Inside the Research Department.
Listening to the faintly persuasive tone in Orochimaru's voice, Hizashi raised an eyebrow and let out a disdainful chuckle.
"Committee Member Orochimaru…"
"What exactly do you take me for? Why are you even using that kind of rhetoric on me?" Hizashi pointed at the emblem on the Konoha committee uniform.
"I'm not some shinobi from the Iburi Clan or the Tsuchigumo Clan."
"If the village needs my body for research, then so be it. Hokage-sama has already arranged everything for both my life and death. Just speak plainly instead of hemming and hawing like this!"
Hizashi's tone was extremely sharp.
Even though Orochimaru had been one of the lead surgeons responsible for transplanting his Kekkei Genkai…
He still spoke without the slightest restraint.
Orochimaru froze for a moment.
He had long heard that among Konoha's various factions…
The spiritual leader of the "Hokage faction," Hizashi, was a shinobi whose loyalty toward Sarutobi Hiruzen bordered on obsession…
Normally, he was not difficult to get along with, but the moment Hiruzen became involved, it was as if he became an entirely different person.
Still, Orochimaru had not expected it to reach this level… one sentence had nearly caused him to turn hostile on the spot!
But Orochimaru was not offended.
Even though he was not in a hurry to become Hokage, he constantly trained himself to think and view problems from the perspective of one.
Only by doing so could he gradually grow accustomed to it.
And if he ever did become Hokage in the future, naturally he would also want subordinates like Hizashi at his side…
"I was being presumptuous. I meant no offense to Committee Member Hizashi," Orochimaru apologized sincerely while silently thinking to himself: 'This really is my mistake. This is Konoha. These shinobi have all experienced Sensei's Will of Fire. They aren't some country bumpkins from other villages…'
'You can't just dazzle them with a few pretty words. I'll have to watch my phrasing from now on.'
Konoha shinobi had seen the world and knew what real conviction looked like!
"It's fine…" Hizashi waved a hand dismissively.
"For this experiment, the original plan was to use a basic version of the Chimera Technique to transplant Storm Release into you…"
Orochimaru explained: "But after conducting repeated physical examinations over these past few days, we discovered that your cells possess excellent compatibility with the special substance from the 'Sage Village.' So we wanted to ask whether you would be willing to undergo both transplants at once."
"I must inform you that performing a dual fusion will significantly increase the fatality rate. However, we will do everything possible to ensure your survival. Under Sensei's orders, all of Konoha's medical resources have already been mobilized for you at full capacity…"
The so-called "Sage Village" was a special shinobi clan settlement Orochimaru had discovered.
The people of that clan were all born capable of naturally absorbing natural energy, granting them immense physical strength and extraordinarily long lifespans.
But the side effects were equally obvious.
They became extremely violent and irritable. And if they absorbed too much natural energy, they would develop uncontrollable killing intent. According to the village's records, only a handful of people had ever managed to overcome that murderous impulse.
Because of that, this "Sage Village" had been hunted by shinobi decades ago for their constant bloodshed, eventually hiding away within a secluded valley.
It was not until a year ago that the Anbu finally located them, and the relevant intelligence was immediately forwarded to Orochimaru.
After the expansion of Konoha's Anbu forces, manpower had become far more plentiful than before. A portion of the personnel had specifically been assigned to gather intelligence throughout the shinobi world, searching for all kinds of target resources proposed by people like Orochimaru and Hiruko.
Orochimaru had lamented many times how the village's power had drastically improved the efficiency of his research…
Whenever he found an interesting resource in some ancient text, all he had to do was submit a formal request through the Anbu system. Naturally, there would be specialists assigned to keep an eye out for it…
Unlike the past, when he had to wander the shinobi world alone, suffering through endless detours across deserts, forests, and oceans while also figuring out how to conceal his activities and scam funding…
The current Orochimaru merely needed to sign off with a flourish inside the Research Department and wait for experimental materials to be delivered directly to him…
Danzō had once impeached Orochimaru for being too leisurely.
But Hiruzen had shut him down with a single sentence:
"Researchers must focus on research!"
Hizashi accepted the disclosure document from Orochimaru and began reading it carefully.
"So if one's willpower is insufficient, even a successful transplant could still result in being consumed by killing intent?"
Hizashi let out a cold laugh.
"I understand now, Committee Member Orochimaru… The reason you chose me wasn't just because my cells are compatible with this so-called special substance. You also value my willpower, don't you?"
Orochimaru nodded frankly.
"Who doesn't know that you are Sensei's eyes? Other than sleeping, you spend all your time working. The blazing Will of Fire burning inside you is, in my opinion, the thing most capable of overcoming this killing intent…"
"If this experiment succeeds, then Hiruko and I will obtain an enormous amount of valuable data. Combined with the Sage Mode training experience that Jiraiya will soon bring back…"
"I believe that in the near future, Konoha will produce one shinobi after another capable of wielding natural energy."
Hiruko added: "As the first volunteer to participate in this experiment, most of the future research will be developed using your body as the template… though because you are the 'first-generation cursed seal recipient,' the power itself naturally won't be perfect…"
"We'll find ways to compensate for that in the future, but we still can't offer absolute guarantees. After all, experiments have never had a one hundred percent success rate."
Hiruko secretly felt uneasy.
Hizashi had sacrificed greatly for this research, yet future Konoha shinobi would likely obtain even more perfected cursed seal powers because of it.
That kind of upside-down imbalance inevitably made him worry that Hizashi might feel resentment.
"Don't insult me, you bastard…"
Hizashi looked as though he had seen straight through Hiruko's thoughts and nearly laughed in anger.
"If I were the kind of person who thought like that, then I ought to slit my throat and die right now!"
Hiruko shrugged. He was merely following standard procedure.
Even though he personally also felt that this kind of "post-experiment assurance" was unnecessary, it was a mandatory requirement imposed by Hokage-sama.
Whenever circumstances allowed, they were to provide as much humane care and support as possible in every aspect.
Standing behind Orochimaru and Hiruko were three people:
Tsunade, Kakuzu, and Kushina.
This was the emergency medical team specially assembled for Hizashi.
They were respectively responsible for vitality support, organ failure emergency treatment, and emergency sealing techniques…
Kakuzu watched the scene unfold and let out a silent sigh, once again lamenting that he had arrived in Konoha too late…
At first glance, Hiruko's words had seemed cold and dismissive of Hizashi's loyalty.
But in truth, that was precisely the institutionalized embodiment of Konoha's Will of Fire.
Before carrying out a mission, there had to be full and honest disclosure beforehand.
And after the mission ended, every effort had to be made to provide proper follow-up support, even if the shinobi carrying out the mission explicitly stated that they did not require the village to provide any benefits.
This had nothing to do with loyalty.
Because Hiruzen did not need his shinobi to prove their loyalty by competing over "who took less." That was nothing more than meaningless and toxic internal competition, and it was not something that could ever be sustained in the long term.
"Come on…"
"Whether it's Storm Release or the cursed seal, let me pave the way for Konoha's future shinobi!"
Hizashi laughed boldly.
"There's no need for anyone to hold back. Feel free to use my body however you need for the experiment. Don't let concern for me stop you from gathering enough data…"
"Death isn't frightening. What frightens me is dying without bringing greater benefit to Konoha!"
"Stop cursing yourself already. If you die, I won't even know how to explain it to Hokage-sama…" Hiruko gestured for Hizashi to lie down on the operating table and complained: "If you die, you become a hero, while our Research Department ends up looking like a bunch of fools?"
"Hokage-sama has come by several times over the past few days. Every single time, he told us to spare absolutely no cost and use every resource available to keep you alive!"
Hizashi froze.
Had Hokage-sama silently done so much for him again?
That mountain-like kindness weighed heavily upon Hizashi's heart.
"I understand…"
Hizashi took a deep breath and lay down on the operating table.
"I spoke carelessly! I'll fight to stay alive and continue guarding Konoha for Hokage-sama!"
Hiruko nodded.
The anesthesia tubes were connected into Hizashi's body, and various instruments began operating.
Hizashi lay shirtless on the operating table, his entire body tightly restrained by straps, with only his right shoulder left exposed.
Hiruko gathered extremely fine chakra at his fingertips and focused intently as he carved the Chimera Technique array onto Hizashi's abdomen.
A dark violet glow seeped into the body from his fingertips, spreading into intricate and orderly patterns.
This array was the very foundation of the entire surgery. It needed to both suppress the rampaging foreign bloodline and support the later infusion of the cursed seal. There could not be the slightest mistake.
Kushina stared at the Chimera Technique array with absolute concentration, her sensory abilities pushed to their maximum in order to prevent even the tiniest error from occurring.
"The array here needs reinforcement. The chakra flow is too weak. Otherwise, when the bloodline erupts, this section will collapse first."
Hiruko immediately bent down and corrected it.
Only after confirming that the array patterns fit together perfectly and the chakra flow encountered no obstruction whatsoever did Kushina nod and step back to the side of the operating table.
"We're starting."
Orochimaru's voice was low, carrying a trace of barely concealed excitement.
This was extraordinarily rare research material…
Standing directly in front of the operating table, he condensed a chakra scalpel at his fingertips, thin as a cicada's wing, and precisely sliced open the flesh of Hizashi's right shoulder.
Orochimaru tilted his chin slightly, and Tsunade handed over a test tube containing a pale blue liquid.
Concentrated Storm Release bloodline extract…
Orochimaru carefully inserted it into the primary chakra pathway in Hizashi's shoulder and slowly injected the extract.
The moment it entered his body, Hizashi's entire body violently trembled, and his once steady breathing instantly became ragged.
Bulging veins exploded across his exposed skin!
"The rejection reaction has started… the chakra's gone berserk!" Hiruko's voice remained emotionless.
Kushina immediately stepped forward. Black sealing markings locked down Hizashi's shoulder, forcibly trapping the violent bloodline power within that localized area and compelling it to adapt to Hizashi's body.
Orochimaru gestured toward Tsunade.
A container filled with blackish-green liquid was brought over, faint glimmers shimmering within it.
This was concentrated bodily fluid taken from the Sage Village.
Orochimaru held the syringe and looked toward Tsunade. After glancing at the readings on the instruments, she nodded.
Standing at the other side of the operating table, Tsunade's palm lit up with the glow of medical chakra.
The syringe pierced into Hizashi's vein, and the pale green liquid was slowly injected.
At first, things remained relatively stable.
But once the liquid spread throughout his body along with the bloodstream, Hizashi's body instantly flushed with an unnatural redness, while the blood vessels beneath his skin bulged as though they were about to burst apart!
Tsunade moved instantly, slamming her palm heavily against Hizashi's chest.
Medical chakra spread like a finely woven net, instantly enveloping all of Hizashi's organs and chakra pathways.
Activating the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique, Tsunade did not forcibly suppress that strange "sage power." Instead, she carefully guided and redirected it along its natural flow little by little.
Blood no longer had any effect on her.
Tsunade slowed her breathing to the utmost, focusing completely on regulating every abnormality within Hizashi's body.
Time slowly passed.
Kushina, Hiruko, and Orochimaru each carried out their duties with perfect coordination.
Under such extreme concentration, none of them had the spare attention for emotion. They merely operated with the efficiency of machines.
Kakuzu silently stepped forward. Several black Earth Grudge Fear tendrils burst out from his sleeves and entered Hizashi's body.
Relying on his immense experience, he reorganized Hizashi's chaotic chakra pathways, layer by layer stitching together ruptured blood vessels, nerves, and torn flesh.
And within Hizashi's hazy subconscious…
A broad and sturdy figure slowly appeared.
It was Hiruzen.
Like the sun itself, he radiated warm light, his gaze firm yet gentle, silently encouraging him onward.
"Hokage-sama…"
Hizashi muttered unconsciously.
A surge of strength welled up from deep within him. At that very moment, his bodily condition stabilized in an eerie yet rapid manner, startling Orochimaru, Hiruko, and the others alike…
What the hell just happened?!