Naruto evolution system

Chapter 136: Success (Part 3)

Not long after Baishi departed, Ōnoki descended from the sky.

Looking at the ground littered with corpses, his expression darkened, and his anger seemed ready to boil over.

Initially, Ōnoki had assumed this attack was orchestrated by Danzo, suspecting some hidden agenda. Thus, he instructed his subordinates to act cautiously, hoping to uncover the full extent of the plot.

However, that same order had inadvertently doomed his forces.

To be fair, it wasn't unreasonable for Ōnoki to jump to such conclusions. Who would have guessed that Baishi, in such a short span of time, had recruited so many of Danzo's operatives to his side?

It wasn't until the village's investigators reported that the affected Iwa shinobi had not been controlled by Danzo, but by Baishi's methods, that the true culprit became evident.

The telltale signs of Baishi's "Spirit Seed" technique had leaked out during his experiments on various village spies at Moon Island. Though the method had undergone several refinements since, the sheer number of Iwa shinobi he had targeted made it impossible for him to remain undetected.

In the wake of the recent attack, Iwagakure's investigators had thrown all caution to the wind and conducted thorough interrogations of the captured operatives. This time, they quickly discovered Baishi's influence.

Ōnoki was livid when the findings were reported, and his frustration only grew upon reviewing the losses in the vault. It became painfully clear that Baishi's objective was simply the scrolls and not some elaborate conspiracy.

Realizing this, Ōnoki had issued orders for all units to pursue and intercept the enemy. Personally, he rushed to the battlefield at full speed.

But by the time he arrived, it was too late. The pursuing Iwa shinobi were already wiped out.

A brief scan of the battlefield confirmed the grim reality. Among the strewn bodies, the telltale signs of Wood Release techniques were unmistakable.

With Yamato's existence still a secret, Baishi was the only known user of Wood Release in the current ninja world. But knowing this offered little consolation.

Armed with the Flying Thunder God Technique, Baishi was untouchable unless he chose to make himself vulnerable.

Ōnoki understood this all too well, which only fueled his rage further.

With no immediate outlet for his anger, his mind turned to the Akatsuki Organization, which had recently gained notoriety.

"Perhaps I can task them with this..." Ōnoki mused.

The Akatsuki, renowned for their mercenary activities, might be better suited to dealing with an elusive target like Baishi than traditional shinobi forces.

Additionally, he considered exploiting this situation to press Danzo and Konoha.

Even though Danzo likely had no connection to the attack, Ōnoki saw no harm in using the incident to push Konoha into declaring Baishi a rogue ninja.

As long as Konoha officially listed Baishi as a missing-nin, every shinobi village would have the freedom to target him using any means necessary.

Though such a declaration might not significantly hinder Baishi, any disadvantage was better than none.

In his determination to exact revenge, Ōnoki left no stone unturned.

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Meanwhile, back on the remote island, Baishi remained oblivious to Ōnoki's machinations. Even if he were aware, he likely wouldn't care.

For now, his focus was singular: perfecting the fusion of Wind, Fire, and Earth chakras to unlock Dust Release.

As he studied the scrolls and books he had taken, Baishi occasionally paused to reflect, nodding in understanding.

The records contained decades of research from two generations of Iwa shinobi. For Baishi, these documents provided invaluable insights and practical techniques, offering shortcuts that drastically reduced the time required for his progress.

With his path now clear, Baishi resumed his quiet routine. Day after day, he rotated between physical training, honing his abilities, and working toward mastering Dust Release.

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Two months passed.

It was now Konoha Year 55, and Baishi had officially turned fifteen.

On this particular evening, Baishi stood on the shore of his island, focusing intently.

He extended his left hand, forming a sphere of Wind chakra. Simultaneously, he conjured a Fire chakra sphere in his right hand.

The moment his palms came together, he introduced Earth chakra into the mix.

The three elements merged, swirling together like cream dissolving into coffee. The result was a unique, entirely new form of chakra.

Suddenly, a piercing white light erupted between his hands.

At first, Baishi didn't fully grasp what had happened. But when an intense feeling of unease washed over him, realization struck.

"It worked! I did it!" Baishi shouted, overcome with elation.

But his joy was short-lived.

"Wait—oh no!"

Before he could react, the white light surged outward, engulfing his hands.

Moments later, sharp pain registered in Baishi's mind. He glanced down, only to see that his hands—and even parts of his forearms—were gone.

Through gritted teeth, Baishi muttered, "No wonder all Dust Release techniques rely on containment barriers... It's to avoid accidents like this."

For an ordinary shinobi, such injuries would be catastrophic, effectively ending their career.

"Luckily, this is nothing for me..."

Focusing his chakra, Baishi activated Rebirth: Limb Regeneration.

In mere moments, his arms were fully restored, as if nothing had happened.

Flexing his new hands, Baishi marveled at the seamless recovery. A quick check confirmed that aside from the two hundred or so chakra points consumed, he had suffered no lasting consequences.

This was the power of his Rebirth ability. Even back when it was at 25.5%, it had allowed him to regenerate lost limbs without consequence. Now, with its progress at 44.6%, the process was even more efficient.

With his injuries resolved, Baishi wasted no time. Once again, he brought together the three chakra natures.

The fusion went even smoother this time, producing a perfectly stable sphere of Dust Release chakra.

Holding the glowing energy in his palms, Baishi couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

Though he had long anticipated this moment, the realization of his goal filled him with immense satisfaction.

He had done it—he had unlocked Dust Release.

(End of Chapter)

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