Orochimaru swiftly rose to his feet. "Natural energy is spiraling out of control!"
Neji remained calm. "Don't worry. The safety mechanism will activate."
Sure enough, the crystal behind Jiraiya suddenly lit up with a blinding glare. A vast surge of energy erupted from his spine. A fierce wind immediately swept through the quiet chamber, making everyone's robes flap loudly.
A few seconds later, the toad-like features on Jiraiya's face rapidly faded. He opened his eyes, his face full of delight. "Amazing! It really expelled the excess energy automatically!"
Tsunade let out a breath of relief, then immediately glared at Jiraiya. "Idiot! Who told you to rush into it like that?"
Jiraiya scratched his head and gave a foolish grin. "Hehe, I was just too excited..."
Neji turned to Tsunade. "Are you ready?"
Tsunade took a deep breath and straightened her back. "Let's do it."
Neji began forming hand seals, and the crystal lit up again. When it touched Tsunade's skin, the future medical master clenched her teeth but did not make a sound.
Liquefaction, shaping, neural connection—the entire process was identical to Jiraiya's, but Tsunade's reaction was entirely different. Her body trembled faintly, and fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead, yet she maintained astonishing composure throughout. Only the occasional muffled groan betrayed her pain.
"Is it... almost done?" she asked in a taut voice.
Neji focused on his hand seals. "Hold on for ten more seconds... five, four, three, two, one... done."
Tsunade let out a long breath, leaning forward slightly and bracing herself against the ground with both hands. Her blonde hair was damp with sweat and clung to her cheeks.
"It feels... strange." She slowly rolled her shoulders. "Like something... is growing inside my spine."
Neji nodded. "That's the filter adapting to your body. Try sensing