ground and let go of Hyo-onna.
Hyo-onna lay on the ground and began to sob.
"There is no need to cry for them."
Natsuki waited for a while, crouched down, reached out his hand, and said. "You still have a better future."
"Are we going back to Kirigakure?"
Hyo-onna looked up, asking through tear-blurred eyes.
"We are not going back."
Natsuki shook his head and said. "I will take you to the Land of Rain. There, I have established an organization called Akatsuki."
"What does this organization do?"
Hyo-onna wiped her tears and asked.
"For world peace."
Natsuki paused, and blood welled up in his hand. "Your strength has been delayed for five years, so I want you to accept my blood."
He then explained the pros and cons of the Blood Curse.
"I agree."
Hyo-onna agreed without thinking much.
Being betrayed by Naomi and Katsusato gave her a self-destructive tendency. Perhaps this Blood Curse could bring her a new life.
Hyo-onna’s data immediately floated before Natsuki’s eyes.
[Name: Hyo-onna]
[Race: Human, Demon]
[Ability 1: Half-Demonification — Locked] [Effect: Half-human, half-demon. Increases attack, speed, and regeneration capabilities.] [Unlock Condition: Self-comprehension]
[Ability 2: Full Demonification — Locked] [Effect: Completely transforms into a demon. Attack, speed, and regeneration capabilities are further increased, but consumption is greater.] [Unlock Condition: Self-comprehension]
[Ability 3: Blood Demon Art — Infinity Castle — Locked] [Effect: Creates a fixed alternate dimension that can be freely manipulated.] [Unlock Condition: Self-comprehension]
[Ability 4: Blood Demon Art — Eyeball Clone — Locked] [Effect: Creates eyeball clones and shares vision with them. Eyeball clones are extremely fragile and will burst with a single squeeze.] [Unlock Condition: Self-comprehension]
[Note: After unlocking, you will also obtain this Blood Demon Art.]
Natsuki couldn’t help but reveal a look of pleasant surprise.
Hyo-onna actually acquired the Blood Demon Art of Nakime, one of the Twelve Kizuki.
If they could unlock Blood Demon Art: Infinity Castle, the Akatsuki organization would possess an extremely safe stronghold.
Although it was a fixed alternate dimension, entering and exiting it required Hyo-onna’s permission and manipulation.
This meant that enemies had no way to infiltrate it.
The Eyeball Clone was also very useful, equivalent to half a White Zetsu.
In the future, the Akatsuki organization’s intelligence agency could also be handed over to Hyo-onna to manage.
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