A few days later, a fully recovered Ichiro Kurosaki stood by Shisui's side. In the depths of the underground labyrinth, over a dozen new guards had been stationed, each possessing strength comparable to a Jonin.
These shinobi still carried the latest generation of Symbiotic Kikaichu. Even with artificial hormonal acceleration, it would take at least a year before the insects reached their "burst" phase.
During this period, their physical limits would continue to grow slowly. Shisui refrained from converting them into permanent "Hives" for now; doing so would waste their developntal potential.
Moreover, they served as vital living laboratories for Shisui's two ongoing projects: the extraction of insect pheromones and the integration of a modified "Earth Grudge Fear" style jutsu.
"I thank you for saving my life, Lord. From this day forth, my loyalty belongs to you until death," Ichiro said, bowing deeply.
"Do not thank ," Shisui replied tonelessly. "Thank Ryuji Ida. Had he not rushed you back and begged for your life, you would be a hollow husk by now."
Ichiro hesitated, then asked in a low voice, "Lord Shisui... Ryuji knows the truth of my condition now. Does he also need to undergo... the modification?"
"He doesn't know the full truth." Shisui shook his head. "He knows your body failed and correctly guessed that I am the only one with the ans to fix it.
But he doesn't know what I am or the specifics of my thods. To him, I am simply Takigawa Sho—a man of terrifying power and endless ans. As for the modification, we'll skip it for him."
"He is a rchant," Shisui continued. "He will inevitably encounter shinobi from the Great Villages, so of whom are sensory masters.
A traveling rchant who suddenly gains massive chakra and physical strength would draw far too much unwanted attention. Let him remain a civilian."
"Co. You're coming with today. I have business to attend to."
Shisui ordered the others to guard the palace and used advanced Fūinjutsu to lock down his primary laboratories.
Even with their lives literally in his hands, he remained cautious; resentnt is a powerful motivator for sabotage.
The two left the labyrinth, bypassed the Takigakure barrier, and headed straight for the mining district in the city.
Inside the Lord's Manor, Lord Heiji was engaged in idle chatter with Ryuji Ida.
Thanks to the symbiotic insects, Heiji's health had improved dramatically. His rolls of fat had lted away, replaced by lean, firm muscle.
More importantly, his "stamina" in certain private matters had increased to the point where fellow nobles were hushing him in corners, begging for his secret to eternal youth.
Heiji always laughed it off, keeping the secret close to his chest. Looking at the slightly plump Ryuji Ida, he felt a surge of superiority.
"Brother Ryuji, we both serve the sa master. You had the chance to receive the blessing, so why did you give it up for a common bodyguard like Ichiro?"
Ryuji Ida looked confused but maintained a professional smile. "Ichiro-san may have been unreliable in the past, but he has been good to lately.
I believe in loyalty; he saved my life, so I saved his. As for 'blessings'... they don't matter much to ."
"Sigh..." Lord Heiji began to speak, but the doors swung open.
He turned to snap at the intruder, but his face went pale when he saw the two figures entering. He scrambled off his throne and knelt before Shisui. "Servant Heiji greets Lord Takigawa!"
Shisui didn't scold him. Instead, he asked, "You ntioned people are curious about your secret to youth?"
"Yes... Yes, Lord! But I have been a locked vault! Not a single word has leaked!"
"You've done well," Shisui said, walking toward him. "However, I have no intention of spreading this thod further. Your changes are too obvious, and you've beco far too flashy."
Heiji broke into a cold sweat. Before he could utter a plea, Shisui reached out.
Instantly, the insects inside Heiji began a rapid, final tamorphosis. In monts, Heiji's abdon swelled into a grotesque sphere while his limbs shriveled into dry sticks.
Shisui leaned down and, with a gentle flick, pierced the distended belly. Three grey insect eggs rolled out of the rupture—small, dull things, barely half the size of a quality specin.
Ryuji Ida, watching from the side, was drenched in sweat. For the first ti, he saw the horrifying reality of the man behind the curtain.
The "partnership" he thought he had was an illusion; there was only submission.
"Ta... Takigawa-sama..."
Shisui glanced at him. "Do you want one too?"
Ryuji shook his head violently, then, realizing that might be an insult, nodded frantically.
"Since you want it, take them." Shisui picked up the three eggs and instantly deactivated them, a faint, cooked aroma wafting from the shells.
He handed them over. "Don't worry, they're 'cooked.' Eating them will only repair your physical exhaustion and give you a bit more strength. They won't take root in your belly or grow into monsters."
"Thank... thank you for your grace, Lord!" Ryuji swallowed the eggs, officially centing his place in the hierarchy.
At that mont, the long-absent Butler Matsumoto entered, leading a teenage boy. The boy was Heiji's illegitimate son, born to a common concubine. Heiji had always doubted the boy's lineage and treated him like a servant.
Shisui's goal today was to clean up the "Parasite Corruption." Heiji's temperant was too poor; giving him power only invited trouble. It was easier to simply replace him with a more malleable heir.
As for the others, Shisui had no intention of planting more eggs. High-quality eggs were difficult to produce.
Poor-quality hosts provided limited strength and produced even worse offspring. The eggs he had used previously were generated using the Petri Dish's raw energy—an expensive investnt he wasn't keen to repeat on diocre talent.
A day later, the "Old Lord" passed away from illness, and his young heir ascended.
Ryuji Ida, accompanied by Ichiro and chests of gold and silver, set out on the trade routes once more. He was no longer just building a family fortune; he was the organization's treasurer, traveling across nations to raise funds.
His next mission was to use his son's connections to infiltrate the aristocratic circles of the Land of Earth. Shisui needed rare mineral resources for two reasons:
The specialized insects in the mines required specific ores for sustenance.
The refined tals could be sold to the Land of Iron and the Land of Artisans to be forged into high-quality armor, kunai, and shuriken.
The equipnt of the Daodao Community was currently a ss of rusted iron and hand--downs. It was ti to trade raw minerals for the gear of a true army.
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