Shinigamification.
This was once a somewhat unrealistic hypothesis. But with the assistance of the two practical Special Kido, [Soul Manipulation] and [Reishi Manipulation], Sora had turned it into reality.
Of course,
It sounds simple, but the process involved many bumps and hardships.
Because research involving the soul is always quite deep and complex.
It was only after dozens of failed specimens paved the way that Sora managed to make Shinigamification a relatively stable technology.
Just like at the beginning, Sora started the initial experiments on the souls of Konoha's Ninjas collected from the battlefield. But those souls were very fragile, and often, after seven to thirteen soul surgeries, they would completely collapse due to insufficient spiritual power.
Clearly,
Based on the previous situation, Shinigamification was not suitable for the souls of ordinary Ninjas. So Sora turned his attention to the coincidentally collected soul of Shisui.
According to intelligence inference, this was a super genius who awakened the Mangekyo at eight years old, and an Indra's descendant. The level of his spiritual energy should be far above that of ordinary Ninjas.
The facts also proved Sora's deduction was correct. After undergoing seventeen soul surgeries, Shisui's soul underwent a qualitative change. The soul originally composed of Chakra, under the effect of a specially made converter, transformed into energy in the form of Reishi.
Massive amounts of Reishi accumulated in the mold pre-set by Sora. Coupled with the soul imprint condensed with Shinigami power, it ultimately formed the Shisui within the glass container before him… a special life form named the First Shinigami Test Subject.
The key to Shinigamification was the specially made converter Sora created using Reishi Manipulation, used to convert Chakra into special Reishi, and the Shinigami mold created using Soul Manipulation, used to shape the converted Reishi into form, ultimately forming the life form of Shinigami.
"Shisui-kun, your Kotoamatsukami gave me great inspiration, allowing me to glimpse the connection between Chakra and soul energy. So..."
"You are not only the best test subject but also the most excellent assistant for this experiment. You have even personally opened the door to the Uchiha Clan for me."
"I think there's something you probably don't fully understand yet. That is, the Uchiha Clan possesses love even more intense than the Senju Clan's. But because this love is too intense, once they lose this love, the Uchiha become insane because of it. Intense hatred replaces love, causing their entire personality to change drastically."
"And that so-called love is actually a special Chakra hidden within the brain. Once stimulated mentally, it gushes forth, transforming the Uchiha's body. This can manifest specifically as the appearance of the One-Tomoe, Two-Tomoe, and Three-Tomoe Sharingan, as well as a great increase in physical function, reaction speed, and Chakra. In other words, the soul of each Uchiha is much stronger than that of an ordinary Ninja."
"Therefore..."
"Ninjas of the Uchiha Clan are also more likely to survive the Shinigamification experiment."
Sora looked gently at Shisui inside the glass container, explaining with considerable patience.
"!!!!!!"
Looking at Sora's soft smile, an inexplicable feeling of creeping horror arose in Shisui's heart. As that feeling gradually became more concrete, Shisui naturally began to struggle madly.
"No!"
"What do you want to do to my clansmen? If you dare lay a hand on Itachi, on the Uchiha Clan, I will definitely kill you!!!!!!!"
Beneath an expression of eyes wide with fury was Shisui's furious and desperate roar. He struggled madly inside the glass container, but all his struggles were suppressed by the golden Reiatsu Chains, allowing him only to powerlessly emit painful wails.
"Interesting..."
Sora let out a light laugh and said, "Already unable to save yourself, yet still worried about the safety of your clansmen. Is this the power of love unique to the Uchiha Clan?"
"Shisui-kun, your reaction further proves my choice is correct. The souls of the Uchiha Clan are the first stop on the world's ascension journey."
Sora's tone was calm and gentle, but the meaning within his words was frightening upon closer thought, making Shisui feel increasingly chilled to the bone.
'The souls of the Uchiha Clan...'
'Souls?'
'Isn't it only the deceased who possess something called a soul!!!'
"Kill... I'll kill you! If you harm my clansmen, I will burn everything to kill you!!!"
Perhaps the fluctuations caused by anger made unbelievably appear patches of flesh-toned color, like human skin, on Shisui's pure white Shinigami body.
This was a very miraculous thing. Even Sora, who controlled the entire experimental process, couldn't help but show an admiringly amazed expression.
"As expected, fear is the driving force behind human evolution. Just as Homo Sapiens evolved rationality and thought because they feared the strength of Neanderthals, you, Shisui-kun, have also entered the gate of human evolutionary history because of the fear in your heart. Isn't this a wonderful thing for both you and me?"
Sora looked gently at Shisui, as if admiring the most magnificent work of art, and said leisurely: "You probably don't yet know how significant your appearance is for the humans of this world. Perhaps thousands of years from now, your name will have become a historical totem, transformed into a divine existence like Nuwa, Jesus, or Shakyamuni. And your soul and will shall therefore become immortal."
"Or, Shisui-kun, you are an intelligent youth after all. Have you ever thought about how the Chakra that Ninjas rely on is actually produced?"
"What is the essence of this world?"
"Legend says the Sage of Six Paths created this world and founded Ninshu. Then who created the Sage of Six Paths?"
"Or perhaps you have already felt the energy filling your body, yet completely different from Chakra. This energy, which I call Reiatsu, doesn't it make you wonder? Just as I created you, Shisui-kun, and Reiatsu, couldn't the Sage of Six Paths and Chakra also be playthings created by some existence?"
"If even the Sage of Six Paths is like this, then couldn't the physical bodies possessed by ordinary Ninjas and humans merely be clay-sculpted prisons created by some divine existence using Chakra for the purpose of control?"
"The so-called soul is just the prison, and the doll-like shell is bound by layer upon layer of shackles."
"Then..."
"Could the Chakra that Ninjas rely on for survival become the abyssal demon that devours them one day in the future?"
Sora's voice was light and slow, peeling back layer upon layer of Shisui's subconscious, exposing the deepest fears within his heart.
'The world?'
'Life?'
'Chakra?'
'Could it be that my life is just the whim of some divine existence, and the meaning of my existence is... meaningless?'
"What are you even saying? Who are Nuwa, Jesus, Shakyamuni? Yuki Sora, you're just talking nonsense, don't think you can deceive me!"
Shisui felt inexplicably shocked because he knew the devil-like man before him held his life and death in his hands. With a single thought, he could make his soul and life utterly turn to dust and smoke.
Therefore, Sora had no need to deceive him. Everything he said was very likely the truth.
The Sage of Six Paths?
Could the legendary founder of Ninshu have also obtained the powerful strength sufficient to found a school from some devil-like existence!?
Just like the current him, had he unknowingly become another's pawn, unable to even control his own life?
The more he thought, the more fearful he became. The furious Shisui thus became calm. He stared into Sora's eyes, and within his pale pupils, a hint of black gradually appeared.
"Reishi and Chakra are both fundamental energies sufficient to construct a world. The existence of some conversion mechanism between the two is also to be expected."
"Shisui-kun, you probably remember Konoha's Kato Dan, right? That Forbidden Technique called the Spirit Transformation Technique proves that in this world, pure Shinigami soul bodies are also a logical form of life existence."
"Remember the swastika-shaped rune at the position of your heart. You can call it the Reishi Converter. With it, you now possess the ability to absorb Chakra, convert it into Reishi, and strengthen yourself."
"Ignoring bloodline, regardless of origin, as long as one trains diligently, one can become stronger fairly. Isn't this more superior than Chakra, this shackling chain of a deus ex machina?"
"Perhaps one day in the future, you will thereby possess power sufficient to kill me. So-called god-slaying power… doesn't that sound very enticing?"
After leaving behind a rather dangerous temptation, Sora turned and walked straight out of the dim laboratory.
Inside the glass container, the golden Reiatsu Chains still emitted terrifying fluctuations. Strands of golden Reishi condensed into shapes like surgical scalpels, continuously leaving traces of modification and optimization on Shisui's Shinigami Body.
But that soul-carving severe pain did not elicit any sound from Shisui. It was as if all his spirit and senses were captivated by the horrifying world picture Sora had depicted, unable to spare even a sliver of consciousness to feel the pain.
…
Just after walking out of the laboratory, Sora stopped in the brightly lit corridor. He opened his palm, suspending a black sphere of Chakra in the void.
This was the alien Chakra he had separated from Shisui's soul through the seventeen soul surgeries.
Its quality level was quite high, a world of difference from the inferior Uchiha Chakra on Shisui's body.
'Is this the power of Yin-Yang Release?'
A thoughtful expression appeared on Sora's face.
Clearly, the appearance of Yin-Yang Release power on Shisui was quite unreasonable. Just like Shisui inexplicably awakening the Mangekyo at eight years old, it was bizarre abnormality that felt wrong at first glance.
It wasn't just Shisui. Similar bizarre things had happened to other Konoha's aces Sora had encountered before.
For example, Hatake Kakashi standing firm after dozens of Chidori, Jiraiya instantly activating Sage Mode, Minato's greatly enhanced Fire Release: Rasengan, Kushina's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, plus Shisui's eight-year-old Mangekyo...
These were all clearly abnormal situations. Sora had suspected it before.
Now, after extracting the Yin-Yang Release Chakra from Shisui's soul, he became increasingly convinced of his earlier speculation.
Someone was manipulating all this from behind the scenes. Perhaps it was Otsutsuki Hagoromo, or perhaps some other divine or ghostly existence.
They were using high-level Chakra Authority to modify the powers of people like Jiraiya, Minato, and Kushina, giving them maximum support in the shadows.
Everything happened in secret, unknown to the public. But in the eyes of Sora, who knew the entire history of Naruto, it was full of loopholes.
'Someone has their eyes on me.'
'And...'
'It's probably someone at the Otsutsuki-level?'
Sora's expression became quite interested. Although the enemy was in the dark and he was in the light, judging by the situation, he held a considerable advantage.
The fact that the opponent didn't dare to act personally proved too many things.
Whether wary of something or not, in the game of chess between masters, losing momentum means losing half the battle already.
'In short…'
'The first step of the Shinigami Project is proceeding very smoothly. With the First Test Subject, Uchiha Shisui, as a template, subsequent experiments can be gradually promoted.'
'The Uchiha Clan, being slaughtered by Konoha as a warehouse for Sharingan, is simply too wasteful. Those precious test subjects will be more useful in my hands.'
Sora walked slowly through the corridor.
Where he passed, a pale golden barrier would rise every five meters, silently sealing off the entire laboratory.
These barriers not only had the function of blocking perception but also possessed extremely strong destructive power.
If someone forced their way into the laboratory, even a Kage-level Ninja would be blasted to death on the spot here.
"Konoha, Uchiha..."
"I'll be coming for you."
As the stone door of the secret chamber finally closed, only Sora's words, filled with a dangerous meaning, continued to echo in the long and quiet corridor.