Chapter 134: The Young Kabuto Yakushi

Byakuya picked up one of the grimacing masks hanging on the wall, feeling its cool surface. Other than that, there didn't seem to be anything special about it—it was almost identical to the cheap ones commonly found at roadside stalls. Could such a mask really serve as a medium for summoning the Shinigami and performing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal technique?

Byakuya had his doubts, so he began inspecting the other masks. He found that none of them seemed particularly special either. Could it be that the mask used for performing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal had already been taken by the Fourth Hokage?

Upon further reflection, Byakuya realized this wasn't out of the question. A forbidden technique like the Dead Demon Consuming Seal would likely have some restrictions.

With that thought, Byakuya put down the mask in his hand and started considering other ways to intervene in the Nine-Tails incident. Perhaps planting puppets or spies within the village could serve as a backup plan.

At that moment, Byakuya suddenly recalled something and activated his Sharingan. Under its perceptive gaze, Byakuya finally noticed something unusual about the grimacing masks. Inside the masks, there appeared to be a small, faint inscription—some kind of unique seal.

Determined to uncover the nature of this seal, Byakuya decided to put on one of the masks himself.

The moment he donned the mask, Byakuya immediately felt a faint connection with some powerful entity. Unsurprisingly, this entity was most likely the Shinigami worshipped by the Uzumaki clan.

Byakuya didn't know much about the Shinigami worshipped by the Uzumaki. He only knew that the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, which involved the Shinigami, was an extremely powerful sealing technique. It could seal the souls of both the user and the target into the belly of the Shinigami, preventing them from being summoned through techniques like Edo Tensei.

Not only that, but the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could also seal tailed beasts in a very short amount of time.

Besides the Shinigami, there were several other strange entities in the ninja world, such as the Box of Ultimate Bliss in Kusagakure's Hōzuki Castle, the Mōryō of the Land of Demons with its negative chakra, and the Jashin that Hidan worshipped.

However, none of these eerie entities could compare to the Rinnegan, which was the power of the God Tree.

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Byakuya attempted to communicate with the Shinigami. If the Shinigami possessed self-awareness, perhaps they could strike a deal.

Unfortunately, no matter how Byakuya tried to communicate, the Shinigami didn't respond at all. It seemed that only by performing the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could he establish further contact with the Shinigami.

Should he try using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal now?

Byakuya gently shook his head—he had no intention of risking his own life for this. Not to mention the deadly consequences of using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, the attention it would draw from other ninjas alone was enough to make it dangerous.

For now, Byakuya had to think of another approach or perhaps take one of the Shinigami masks back to the village for study.

The problem was, there seemed to be only one Shinigami mask, and taking it would mean it would no longer be available.

Suddenly, Byakuya had an idea. He picked up the other grimacing masks and tried them on one by one. After testing several, his expression became strange.

It seemed that all the masks in the Uzumaki Shrine had the ability to communicate with the Shinigami and perform the Dead Demon Consuming Seal.

Moreover, it appeared that all these masks communicated with the same Shinigami.

With that realization, Byakuya fell into deep thought, then came up with a bold plan. Since Orochimaru was able to deceive the Shinigami to undo the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, perhaps Byakuya could also modify the Shinigami using these seals.

After all, from what was shown in the original work, the Shinigami seemed more like a rigid force rather than a true deity. In terms of power, it was far inferior to the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.

With this plan in mind, Byakuya chose an inconspicuous mask from the wall and left the Uzumaki Shrine.

Although the clone he left behind could easily pass for him, it could fool Yahiko and the others but not Black Zetsu or Obito. If Black Zetsu discovered his secret actions, things would become complicated.

After all, Byakuya still aimed to position himself as the mastermind behind Black Zetsu. His movements needed to remain cautious and discreet.

---

After leaving the Uzumaki Shrine, Byakuya disguised himself as a passerby and wandered through the alleys of Konoha, hoping to run into some Root operatives. If the opportunity arose, he could beat them up and extract some benefits from them.

After all, with the leverage he had over Danzo, Danzo wouldn't dare to make a fuss about it.

Unfortunately, no Root ninjas appeared, and Byakuya lost his chance to make some easy gains.

It seemed that after the Fourth Hokage took power, Root lost many of its elite members, and Danzo had become much more subdued, no longer stirring up trouble.

However, Byakuya's wanderings in the alleys weren't entirely fruitless.

At the very least, he spotted a child wearing glasses, standing alone on the second floor of an orphanage, gazing forlornly at the bustling street as if waiting for someone's return.

Judging by the boy's appearance and age, this child was most likely Kabuto Yakushi.

In Byakuya's memory, Kabuto Yakushi was an orphan taken in by Konoha after the Battle of Kikyo Pass and later became one of the instigators of the Fourth Great Ninja War due to various fortuitous circumstances.

A potential asset like this was not something Byakuya would overlook.

After a brief contemplation, Byakuya used Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Kabuto and began to look at the Konoha streets alongside him.

Kabuto didn't notice Byakuya's presence as he only felt a chill pass by and then leaned over the balcony, eagerly waiting for the return of the orphanage's director.

The director, named Nonō Yakushi, was a kind and beautiful older sister.

She not only established the orphanage but also kindly adopted the orphans, giving them a meaningful name and providing them with a warm home.

However, maintaining the orphanage required a lot of money.

Despite the director's tireless efforts, she still couldn't fill the financial gap, and many children suffered from malnutrition due to a lack of food.

Kabuto had considered going out to work with the director but was firmly rejected.

To the director, a child like him was too young to work early. She wanted him to stay healthy in the orphanage while she handled everything else.

Kabuto had thought about secretly finding work outside, but no one would hire him, let alone pay him.

With a sigh, Kabuto muttered to himself, "If only I could make a lot of money, then the director wouldn't have to work so hard every day."

At that moment, a pair of hands appeared on Kabuto's shoulders, and a cold voice spoke in his ear, "Is making a lot of money your dream?"

Startled, Kabuto turned around and saw a figure wearing a grimacing mask.

Since the figure had appeared in his room without him noticing, they must be a ninja, and Kabuto had always been very cautious around ninjas.

But the figure's words seemed to hold a magical power that captivated his heart, making him ask, "Who are you? Do you have a way to help me make a lot of money?"

Byakuya, seeing through the young Kabuto, smiled and said, "Of course I do. But the prerequisite is that you work for me, become my subordinate, and in return, I will help you solve your problems."

Kabuto hesitated for a moment but then saw Byakuya produce a stack of money and immediately nodded.

The figure might be deceiving him, but money was not.

The orphanage and the director desperately needed money, and this could very well be the only job opportunity Kabuto could find in the next few years.