Two full days.
It took Taiichi an entire two days to completely clean up the mess Tsunade had left behind.
And during those two days, Tsunade never showed her face even once. She didn't even come home to sleep at night.
If he hadn't known she was a powerful shinobi in her own right, Taiichi would have been tempted to report her missing to the Konoha Military Police. The case title would have been: "Innocent Disappearance of Konoha's Princess Tsunade."
Imagining the Uchiha being sent to search for the Senju princess was pretty funny. Tsunade would probably die of social embarrassment for half a month and never dare stay out all night again.
Of course, that was just a thought.
Once the mountain of tedious paperwork was finally finished, Taiichi at last had time to study the spoils of war from this mission.
A divine consciousness of the Evil God—or more accurately, a fragment of one. This was something extremely rare.
In the current shinobi world, the only beings that could still be called "gods" that Taiichi knew of were the Evil God and the Shinigami.
As for the others, either only empty titles remained, or even the titles themselves had long been swallowed by the river of history.
These supernatural existences that once strode across the ancient era had endured the devastating blows of the Ōtsutsuki's descent and the planting of the God Tree. Some were killed, some went into hiding, some changed their paths, some simply self-destructed. Any that managed to survive until now all possessed their own unique trump cards.
Every single one of them was a worthy subject for Taiichi to study.
---
Taiichi's underground laboratory.
This was a sealed chamber he had personally excavated specifically for researching certain "forbidden techniques."
The entire room was reinforced and sealed with powerful isolation barriers. Even if someone detonated an enhanced Wind Style: Rasenshuriken inside, the outside world would never notice a thing.
At this moment, a massive sealing array was carved into the floor of the chamber. Taiichi himself sat cross-legged at its center.
In front of him lay the scroll that sealed the Evil God's divine consciousness. For the sake of safety during this research, he had put in a great deal of effort.
After finishing his breathing exercises, Taiichi pressed his hands together and directly entered Sage Mode. Without further delay, he activated the Adamantine Sealing Chains. Eight brilliant golden chains shot up from behind his back, curved sharply in midair, and stabbed viciously into the sealed scroll.
In that instant, the previously quiet scroll began to tremble violently, as if the ferocious beast sealed within was thrashing madly, about to break free.
Seeing this, Taiichi changed his hand seals. The output of sage chakra suddenly surged. The golden chains thickened by an entire section, more than doubling the sealing power. Only then was the trembling suppressed.
"As expected of a god. Even a mere divine consciousness cannot be underestimated."
Taiichi muttered to himself, but his eyes burned with scorching light. Everything was now ready. It was finally time to begin.
His spiritual power, refined into the most precise of probes, carefully followed the chakra of the Adamantine Sealing Chains and slipped into the sealed scroll. The moment his spirit touched the core of the seal—
Vmm!
Taiichi felt his consciousness being sucked into a raging vortex. A powerful wave of dizziness struck him. The scene before his eyes blurred and twisted, then abruptly sharpened and froze.
He found himself standing at the entrance of a palace so magnificent it defied imagination.
The soaring dome was inlaid with unknown gems that radiated a soft yet all-illuminating glow. Enormous pillars were carved with intricate, ancient patterns. The floor was made of black crystal stone so smooth it clearly reflected a person's image.
The air was filled with a stillness and solemnity that seemed to have settled over ten thousand years—completely opposite to the gloomy, bloody, filthy place he had imagined an Evil God would inhabit. It even carried a heart-stirring sense of sacredness.
"So this is… a realm constructed by divine consciousness?"
Taiichi's heart grew solemn. Far from relaxing, he became even more vigilant. The more beautiful the surface, the more dangerous the interior might be. He gathered his mind, raised his sensory power to the absolute limit, and slowly stepped deeper into the palace.
At the far end of the vast hall sat a massive throne that looked as if it had been carved from a single block of white jade. Upon the throne, a hazy figure was tightly bound by countless energy chains flickering with dark-golden light. As Taiichi approached, the figure gradually became clear.
It was a man with blood-red hair cascading down to his waist. His features possessed an almost demonic handsomeness, skin so pale it held not a single trace of color, and eyes a deep, abyss-like dark red.
He wore a dark robe of ancient style that now looked somewhat bedraggled. The chains were deeply embedded into his body, as if they had fused with his very existence.
This was the sealed incarnation of the Evil God's divine consciousness—an ancient and powerful malevolent existence.
When Taiichi reached the base of the throne and looked up to meet its gaze, the blood-haired Evil God suddenly snapped his eyes open! Boundless fury and humiliation erupted from those dark-red pupils.
"MORTAL!!!"
The roar exploded through the empty hall like a thunderclap, shaking the entire space until it seemed to tremble.
The Evil God thrashed violently. The chains binding him clanked and stretched taut. His blood-red hair rose without wind, every strand standing on end like burning crimson flames. A wild, tangible pressure crashed toward Taiichi like a tsunami.
"How dare you! How dare you desecrate divine majesty! How dare you imprison this god's incarnation within a mortal object!"
The Evil God's roar carried a spiritual impact that tried to crush Taiichi's will directly. "I am the Evil God who holds dominion over flesh and blood! Your soul shall forever fall into hell and suffer the full agony of divine punishment!"
The terrifying pressure was enough to shatter the minds of ordinary Kage-level powerhouses. Yet the young man standing below did not move an inch.
There was no fear or wavering on his face. He didn't even frown.
He simply gazed calmly—almost appraisingly—up at the raging divine incarnation. His vast spiritual power continuously radiated outward from him as the center, analyzing everything in this place… including the divine consciousness of the Evil God itself.
The Evil God's roaring and pressure continued for a long time. The entire palace echoed with his furious howls.
But no matter how he vented his rage or issued threats, the youth below remained like a silent boulder, completely unmoved.
Those calm eyes seemed capable of piercing through all illusions and looking straight at the weak essence currently bound in chains.
Gradually, the Evil God's roars quieted. His blood-red hair slowly settled. The fury in his eyes did not disappear, but a trace of surprise—and wariness—now mixed with it.
This mortal… was not normal!
"Hmph—" The Evil God snorted coldly and forcibly suppressed his anger. His voice became low and filled with temptation, like the richest wine.
"Mortal, what is it you desire? I can see the greed in your eyes. Why insist on offending divine majesty? Release this foolish seal, and I can grant you things far beyond your imagination!"
As he spoke, the scenery of the palace suddenly shifted.
The smooth black crystal floor beneath Taiichi's feet instantly turned into flowing golden sand. Countless dazzling gold coins, gems, pearls, and agates gushed forth like fountains, piling into mountains.
Then the illusion changed again. He seemed to stand at the peak of power. Countless powerful shinobi, nobles, even daimyos, prostrated themselves at his feet, shouting "Long live!"
The scene shifted once more. Peerless beauties surrounded him, smiling coyly, eyes full of promise, pushing every form of temptation to the extreme.
Finally the illusion settled into a scene of eternal stillness—sun and moon shining together, stars never falling—symbolizing eternal life and youth.
"Endless wealth. Supreme power. Peerless beauties. And… the life of immortality!" The Evil God's voice was thick with seduction. "Mortal, as long as you release this seal and allow my divine consciousness to return, all of this will be yours! Easily within reach! Why make an enemy of a god and court your own destruction?"
Wealth?
Power?
Beauties?
A disdainful smile curled Taiichi's lips. What he pursued was the true essence of power and the evolution of life itself—not mere survival.
The Evil God's temptations were like pebbles dropped into a deep pool. They only created a faint ripple before vanishing completely.
He remained silent, simply watching the Evil God on the throne with an expression that seemed to say, "Continue. I'm listening."
The illusions inside the palace shattered like bubbles, returning once more to the magnificent yet cold and empty hall.
The seductive expression on the Evil God's face froze solid, then transformed into an indescribable gloom and frustration.
He stared fixedly at Taiichi. Deep within those dark-red pupils, a trace of… fear finally flashed?
This mortal was completely unmoved by soft or hard tactics!
Dead silence spread through the palace, oppressive enough to suffocate.
The divine incarnation on the throne seemed to have turned into a frozen statue. Only his blood-red hair occasionally drifted without conscious thought.
A long time passed—so long that time itself seemed to lose meaning—before the Evil God finally spoke, slowly and with extreme difficulty.
"Mortal… what… do you actually want?"
He no longer roared. He no longer tempted. His tone was filled with exhaustion and helplessness.
"I… admit I underestimated you. Your strength… is beyond ordinary." He paused, as if every word weighed a thousand pounds. "The era has changed… The energy between heaven and earth… is no longer what it was in ancient times.
I already suffered wounds that were difficult to heal during that great war. Now my believers have withered. Faith is as thin as smoke…
Every bit of my power, every wisp of divine consciousness… is precious beyond measure and cannot be lost."
He raised his head. Those blood-red eyes stared directly at Taiichi, carrying a hint that was almost pleading. "This wisp of divine consciousness… is of vital importance to me. Losing it will push my revival into the distant future.
Speak… mortal. What must I do… for you to… spare me? Knowledge? Secrets? Methods of power? As long as… as long as it does not touch my core origin, I… can answer any of your questions."
Taiichi understood completely.
Just as he had guessed! The Evil God's compromise confirmed his earlier speculation.
These so-called gods of the present day—every last one of them—were merely lingering on in a miserable existence. Otherwise, with their power and methods, how could they remain so obscure and forgotten?
The Evil God, whose very name already sounded shady, didn't even need discussion. Even a high and mighty existence like the Shinigami could be summoned by shinobi.
You call this anything other than pathetic?
"Very good." Taiichi finally spoke, his voice calm and without the slightest ripple of emotion. "I have no particular interest in killing you. My goal is knowledge. Truth. The methods by which power operates."
He took one step forward. His gaze was sharp as a blade. "Tell me—during the ancient era, how did beings like you cultivate, condense power, and wield the laws? What is the fundamental difference between that and the way modern shinobi refine chakra and practice ninjutsu? And when the Ōtsutsuki… descended, what role did you 'gods' play? What did you encounter?"
Taiichi's questions came like a machine gun, every single one striking at the core—touching the essence of power, historical secrets, and the weaknesses of the gods themselves.
He even openly mentioned the name "Ōtsutsuki," a taboo known to only a tiny handful of people in the entire shinobi world.
The Evil God's blood-red pupils contracted sharply. He was clearly deeply shaken by the word "Ōtsutsuki." A flash of bone-deep wariness and hatred crossed his face. He fell silent for a moment, as if weighing options and organizing his words.
"In the ancient era, natural energy was far gentler than it is now. Living beings with spiritual potential absorbed natural energy, tempered their bodies, comprehended the world, and condensed divinity. That was the path of divine cultivation.
It is fundamentally different from the way you people refine spiritual energy and physical energy inside your bodies to form 'chakra.'
The former borrows the great power of heaven and earth. The latter… is nothing more than digging out one's own meager potential."
The Evil God's voice carried a note of reminiscence and pride, but quickly grew low. "As for later… the Ōtsutsuki brought the God Tree and delivered a catastrophic blow.
The God Tree is a highly predatory and highly polluting monstrosity. It directly drains the planet's origin and the spiritual essence of living beings, causing the energy of heaven and earth to plummet and the laws to fall into chaos. Natural energy itself became extremely violent as a result.
We gods who relied on the old system were the first to suffer. Some fell. Others, like me, fell into a long slumber and barely cling to existence…"
The Evil God's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, and some parts were deliberately vague.
He intentionally described certain ancient methods as extremely profound and mysterious, as if they contained supreme power, yet remained deliberately unclear at the critical points—or planted dangerous traps.
He also painted the threat of the Ōtsutsuki as utterly terrifying, as if they were pure destroyers.
As for the weaknesses of his own power, he glossed over them lightly, even dressing certain defects up as special characteristics.
Taiichi listened quietly, like the most focused student. His brain worked like the most efficient processor, clearly recording every word, every syllable, even the minute spiritual fluctuations that accompanied the Evil God's speech.
He never interrupted. He never questioned. His face remained that same calm, ripple-free expression the entire time, as if completely unaware of the traps and falsehoods woven into the Evil God's words.
The "friendly and amicable" exchange continued for an unknown length of time. In order to preserve this precious wisp of divine consciousness, the Evil God had no choice but to rack his brains and spit out knowledge that was either true or false, deep or shallow.
Taiichi, meanwhile, was like a greedy sponge, absorbing every piece of information regardless of its authenticity.
Finally, when the Evil God's voice gradually lowered and indicated that he had said roughly everything that did not touch the "core," Taiichi gave a slight nod.
"Thank you for your honesty." Taiichi's voice remained flat, devoid of any emotion. "Your divine consciousness is temporarily safe."
With that, he no longer looked at the complex expression on the face of the divine incarnation on the throne. His spiritual will withdrew from the sealed space cleanly and decisively, like a receding tide.
---
Back in the underground laboratory.
Taiichi, still sitting cross-legged at the center of the massive sealing array, slowly opened his eyes. The golden chains of the Adamantine Sealing Chains remained firmly stabbed into the scroll, but the scroll itself had stopped trembling.
Taiichi's face was slightly pale. Maintaining high-intensity spiritual probing and Sage Mode for so long had taken a noticeable toll.
Yet his eyes burned with an unprecedented scorching light—the excitement of a curiosity that had been greatly satisfied, mixed with deep contemplation of the information he had obtained.
He stood up and walked over to a workbench nearby. Special blank scrolls and writing tools had already been prepared there.
Taiichi sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began rapidly replaying, organizing, and categorizing everything he had just "heard" from the Evil God inside his mind. Then he recorded it all, one by one.
Ancient knowledge.
Methods of divine cultivation.
The true nature of the God Tree.
The changes in natural energy.
The writing on the scrolls grew longer and longer. Taiichi immersed himself completely in the preliminary sorting and analysis of these ancient secrets.
The sealed scroll lying quietly on the ground, the moment Taiichi turned his back, flashed with an extremely faint, extremely hidden blood-red light across its surface… then completely fell silent again, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than an illusion.
Taiichi was well aware that a great deal of the information inside was flawed—perhaps only twenty or thirty percent of it was actually true.
But he didn't care. He had time, and he had the energy, to slowly explore the secrets within. After all, this divine consciousness was still in his hands.
Sometimes, if you wanted to uncover secrets, you didn't necessarily have to dig them out of someone's mouth.