Suzumebachi had now been whipped into shape by Shimizu's rigorous methods, meeting his exacting standards. However, this was the first time such a procedure was being tested on a human subject.
After a series of intricate steps, Shimizu held a syringe in his hand. Inside was a mixture of the Heaven Cursed Seal and the power of Wandering Spirits, infused with his own Yin Release chakra—essentially, his spiritual energy. The Uchiha clan, inheritors of the Sage of Six Paths' Yin Release, possessed far greater spiritual strength than other shinobi clans, and Shimizu's Yin Release chakra carried a uniquely personal imprint.
Orochimaru had once demonstrated that even if his physical body was destroyed, as long as someone bearing his cursed seal survived, he could resurrect himself through them. Whether this was true resurrection or merely the creation of a clone remained a mystery. The shinobi world acknowledged the existence of souls, and one theory suggested that when a cursed seal was activated, it could summon a soul back from the Pure Land, reconstructing a physical body using the same chakra. But this was just one possibility among many.
This technique touched upon profound mysteries and was likely one of Orochimaru's greatest achievements. However, Shimizu had no intention of using it as a means of resurrection for himself—the risks were too high, and there was no guarantee that the resurrected entity would truly be "him." Instead, he planned to use it as a means of controlling his subordinates. The syringe contained his cells and Yin Release chakra, allowing him to trigger the cursed seal from within if necessary, punishing any betrayal with its backlash.
Relying solely on words and emotions to ensure loyalty was often the most illusory approach. Humans were masters of deception, and emotions were far too unpredictable. Someone who swore undying loyalty today might betray you tomorrow for any number of reasons.
"You... what are you planning to do...?" A cold breeze swept through, and Suzumebachi regained a sliver of consciousness. She shuddered as she saw Shimizu approaching with the syringe. She had witnessed the entire process of him preparing the mixture—a dark, purplish liquid condensed from mist, mixed with other strange substances. No sane person would willingly allow such a thing to be injected into their body.
"This will enhance your strength several times over," Shimizu said as he approached, injecting the Heaven Cursed Seal into Suzumebachi's neck. She screamed again, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Shimizu wasn't lying. If she survived, her strength would at least double, though the exact increase depended on her individual potential. The cursed seal held immense promise, even surpassing conventional Sage Mode in some respects. For instance, Sage Mode from the three great sage regions had a critical flaw: it was ill-suited for sudden, unexpected battles. Without prior preparation, there was no time to gather natural energy. Naruto could gather natural energy mid-battle thanks to the Nine-Tails' assistance, and even Hashirama required time to accumulate natural energy before he could act. Moreover, Sage Mode had poor stamina. While regular chakra slowly replenished over time, allowing shinobi to engage in prolonged battles, Sage Mode's senjutsu chakra was finite. Once depleted, the user would revert to their normal state and need to start the process anew. Even with careful use, Sage Mode would dissipate after about five minutes, leaving the user vulnerable to attack. Even Naruto, who had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique to perfection, could only use a few clones to extend his stamina.
The Heaven Cursed Seal, on the other hand, appeared far more convenient. Though it was an imitation, Sasuke had never been shown actively gathering natural energy—he could activate it instantly. However, once the cursed seal's chakra was exhausted, there was a cooldown period before it could be used again. Shimizu speculated that the user stored natural energy within their body over time. The exact mechanics, however, would require further experimentation.
Once the syringe was empty, Shimizu withdrew it and tossed it into a makeshift trash bin. Suzumebachi was from the Kamizuru clan, which gave her an edge over ordinary civilians. Shimizu was curious to see if she could withstand the Heaven Cursed Seal. Shinobi clans often had greater resilience than civilians, and someone like Kimimaro, with his Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai, might also endure the cursed seal's power. After all, Kimimaro had survived the Earth Cursed Seal despite suffering from a congenital genetic disease. The Earth Cursed Seal and the Heaven Cursed Seal were of equal power, differing only in their evolutionary paths—one toward the sky, the other toward the earth. Of course, these were just hypotheses. Without clinical trials, this was the first experiment of its kind. If Suzumebachi didn't survive, Shimizu would simply find another test subject.
"Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts!" Suzumebachi's screams echoed through the cave, faintly reaching the outside. Shimizu frowned slightly. To prevent others from hearing any commotion, he set up a sealing formula in the corner of the cave to dampen the sound. He hadn't bothered with such precautions the previous day because the cave was far from their base. But after relocating, the new base was much closer to this location.
As time passed, Suzumebachi's screams subsided, and she grew weak, barely clinging to life. Yet her body underwent astonishing changes. Her eyes turned pitch black, like light-absorbing black holes. Her skin darkened to a dusky brown, and her short, tawny hair transformed into long, jet-black locks that spilled onto the ground. A pair of dark gray wings sprouted from her back, delicate and translucent, with white bone spurs at the joints making them faintly visible.
"Huff... huff..." Suzumebachi's breathing was ragged, like a broken bellows.
"She's lost her sanity for now, but she's still alive," Shimizu observed, taking measurements and recording the data. He formed hand seals to reinforce her restraints and placed explosive tags around the area. He fed her a soldier pill and left a shadow clone to keep watch. The cursed seal's transformation would enhance her strength, and Shimizu decided to take extra precautions to prevent her from escaping.
War neither stops for the loss of a weakling nor intensifies because of one. In the days that followed, Shimizu divided his time between treating injured shinobi at the hospital base and monitoring Suzumebachi's condition in the cave. While collecting data, he also used her as a means of stress relief. Day after day of healing others took a toll on both mind and body, and he needed rest to maintain his mental health. Suzumebachi, now in the first stage of the cursed seal, continued to evolve, nearing the second stage. Shimizu waited patiently; he could afford to wait months. If Suzumebachi showed no improvement by the time he returned to Konoha for rest, he would have no choice but to eliminate her.
"Are you Uchiha Shimizu?" Hamaki Mimura approached him, wearing a blue hat with the forehead protector embedded in the front, covering all of her hair.
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