novelhk Chapter 288 The Minotaur's Determination
Chapter 288 The Minotaur's Determination
The Beast Soul Altar of Otogakure Village glowed with a faint golden hue in the morning light. The Minotaur stood at the center, his Beast Soul chakra flowing slowly through his palms. His Beast Soul Symbiotic Mangekyō gently spun—the animal pupil patterns within his pupils captured the altar's energy fluctuations, while the surrounding Uchiha fan blades transformed these fluctuations into a protective shield. It was the fifteenth day since his Mangekyō awakened, and he practiced daily the precision of his "Beast Eyes: Guardian." However, whenever his chakra reached the "miasma forest" outside the altar, it was forcibly repelled by a cold Beast Soul energy, as if it had hit a solid barrier of animal bone, impervious to even the slightest Beast Soul detection.
"Still not working?" Tos's voice came from behind him. His sonic chakra swept across the forest, and a dark brown halo trembled slightly in the air. "The energy in the miasma forest is of beast soul attribute. It is seven times more powerful than the soul-eating beast poison used by the Akatsuki organization last time. It also contains 'mirror beast souls' that can replicate beast soul chakra."
The Minotaur put away the Mangekyō, the beast soul chakra at his fingertips suddenly dissipated, and the beast hair patterns on his palms also dimmed: "I can feel the energy gathering, but my beast pupils can't catch the trajectory of the mirror beast soul at all!" He touched the "Beast Pupil Amplification Pendant" around his neck - this was made by Yin Zhu using his beast soul fragments and Uchiha crystals, which can strengthen the resonance of the beast pupils, but he always felt that he had not fully tapped the true power of the Mangekyō.
At that moment, beneath the altar, a sudden roar of beasts and the resounding crash of ninja tools erupted. The minotaur's kaleidoscope instantly lit up, and its beast soul chakra spread along the altar. However, the moment it reached the beast soul storage, it was abruptly severed by a surge of black beast soul energy. A netherworld beast soul formation had enveloped the altar, countless black beast soul threads entwined around the beast soul crystal cores in the storage, causing them to move like controlled puppets toward the forest. Within the forest, mirror beast souls were rapidly hatching, each replicating the minotaur's beast soul chakra, poised to form a "mirror beast soul army."
"It's the 'Netherworld Beast Soul Formation'! The remnants of the Akatsuki organization are here!" Yin Zhu's voice came from the air. His Eternal Mangekyo locked onto the core of the forest, and his black windbreaker rustled in the wind. "The leader of the remnants, 'Jūra', knows the 'Beast Soul Copy Technique' and can imitate your beast soul form. Quickly use the Mangekyo to build a beast soul barrier!"
The minotaur immediately mobilized his chakra, his eyes suddenly lighting up as a pale golden beast soul barrier formed around the warehouse. "Beast eyes? Protect the warehouse!" But the black beast soul threads, as if alive, seeped through the cracks in the barrier, slowly chipping away at the defensive energy. He could clearly "sense" the mirror beast soul replicating his own beast form. These sensations traveled through his beast soul meridians into his mind, causing his chakra to begin to stagnate. "No! His replication technique can synchronize with my beast soul chakra. The barrier can't stop it!"
"Don't panic! Use your beast soul Mangekyō to reversely guide the mirror beast soul's chakra!" Qin's voice came from the communicator, her sonic chakra covering the altar. "Have you forgotten what Yinzhu said? Your beast soul and the Uchiha bloodline share the same origin. Symbiosis is not 'defense', but 'guidance' - turn the copied beast soul chakra into a 'trap' that will backfire on Juro!"
These words were like thunder, splitting the Minotaur's confusion. He remembered Yin Zhu's words when he handed him the Beast Pupil Amplification Pendant: "Your Beast Soul is the 'key,' capable of controlling the energy of all Beast Soul attributes; your Kaleidoscope is the 'switch,' allowing duplicated Beast Souls to attack the enemy. When the Beast Pupils fully resonate, there's no Beast Soul Formation unbreakable."
The minotaur took a deep breath and pressed the Beast Eye Amplification Pendant against his chest. Beast Soul Chakra and Uchiha energy collided violently within the Mangekyo. Pain coursed through his Beast Soul meridians like an electric current, yet it also transformed his Beast Soul Technique. He closed his eyes, no longer suppressing the Beast Soul within him. Instead, he actively channeled a strand of chakra into the mirror Beast Soul, simultaneously planting a "rebound rune" within his chakra with the Mangekyo.
“Ah——!” The roar of the minotaur and the trembling of the beast soul intertwined, and the patterns of the beast pupils in the kaleidoscope suddenly accelerated, “Beast pupils? Reverse soul!” The light golden beast soul energy burst out from the bottom of his eyes, penetrated the black beast soul thread, and directly acted on the core of the mirror beast soul - those mirror beast souls that copied chakra instantly lost control, and flew towards the core of the forest instead, entangled with the beast soul thread of Beast Luo.
"Impossible! How can you control duplicate beast souls?" Beast Luo rushed out of the forest, holding a black-striped "Beast Soul Duplication Staff" in his hand. Two giant mirror-image beast souls were wrapped around the staff. "I want you and these beast soul crystal cores to become the nourishment for my beast soul technique!"
He swung the replica staff, sending countless copies of the beast soul's chakra blasting towards the minotaur, while simultaneously trapping Jean's movements with beast soul threads. Neji's Byakugan instantly locked onto the mirrored beast soul's weakness: "Minotaur! The mirrored beast soul's chakra is on the left, attack there!" Toss's sonic barrier blocked the duplicate chakra, while Jean's sonic chakra entangled the replica staff, buying the minotaur time.
"You want to touch my friend?" The fur patterns in the minotaur's kaleidoscope accelerated. He suddenly activated his beast form, swelled threefold, and his beast soul chakra condensed in his palm, forming "Beast Eyes? Materialized"—a pale golden energy that transformed into a massive beast soul axe, etched with the patterns of Uchiha fan blades. He swung the axe, precisely splitting the giant mirrored beast soul. Simultaneously, he channeled his beast soul chakra into the replica staff, triggering the buried backlash rune.
"Ah! My replica staff!" Beast Luo's replica staff suddenly lost control, the black lines on the staff beginning to fade, and the energy of the Nether Beast Soul Formation instantly dissipated. The minotaur seized the opportunity to advance, and the Beast Soul Axe smashed heavily into Beast Luo's chest, slamming him into the forest mud, completely rendering him defenseless.
At the end of the battle, the altar's pale golden glow returned. The minotaur retracted his beast form, his Mangekyō retracting with it. The warmth of his Beast Soul chakra still lingered in his palms. He walked to the Beast Soul warehouse and gazed upon the intact Beast Soul Cores, feeling a surge of relief. These cores were a vital resource for the Otogakure Village's fighting power; if Juro had taken them, the consequences would have been disastrous. The old craftsman shook his hand, gratefully saying, "Thank you, minotaur! Without your Beast Soul Jutsu, all our hard work would have been ruined." The young craftsman patted him on the shoulder, smiling, and said, "Your Beast Soul Mangekyō is truly powerful. From now on, the altar's safety depends on you."
The minotaur scratched his head and rarely showed a shy smile: "Don't be afraid, from now on my beast soul technique will always protect the altar, and will never let bad guys destroy our beast soul crystal core again." He looked at his hands, at the kaleidoscope in his eyes, and suddenly understood - this beast soul power is not a "disdained curse", but a "reliable weapon" that can protect others; this pair of symbiotic beast eyes are not "feared aliens", but "the key to controlling beast soul energy"; his beast soul technique is not "lonely violence", but "the bond that unites people's hearts."
Yin Zhu stepped forward and handed over a bottle of pale golden potion. "This is the 'Beast Eyes Nourishing Potion,' which will help stabilize the power of your Mangekyō and prevent excessive consumption of your Beast Soul Chakra." He pointed at the Minotaur's Mangekyō. "The 'Beast Eyes Materialization' you just used is a new ability. It can transform Beast Soul Chakra into physical attacks. Even if you encounter stronger Beast Soul ninjas in the future, you'll be able to handle them with ease."
The minotaur took the potion, gripping it tightly in his hand. The Otogakure Village gradually became bustling in the morning light. Artisans were carefully preparing the beast soul crystal cores. His companions' smiles reflected in his eyes—Ningji's Byakugan irises shone with a gentle light, Toss's sonic emitter had been retarded, and Jean's sonic chakra enveloped the entire village like a warm veil. He suddenly felt that he was no longer the "violent beastman" afraid of losing control, no longer the "brute force warrior" who would only hide behind his companions. Instead, he was a powerful warrior who could fight alongside them, protecting everything with his beast souls and his Mangekyō.
"From now on, leave the defense of the Beast Soul Altar of Sound Village to me!" The Minotaur raised his fist, and the animal hair patterns in the kaleidoscope gently rotated. "I will use my beast soul to guard every beast soul crystal core, guard every inch of the altar, and guard our home!"
The laughter of his companions echoed in the altar, intertwining with the rhythm of his beast soul chakra, like a warm and resolute song of protection. The Minotaur knew that this was only the beginning of his Kaleidoscope Journey. There would be stronger enemies and more difficult challenges ahead, but as long as he accepted his beast soul and stayed with his companions, there would be no difficulty he could not overcome.