radicalducati Chapter 162 Treating Everyone Equally
Chapter 162 Treating Everyone Equally
Chapter 162 Treating Everyone Equally (Thanks to Bookworm's Treasure for the donation)
At this moment, Yuan Tuoye, who had been observing from the sidelines, let out a soft chuckle, breaking the brief silence: "Heh, I never expected you to use 'talk-no-jutsu' (persuasion)."
His tone carried a hint of playfulness and teasing.
Without turning his head, Yuan Tuoye calmly replied, "Whether it's 'talking it out' or not, don't you know whether I can use it or not? Besides—"
He then turned slightly to look at the projection of all his memories. "Didn't you also fail to avoid this explosion?"
"Yuan Tuoye" stretched lazily, his joints making a slight cracking sound, and his tone sounded somewhat listless: "I didn't dodge, but—it's a bit boring."
Yuan Tuoye understood.
Their profound connection, stemming from the same soul, has enabled them to communicate in ways that transcend ordinary language.
With a single thought or a glance, their ideas become as clear as transparent water.
When both parties are fully aware of what the other is about to say and what they are about to express, conventional dialogue becomes superfluous and tedious.
As for why he chose to confront the challenge rather than evade it?
That's absolute confidence in one's own abilities!
The opponent's self-destruction power seemed immense, but in Gen Takuno's eyes, the person who controlled this power, whether it was "Gaara" or the two memories, was too weak.
Although the total energy of the explosion was astonishing, it was excessively dispersed due to the incompetence of the controller, like spilled water, with the impact spread across the entire Turtle Island.
The power after such dispersion is simply not enough to overcome all his abilities and kill him.
What if it was Takuno Gen himself who self-destructed?
He would absolutely compress that destructive power precisely, controlling it to a minimum size that could only devour the four targets.
Only by concentrating in this way can the power be maximized!
Of course, if he were really faced with that situation, he would never choose to use his physical body to take the hit head-on.
In Yuan Tuoye's view, choosing to bear the explosion with his own body is also a way of "apologizing" to the deceased.
Having confirmed that he was not in mortal danger, he stood there, calmly accepting the final "judgment" or "punishment" initiated by the other party at the cost of their life.
This might be his almost cold-blooded apology to himself for being the culprit behind their despairing lives.
but----
Yuan Tuoye's eyes regained their sharpness and determination, his heart remaining completely calm.
He has no regrets about making the choice to create these memories for them.
If needed in the future, he will still take the same ruthless steps without hesitation!
With no major incidents, his plan has finally reached its final stage; all that remains is to erase that crucial memory.
Yuan Tuoye stretched his body, and by this time, the shocking wounds all over his body had mostly healed.
This astonishing self-healing ability is a key manifestation of his current strength; as long as it is not a fatal injury, he can recover to his original state at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.
The "Yuan Tuoye" next to him also possesses this powerful physique.
However, in the previous devastating explosion, the damage suffered by their main bodies and clones was far less than that of the two memory entities, and this was not solely due to their self-healing abilities.
A key factor is that Gen Takuno had already imprinted a sophisticated sealing technique directly into his own flesh and blood.
The purpose of this technique is to resist ninjutsu attacks of all attributes.
The impact of Gaara's self-destruction was essentially a burst of the purest chakra energy.
This explosion has a unique property: it can simultaneously activate all of Genji Takuno's protective techniques against elemental chakra.
Because the sealing technique within his flesh and blood has its defensive core in the change of the nature of chakra itself, and regardless of the attribute, it is still fundamentally chakra energy.
This sealing technique was developed a long time ago, but Takuno Minamoto never had time to upgrade it until it was handed over to Kabuto Yakushi, after which the sealing technique was able to continue to be studied.
Today, this defense system, ingrained in our flesh and blood, has been strengthened and upgraded.
Ninjutsu rated below B in power cannot cause him any damage, even if he is completely unprepared and makes no attempt to defend himself.
This technique can significantly weaken the destructive power of ninjutsu with a power level of B or higher, playing a crucial buffering role.
However, the "B-rank" here does not refer to the inherent ranking of ninjutsu, but rather to its actual destructive power.
The power of ninjutsu depends not only on its level, but also on the strength of the user.
For example, if a ninja with insufficient ability forcibly uses a B-rank ninjutsu, its power may not even reach the level of a B-rank ninjutsu. On the other hand, the low-rank fire release technique used by Madara Uchiha may have a power far exceeding that of a B-rank fire release technique used by an ordinary ninja.
Of course, with this passive sealing technique alone, as long as the chakra in the body flows, the sealing technique can continue to operate, and those two memory bodies will not be seriously injured and on the verge of death.
After all, as "copies" of Gen Takuno, they also have these protective sealing techniques engraved in their bodies.
What truly causes the huge difference in the survival status between the original body and the memory body is the last and most crucial ability: Dark Escape!
This is a brand new bloodline limit that Gen Takuno obtained after countless attempts, after eliminating known bloodline limit combinations, and after risking his life to explore uncertain attribute combinations.
The Dark Release granted him extraordinary power to control chakra.
Absorption and Transformation: It can absorb any form of chakra indiscriminately.
Decomposition and Purification: It can directly decompose incoming ninjutsu attacks, restore them to the purest form of chakra, and then absorb them.
Ninjutsu theft: You can even choose not to break down ninjutsu, but directly steal and control the opponent's ninjutsu and make it your own!
Therefore, when faced with the massive chakra storm generated by Gaara's self-destruction, although its total amount was so large that even Minamoto no Takuno could not completely absorb it through Dark Release, he still managed to absorb a considerable portion of its energy.
It was precisely because of the powerful absorption of the Netherworld Release that the explosive power that actually affected him was greatly reduced.
In contrast, the two memory entities knew nothing about the existence of the Netherworld Escape technique or how it worked.
Under the impact of the explosion, they could only rely on their physical strength and the passive defensive sealing techniques within their flesh and blood to withstand it.
Even so, they were only seriously injured but did not die on the spot, and given time they will be able to fully recover.
This is enough to prove the strength of Gen Takuno's basic abilities.
This is the ability that Gen Takuno possesses now!
"Yuan Tuoye's" tone carried a hint of relief at the completion of his mission, yet also an unspoken deeper meaning. He turned his gaze to the real Yuan Tuoye, "The rest of the road is yours to walk alone, my dark side."
As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
The real Gen Takuya coldly stared back at the being before him, who was no different from himself. The other party vehemently denied being his dark side, and naturally, he would never admit that he belonged to the other party's dark side.
This silent confrontation seemed to have been anticipated by the other side.
Before Yuan Tuoye could refute, Yuan Tuoye's figure began to thin and blur, like ink scattered by an invisible wind, slowly and irreversibly dissolving into the air.
Just before his form completely dissipated, the soon-to-disappear "Yuan Tuoye" locked his gaze on the main body, a confident, almost victorious smile curving his lips.
Behind that smile lay not only the smugness of having successfully outmaneuvered the original, but also a deep understanding of the choice the other party was about to make—a resolute path that he was certain Yuan Tuoye would inevitably choose.
Erasure of memories.
This is far beyond what can be compared to simply sealing away memories.
The pain it brings brutally penetrates the physical barrier and directly affects the most vulnerable spiritual essence.
Its intensity is no different from performing open surgery on a conscious person without anesthesia; every bit of pain is clearly and intensely felt as if it were exploding and cutting into the depths of one's soul.
This is a form of torture capable of instantly breaking down an ordinary person and destroying their spirit.
Under these circumstances, he himself was even the one who carried out the surgery.
However, given Minamoto Takuno's personality, once he decides that this is the path he must take, there is no possibility of him wavering.
He was always ruthless enough to himself.
In those illusory trials used to open his eyes, he could unhesitatingly give himself a life that was "even more miserable and desperate than the original story";
So when reality demands it, he will not hesitate or hesitate to take action against this real and unique self!
In order to climb to the pinnacle of power and pursue that supreme goal, he treated his true self and his reflection in the illusion with the same cold and strict impartiality from beginning to end!
This belief, rooted deep in the soul, is as firm as a rock.
It was precisely because "Yuan Tuoye" understood himself well enough that he didn't need to ask anything; he knew that the other party would do it, and that was enough.
With this thought finally settled, "Yuan Tuoye" vanished completely into thin air, leaving no trace.
Deep within Turtle Island, the deafening roar originates from a real, cascading waterfall.
The icy mist filled the valley, soaking the figure sitting cross-legged on the rock beneath the waterfall.
Yuan Tuoye suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, revealing his signature scarlet eyes and the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Unlike before, the three jet-black tomoe in his eyes were now rotating in a mysterious and slow rhythm, radiating a restrained and profound light.
He could clearly sense the changes surging within his body.
Under the unique baptism of the True Waterfall, which confronts one's inner self and tempers one's spirit, although the process was somewhat strange, there were also unexpected gains. His eye power actually improved by one point!
The growing sense of power stirred something within him.
Although the ultimate realm of the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan is still like an invisible barrier, seemingly unattainable, he is confident that he is already one of the top figures in the Uchiha clan with his improved eye power.
"Heh—that's an unexpected delight." A low sigh escaped from Gen Takuno's throat, carrying a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction.
He slowly stood up, and his three-tomoe Sharingan transformed back into those dark eyes, his gaze fixed on the distance like that of a hawk.
There, a ninja from Kumogakure stood stiffly beside a slippery rock, like a soulless puppet, his eyes empty and lifeless—proof that he was completely controlled by Kumogakure's genjutsu.
Gen Takuno approached with steady steps. The convenient route to reactivate the real waterfall was right in front of him, and he naturally needed to ensure that this "path" would remain effective in the long term.
He no longer intends to bother looking for new targets every time.
The goal is clear: to keep this readily available tool working.
Takuno Minamoto's long, slender fingers moved swiftly and precisely, forming intricate hand seals, the tips of his fingers glowing with the faint light of chakra.
Countless incantations shot from his fingertips into the body of the Cloud Ninja, and a complex and mysterious sealing technique was imprinted deep within the Cloud Ninja's body, quietly disappearing.
The seal works like a precise timer; once the triggering conditions are met, it will once again strip the subject of their consciousness, causing them to automatically return to Turtle Island and precisely assist Gen Takuno in entering the island and completing the training process for the True Waterfall.
After the seal was completed, a faint red light flashed in Yuan Tuoye's eyes.
The powerful illusionary forces once again invaded the Cloud Ninja's mind, skillfully weaving and covering up fragments of real memories.
A fabricated story about his attempt to temper his will using a real waterfall but ultimately failing was seamlessly inserted into the narrative, becoming the "truth" that the Cloud Ninja now believes to be true.
Having done all this, Yuan Tuoye showed no lingering attachment whatsoever.
With a soft "poof," his body transformed into a wisp of white smoke, completely dissipating into the misty air of Turtle Island, as if he had never existed.
Just as Yuan Tuoye disappeared, the dazed Yun ninja suddenly snapped to attention, his empty eyes instantly regaining their sparkle.
He looked around blankly, completely unaware that he had been manipulated for a long time.
All that remains in my memory is the frustration of my own unsuccessful attempts to cultivate myself in front of a real waterfall.
He looked helplessly at the roaring, cascading waterfall, sighed deeply, his face filled with exhaustion and a sigh of regret at the difficulty of tempering one's will.
"Sigh—it still doesn't work," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
Since this attempt failed, let's put it aside for now.
He straightened his clothes, which were soaked with moisture, turned around, and walked towards the exit of Turtle Island.
Next time, I'll challenge myself again when I've improved my skills.
As for giving up? That thought never seemed to cross his mind.
The True Waterfall has specific functional value in Kumogakure, but its importance varies significantly.
Its core and almost indispensable role is for the Jinchūriki, as it is regarded as a necessary trial for the Jinchūriki to effectively control the power of the Tailed Beasts within their bodies.
However, for the other ordinary ninjas in the village, the trial at the True Waterfall had a completely different meaning.
It is not a mandatory requirement or an essential path of practice.
Successfully passing the trial is certainly a bonus, but even if one fails, it will not have a substantial negative impact on one's ninja career or the improvement of one's strength.
Given its "non-essential" nature, the ninjas of Kumogakure generally adopted a pragmatic attitude towards the Real Waterfall.
Once the first attempt to challenge fails, most people will choose to give up and no longer persist in trying repeatedly.
The key reason driving this popular choice is a realistic assessment that the potential power-ups or benefits that a real waterfall can bring are not considered "cost-effective" compared to the difficulties and risks of overcoming its trials.
The Cloud Ninja generally believed that investing a lot of time and energy in repeatedly attempting this unnecessary trial would not yield enough results to prove that the effort was worthwhile.
Instead of wasting time on this, it's better to spend that time on other tangible cultivation gains!
The real reason why the ninja controlled by Genji wanted to use the True Waterfall again was naturally because of some hints left by Genji.
Just as the Cloud Ninja left Turtle Island, Gen Takuno himself returned to that familiar laboratory.