As the main battlefield between Konoha and Kirigakure drew to a close, with Konoha opting to have Kushina lead the initial attack for a more effortless retreat, Naoki found himself leaning weakly against a tree, coughing up another mouthful of blood.
This time, it wasn’t from the explosion’s injuries.
The wounds that couldn’t be healed with chakra medication, this unmistakable feeling was bloodline sickness.
Feeling his powerless body, Naoki smiled bitterly.
This is genuinely terrifying, shrinking my chakra and rendering my body weak.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Naoki sighed and murmured.
“Exchange, bloodline suppression potion.”
As his words fell, a glass bottle of blood-red liquid appeared in his hand.
He swirled it around, thinking to himself.
I originally wanted to send it to Orochimaru for research, but now that will have to wait.
With that thought, he hesitantly brought the bottle to his lips, letting a single drop fall into his mouth.
This should make it easier.
This feeling.
No.
Veins bulged madly on Naoki’s forehead. Instead of the anticipated relief, an excruciating, soul-tearing pain surged through him, a profound sense of loss overwhelming him, making him clench his fists involuntarily.
It took a long while before the pain subsided, and he put the bottle aside, unwilling to touch it again.
Naoki recalled the sensation in detail after he had completely calmed down.
Was that the feeling of being stripped of something vital?
Thinking this, he summoned a bone with faint grey markings on its tip.
Naoki’s eyes narrowed as he summoned several more bones, all showing faint grey markings.
Any trace of joy vanished instantly.
Let’s test it.
To see if my hypothesis is correct.
Naoki uncorked the bottle and drank another drop, enduring the almost unbearable discomfort, watching the bones in silence.
They did fade.
The greyness did fade.
So, this is how you suppress the bloodline?
They were stripping the genius of their gifts, making them ordinary to continue living.
Kimimaro died young, and the Kaguya clan hasn’t produced a deity-level ninja in a thousand years.
The evolution of the Shikotsumyaku seems more like a curse.
The closer you get to the ultimate power, the more likely you are to lose your life.
Naoki laughed bitterly.
After all, that is a power of destruction capable of annihilating everything. Even with my rudimentary control, it almost cost the Kazekage his life.
If someone could fully control such power, the world would have nothing to stand against the Kaguya clan.
Sigh.
Thinking of the tempting future, Naoki felt a twinge in his heart.
After all, the ultimate evolution of the Shikotsumyaku is beyond my reach.
He looked up, feeling helpless.
Does it mean I can only fully master this power by becoming a Six Paths-level being?
At that moment, he faintly sensed a weak but definite chakra from his eyes, soothing the destructive chakra within him.
Byakugan?
Naoki stood up, a hint of joy in his eyes.
So, can the Byakugan neutralize this destructive power?
Indeed, the Byakugan, representing the Yin Release chakra, has some inseparable connection with the Kaguya clan, which naturally suppresses the Shikotsumyaku.
Improving the Byakugan’s capacity would allow my body to accommodate stronger Shikotsumyaku.
However, enhancing the Byakugan…
Naoki shook his head in resignation.
The difficulty of enhancing the Byakugan might rival that of improving the Shikotsumyaku.
Sighing, another thought arose in Naoki’s mind.
The Uzumaki clan’s vitality might also provide some help.
Gathering his thoughts, Naoki suppressed his emotions.
This terrifying power that could give me super-Kage level strength must be mastered, no matter the cost.
With so many possibilities, I’ll take my time to explore them.
No longer hesitant, Naoki drank the entire potion.
Immediately, a change occurred.
Groaning!
Naoki grabbed the tree beside him, digging his fingers into it, crushing it as his body convulsed for a long time before he finally recovered and stood up.
Feeling the power wholly stripped from his body, Naoki sighed.
What a pity.
Sigh.
I should check my body.
Casually activating his Byakugan, he scanned his body.
Chakra flow, the structure of his veins, the recovery of his bones.
Wait.
Colour?
Colour!
Naoki looked up, seeing the world not in the usual black-and-white image but in vibrant colors.
The 360-degree vision expanded, revealing brown earthworms wriggling in the soil, red-bottomed monkeys leaping between trees, and blue-scaled fish jumping from a river miles away.
It has color.
Moreover, the range is more expansive, more precise, and broader.
This is evolution?
So, this is the power of the evolved Byakugan?
This evolution grants me broader insight.
The potential of an evolving Byakugan hinted at a future that excitedly made Naoki’s heart pound.
He thought of the powerful Otsutsuki clan in the stars.
The clan that harvested planets and roamed unchecked, wielding Byakugan as their primary weapon.
This is no coincidence.
The Byakugan among the Otsutsuki and the Hyuga are entirely different eyes!
Kaguya Otsutsuki’s Byakugan exerted pressure and cast illusions but could also unleash the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack, which could shatter Susanoo.
Some Otsutsuki could see through the future and people’s hearts with these eyes.
Shikotsumyaku and Byakugan complement each other.
Every evolution of the Shikotsumyaku means an enhancement of the Byakugan.
Even if forced to regress due to the inability to retain destructive power, the enhancement to the Byakugan remains!
With the Byakugan’s continuous evolution, my capacity to withstand the Shikotsumyaku will also increase, allowing me to gain even more remarkable power!
Shikotsumyaku and Byakugan.
Naoki thought of another path in the ninja world that could lead to the Six Paths level.
Senju and Uchiha.
But unlike that well-trodden path, the way forward for the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku is still being determined and must be explored by myself.
But so what?
No matter how difficult the path to godhood, I must walk it to the end!
The fusion of seven chakra natures might make me a Bloodline Net wielder, but the continuous advancement of Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku could push my Bloodline Net strength even further.
I may become an enemy, and even the Otsutsuki cannot shake.
Caressing his eyes, Naoki summoned an ice mirror, soaring into the sky.
The future is promising, but the present must be solidified!
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