After successfully sneaking out of the hospital, Rei discreetly made his way back home. Fortunately, Mabui wasn't there now

{Mabui must be at work with the Raikage. Recently, she's been summoned by the office even more than usual...} (Rei)

Using the reverse summoning pots, he teleported to his lab

"Seems like forever since I've been here. Feels nice being in a lab again" (Rei)

SHUFFLE

Rei began clearing away the lab materials for more space. The last time he practiced the body strengthening methods of the "Black Scroll", he created quite the mess

Worried the second "Lock" would be even more troublesome than the first, he made as much room as possible in order to avoid damaging the precious equipment

[This seems like a wide enough space]

"I agree, time to get to work" (Rei)

[Already? Don't you need to study the "Pattern" to open the "Kanji" lock?]

"The last time I did this I took a peek at it so I could prepare myself for the next attempt" (Rei)

The sealed scroll opens further with every "Lock", revealing more and more of the process and its intricacies. Considering how hard it was to open the first lock, Rei decided not to waste anytime on improving his Chakra Control

Any mistake could lead to serious injury or death, and the practice would go a lot smoother if Rei was already prepared

{I couldn't get anywhere the first time I tried this lock, let's see how much I've improved} (Rei)

SWOOO!

Pouring his chakra into the lock, the lines making up the Kanji symbol began to glow. Line after line, Rei's chakra was steadily filling the entire seal until finally...

CLICK!

"!" (Rei)

[OH! AWESOME!]

...the lock was removed, Rei had succeeded. He wasted no time opening the scroll, studying the instructions for next set of areas on his body to apply the method

"..." (Rei)

[Unbelievable man! I know you said you got this but damn! You made it look so easy!]

Rei didn't respond...he simply frowned

"This...this is..." (Rei)

[Hm?]

"Sigh..." (Rei)

[What's up? You opened the lock...isn't this cause for celebration?]

"It would be...if I didn't have to try so hard" (Rei)

[Wait...was opening the lock that difficult?]

"Like you wouldn't believe, I may have a good poker face but this was on a WHOLE other level than the first one" (Rei)

[Then the final two locks will undoubtedly be...]

It wouldn't be a stretch to say Rei's chakra control was comparable to a high-level Jonin. Thanks to early self-training at the age of 3, advanced intelligence, and genetic enhancements...he was in a class of his own

Yet this lock still gave him trouble, which meant the remaining trials would inevitably require an absurd amount of effort to overcome

"I'm not despairing, there's still room for improvement. Plus, Ōtsutsuki manipulate chakra on a level completely different than humans. Once my alien DNA kicks in and I completely evolve into said 'Neo-Ōtsutsuki', things should become feasible...I hope" (Rei)

[Ahhhh...now I get it. You're just irritated cuz things are gonna get even more annoying in the future]

"In hindsight, this world is always annoying but...yes, I am a little irritated at the current situation" (Rei)

[Come on...things aren't that bad]

"Says you. When we first started this, you told me I'd only have to worry about the Canon and me causing ripples. But lately, it seems the Non-canon is the most dangerous thing around, and there's no ripple to warn me about them" (Rei)

[Unless you use a Life-Line]

"Of which I only have four, soon to be three left" (Rei)

[Oh that's right, have you decided what to ask for?]

"I have an idea but...lemme first complete my second trial" (Rei)

Now it was time to apply the "method" onto himself

After studying the next section of the Black Scroll, Rei gained a general idea of which spots to target on his body. Sitting down, he went to work on kneading his chakra

QUIVV!

"Uh!" (Rei)

Just as before, his body began to shift and change the moment he activated the process. Unable to stop what he started, Rei was left with no choice but to endure the harrowing pain that followed

{Damn it...it's even worse than last time! Don't pass out...don't pass out...don't pass out...!} "AGH!" (Rei)

This trial was far more demanding than the previous one, and even though every second felt like an eternity, Rei persevered to the best of his ability

[Just hold on! No matter what, don't pass out until it's finished!]

"Ugh! Uhack!" (Rei)

Seconds became minutes...

And minutes became hours...

Unaware of how much time had passed...Rei only focused on staying awake

"Rgh...Ahhhh...goff!!!" (Rei)

Just as he reached his limit, his body stopped moving on its own

[Ah!]

"Ugh..." (Rei)

The task was complete, his bodily transformation was finished and with it, came sweet release

"Notitia...I really wanna pass out right now" (Rei)

[Don't. If you do, your clone at the hospital will disappear]

{Ahhh...my body is completely devoid of chakra. Looks like all of it was used for the change...} (Rei)

[You'll feel better once you recharge, go visit the Ten-tails. You were talking about doubling down on taking its power anyway. Might as well start now]

"Ohhh...fine" (Rei)

With much fatigue, he dragged himself to the lab's basement. Walking through the giant torii gate portal, leading to the dimension that held the Ten-tails

Approaching the cage, he was met with the usual hostile roar the beast gave to any visitor

OOOOAAAAGGG!!!

"Ah, shut the hell up! I have a migraine! I'll be taking more whether you like it or not!" (Rei)

VOOO!!

Holding out his hand, Rei began absorbing the beast's power. Wanting to speed up his training, he took far more than usual

[Better?]

"Ahhh...much better. I forgot healing abilities in this world mostly depend on chakra. Because I used up all of mine, my recovery was slower than usual" (Rei)

[Good. Let's see how much you can hold now]

"Right" (Rei)

Sitting down with his legs crossed, Rei focused on using the energy within him to expand the physical and spiritual centers in his body

[Hm? Oh!]

"This is..." (Rei)

[Congratulations! Right now, your chakra is slightly higher than Naruto's during Part One of the original story!]

"I forgot, is that a lot?" (Rei)

[At that point, his twelve year old body had more than his sensei, the famous ninja Kakashi Hatake. That's not too bad for a nine-year old if you ask me]

"That means more powerful jutsu are on the table now. Though I'll still work on improving my chakra control" (Rei)

[True. Better control means more powerful jutsu and less wasted chakra]

Worried about the next trial of the Black Scroll, Rei made a mental note for dedicating himself to mastery of his chakra. Otherwise, he might actually die during the next trial

[How's your physical strength?]

"..." (Rei)

Looking around, Rei picked up a large rock before applying the smallest amount of force when...

CRACK!

"!"

[Whoa...]

...it completely shattered in his hand

[Now that's what I call an upgrade!]

"Uh-huh...but it also makes you wonder..." (Rei)

[About what's next?]

"Yup. The first time my blood and organs were changed, boosting my immune system and regular bodily functions" (Rei)

[And it oozed out all the so-called "impurities" from your body. That black stuff was rank!]

"This time, my bones and muscles were refined, increasing my strength. But I don't think it was meant to reach this extent" (Rei)

[Well, this technique was made for humans...and you're anything but]

Rei thought back to when he "remade" his body during his first visit here. Notitia, or rather the "other", instructed him on the process. Adding various materials for the enhancements

"I'd already improved my muscle cells by increasing mitochondrial efficiency and decreasing mitophagy...did the practice improve upon it?" (Rei)

[Probably. And let's not forget...Ōtsutsuki have incredible bodies, especially their bones. The Kaguya Clan, known for their strong bodies, are descended from Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. The carbon atoms in your body must have an incredibly tight atomic bond]

Rei nodded in agreement after listening to Notitia, for its logic was sound. What he was concerned with was the future

"Still...blood and organs for the first trial, bones and muscles for second, just what in the hell awaits me for the last two" (Rei)

[It's anyone's guess, but it's not like you can complete it as you are, so why fret over it? Just focus on what you can do now]

Understanding the futility of worrying about it, Rei decided to get back to the hospital before someone finds out he left a shadow clone behind

But not before uttering some final words

"Notitia" (Rei)

[Yeah?]

"It's time..." (Rei)

[You know what to ask for?]

"Mm" (Rei)

[Remember. Although I told you the "other" has recovered faster than expected, most likely due to your new power, the cooldown will probably get even worse for the next one if you use it now]

"If things go right, I won't have to use one for quite some time" (Rei)

[And when do things ever go right for you. But if you're sure, say the words]

 

"I want to use my Second Lifeline"

After a momentary pause of silence, a distorted, albeit robotic voice resounded

 

[...CONFIRMED...]

[...NOW INITIATING LIFELINE CLIENT REQUEST...]

 

♦♦♦

 

A certain cave within the Land of Rivers

A man was sitting down at a desk, focused on reading the documents before him

"Back so soon?"

Not bothering to turn around, he suddenly spoke as if he was talking to himself

ZOOOO!

An inhuman creature's upper torso emerged from the ground, with the appearance of a large plant. A bipolar face of black and white, with two different voices

"What is it Zetsu?"

The black half of the creature known as "Zetsu" was the first to speak

"Tobi...there's been a...development" (Black Zetsu)

"Where?" (Tobi)

"Kumogakure and Yugakure!" (White Zetsu)

"There was attempt...on the Two-tails..." (Black Zetsu)

Tobi ceased what he was doing and turned around after hearing this unsettling news

"Someone trying to steal a Tailed Beast? Who? Another nation?" (Tobi)

"Hard...to...say" (Black Zetsu)

"We got there late, Kumo managed to rescue the Jinchūriki before the extraction was complete but the perpetrators managed to make off with a lot of the beast's chakra" (White Zetsu)

"Someone hired...the Fuma..." (Black Zetsu)

Thud!

Zetsu threw a dead body Tobi's feet. Brown hair and a scar on his cheek, it was the Fuma Captain who led the operation to steal the Two-tails

"Why kill and bring him here?" (Tobi)

"We didn't kill him! He met his employers and pissed them off. They snapped his neck and took off with the container holding the beast's chakra. We thought we could keep him alive long enough for you to interrogate him but...um...he didn't survive the trip" (White Zetsu)

"I told you...we were...moving too fast" (Black Zetsu)

"Right, my bad. But someone making a move like this is a pretty big deal right?" (White Zetsu)

"Not really" (Tobi)

"?!" (Black & White Zetsu)

"Countries making moves on Jinchūriki is common. Besides, Akatsuki isn't ready to hunt the Tailed Beasts yet. Nagato, or should I say 'Pain', hasn't fully mastered his Rinnegan¹Saṃsāra Eye yet, we need more control over the Gedō Mazō²Demonic Statue of the Outer Path" (Tobi)

"The civil war in his home country, Amegakure³Hidden Rain Village, hasn't ended yet either. I thought he'd get rid of Hanzō by now" (White Zetsu)

"Don't underestimate Hanzō...he's capable of going toe-to-toe with Konoha's Sanin" (Black Zetsu)

"Sigh. Forget fighting him, we can't even find him. His paranoia has gotten so bad he's gone of the radar. No one knows where he is...not even his own family" (Tobi)

"So what do we do? We got no leads on the Fuma Clan's employers. When we tried to follow them, they became alerted to our presence" (White Zetsu)

"They could sense...you?" (Tobi)

Tobi was taken aback. Sensing a creature who can merge with its surroundings like Zetsu was a very difficult, if not an impossible task for most. Only a large scale sensing network could pull off such a feat

It's incredible stealth abilities were the sole reason Zetsu was given the role of Akatsuki's spy

"It's too soon for you to be discovered. Kumo has their Jinchūriki so there's no need to worry. For now, focus on the task I've given you" (Tobi)

"So we just ignore Kumo?" (White Zetsu)

"You're free to monitor them if you want but you should only involve yourself if the details pertain to the Tailed beasts. Kumogakure is the farthest nation from us, and we possess no influence compared to the others. I highly doubt we'll find recruits for Akatsuki there" (Tobi)

Tobi pointed the body and turned around

"Get rid of this"

"Oh! At least we get treat" (White Zetsu)

"Just be quiet...and eat" (Black Zetsu)

"Continue your efforts on locating Hanzō. The sooner we take control of his village, the sooner we can move forward on building Akatsuki" (Tobi)

"The time for...recruiting is nigh" (Black Zetsu)

"Finally! Things will get a little less lonesome around here!" (White Zetsu)

"Aren't I with you?" (Black Zetsu)

"You don't count, you're ALWAYS with me" (White Zetsu)

 

"I'm heading back to Kirigakure⁴Hidden Mist Villagenow, managing my puppet Mizukage⁵Water Shadowisn't exactly easy. You know what to do" (Tobi)

ZUZUZU!

After putting on his mask, the space tore around him as he disappeared into thin air

 

 

 

 

 

"Soon" (Black Zetsu)

"Huh? You say something?" (White Zetsu)

"No...nothing" (Black Zetsu)