Chapter 417: No, What Do You Understand?

Chapter 417: No, What Do You Understand?

The air was rent by the screeching sound of electricity, and a blinding flash of lightning suddenly burst forth, enveloping every viewpoint in its brilliance.

The puppets, controlled by chakra threads, moved to encircle Sasori, forming a natural barrier. One by one, they blocked the path of the Lightning Cutter, but it broke through with ease.

This was a ninjutsu capable of slicing through lightning itself!

However, its power was inevitably weakened with each layer it penetrated. By the time it neared Sasori, it had lost most of its force. Kakashi Hatake, ignoring the searing pain in his arm, pierced through the final puppet and rapidly channeled chakra within his body.

Lightning Cutter: Explosion!

The lightning, now dulled to a purple hue, exploded with a tremendous force, sweeping in all directions. In the rolling dust, fine cracks appeared on the hard shell of Sasori’s puppet, and Kakashi Hatake was hit by the blast, his mouth filled with the taste of iron.

He struggled to maintain his focus, staring intently at the swirling dust, only to see a figure emerge unscathed.

"Is this all you can do, the successor of Konoha's White Fang?"

Sasori's voice was cold, tinged with either disappointment or disdain. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine as the sound of crackling lightning filled his ears, like a thousand birds singing in unison.

He spun around to find Kakashi Hatake, hidden by the dust, already behind Sasori, his Chidori Stream piercing through the puppet's shell.

"You..."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A second explosion rocked the battlefield, and dense lightning snakes danced across the entire area.

"Breath... breath..."

Kakashi Hatake's breathing was labored, his face pale. His chakra was nearly depleted, and the remnants of the puppets lay scattered around him. He felt a searing pain throughout his body, his vision blurring, and his lips, hidden beneath his mask, turned a deep purple.

"Attacking head-on despite knowing the enemy would use poison, shattering the puppet, you're too hasty and reckless. Were you trying to rush to save your companion?"

Sasori's puppet, now with a broken shell, revealed a red-haired youth with only minor injuries. His black and red cloud-patterned cloak was destroyed, exposing his puppetized body. After joining the Akatsuki, Sasori had transformed his body into a puppet, retaining only his core as flesh. Four scrolls were strapped to his back, and a sandy substance surrounded him.

Behind him stood a prominent figure with blue hair, hollow eyes, and a clearly puppetized face—the Third Kazekage, known as the strongest Kage.

"Although I detest Orochimaru, I must admit he's a troublesome opponent. Your companion has likely been captured."

Kakashi Hatake, unable to maintain his balance due to the poison and chakra depletion, fell to the ground, his consciousness slipping into darkness.

"Disappointing. It seems Konoha has declined."

"Better this way. I'll make you a living puppet and place you before the Hokage. It should elicit a fine expression."

Sasori's lips curled into a smile as he formed a chakra blade and extended it toward Kakashi Hatake.

...

"Amazing, you're still holding on..."

Lu Ke, observing Orochimaru, who was contorted in pain but still retaining some semblance of self, was slightly surprised.

From a higher-dimensional perspective, he had toured the history and secrets of the ninja world, and had been force-fed knowledge from countless worlds. Despite the overwhelming amount of information, Orochimaru's resilience was indeed commendable.

"Truly the most resilient man in the ninja world, huh?"

Lu Ke whistled in admiration as he took the Kusanagi Sword from Orochimaru, who offered no resistance. After witnessing the true "ultimate", concepts like "learning all jutsu" and "the secret of immortality" had vanished from Orochimaru's mind. All he wanted was Lu Ke's favor, to return to that perspective.

Weighing the Kusanagi Sword, a legendary weapon in the ninja world, Lu Ke frowned and looked into the distance before hurling it with immense force.

The Kusanagi Sword disappeared in a flash, leaving a trail of light that cut deep furrows into the ground and even split the sky in two.

Far away, Sasori of the Red Sand, still unaware of what was happening, felt a sudden threat. The chilling fear left him no time to react as a terrifying force struck him.

Boom!

The Kusanagi Sword, traveling at near-light speed, instantly obliterated Sasori's entire body. Whether it was his core flesh, his puppetized body, or the four scrolls on his back, everything exploded in a burst of fiery light.

"Wow, that was a pretty good shot!"

Lu Ke appeared in the next instant, whistling cheerfully and nodding in satisfaction.

Honestly, he had little sympathy for Sasori of the Red Sand.

Whether it was the war that had orphaned him, Chiyo's poor upbringing, or his twisted pursuit of art, the man who had turned his friends into puppets and committed atrocities against an entire nation deserved his fate.

Besides, Kakashi Hatake was still lying there.

Anyone who dared to harm his top-ranked friend would pay the price!

Unlike Naruto, who could be forgiven for any wrongdoing as long as he repented, Lu Ke preferred the simplest solution.

He casually picked up the Third Kazekage's puppet and walked to the unconscious Kakashi Hatake, sighing at the sight of his disheveled friend.

In the world of shounen manga, background is everything.

You might think Naruto is a struggling underdog, but within a few episodes, he's given the Nine-Tails and revealed to be the Fourth Hokage's son. When that's not enough, he's even the son of the Sage of Six Paths.

You might think Luffy would grow from a mediocre Devil Fruit to become the Pirate King, but his father is the revolutionary leader, his grandfather is the naval hero Garp, and he's protected by one of the Four Emperors. His Devil Fruit can even evolve into the Mythical Zoan form, Nika, placing him on par with the sun.

You might think Ichigo Kurosaki is just a high school student, but he's the son of a Soul Society captain and a pure-blooded Quincy, with a touch of Hollow power, making him a divine-like figure.

Kakashi Hatake, who became a jonin at twelve, is undoubtedly one of the most talented in the entire ninja world. But his potential is limited. Without the two Kamui, he would have had no chance in the final battle against Naruto, Sasuke, and Kaguya.

In the world of Bloodline Sovereign, lacking a background is a sin.

"Cheer up, buddy. You've got the biggest background now."

Lu Ke spoke softly, his finger gently rubbing a ring. A massive furnace appeared in the clearing.

The furnace's exterior was crafted from heavy metal, adorned with ancient and mysterious patterns that seemed to form a complex rune array, exuding a mystical aura.

Body Cultivation Furnace V16. Plus Version.

Over the past two years, Lu Ke had refined and perfected this marvel by integrating information from multiple worlds.

It was incredibly functional, capable of physical enhancement, foundational cultivation, cooking, cutting and pasting, basic strengthening, and talent modification, among other things.

Most powers from different worlds could be granted through the furnace, but adding incompatible forces could lead to collapse or mutation.

For Kakashi Hatake, Lu Ke decided to be cautious, using only native enhancements to avoid any adverse reactions.

Lu Ke snapped his fingers, and the unconscious Kakashi Hatake was automatically placed into the furnace, which then glowed with indigo flames.

"First, detoxify, then heal..."

"Talent is solid, let's say 90 out of 100. Bump it up to 120..."

"Physical strength is lacking, a common issue for ninjas. Chakra usage makes a big difference, but even with it, it's not great. Let's reference the beefy constitution from One Piece; it should be compatible..."

"Mental strength is weak, no wonder he was tortured by Tsukuyomi. Boost it, at least to the point where he can resist Infinite Tsukuyomi..."

"Chakra capacity should be fine with the first two boosts. Ten times should do it. If not, we can analyze the Nine-Tails later..."

"Five elements are covered, just need to add Yin and Yang Releases to complete the set..."

"Sharingan... Kamui is decent, but one eye isn't enough. We'll take the other from Obito Uchiha later. Gotta give them in pairs!"

"Activation is a bit slow. Adjust it to be instantaneous. Chakra consumption can be..."

Lu Ke paused, rummaged through a pile of junk, and found a white, clay-like object.

The White Zetsu, whom he had caught when Obito Uchiha tried to sneak into Konoha!

As everyone knew, Hashirama Cells were the ultimate currency.

"Will adding this make Kakashi Hatake feel his lineage is tainted?"

Lu Ke thought for a moment and decided to add it.

After all, Kakashi Hatake was a lifelong bachelor, while others had children by the time of the Boruto series. The Hatake lineage was likely to end with him.

"The enhancements are significant. Let's set it to unlock gradually over time. Crises should trigger immediate unlocking. Breaking through in life-or-death situations is a common trope for protagonists, right?"

After a busy period, Lu Ke wiped a nonexistent sweat from his forehead, satisfied that the adjustments were complete. He scanned Kakashi Hatake from head to toe, his eyes lingering on a certain area.

It wasn't underdeveloped, just... average. Compared to his strikingly handsome face, it was unremarkable.

No wonder Kakashi Hatake rarely appeared in the manga, while the Raikage, with his robust physique, was a frequent presence. There was just nothing to see...

"Lamarck's theory of use and disuse is indeed a crucial foundation of biological evolution."

"Kakashi, buck up. Don't give up on practical training just because your master only studies theoretical books!"

Lu Ke muttered, considering whether to add something to Kakashi Hatake.

At that moment, Orochimaru stumbled over.

His expression was still dazed, filled with fear and despair. Sweat, tears, and snot streamed uncontrollably from his face, and he dropped to his knees before Lu Ke, pleading.

"Please... Lord."

"Send me back. I want to experience the 'ultimate' again."

Lu Ke's tone turned cold. "Are you commanding me?"

"No! How could I..."

Orochimaru stammered, his face showing sheer terror and panic.

He understood the terrifying and majestic nature of the being beneath Lu Ke's human guise and knew only Lu Ke could return him to the higher-dimensional perspective.

"I am merely begging for your mercy."

Lu Ke glanced at him. "I like fair exchanges. If you want something, you must do something for me first."

"But... what can I do for you?"

Orochimaru looked at Lu Ke in confusion, lost in a sea of existential despair.

"Nothing in this world means anything to you. Everything is but dust to you, and dust can develop civilizations and histories, but it will never affect a being like you..."

Indeed, an educated person's flattery sounded profound.

Lu Ke listened with interest, thinking that if he ever decided to become a god and form a religious organization, Orochimaru could write a very highbrow Bible. For now, however, he couldn't think of anything he needed Orochimaru to do.

As he pondered, Orochimaru asked, "Is there anything you want to do recently?"

Want to do? Gather the entire ninja world for a beating, and...

"I've recently developed an interest in aliens."

Lu Ke said casually.

"Aliens?"

Orochimaru pondered the term. Having glimpsed the "ultimate", he knew the universe was not alone, but the only true aliens on this planet were the Otsutsuki who arrived a thousand years ago.

"I see. You want to collect some pets?"

Orochimaru's eyes lit up, finding a purpose in the bleak, confined space. He pledged fervently to Lu Ke.

"I understand, Lord!"

He gazed at the unremarkable moon, knowing that the purest alien life form now was Kaguya Otsutsuki.

So, Lord wants Kaguya Otsutsuki!

And he must help in this plan!

First, he would control the Akatsuki, making the organization, with its layers of deception and ultimate goal of freeing Kaguya, fall into Lu Ke's hands.

Pain, or rather, Nagato Uzumaki, with the Rinnegan of Madara Uchiha, was a foolish existence, calling himself a "god" because of a pair of eyes.

He had no understanding of what a true "god" was!

Lu Ke was bewildered. "What do you understand?"

Orochimaru didn't speak but nodded solemnly. "Please trust me. Although I only had a brief glimpse, I have accessed boundless knowledge. I will accomplish this for you."

With that, his body vanished in a puff of smoke.

Lu Ke's lips twitched.

No, what do you understand?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end