Driven by a desire not to waste resources, Seimei raised his hand and formed a seal, casting the jutsu again—Chakra Absorption Technique.
In no time, the chakra of the two individuals on the ground was drained completely.
Their life force quickly dissipated.
Initially, Seimei intended to perform "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique" on each of them, to eliminate all traces. However, considering the noise it might generate, he ultimately refrained.
After all, the faces they saw were just disguises he and his shadow clone created using Transformation Jutsu. Even if anyone discovered something later, it wouldn't matter.
Besides, once he leaves this base, there's no guarantee it will still exist, let alone these two bodies.
Casually, he hid the two bodies in a corner, then followed the memory of the Root agent with the code name "Aka," heading toward Experiment Zone Three.
Along the way, he encountered several more guards transformed from test subjects.
Seimei showed no mercy and took them all down.
If they had remained test subjects, he might have let them go. But once they sided with the Root agents, he had no reason to hold back.
As for why they chose this path…
Seimei didn't care to listen or know.
He acts based on his instincts.
If he feels it's unpleasant, he'll kill—no need to justify it.
He continued moving forward, leaving a trail of destruction until he reached Experiment Zone Three.
What lay before him resembled more a prison than a laboratory, with dozens of cells densely packed inside.
In these cells, civilians were held captive. Each showed signs of having been modified, with their life signs appearing unstable.
Some were even dead, exuding a stench that turned the stomach.
Tap, tap, tap~
Seimei and his shadow clone continued forward.
Suddenly, a voice emerged from the front.
"You're back."
The voice was soft, but particularly clear.
Seimei looked up and saw a middle-aged man covered in scales lying on an operating table ahead.
Beside him stood another figure.
Seimei recognized him. Or rather, the Root agent "Aka," whose identity he was using, recognized him. It was none other than Kimura Kazuhiko.
At that moment, Kazuhiko had his back turned, busy with something.
Without pausing, Seimei continued walking forward, letting out a brief "Mhm" as if responding to the question.
Upon hearing the response, Kazuhiko turned around.
It was a young ninja, in his early thirties, wearing rimless glasses and a white lab coat.
If not for the bloodstains on it, he might have looked like a friendly older brother from the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, he was nothing less than a demon.
Kazuhiko looked at him, sorting his tools as he spoke, "We're out of test subjects. Make sure to bring some more tomorrow."
"Mhm."
Seimei responded again and kept walking forward.
"Oh, right!"
Just then, Kazuhiko seemed to remember something and asked, "What was that surge of chakra outside just now?"
"It's nothing…"
Seimei muttered, sensing that he was close enough. He prepared to activate his Sharingan and take control.
However, Kazuhiko's nose twitched slightly, as if sensing something.
The next instant, his pupils shrank, and he stared at Seimei, demanding, "You're not Aka. Who are you?"
"Guess."
Seimei replied and activated his Sharingan instantly.
"What?!"
Seeing those eyes, Kazuhiko was shocked and furious.
But his reaction was swift. Almost as soon as Seimei triggered the Sharingan and cast Genjutsu, Kazuhiko shut his eyes.
At the same time, he leaped backward.
Without hesitation, Seimei drew the longsword from his waist, a green light flashing as he unleashed the Instant Sword Technique.
In a flash, he was beside Kazuhiko.
Whoosh~
The blade swung, aimed at his shoulder.
He avoided the neck and head on purpose, wanting to keep him alive to extract the knowledge he needed.
Although the Root agent Aka knew a lot, he wasn't deeply involved in the experiments.
Therefore, he wasn't sure where the relevant knowledge was stored or if it was even recorded.
So he needed to capture Kazuhiko alive to obtain precise information.
However, this allowed Kazuhiko time to react.
Sensing the danger, Kazuhiko grabbed a scalpel nearby and blocked Seimei's strike with his keen reflexes.
Clang~
A clear metallic sound echoed as the sword and scalpel clashed, forcing Kazuhiko to stumble sideways.
At that moment, Seimei's shadow clone moved, appearing on the side Kazuhiko was falling toward.
He extended his hands.
Smack~
The shadow clone grabbed Kazuhiko's arm.
A moment later, a powerful suction emerged from his palm.
Kazuhiko felt the chakra in his body flood into his arm like a broken dam, pouring out uncontrollably.
"Damn it!"
He cursed under his breath.
Then, with a determined expression, he infused Wind Style chakra into his right hand, which held the scalpel, and swung it down onto his left arm.
A moment later, his left arm was severed.
Immediately afterward, he twisted his body at an impossible angle, narrowly evading Seimei's main attack.
"Body modification?"
Seeing this, Seimei's eyes narrowed.
The next moment, a fierce aura radiated from him, causing Kazuhiko, who was about to escape, to freeze momentarily.
This brief pause gave the shadow clone an opening. With a swift Rasengan, he struck Kazuhiko directly.
"Ahhh—"
Kazuhiko's agonized scream echoed, drawing the attention of the test subjects in nearby cells.
Ignoring the half-dead test subjects, Seimei used the Instant Sword Technique again to appear in front of Kazuhiko.
Then, as their eyes met, he cast "Genjutsu: Sharingan."
Kazuhiko was powerless to resist, and his consciousness began to slip away.
Kazuhiko was now under his control.
In the end, he was just a researcher.
He might have a better sense of perception than most ninjas and had undergone some modifications, but compared to Seimei, he was far inferior.
So it was no surprise he failed to escape.
Looking at the now-entranced Kazuhiko, Seimei didn't immediately delve into his memory. Instead, he turned to his shadow clone and ordered, "Go handle the rest of the unstable elements in this base."
From Aka's memories, he knew that the test subjects he had eliminated along the way weren't the only ones.
Now that Kazuhiko was under his control, he didn't have to worry about anything.
It was time to deal with those who posed a threat.
"Mhm."
Without a word, the shadow clone nodded and instantly left to carry out the order.
Once he was alone, Seimei returned his attention to Kazuhiko.
Now, it was time to see what he could extract.
(End of Chapter)