Chapter 158: New Smoke Transformation Kekkei Genkai

Namikaze Minato was at home, writing furiously. Suddenly, a scroll materialized on his desk beside the kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God formula. Hmm? Minato was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood. Besides himself, the only one in Konoha who could skillfully use the Flying Thunder God Technique was Kyohiko. This must have been sent by him. Had he encountered a problem on his mission? Minato didn’t dare delay and immediately opened the scroll. He had initially thought it was a call for help, or perhaps an intelligence scroll that needed to be delivered to Tsunade urgently. But upon closer inspection, it was an improved barrier ninjutsu related to spatial stabilization. Minato’s brain seemed to crash. Dazed for a few seconds, he gradually came to his senses. When he looked back at the version he himself had been writing, he was instantly lost in thought. What on earth had he been doing? For this entire period, he had practically been a hermit, essentially in closed-door training, and had only just managed to come up with a roughly feasible plan. And the result? Kyohiko, while on a mission, had casually come up with a way to complete it... Comparisons are odious! Minato composed himself, his gaze returning to the scroll before him, carefully studying its contents. "’Fusing the spatial stabilization barrier with partial techniques from Reverse Summoning and the Summoning Technique... If there are enough people...’" A barrier ninjutsu of this scale, combined with the Flying Thunder God Formation, would require at least ten ninjas or more. One could imagine that Kyohiko’s plan wasn’t intended for combat in groups of three or four; only a war would necessitate a Flying Thunder God Formation of this magnitude. "What is he planning?" Minato couldn’t help but wonder. The direction of ninjutsu research often reflects the researcher’s objectives and thinking. During his own research, Minato hadn’t considered large-scale troop combat. War? Minato pondered for a moment and sighed softly. War was inevitable. In the past, Konoha had cherished the ideal of peace, trying its best not to make enemies of other villages and attempting to explore a path to peace. However, war still occurred. Every village in the ninja world had its own stance and considerations, with no absolute right or wrong, which only made things crueler. Namikaze Minato was no longer the man he once was. Placing the two versions side by side, he carefully observed, compared, and studied them, and new ideas began to form in his mind. Kyohiko’s barrier ninjutsu was very useful! --- The next day, Kyohiko, accompanied by Orochimaru, arrived at the current settlement of the Iburi clan. They had already decided on a rent-to-own agreement. Therefore, currently, when it came to matters of being ninjas, if one were to say who was most anxious, it would undoubtedly be the Iburi clan. They were eager to demonstrate their worth and earn money for their clan to repay the rent and eventually purchase the land. However, Kyohiko hadn’t visited much in the past month. As for Orochimaru, although he came by occasionally, it was mostly for blood collection, observation, and experiments; there had been no substantial progress regarding their smoke transformation ability. Yet Gotta didn’t dare to press them. "Clan Leader, you don’t need to worry too much. We’re already staying in Konoha, and it doesn’t look like Konoha intends to abandon us..." Iburi Zabu said. Gotta shook his head. "That’s true, but Konoha has so many people. If we lose our value, we might end up worse off than other ninjas." Their clan’s Kekkei Genkai had a major flaw; otherwise, they would have made a name for themselves in the ninja world long ago instead of hiding away in a cave. Compared to ordinary people, they held no advantage. "Clan Leader! Clan Leader!" Just as he was worrying, hurried footsteps were heard outside. A few seconds later: "Clan Leader, Kyohiko-sama and Orochimaru-sama are here!" "What?!" Iburi Gotta was greatly surprised. He then scrambled to his feet and hurried outside, terrified of slighting the two visitors. He knew very well whose decision it had been for the Iburi clan to enter Konoha. If he had slighted others, even Hokage Tsunade, he might not have been so anxious. After all, that Yondaime seemed to have an indescribable, ambiguous sibling-like relationship with Ryoho Kyohiko. Therefore, if he offended the Hokage, Kyohiko might help mediate. But if he offended Ryoho Kyohiko himself, the Iburi clan wouldn’t be far from ruin or expulsion from Konoha. "Kyohiko-sama, Orochimaru-sama, your subordinate has failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me, please forgive me!" Iburi Gotta bowed repeatedly. Kyohiko waved his hand. "Let’s talk inside. Also, have Yamato and the others come. I want to see the abilities of your clan members." "Yes, sir!" Iburi Gotta’s heart leaped with a mixture of joy and surprise. He realized that what Kyohiko had mentioned before might finally be implemented this time! After everyone had assembled... Yamato, Yukimi, and Tenzo arrived. Within the Iburi clan, Yamato had taught many basic skills and knowledge, but these two were undoubtedly the best learners. Iburi Gotta whispered, "You must all perform well..." "Clan Leader Gotta, don’t put pressure on them. Just have them try casually. I just need to know what level you’ve reached now, and whether your abilities have become more stable with improved chakra control," Kyohiko said gently, subtly using a genjutsu’s influence. Yukimi and Tenzo, who had been somewhat nervous, suddenly looked much calmer, expressions of gratitude and respect appearing on their faces. They both bowed deeply before speaking, "We can control the smoke relatively well now, but we’re still very susceptible to wind, and sometimes it becomes unstable. It’s all thanks to Yamato-sama..." Yamato-sama... Kyohiko glanced at Yamato. Yamato’s face immediately flushed red, and he hurriedly waved his hands, wanting to explain. But when he met Orochimaru’s gaze, he was scared into silence, swallowing his explanation. After listening, Kyohiko had a general understanding. Improving chakra control helped stabilize their abilities, but not significantly, which was within his expectations. "Orochimaru-senpai, would you like to go first?" "Mm," Orochimaru nodded. In terms of stability and long-term effectiveness, Kyohiko’s plan was undoubtedly better. Slow cultivation to condense a core substance, and then relying on this substance to achieve smoke convergence and relative stability, could solve most environmental influences. However, this required a very long period of training. It might take three or four years, and some might not even master it in their entire lifetime. In comparison... the curse mark was simple and efficient. Moreover, with the current curse mark model, removal was also quite simple: just excavate the flesh at the seal site and remove the toxins. It wouldn’t cause too much damage to the host body and might even offer some benefits. Orochimaru’s hoarse voice echoed in the Iburi clan’s largest reception hall. Iburi Gotta, Busaku, as well as Yukimi, Tenzo, and the others exchanged glances. A curse mark. After a second, Iburi Busaku spoke up, "Orochimaru-sama, I’ll do it!" As Tenzo and Yukimi’s father, he felt it was his duty—his children were the most outstanding among the clan’s youth. If he didn’t step forward, his children might have to. How could he bear that? "Father!" "It’s alright. You must trust in the research of Kyohiko-sama and Orochimaru-sama," Iburi Busaku said with a smile. A slight smirk played on Orochimaru’s lips. "Let me clarify beforehand, this type of curse mark still carries risks. However, its advantage is that once I have more perfect research, the curse mark can be eliminated and replaced." "Yes, Busaku understands," Iburi Busaku nodded. Iburi Gotta couldn’t help but glance sideways at him, then understood why he was so eager. He gritted his teeth and said, "Orochimaru-sama, I can also..." "No rush. Let’s try it first. Hold out your hand." "Yes, sir!" Busaku extended his left hand. Orochimaru licked his lips. Then, he transformed into a shadowy serpent and vanished in an instant. When he reappeared, he was in front of Busaku, his sharp fangs sinking into Busaku’s arm. Two seconds later, Orochimaru returned to his original spot. Busaku looked at his arm. A pattern shaped like a purple-edged leaf had appeared. So this is the curse mark? "Orochimaru-sama, how should I use it?" Busaku didn’t dare to try it rashly. Orochimaru said, "This part of your flesh and blood doesn’t belong to you. So, when you transform into smoke, you must use it as the core." "The core... I understand. Kyohiko-sama has taught me this." Iburi Busaku meditated for a moment, then quickly refined his chakra. Soon, his figure transformed into a cloud of humanoid smoke. Through observation and perception, Kyohiko could sense that the nature of Iburi Busaku’s ability had undergone a definite change. He could no longer completely turn into smoke. "Can you change the smoke’s shape?" Kyohiko asked. The smoke began to shift. Soon, it started to transform. He tried various forms—long strips, circles, clouds—but in every case, it couldn’t completely dissipate into the surroundings as before. Orochimaru raised his hand, and a snake slithered out from his sleeve. "Try to control it." The smoke drifted over. After a few seconds, it merged with the snake. A single, conspicuous, purple-edged green scale appeared on the snake’s head. The snake lifted its head and looked at the people around it, its movements strikingly human-like. Iburi Gotta was extremely nervous but didn’t dare to ask. As for Yukimi and Tenzo, they were even more worried. After all, the one before them was their father. A slight smile touched Orochimaru’s lips. "Kyohiko, what do you think?" "It can be considered a success, but we need one more test," Kyohiko replied. "I’ll handle this one. You can come out now." "Yes, sir!" the snake spoke. Then, smoke billowed from the snake’s body, reforming into the humanoid smoke. Kyohiko said, "Next, I’ll use a Wind Style ninjutsu. I’ll control the wind force, starting small and gradually increasing. I’ll stop when your form can no longer bear it, so you don’t need to be afraid." The smoke undulated slowly, indicating it understood. At first, its form was very stable. As the wind force gradually increased, the smoke couldn’t withstand it and began to disperse. Kyohiko quickly stopped. The members of the Iburi clan felt a mix of apprehension, joy, and worry—a tangle of emotions. They desperately wanted to ask about the situation. Even Iburi Gotta didn’t dare to interrupt rashly. However, with this level of wind force, Iburi Busaku would have died long ago! Even if it was just this... they were very satisfied! Iburi Gotta was overjoyed, unable to hide his excitement. Iburi Busaku returned to his human form. "Orochimaru-sama, is this considered a success?" "Not quite," Orochimaru shook his head. The Iburi clan members looked at each other in dismay. Kyohiko explained, "There are still flaws. So, if you encounter danger outside, you must be careful to escape in a direction where the wind isn’t too strong, or you could still die." "Yes, I understand," Busaku nodded emphatically. "Tell me how you feel," Orochimaru said. As the curse mark’s researcher, he needed Busaku’s feedback. "Before, our abilities were very limited," Busaku began, describing his sensations in detail. "After turning into smoke, it felt like we had no body, so we didn’t dare use it lightly. But now, it feels like I have a body again..." His description brought a sigh of relief to Iburi Gotta and his children. It sounded very promising! Orochimaru nodded. "I will continue to refine it." "Thank you, Orochimaru-sama. Your kindness is truly... truly..." Iburi Gotta couldn’t describe the feelings in his heart. He dropped to his knees with a thud. "The Iburi clan will forever be loyal to Konoha and the Anbu!" "I mentioned before that this curse mark has side effects," Orochimaru reminded him. "My specially made poison is needed to suppress its power. Otherwise, instead of helping you, it will devour your physical bodies. In other words, once you are implanted with the curse mark..." "The kindness you two lords have shown the Iburi clan is like a rebirth!" Iburi Gotta interjected with "acceptance." "What is such a small price to pay?" Orochimaru shook his head. "You misunderstand. What I mean is, the poison’s current active cycle is three months. However, after two months, its potency will gradually decline, causing the curse mark to become unstable. You’ll need to return every two months." Kyohiko nodded. "We will continue our research to develop a better and safer curse mark if possible. Until then, you’ll have to bear with this inconvenience." "It’s no inconvenience, no inconvenience at all!" Iburi Gotta said respectfully, ever tactful. "For the Iburi clan, this is a blessing, not a restriction!" Reading his emotions, Kyohiko sensed the man was sincere. Thinking about it, Kyohiko felt a sense of relief. For an ordinary person, this kind of curse mark would be nothing less than a restriction of their freedom. But if the Iburi clan didn’t resolve their inherent defect, they wouldn’t have freedom anyway. For them, it truly was a blessing. Kyohiko let out a small sigh of relief. The loyalty of intelligence personnel was crucial. It was for the best that the Iburi clan didn’t mind. He took out a scroll. "This is a method I’ve devised, but it’s rather slow and requires consistent daily training. Take it and have a look. If you’re capable, learn it. If not, relying solely on the curse mark for now shouldn’t pose any immediate safety concerns." Iburi Gotta took it and examined it closely. Previously, Kyohiko had only offered some suggestions. Now, he had combined it with sealing techniques and written it down as a concrete plan, a ninjutsu. If we could master this ability... His eyes darted, and he asked, "Orochimaru-sama, do these two abilities conflict?" Orochimaru seemed slightly surprised, then chuckled. "They don’t conflict. They are improvements on different levels." "Then we will strive to master both!" Iburi Gotta declared. "That way, we’ll be more stable and powerful!" "This technique will be somewhat difficult; you can learn it later," Kyohiko said. "For now, arrange for people to come and receive the curse mark. Anyone who volunteers can receive it." The poison for this curse mark wasn’t costly, but it contained snake venom from Ryuchi Cave. Currently, besides Orochimaru, it would be very difficult to find another source in the ninja world. Therefore, Iburi Gotta’s decision essentially meant voluntarily binding their clan to Kyohiko and Orochimaru. However, having spent time with Kyohiko, Iburi Gotta understood his way of doing things, so he sent people out to seek everyone’s opinion. It wasn’t long before everyone agreed—they desperately wanted to escape the nightmarish lives they had been living!