Intermediate Sage Body

Senju Nawaki closed his eyes and entered his Soul Space.

He focused on Sarutobi Shinnosuke's corpse and the Bloodline Completion System.

He didn't want to meet his future subordinate in such a sorry state. Sarutobi Shinnosuke could bring him a decent reward.

[Break Down]

He pressed the switches on the three ugly electric hot plates and processed Sarutobi Shinnosuke's corpse.

A buzzing sound filled the Soul Space.

Each hot plate performed a different function.

They sifted out the energy that matched Senju Nawaki's genes and used it to complete his life form.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's corpse melted, turning into several clumps of pure energy.

As expected of Sarutobi Hiruzen's son, the one he'd placed such high hopes in. All seven chakra natures were extracted, with Earth, Water, and Yang Release Chakra exceeding the others.

If these natures were paired with a Sage Body...

Senju Nawaki even wondered whether the old Third had wanted his son to fuse them into Wood Release.

The answer was lost to time.

Now, all of it would become nourishment for Senju Nawaki, allowing his life form to undergo an evolution.

Senju Nawaki's soul felt a powerful pull and willingly stepped into the range of the final hot plate.

Seven differently colored energies gradually merged into Senju Nawaki's soul and body.

"Ah..."

An involuntary, blissful sound escaped him.

His body evolved once more, and his life genes were completed.

This time, his high-level Scientific Research Ability passive activated.

It gave Senju Nawaki a new understanding of life forms in the Ninja World.

Humans in the Ninja World had a peculiar fragment of genetic material in their bodies, one that usually appeared in plants.

It seemed that the God Tree's transformation of the entire world was still ongoing.

Perhaps Kaguya Otsutsuki had turned the people of the Ninja World into weapons of war capable of wielding chakra in order to defend against the Otsutsuki Clan.

There were still unknown secrets behind it all.

He swept his gaze around his Soul Space. Sarutobi Shinnosuke had vanished from this world completely, becoming part of his power.

His attention returned to the panel before him.

[Name: Senju Nawaki (...)]

[Attributes: Yang Release (High), Yin Release (Medium), Wind (Medium), Earth (Medium), Water (Medium), Fire (Medium), Lightning (Medium)...]

[Class: High-level planetary life form]

[Chakra: 8763]

[Bloodline: Intermediate Sage Body]

[Kekkei Genkai: Intermediate Wood Release]

[Skills: Three Basic Jutsu (Intermediate), Ninja Tool Throwing (Beginner), Basic Taijutsu (Beginner), Earth Release Ninjutsu (Introductory), Water Release Ninjutsu (Introductory), Wind Release Ninjutsu (Introductory)...]

[Passive: Scientific Keenness (Advanced)]

His status panel had changed once again.

The most obvious change was that he now had all seven chakra natures, each at medium level, while his Yang Release Chakra had reached a high level.

His former class, Genin, had disappeared, replaced by high-level planetary life form. He couldn't help thinking of beings who could cross between planets, like the Otsutsuki Clan.

Would leaving the planet allow him to reach a new height? He couldn't say. His life level hadn't yet reached that of the Otsutsuki Clan.

One day, he would see what lay beyond the Otsutsuki Clan.

His Kekkei Genkai and bloodline had also reached the intermediate level.

Outside Senju Nawaki's Soul Space.

Everyone's attention was fixed on Senju Nawaki, his eyes closed.

Suddenly, his body shuddered, and a powerful wave of energy radiated from him.

Even Orochimaru, leaning against the crumbling wall, looked at him with interest.

Senju Tojian recalled what had happened before he awakened Wood Release, as well as Sarutobi Shinnosuke's vanished corpse.

Perhaps this was a good thing for Senju Nawaki.

Senju Nawaki abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them.

He could feel the powerful life energy within his body.

The stump of his recently severed right arm squirmed as energy gathered there. It seemed to be trying to regrow the limb, but something was still missing.

"Even with the Intermediate Sage Body, I'm still just a little short."

Senju Nawaki shook his head, feeling a trace of disappointment.

The feeling passed in an instant. This would do for now.

His strength should now be at the level of an elite jonin. Combined with Wood Release, it was enough to cow his subordinates. The most important thing now was to leave the Konoha camp.

He held his remaining left hand across his chest.

"Wood Release: Wood Human Technique!"

He murmured the words in his mind.

A pale green light surrounded Senju Nawaki.

A leg and an arm appeared where his limbs had been severed.

"They grew back?" Orochimaru murmured, narrowing his eyes.

He had his doubts about what Senju Nawaki had said; there were plenty of suspicious points.

The biggest one—the one Senju Nawaki hadn't even tried to hide—was that Sarutobi Shinnosuke wouldn't have tried to assassinate him at a time like this. It was an obvious excuse.

Orochimaru had also sensed the force in the Konoha camp that was targeting Senju Nawaki.

He knew the Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique. Even if he lost limbs, he could grow them back. The changes in Senju Nawaki's body now confirmed his suspicions.

It looked terrible, but it was all an illusion.

As far as he was concerned, this was nothing more than a power struggle among the higher-ups.

By now, he had his own ideas and couldn't be bothered to expose it.

"No, wait! Is that Wood Release?"

Orochimaru's pupils contracted as he stared intently at the new arm and leg growing from Senju Nawaki.

The exposed areas looked remarkably like human skin.

Only after examining them closely did he realize they weren't flesh. There were no blood vessels—just soft wood.

Senju Nawaki's gaze met Orochimaru's excited stare.

Senju Nawaki had used the Wood Human Technique to make up for his missing limbs, giving himself the ability to move like a normal person.

He would need to keep improving his life level—at least until he reached the Advanced Sage Body—to regrow severed limbs.

For now, it was enough to get him through an emergency.

"Mr. Orochimaru, thank you for saving me back then. This is your payment."

Senju Nawaki stood up, bit his left hand, and performed the Summoning Technique.

When the smoke cleared, a scroll appeared.

Senju Nawaki tossed it to Orochimaru.

"Impure World Reincarnation?"

Orochimaru reached out and caught it. His gaze lingered on the words written on the scroll.

This was the forbidden jutsu he had repeatedly asked the Third to let him study in the Scroll of Seals. Of all the techniques in it, the one he cared about most was the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.

Very few people knew how much he longed for immortality.

"Is this really gratitude? Or is he trying to keep me quiet?" A question crossed Orochimaru's mind, but he couldn't hide the excitement in his smile. He had unexpectedly gotten his hands on something the old man had refused to give him.

He waved a hand, leaned against the crumbling wall, and eagerly began reading.

He paid no more attention to the chaos around him, lost in the forbidden jutsu he had dreamed of obtaining.

He didn't even care that the Senju Clan was about to leave Konoha.

More and more Senju clansmen gathered there.