Blood Exchange Therapy

Therefore, the powerful members of the Kaguya clan are predominantly young, as they are destined not to live long; those who manage to reach an old age are simply those whose innate talent is not strong enough.

This is also the reason why the man before him could become the clan head at such a young age. His talent and strength are the greatest among the current Kaguya clan, and as a clan of war maniacs, the stronger one is, the more qualified they are to lead; otherwise, how could they suppress the others?

After understanding the root cause of their clan's affliction, the Kaguya clan fell into a dilemma.

To survive, one would have to become mediocre, or even plan to never awaken the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit.

However, such a choice is completely unfeasible in the war-torn Warring States Period. Without powerful strength as a crutch, even if one does not die from the bloodline disease, they would perish at the hands of others. Therefore, the power of the Shikotsumyaku must be mastered.

After sacrificing many clansmen and conducting cruel experiments, the Kaguya clan found a solution that was not really a solution: "Blood Exchange Therapy."

So-called "Blood Exchange Therapy" involves exchanging blood between clansmen who have awakened the Shikotsumyaku and those who have not. This method can reduce the intensity of the bloodline disease, thereby extending the lifespan of the strong who have awakened the Shikotsumyaku. It is a measure that treats the symptoms but not the root cause.

But with the current annihilation of the Kaguya clan, even this method seems to have become impossible to implement. There are no other Kaguya clansmen left to perform a blood exchange with this Kaguya Clan Head, which is the true reason for his despair.

Lan frowned. Upon learning this result, he felt the situation had suddenly become thorny, though only thorny, not impossible to resolve.

"Since you already know I am beyond saving, stop making unnecessary attempts and give me a quick death."

The Kaguya Clan Head had been placed under a restraint by Lan; aside from simple speech, he could do nothing else, and suicide was even more impossible.

"Your illness is indeed challenging. In the hands of others, there might truly be no way to deal with it, but you have underestimated my methods."

"To me, it is merely a bit troublesome. Therefore, extending your life until the day my plan succeeds is no longer impossible..."

It was unclear what idea Lan had in mind, as he spoke with such confidence.

"What? Do you have a method of treatment? This is impossible! My clan hasn't achieved this in a thousand years, how could you possibly have a way?"

The Kaguya Clan Head's emotions became agitated; he seemed completely unable to believe what Lan had just said.

"It is your limited vision that restricts your imagination. You have no idea how powerful technology can be."

"What exactly do you want to do with me? With such means at your disposal, why would you need my help?"

In the eyes of the Kaguya Clan Head, the mysterious person before him possessed several incredible abilities. Just the fact that he could make a puppet possess consciousness and act autonomously was already beyond his imagination, let alone the fact that the other party also mastered the exceptionally rare space-time ninjutsu of the Ninja World.

How could a person with such strength have any use for him?

Could it be because of the Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit?

Could this power, which the clan members both loved and hated, hide a secret he was unaware of?

Facing the Kaguya Clan Head's confusion, Lan slowly lowered his head and stared directly into the other's eyes. The latter, intimidated by his ocular power, did not dare to meet his gaze.

Even through the mask, the light in Lan's eyes made the Kaguya Clan Head feel shaken. What kind of ocular power was this?

Even the most renowned Byakugan and Sharingan in the Ninja World could not possibly possess such powerful ocular strength. Could it be a new, unknown bloodline limit?

"What kind of eyes are these? Is your scheme related to your eyes?"

The Kaguya Clan Head seemed to have hit the nail on the head regarding Lan's intentions, so he said:

"Perhaps for others, my current eyes are already satisfactory."

"But I know that there exist even stronger eyes beyond these."

"To obtain that kind of ocular power, your help is indispensable. It will be my new light, and its power will be strong enough to bridge the gap between ordinary mortals and sages—it is the true Sage's Eye."

"And you are the very incubator for these new eyes. So, please sleep well and wait quietly for that day to arrive."

After speaking, Lan controlled the man to enter a state of deep slumber, then ordered the Third Kazekage Human Puppet to watch over him. Until his plan succeeded, this Kaguya Clan Head must not be allowed to come to any harm.

As he left the laboratory, Lan began to ponder his next specific steps.

The preparations for the new plan would likely take a long time and require mastery of more genetic technology, as well as a large amount of capital.

It could be said that he faced many problems at the moment, the first of which was the issue of funding.

If he were to use the method he devised to treat the Kaguya Clan Head, the capital required would be unbearable for him at present; someone must help him shoulder the burden.

Lan thought for only a moment before deciding that Pakura would be the one to carry this heavy load for him.

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"As expected of a bloodline ninja, your body's recovery speed is much faster than I estimated."

Lan looked at the now vibrant Pakura and nodded.

With the help of the antidote, the poison from Sasori within Pakura had been completely removed. She had even gained a certain resistance to Sasori's poisons as a blessing in disguise, which was a testament to the powerful adaptability of a ninja.

"This turmoil will not subside so easily. You must keep a low profile for the next period of time."

Hearing Lan say this, Pakura knew that he certainly hadn't come to her without a reason; there was a new mission for her to carry out.

"What do you need me to do?"

"My current plan requires a great deal of capital. Your focus from now on will be to help me raise money."

"How much money do you need?" Pakura asked, puzzled.

"The more, the better!"

Hearing Lan say this, Pakura knew that this mission was not a simple task. However, not knowing what she was thinking, her eyes darted around, and she said to Lan:

"I currently have a way to obtain a large sum of money, and it will be a continuous, inexhaustible stream of funding."

Having said that, she took out a scroll and handed it to Lan.

Lan opened the scroll in his hands and examined its contents. Once he understood the information within, the corners of his mouth curled up beneath his mask.

"Maki? Is this the apprentice you took in at the Sand Village?"

"Tsk tsk... the probability of this being a trap aimed at you is extremely high."

"It seems that after experiencing such hardships, you have finally learned to be clever and won't easily fall for such tricks. However, the large and continuous stream of funding you mentioned—the target wouldn't be that guy, would it? Are you planning to use yourself as bait?"

Although Lan spoke in a teasing tone, he actually quite agreed with the plan she had proposed in his heart.

If he could truly capture that guy as hoped this time, not only would it avenge Pakura, but his short-term financial problems would also be easily resolved.

This woman truly had a vengeful nature; she thought about revenge the moment she had a chance, and this time she had even set her sights on him, attempting to use his hands to settle her score.

Although it was unpleasant to be used, he decisively agreed to her suggestion for the sake of his subsequent plans.

"It just so happens that I also want to test the power of my new toy; that guy will make for a decent opponent."