Golden Card Reward

"It failed!" The joy had yet to fade from the Kurama Clan Elder's face when the sudden reversal chilled his heart. He stared blankly at Kurama Murakumo lying motionless on the bed, seemingly unconscious, unable to believe it.

"How is my brother?" Kurama Unkai was even more emotionally shaken than the distraught Kurama Clan Elder. He practically threw himself toward the bed, wanting to wake his brother.

A snake as thick as an arm suddenly spiraled up from beneath his feet, tightly binding Kurama Unkai and suspending him in the air.

"If you don't want him to never wake up, don't provoke him." Orochimaru's hoarse voice sounded beside Kurama Unkai and the Kurama Clan Elder.

"What will happen to him?" Hearing Orochimaru's words, the Kurama Elder took a deep breath and calmed his despondent emotions. He gave Kurama Murakumo, lying on the bed, a complicated look before asking softly.

"Observe him for a while first. We need to determine which step went wrong. Once we rule that out, he may regain consciousness and recover. Then you can proceed with the next experiment." Orochimaru's tone was cold and hard.

"Don't worry about Senior Murakumo. According to the data, his Yin Attribute Chakra became too active and vigorous under the effects of the medicine, which in turn overtaxed his mind and body.

"If it hadn't been stopped, his mental exhaustion and excessively drained body would have turned him into a corpse. Next, we'll do our best to restore his consciousness and sort through the process and oversights of this experiment." Kagetsu said from the side.

"I understand. Please put Unkai down, Orochimaru-sama. I'll take him home." The now-calm Elder nodded and bowed to Orochimaru.

The snake Orochimaru had summoned from his sleeve to bind Kurama Unkai swiftly slithered off him, letting Kurama Unkai fall back to the ground.

Watching the two leave, Kagetsu suddenly looked up at Orochimaru. "Sensei, is this really all right?"

"What do you mean?" Orochimaru lowered his head to meet Kagetsu's gaze and asked in return.

"The experiment succeeded, but we deceived them by saying it failed," Kagetsu answered.

"Kagetsu, do you know what your biggest problem is right now?" Orochimaru looked down at Kagetsu. Without waiting for an answer, his low voice sounded again. "Your sense of morality is surprisingly strong!"

A look of astonishment appeared on Kagetsu's face.

"You are too gentle toward test subjects, and your moral sense is too strong. I saw that when you assisted me in researching Jugo. You always want to obtain people's consent before conducting research. That is impossible!

"If you want to explore and research all kinds of Kekkei Genkai, you may set a bottom line for yourself, but you must never be constrained by those so-called rules.

"Any researcher who reaches the pinnacle, aside from possessing talent, must be willing to research all kinds of experimental materials at any cost, place research above all else, and harbor a fanatical devotion to research. Only then can they reach the end.

"Sacrifice is an unavoidable path in research.

"Only a large number of experimental materials can allow research to advance rapidly.

"If you want to investigate Kekkei Genkai and ninjutsu, you must cast some things aside. The Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai is a powerful one, and like the Nara Clan, it belongs to Yin Release. He is excellent research material for you.

"Now that Sealing Technique has sealed his body, his Five Senses, and his Chakra, you can research him to your heart's content. Even if the test subject dies during the process, I can find an excuse to suppress it for you.

"He's yours." After saying that, Orochimaru patted Kagetsu's head and turned to leave the Laboratory.

Kurama Murakumo groaned as consciousness returned to him. His head throbbed violently, while every part of his body conveyed pain to his brain. His body felt like it had been drained to its limit, utterly spent.

He had even thought that he would die in this weakness and pain the next instant. Yet at the same time, another gentle force nourished his body, which was on the verge of collapse. Like a trickling stream, it slowly restored his strength and gave him power.

He struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he could only make out a small figure standing beside him. Once his eyes focused and his vision became clear, he recognized the somewhat familiar figure.

"You're awake?" Kagetsu looked at Kurama Murakumo as he opened his eyes.

"It's you!" Kurama Murakumo recognized Kagetsu as well. He laboriously turned his head and scanned his surroundings.

"There was an accident during the experiment. The Kurama Clan Elder and your younger brother left several days ago," Kagetsu explained thoughtfully.

"Did I fail?" It was as if Kurama Murakumo had finally let go of something. Relief and disappointment appeared on his face.

"No, you succeeded." Kagetsu's words made Kurama Murakumo's eyes widen instantly.

"Your mind and body were originally incapable of bearing the cost of awakening your Kekkei Genkai. Orochimaru Sensei and I had no choice but to use Sealing Technique to seal your mind and Chakra, forcibly ending the awakening process.

"But that only treated the symptoms, not the root cause. If we cannot find a solution, your end will be death—either immediate death, or a slow and unconscious death."

"Then..."

"You were lucky. You survived." Kagetsu saw what Kurama Murakumo wanted to say and interrupted him. "Orochimaru Sensei injected you with a potion. It was a byproduct of a certain research project and has powerful side effects.

"However, it can indeed restore the human body's vitality in an extremely short time, much like Medical Ninjutsu. The reason you are alive and awake now is because this potion saved you.

"After verifying it through various data, the injected dosage was found to be just enough to neutralize the Yin Release Power you gained after awakening, creating a balance within your body.

"For some time to come, do not use Chakra or fight. It would be best if you came here every day, or went to the Medical Department to have your body examined. Once your body returns to normal, you will be able to use the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai normally."

"Thank you." Kurama Murakumo's dry lips struggled to form his thanks before his consciousness grew hazy. Helplessly, he fell back into slumber.

Looking at the sleeping Kurama Murakumo, Kagetsu organized the Kekkei Genkai data on the Kurama Clan that had been gathered over this period. Something stirred in his heart, and he instinctively sank his consciousness into his mind.

Talent Card: Mayuri Kurotsuchi

World: Shinigami

Quality: Gold (10900/50000)

Effect: Growth-Type Research Talent

Field: Your research talent in Biological and Neural Fields far surpasses that in other Research and Development Fields!

Passive: Biological Modification! Kekkei Genkai Research! Yin Release Power!

Accumulation: All research is inseparable from the accumulation of extensive knowledge and material experimentation. All knowledge you possess will be understood and remembered more efficiently, then returned in an alternative form as Knowledge Feedback!

Achievement: For every recognized creation produced, the higher its Recognition, the more it can improve your Physical Fitness and strength.

Recognized research products: Dog Food, Kikaichū Insecticide, Turning God Tree! Yin Release Secret Technique: Shadow Coffin, Shadow Puppet, S-rank Ninjutsu: Blood Armor. Yin Release Genjutsu-type Kekkei Genkai Awakening Potion, Hashirama Cells Injection.

Reward: Physical Fitness +30, Chakra +1500

Obsession: Become a scientist surpassing Kisuke Urahara

Obsession Quest One: Kekkei Collapse Orb!

Golden Card Reward: Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Material Repository: Soul King's Left Hand (Fragment)

Soul King's Left Hand (Fragment): ① Power of Forced Execution, ② Can obtain all information about a target through touch, and can absorb and utilize the target's abilities and traits, allowing the user to evolve. ③ None

Description: One of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's most valuable spoils of war. Due to its incompleteness, you can only wield a fraction of its power. It has been converted into a corresponding ability and integrated into your bloodline.

Can grow!

Kagetsu's body suddenly hunched over. His mind abruptly became highly active, and his head began to swell with pain. Strangely, Kagetsu's shadow on the ground spread outward in every direction like a dense network of nerves.