Chapter 591: Kakashi's Yang Seal Form
Chapter 591: Kakashi's Yang Seal Form
Upon returning to the Ninja Sect, Nagato first reported to Mu Yue, who then brought Sasori to her study after ensuring there were no issues.
Mu Yue didn't immediately engage in conversation with Sasori. Instead, she put down her book and gestured for the two to take a seat with a glance.
Sasori, taking this opportunity, sized up the newly renowned legend of the Rain Country.
Although he had participated in the Young Ninja Competition, Sasori hadn't paid much attention to Sou Yuuke.
This was only their second face-to-face encounter, the first being in prison.
Perhaps due to the study's atmosphere, Sasori felt that Sou Yuuke didn't resemble a battle-hardened legendary ninja as much as a literary teacher.
Of course, Sasori didn't dare to underestimate him.
Sou Yuuke's reputation was not exaggerated; even a renowned powerhouse like Hanzo had failed to gain the upper hand against him when leading an elite team.
In a direct confrontation, even with the Third Kazekage's human puppet, Sasori wasn't confident in defeating such an opponent.
"The Third Kazekage's human puppet is now just a chakra core. That matter should not have been exposed," Sasori thought, remembering the sealing scrolls that had been confiscated from him.
Sasori felt a sense of relief. If he hadn't abandoned the Third Kazekage's puppet body during his final battle, his current situation might have been even worse.
Once the news of him assassinating the Third Kazekage spread, it would bring nothing but harm to Sasori.
Sunagakure would no longer consider Chiyo's face and would instead pursue and issue a wanted notice for him.
Sasori might not have cared about this in the past, but now that he sought revenge, he didn't want any unnecessary distractions.
Mu Yue picked up the teacup on the table, took a slight sip, and directed her gaze at Sasori, saying, "I understand from Nagato that you have something to discuss with me."
Even before Sasori could speak, Mu Yue had already guessed his intention.
As a prisoner, what else could Sasori desire but an early release?
"That's right. I want to make a deal with you," Sasori replied with a nod.
"I possess a puppet technique unique in the entire ninja world. If you are willing to help me remove the sealing technique on my body and release me early, I will not only teach you this technique but also make you three puppets free of charge."
Sasori laid out his conditions in one breath and then looked at Sou Yuuke with a calm expression.
He believed that his offer was more than generous and that Sou Yuuke had no reason to refuse.
After all, he had only attacked a few Konoha ninjas and hadn't killed any Rain Country ninjas or civilians.
There was no reason for Sou Yuuke to give up on his puppet technique for the sake of a few Konoha ninjas who had nothing to do with him.
"If that's all you have to say, then you may leave," Mu Yue gently smiled and rejected his offer.
Sasori's human puppet technique was indeed unique, but it held little value to Mu Yue and the Ninja Sect.
For Mu Yue, puppet techniques couldn't enhance his combat strength, and for the Ninja Sect, not a single member was proficient in puppet techniques, so even if they acquired the human puppet technique, no one could utilize it.
"You mean to refuse?!" Sasori furrowed his brows, staring at Sou Yuuke.
Then, as if he had thought of something, he quickly added, "My technique is called the Human Puppet technique, which allows me to turn a person's corpse into a human puppet. This puppet can not only use the ninjutsu they knew in their lifetime but also inherit bloodline limits."
Sasori believed that he hadn't properly introduced his new technique, leading to Sou Yuuke's misunderstanding of its value.
"My answer remains the same. If this is all you have to say, then you may leave," Mu Yue replied crisply, her expression unchanged.
Sasori stared at Sou Yuuke in disbelief, never expecting such a response.
He had thought that Sou Yuuke would be astonished by his technique and either demand more puppets or try to recruit him. He had never imagined that Sou Yuuke would refuse so decisively and swiftly.
This was the Human Puppet technique, a groundbreaking advancement in puppetry, in Sasori's opinion.
Unlike Sasori, Nagato's expression reflected his intrigue.
Sasori assumed that he had only attacked a few Konoha ninjas whom Sou Yuuke didn't care about, but Nagato knew that those ninjas were Mu Yue's disciples.
To be honest, Nagato felt that Mu Yue showing mercy and not killing Sasori was already an act of kindness.
After all, Sasori had not only targeted Mu Yue's disciples but also displayed an attitude that suggested he would do it again.
Yet, Mu Yue not only spared his life but also only sentenced him to ten years of compulsory labor, which was extremely lenient by ninja standards.
Now, Sasori wanted to be released early so he could go after Kakashi and the others, and Nagato felt that Sasori was toying with death.
"You're not a puppeteer, so you may not understand the significance of this technique.
If you kill Hanzo and then use this Human Puppet technique to turn him into a puppet, you will have a Hanzo without a mind of his own, one that you can control at will."
"Furthermore, if you apply this technique to yourself, you can achieve eternal life!"
Sasori, unwilling to give up, continued to elaborate on his technique, even revealing the secret of eternal life through human puppets to convince Mu Yue of its value.
However, Mu Yue's response remained unchanged, and Sasori was once again met with refusal.
At that moment, Sasori felt a sense of frustration, possessing such a remarkable technique yet unable to gain even a shred of freedom.
"I'll increase the number of puppets I make for you to five, but you must release me five years early and allow me to research puppetry during my sentence," Sasori bargained, lowering his demands.
His primary concern was wasting ten years of his life, which could hinder his chances of successfully avenging himself against Kakashi.
If he had five years to continue growing stronger, Sasori believed he could avenge himself with confidence.
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration struck Mu Yue, and without agreeing or refusing, she asked Sasori, "Can this Human Puppet technique be applied to just a part of the body? Like a functional replacement limb?"
While Mu Yue wasn't interested in human puppets, the idea of developing useful prosthetic limbs intrigued her.
For a regular ninja, losing an arm or a leg was detrimental to their career. Without an arm, they couldn't perform hand seals for ninjutsu, and without a leg, they lost mobility. Essentially, the loss of a limb meant retirement.
However, with prosthetic limbs, things would be different. With time, they might even become more proficient with the prosthetic limb than with their original one.
Puppet limbs could be equipped with various mechanisms, giving them an advantage over regular limbs.
Not only could they be used by ninjas, but they could also be developed for civilian use, benefiting the general public.
"Technically, it's possible, but it's not very meaningful," Sasori replied.
In his opinion, if you were going to make changes, you might as well turn the entire body into a puppet. Modifying just an arm or a leg was insignificant.
Just as Sasori thought he had finally convinced Mu Yue, she spoke.
"If you want to cooperate, then forget about those conditions of yours. Listen to my terms, and if you agree, we'll work together. If not, then this discussion ends here.
"I don't need you to help me create puppets. If you perfect the technique and produce limbs that can be used by ninjas and ordinary people, then I can reduce your sentence by five years." Mu Yue continued.
"From now on, you don't have to follow the actions of a typical labor prisoner. It's up to Nagato to decide your tasks, and if he thinks you perform excellently, your sentence can be further reduced by one to four years based on your specific performance."
It would indeed be a waste to have someone as talented as Scorpion perform menial labor, so Mu Yue decided to hand him over to Nagato entirely, letting him decide what Scorpion should work on.
After all, his initial idea had been to use Scorpion to train Nagato.
Scorpion listened to Sou Yuuke's words, his clenched fists relaxing as his face filled with confusion and astonishment.
The conditions Sou Yuuke offered were even better than what Scorpion had proposed. Without considering the extra reduction based on Nagato's evaluation, he would still get five years off his sentence, and if he managed to impress Nagato, it could be reduced by up to four additional years.
Scorpion found himself truly unable to understand Sou Yuuke.
It was too strange. Why would he turn down a technique that could enhance one's strength and even grant immortality, only to ask him to develop limbs that ninjas and ordinary people could use? What was the point of that?
"So, do you accept these conditions?" Mu Yue asked with a faint smile.
He didn't really care when Scorpion would be released.
Compared to the hidden threats of Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara, Scorpion was a minor concern, and getting rid of him would be simple.
"I need to have the seal released if I'm going to research puppet techniques," Scorpion emphasized.
He noticed that Mu Yue hadn't mentioned the seal earlier.
"It will be taken care of when the time comes," Mu Yue replied.
With Nagato keeping an eye on Scorpion, removing the seal wouldn't be a big problem.
After all, without his puppets, Scorpion was no match for Nagato, and he would be easily subdued.
"I agree," Scorpion immediately answered.
Sou Yuuke's conditions were better than what he had proposed, and even without Nagato's favorable evaluation, he wouldn't be at a loss.
After finalizing the collaboration, Nagato quickly led Scorpion away from Mu Yue's study, not wanting to disturb her further.
"You just completed a mission today, so take the day off. You don't need to go to the construction team or research puppet techniques," Nagato said, giving Scorpion a day off.
Scorpion looked at Nagato, speechless. He had expected the seal to be removed today, but instead, Nagato was giving him a day off.
"I want to research puppet techniques," Scorpion said.
"It's not conducive to research when you're tired," Nagato refused.
"I'm not tired."
"Do you want to lower your performance evaluation?"
Scorpion fell silent. He had to admit that Nagato had him by the throat.
Scorpion wanted to be released early so he could seek revenge, and Nagato's evaluation of his performance was crucial, as it could reduce his sentence by up to four years.
If it were anyone else, Scorpion might have given up on this aspect of the sentence reduction, as he wouldn't want to grovel to someone just for a reduced sentence.
But Scorpion knew Nagato to be a good person, one who was reasonable and fair.
So, if Scorpion truly performed well, Nagato was unlikely to give him a low evaluation deliberately.
In the end, Scorpion obediently returned to his small house to rest.
Watching Scorpion's departing back, Nagato nodded to himself.
He wasn't someone who liked to threaten others with things they held dear, but he had to admit that it was effective.
Subsequently, Nagato returned to his room and began studying mission materials and maps.
"Let's shift our focus to the northern region," Nagato said, looking at the land bordering between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth.
The issues in the central region were far fewer than those in the southern and northern regions, as the Rain Ninja Village was located right in the center of the Land of Rain.
Before the Ninja Sect had intervened in the southern region, the central region had been the most peaceful area in the Land of Rain.
...
"Teacher Mu Yue, I think I've met the requirements. Can you help me check it?"
Kakashi, who had been resting and reviewing the Yang Seal, felt that he had fulfilled the requirements and approached Mu Yue.
Mu Yue used her Appraisal Technique to glance at Kakashi's status panel, noting that his proficiency with the Yang Seal was indeed sufficient. She placed her hand on Kakashi's shoulder and channeled her Yang-attribute chakra nature, helping him adjust his body to its peak condition.
"You can begin now," Mu Yue said as she released Kakashi's shoulder.
"Thank you," Kakashi said in gratitude. He then sat on the ground, closed his eyes, and focused his breathing, entering a state of heightened awareness. He began to set up the sealing technique within his body.
Mu Yue activated her Byakugan to observe Kakashi, ready to use medical ninjutsu to treat him should he make any mistakes.
Under her watchful eye, Kakashi meticulously executed each step until the sealing technique was complete, and chakra began to flow into the seal.
As the Yang Seal accumulated a certain amount of chakra, a lightning-shaped mark appeared on Kakashi's forehead, just visible beneath his hitai-ate.
"Teacher Mu Yue, does this mean I succeeded?" Kakashi asked, his eyes still closed, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"Yes, you can try to refine your chakra further and accumulate more chakra in the seal, then attempt to activate it," Mu Yue replied with a nod.
Seeing Kakashi master the Yang Seal in just over a month, Mu Yue couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
It had taken him and Tsunade over two years to develop this ninjutsu together, yet his disciple had learned it in less than a tenth of that time.
This once again filled Mu Yue with respect for Nidaime Hokage. Both Shadow Clone and Flying Thunder God were incredibly practical ninjutsu.
Kakashi, too, was eager to test the effects of the Yang Seal. He closed his eyes and focused on refining his chakra.
At this moment, Kakashi felt a surge of excitement. In the past, Maito Gai had been the one seeking him out for battles, but now, Kakashi wanted to challenge Maito Gai.
With the Yang Seal, he would no longer be the Kakashi who collapsed from exhaustion after a single all-out attack.
With the reduction in chakra consumption for Lightning Breath, he could now use Earth Release to create opportunities or unleash more powerful lightning-based jutsu.
"Why is Kakashi resting for so long today? Has he finally given up and decided to slack off?" Obito noticed Kakashi's prolonged break from training and couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Although he had made this observation, Obito didn't plan to go and mock Kakashi right away. He wanted to wait until the end of the day's training before doing so.
That way, not only would Kakashi have skipped training, but he would also have to endure Obito's ridicule, making his loss even more humiliating.
PS:
Well, I'm all burned out now. It's dried-up little tangerine signing off.
(End of Chapter)
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