"I will follow your instructions. From today onward, I will intensify my research on the Reanimation Jutsu!" Danzo Shimura said, staring intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi. His eyes were full of seriousness.
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval, his subsequent actions would undoubtedly become much easier.
After all, even if some commotion arose during his research, Sarutobi's promise would allow him to cover it up.
In this way, he could use the Reanimation Jutsu to summon the strongest figures of the past, injecting new life into the Root organization.
In his mind, a blueprint had already taken shape: to form a Root squad composed entirely of reanimated ninjas.
At that time, the powerful ninjas from Konoha's history, and even the strongest figures who had perished throughout the shinobi world, would gather under his command. They would become an invincible blade in his hands.
"Although I agree, you must remember to restrain yourself a little!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said, noticing the uncontrollable smile on Danzo's face.
A sense of unease rose in his heart, and his expression instantly turned stern.
"During this time, I will assign talented individuals to research alongside you. You must cooperate properly!"
Hiruzen could never fully trust Danzo.
In his eyes, Danzo was nothing more than a scapegoat for some of the trickier affairs.
How could he feel comfortable leaving such an important Reanimation experiment entirely in Danzo's hands?
If Danzo secretly performed the Reanimation Jutsu and summoned several powerful ninjas, their positions in Konoha could be instantly reversed. This was something Hiruzen could never allow.
"Heh… Then I shall await the arrival of the individuals you send for research!" Danzo snorted coldly, yet still agreed.
Both men were old foxes who had maneuvered through the shinobi world for many years.
Danzo knew very well the true meaning behind Hiruzen sending people to participate in the Reanimation research.
Simply put, it was because he didn't trust him and sent people to keep watch.
It seemed that Danzo's more secret strategies would have to advance quietly in the shadows. He would need to carefully hide them from Hiruzen's observers, or the entire plan would be ruined.
"The person will arrive soon. I believe your cooperation will go smoothly!" Hiruzen said, once again wearing a smile and nodding. The tone was so false it was almost sickening.
The two of them maintained this hypocritical facade, wary of each other while simultaneously smiling.
This smile, to both of them, was utterly fake, yet strangely, they tacitly chose not to expose each other.
Afterwards, they casually talked about trivial matters as if nothing had happened, conversing in an unusually cordial manner.
If an outsider had been present at that moment, they would have surely assumed the two were inseparable political partners, working hand in hand.
Yet, who could truly understand the darkness and scheming buried deep within their hearts?
Outside Konoha Village, in a hidden underground laboratory, the atmosphere was so tense it felt suffocating.
Genya hovered in his spiritual form, gently caressing Neji's mother's body for a long time, his expression focused and unwavering.
Beside him, Toshi concentrated fully on engraving a new lotus seal.
One by one, the lotus petals slowly unfolded.
Each petal looked like a meticulously crafted work of art, delicate and elegant, radiating a mysterious aura that deeply captured everyone's attention.
The success of this curse seal directly determined Neji's mother's life or death, pressing a heavy weight on everyone's hearts.
Neji stood nearby, clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white. His body trembled uncontrollably, eyes full of worry and anxiety, muttering under his breath, "It must succeed!"
At this moment, it felt as if the entire world had frozen, and time itself had stopped. Everyone's gaze locked tightly on Toshi's hands, not daring to breathe.
One petal, two petals… until sixty-four petals!
When the lotus seal finally reached sixty-four petals, it stopped growing completely, no new petals appeared.
In an instant, the laboratory fell into an eerie silence. Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on Toshi's every move, as if afraid of missing a single detail.
Finally, under the burning gaze of all present, Toshi let out a heavy sigh, slowly straightened his body, and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
This engraving had consumed almost all his chakra. His mental strength was nearly exhausted, and his body utterly fatigued.
"Toshi-san, how is my mother?" Neji rushed forward, his tone urgent, yet the trembling in his voice betrayed his fear and worry.
"Everything is successful!" Toshi looked at Neji, whose anxiety bordered on panic, and spoke slowly, "This time, it's thanks to Genya. With his spiritual power, he firmly bound your mother's soul, allowing me to successfully imprint the lotus seal onto her again."
In truth, Neji's mother's injuries were far more severe than Toshi had initially expected.
Without Genya's timely intervention and unique soul abilities to stabilize her fading spirit, completing this high-difficulty curse seal would have been impossible.
"Thank you, thank you!" Neji was so overwhelmed with emotion that his words stumbled. He repeated the phrase over and over, his eyes beginning to glisten with tears.
"You don't need to thank me," Toshi said gently. "It was Genya who kept your mother's soul from dispersing. Without him, your mother would have had no chance of stabilizing at all."
Toshi remained completely honest and did not take credit for himself, instead seriously revealing the truth to Neji.
"Genya," Hyuga Neji slowly turned his head upon hearing this, looking at Genya's ethereal soul form.
Genya's soul spoke softly, yet with unwavering firmness: "We are brothers. If you feel the need to thank me, then you are not treating me as a brother!"
"But—" Neji wanted to say more, yet when he saw Genya's sincere and resolute expression, the words caught in his throat and remained unsaid.
Still, deep in his heart, he had already engraved this debt of gratitude, silently vowing that from now on, his life belonged to Genya. If ever needed, he would brave fire and water without hesitation.
With that thought, he finally lowered his gaze to his mother, who remained unconscious, and softly asked, "Toshi-san, why hasn't my mother woken up yet?"
"Your mother's soul is severely injured," Toshi said, looking at Neji's mother with a solemn expression.
"Although the Lotus Seal has now stabilized her soul, it is still too fragile. The seal will continue to nurture her soul over time. Soon, she will awaken."
Hearing Toshi's words, everyone let out a slight sigh of relief while quietly hoping for Neji's mother to wake soon.
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