In a world shrouded in darkness.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki looked at the shattered pieces of white jade before him, his expression obscured by the gloom.
Slowly, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki rose to his feet.
He walked to the door of what looked like a laboratory.
He pushed it open and entered.
"My lord!"
Seeing Ōtsutsuki Isshiki enter, an elderly man with a graying beard bowed with his back hunched.
"Little Gold and the others are all dead."
"Have you finished your research yet?"
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki spoke with an impassive expression.
It was as though their deaths were nothing more than an ordinary, trivial matter.
He did not care in the slightest.
"It's almost finished."
"This batch should be the most perfect set of experimental subjects I've produced in all these years."
"What you need may emerge this time, my lord."
Excitement appeared on the old man's face.
He pointed at the countless Cultivation Pods before him and began introducing them.
Soon, the two arrived before a Nutrient Pod containing a man with white hair and a white beard.
"My lord, my body won't be able to hold out much longer."
"However, by studying the special ability you granted me, I have incorporated all my memories, abilities, and love of science into this man's body."
"In the future, he will become your finest assistant."
"Oh, and my lord, over here is what you need..."
As he spoke, the old man moved to another Nutrient Pod and pointed at the several Artificial Humans inside, all of whom looked to be in their teens...
While Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was searching for a replacement body.
Uchiha Kazama had already absorbed all the energy from the Chakra Fruits he had obtained earlier.
This time, Uchiha Kazama had not chosen to let the tailed beasts absorb the Chakra Fruits.