Chapter 64: Chapter 62: The Butterfly Effect
Chapter 62: The Butterfly Effect
Moments later, more than fifty 'fishmen' surrounded Baishi from all directions—up, down, left, right, front, and back. A typical ninja might panic in such a situation.
But Baishi was different. His [Absorbing Skin] made him fearless in aquatic environments, and his superior physical condition bridged the gap in agility between them.
With this in mind, he didn't hesitate.
At that thought, Baishi powerfully kicked against the water, sweeping his arms back as if unsheathing a blade, cleaving through the water and appearing in an instant in front of a 'fishman'.
However, being underwater, Baishi's speed couldn't surpass the reaction of the fishman. Although the fishman managed a hasty defense, it was still caught off guard by Baishi's attack.
Just then, Baishi's left hand shot out, sending the opponent flying with a single slap.
Tilting slightly to avoid the spray of blood from the fishman's mouth, Baishi continued his movements as before, quickly approaching another 'fishman'.
It was only then that the 'fishmen' reacted, frantically launching attacks at Baishi.
Baishi could tell that these 'fishmen' lacked extensive combat experience, and his response seemed to have disrupted their rhythm.
Could it be unexpected? In the past, their enemies always desperately tried to break through, striving to swim towards the surface. They only needed to drag their foes down and ambush them.
But Baishi was different. Instead of trying to escape, he engaged them in underwater combat. Wasn't this playing to the enemy's strengths?
But was underwater combat truly a weakness for Baishi?
Clearly not!
In just a few minutes, a dozen 'fishmen' were wounded by Baishi, with two dead.
Of course, Baishi inevitably sustained several injuries. In terms of agility, the 'fishmen' had a slight edge, often landing sneaky hits during his attacks.
However, minor injuries didn't concern Baishi. His near-level VI [Self-Healing] wasn't for show.
In no time at all, the wounds on his body had nearly healed completely, the water washing away the scabs, leaving his skin smooth and unblemished.
Some sharp-eyed 'fishmen' had noticed his unusual ability, but they were powerless to stop him. Even after the initial chaos, they still couldn't handle Baishi.
As the morale of the 'fishmen' dwindled, four figures swam down from above.
Baishi sensed a Jonin-level presence from them.
'Perhaps these few should truly be called 'fishmen', those around could at best be considered 'half-fishmen'.'
Clearly, these individuals were more perfectly transformed, no longer merely half-human, half-fish, but more like a fusion of human and fish.
Underwater, where speaking was impossible, Baishi thought for a moment and then used the Mind Body Transmission Technique to send his voice directly into their minds.
"Are you Orochimaru's people?"
Hearing him, the four changed their expressions. One of them studied Baishi closely, then suddenly became excited, responding, "Jia, are you Jia?"
Hearing this code name, Baishi's expression cooled, asking, "Who are you?"
"Ha, I finally found you!
Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Tenshi. Jia, do you see? All of us are your creations. Your cells have allowed us to perfectly merge with fish cells, giving us amphibious capabilities."
He had only asked a simple question, but the other man rattled off a great deal, giving Baishi a headache, prompting him to cut off the Mind Body Transmission Technique.
However, the man's words also indirectly confirmed his suspicions.
Previously, Baishi had suspected that the familiar sensation from the 'half-fishman' was due to cellular resonance, a phenomenon he had encountered several times before. Both the Anbu and Root had used such methods to track him.
Understanding this and linking it to Orochimaru's description of the 'Perfect Being' project—using his cells as a medium to fuse various superior bloodlines and thereby overcome the natural limitations of life—it wasn't hard to guess that the premature appearance of the 'half-fishman' was because Orochimaru had initiated this project.
However, Baishi hadn't expected such rapid progress in resolving the fusion issues between human and fish cells in such a short time.
'But why fish?'
'Just for amphibious capabilities?'
These thoughts crossed Baishi's mind, and suddenly he considered the situation during the Third Great Ninja War, murmuring, "Maybe that's exactly why!"
According to his past life memories, though Konoha didn't lose the war, they didn't exactly win either, having been attacked right at their doorstep. If not for these circumstances, Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't have relinquished the right to war reparations during the peace treaty negotiations with Iwagakure.
He did this out of fear of reigniting the war.
Konoha could defend once, but not necessarily a second or third time. Sarutobi didn't dare gamble, so he ended the war this way.
'So, was Konoha involved in the experiments on Ghost Island?'
'It makes sense. The goal of the human modification experiments was to create amphibious ninjas. Orochimaru certainly didn't need that, it must have been for the sake of the war.
However, in the previous life, the plan failed, but now, it seems to have succeeded.'
For the first time, Baishi truly understood what 'the butterfly effect' meant.
If Konoha could assemble an amphibious ninja corps, it would significantly impact the strategic situation.
First, the geographical advantage of the Land of Water would greatly diminish, no longer able to play the role of a troublemaker without risking bringing the war to their own shores.
Moreover, the villages of Kumogakure and Iwagakure, backed by the sea, would have to face pressure from both Kirigakure and Konoha, inevitably weakening their front-line forces.
As for Sunagakure, due to its alliance with Konoha, it might be less affected.
But, as one thing leads to another, any change in Konoha's military capabilities would necessitate adjustments from the other villages. In the end, Sunagakure might end up being the most affected.
Reflecting on all this, Baishi felt an involuntary shiver of fear from the unknown, but it quickly dissipated.
In the end, the ninja world was still ruled by the powerful. There were only a few top players, and as long as he kept increasing his strength, no matter how the situation changed, he could remain untroubled.
Whether Konoha won or lost, what impact did it have on him? None!
Realizing this, Baishi breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with determination.
He then looked around at the 'fishmen' and 'half-fishmen', activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, and disappeared.
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