Reborn in Konoha; I Think I’m Cultivating Immortality

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Hui forcibly curbed his desire to immediately study the Human Body Evolution Technique and walked over to Kage.

With a hint of regret and some pity, he said to Kage, "It's over now. Let him rest in peace."

After speaking, Hui fell silent, his heart bleeding.

Seiryo was an evolved individual who had undergone significant evolution. 

His body was vastly different from that of ordinary people, with almost every organ far superior in function to those of a regular person.

Thus, his body could be considered a treasure trove of human anatomy, and was immensely valuable for research.

Especially regarding Hui's idea, it was of unparalleled research value.

If not for Kage, Hui would never have allowed Seiryo's body to be buried. 

The man had conducted so many human experiments using others' bodies, as such using Seiryo's corpse wouldn't have affected Hui's conciousness.

But Kage was present.

"Do you know?" Kage's voice interrupted his thoughts, "He was once a really good person, a truly good man."

Kage seemed to be lost in memories. Hui noticed and couldn't help but twitch his lips. If this were a manga, it would definitely be another one of those "flashback" scenes.

With that thought, he chose to listen quietly, hearing her speak of her complex feelings toward her father.

It seemed a long time passed before she finished. Her face was already drenched with tears.

Hui sighed internally. Many villains in this world became who they were due to circumstances. Only a very few were born inherently evil.

And Seiryo was clearly not one of the latter.

Yet, regardless of how he turned into the person he became, the damage was done and irreversible.

Wrong was, in the end, wrong.

Attempts to "redeem" him had no meaning.

The two of them performed a joint Earth Style ninjutsu to bury Seiryo's body. The man who had controlled the Naigawa clan for twenty years now returned to dust.

Elsewhere, those who had been under Seiryo's control regained their freedom.

They wept with joy, filled with anger, excitement, and relief.

"Seiryo!!!"

Someone roared, shouting his name and vowing revenge.

Soon, a group of furious, indignant Naigawa clansmen began to search for Seiryo.

Not just Naigawa Seiryo.

Someone loudly declared, "And Naigawa Kage! She's Seiryo's daughter and equally guilty. She must not be spared!"

The hatred directed at Seiryo quickly transferred to Kage, leaving her hidden in the shadows, despondent.

For these members of the Naigawa clan, she felt deeply guilty.

After all, the one who had controlled them for twenty years was her father.

"I feel like if you go out now, they'll tear you apart."

Hui commented to Naigawa Kage, who remained silent.

Indeed, the intense hatred they felt toward Seiryo would undoubtedly be unleashed on his daughter.

"This place is no longer safe for you. What are your plans? If you have none, why not leave with me and live in the outside world?"

Hui began to persuade her.

Not because he was infatuated or entranced by her beauty.

Well…

It was partly due to her physical attributes.

But not in the way you're thinking.

As Seiryo's daughter and an evolved member of the Naigawa clan, Kage's body, though not as evolved as her father's, was still remarkable.

Her body held significant research value for Hui's idea.

With Seiryo's body now gone, missing the opportunity with Kage would be something he'd regret for the rest of his life.

Hearing this, Kage looked at Hui.

The handsome, 18-or-19-year-old youth looked at her seriously, his starry eyes brimming with sincerity.

From his gaze, she also sensed anticipation and... intensity.

This dazed her momentarily, and then her face turned red.

"Alright, I'll go with you," she said shyly, lowering her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Hui froze.

He wasn't a romantic fool; his emotional intelligence was high.

Seeing her reaction, how could he not realize that she misunderstood and had developed feelings for him?

His mind raced, and then an idea struck. He pretended to casually say, "I'll take you to Konoha, where I grew up—it's the best place in the shinobi world.

"There are many interesting people there, including my best friends.

"I'll introduce you to them. I'm sure they'll like you, especially my girlfriend. I think you two would become great friends."

As he spoke, a happy smile spread across his face.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Kage's face, expecting disappointment or sadness.

Better to clarify now than to let her feelings deepen only to discover this later.

But Hui had miscalculated. There was no trace of disappointment or sadness on Kage's face; instead, it was full of anticipation.

"Yes, yes, I think they'll like me too~," she said, her tone cheerful, leaving Hui bewildered.

Had he misunderstood her feelings all along?

Blushing, he realized he'd started assuming every girl liked him. His EQ wasn't that high after all. He needed to take note of this behaviour.

Pushing aside any other thoughts, he reminded himself that if Kage wasn't romantically interested in him, things would be much simpler.

But Hui seemed to forget one thing.

Kage's worldview was shaped by the Warring States era.

And during that time, it was entirely normal for a man to have multiple wives.

"Since that's settled, let's leave now," Hui said, intending to take Kage away from this place as soon as possible.

Because something horrifying was about to happen here.

The people of the Naigawa clan would all start dying, one by one.

None of them would escape.

Within three to five days, all of them, except Kage, would perish.

As their bodies had been used by Seiryo as living batteries, they had lost the fundamental essence required for life,, their vitality.

And so, they were doomed to die.

Hui didn't want Kage to witness that scene. He wanted to spare of further her guilt and pain.

"Alright, let's go," Kage agreed. She no longer held any attachments to this place, as her clan now only bore hatred for her.

…

The direction they headed was not Konoha, but rather a place brimming with natural energy.

Hui had a good idea of what lay ahead.

The slit pupil that Seiryo had briefly revealed said it all.

And as they ventured deeper, the number of snakes increased while other animals grew scarce.

This confirmed Hui's suspicions—the place up ahead was none other than Ryūchi Cave, one of the three great sage regions of the summoning realm!

As they approached Ryūchi Cave, Hui's celestial eye caught sight of its entrance from afar.

He had discovered the same sacred place that Orochimaru would one day seek out.

Ryūchi Cave was an inherently dangerous location, and Hui knew little about it.

He chose not to bring Kage into harm's way, nor did he plan to enter directly himself.

Instead, he created two shadow avatars. The first would accompany Kage, while his true body stayed a safe distance away.

The second shadow avatar ventured into Ryūchi Cave.

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