Exploration

Finally, Tsubasa looked at Tsunade and Biwako: " The Medical Department is responsible for the physical examinations of Isshiki and the Flying Zombie. Isshiki's injuries must be healed; we can't let him die. The Flying Zombie's corpse poison and blood-sucking energy must be analyzed clearly, and a resistance plan must be developed. Also, the few Konoha Ninja from the Nawaki squad who fought alongside me, go back and give them physical examinations to confirm that they haven't been infected by the zombie virus, and that they even brought back a green zombie."

Tsunade stood up anxiously and asked, " Nawaki, are you alright?"

Tsubasa laughed and said, "He's not hurt, but your younger brother is a bit reckless, he's fearless. You'll have to give him some extra safety training when you get back."

Tsunade nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Alright, the Medical Department will arrange for someone to go right away. But I must remind you, Isshiki is from the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and his self-healing ability is very strong. The Sealing Jutsu techniques and sealing arrays need to be monitored 24 hours a day, to prevent him from waking up and escaping."

"I've already arranged for someone to call Tian Yu to guard it." Tsubasa stood up. "That's all, meeting adjourned. Tenpi and Orochimaru, go to your respective research sites now. Tsunade and Biwako, come with me to the side hall to give Isshiki preliminary check-up. Himiko, go to the back hall to reinforce the seal on the Flying Zombie. Send word immediately if anything happens."

The others responded and turned to leave. Orochimaru walked the fastest, practically floating towards the stone cell, muttering to himself, " The Flying Zombie's body structure... the skin's hardness test... where's the energy core...?"

Tenpi, carrying his notebook, hurried towards the side hall, instructing the Scientific Research Institute disciples beside him as he went. "Bring over the spatial fluctuation detector, the energy analyzer, and the memory reader. Invite the experts from the Yamanaka Clan to come and assist..."

Tsunade and Biwako followed behind Tsubasa. Tsunade couldn't help but ask, "Are you really comfortable letting Orochimaru research that Flying Zombie? That guy is capable of anything. What if he wakes the Flying Zombie up? The stone prison won't be able to stop him."

"It's alright if we can't stop it." Tsubasa smiled. "I left a Immortal Power mark on the Flying Zombie. If it dares to run, I can find it in a second. Besides, Orochimaru may be crazy, but he knows his limits. He knows how valuable the Flying Zombie is and won't really kill it."

Biwako nodded. "That's true, but we still need to keep an eye on it. I just saw that Flying Zombie's eyes; although they were sealed, the red light was still flashing, which means it's still accumulating energy to strengthen itself. We need to analyze its energy source as soon as possible, otherwise the seal will break sooner or later."

As they talked, they arrived at the side hall. Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, still unconscious inside the sealing array, had stopped bleeding from the hole in his chest, but purple Chakra was still seeping out. Tsunade crouched down, reaching out to touch Isshiki's chest, but Tsubasa stopped her. "Don't touch him directly. His Chakra is aggressive. Wear gloves."

Biwako took a pair of special rubber gloves from her medicine box and handed them to Tsunade. Tsunade put on the gloves and carefully touched Isshiki's chest, her brows furrowing. "The tissue around the wound is necrotic, but the cells inside are still active. This contradictory state... is a bit like being drained of energy, but the Chakra is still forcibly maintaining life and repairing the body."

At this moment, Tenpi arrived with his disciples from the Scientific Research Institute. They brought in various instruments and began testing Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. One disciple held a testing instrument close to Isshiki's eyes, and the instrument beeped. "Vice Minister, there are spatial fluctuations in his eyes, very faint, but constantly pulsating."

Tenpi quickly went over to take a look, his notebook scribbling even more excitedly. "Record it: the fluctuation frequency, amplitude, and its resonance with the surrounding space... Oh, and test his body and blood to see if there are any traces of spatial coordinates inside."

Tsunade and Biwako also got busy. They used a syringe to draw blood from Isshiki, placed it in a test tube, and then used instruments to monitor his heartbeat and breathing. Looking at the data on the monitor, Biwako couldn't help but exclaim, "His heartbeat is only five times per minute, and his breathing is almost imperceptible, yet he's alive. The Ōtsutsuki's constitution is truly extraordinary."

Tsubasa leaned against the door, watching the few people busy inside, thinking to himself: Isshiki knows the secrets of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, Flying Zombie's body can be used to develop a power to fight against the Ōtsutsuki. If these two things can be used well, Konoha will no longer have to fear the invasion of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

Just then, Himiko's voice came from outside. " Immortal Venerable, something's wrong with the seal on the stone prison. The black energy of the Flying Zombie is corroding the runes. Orochimaru wanted to take a sample of its body directly, but I stopped him."

Tsubasa frowned, turned and walked out. "I'll go take a look."

Just as they reached the entrance of the stone cell, they heard Orochimaru complaining, " Himiko- kun, it's just a small piece of its internal organs, nothing will happen~ Look at it, it can't even move now, what's there to be afraid of?"

Himiko stood with her arms crossed, blocking the stone cell doorway, her face cold. " The Immortal Venerable said we must wait until the Medical Department confirms it's safe before taking action. Don't violate the operating procedures. Besides, its black aura is still spreading; if you take a sample now, you might get infected by it."

Inside the stone cell, the Flying Zombie was bound to a pillar by golden sealing runes, its wings drooping. However, the black aura around its body grew thicker and thicker, even staining a patch of the golden light on the runes black. Orochimaru was perched on the cell's bars, holding a scalpel, his eyes fixed intently on the Flying Zombie's wings.

"Alright, Orochimaru, stop fooling around." Tsubasa walked over and glared at Orochimaru. "Have Himiko reinforce the seal first. The Medical Department should have a preliminary report in half an hour at the earliest, then we'll have you collect samples."

Orochimaru pursed his lips and reluctantly put away his scalpel. "Fine~ but I have to do it in half an hour, otherwise it'll be troublesome to take a sample after it wakes up."

Himiko took out several golden sealing talismans from her bosom, affixed them to the bars of the stone cell, and then formed a hand seal. " Sealing Jutsu - Vajra Reinforcement!" The golden light on the talismans spread out, and the runes wrapped around the Flying Zombie also lit up, suppressing the black aura and causing it to shrink back.

"That should last for two hours," Himiko of relief. "But we still need to analyze the composition of its black energy as soon as possible, otherwise it's just a temporary fix."

Tsubasa nodded. " Tsunade and the others are already testing, and we'll have the results soon. You stay here and keep an eye on things. Orochimaru, come back to the side hall with me and check on the progress with Tenpi."

Orochimaru reluctantly followed Tsubasa back, muttering to himself, " Flying Zombie... if only we could have gotten the sample sooner..."

Tsubasa ignored him, but in his heart he was thinking: Flying Zombie and Isshiki, one is a top-notch existence among zombies, and the other is an old monster of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. I wonder how many good things they can come up with when these two are put together.

When they returned to the side hall, Tenpi was holding a device to Isshiki's head; the screen was covered in dense lines. Seeing Tsubasa enter, he quickly waved, "Father, look! His brain is still active, albeit very weakly, but we can detect thought patterns. I tried inputting a few questions, and his brain responded, meaning he can hear us!"

Tsunade approached with a report and handed it to Tsubasa: "The preliminary test results are in. Isshiki's blood contains special energy cells called ' Ōtsutsuki Cells.' These cells can absorb Natural Energy and manipulate space. The wound on his chest was caused by his energy being drained. The Flying Zombie's blood-sucking energy is ' Death Energy Plunder,' which can directly drain a living being's life energy and blood."

" Death Energy Plunder..." Tsubasa stroked his chin, "So, anything with life energy will be absorbed by it?"

"Yes," Biwako added, "And this energy is highly infectious. If you're hit by the red light of Flying Zombie, not only will your energy be drained, but you'll also be infected by the death aura and turn into a zombie. I've already arranged for the Konoha Ninja from Nawaki Squad who were with you to have medical checkups. They should be fine, but they still need to be quarantined for two days."

Tenpi adjusted his glasses. "Since Isshiki can hear us, we need to keep some conversations private from him. Also, we can start the interrogation now. I've prepared a few questions. First, ask him where the Ōtsutsuki Clan's headquarters is, and what their next invasion will be, including the timing, patterns, and teleportation routes."

Orochimaru leaned over and glanced at the report, his eyes suddenly lighting up. " Death Energy Plunder? The Flying Zombie's energy core is in its heart! I saw the Flying Zombie in the stone cell just now; its chest was moving constantly, albeit very faintly, but it was definitely its heart! If we could take a sample from its heart..."

"Shut up!" Tsunade glared at him. " The Flying Zombie's heart is its energy core. Taking a sample is equivalent to killing it. Don't even think about it!"

"Alright, leave the research on the Flying Zombie to Orochimaru." Tsubasa interrupted them. " Tenpi, start digging into Isshiki's secrets. Be careful not to let him regain consciousness or die. Tsunade, your Medical Department continues to study Isshiki's cells and suppress the corpse poison in Isshiki body. Also, analyze the death energy components of the Flying Zombie. Orochimaru, I don't care how you research the Flying Zombie, but I need to obtain the method to control Flying Zombie and the path to Flying Zombie evolution. That's crucial. You can go to the Moon Castle to find some information. The Flying Zombie zombies are probably a backup plan of the Land of the Moon's daimyo."

Orochimaru's eyes lit up with excitement as he turned and walked out, glancing back at the stone cell as he left.

Tenpi adjusted the instrument, pointed it at Isshiki's head, and said in a calm voice, " Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, tell me, where is the homeland of your Ōtsutsuki Clan?"

The lines on the instrument screen flickered, Tenpi's eyes lit up. "He's responding! Ask him again!"

Where is the Ōtsutsuki Clan's homeland?

The lines jerked again, more violently than before. Tenpi quickly jotted it down. "He knows the answer, but he's resisting. He continues, 'When will the next invasion take place?'"

This time the lines twitched even more violently, Isshiki's eyelids twitched, as if he were about to wake up. Tsunade quickly went over, took out a syringe, and injected Isshiki's arm. "I've given him a sedative; it'll let him sleep for another two hours."

Tenpi nodded and continued the interrogation, "What is the goal of your Ōtsutsuki Clan? Is it to seize the will of the planet?"

The lines on the instrument screen were jumping wildly, Tenpi quickly sped up his recording. "He's scared! This question hit a nerve! Immortal Venerable, the Ōtsutsuki Clan's target might be more terrifying than we imagine!"

Tsubasa frowned, walked to the instrument, and looked at the screen. "Can you analyze his thought process?"

"It's a bit difficult." Tenpi shook his head. "His way of thinking is different from ours; the cultural differences are too great. We can only see his emotional fluctuations, not directly read his content. We have to take it slowly, or... use a more provocative approach."

"Perhaps we could talk to the ancestor." Tsubasa waved his hand. "Let's leave it at that for now. Record his emotional fluctuations, compare the issues, and analyze them slowly. Tsunade, your Medical Department should produce a detailed report as soon as possible, especially regarding Isshiki's cells and the death aura components of the Flying Zombie. The sooner the better."

The others responded and continued their work. Only the beeping of instruments and the scratching of pens on paper remained in the side hall. Tsubasa gazed at the moon and the darkening sky outside, pondering: the secrets of the Ōtsutsuki Clan and the Flying Zombie —these two great treasures, if we could find results in our research, would elevate the strength of the Shinobi World to a new level. It would also give us a much better chance of dealing with the Ōtsutsuki Clan ...

The beeping of the instruments in the side hall sounded like the incessant chirping of insects. Tsubasa stared at the flickering lines on the screen, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist. Tsunade had just led the Medical Department to draw Isshiki's blood sample; the pale purple liquid in the test tube gleamed eerily under the light. Before leaving, she said, "The corpse poison has begun to erode Isshiki's cellular core. In three days at most, if we can't find a way to stop it, this body will mutate."

Tenpi was still engrossed in taking notes, the sound of his pen scratching across the paper making a soft scratching noise. He suddenly looked up. "Father, when you asked about ' Chakra Fruit and the Will of Planets' just now, his brainwave frequency was close to breaking down. Could it be...?"

"That's the right thing to do." Tsubasa interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over the unconscious Isshiki in the stone cell. "The secrets hidden by the Ōtsutsuki Clan have never been allowed to see the light of day."

The words had barely left his lips when two Space Break sounds came from outside the hall. Two streaks of light, one blue and one green, landed at the entrance. Before the dust had even settled, a girl in a blue-patterned Daoist robe leaped in, the jade gourd hanging from her waist jingling. "Father! Brother Tenchu and I are here! What's fun?"

It was Tian Yu. Behind her followed a young man in a dark robe, whose features bore a striking resemblance to Tsubasa. He clutched a dragon-shaped staff; this was Tenchu. As soon as they landed, Tenchu entered the secret chamber, frowning as he looked at the Isshiki within. "This is the Ōtsutsuki Clan? Their aura is far weaker than described in the records. Were they crippled by Father?"

"Stop talking nonsense." Tianyi walked over and took out two tokens from his arms. One was engraved with the word "sealing" and the other was engraved with the word "zhen", and they were handed to the two of them respectively. "Tianli, you guard Feizhiang and keep an eye on Orochimaru. The main purpose is to keep an eye on Feizheng's seal to prevent it from hurting anyone, and also keep an eye on Orochimaru."

Tian Yu's eyes lit up, and she took the token, stuffing it into her pocket. "Don't worry! I've disliked Orochimaru's green eyes for a long time, this is a good opportunity to test my newly learned ' Sealing Jutsu '!"

" Tenchu." Tsubasa turned to his son, his tone turning serious. "You will assist your younger brother Tenpi in researching the secrets of the Ōtsutsuki Clan. If he shows any signs of waking up, seal him away with Wood Release."

Tenchu nodded, took the token, and slammed his cane on the ground. A crack appeared in the ground, and several dragon-shaped Chakra coiled around the stone cell. "Father, rest assured, with me here, he won't be able to escape."

After settling the two children, Tsubasa turned to look outside the palace. The moon was already high in the sky, its silvery light spilling onto the ground like a layer of frost. He touched the jade pendant on his chest and murmured, "It's time to go and meet Kaguya Otsutsuki."

Tenpi looked up. "Father, should I come along?"

"No need." Tsubasa waved his hand, his figure gradually becoming transparent. "I'll leave this to you. I'm going to the moon; I'll be back in three days at most." Before he finished speaking, he had already disappeared from the hall.