Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 553 Naruto's Tears Will Make People Go Through Fire and Water

Another dimension: Konoha Village.

Naruto is playing a ninja hide-and-seek game with his friends. This is not a simple game, but a way to train their coordination, observation, reaction and combat skills.

This time, Naruto was on the "it" card. He was blindfolded and counting, "Are you all hidden? Here I come!"

However, at that moment, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and a huge amount of chakra appeared out of nowhere in his body.

No, it didn't appear out of thin air—it returned. It was the other half of the Nine-Tails that crossed the barrier of space and returned to his body.

With it came not only power, but also memories.

Those memories flooded into his mind like a torrent.

His father. His mother. The experimental table. Orochimaru's scalpel. Minato's broken ribs. The moment Kushina was subdued. Kurama's final escape.

Naruto froze on the spot, muttering in confusion, "Father, Mother, you..."

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sasuke immediately noticed something was wrong and quickly ran over.

Naruto did not respond; his hands were on the ground, his shoulders were trembling violently, and he seemed to be about to vomit.

"Naruto!" Gaara rushed over, sand instinctively coalescing into a defensive stance around him. "Is the enemy here?"

Naruto looked up, his eyes red and tears welling up in them.

When they saw Naruto in such a vulnerable state, their hearts clenched instantly.

At this moment, Naruto said haltingly, "They resurrected my parents. And then...and then they used them as test subjects."

Sasuke's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Gaara's eyes also turned red with rage, as if his parents were being experimented on.

"These demons! How dare they..."

Gaara added, "Using other people's parents as experimental subjects is simply unforgivable."

Naruto forced an awkward smile. "I'm fine... I'm just... just feeling a little unwell. You guys go ahead, don't delay the training."

Sasuke crouched down and placed a heavy hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't be stubborn. If you're feeling unwell, just say so. We're listening."

Gaara also sat down next to Naruto.

He didn't say anything, but simply pushed a handful of sand to Naruto's feet to make a cushion. This was a new way of comforting him that he had learned, meaning "I'm here for you."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, then at Gaara, and finally couldn't hold back any longer, bursting into tears.

He cried like a child.

Because he was originally a child.

At this moment, Sasuke and Gaara stopped fighting and trying to break up Naruto's friendship. Instead, they looked at each other and reached an agreement.

Since you dared to upset Naruto, then you'll have to bear their wrath!

-

Orochimaru's experiments are progressing rapidly.

Minato's daily life consisted of being fixed to the experimental table, with his body connected to various instruments and insects.

Orochimaru personally performed the procedure, extracting cell samples from his blood and nerve fluid from his spinal cord, comparing the samples to identify the gene fragment.

Later, with Wuwei's help, he manipulated the Soul-Eating Insects to cut and peel off fragments of spiritual particles related to spatial perception from his soul.

Three days later, the project was finally completed.

"Found it." Orochimaru's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "The spatial sensing gene... and the soul substance that provides spatial inspiration... are all here."

Aburame Shisei walked over and took the petri dish Orochimaru handed him. Inside, a small segment of labeled gene sequence floated slowly in the nutrient solution, emitting a faint glow.

"Are you sure it's complete?"

"Complete enough." Orochimaru licked his lips. "Once this genetic information is integrated into the target's body, it can grant someone with absolutely no spatial talent the most basic spatial perception ability. Of course, to truly master the Flying Thunder God Technique, a great deal of training and practice is still needed. But this is no longer a matter of talent—anyone has a chance."

Yu Nu Zhicheng nodded.

He took out a gene fusion worm from his collar, which was an evolved version of the former virus vector Cheng. After multiple evolutions, the negative effects had been eliminated, and the collection and fusion rate had reached 98%.

The virus integrates into the liquid and begins to rearrange itself.

The genetic information extracted from Minato was digested and recombined by the amalgamation worms, becoming more refined and easier for humans to arrange and accept.

When the fusion virus stopped working, Shisei Aburame retracted it into his body, and the new genetic information began to spread, integrate, and settle in his cells.

He closed his eyes and felt the changes.

Initially, nothing happened.

But gradually, he could sense the existence of space.

It's not about seeing with your eyes or hearing with your ears, but a more fundamental perception.

"It's feasible." Shisei Aburame opened his eyes and looked at Orochimaru. "You can begin the replication process."

Yu Nu Zhicheng gave him a portion of the gene-producing worms.

Before leaving the lab, Shisei Aburame took out a bug and instructed Masato, "Notify all members above the rank of executive that spatial talent is no longer an obstacle. Anyone who wants to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique can come and get it."

That afternoon, the news spread throughout the capital, and long queues formed outside the laboratory.

Almost all members at the cadre level and above are eligible to receive such resources. After being injected with the virus, having their genes edited, and absorbing spiritual particles, they say they have gained spatial awareness and are preparing to go into seclusion to cultivate the Flying Thunder God technique.

After all, with the talent, mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique is not a simple matter.

Who among them isn't a genius to rise to the position of cadre?

However, they discovered that having talent was one thing, but there was a huge gap between having talent and actually being able to learn it. So, the group, who refused to believe it, began an extended period of seclusion.

The management of the laboratory became lax after that day.

Everyone is modifying the Flying Thunder God technique, mainly through training and adaptation, to make it suitable for themselves.

In fact, most of them don't need the Flying Thunder God's combat ability; they only need its ability to move through space, so they won't be at a disadvantage when they encounter space ninjas in the future.

Of course, not everyone is compatible with this set of genes, and the only one left to guard it is Deidara, whose spatial perception is zero.

"Tch, what space-sensing gene? It's probably useless to me anyway." Deidara sat listlessly at the lab door, holding a lump of clay in his hand. "Even if an idiot like me gets a gene transplant, the chances of learning the Flying Thunder God Technique are slim."

He yawned, shaping the clay into a small bird. "How boring—"

Actually, he wasn't the only exception; the couple, Ziling and her husband, were also unable to sense it.

Their disciple, Xiao Fu, is the captain of the Dragonfly Combat Squad and the resurrected Negishi Kusanagi.

They're just more resigned to their fate.