The young man let out a scream of agony.
The power of Karma spread relentlessly through his body, surging toward every part of him and erupting all over.
There was no doubt that the process was painful.
Karma's power did not transform the body gently. It inevitably damaged him along the way, bringing him intense pain.
Throughout the process, Namikawa Yū merely stood to one side, quietly watching him.
"Don't resist."
After a while, he spoke. "Keep your body steady. Yū'll be fine."
He spoke softly, then bent down and placed one hand on the man's chest.
As he channeled his chakra into him, the man seemed to grow calmer. His body gradually relaxed, no longer thrashing as violently as before.
After quite some time, his body finally began to stabilize.
"So this is what the process looks like."
Namikawa Yū observed the transformation with keen interest.
This was his first time using the power of Karma within himself to infect someone else.
Back in the Land of Ancestors, Namikawa Yū had also borne the power of Karma, but it had belonged to Kaguya, not him.
Strictly speaking, Namikawa Yū had merely been infected by Kaguya's Karma, not its owner.
Now, however, the power of Karma he was using had been altered by the panel and belonged entirely to him.
Though the Karma he wielded was still nowhere near as powerful as Kaguya's and he could use only a little of it, it was still the power of Karma.
In practice, it worked quite differently.
"After being altered by Karma, his physical abilities have improved considerably, and the life energy within him has grown more vigorous..."
"It's hard to say how his mental state has changed, but the increase in life energy alone should be enough to boost his chakra by more than half."
Based on what he sensed, Namikawa Yū considered several possibilities. "I also used the power of Karma as a core to plant a Karma Seal inside him."
"It's like planting a seed. The other person's chakra and life energy will nourish it, allowing it to grow stronger. When I need it, I can easily reclaim it."
Namikawa Yū continued to ponder in silence.
Since returning to his original body, he had been working out how to use Karma.
The method before him was undoubtedly the most efficient one he had discovered.
By sharing his own Karma with others and planting a seal inside them, he could receive some of their power in return.
When he needed it, he could reclaim the power of Karma inside them and strengthen himself again.
For Namikawa Yū, it was much like farming.
He planted a seed in spring, let the other person's body nurture the Karma Seal until it had grown enough, then harvested it when the time was right.
Of course, not everyone could undergo this process.
There was a threshold for bearing Karma. If someone's body and chakra weren't strong enough, they might collapse and die while carrying it.
By Namikawa Yū's estimate, someone would need to reach Jonin level to bear even this simplified version of Karma with relative safety.
"My power..."
As Namikawa Yū pondered, the man before him gradually came to.
The young man rose to his feet, stunned as he felt the changes in his body.
After being transformed by the power of Karma, he could clearly sense the difference.
Karma coursed through him, greatly strengthening his body and increasing his chakra. He was far more powerful than before.
Before, he had been an ordinary Jonin. Now, with the power of Karma enhancing him, he had taken a huge step forward and was approaching Elite Jonin level.
Namikawa Yū stood there, watching the young man with keen interest.
"What's your name?"
After a moment, he spoke again, asking the man's name.
"I'm Shanming Changjin."
Meeting Namikawa Yū's gaze, the young man quickly came to his senses.
He knelt on one knee, straightened his posture, and looked up at Namikawa Yū respectfully. "Greetings, sir."
"Shanming Changjin..."
Namikawa Yū nodded. "From today onward, you're a member of the Night Organization."
"Your task is simple: infiltrate Iwagakure."
He spoke calmly. "Stay safe as best you can, and wait for me to summon you."
"Yes."
Shanming Changjin nodded, indicating that he understood.
"Are there many people like you in Iwagakure?"
After the two had spoken for a while, Namikawa Yū suddenly asked.
"People like me?"
At first, Shanming Changjin didn't understand what he meant.
But he quickly figured it out and continued. "Most of Iwagakure's shinobi are loyal to the Tsuchikage, but many are dissatisfied with the Third Hokage."
"If nothing else interferes, they'll keep following the Third Hokage's orders. But if anything happens to him, the situation may well change."
He went on, laying out Iwagakure's intelligence one detail at a time.
Namikawa Yū listened carefully, then shook his head.
"From the looks of it, Iwagakure is relatively stable—far more so than the other villages."
The thought crossed his mind.
In the Ninja World, the Five Great Shinobi Villages were undoubtedly the most powerful forces.
But even among those five villages, there were differences.
Of the major villages, Kumogakure and Iwagakure were undoubtedly the two most stable.
The former needed no explanation, while the latter had been ruled by the Third Tsuchikage for many years and had long since become exceptionally stable.
If he wanted to make a move against one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, those two would offer the worst return for his effort.
"Just as I thought. If I want to make a move, Kirigakure and the Sand Village are better choices."
Namikawa Yū shook his head. "Especially Kirigakure..."
Of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Kirigakure would undoubtedly be the easiest to target.
There was no other reason: Obito was there.
Compared to the other nations, Kirigakure's domestic policies were already the most extreme and brutal.
Such oppressive rule was bound to cause problems.
On top of that, the Fourth Mizukage would later be controlled, and Obito would use him to create the Bloody Mist Village.
At that point, stirring up trouble would be all too easy.
After speaking with Shanming Changjin for a while, Namikawa Yū sent him on his way.
He didn't care whether the man was loyal or not.
From the moment he planted the Karma Seal, there was no turning back for him.
With Namikawa Yū's Karma inside him, his power could be triggered at any time if Namikawa Yū wished.
If it came to that, the man would die without question.
If he knew what was good for him, fine. If not, Namikawa Yū could always find someone else.