Chapter 202: The Two Deadly Flowers (Part 2)
Yagura was fast. He gave her no time to react and was already on the shore.
Though they were of a similar height, with her even being slightly taller, the auras they exuded were worlds apart.
"Go back with me," he said, his face grim, his voice filled with a thousand unspoken words.
Her only answer was to extend a bone blade. "I will not go back to that ugly place."
"Not to the Kaguya clan," he said. "Back to the village with me. You will live in the village from now on. I can guarantee that the Kaguya will not bother you again."
After tonight, there probably wouldn't be much of the Kaguya clan left anyway.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I will not go to the Hidden Mist either. I have no interest in that place. I don't know anyone there."
"Are you trying to defect?" he said, a frown on his face.
"What?" she said with a laugh. "Just because I was born in the Land of Water, I have to give my life for the Hidden Mist? I had never even been to the village until a year ago. What's the point of talking about defection now?"
"You are a ninja of the Hidden Mist," he said, taking his signature iron hook from his back. "That is undeniable. I will not allow you to make another mistake. Tsuki Kaguya, even if you have your grievances, you have already killed dozens of your own clansmen. Your anger should be sated. You need to calm down."
"I am calm," she said, her eyes wide, a smile on her face. "I am very calm. I just can't stand that ugly place anymore. I am going to find true beauty."
Such a paranoid clan, he thought with a sigh. He would have to defeat her and knock her out, then take her back to the village.
"Then I have no choice."
The next moment, he was on her, his iron hook swinging at her neck.
She was startled by his speed and barely managed to block with her bone blade. But to her shock, her blade shattered, and a spray of bone and marrow flew.
Everything seemed to be in slow motion.
In mid-air, he kicked her, and she was sent flying, crashing through several rocks.
The Shikotsumyaku gave her an incredible resistance to damage. After taking the kick, she immediately tried to stand up, but he was on her again, his iron hook swinging down and hitting her on the back of the head.
In front of a Kage, she was so powerless.
"I'm sorry," he said, looking down at her swaying figure. "I'm not very good at genjutsu, so I had to use physical force. But with your Shikotsumyaku, there shouldn't be any lasting damage."
The heavy blow to her head had made her vision blur. Everything was a double image.
"No! I can't pass out! Dance of the Clematis: Vine!"
Her spine shot from her body, like a snake, and wrapped around him.
"Dance of the Clematis: Flower!"
Her entire right arm was encased in bone, and she swung it at him.
But he just calmly tilted his head and dodged.
Though she was called a prodigy, at this time, she was still a long way from the level of a Kage.
But he let her retreat, not pressing his advantage. He wanted to use his strength to make her see reality, to avoid her fighting to the death. He still hoped to bring her back alive, not as a corpse.
But her incredible resistance to damage was a bit of a headache. If it had been anyone else, he would have already knocked them out.
"Dance of the Larch!"
Dozens of bones shot from her body, making her look like a porcupine. But he just shattered them one by one. And her bone blade did not even touch him.
"Give up," he said. "You have no chance."
"Experiment number 0104. Recording begins!"
"Genjutsu, prepare!"
A dozen or so Root ninja, all skilled in genjutsu, were focusing on Kushina, who was chained in the center.
She let out a cry of pain and then fell into the illusion. The Sharingan in her eyes, which she could not close, began to spin, and tears of blood flowed.
A short while later, Danzo, who had unexpectedly come to the lab today, said impatiently to one of the researchers, "How many times has it been? Is it working?"
The researcher was too scared to speak.
"If we increase the power of the genjutsu," he asked, "will it damage the Sharingan?"
"No, my lord," the researcher said, shaking his head. "In fact, since the start of the experiment, the power of the Sharingan has been increasing."
"And what about the Nine-Tails?"
"For now, nothing. But as the power of the Sharingan increases, it should be easier to control the Nine-Tails."
"Then increase the power!"
"My lord, we have been increasing the power every day."
"I said," he said, looking at him coldly, "increase the power!"
"Yes, sir!"
At his order, another ten ninja joined the genjutsu team, including Danzo's own bodyguards.
"Aah! Aah!"
Kushina, who had been silently weeping, suddenly began to struggle. Her bound limbs thrashed, and it was clear she was in immense pain. The orange flames of the Nine-Tails' chakra around her grew even higher.
Her struggles grew more and more violent. The chains rattled, and the tomoe of her Sharingan spun faster and faster.
But what no one noticed was that the orange chakra flames were gradually spreading, enveloping the chains that bound her, the same chains that were inscribed with sealing formulas.
The number of her tailed beast cloak's tails reached the previous limit of five, and whisker-like markings appeared on her face. But the activity of the tailed beast chakra did not stop. Slowly, a sixth tail appeared.
Danzo clenched his fists in excitement.
"Has she finally broken through the unknown barrier?"
He saw a glimmer of hope. "Continue!" he roared. "Don't stop! Increase the power of the genjutsu! Stimulate her with the most painful illusions!"
The number of her tails continued to increase. A short while later, a seventh appeared.
In her inner world, Kushina covered her eyes. Even in this illusory space, her three-tomoe Sharingan were still weeping tears of blood. Even here, she could not completely block out the immense power of the external genjutsu.
The death of her parents, the destruction of her homeland, the bone-deep loneliness—countless illusions flooded her mind.
The tears of blood fell to the ground and mixed with the ever-present water, losing their color.
"Nine-Tails," she said, covering her eyes, "that person is coming. Today."
Behind the massive bars, the Nine-Tails straightened up and stretched lazily, like a giant cat, its nine massive tails dancing behind it.
It then bared its terrifying fangs. "Well then," it snarled, "let's go on a rampage! My power! I'll lend it to you! Go and kill those disgusting bastards!"