socalfunplaces Chapter 153 The Power of the Kaleidoscope
Chapter 153 The Power of the Kaleidoscope
Chapter 153 The Power of the Kaleidoscope
In the forest where frost and fire intertwine, trees lean, shrubs fly, the earth is either scorched or frozen, and the pitted ground is full of puddles.
A handsome young man with black hair was bowing and apologizing to two older boys and girls, his face full of ingratiating smiles, his attitude as humble as could be.
"Yohei, Saori, please forgive me. I really acted on impulse, wanting to test my newfound power!"
Looking at the two with cold faces, especially the trail of blood at the corner of Yangping's eye, Taiyi felt genuinely guilty.
Yang Ping remained unmoved. He had just been truly determined to fight to the death. If Taiyi had revealed his identity any later, he would have already been ready to activate Susanoo.
Saori, being a girl after all, softened her heart when she saw Taiichi's humble attitude.
"Taiyi, really! We were so worried just now. You really can't do this again next time. Look at Yangping, his eyes are still bleeding. You should get him treated right away."
With Saori's offer, Taiichi and Yohei readily accepted it.
Taiyi flashed to Yangping's side, a dense green light emanating from his hand. He looked directly at Yangping and said, "Yangping, don't move! Let me examine you!"
Yangping didn't dodge, but just quietly looked at Taiyi, though the anger in his eyes had diminished considerably.
Seeing this, Taiyi no longer hesitated and placed his hands on Yangping's temples, beginning to quietly sense the state of his eyes and brain.
Clearly, the pupillary force in Yangping's right eye was abnormally active, like a wild child running amok, operating wildly in his eye. The bleeding was caused by the eye itself being unable to withstand the pressure brought by the pupillary force, thus damaging the internal tissues of the eye.
Furthermore, Taiyi also discovered that the rate at which this pupil power was being generated was exceptionally slow. More than ten minutes had passed since the end of the battle, and there had been no significant increase in the pupil power in his right eye.
This led Taiichi to a conjecture: the Sharingan's eye power recovers slowly to begin with, and the more it is used, the greater the damage to the eyes becomes. Could this create a vicious cycle, ultimately leading to blindness?
Of course, this is just speculation, and the final result will require further observation and research.
But at this moment, Taiyi's first priority is to treat the damage to his eyes and calm the raging pupil power in his right eye.
Chakra was transformed into Yang attribute, and a rich life force surged in Taiyi's hands, acting on Yangping's eyes. The bleeding was stopped immediately, and the pupil power gradually subsided with Yangping's own cooperation.
No wonder it's said that Hashirama's cells can restrain the power of the Kaleidoscope. To be precise, it should be a mutual restraint between high-quality Yang Release and Yin Release.
However, ordinary people do not possess the powerful Yang attribute power of Hashirama Senju. Based on Taiyi's current observation, given the quality of the Yin attribute in the Mangekyou Sharingan, the Yang attribute transformation would require at least reaching the peak of Kage level 13.
Considering that I'm only at Lv9 with the Yang attribute, the road ahead is truly long and arduous.
However, what is difficult for others is only a matter of time for Taiyi. Moreover, with Taiyi's current abilities, he can easily treat Yangping's eye condition.
After a long while, when Taiyi withdrew his hands, Yangping reopened his eyes. A cool sensation came from his eyes, and the stinging sensation he had felt when using the Kaleidoscope had disappeared.
"How are you feeling, Yangping? Do you have any particular sensations?" Taiyi asked attentively, wanting to get timely feedback from the patient.
Yangping looked at Taiyi, then at Saori, and then turned to look into the distance. He found that the world before him was still clear and bright, and he was immediately happy.
"Very good. There was indeed a moment of blurriness after using the right eye pupil technique, but it has recovered now."
"It seems my guess was right. However, Yangping, you still need to be careful. My current ability can only treat minor damage to your eyes. Once it exceeds a certain limit, I will be powerless to help."
Taiyi still gave him a heads-up, to prevent Yangping from using the kaleidoscope without restraint after his treatment.
"I know, I know!" Yangping didn't care about any of that at the moment. With Taiyi's treatment, at least using it in small amounts was no problem at all. He had just tried the pupil technique of his right eye - Susanoo.
After trying it, he realized how powerful the Kaleidoscope's special eye technique was. If he couldn't use it in the future, wouldn't that be the death of him?
"Taiyi, how was it? How powerful was my eye technique just now?" Yangping couldn't wait to show off.
"Oh!" Taiichi exclaimed in surprise, "It was your eye technique that caused the power of that fireball to suddenly surge, and your physical techniques that made each punch have the effect of superhuman strength."
Saori looked at Yohei with curiosity. Although she wouldn't actively inquire about her teammates' ninjutsu, she would be happy to listen if her teammates told her. Besides, the previous fire ninjutsu was indeed very powerful, almost as powerful as Taiichi's full-power fire ninjutsu.
"Yes, yes!" Yangping had completely forgotten that he was angry earlier and was now acting like a child eager to show off his new toy.
"That's called Susanoo-no-Mikoto, named after the legendary god of destruction. Its effect is to amplify the power of one's ninjutsu and attacks by consuming eye power and chakra."
"Currently, the amplification effect is doubled. Once you become more proficient, you can achieve a greater amplification effect by increasing the power consumed."
Taiichi was amazed. It was a simple yet powerful eye technique that directly amplified attack power, and both ninjutsu and taijutsu were within its range. As expected of a god of destruction, its function was indeed so direct.
This is perhaps the eye technique born from Yohei's urgent desire for power when he awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan. The saying that the Sharingan is the eye that reflects the soul is really apt. I just don't know what the ability of Yohei's left eye is.
However, despite his curiosity, Taiyi didn't actively inquire about it.
"The eye technique is indeed very powerful, but one's own strength is fundamental. Yangping, don't forget, you said that yourself!" Taiyi solemnly reminded him.
Yang Ping was taken aback when he heard this. He had been so engrossed in researching and exploring the Sharingan that he had completely forgotten about his own training. Fortunately, Taiyi's reminder brought him back to his senses.
"Thank you, Taiichi, I won't forget!" Yangping lowered his head and fell silent.
Saori then asked the real reason why everyone was fighting, "Taichi, how did you learn Ice Release?"
Saori's question finally brought the issue back on track, and Yangping realized that they had actually fought over it before.
Now it was Taiichi's turn to show off, after all, a ninja who could autonomously fuse bloodline limits like him was extremely rare, even in the entire ninja world.
When Taiyi recounted how he used his chakra control and superb feng shui nature transformations to explore the world step by step, causing countless explosions and dangers along the way, the two listened with great interest, wishing they could try it themselves.
Fortunately, Taiichi reminded him at the end: "Don't try this if you don't have extremely strong chakra control. I only survived because of the cremation technique. An ordinary person would probably be half-dead from the elemental conflict if they tried it."
That's how they gave up the idea of trying it on their own. After all, the reality was only more difficult than Taiyi described. He himself only made a start and then completed the rest using skill points, so it had no reference value whatsoever.
It was only at this point that the noise from their fight attracted the attention of the patrolling ninjas. After all, this was near the camp, and Taiichi's team had reported to the camp that they had been training here for the past two days. But with such a huge commotion, the patrolling ninjas had to come and check it out no matter what.
Sensing that others were rapidly approaching, Taiyi casually waved his hand, and a fire dragon was created, spinning rapidly around the arena. The ice that had frozen on the ground and trees around them melted quickly under the high temperature of the flames, leaving only a pool of water.
"Lord Taiichi, what's going on here?" After the previous matter was dealt with, the patrolling ninjas arrived and, seeing the chaotic scene around them, were at a loss for words.
"Sorry, our team was conducting a live-fire exercise here, and it made a bit too much noise. We apologize for the inconvenience!"
Taiichi politely waved his hand, dismissing the ninja who came to investigate. Although he was still only a Chunin, his reputation in the northern camp was quite high. This small matter could be easily resolved without affecting the camp.
After watching the patrolling ninja leave, the three members of the team trained for a while before returning to their camp.
At the camp gate, they bumped into two people they hadn't seen for several days—Minato Namikaze and Hizashi Hyuga.
"Taiichi, Youhei, Saori!" Minato greeted us with a sunny smile, which felt like a gentle breeze. "It's great to see you! We haven't seen each other since we came to this camp. I thought you had gone back to Konoha."
Richa followed closely behind, nodding calmly: "We've been operating behind enemy lines for a while now, and when we came back, we were on missions and left again." He did offer an explanation.
"Minato-senpai! Hizashi-senpai!" Yohei's booming voice was filled with the joy of a long-awaited reunion. "I've been looking for you for so long. It turns out you've been on missions all this time."
"Come on, come on, it's been a long time. Let's find a place to have a good chat." Minato hooked his arm around Taichi and pulled him toward the camp with a big smile. "Don't block the entrance and obstruct everyone's passage."
The group of five chatted and laughed as they arrived at a temporary camp, where they sat together and talked about their experiences.
"What?! You're saying that Kazekazuki is also a spy?!"
When the topic of Taiichi's team's previous ambush was brought up, Hizashi was surprised to hear the news. He hadn't expected to encounter two spy incidents in just one month.
Minato, however, appeared much calmer. "Remember when we were chasing after the defense map?" Minato said casually, "Those two, Kazeko, kept getting into trouble. Looking back now, it seems they were just slowing us down so the Cloud Village spies could escape!"
The group thought about it and realized it was true. Exhaustion, falling from the tree in the dark—these were mistakes that even a genin could avoid, yet he, a chunin, had made them all.
However, it's not fair to blame people for not recognizing him. Who would suspect a spy who has been infiltrating Konoha since childhood? It's just the fault of this terrible world.
"The enemy was so well hidden—thankfully you were the ones who won in the end!" Minato's face was extremely solemn. The war hadn't even started yet, and the conflicts between the villages were already so intense. Once the war truly began, who knows how chaotic the ninja world would become.
He took a deep breath, as if he had thought of something, and his tone became more sinister than ever before: "Although you escaped this ambush, you still need to be more careful, especially you, Taiyi."
"During a break in our mission, we visited an intelligence outpost in the Land of Hot Springs and obtained a new bounty list from an underground gold exchange, which included your name."
Minato carefully pulled a piece of paper from his personal ninja tool pouch and unfolded it in front of the three. It contained the latest updated bounty information, which included a blurry portrait of Taichi, and the bounty below it was a staggering 1000 million ryo.
"Ten million taels!" Yang Ping gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "Taiyi's only a Chunin!"
Minato nodded emphatically, his golden bangs swaying slightly, his sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd: "This defies all logic! But Taichi, this precisely signifies your special status in the eyes of the enemy!"
"Those bounty hunters, rogue ninjas from various villages, even Sunagakure and Iwagakure, don't mind killing you, this Konoha genius worth 1000 million ryo, early on." Minato said solemnly, "From the moment you stepped out of the camp, you became a walking golden target."
"
Seeing everyone looking at him with concern, Taiyi didn't care at all. It was only 1000 million taels. Asuma had a bounty of 3000 million taels back then, and he was still alive and well.
My current strength is far greater than Asuma's back then, and my ability to protect myself is so strong that I have nothing to worry about.
"Why are you all staring at me like that? You all know my strength. What can those chickens and dogs outside do to me!" Taiyi smiled confidently, and his nonchalant attitude clearly infected the others, easing the tense atmosphere in the tent.
At this time, Orochimaru's urgent letter had also been delivered to Hiruzen Sarutobi through special channels.
To be honest, Hiruzen Sarutobi was tempted by the plan Orochimaru described in his letter and the prospects after achieving his goal.
However, considering the current situation where Konoha is surrounded by enemies, and the possibility that excessive provocation of Kumogakure could immediately trigger a war, the Hokage does not want to bear the stigma of starting a war.
Having considered this matter, Hiruzen Sarutobi was once again caught in a dilemma. Helpless, he had to summon his strategist group to discuss the matter together.
After a long while, when the Konoha F4 gathered again in the Hokage's office, the office was once again filled with smoke.
Hiruzen Sarutobi handed Orochimaru's urgent letter to the three advisors for them to read. Before he could even ask a question, Danzo couldn't wait to start speaking.
"Hiruzen, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Kumogakure suffered such a huge loss at the hands of Taiichi's team this time, and their frontline strength has been severely depleted. They are currently facing a shortage of troops and low morale!"
Orochimaru's plan was feasible: send an elite squad deep behind enemy lines, avoiding engagement with their main force and targeting their weaknesses.
""
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his tone gradually becoming impassioned, filled with the aggressiveness and desire to strike at enemy countries characteristic of militants.
Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses revealing deep worry: "Danzo, you're talking about an ideal situation!"
But what about our own war preparations? Sunagakure and Iwagakure are both eyeing us covetously on the border.
Given their nature, the Hidden Cloud Village will undoubtedly retaliate fiercely after this defeat, perhaps even joining forces with other ninja villages to attack the Hidden Leaf Village.
What if we're not prepared? Therefore, I believe that launching an attack now would be a serious mismatch between risk and reward, and would be a losing proposition!
Koharu Utatane immediately chimed in, her voice steady but equally opposed: "Yan is right. Our frontline supplies and personnel rotations are not yet in place. The reduced pressure on Orochimaru's northern defenses is a good thing, giving us the opportunity to consolidate our defenses and support the southwestern fronts."
The two men, working in unison, completely wore down Danzo's already dwindling patience. He scoffed, "Womanish sentimentality! The victory is right before our eyes! Throwing the baby out with the bathwater will only lead to missed opportunities! Orochimaru, as the commander-in-chief on the front lines, sees things most clearly, and his judgment—"
"Orochimaru's judgment—" Mitokado Homura interrupted Danzo before he could finish speaking: "He is only the commander-in-chief of the northern front, and he can see other places as well."
He certainly wanted to seize this opportunity to make a great contribution and prove himself. With nothing happening on the other two fronts, the cross-border operation on the northern front and the destruction of the Cloud Village's rear were not urgent. Such a great achievement would be a valuable asset even in the future competition for Hokage!
Koharu Utatane opened her mouth, trying to ease the atmosphere, but saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression suddenly become extremely solemn and complicated.
Whether Mitokado Homura's words were unintentional or deliberate, they were like a cold needle, precisely piercing the most sensitive string in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart—the choice of successor and prestige.
Danzo also sensed the change in atmosphere. An indescribable light flashed in his eyes. Yan's words not only reminded Hiruzen but also him that he now wanted to compete for the Fourth Hokage position.
Moreover, he knew Hiruzen Sarutobi too well. If he had any intention of taking the initiative to attack at the beginning, after Yan's words, that thought disappeared completely.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, which blurred his somber face. He raised his hand and ended the heated debate with an undeniable tone.
"Enough—Yan and Koharu's concerns stem from a comprehensive consideration of Konoha as a whole; they are pragmatic and necessary. Now is not the time to completely enrage Kumogakure and drag the Land of Fire into a full-scale war."
He picked up Orochimaru's proposal and closed it gently, but with utmost determination.
"Order the northern front: maintain the current defensive posture. Orochimaru's plan—reject it. Let him focus on consolidating the existing defenses. The village will send him the supplies he needs as soon as possible; don't worry."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over everyone present, his tone leaving no room for argument.
A deathly silence fell over the office. Danzo's lips twitched slightly, a mixture of amusement and anger, but in the end, he simply turned and silently left the Hokage's office.