Yuzuru's voice rang out like a thunderclap on flat ground, and Yakumo Kurama could no longer sit still in her seat.
She turned around in terror, only to find that her head had become that of a blue-faced, fanged monster.
Staring at Yuzuru, who strolled forward as if taking a leisurely walk, the monster let out a hoarse roar.
It could not understand it at all. This was clearly its home ground, yet none of its attacks could do anything to the man before it.
"Roar!"
Ido roared again in fury, the paintbrush in its hand flying wildly across the canvas as all kinds of attacks rained down on Yuzuru without pause.
Only when Ido was completely exhausted did the attacks finally come to a stop.
Immediately after, its legs gave out and it dropped to its knees.
In front of it, Yuzuru still stood exactly where he had been from the very beginning, not even the corner of his clothes disturbed in the slightest.
Seeing Ido slumped on the ground, Yuzuru pointed at his crimson eyes. "The dominance of these eyes is far beyond what you can imagine."
"Before them, no genjutsu can remain hidden."
As his words fell, the world within Id's eyes changed as well.
The surroundings turned into a hollow void of pitch-black darkness, with only a pair of enormous Mangekyō Sharingan manifesting before it.
What kind of eyes were these…?
With just a single glance, Ido felt as if all thought had been stripped away.
In only a few short seconds, Ido's body ignited on its own, turning into a wisp of ash.
Ido was the inner demon born within Yakumo, existing in her mental world.
Such a monster might have been untouchable to others, but it was naturally restrained by the Sharingan.
With a single thought, Yuzuru used a powerful mental shock to completely disperse it.
After Ido's death, Yakumo's figure reappeared.
She was curled up tightly, hugging herself as she crouched in the corner of the room.
Yuzuru walked over slowly and spoke softly, "Yakumo, come with me. I'll heal your body and help you become a true ninja."
At his words, Yakumo suddenly lifted her head.
When she saw the gentle yet confident smile on Yuzuru's face, she unconsciously reached out her arm.
The next moment, sunlight once again poured into the room.
Murakumo, Uroko, Kurenai, and Tsunade watched as Yuzuru carried Yakumo down from upstairs.
Tsunade stepped forward and asked, "Yuzuru, how is it?"
"She just overused her bloodline limit and fainted," he replied.
Murakumo and the others came over as well, looking at Yakumo's tightly shut eyes with worry. "Lord Yuzuru, Yakumo, she…"
Seeing their panicked expressions, Yuzuru explained, "What attacked us earlier was the inner demon born within Yakumo. It's already been eliminated."
Hearing that Yuzuru had no intention of pursuing the matter, Murakumo and the others finally let out a sigh of relief. They knelt on the ground to apologize. "Lord Yuzuru, thank you for today. From now on, if there is ever a place where the Kurama clan is of use, please give us your orders."
"We'll take good care of Yakumo and absolutely won't let her continue refining chakra, so as not to disappoint your kindness and Lady Tsunade's."
After today's events, they had finally come to a realization.
The burden of the Kurama clan's revival should not be placed solely on Yakumo's shoulders. Living out her life as an ordinary person would be just fine.
What they did not expect, however, was for Yuzuru to shake his head.
"If you give up just like that, then wouldn't my trip here have been for nothing?"
"I'll take Yakumo away first and bring her back after some time."
"Oh, right… the Kurama clan is too small right now. You can try contacting your clansmen and hold a joint gathering with our Uchiha clan."
After saying that, Yuzuru directly activated Kamui and vanished.
The Kurama clan's bloodline limit was extremely powerful, representing an ultimate application of Yin Release.
If he could bring it under his control, it would also bring tremendous benefits to himself.
"Th-this…"
Murakumo and Uroko never expected Yuzuru to suddenly bring up something like a joint marriage alliance, leaving them stunned on the spot.
Tsunade, however, understood his intentions and explained, "You've really hit the jackpot this time. With Yuzuru stepping in, Yakumo's body shouldn't have any serious problems."
"As for the matter of holding a joint gathering with the Uchiha clan… you'd better take it seriously."
Although she didn't know the full details, having followed Yuzuru for so many years, Tsunade naturally knew that he strongly encouraged Uchiha clansmen to intermarry with other bloodline clans.
She therefore carefully reminded Murakumo again, afraid that he might neglect the matter.
Right after that, Tsunade shifted her gaze to Yuhi Kurenai.
"These eyes are really beautiful—just like rubies."
Kurenai looked at Tsunade in surprise and replied softly, "You flatter me, Lady Tsunade."
A strange smile appeared on Tsunade's face as she said quietly, "You and Rin are good friends, aren't you? You should spend more time together in the future and deepen your bond."
Kurenai didn't quite understand, but could only nod. "I understand, Lady Tsunade."
———
———
The Forest of Death.
Not far from the center, there was an underground entrance.
From the outside, it looked like a bottomless subterranean cave.
Several Anbu squads conducted round-the-clock patrols around the area, with dense bushes and white snakes scattered everywhere on the ground.
Yuzuru's figure slowly appeared, carrying Yakumo as he walked into the cave.
The inside of the cave was completely different from the outside. Not only was it exceptionally spacious, but it was also clean and orderly.
The square floor tiles were all pure white without a single pattern, and the walls were likewise spotless white.
Incandescent lights were installed every half meter along the ceiling, illuminating the interior as brightly as day.
Before long, the sound of footsteps rang out, and Orochimaru, dressed in a kimono, walked over briskly.
"Yuzuru-kun, long time no see. This should be your first time visiting my laboratory, right?"
Yuzuru nodded lightly. "This research base of yours looks even more luxurious than the one in the Hidden Cloud Village."
Orochimaru was clearly in a good mood and laughed. "That's all thanks to Yuzuru-kun's strong support. Only then could I have such a comfortable research environment."
As they chatted casually, the two soon arrived deep within the facility.
Orochimaru pushed open a room door. Yakushi Kabuto was inside, staring intently at the experimental instruments, as if an experiment had reached a critical stage.
Yuzuru stopped Kabuto, who was about to stand up and salute, and asked curiously, "Orochimaru, judging by your mood, have you made some new progress in your research lately?"
Hearing that, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his face with a smile. "Yuzuru-kun, I was actually just about to look for you. I've now fully mastered the technology for complete cloning of individuals. This body of mine was obtained through cloning. Now, the Living Corpse Reincarnation is truly approaching perfection."
Yuzuru let out a breath of relief for no apparent reason.
Since cloning bodies was now mastered, there should be no need to worry about Orochimaru's gender issues in the future.
Orochimaru didn't notice Yuzuru's expression. He simply looked at Yakumo in his arms and asked, "Yuzuru-kun, what's going on with this child?"
Yuzuru placed Yakumo onto the operating table in the room and said slowly, "A bloodline disease."