Blood Manipulation, Reporting Back to the Village

Time seemed to stretch out. Every second felt as long as a century.

Who knew how long had passed? Perhaps only a few breaths, perhaps longer.

The Ketsuryūgan Shaoyu had used for contact in his palm rapidly lost all color at a visible rate, turning grayish-white, shriveled, and brittle. Then, with a soft puff, it crumbled into a small pile of lifeless ash that sifted through Shaoyu's fingers.

At the same time, the searing pain and chaos in Shaoyu's left eye slowly receded like a tide.

His eyes remained tightly shut, his body trembling faintly, cold sweat covering his forehead.

But when he slowly opened his eyes again.

His Mangekyō Sharingan still had its deep crimson base and its strange, slowly flowing bands of light. Its appearance did not seem to have changed much.

Yet a completely new, unprecedented sensation had been clearly branded into the core of his ocular power.

It was an extraordinarily subtle and powerful ability to sense and manipulate blood.

It was as if, with a single thought, every drop of blood within his line of sight would become an extension of his limbs, a puppet of his will.

Uchiha Shaoyu slowly raised his right hand, his thoughts stirring slightly.

Blood Manipulation.

Oh my god, I've collected all Three Great Families.

At his silent command, the blood that had not yet fully coagulated in the wounds of a nearby Chinoike Clan corpse suddenly floated up against gravity, as though it had come alive.

It swiftly gathered and stretched in the air, forming a blood blade around three feet long, dark red throughout, with edges sharp beyond measure.

The blade trembled faintly, giving off a cold, sinister aura as it remained completely under Shaoyu's control.

He lightly curled a finger.

The blood blade silently sliced through the air and effortlessly cut a hard piece of volcanic rock beside it in half, leaving a surface as smooth as a mirror.

Then, with a splash, the blood blade scattered apart and became flowing blood once more. Guided by Shaoyu's will, it slithered through the air like a spirit serpent before precisely returning to the original wound, as if it had never left.

It obeyed his will as naturally as an arm or finger.

He had succeeded.

Still, this was dead matter, so it was relatively easy to control. If it were a living creature, Shaoyu would not be able to manipulate it so easily.

His own blood was easier to control, though it cost him a bit too much blood.

Once he learned the Reverse Cursed Technique in the future, he could heal himself while bleeding at the same time and achieve freedom of blood.

But for now, it was better to use Blood Manipulation sparingly.

It was time to return.

This trip had been immensely rewarding. Not only had he obtained a new technique, but he had also brought back three Ketsuryūgan.

These three Ketsuryūgan were of no use to Shaoyu anymore, and none of the Uchiha Clan members needed them either.

Shaoyu decided to hand the three pairs of Ketsuryūgan over to the Third Raikage. It would also serve as an explanation for this mission.

Leaving Hell Valley, which reeked of death and sulfur, Uchiha Shaoyu hurried all the way back to Kumogakure.

He did not immediately return to the Uchiha compound, instead heading straight for the Raikage Building.

Unexpectedly, he was much faster than those thirteen men.

Having completed the mission, he needed to report to the highest-ranking official.

When he entered the Raikage's office, the Third Raikage, Ai, was handling documents. Hearing the movement, he looked up. When he saw Shaoyu's return, a glint flashed through his single eye.

"Oh? Elder Shaoyu is back? So soon?"

The Raikage put down his pen and looked at Shaoyu with interest.

Although he had given Shaoyu the authority to handle the matter, he had not expected him to be so efficient.

"Yes, Lord Raikage."

Shaoyu nodded slightly.

"The thirteen members of the Hell Valley guard force have all been recalled. They are expected to arrive in the village and report in before dusk today. As for the Chinoike Clan..."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"After investigation, it was determined that the clan's minds had been completely twisted by resentment and despair after their long imprisonment. They could not be communicated with and harbored extreme hostility toward the village. To prevent future trouble, I have eliminated them all. This is the mission report."

As he spoke, he presented a concise report scroll. It merely stated that the Chinoike Clan had refused communication, attacked first, and been dealt with.

The Third Raikage accepted the scroll and gave it a quick glance. There was neither surprise nor pity on his face. Instead, he nodded approvingly.

"Clean and decisive. Well done, Elder Shaoyu. Those Chinoike fools were only wasting food and manpower by staying locked up. Since they refused to appreciate kindness, getting rid of them was the simplest solution. You handled it decisively, without any woman's mercy. Very good."

In his view, completely eliminating enemies who could not be tamed and posed a potential threat was the choice most beneficial to Kumogakure. Shaoyu's actions suited his tastes perfectly.

"With those elite fighters returned, there will be more the village can do. Elder Shaoyu, you have rendered a great service this time!"

The Raikage was in an excellent mood.

"It was my duty," Shaoyu replied, not taking credit.

"And also..."

"What is it?" The Third Raikage looked somewhat puzzled.

"Yes, Lord Raikage."

Shaoyu took a specially made black box from his robes and placed it on the Raikage's desk.

"These are spoils obtained from the Chinoike Clan. Three pairs of Ketsuryūgan."

"Ketsuryūgan?"

The Third Raikage raised a thick brow and opened the box. Inside, laid upon soft padding, were three pairs of dark-red eyeballs. They were dull and lusterless now, like dust-covered gems, resting quietly within.

Even without their vitality, they still gave off a faintly sinister aura.

"This is the Chinoike Clan's Kekkei Genkai? It does seem to have some substance to it."

The Raikage picked up one of the eyes and examined it carefully before putting it back.

"You can keep them for research. Why give them to me?"

"They are of little use to me."

Shaoyu answered frankly.

"Although these eyes have lost their core ocular power, their tissue structure may still hold research value."

"The village may have departments or personnel capable of analyzing them for information on ocular Kekkei Genkai, chakra pathway mutations, or even methods of countering similar abilities. Handing them over to the village may put them to greater use."

He paused, then added.

"Moreover, this mission was only completed smoothly because of Lord Raikage's trust and authorization. These spoils should rightfully belong to the village."

Sure enough, satisfaction flashed through the Third Raikage's single eye.

He admired Shaoyu's strength and decisiveness, but he admired even more this attitude of understanding the bigger picture and knowing his place.

"Hahahaha! Good! Elder Shaoyu, you truly have not disappointed me."

The Raikage laughed heartily, closed the box, and put it away.

"You do not covet credit or cling to spoils, and you always keep the village in mind. I accept your goodwill."

He patted Shaoyu on the shoulder.

"I will hand these things over to the departments responsible for ninjutsu development and biological research in the village. We will see whether those people who spend all day fiddling with bottles and jars can make something of these eyeballs. Even if they cannot, keeping them in the village vault will still make them a record and a collection."

"As for this mission of yours," the Raikage said seriously.

"You completed it exceptionally well. You not only recalled valuable fighting strength, but also thoroughly eliminated a potential threat. I will remember this achievement. Next, get some proper rest. You can also guide Ai more often. He admires you greatly.

"Yes, thank you, Lord Raikage." Shaoyu bowed slightly.

"Mm, go on. If your compound needs anything, you can go directly to the logistics department or speak to me."

The Raikage waved a hand, clearly in high spirits.

Shaoyu took his leave and turned to exit the Raikage's office.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped out of the building, he saw the young Ai. Tall and powerfully built, with white hair rising toward the sky and lightning-shaped markings on his face, he was leaning against a stone pillar nearby, idly kicking small pebbles on the ground.

The moment he saw Shaoyu emerge, his eyes lit up, and he immediately strode over.

"Elder Shaoyu, you're finally back."

Young Ai wore a bright smile, clearly in a very good mood.

"The old man didn't give you any trouble, did he? Is everything settled over at Hell Valley?"

"Mm, it's dealt with."

Shaoyu nodded.

"That's good. The sooner that godforsaken place is dealt with, the sooner we can all relax."

Young Ai looked as though he deeply agreed. Then he leaned closer mysteriously and lowered his voice.

"Elder Shaoyu, come on. I'll take you to meet someone—my new partner. He's an incredibly interesting guy."