"Is there no way to cure it?" Kai's face darkened, and Haku looked equally grim.
Kimimaro, however, showed no visible reaction upon hearing that he might not live past twenty. Yet, deep within his eyes, there was a trace of disappointment that he couldn't conceal.
It wasn't regret over his short life. For Kimimaro, the purpose of his existence was to protect Kai and Haku. The thought of being unable to fulfill this duty forever naturally filled him with disappointment.
Tsunade glanced at Kai and spoke, "It's not entirely hopeless. Just like how the human body adapts to its environment over time, the Kaguya clan is no different. Prolonged use of the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) has allowed their bodies to gradually adapt. During my examination, I discovered a latent gene in Kimimaro's body. It seems to have the potential to increase the division cycles of bone cells. However, activating this latent gene is incredibly difficult."
Drawing upon memories from his previous life on Earth, Kai could piece together about seventy to eighty percent of what Tsunade was explaining. He couldn't help but marvel at the absurdity of the Naruto world. With chakra as a catalyst, concepts like genetics and cloning seemed like child's play.
Hearing this, Kai was certain that there had to be a solution. Otherwise, Tsunade wouldn't have elaborated so much. He asked, "Tsunade-nee, if we want to activate Kimimaro's latent gene, what needs to be done?"
Tsunade didn't beat around the bush and replied directly, "A massive amount of life force."
Life force!
Hearing this, Kai exhaled deeply and felt somewhat reassured.
For Kai, abundant life force was something he had in spades. Without hesitation, he said, "Tsunade-nee, what should I do? Should I directly channel my life force into Kimimaro's body?"
As he spoke, he began forming the hand seals for the Creation Rebirth Technique.
"Idiot!" Tsunade quickly stopped Kai's actions, glaring at him. "This kid is still so young and doesn't have any external injuries. If you recklessly channel such a massive amount of life force into him using the Creation Rebirth Technique, he'll die for sure."
Kai's expression turned awkward.
Tsunade continued, "And as I said, curing Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai disease requires a large amount of life force to stimulate the latent gene's expression. It will take at least ten uses of the Creation Rebirth Technique. This isn't something that can be resolved in a short time."
Ten times?! Kai couldn't help but be taken aback. A single use of the Creation Rebirth Technique consumed life force equivalent to that of three peak-level Jonin. Ten uses would mean the equivalent of thirty peak-level Jonin's life force!
Kai nodded, not particularly concerned about the life force expenditure. While this amount was no small figure for him, it wasn't something he couldn't recover from over time, given his perfect Sage Body.
"Lord Kai, Kimimaro doesn't need treatment." Although he didn't fully understand the cost of the treatment, Kimimaro had clearly heard that it required Kai to expend his life force. Stubbornly, he looked up at Kai and said, "I won't allow it."
Haku, standing nearby, also wore a worried expression. On one hand, he didn't want Kimimaro to die. On the other hand, he didn't want Kai to deplete his life force.
"Don't worry. It's fine." Kai ruffled Kimimaro's hair reassuringly and then turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade-nee, what's the next step?"
"No rush. This kid's condition won't worsen anytime soon, and I still need to refine the treatment plan. Plus, I'll need to further improve the Creation Rebirth Technique," Tsunade said. Then, her expression suddenly shifted into a menacing scowl as she added, "But for now, the most important thing is to help me teach this casino a lesson!"
Hearing Tsunade change the subject to gambling, Kai felt a wave of helplessness. For someone of Tsunade's caliber—a Kage-level ninja, no less—how could she lack even a little creativity? Rubbing his temples, he sighed, "Tsunade-nee, why don't you just use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise yourself and go back in?"
"Right! Why didn't I think of that?!" Tsunade's eyes lit up, and she immediately dragged Kai out the door, leaving behind a bewildered Kimimaro, Haku, and Shizune.
Three Years Later
In a small border town near the River Country in the Land of Fire.
Creation Rebirth Technique!
Kai's expression was solemn as he formed several hand seals. A surge of immense life force flowed through his body and into his hands, which he then placed on Kimimaro's chest.
"Make sure to maintain a continuous output of life force. Try to let the life force permeate every single bone in Kimimaro's body. This will keep his latent gene in an activated state," Tsunade instructed methodically as she observed Kai performing the technique.
It took nearly half an hour before Kai finally withdrew his hands. His face was pale, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. Patting Kimimaro, he said, "All done, Kimimaro. You can get up now. This was the last treatment. Your Kekkei Genkai disease should be completely cured."
Kimimaro stood up silently and positioned himself by Kai's side without saying a word.
"I didn't expect this latent gene to be so stubborn. It took a total of seventeen uses of the Creation Rebirth Technique to fully activate it," Tsunade remarked with a sigh.
Kai's mouth twitched at her words. Over the past three years, he had essentially turned into a life force generator. Thankfully, those days were finally over.
However, the effort wasn't without its rewards. Not only had Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai disease been cured, but the infusion of life force had also led to an explosive growth in his strength. At just eight years old, Kimimaro's abilities were already on par with a Jonin. By comparison, Haku's strength was still at the level of a Chunin.
At that moment, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in Kai's mind.
"Ding... New mission issued: Defeat the joint ninja forces of Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Mission reward: Heavenly Imperial Space - Lava. Mission failure: Permanent deactivation of mission module."
"What?! The system is popping up now? Joint ninja forces from Kumogakure and Iwagakure? Could it be that another war is brewing in the ninja world?" Kai muttered to himself, momentarily stunned by the system's sudden announcement.
He glanced at the mission reward: Heavenly Imperial Space - Lava. Although it wasn't the complete Heavenly Imperial Space, Kai was satisfied. Considering the system's usual stingy nature, this was already a decent reward.
Moreover, the power of Heavenly Imperial Space had been severely underestimated in the original storyline. With the ability to control an entire space, it was only due to plot constraints that Kaguya Otsutsuki wasn't portrayed as invincible.
"Um... Tsunade-nee," Kai hesitated as he turned to her, unsure of how to bring up the matter.
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