Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Recuperation

Outside World

Shikkotsu Forest.

In the central clearing of the endless swamp and giant forest, Yuto lay comfortably on a slug. This slug wasn't very large, just over four meters long, soft and tender, perfect for Yuto to lie on.

He had changed into his usual attire—a white wide robe embroidered with the Senju and Hyuga clan crests, standard Jonin armor from Konoha, and his right arm wrapped with black Ryuun Steel.

But unlike usual, Yuto's eyes were covered with white bandages.

"Yuto-kun, does it still hurt?" the slug beneath him suddenly spoke, its voice gentle and affectionate.

"It does," Yuto replied with a smile, pointing to the bandages covering his eyes. "If I wasn't afraid of losing reputation in front of others, I'd be screaming right now."

"You can scream, Yuto-kun. I'm not 'others'—I'm not even human."

"...That's just a figure of speech, Slug-sama."

"Humans are such complex beings, even their speech has so many nuances," the slug sighed, its tone a bit wistful.

Yuto couldn't help but laugh.

As the "only one in the world," the slug lived for over a thousand years, its wisdom no less than that of humans. It understood the rules and intricacies of the shinobi world very well—at least the main body, "Slug Sage," did.

However, the slugs split from the Slug Sage, apart from a drastic reduction in power and size, were far less wise and experienced. The slug beneath Yuto felt naive, easy to tease and deceive.

"By the way, Yuto-kun," the slug spoke again, "You should use that technique less in the future."

Yuto chuckled. "I'll be careful. This was my first time using it, and I lacked experience, which is why I injured my eyes. Next time will be much better."

"Yuto-kun, the Byakugan is one of the three great dojutsu in the shinobi world. You must cherish your eyes."

"Yes, next time I'll control the flow of chakra better to minimize the technique's strain on my body and optic nerves. Although pain and exhaustion are unavoidable, at least I won't have to hide in Shikkotsu Forest with bandages."

Yuto sighed, recalling that night's incident with lingering fear.

That night, he used his kekkei genkai to instantly defeat Killer B in his Seven Tails form.

"God's Mask" was incomplete, and the power of the sage's eye wasn't fully awakened. His unique dojutsu couldn't even reveal its full name, only managing to utter "Murakumo Slash."

But even at this weakened state, Yuto was shocked by the power of his kekkei genkai.

It activated instantly, releasing a burst of power that even Killer B, with his speed, couldn't avoid.

It felt like the moon god casting a spell of light, a power transcending physical limitations, affecting multiple dimensions.

In Yuto's perspective, he merely "glanced" at Killer B, and the ground beneath them caved in. The jinchuriki and the tailed beast inside him were both pierced through. The Eight-Tails Gyuki fared better, being a chakra beast, but Killer B nearly died on the spot.

Of course, the Eight-Tails was weakened and restrained by seals, and Killer B fought in a semi-transformed state with only seven tails. Together, they weren't as powerful as a fully transformed tailed beast.

Yuto, always ruthless, saw Killer B unconscious and thought to finish him off. But as this thought formed, excruciating pain erupted deep in his eyes.

It was a pain different from the activation of the Cage Bird seal, more akin to "losing thirty percent of your body's water" or "working non-stop for three days."

It was extreme exhaustion and overextension!

Yuto nearly collapsed on the spot.

But he held on through sheer willpower, left a few harsh words, and used his last bit of strength to retreat, summoning the slug beneath him and muttering "take me inside" before passing out.

Fortunately, the slug understood his intention, enveloped him in its body, and took him into Shikkotsu Forest.

Yuto slept for fifty hours straight.

During this time, the Slug Sage used senjutsu to infuse his body with nutrients, preventing severe internal damage from overexertion.

Eventually, he woke up and began using medical methods to recuperate. To protect his eyes, he applied medicinal compresses to care for his optic nerves.

Now, seven days had passed since that fierce battle at night.

Yuto had recovered significantly, enough to crack a few jokes.

Despite nearly being drained by his kekkei genkai, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Next time, Yuto was confident he could use the technique without collapsing.

As he lay comfortably, the slug beneath him stirred again. "Yuto-kun, will your absence for seven days affect anything outside?"

"It probably will," Yuto thought, remembering Minato was not around, and his superior Orochimaru was not very familiar with him. He had to be cautious.

"I plan to leave today... Slug-sama, can you tell me what's happened outside these past few days?"

After this incident, Yuto and the slug's relationship deepened. Before, the Slug Sage tolerated his antics but remained a passive observer, as long as he kept things discreet.

But now, Yuto could rely on Shikkotsu Forest for limited assistance.

"Yuto-kun, please wait a moment."

Soon, a scroll was reverse-summoned. Yuto thanked the slug politely and carefully read through it.

He laughed at the first line.

"A highly dangerous man, Moon God Aizen Sōsuke... Moon God."

For the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, the moon was a special existence. Otsutsuki, Infinite Tsukuyomi, Tenseigan—all related to the moon.

He quite liked the title.

Yuto quickly finished reading the intel on his alias and focused on the war.

Despite his interference, the war's course hadn't changed. The five great nations were still in chaos, and a small nation had even been destroyed during this time.

"Seven days without news, I need to make an appearance..." Yuto thought, stretching lazily on the slug.

He removed the bandages, revealing his pure white eyes.

'Oh, almost forgot. Before I leave, I need to move those Kaguya clan corpses to the secret base... Luckily, the slug preserved them, and there are no microorganisms in Shikkotsu Forest. Otherwise, these bodies would have rotted by now.'

'If that happened, I'd have to kill some more.'

(End of Chapter)