Ling's discovery of "Water Mirror Mimicry: Parasitic Bud" caused quite a stir within the Allied Forces' Research Division. This unconventional approach to interference offered a new way to clear the ever-increasing God Tree Remnants. Against the vast numbers of relatively weak seedlings in particular, it could drastically reduce chakra expenditure and the risks of combat.
However, deploying it in battle still posed numerous challenges. Simulating the structure of dark energy required immense mental effort and carried the risk of reverse corrosion; for now, it could only affect the most basic seedlings, while its effectiveness against mature specimens or stronger entities remained unknown; its short duration required continuous casting or a more stable energy node on which to "parasitize."
Ling did not stop there. While cooperating with the Research Division on safety testing and refinements, he continued to deepen his Water Mirror Insight into Principle, seeking a clearer understanding of dark energy's core "grammar" in hopes of developing more powerful methods of interference, or even control. He had a vague feeling that fully deciphering how this energy operated might reveal certain weaknesses in the Sacred Lord's will.
While Allied Forces headquarters bustled with work on the new technique, the advance team far out at sea finally approached the mist-shrouded islands mentioned in Jiraiya's intelligence after a difficult journey.
Ao of Kirigakure stood at the bow, straining his Byakugan to peer into the distance. Through the thin mist, he saw a sight that made his heart pound. On one of the larger islands, the vegetation was not green but a sickly purplish black. Enormous, veinlike vines coiled around the mountains, with immense shadows faintly visible writhing within them. Oppressive chakra fluctuations filled the air, resembling the tailed beast chakra he had sensed before, yet far more chaotic, violent, and ominous.
"Target island