Konoha: Starting with Kisara, I've conquered the Naruto world.

Chapter 140 A Barrier that Isolates Natural Energy

Chapter 140 A Barrier that Isolates Natural Energy

Reality soon dealt him a heavy blow.

Takuno Minamoto discovered the biggest problem with Jugo's Sage Body.

He had previously thought that he absorbed the natural energy, but that wasn't the case at all! It was absorbed by this body itself!

Jugo's seemingly powerful "immortal body" is actually unable to actively absorb the natural energy of heaven and earth! All the energy flowing in is a spontaneous and uncontrollable passive absorption by the body!

Although Gen Takuno can still use chakra to forcibly mix these passively entering energies, he cannot control the amount and rate of the natural energy entering his body, making it extremely difficult to accurately find the perfect ratio of Sage Chakra!

This may be the fundamental reason why Jugo was never able to master the true Sage Mode!

This discovery weighed heavily on his mind, and his worries increased dramatically.

As expected, Jugo's innate physique was far inferior to that of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, whose Sage Body allowed him to freely control Sage Techniques.

Takuno Minamoto "opened" Jugo's eyes.

Now that this problem has been discovered, there is no point in continuing; it will only accelerate the process of going berserk after the energy becomes uncontrollable.

However, there was still hope, and a solution quickly took shape in his mind.

It can create a special sealing barrier to isolate Jugo from external natural energy.

Therefore, even if he can only passively absorb it, the natural energy entering his body will become controllable and constant under the restriction of the barrier, meaning only the part inside the barrier will be absorbed.

At that time, by gradually adjusting the proportions with his own chakra, all difficulties will be easily resolved!

The idea suddenly became clear, but another problem arose. The path of cultivating immortal arts had just begun, but now he had to be distracted by developing a barrier that could accurately isolate natural energy.

Fortunately, barriers that seal chakra are not uncommon, and he happens to possess sample materials containing Jugo's traits and the power of the cursed seal. It is not impossible for him to use these as a basis to study barriers that isolate natural energy.

After a barely perceptible sigh, Yuan Tuoye controlled his spirit to return to his physical body.

He rose and gave brief instructions to the personnel remaining at the base. Then, amidst the reluctant farewells of Jugo, Haku, and the others, he set off with two loyal followers on his journey back to Yukinin Village. New challenges and research awaited him at his next destination.

Because he needed to take the two young children, Jugo and Haku, to the Snow Village, Genji Takuno could not use the Reverse Summoning Technique to teleport quickly.

Sending children there alone is an impractical choice.

Therefore, Gentoku could only use the Peacock Mystic Art: Wings during the day when his chakra was full, to slowly take them into the air and carefully traverse the clouds.

The two children's bodies were naturally no match for his, so his flying speed had to be reduced accordingly, which greatly lengthened the distance that would have taken him two or three days to fly at full speed.

Furthermore, at night, he needs to return to Konoha using the Reverse Summoning Technique to inject chakra into the wooden clones left behind in the village, ensuring that the clones do not dissipate due to energy depletion.

After several days of travel, Gen Takuno finally arrived at the snow country, which is covered in silver all year round.

The ground beneath our feet was covered in snow, and in the sky, pure white snowflakes fell as lightly as feathers, creating a silent and dreamlike world.

Bai opened her clear eyes wide and looked at the snow falling in surprise, saying softly, "It's snowing here too."

His voice carried a childlike joy and a hint of nostalgia.

Yuan Tuoye gazed at the snow-covered landscape before him, his thoughts wandering. He knew that Bai's hometown was also a winter wonderland, where snow blanketed the land year-round. This snow-covered landscape must have stirred up memories of his hometown for the young man.

He explained gently, "The Land of Snow has a special geographical location, and it is covered by ice and snow all year round. On the contrary, sunny days without snow are extremely rare."

A blurry fragment of memory flashed in Bai's eyes as she murmured to herself, "Hmm—this is just like the place I used to live."

However, those memories were fragmented due to my youth, leaving only blurry images.

Seeing this, Yuan Tuoye gently patted Bai's shoulder and pointed to the hazy mountains in the distance: "Hang in there a little longer, we'll be there soon."

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm very lucky to have met you, Master and Jugo." Shiro said with a smile.

"Me too," Jugo said, though he didn't say much.

"Hmm." Yuan Tuoye chuckled, said nothing more, and led the two children toward Yukinin Village.

Inside the Snow Village leader's office, the chill seemed even stronger than outside.

When the door was pushed open and Yuan Tuoye appeared in the doorway with Jugo and Bai, Feng Hua Nutao, who was standing to the side, immediately suppressed all his thoughts and almost instinctively bowed to greet him, his posture extremely humble: "My lord, you have arrived."

"Hmm." Gen Takuno stepped into the room, his cold gaze sweeping across the space. Without any pleasantries, he went straight to the point, "Has Yakushi Nonou arrived?"

"Yes, sir, we have arrived." Feng Hua Nu Tao replied quickly and fluently. "Your subordinate has followed your instructions completely. A spacious courtyard has been cleared out in Xue Nin Village, and all repairs have been completed. It is very suitable as the foundation for an orphanage and will be officially put into use soon."

He had a smile plastered on his face, hoping to gain some approval.

Yuan Tuoye nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with the progress.

He walked to the window, gazing at the endless snow-capped peaks and the silver-clad villages outside, and suddenly asked, "How many orphans are there in Snow Ninja Village?"

The question made Feng Hua Nu Tao's smile freeze for a moment, and he awkwardly raised his hand to scratch his temple.

"Well, sir, our Snow Village is located in the far north and is isolated from the world year-round. The risks for the village's ninjas on missions are not high, and accidental deaths are rare. Therefore, there are indeed orphans, but their numbers are very few."

""

He carefully observed Gen Takuya's movements, but unfortunately, he couldn't see the other's specific expression through the fox mask.

Yuan Tuoye's expression remained unchanged; he simply nodded slowly, as if this situation was within his expectations.

"I see."

Sensing the calmness in Yuan Tuoye's words, Feng Hua Nutao felt a sudden jolt in his heart. A trace of his usual ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, and an idea popped into his head, almost blurting out.

"My lord, if you urgently need orphans, I can manufacture some—"

He wanted to express loyalty and "methods," solving problems in the most direct way.

However, before he could finish speaking, a gaze more piercing than the snow outside the window instantly fixed itself on him!

Yuan Tuoye suddenly turned his head, his cold gaze like a sharp blade, making Feng Hua Nutao feel as if he had been choked, the words he was about to say stuck in his throat, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

There are some things that, if forced upon him, Gen Takuno might weigh the options and choose to do. But right now, it's clearly not a "must."

"Foolish!" Gen Takuno's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable chill. "The number of orphans in Snow Village is small, but does that mean there are few orphans in the world?"

Feng Hua Nu Tao shuddered, cold sweat almost soaking his inner lining. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Yes! It was my shortsightedness! Your reprimand is correct! I will arrange for men to be on the lookout for any real orphans I encounter, and bring them back to the village safely."

"Remember," Yuan Tuono snorted coldly, emphasizing again, "they must be truly" destitute orphans. I don't want to see any complications."

"Understood! Rest assured, sir! I will strictly discipline them!" Feng Hua Nutao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, understanding what Yuan Tuoye meant.

The fear was that some ninjas, in order to "create orphans" and save trouble, would directly kill the children's parents.

He knew this man's ruthlessness all too well, but his bottom line—seemed so clear it was chilling.

"Hmm." Yuan Tuoye responded, glancing at the two small figures who had been silently following behind him, five or six-year-old Jugo and Shiro, who were as quiet as two little animals in the snow.

"These two children will also be placed in the orphanage. They are still young and it's the right age for them to stay there."

"Yes! I'll do it right away!" Feng Hua Nu Tao replied without the slightest hesitation.

Takuno paused, then changed the subject: "Also, is Zabuza Momochi well-behaved around you?"

Upon hearing this name, Feng Hua Nu Tao's face paled noticeably, as if he had been instantly frozen by the chill in the room.

That man—his body was wrapped in white bandages, and his face, devoid of eyebrows, always bore a ferocious look as if he were about to devour someone.

He never took him, the leader, seriously. Every time they met, the murderous intent in his cold eyes made Feng Hua Nu Tao feel that if he showed the slightest weakness, the other party would not hesitate to snap his neck.

The only thing that gave him some peace of mind was that Zabuza was sent by the Lord himself, so even if he didn't take him seriously, he would still complete the basic tasks.

"—Well-behaved, quite well-behaved." Feng Hua Nu Tao answered with a forced smile, his throat a little dry, but in the end he didn't dare to complain to Yuan Tuo Ye.

Heaven knows if that fiend would find out he had spoken ill of him and then kill him the very next day.

"Hmm." Gen Takuno seemed to have already seen through Fuuka Nutō's deep-seated fear of Zabuza, but he did not point it out.

Snow Village is ultimately Feng Hua Nutao's territory, and he can't stay there permanently. It's not a bad thing for him if someone can effectively keep this local tyrant in check.

Sometimes, fear itself is a form of control.

He pondered for a moment, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips, and said, "Perfect timing. Go and inform Momochi Zabuza that, effective immediately, he will serve as the vice-director of the orphanage."

"Him? The vice dean?!" Feng Hua Nu Tao's eyes widened instantly, his mouth slightly agape, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

To make that blood-soaked, bandaged, and utterly heartless killing machine, Momochi Zabuza, the vice-director of an orphanage?!

How could someone with such a fierce and menacing face be allowed to face a group of innocent children?!

"—Sir," Feng Hua Nu Tao swallowed hard, daring to voice his doubts, "he—his appearance, his temperament—I'm afraid he's not suited to look after children, is he? The children will probably be quite frightened—"

"Whether it's suitable or not is none of your business." Yuan Tuoye glanced at him indifferently, his eyes leaving no room for negotiation. "The matter has been explained; you should carry it out."

"Yes—yes!" Feng Hua Nu Tao was stunned by that gaze and dared not say another word. He hurriedly bowed and left the office with a heart full of confusion, and began to arrange the orders that were more and more unexpected.

The office returned to silence.

Yuan Tuoye did not look at Feng Hua Nutao's departing figure again. His gaze passed through the cold glass window and once again fell on the vast and boundless snowfield outside.

Making Zabuza the vice-director of the orphanage was not a pre-existing plan; it was merely a sudden inspiration.

In his eyes, Zabuza Momochi was not a complete villain.

After defecting from the blood mist of Kirigakure, that man probably lived in a vast void, lost and without meaning to live.

Just like in the original trajectory, when Haku appeared, the dry and soft land deep in Zabuza's heart quietly revived.

Although he appears fierce and speaks rudely, his deep-seated yearning for "bonds" has never disappeared.

Takuno Minamoto hopes that this "soil" he personally built can become an opportunity for Zabuza Momochi to find and rebuild "bonds".

Such a person is most useful and reliable when they have someone they want to protect and have something to worry about.

He could even foresee the terrifying fighting power Zabuza would unleash to protect the children he might eventually cherish.

Of course, this is merely a projection of an ideal scenario.

If it fails, it will be nothing more than a harmless move for Gen Takuno.

Consider it as planting a seed; whether it sprouts or not depends entirely on how the gears of fate turn.

After Feng Hua Nu Tao's departing figure completely disappeared from sight, a brief silence fell around them.

Bai Weiwei tilted her head back, her clear, watery eyes looking at Yuan Tuoye with a hint of cautious anticipation. She mustered her courage and asked softly, "Sir—may we—may we follow you?"

His voice was very soft, as if it could be blown away by the wind at any moment, but his strong desire not to go to the orphanage was clearly discernible.

For him, following this powerful adult was far better than going to an unfamiliar place. Yuan Tuoye lowered his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two children's little faces, which were red from the cold.

Haku's eyes were pure and kind, while Jugo stood silently to the side.

He was acutely aware of his next journey: to conduct that horrific experiment in a laboratory hidden even deeper within the Land of Snow.

That place is definitely not a place for these two little ones, especially Bai, whose overly pure and kind nature makes it even more unsuitable.

"I don't have that much time to take care of you." Gen Takuno's tone was calm and direct.

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai immediately took a small, eager step forward: "We'll take good care of ourselves! Really!"

He made a strong promise, his eyes filled with pleading.

Jugo, standing to the side, nodded vigorously and awkwardly. Although he didn't say anything, his determination to follow was equally clear.

Looking at their stubborn yet pleading expressions, Yuan Tuoye remained silent for a moment.

Finally, he reached out and gently stroked Shiro and Jugo's soft hair with his large, warm palm. The gesture carried an indescribable sense of comfort.

"Alright, just relax." He softened his tone. "This is one of my temporary bases, after all. Don't worry, I'll visit you at the orphanage often."

"Hmm—" A hint of disappointment flashed in Bai's eyes.

He understood what the adults meant; following them was no longer an option.

But the adult's promise was like a reassurance, instantly washing away the disappointment, and a warm, bright smile bloomed on his face once again.

The adults visit them often—that's really something to be happy about! It seems like that's a good thing too.