Spirit Possession and Bloodline Disease

In front of the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, Lan, who had been sitting cross-legged, let his head hang low, appearing completely unconscious.

As the Third Kazekage Human Puppet lowered its head and pulled back Lan's eyelids, it was revealed that the once brilliant golden Tenseigan had regressed into ordinary Byakugan, their pupils dim and devoid of vitality.

As expected, once the spirit leaves the body, the state of the Tenseigan declines. It seems that after possessing the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, I can no longer utilize the power of the Tenseigan.

The Third Kazekage Human Puppet let out a sigh; it was Lan controlling the puppet, currently utilizing another ability of the Tenseigan—spiritual possession.

By borrowing the power of the Tenseigan, one could detach their spirit and possess a puppet, achieving an effect similar to the Spirit Transformation Technique.

In the original timeline, Otsutsuki Toneri had used the power of the Giant Tenseigan to achieve such a feat, and since Lan's Tenseigan possessed abilities very similar to the Giant Tenseigan, he naturally held this miraculous power as well.

However, the puppets he had crafted in the past were simply too inferior, and fearing that possessing such vessels would damage his spirit, he had never attempted this technique until now.

Now that he had obtained a powerful human puppet, he naturally could not resist giving it a try.

Lan controlled the body of the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, moving it about simply, seemingly having already adapted to the new vessel.

He beckoned with a hand, and without a single hand seal, a mass of black iron sand coalesced before him.

The black sand shifted incessantly, morphing into various weapons; this was the power of the Magnet Release bloodline limit.

The Third Kazekage of the past was known as the strongest Kazekage in history, relying entirely on this Magnet Release bloodline limit that allowed him to control iron sand.

The power of the iron sand was not only formidable but also easy to produce. Coupled with the vast iron ore deposits beneath the deserts of the Land of Wind, the Third Kazekage, who mastered Magnet Release: Iron Sand, could easily suppress the One-Tail Shukaku in the desert.

Furthermore, Magnet Release: Iron Sand could magnetize iron puppets, making it a natural nemesis for puppeteers. This was precisely why the genius puppeteer Sasori had set his sights on the Third Kazekage, viewing the human puppet he crafted from him as his most outstanding masterpiece.

Now that this human puppet had fallen into Lan's hands, he imagined Sasori must be missing him like crazy. However, considering the number of bloodline ninja bodies the other had harvested during the Mist Village Rebellion, perhaps the next time they met, the other might even have a few surprises in store for him.

Just as Lan was testing the strength of the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, another puppet arrived in the secret chamber to deliver information.

Whatever he heard, even through the face of the human puppet, a look of joy was visible; clearly, the puppet had brought him good news.

"That guy has finally woken up. It wasn't a waste of my chakra and effort these past few days."

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Inside an underground laboratory.

The young Kaguya Clan Head was placed within an exquisite life-support device.

During the previous Mist Village Rebellion, this Kaguya Clan Head had frequently used the power of his Shikotsumyaku. Later, in his confrontation with Sasori, he had not only used the strongest secret technique, the Dance of the Seedling Fern, but had also been struck by Sasori's deadly poison. Consequently, when Lan treated him, he discovered that the Kaguya Clan Head's physical injuries were extremely severe, bordering on total exhaustion.

Such injuries would have claimed the life of anyone else long ago; it was only because he possessed the Sage Body of Hamura's lineage, making his physique far stronger than that of an ordinary ninja, that he had managed to hold on until now.

What truly made things difficult for Lan was that the primary reason for the Kaguya Clan Head's critical condition was not the poison from Sasori, but the hidden dangers stemming from his own Shikotsumyaku power.

The situation of this Kaguya Clan Head reminded Lan of Kaguya Kimimaro from the original timeline, who was also a Kaguya clansman with immense talent.

Kimimaro had once been the vessel Orochimaru valued most for his body transfer, yet he lost that qualification due to the existence of his bloodline disease.

Given Orochimaru's personality, he must have tried everything before deciding to give up, which suggested that the Kaguya clan's bloodline disease was incredibly difficult to cure.

At this moment, the Kaguya Clan Head was precisely in the throes of a bloodline disease flare-up, in a state near death.

Because the Kaguya clan and the Hyuga Clan were distant relatives, Lan's Tenseigan chakra could, to a certain extent, help the other suppress the Shikotsumyaku bloodline disease. However, this was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Over time, as the body developed a resistance to his chakra, the therapeutic effect would inevitably fade.

He had to find a way to cure the Kaguya Clan Head's bloodline disease, or at least extend his life until the day his plan succeeded.

"Cough... cough..."

Amidst a fit of coughing, the Kaguya Clan Head's consciousness gradually cleared.

When he saw the masked figure before him, deep confusion flashed in his eyes.

He knew his own body best; he had assumed that forcing the Dance of the Seedling Fern had completely exhausted his life force. Yet, for some unknown reason, it seemed as though other powers had entered his body, forcibly sustaining his life. Was this the work of the person before him?

Who on earth was this guy?

What could he possibly be plotting to go to such lengths to heal him?

The Kaguya Clan Head shook his head and said with a sense of resignation, "Though I do not know who you are or what your purpose is in capturing me, my body cannot hold on for much longer. All your plans are destined to come to nothing."

"It seems you have long known the drawbacks of the Shikotsumyaku bloodline. No, I should say the entire Kaguya clan knows. I imagine your clan has tried to solve this bloodline disease for a thousand years. If there were a solution, you, as the Kaguya Clan Head, would certainly know it."

Seeing Lan set his sights on him, the Kaguya Clan Head gave a bitter smile and said, "Perhaps there was a way in the past, but now, it is absolutely impossible."

"What do you mean by that?" Lan's brow furrowed, a grim suspicion forming in his heart.

Seeing the other refuse to answer, he let out a soft huff from behind his mask. If the other thought he couldn't find out just by staying silent, he was greatly underestimating him.

"Do you think I can't know just because you don't say it? The methods I possess are beyond your imagination."

With that, Lan's palm was enveloped in golden Tenseigan chakra, and he thrust it violently into the other's chest.

When he withdrew his hand, a light orb containing the Kaguya Clan Head's memories was already in his palm.

Under the shocked gaze of the Kaguya Clan Head, Lan began to examine the contents of the memory orb.

When he understood the Kaguya clan's method for resolving the Shikotsumyaku bloodline disease, his expression turned stunned.

So that was it. No wonder the other had said there was no way to cure the disease.

For a thousand years, the Kaguya clan had tried to solve their family's affliction, but to their despair, the root of the disease lay in the very Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit they took such pride in; it was a bloodline disease.

Furthermore, the severity of this bloodline disease varied according to one's talent. The more outstanding the talent, the stronger the bloodline disease, and the shorter the lifespan. Conversely, those with poor talent, who could not even awaken the Shikotsumyaku, could live out their natural lives without ever being troubled by the bloodline disease. In other words, the Kaguya clan's bloodline disease was, in fact, a "genius disease."