Barrier Modification Complete, Found Haku and Jugo?

As he pondered, he also completed the modifications to the Sealing Jutsu.

His task had seemed the simplest, but it was like repairing a precision machine. The repair itself was easy; finding the problem was the hardest part.

For the final step, aside from Minamoto Takuya, probably only Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki could complete it with ease.

Minamoto Takuya watched as the massive barrier slowly enveloped all of Konoha. From now on, he would no longer need to deliberately leave the barrier in order to use the Summoning Technique.

Whenever he had free time, he could go to his Experiment Base to conduct experiments, or leave a Shadow Clone there.

Or perhaps he only needed to summon a Shadow Clone over there?

That was possible as well. Naruto Uzumaki had used a scroll to summon a Shadow Clone that was absorbing Natural Energy at Mount Myōboku back to Konoha, so it could be done with only slight alterations to the formula.

For now, however, he was in no hurry to visit the Experiment Base.

His meteorite Chakra training had long since been completed. Just as he had expected, although his body retained some of the meteorite's vitality, it had little effect on him. Perhaps it would only affect him when he grew old and his constitution weakened.

Furthermore, the experiment to fuse a third body through the Chimera Technique was underway. Its current progress... was very slow. Hiruko's records here only covered less than half of it, and Minamoto Takuya would have to figure out the rest himself. It would likely require a long period of research.

As for ninjutsu, he could now use the same incomplete version of Wind Release: Rasenshuriken as Naruto Uzumaki—meaning it was still not very useful.

Minamoto Takuya considered his affairs. There was no need to rush the research on the Chimera Technique's third body. Even if he figured it out, he did not currently have a suitable fusion vessel prepared.

After all, having fused two bodies, he had essentially eliminated all his weaknesses. What he wanted to fuse was not something that would grant immediate combat strength. Only Shikotsumyaku might provide combat power right after fusion, but until there was a solution to its bloodline disease, he had no intention of taking that risk.

It would be better to first develop the combined Sealing Jutsu that could assist him in awakening the Sharingan.

If he could awaken the Mangekyo, then although he could not use it freely, it could still serve as a trump card. Even the Three Tomoe Sharingan would be barely acceptable.

The order of priorities was now clear.

Next, he would research the combined Sealing Jutsu and wait for the Crow's news on Haku and Jugo.

Minamoto Takuya looked around the Laboratory. After some thought, he decided not to continue using the village's funding for research. He needed to submit the completed report on the massive barrier, along with the Sealing Jutsu Shimura Danzō had given him.

"Thank you for your hard work, Senior," Minato Namikaze said with a smile. He had naturally sensed the changes in the massive barrier outside Konoha.

Then he looked at the scroll in Minamoto Takuya's hand and asked with some confusion, "What's this?"

"A scroll Shimura Danzō gave me. He said it was a reward for proposing the barrier modifications," Minamoto Takuya replied casually.

"I see." Minato Namikaze's smile gradually faded. Frowning, he opened the scroll. He had known that Shimura Danzō had gone to see Minamoto Takuya; the Anbu had informed him.

After glancing over the contents of the scroll, a trace of astonishment appeared on his face as he looked at Minamoto Takuya.

"He gave Senior a Sealing Jutsu like this?" Minato Namikaze sounded somewhat incredulous.

Minamoto Takuya shrugged helplessly, indicating that was indeed the case.

"He... really underestimated you, Senior." Minato Namikaze did not know whether to laugh or cry. Giving such a mediocre Sealing Jutsu to Minamoto Takuya was no different from handing a few coins to a millionaire as charity.

"Exactly," Minamoto Takuya said with an amused smile.

Minato Namikaze smiled as well, then said, "If he gives Senior any more Sealing Jutsu in the future, just accept them."

"Alright." Minamoto Takuya nodded. It was enough to make his stance clear. Sealing Jutsu were not important; Shimura Danzō could not give him the Sealing Jutsu he truly wanted anyway.

After Minamoto Takuya left, Minato Namikaze let out a sigh.

A trace of frustration showed in his eyes. Most of the people the Third Hokage had left him were fairly useful, but Shimura Danzō...

He was genuinely troublesome. Minato Namikaze wanted to remove him, yet he had to take Danzō's status into consideration. He still had to show the Third Hokage and the other seniors some respect.

It was truly a headache. The only consolation was that, judging from Danzō's past records, he should have restrained himself considerably after Minato Namikaze took office...

But he was still troublesome.

The days passed one by one.

The combined Sealing Jutsu Minamoto Takuya was researching was gradually nearing its final stage. During this process, he had still given up on extracting memories separately.

That ability truly lived up to being a Secret Technique of the Yamanaka Clan and the Human Path's special ability. Extracting memories on their own was indeed difficult, so he chose to combine memory extraction with Genjutsu.

He could actively choose which memories to input, drastically reducing the difficulty.

Of course, its usefulness was also greatly reduced as a result. After all, memory extraction was highly useful even without using it to assist in awakening the Sharingan.

Unfortunately, if he wanted to develop it fully, Minamoto Takuya estimated that he would need to study the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Techniques. That was naturally impossible, so he could only give up.

Fortunately, the memory extraction function was not essential to him.

Just then, Minamoto Takuya sensed a fluctuation of Chakra from within his body. A Crow was trying to reverse-summon him?

Had they found Haku or Jugo?

Minamoto Takuya nodded. Calculating the time, he realized that he had not gone out on a mission in a long while.

If he went to accept a mission now, Minato Namikaze would probably find it strange. He might even be happy for him—staying in the Laboratory all the time was rather alarming.

It was not that he liked staying in the Laboratory constantly. He simply had a clear understanding of his own path, so he could restrain his likes and dislikes. So long as something needed to be done, he would do it.

Minamoto Takuya looked at the research in his hands. It was not urgent at the moment; he only needed to finish it before Orochimaru defected.

Thus, beneath the astonished gazes of everyone in the Sealing Team, Minamoto Takuya walked out of the Laboratory. For the first time, he did not work overtime and left the Sealing Team.

"Did the sun rise in the west today?" a member of the Sealing Team could not help asking.

"Probably...?" The person beside him felt the same way. "How could I be having a dream like this? The captain actually left work early..."

Minamoto Takuya had no idea how shocking it was for his subordinates to see him get off work at a normal time. After returning home and learning the details, surprise appeared on his face as well.

It was not Crow, whom he had sent to search for Haku and Jugo, who had informed him, but the ordinary people he had taken under his command.

They had successfully found a village that met Minamoto Takuya's requirements. From the movements of the merchant caravan that wandered year-round and called themselves the Wandering People, they had also discovered a pattern.

"The Gelel Ore Vein?"