173. Third Lock

MrProper

"AAAAGHHH!!"

"Tango!!"

"I'm alright, I'm alright! Urgh! That was...too much! Tetsuo-dono, I think we're gonna have to install a better inhibitor on this thing. At least to make sure the user's senses aren't overwhelmed by a powerful chakra signature"

"R-Right, I'll um...I'll get on that the next time I'm back at my company. Wait, powerful chakra...?"

"Yeah, we've got a new problem. I need you to call in Dodai-sama"

Understanding something troublesome had occurred, Tetsuo did as Tango asked. Fetching Dodai from the central command room, bringing him back inside the room housing the Network's main hub

"Dodai-sama, someone with inhumanly powerful chakra has arrived on the battlefield...and I'm not talking about our Jinchūriki"

"The LIFT?"

"Not just that, reports are coming in, the leader of the Chinoike arrived on the front. He's unleashed an absurd amount of blood torrents...they're tearing everything apart!

Tango went on about Kyō's reckless use of the LIFT, consuming several pills at once. Stressing that the terrible situation quickly grew worse by the minute

"Just when we were finally getting a handle on things, he goes and does this. Sigh!

"I've issued commands to keep the normal troops focused on the inmates, we'll have our best focus on Kyō. Soon as Killer B-sama is finished in the village, he'll head there. With him and Yugito-sama...two Jinchūriki might give us an edge" Tango suggested

"Two? Dodai-dono, I'm not a ninja...but is Kyō really so much of a threat now?" Tetsuo asked

"It's not that simple Tetsuo. What makes these dangerous performance enhancers so terrifying is whom they're given to"

"I don't follow..."

Dodai elaborated the LIFT in the hands of a high Jonin-level shinboi like Kyō is many times worse than a bunch of no name inmates with average combat proficiency

From their observation, they knew the pill alone provided a boost in strength and chakra, and Kyō took several of them at once

Coupled with the fact their forces, including Yugito, were exhausted from over a day of non-stop fighting...

"I get that, but he's just one man. I mean, how much--er...blood, can he have?"

"Long ago, our Daimyō used the Uchiha Clan to exile his clan out of the Land of Lightning, they eventually found themselves forced to dwell in the Jigokudani1Valley of Hell. His Dōjutsu2Eye Techniqueallows for the control of iron-enriched liquids. The river there is full of the stuff, his clan surely brought plenty with them for this operation"

"...And, there's all the dead bodies on the field. I've instructed some soldiers to remove as many deceased from the battle as they can" Tango added

"Thanks, their technique always works better with fresh blood"

"O-Oh no...forget the pills, the chakra he'll receive from the other LIFT users...now that he's connected with them-!" Tetsuo realized

"Now you get it; His exceptional skill, shared & boosted chakra, ample supply of blood, ocular Genjutsu, and above all else...a burning hatred for us. He might be able to go toe-to-toe with a Tailed Beast now. He's not the first person I've seen done so"

{Right. The late 3rd Raikage was infamous for doing so...} "Gulp...!"

"Kyō has become a monster..."

♦♦♦

"Mmm...mmmmm! Ugh! Ha...haaa...SUZU!!!"

W-What did I just feel-?! W-Where? Wait. Is this...?

RUSTLE!

"Ugh...the last thing I remember...Notitia!!"

[You rang?]

"How did I get in this hospital bed?"

[Makes sense you don't remember, you were out like a light. The abridged version is, your crazy plan worked. Suzu went nuts, killed the enemies, then "dropped" you off at the hospital before heading to the front line]

"Hm? Wait...it worked?! She killed all of them? Alone?!"

[Oh ho ho ho ho, yeah. In fact, it reminded me of the time you went berserk years ago. Suzu even manifested chakra arms!]

For real? I never intended for her to get that powerful

It must be her compatible DNA, her cells adapted to the LIFT far more than I initially hypothesized. To manifest chakra arms of all things, she's basically a pseudo-Jinchūriki at this point

I may have put more effort in studying her bloodline for further experiments...

"Fascinating...but on to more important things"

[Like what?]

If my last act with Kisshōten3Auspicious Heavensworked, my body should be...where's a mirror when you need one?

"Sigh...! Notitia, how's my appearance? Do I seem different to you?"

[You don't have any scars if that's what you're worried about. Hell, you couldn't even get them considering your body heals rapidly]

"Phew!"

That's a relief to hear-

[However, you've undergone a change again. The physical trauma you received must've caused you to use that mysterious In'yōton4Yin-Yang/Shadow & Light Stylepower again. You're over 80% Ōtsutsuki at this point]

"That much?!"

Such a percentage...ugh! That's far more than I desired...fan-f**king-tastic. Who knows what's gonna happen if I lose the rest of my humanity

"Haaaaa...unbelievable"

[...]

Well, guess I should just be happy my remaining human cells are protected now. With Kisshōten's Yin-Yang chakra covering the rest, it should be safe to use the ability again

Still, I can't overdue it. Who knows how my body will react...speaking of which?

CLENCH!

"Yeah...I feel stronger, in every considerable way. My chakra is even easier to control now, just what I should expect with this body being more Ōtsutsuki...more alien. However, I've lost something as well"

[You mean?]

"Yeah. They're gone..."

[So...we were right in our prediction for the next time your body...changed]

When I fought Etoro Konjiki, I instinctively used Yin-Yang Style to save myself. It in turn activated recessive cells stemming from "Rei's" maternal ancestry, allowing me to neutralize his Lava attacks

The same thing happened when I was buried under rubble on my secret mission with Motoi and Team F, boosting my affinity for Earth Style to dig my way out of there

But now that said human cells had been completely replaced with alien DNA...

"My affinity with the Earth and Lava Styles are pretty much non-existent..."

[More of "Rei's" weaker human chakra is gone. You can still retrain Earth to even greater heights, but Lava is...]

"It's not a heavy loss, my lava affinity was already deteriorating. One of my end goals is to obtain the Kekkei Mōra5Bloodline Encompassingremember? I'll have all elements when that happens"

I recently went "back to basics" with my training in preparation for this scenario

Taijutsu and Genjutsu were my original specialty after all. I've been too focused on nature transformations in recent years, my training has gotten sloppy

Guess I was just so happy this formerly hopeless body began to change, I let the excitement go to my head

In hindsight, that's always been one of problems...

"Overall, I still have Fire and Water Style"

[That's a nice "glass half-full" outlook. And here I was ready for you to start bitching, you've grown a lot Raymond]

"And you're still the same annoying jackass you've always been"

[Hehe, by the way...what next on the agenda?]

I guess the Black Scroll would be next. Now that I'm more alien, my chakra control has improved leaps and bounds. The logical choice is breaking the third lock

But...

"Why are you asking?"

[Because Kyō's on the front]

"So? It's one guy against Kumogakure as a whole"

Truth be told, the only reason the enemy lasted this long was due to Kumo focusing its efforts on evacuation, rather than combat

No way these idiots were gonna take down a great shinobi nation of such caliber alone

[Normally I'd agree, but Kyō consumed a shit ton of LIFT pills and went berserk, not to mention Suzu is heading straight for him]

"H-Huh?"

[She's not in full control of her actions. At best, she recognizes friend and foe but...she killed those guys because they hurt you. Kyō was one of the last people she saw attacking you, naturally she's targeting him now. But even with her new power, I doubt she can fight him and win]

The sinister feeling that woke me from my sleep...it's from him?!

"Tell me that sooner!"

TAP! POOF!

Thank god I ensured the scroll could always be summoned with these bracelets of mine

[Remember to stay calm. The scroll's "Bodily Purification" practice is no different than operating on yourself. You're just using chakra instead of scalpels]

Yes, I need a calm mind if I want to break the "Kanji Lock". Once it's open, the new instructions will show which parts of the body I apply the "Method" to 

First, gather chakra in my fingertips, they'll act as the "lockpicks" as I run them along the seal

Concentrate!

WOOOOO!

"...!"

[Oh my...wow. The lock is more intricate than I thought, but the way you're controlling chakra now is just...wow]

Took the words right out of my mouth

Come on, come on...

...

...

CLICK!

"Ah!"

[?!]

"...Holy shit"

No way...did I really?

[You opened it already? It's only been minutes...how much has your body grown?!]

Let's open this up and see what I have to...hm? What? H-How?

This might be...a bit much

"..."

[Rei, are you listening? This new change could potentially lead to a whole new myriad of possibilities. I'm getting excited just thinking about it...!]

"..."

[Rei? What's wrong? Is there something on the scroll bothering you? What's it showing?]

"..."

[Hmm...it doesn't designate which area of the body you're supposed to-]

"It does. Look harder"

[Look at what? I don't see...wait...seriously? There's no way a human could do that!]

"Mhmm"

I'm starting see why the 3rd Raikage stopped half-way after opening the third lock. Even that man couldn't complete this absurd practice. No wonder the damn lock was so easy to break this time...Sigh!

[Not good...]

"Looking back on the last two levels, this somewhat makes sense"

The first one; purified my blood and organs, bettering my immune system...

The second; reinforced my bones and muscles, increasing my strength and speed...

But this time...

"Strengthening my skin. Along with a complete overhaul of my central nervous system? That's insane..."

[So the 3rd improved his skin with this, but stopped at the nervous system? If it's too dangerous for even him, I cannot approve of this. Messing with all of your nerves is...no way]

Since it's safe to use now...maybe Kisshōten again? Though, I've never used it twice in one day...

"I wonder..."

[Rei...don't do it. The brain is a central role in controlling most bodily functions, messing with the nerves connected...it's a stupid thing to do. You could be crippled forever...or worse]

But I can't afford for the village...my investment to fall

[You're on borrowed time! This isn't something you rush!]

And then there's Suzu...her worth as a test subject has grown exponentially

[Put aside the scroll for now. There's still that other pet project of yours. The DNA you spliced from the creatures on Summoning Island has paid off. Just sneak out of the hospital and head to your lab]

That "project" is indeed useful, but alone, not enough...

[Rei? Wait a minute...]

"..."

[You've ignored every goddamn thing I just said, didn't you? You're still gonna go through with it]

"Now who's the one bitching? I'm in a hospital, if things go wrong, there's plenty of doctors to help. I've already made a bunch of reckless decisions today...why stop now?"

[Argh! You insane, ponytailed moron! Why do I have to put up with this stubborn, son of a...!]

"I like my thin ponytail...jerk"

[Whatever, I'll leave to save you from any more distractions. You'll need all the concentration you can get. For all our sakes, try not to die]

"Phew...! Okay..."

Have to gather every ounce of energy in my body

Unlike the last two, this third practice is meant to focus on all areas...at the same time

WEAVE!

Let's begin...

"Hmph!"

CRACKLE! BRRRNG! RUMBLE!

"UGH! UHACK! RRRRAAAHHH!"

Shit! 

Forgot how painful this is! No...it's even worse! My insides...everything is shifting and moving!!!

"RRRRGGGGH!! Huff...huff...huff...!"

But I can't stop! Can't stop! If I do, I'll die!!!

"K-KUH! Focus...focu--NGH!!!"

Everything! My skin, my brain, my eyes! Every inch of my body...it's like I'm on fire. So hot...SO DAMN HOT!!!

I'M BURNING!!! I'M BURNING INSIDE!!!!

"GAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

No No No No No No No No No!!!!!

I take it back!

This was a mistake! I don't...I don't want...this...but...I can't stop...I'm trapped!!!!

I CAN'T EVEN USE KISSHŌTEN?!?!?!?!

"URGH!"

"Hey! We've got problems in here!" yelled one of the nurses outside the room

"What happened?!"

"I don't know, the patient here suddenly spasmed. He's undergoing convulsions!"

"Heart rate is through the roof! Someone sedate him!"

Don't pass out! Don't pass out! Don't pass out! Don't pass out! Don't pass out! 

Don't pass out! Don't pass out! Don't pass out! 

Don't pass out...! 

DON'T PASS OUT!!!!

VWOOOO...

"Eh? What just...he stopped?"

"I don't understand...it didn't look like the sedatives were working? Will someone get C-senpai in here?!"

Oh...it's gone. Thank God...yes. The pain...it's...it's...finally over

Shit...gonna pass out...not again

THUD!

"Ah! Hey! Boy! Stay with us!"

"His chakra is dangerously low. Focus on restoring his reserves!"

"Senpai!"

Have to get up and join...my team...

♦♦♦

"This way, they're trying to go around us! Souta, Hiroto! "

"Let team up with the others ahead and-!"

ZWISH!

"Akio nii-sama! Shuriken!"

"Hm?!"

FWIP! PIERCE!

"Huh? It burst into pieces?"

"Look! That arrow-! Nii-sama, over there!!"

"Huh?"

"It's Tomoe-sama!"

"Tsk! Come on you two!" {The last thing I wanted was to be saved by the likes of her. What a blunder!} 

"A-Ah?! Wait! Come on Souta!"

"I-I'm coming!"

DASH!

"Hehe! Even the three nimrods are trying their best..."

At the northern coastline, the Fūma still present were giving Tomoe and the Yotsuki a fair share of trouble. The clan head's wife had been their guardian angle, supporting everyone with her bow and arrows

Unfortunately, like the inmates, the present Fūma had also taken the LIFT. And being an organized force, they were much more of threat, despite their smaller numbers

{They're persistent...and powerful. However, none of them are acting recklessly. No longer fighting to win} "Hmph!" Tomoe perceived as she fired another arrow

FWIP!

"Kuh, persistent bastard!"

"Heh! Now you're dea-!"

PIERCE!

"--Ggk!"

"Nice! Many thanks Tomoe-sama!"

"Watch your corners! They excel at striking from blind spots!" Tomoe advised

"Y-Yes!"

{This is nothing more than a delay tactic to keep us here. We're winning, but it's taking too long. They'd probably retreat if we had more of an edge. Something to put the pressure on-} "Oh! Speak of the devil"

Tomoe looked up towards the sky, though hard to see during the night, this figure didn't escape the sight of the eagle-eyed archer

BOOM!

"?!"

"What the hell-?! What happened?!"

"Was that ours?!"

The figure crashed down in the middle of the battlefield, landing right on top of the beach. Sand flying everywhere, it took several seconds before the identity of the interloper could be seen

Tomoe jumped down from her elevated position, landing right beside the new arrival

Soon, all eyes were focused on them as the individual's appearance became visible

"About time you showed up" Tomoe said

One side became ecstatic, the other had panicked

"Yeah, sorry about that. Could you look after this one for me?" The newcomer said as he pointed downwards

"You...oh no. The Daimyō?! His eyes are rolled back and his mouth is foaming...what did you do?!"

"He couldn't handle travelling so fast, and there was no time anyway"

"This is why you're called Unruly. No tact whatsoever. Sigh! I'll look after him, you just do what you do best"

VWOOOO!

Emerging from the dust, a man with a large muscular build emerged with an expression resembling an Asura...

"Tsk! This is not good!"

"Why is he even here? How is even here?!"

"I know, wasn't he supposed to be dead?!"

...One of pure wrath

"Please clean things up for us...Raikage-sama"

CRACK!

"?!"

His entire being burst with electricity, the intense vibrations of chakra were felt by everyone 

"Time to cut loose!"