Underground Base

An unknown underground base.

The Giant Tiger King was licking an old, enormous glass cultivation tank.

The tank stood taller than a person and was filled with nutrient solution.

After licking up nearly half the tank, the Giant Tiger King's injuries had improved considerably.

Using Soul Energy, Kimura Takuya surveyed the underground base.

It was enormous; even a creature as large as the Giant Tiger King didn't seem cramped inside.

But the entire base hall was lined with glass cultivation tanks.

The one the Giant Tiger King had been licking was just one of them.

It looked like a human experimentation lab.

Was it Orochimaru's lab?

It looked a little like the place where Yamato had been cultivated.

It probably wasn't the same place. After all, the Root had taken Yamato in, so they should have taken over that lab as well.

So whose place was this?

Never mind. No point thinking about it.

Maybe it was a lab Orochimaru had abandoned, or perhaps the secret base of some other "scientist" in the village.

Come to think of it, besides Orochimaru, wasn't Konoha's other famous "scientist" the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju?

If this was Tobirama's lab, then it had to be pretty old. Had the nutrient solution expired?

But looking at the base's run-down facilities, Kimura Takuya thought it was quite possible.

Still, how had the Giant Tiger King gotten inside?

While Kimura Takuya was wondering, the Giant Tiger King finished licking up half the tank and stood to leave.

Then he saw the tiger make its way back to the surface through an underground passage.

So a geological collapse had exposed a corner of this sealed base, which had been carved out underground using Earth Release.

It connected to an underground passage formed by an underground river. The river had long since dried up, and a cave-in at the surface had created an entrance.

That was how the Giant Tiger King had been able to get in and out of the base.

"I see. This is a pretty good place. Well, it's mine now."

Kimura Takuya quietly memorized the location.

He decided that once his chakra had recovered, he would come back, deal with the Giant Tiger King, and claim the underground laboratory as his own.

"Tuoye, are you feeling any better?"

"Ah, I still feel a little off."

"That's strange. Has my Medical Ninjutsu gotten rusty? I've been with Lady Tsunade all these years, and I've been making money with Medical Ninjutsu the whole time."

Shizune shook her head in puzzlement, then continued treating the shameless fellow for a while longer.

Only when he felt that slacking off any longer would give him away did he slowly get up on his own.

"Ah, Sis Shizune, your Medical Ninjutsu is amazing. I feel a lot better."

"Ha, good. But something still feels off. Are you praising me or mocking me?"

Shizune stood and brushed the dust off her clothes.

Kimura Takuya's praise of her Medical Ninjutsu made her question what he had said earlier.

After all, it had taken her nearly half a day to treat him. Given the kid's arrogant personality, who knew what he was thinking?

Feeling guilty, Kimura Takuya answered in a fluster.

"How could I be mocking you? I really mean it, Sis Shizune. Your Medical Ninjutsu feels wonderful!"

"Wait! You can absorb other people's chakra and use it, right? You could have absorbed my chakra and used your own Medical Ninjutsu to recover quickly, couldn't you?"

"Uh, that chakra-absorption technique consumes chakra too. I really don't have a single drop of chakra left, so I can't use it."

"Oh, right. You can't extract chakra from your body again for the next few days, understand?"

"Yes, Sis Shizune. Let's head back. It's dark now, and it'll be hard to keep tracking it. We can go back and bring a Ninja Dog with us next time."

Shizune didn't comment. She took Kimura Takuya back to town.

All the while, Kimura Takuya kept pretending to be weak so he wouldn't reveal his Immortality.

He had fully recovered halfway there, but Shizune still carried him all the way back.

Outside Kimura Takuya's home.

An Anbu was waiting there. When the two returned, the agent said a few words to them and left, paying no attention to their shock.

"What? Tonton didn't go to the Forest of Death?"

"She went back to Lady Tsunade on her own? Oh, I remember now. Tonton's sense of smell is even better than a Ninja Dog's. Maybe she caught Lady Tsunade's scent and went to find her."

"So we were chasing nothing, then? We nearly got eaten by a tiger, too. That pig better not fall into my hands again! I'll turn her into a hundred different dishes!"

"Baka! You can't eat Tonton!"

Thwack!

Shizune couldn't help bonking Kimura Takuya on the head again.

Kimura Takuya let himself fall backward with the blow.

Shizune darted forward and caught him, and he immediately began groaning.

"Ow, ow, my head hurts again."

"Ah, Tuoye, are you all right? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I forgot you were still sick."

Just as Shizune was flustered and about to treat Kimura Takuya again, someone appeared beside them in a green, skintight training suit—a kappa, no, Lee in all his glory!

"Tuoye, what's wrong? Don't die!"

"Uh, I think I'm fine now. Sis Shizune, you don't need to treat me anymore. I'm fine."

"Really? You're sure you're all right?"

Under Shizune's concerned gaze, Kimura Takuya waved her off and thanked her. Then the two went their separate ways.

After Shizune left, Kimura Takuya spoke to Lee in a strangely cold tone.

"It's time again today. Are you ready?"

"Of course, Tuoye. I finished my training before coming over. So, sorry I'm late today."

Lee bowed apologetically to Kimura Takuya, but Kimura Takuya didn't mind and simply waved it off.

"No worries, no worries. I had things to do, too. I just got home."

"Ah, I see. Tuoye, haven't you noticed anything different about me today?"

Lee puffed out his chest smugly, trying to show off his new outfit.

"I've opened the First Gate! Teacher Guy rewarded me with an outfit. It's a one-of-a-kind custom design—you can't buy this, buddy!"

"Haha, congratulations, buddy. A new outfit calls for a fresh start. How about we double the electric therapy today? That's the spirit of youth!"

"Yes! I knew you understood me, Tuoye! I feel like I'm about to catch up with you!"

Kimura Takuya smiled and shook his head, then led Lee into the house.

Then Kimura Takuya removed Lee's vocal cords.

Lee didn't resist. He naturally understood why Tuoye had to do it.

It wasn't the first time, after all. Better to remove his vocal cords beforehand than to scream himself hoarse.

Ever since Tuoye had mastered this technique, Lee had never screamed himself hoarse again.

Still, thinking about what was coming, Lee couldn't help swallowing.

Gulp.

"Ha~."

Lee tried to make a sound, but only a breath came out. He helplessly waved to Kimura Takuya to show that he was ready.

"Ready?"

Kimura Takuya confirmed once more. When Lee nodded, he began at once.

A powerful current surged from Kimura Takuya's hands.

Lee's heart lurched.

No way. Why was the current so strong?

They'd agreed to double it, not multiply it by ten!

"Ha~~!"

In an instant, Lee's entire body seized up, even his internal organs trembling.

Seeing this, Kimura Takuya remained resolute.

Lee, tremble!

My chakra control had just gotten better, so I could control the current more precisely. I definitely wasn't taking revenge on you for interrupting me!

I'm only doing this for your own good!

How else could you measure up to the geniuses?

The geniuses in this world were all terribly competitive, and every one of them worked hard and had some kind of cheat.

You were a genius who only worked hard.

How could you beat them without a cheat?

If a passerby happened to walk past Kimura Takuya's house, they would see flashes of lightning flickering inside the room through the window.

But who could hear the silent screams within?

When Konoha's Blue Beast finally shone, perhaps some would still attribute it to nothing but talent.