Hoshigakure

Minamoto Takuya considered the feasibility of this matter. It could serve as Plan B.

The only uncertainty was whether the Cloud Ninja would come again in this lifetime.

The possibility was still there. They had done their fair share of kidnapping people.

They had previously sneaked into Konoha to abduct Kushina Uzumaki, only to be discovered and stopped by Minato Namikaze, ultimately becoming a catalyst for their relationship.

So it was impossible for the Cloud Ninja not to covet the Byakugan.

Even if the Cloud Ninja did not act, he could facilitate the matter himself and profit from it.

Minamoto Takuya had also left the Experiment Base by then. He did not dwell on it further, because no matter which plan he chose, it would need to be prepared from now on. It was not something that could be completed immediately.

As for those test subjects, he would continue raising them. If there were still no changes after more time had passed, he would end the experiment. They could then serve as samples for other experiments.

At night, in a relatively remote forest, Minamoto Takuya held a map as he searched for his destination.

"Truly remote." Minamoto Takuya frowned as he looked around. "It should be nearby."

He then bit his finger, formed hand seals, and summoned several crows, sending them to search the area for his target village.

Its name was—Hoshigakure!

Before coming here, he had specifically investigated the legends and only came after confirming that this village truly existed.

Since Hoshigakure had been an anime-original arc in the Original Work, he had not been sure whether it existed in this world.

He had considered the matter of Hoshigakure's Star before, but back then, with only the strength of a Special Jonin, coming here to face Hoshigakure's ninja with their Mysterious Peacock Method had made him somewhat apprehensive. So he had not paid it much attention.

As the crows searched for Hoshigakure, Minamoto Takuya also contemplated Hoshigakure's Star.

It was something that allowed Hoshigakure's ninja to cultivate chakra, using the Star's special chakra activity to condense chakra into the forms of various ferocious beasts for attack.

However, the Star also possessed powerful "radiation." While changing chakra activity, it also ravaged the bodies of the Hoshigakure ninja who used it, causing ninja who cultivated with the Star to generally have very short lifespans.

Then again, ninja was not exactly a profession associated with long lives. After all, extracting physical energy from one's cells naturally had an effect on the body.

As for those ninja who lived long lives, either they rarely fought in their later years, like Konoha's two ancient advisers, or they had mastered Kekkei Tōta like the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, and thus lived so long.

Of course, the long-lived Uzumaki Clan was an exception. That was simply due to their superior constitutions and abundant chakra.

Ninja were not known for longevity, and Hoshigakure's ninja were even less so. Those who cultivated with the Star were exceptionally gifted if they could live for more than a decade. More often, they died from the Star's radiation before completing their training.

Minamoto Takuya knew of the Star's flaw, but he wanted to see what exactly it was.

Something that could alter another person's chakra activity and even allow them to condense externalized chakra like a Tailed Beast—it looked very much like something from the Ten-Tails.

After all, chakra itself was energy produced when the God Tree devoured Natural Energy. Yet this meteorite could alter chakra activity and condense externalized chakra resembling that of a Tailed Beast.

How could all this not arouse suspicion?

As for that radiation, if it truly was part of the Ten-Tails, then it was easy to understand. How could an ordinary person's body possibly withstand the power of the Ten-Tails? Even if it was only a small part of it.

Minamoto Takuya had naturally come here to obtain this meteorite, not to cultivate the so-called Mysterious Peacock Method.

It was not weak, but it had a fatal flaw: while using the Mysterious Peacock Method, the caster's physical body could not move. Although they could move through externalized chakra, it was still far from agile.

That was a major taboo in battle!

He possessed an entire arm of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, so he could fully compare the connection between Hoshigakure's meteorite and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

If it really was part of the Ten-Tails, then this meteorite should be something akin to a core. He had not sensed anything on that arm of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path that could help people cultivate chakra.

At that moment, a chakra fluctuation sent by a crow jolted him out of his thoughts. He then connected to its vision through the Clairvoyance Technique.

What he saw was a village surrounded by a canyon filled with poisonous gas.

That was it. Hoshigakure lay inside.

Minamoto Takuya's eyes lit up. He instructed the crow to fly inside and continue observing while he headed toward the canyon himself.

This level of poisonous gas could not be dispersed with Wind Release. Expressionlessly, Minamoto Takuya removed his mask and put on a gas mask.

His Experiment Base had been set up with poisonous mist. How could it possibly lack gas masks?

He then walked toward the other side of the canyon.

The moment he stepped into the air above the canyon, the rock beneath his feet rapidly extended, eventually forming a stone bridge across it.

After crossing, he deliberately dismissed the stone bridge. He did not want it to naturally collapse into the canyon and cause unnecessary commotion.

Suddenly, the crow sent another chakra fluctuation.

"Hm? At this time, it shouldn't have reached the village yet, right?"

Minamoto Takuya was somewhat puzzled. He used the Clairvoyance Technique again and saw a man and a woman from Hoshigakure, both wearing forehead protectors marked with stars, surrounded by Anbu.

"Those are... Hoshigakure's only Jonin, Natsuhi and her husband?" Minamoto Takuya clicked his tongue. It seemed he had arrived at a rather opportune time—right when the couple had discovered the Star's dangers and decided to take it away.

In other words, the meteorite was currently on Natsuhi.

"Then how should I obtain it?" Minamoto Takuya stroked his chin. While he did not fear Natsuhi, fighting her would still be troublesome. Getting the meteorite first would be best.

Sure enough, taking a hostage to threaten her was still the most convenient method.

Minamoto Takuya shook his head. He truly felt that this method was rather despicable, but there was no helping it. If it worked, it worked.

Having made his decision, Minamoto Takuya headed toward them.

Inside the forest.

At this moment, the Third Hoshikage gave Natsuhi his assurance that the village would no longer use the Star's power. At the same time, he wanted Natsuhi and her husband to watch over the village from outside.

If the village ever used the Star's power again, then Natsuhi and her husband, who would be outside the village, would stop Hoshigakure.

At the Third Hoshikage's words, Natsuhi agreed. She intended to hand over both the meteorite and a pendant she had left for their child to the Third Hoshikage.

Just then, Natsuhi suddenly froze.

Just as the Third Hoshikage and the surrounding Anbu thought she was about to change her mind, Natsuhi stared in one direction and shouted.

"Who's there?!"