However, all of this was merely Kai Mitarashi's speculation for now. He had only just discovered a way to utilize spiritual energy within the Kagura Mind's Eye. There was still a long road ahead before his vision could be fully realized.
"As I thought, my earlier hunch was correct. The power of the Kagura Mind's Eye—I've only scratched the surface."
Kai had a strong feeling that if the Kagura Mind's Eye were developed according to his vision, it would undoubtedly surpass the abilities of the Tenseigan.
Calming his emotions slightly, Kai shifted his focus to three other jutsu that piqued his interest: Reaper Death Seal, Edo Tensei, and Living Corpse Reincarnation.
The reason these jutsu intrigued him wasn't their capabilities but a shared characteristic—they all revolved around the soul.
The Reaper Death Seal involved sacrificing one's soul to make a deal with the Grim Reaper. The Reaper would then sever the target's soul with a blade, swallowing it into its belly, thereby sealing the soul.
However, being familiar with the entire storyline, Kai knew that the Reaper Death Seal could be undone. By wearing the Death God's mask stored in the Uzumaki Clan's Naka Shrine (a temple housing the masks), and slicing open one's own stomach, the souls devoured by the Death God could be released.
To Kai, this so-called Death God seemed highly suspicious. The souls it devoured remained intact—who would believe in such a benevolent Death God?
Still, Kai had no intention of testing it out, at least not for now. A Death God capable of severing Kage-level souls with ease was not an entity he was prepared to confront.
As for the Edo Tensei, it was even more extraordinary. It could pull the souls of the deceased from the Pure Land and resurrect them in physical form, allowing complete control over the revived individuals.
Kai wasn't interested in the Pure Land or the summoning methods for souls. What intrigued him was how the Edo Tensei manipulated the souls after resurrection.
Lastly, there was the Living Corpse Reincarnation.
Interestingly, this technique was developed by Orochimaru and recorded in the Scroll of Seals, meaning Kai had acquired it indirectly through Orochimaru.
However, the version recorded in the Scroll of Seals was merely a prototype. The method for transferring souls wasn't detailed, and Kai didn't care. Even if the technique caused no harm to the soul, Kai wouldn't use it. After all, his current body possessed the perfect Sage Body and the absurdly powerful Tenseigan, a combination of unparalleled bloodline limits.
What Kai cared about was how the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique stabilized and strengthened the soul before the transfer.
After hours of research, Kai still couldn't uncover much. The scope of the soul was vast and complex, not something that could be mastered with a quick glance.
Closing the Scroll of Seals, Kai casually tossed it onto the table and lay on the ground, frowning in thought.
"My current strength has already reached its peak. With the perfect Sage Body and Yang Release, my physical capabilities have reached their limit. Combined with the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, my power rivals that of a super Kage-level shinobi. Continuing to train alone won't yield significant improvement, and research on the soul clearly isn't something that can be rushed."
"Perhaps I should leave Konoha and venture into the shinobi world for some experience?" The thought entered Kai's mind and refused to leave.
Since becoming a full-fledged ninja, he had spent two years under the relentless tutelage of Sakumo Hatake, the "White Fang of Konoha," followed by nearly six years of the Third Great Ninja War. Kai had devoted almost all his time to battles and missions.
While combat was the best shortcut to growth, without time to reflect and consolidate one's strength, achieving a qualitative leap was difficult.
Having made up his mind, Kai wasted no time. He stood up, picked up the Scroll of Seals, and activated Divine Descent.
With a flash, Kai appeared in the Hokage's office.
Seeing Kai's arrival, Minato Namikaze immediately complained, "Kai, this is all your fault. My workload has increased tenfold!"
"I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen next time," Kai replied with a grin, handing the Scroll of Seals to Minato.
At the mention of ramen, Minato's face instantly lit up with a smile. Taking the scroll, he said, "Great! Kai, don't forget your promise."
"Minato, could you also help me process my leave request?" Kai asked.
"Sure, for how long?" Minato asked casually.
"About two years," Kai replied.
"Alright," Minato said instinctively, before realizing, "Two years? That's too long! What are you planning to do? The war just ended, Orochimaru defected, and Jiraiya-sensei left the village. If you leave too, there'll be no one left!"
"There's still Uncle Shishio and the Third Hokage, right? Besides, even if you don't approve, I'll just sneak out," Kai shrugged, wearing a "what-can-you-do-about-it" expression.
Hearing this, Minato's face fell. He sighed and said, "Fine. I'll assign you a mission: investigate the post-war situation in the ninja world. Mission duration: two years. Mission rank: S."
"Thanks, Minato," Kai said with a smile before vanishing from the Hokage's office.
"Sigh," Minato sighed deeply, but his expression quickly changed as he shouted out the window, "Kai, don't forget my ramen!"
By then, Kai was long gone from Konoha, far out of earshot of Minato's calls.
The wind howled, carrying sand through the air. Despite having the largest territory among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Wind had very few habitable areas.
The environment Kai found himself in now was typical of the Land of Wind. As far as the eye could see, there was no sign of life. Even with the Kagura Mind's Eye activated, he could detect only a handful of chakra signatures within a hundred kilometers.
Tired of the endless yellow sand, Kai used Divine Descent to travel rapidly. Soon, he arrived at Sunagakure.
Gazing at the barren village devoid of greenery, Kai's heart stirred. He murmured, "In that case, let me make a contribution."
Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!
Green sprouts emerged in every corner of Sunagakure, growing wildly. Within moments, the entire village was enveloped in vibrant greenery!
From a distance, Sunagakure now resembled an oasis in the desert.
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