Research Underway

"The Five-Tails 'Chakra?"

Yuki Yoizuki gazed at Katsuki's retreating figure and fell silent.

Chakra is energy without a physical form, and therefore it can be attached to tools or fists to increase their hardness or sharpness.

Materialized Chakra is very rare; apart from Chakra aggregates like Tailed Beasts, it is very difficult for ordinary humans to achieve this.

The idea of materializing and capturing someone else's Chakra is something I've never even heard of.

But at that very moment, Katsuki put on this show for them.

"That's perverted!"

Otoha smacked her lips lightly.

"Hey, Otoha, don't forget my ears are really sharp. It's best to keep your thoughts to yourself; saying them out loud is just too painful..."

Katsuki's voice came through.

Otoha's expression changed, her lips moved slightly, but she quickly realized what was happening and pressed her lips tightly together.

After the minor incident, Katsuki focused on studying the entanglement and connection between the Five-Tails 'Chakra and Han's Chakra. His ambition was to extract the Tailed Beast without harming the Jinchuriki.

The crimson Chakra tightly clenched in his palm emanated a terrifying and repulsive aura, writhing and twisting as if it possessed a consciousness. Upon closer inspection, one could see wisps of pale blue Chakra interspersed within it—this was Han's Chakra ...

"This is more troublesome than I expected!"

What exactly do you want to do?

Han asked the question.

"What for? Hmm, let me think... It should be doing a good deed! Helping you get rid of the Jinchuriki identity, how about that?" Katsuki didn't even look up, studying the Chakra in his hand, kneading it like clay. "Jinchuriki are a discriminated-against group no matter which ninja village they're in, right? This is a good opportunity to help you get rid of that identity."

Han kept his mouth tightly shut, enduring the tearing pain in his abdomen, and coldly watched Katsuki's actions.

Patiently waiting, waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity that may never come.

"... The connection is really strong. This is... a replacement for one's own Chakra... No wonder, no wonder the Jinchuriki dies after the Tailed Beast is removed..."

With skillful hands, Katsuki dissected Han's chest and abdomen, carefully studying each organ. Without harming the experimental subject's life, she gained a great deal.

"This is the real reason why Jinchuriki Tailed Beast is extracted! It should be correct..."

Muttering uncertainly, Katsuki frowned and pondered.

Jinchuriki are a very peculiar existence.

By sealing off the immense Chakra of the Tailed Beasts with his physical body, he essentially created a nuclear reactor within his body.

The Tailed Beast Chakra, like nuclear radiation, continuously affects the Jinchuriki 'Jinchuriki body, penetrating little by little into every organ and every cell.

When the Tailed Beast, which acts as both a radiation source and a stabilizer, is removed, the Jinchuriki's body loses its safety valve, causing it to collapse at an alarming rate and ultimately die.

"Ah! This is really bad news... There's no way to safely sever the connection between the Tailed Beast and the Jinchuriki this way!" Katsuki released the materialized Chakra in her hand, letting it shrink back into Han's body, and let out a heavy sigh.

Han's wound bled very little.

Katsuki's methods are very skillful. After all, she is one of the top experts at Konoha Hospital, having performed thousands of surgeries. It would be too embarrassing if she were still flustered.

"The healing is so slow... It's such Jinchuriki."

Katsuki pouted.

"Hey, Katsuki, didn't you seal away all of their Chakra?"

Nawaki couldn't help but complain.

"... Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

Katsuki scratched her head.

······

The air grew quiet.

Otoha's face twitched violently, suppressing the urge to retort.

Rokuro Kaguya pressed his hand to his chest, making sure he wouldn't collapse from a heartbeat that was too intense.

Beneath the crimson mask, Han's face was also blank, his brain like a rusted machine, completely unable to function... Was this guy joking?

How could I possibly forget something like this!?

"Well, fine, I'll help you out. As my precious experimental subject, you need to be kept in perfect condition."

With his right hand pressed against the wound, the pale green Chakra glow characteristic of Medical Ninjutsu shone forth, and the wound began to heal at a visible speed.

"Hey, Katsuki, is that all?"

"Seriously? Aren't you going to kill this big guy? I thought you were going to kill him, that's why I followed you here?"

Nawaki and Otoha started shouting at each other.

"Lord Katsuki, Jinchuriki such dangerous beings, it's safer to eliminate them as soon as possible..." Yuki Yoizuki couldn't help but advise.

The oil lamps hanging on the wall, their tiny flames swaying in the swirling air from the breaths of the air, cast enormous black shadows that danced like monsters. A dense killing intent filled the narrow space, surging towards the Five-Tails Jinchuriki.

"... Can't you be a little gentler with your guests? I've already said this is my valuable experimental material. As for safety, I'll personally guard this place. I won't leave until the experiment is over."

Katsuki withdrew her hand; Han's wound had healed.

"Huh? You're personally guarding this place? But aren't you the commander-in-chief of the army?" Otoha's mouth dropped open.

"What does it matter? The Stone Ninja have already been defeated and are being humiliated by the Sand ninja. Even if the Cloud Ninja are causing trouble, it's not our place to step in. The army has nothing to do now, and I have fulfilled my duty as commander," Katsuki argued vehemently.

"Sixth Brother, you will temporarily command the army from now on. I need to focus on my research. I... might have figured out what your clan's Bloodline Disease is."

Katsuki revealed a mysterious smile.

"Ahem!! Lord Katsuki, leave it to me, I will complete the mission perfectly."

Rokuro Kaguya's face was flushed with excitement. He did not doubt the truth of what Katsuki said. Bloodline Disease was the most painful heartache of the Kaguya Clan, and no one dared to joke about it.

Moreover, Katsuki is not one to speak carelessly.

With Rokuro Kaguya's assurance, Katsuki stopped paying attention to the onlookers, turned around, tilted her head slightly, looked at the suspended man, and a subtle smile appeared on her lips.

"Let's continue..."

A thin, bluish-green wind blade, as fine as paper, sliced open Han Fang's newly healed chest, revealing skin, muscles, bones, and internal organs one by one.

His eyes gleamed with excitement as he gazed at Han's strong, beating heart, completely absorbed in his research. (To be continued)