Chapter 165: Storm Release and the Curse Mark, Madara Uchiha's Deterrence
R&D Division.
Listening to Orochimaru's rather persuasive words, Hizashi raised his eyebrows and smiled disdainfully. "High Commissioner Orochimaru..."
"Who do you take me for? Why are you using this kind of PR rhetoric on me?" Hizashi pointed to the Hokage's mantle pattern on his Konoha High Commissioner uniform. "I am not a shinobi from the Iburi or Tsuchigumo clans."
"If the village needs me for research, I won't hesitate to give up this body. Lord Hokage has already made all the arrangements for my affairs, both in life and after death. Just speak your mind directly; acting so hesitant is unseemly!"
Hizashi's tone was unyielding.
Even though Orochimaru was one of the lead surgeons for his Kekkei Genkai transplant, he spoke frankly without holding back.
Orochimaru was taken aback.
Although he had long heard that within Konoha's factions, the spiritual leader of the Hokage Faction, Hizashi, was a shinobi whose loyalty to Hiruzen Sarutobi bordered on paranoia...
Normally, he wasn't difficult to get along with, but the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi was involved, it was as if he became a completely different person.
But Orochimaru hadn't expected it to reach this extent—just one sentence and they nearly had a falling out!
However, Orochimaru wasn't annoyed.
Although he was in no rush to become the Hokage, he was constantly training himself to view problems from the perspective and mindset of a Hokage.
Only by doing so could he gradually get used to it.
Moreover, if he were to become the Hokage in the future, he would naturally want subordinates like Hizashi by his side.
"I was being abrupt, but I meant no offense, High Commissioner Hizashi." Orochimaru apologized sincerely, thinking to himself, "It is indeed my fault. This is Konoha. The shinobi here have all experienced Sensei's Will of Fire; they aren't those bumpkins from foreign villages."
"Just a few words might dazzle them, but I must pay attention to my phrasing in the future."
Konoha shinobi were experienced and well-traveled!
"It's fine." Hizashi waved his hand.
"For this experiment, the original idea was to use the rudimentary Chimera Technique to transplant Storm Release into you," Orochimaru explained. "But over the past few days, through multiple physical examinations, we discovered that your cells have a very high fusion rate with the special substance from the Village of Sages. So we wanted to ask if you'd prefer to undergo a simultaneous dual transplant."
"I must inform you that the mortality rate for a dual fusion will increase significantly. However, we will do our utmost to guarantee your safety. Under Sensei's authorization, all of Konoha's medical resources have been fully mobilized for you."
The so-called Village of Sages was a special shinobi tribe Orochimaru had discovered.
The people in this tribe possessed an innate ability to absorb Nature Energy, granting them immense strength and long lifespans.
But the side effects were also very obvious.
They would become extremely irritable and prone to anger, and absorbing too much Nature Energy would generate uncontrollable killing intent. According to the entire village's records, only a handful of individuals had ever overcome this killing intent.
Therefore, decades ago, this Village of Sages was hunted down by shinobi because of their tendency to murder on a whim, forcing them into hiding in a valley.
It wasn't until a year ago that the Anbu discovered them, and the relevant intelligence was immediately forwarded to Orochimaru.
After completing its expansion, Konoha's Anbu had far more manpower than before. A dedicated division had been formed to gather intelligence across the shinobi world, searching for the various target resources requested by Orochimaru, Hiruko, and others.
Orochimaru had repeatedly sighed in admiration at how the village's collective strength had vastly improved his R&D efficiency.
Whenever he found an interesting resource in a text, he just had to go through the bureaucratic pipeline and file a report with the Anbu, and naturally, dedicated personnel would keep an eye out for it.
It was completely different from the past, when he had to run around the shinobi world alone, taking endless detours through deserts, forests, and oceans, while figuring out how to hide his tracks and embezzle funding.
Now, Orochimaru just needed to sign off on documents in the R&D Division, and research materials would be delivered straight to his door. Danzo had once impeached Orochimaru for being too leisurely.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately shut him down with a single sentence: "R&D personnel must be allowed to focus on R&D!"
Hizashi took the informed consent form from Orochimaru and read it carefully.
"If one's will isn't firm enough, even if the transplant is successful, they will be consumed by the killing intent?"
Hizashi smiled coldly. "I understand, High Commissioner Orochimaru. The reason you chose me isn't just because my cells are compatible with this so-called special substance, but also because you value my willpower, right?"
Orochimaru nodded frankly. "Who doesn't know that you are Sensei's eyes? Aside from sleeping, you are always working. The blazing Will of Fire in your heart is what I consider the greatest weapon against this killing intent."
"If this experiment succeeds, Hiruko and I will be able to collect a massive amount of valuable data. Combined with the Sage Mode training experience Jiraiya will soon bring back..."
"I believe that in the near future, Konoha will produce one shinobi after another who can master Nature Energy."
Hiruko added, "As the first person to volunteer for this experiment, most of the subsequent research will be based on your body as a blueprint. However, as the First-Generation Curse Mark Recipient, your power will naturally be imperfect."
"We will try to make up for it in the future, but we cannot give a full guarantee. After all, experiments never have a one-hundred percent success rate."
Hiruko was secretly worried.
Hizashi was sacrificing a lot for this research, yet the Konoha shinobi who followed would acquire a more perfect Curse Mark power through his efforts.
This kind of inverted ROI might inevitably make him feel unbalanced.
"Don't look down on people, you bastard."
Hizashi seemed to see right through Hiruko's thoughts and almost laughed out of anger. "If I thought like that, I should just commit seppuku right now!"
Hiruko shrugged; he was merely following standard operating procedures.
Although he also felt that such "after-sales warranty" promises were unnecessary, it was Lord Hokage's strict policy.
When resources permitted, they had to provide humanistic care and safety nets in all aspects to the best of their ability.
Standing behind Orochimaru and Hiruko were Tsunade, Kakuzu, and Kushina. This was the emergency medical response team prepared for Hizashi.
They were respectively in charge of vitality stabilization, treating organ failure, and emergency sealing jutsu.
Watching this scene, Kakuzu sighed in his heart, once again lamenting that he had arrived in Konoha too late.
Hiruko seemed unsympathetic and appeared to be belittling Hizashi's loyalty.
But this was precisely the institutionalization of Konoha's Will of Fire.
Before executing a mission, there had to be an honest, upfront disclosure.
After the mission ended, post-mission welfare and guarantees had to be implemented as much as possible, even if the executing shinobi voluntarily stated that they didn't need any village benefits.
This had nothing to do with loyalty.
Because Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't need shinobi to prove their loyalty by competing over "who could take the least." That was just meaningless, toxic internal friction that couldn't be sustained.
"Come on."
"Whether it's Storm Release or the Curse Mark, let me pave the way for the future shinobi of Konoha!"
Hizashi laughed heartily. "Everyone, no need to be polite. Feel free to use my body for the experiment however you see fit. Don't let your concern for me cause you to gather less data!"
"Death isn't terrifying. My only fear is that my death won't bring enough profit to Konoha!"
"Stop cursing yourself here. If you die, I won't even know how to explain it to Lord Hokage." Hiruko gestured for Hizashi to lie down on the operating table, grumbling, "If you die, you become a hero, but wouldn't that make our R&D Division look like incompetent fools?"
"Lord Hokage has visited several times these past few days. Every time, he emphasized that we must do whatever it takes and utilize any resource necessary to save your life!"
Hizashi froze.
Had Lord Hokage silently done so much for him behind the scenes again?
A mountain-like weight of gratitude pressed down on Hizashi's heart.
"I understand."
Hizashi took a deep breath and lay down on the operating table. "I misspoke! I will do my best to survive and guard Konoha for Lord Hokage!"
Hiruko nodded.
Anesthesia tubes were connected to Hizashi's body, and various machines began to operate.
Hizashi lay bare-chested on the operating table, his entire body firmly secured by restraint straps, leaving only his right shoulder exposed.
Hiruko concentrated extremely fine chakra at his fingertips, focusing intently as he mapped out the array patterns of the Chimera Technique on Hizashi's abdomen.
Deep purple light seeped into the body along his fingertips, winding into complex and orderly patterns.
This array was the foundation of the entire surgery. It had to lock down the rampage of the foreign Kekkei Genkai while simultaneously bearing the infusion of the subsequent Curse Mark. Not a single margin of error was permitted.
Kushina stared with absolute focus at the Chimera array, maximizing her sensory abilities at this moment to prevent even the slightest mistake.
"The array here needs to be reinforced; the chakra flow is a bit low. Otherwise, when the Kekkei Genkai rampages, this spot will collapse first."
Hiruko immediately leaned in to make the correction.
After checking and confirming that the array patterns were perfectly seamless and the chakra flow was completely unobstructed, Kushina finally nodded and stepped back to the side of the operating table.
"It's starting." Orochimaru's voice was low, carrying a hint of poorly concealed excitement.
This was an incredibly rare specimen.
He stood directly in front of the operating table, forming a chakra scalpel as thin as a cicada's wing at his fingertips, precisely slicing open the flesh on Hizashi's right shoulder.
Orochimaru lifted his chin slightly, and Tsunade handed over a test tube containing a faintly glowing blue liquid.
The concentrated Storm Release Kekkei Genkai material fluid.
Orochimaru precisely injected it into the main meridian of Hizashi's shoulder, slowly pushing the material fluid in.
The moment it entered his body, Hizashi trembled violently, and his previously steady breathing instantly became rapid.
Veins bulged out on his exposed skin!
"The rejection reaction is here; the chakra is rampaging!" Hiruko's voice betrayed no emotion.
Kushina stepped forward instantly. Black sealing patterns locked down Hizashi's shoulder, forcibly trapping the berserk Kekkei Genkai power within it, compelling it to adapt locally to Hizashi's body.
Orochimaru signaled to Tsunade.
A container filled with a dark green liquid was brought over. A faint glow emanated from the liquid.
This was the concentrated bodily fluid from the Village of Sages.
Orochimaru held the syringe and looked at Tsunade. Tsunade glanced at the metrics on the monitor and nodded.
Tsunade moved to the other side of the operating table, her palms lighting up with the fluorescent glow of medical chakra.
The needle pierced Hizashi's vein, and the pale green liquid was slowly pushed in.
At first, it was relatively stable, but as the liquid flowed throughout his entire body via his bloodstream, Hizashi's body instantly flushed with an unnatural red. The blood vessels beneath his skin bulged as if they were about to explode!
Tsunade acted instantly, pressing her palms heavily onto Hizashi's chest.
Medical chakra, like a fine mesh, instantly enveloped all the organs and meridians in Hizashi's body.
Tsunade activated the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique. She didn't forcibly suppress that bizarre Sage Power, but instead guided and diverted it little by little along its flow path.
The sight of blood could no longer trigger her phobia.
Tsunade's breathing became extremely slow as she concentrated entirely on regulating every shred of abnormality within Hizashi's body.
Time ticked by, bit by bit.
Kushina, Hiruko, and Orochimaru worked methodically, each handling their division of labor.
Under such immense focus, no one had any superfluous emotions; they operated as efficiently as machines.
Kakuzu silently stepped forward. Several black Earth Grudge Fear threads shot out from his sleeves and entered Hizashi's body.
Relying on his profound experience, he reorganized Hizashi's chaotic meridians, stitching up ruptured blood vessels, nerves, and superficial flesh layer by layer.
Meanwhile, in Hizashi's chaotic subconscious, a robust figure slowly emerged.
It was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Radiating warm light like the sun, his gaze firm yet gentle, silently cheering him on.
"Lord Hokage..."
Hizashi muttered in his subconscious.
A surge of strength welled up from the bottom of his heart. At that moment, his vital signs stabilized with eerie and rapid swiftness, startling Orochimaru, Hiruko, and the others.
What just happened!
A full ten hours passed.
Finally, Hizashi's vital signs settled entirely. Both the monitors and their sensory perceptions told Orochimaru's team—
The surgery was a success!
Hizashi's breathing became steady and long, as the two forces slowly merged into one with his body!
Konoha's "Unit-01 Gundam" was officially ready for deployment!
Orochimaru and the others breathed a long sigh of relief.
Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi probably wouldn't have taken his anger out on them even if Hizashi had died...
But just thinking about seeing the Hokage's disappointed expression made everyone feel an involuntary ache in their hearts. They truly did not want to see Hiruzen Sarutobi wear that kind of face.
"Let's wait a bit. We'll wait until Hizashi wakes up." Orochimaru stood in the corner of the operating room, glancing at the monitors.
The experimental data collected this time was incredibly comprehensive.
It was enough for him to thoroughly study for quite some time!
"He really is a lucky one. I didn't think it would fail, but I didn't expect it to suddenly go so smoothly," Hiruko mused. "You guys noticed it too, right? The rampaging power suddenly settled down, as if it were smoothed out by a pair of invisible, massive hands."
"What is the mechanism behind this?"
What Hiruko was referring to was Hizashi's reaction upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi in his subconscious.
"Hard to say. We'll have to analyze it carefully in conjunction with the data later, and then we'll ask Hizashi," Orochimaru pondered. This situation was indeed bizarre.
Tsunade was also deep in thought.
Kushina blinked. "Maybe Lord Hokage was bestowing a blessing upon Hizashi-kun!"
Normally, this would just be a comment to lighten the mood.
But Orochimaru glanced at Kushina and said quite seriously, "You know what, that's actually possible! With a personality like Hizashi's, if he thought of Sensei in his subconscious, it's possible for willpower to influence the physical body."
Chakra is a mixture of spiritual and physical energies.
In the shinobi world, singular spiritual power, as long as it was strong enough, could also exert an influence on matter.
"I've read in the archives that when the Second Hokage used the Impure World Reincarnation to control enemies in the past, shinobi with steadfast willpower could actively break free."
"They could even..." Orochimaru swallowed the second half of his sentence.
He wanted to say that enemies who broke free from the Impure World Reincarnation could even curse out Tobirama's entire family, spewing profanities all the way as they ascended to heaven.
Tsunade shook her head speechlessly.
She could roughly guess what he was going to say, but even as his granddaughter, some things were hard to voice.
Her Second Grandfather's reputation and name outside the village were universally acknowledged as "complicated."
In a sense, he was more suited for the title of "Shinobi of Darkness" than Danzo was.
"Pah, pah," Tsunade spat lightly, driving those strange thoughts from her mind.
How could she think of her Second Grandfather like that?
It was too disrespectful!
"That's all in the past; no one is allowed to bring it up again! Second Grandfather must be doing very well in the Pure Land now," Tsunade glared at Orochimaru, speaking fiercely.
Orochimaru spread his hands and smiled without saying a word.
Would the Second Hokage, who had repeatedly summoned the dead from the Pure Land, really be doing well down there?
Well, maybe he would actually be acting like a tyrant down there, who knows!
In Orochimaru's view, his idol, the Second Hokage, would have definitely set up backdoors against the Impure World Reincarnation, so even if someone tried to reincarnate him, it wouldn't succeed.
One could only say that everyone views their idols through a certain filter.
If Orochimaru knew that Tobirama hadn't actually locked the backdoors of the Impure World Reincarnation, he would probably be quite disappointed.
"It seems our physical examinations were highly accurate. Hizashi does have the aptitude!"
Hiruko wiped the sweat from his forehead and nudged Orochimaru gently with his shoulder, smiling as he said, "I have a feeling it succeeded. My Chimera Technique worked!"
For an R&D shinobi, the most joyous occasion at work was naturally when the jutsu they were researching operated smoothly!
"Ah, congratulations, Hiruko!" Orochimaru also smiled. He naturally wanted Hiruko to keep succeeding.
Not only was this his good friend, but he would also be an asset when Orochimaru ascended to the position of Hokage in the future.
"We still have to keep working hard. I've read your concept for the Chimera Technique; it can integrate more than just one Kekkei Genkai," Orochimaru said seriously.
"Not just one, two, or three..." Hiruko shook his head, rambling excitedly. "According to my theory, if one gathers five Kekkei Genkai composed of different chakra natures, matches them with the principle of the Five Elements mutually generating one another, and combines that with the special energies of celestial phenomena and ley lines, one can achieve an extreme evolutionary leap in physical constitution!"
"It would effectively create an ageless, immortal body—a 'Perfect Shinobi'!"
This was the master plan of the Chimera Technique.
First, one had to possess at least five chakra Kekkei Genkai and intricately arrange them in a mutually generating Five Elements relationship, making five the absolute minimum requirement.
Next, one had to gather the three elements of Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Man referred to sufficient Kekkei Genkai.
Earth referred to special topographies—mountain ranges possessing unique energy, such as regions like Mount Shumi.
Heaven referred to high-energy astronomical phenomena, like an Annular Solar Eclipse.
Only when these three were combined would the ultimate form of the Chimera Technique be realized.
Using intense external energy to catalyze multiple Kekkei Genkai into a qualitative transformation, forcing the body to undergo an evolutionary leap!
Hiruko's logic couldn't be dismissed as unfeasible. Whether they were structural or chakra-based Kekkei Genkai, they all exerted subtle, passive enhancements on a shinobi's constitution, though these changes weren't overtly obvious.
When possessing multiple Kekkei Genkai, stacking those enhancements to a critical mass using the principle of the Five Elements, and then utilizing special environments and energies to stimulate a qualitative transformation...
Orochimaru offered a noncommittal smile.
Although he and Hiruko both walked the path of R&D, their styles were entirely different.
The old Orochimaru might have indeed considered stuffing every good thing into his own body.
But after seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's continuous, endless progression, that idea was shelved.
Factory original parts had an advantage; the compatibility between body and soul was innately perfect.
Orochimaru wasn't opposed to embellishing himself with the advantages of others, but cramming everything in at once like the ultimate version of the Chimera Technique seemed too crude to him.
This was a body, not a random stew!
And the three elements of Heaven, Earth, and Man sounded far too mystical.
It sounded more like a charlatan's prophecy than rigorous scientific R&D.
Though Orochimaru could understand Hiruko's underlying intent—which was essentially using external energy to temper the flesh.
"Let's take it one step at a time. Forget about how to utilize topography for now; just waiting for the celestial phenomena you mentioned... who knows how long that will take. At least a decade or more, right?"
"The pressing priority is to stabilize the fusion method for the first Kekkei Genkai. You can't become a heavyweight in one bite."
Orochimaru gave his sharp critique.
Not to mention finding five Kekkei Genkai...
Did he think Kekkei Genkai were as cheap as cabbages?
"I know." Hiruko nodded. "But a man must have a dream! Hizashi's experiment inspired me. Since it's possible to simultaneously fuse Storm Release and the Curse Mark, then fusing two Kekkei Genkai must definitely be feasible!"
"It's just that after the third one, the structure will change, and the difficulty will multiply exponentially."
Hiruko sighed. "I suppose two is enough for now. Throughout the entire shinobi world, individuals with dual Kekkei Genkai are incredibly rare, and a triple Kekkei Genkai is entirely unheard of."
Orochimaru's expression suddenly froze.
It was indeed unheard of right now, but it was hard to say about the future.
"Hiruko, why do I feel like the complete version of your jutsu seems almost tailor-made for Sensei?" Orochimaru muttered to himself. "The biggest hurdle of this jutsu is gathering multiple Kekkei Genkai and integrating them into one's own body. With every additional Kekkei Genkai, the rejection difficulty increases exponentially."
"But Sensei... he doesn't need to absorb anyone else's Kekkei Genkai; he can synthesize them himself!"
Hiruko's pupils shook.
That was right!
Lord Hokage trained to achieve them himself, so the concept of transplant rejection didn't even apply to him!
Kakuzu's expression gradually grew bewildered.
He originally thought that, as the incarnation of the Earth Grudge Fear, he was already considered an incomprehensible monster in the shinobi world.
Being able to harvest others' hearts to seize their chakra natures!
What terrifying power!
But here in Konoha, his Earth Grudge Fear didn't seem so strange anymore.
Here, they could even plunder Kekkei Genkai, and there were people who could synthesize them postnatally! Even physically speaking, Orochimaru's bizarre, pliable body modifications weren't much more normal than his black threads. A strange sense of belonging began to grow within Kakuzu.
"You're right."
"With Lord Hokage's talent, he will certainly be able to synthesize a vast array of Kekkei Genkai. So, what I need to do now is first perfect the transplantation of single and dual Kekkei Genkai, and after that, I will pursue my ultimate jutsu!"
Hiruko's eyes shone with excitement. "Actually, I didn't have much confidence in transplanting five Kekkei Genkai. Multiple rejection reactions are uncontrollable. Even if one barely succeeds, by that point, they probably wouldn't even retain a human form; they'd just be staving off collapse!"
Hiruko's train of thought gradually cleared.
To enhance Konoha's overall combat strength, developing a Chimera Technique that could relatively easily transplant one or two Kekkei Genkai was his current priority.
After that, he would focus on constructing the ultimate Chimera Technique—one impossible for others to achieve, but exclusively viable for Lord Hokage!
"This is a revelation from the Sage of Six Paths."
"Lord Hokage excavated me from obscurity, and the culmination of my life's blood and sweat was always, in the grand scheme of fate, destined to be tailor-made for him." Hiruko spoke with immense emotion.
Tsunade rolled her eyes at Hiruko.
No wonder Orochimaru usually called him a charlatan.
He created a ninjutsu and dragged in concepts like Heaven, Earth, and Man, and now he was bringing up the Sage of Six Paths!
He had almost gone mad from Sensei's Will of Fire!
"Save your grandiose visions for later." Tsunade patted Hiruko's shoulder. "How is your training with Asuma coming along?"
Speaking of this, Hiruko sighed. "My combat experience is insufficient, so I don't really have much to teach Asuma directly. As his teacher, I can only help improve his constitution and find a path that suits him."
"Asuma inherited a portion of Lord Hokage's physique. His strength, speed, and close-quarters combat instincts are very strong. But the Fire Release that the Sarutobi clan excels in is something he is actually quite average at."
"He should become a shinobi primarily focused on close-quarters melee combat. But not in the style of Sakumo or Minato. Instead, relying on sheer strength and defense, much like the fighting style of the Third Raikage."
Kushina asked curiously, "Then, High Commissioner Hiruko, are you going to help Asuma learn the Lightning Release Chakra Mode?"
"That jutsu relies too heavily on talent; only Lord Hokage could manage to pick it up halfway through life," Hiruko said slowly. "I will find a way to successfully transplant Swift Release and Steel Release into Asuma!"
"These are the most suitable Kekkei Genkai for him from the Second Hokage's material vault. With these two jutsu, Asuma's self-preservation will be flawless, and it will maximize his innate talent for close combat."
In Hiruko's vision.
Asuma's combat style would likely entail activating Steel Release and Swift Release, and then charging wildly through hordes of enemies like a gale, wielding his chakra blades!
Orochimaru nodded slightly.
That sounded pretty good.
Just hearing about it, one could tell he would be able to handle many tasks for Konoha and the Land of Fire, not disgracing the title of the Hokage's son!
"Mr. Kakuzu, would you be interested in teaching Asuma together with me?"
Hiruko coughed lightly and said earnestly, "Asuma needs your wealthy combat experience to guide him!"
Kakuzu was highly surprised, then nodded repeatedly with joy. "That would be wonderful!"
Konoha truly was his promised land!
Since coming to the village, he had first enjoyed an incredibly pleasant conversation with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Not only had he met Minato Namikaze, but his Earth Grudge Fear project collaborator, Hiruko, was even sharing the opportunity to instruct the Hokage's son with him. Inviting him to participate in this resume-gilding teaching position...
This was too smooth!
Kakuzu felt as if his luck was off the charts!
Hiruko smiled and nodded, a weight lifting from his heart.
He was deeply afraid of letting Hiruzen Sarutobi down by failing to provide Asuma with better educational resources, which could lead to poor strength in the future and tarnish the Hokage's reputation.
Therefore, actively sharing the glory of teaching the Hokage's son with someone else was absolutely a good thing.
This not only demonstrated broad-mindedness but also allowed him to build a connection with Kakuzu, a rising star favored by the Hokage.
"By the way, have you guys heard about Seisui Uchiha recently?"
Orochimaru said quietly, "That new disciple Danzo took in, the Uchiha clan genius. Lately, relying on an assistant's authorization, he's been frequently coming in and out of the R&D Division, requisitioning all sorts of equipment and materials."
"Acting as if he knows a lot about scientific R&D!"
Hiruko chuckled. "I know about this. To take Seisui as a disciple, Danzo even went to the Uchiha compound, drank heavily, and put his arms around Isshin and Fugaku's shoulders."
"The Jonin under my division told me he saw it that day and thought he was caught in a genjutsu!"
Kakuzu nodded in profound agreement.
He and Yashiro also thought they were trapped in a genjutsu that day.
"What do shinobi from the Uchiha clan know about R&D? Stop joking," Hiruko waved his hand. "They are great at fighting, true, but they don't have the brains for this kind of work!"
Orochimaru agreed, "I think so too."
Regarding this matter, Orochimaru had a secret thought.
If that Uchiha named Seisui truly liked R&D, he was probably just a dilettante who loved to play around but lacked the skills.
And once Seisui witnessed Orochimaru's R&D prowess, he would definitely be left in awe!
Therefore, with just a little guidance, this disciple of Danzo's would be won over by Orochimaru's genuine talent and knowledge!
Thinking of this scenario, Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"Danzo, still trying to plant your people in the R&D Division? You're too clumsy to compete with me!"
"In Konoha, no one understands R&D better than I do!"
What Orochimaru didn't know, however, was that although Seisui was an Uchiha...
He once went by another name: Tobirama Senju.
The very person Orochimaru revered above all others in the field of R&D.
Tsunade shook her head. "You guys, stop being so exclusionary. It's fine to have an Uchiha around. Wasn't it said that my grandfather's cells could be suppressed by the power of the Uchiha clan?"
"Let that guy named Seisui help out. Even if he doesn't understand R&D or my grandfather's cells, that pair of Sharingan will surely be useful."
"Sensei did say that he hopes one day, all Konoha shinobi can carry the enhancements brought by my grandfather's cells."
"Although he isn't demanding that they inherit Wood Release or too much vitality, which has lessened our burden, we still haven't made any real progress on this project."
Hiruko and Orochimaru exchanged a look, agreeing with Tsunade's logic.
Both of them read the same thought in each other's eyes.
That was to team up and deceive this Seisui, completely overwhelming him with their shocking scientific R&D talents, thereby turning an Uchiha into a tool for Hashirama Cell research!
And also properly disgust Danzo in the process. After all, who told Danzo to constantly pick fights with the R&D Division?
"It seems I should also take in a disciple." The conversation between Kakuzu and Hiruko reminded Orochimaru.
"Maybe I'll visit the Konoha Orphanage someday. I hear there are a few children with great medical talent. Nonou has cultivated quite a few good seedlings."
The breakthrough in the production volume of the Sovereign Sage Pills was partly due to accidental technological leaps from years of investment, and partly related to Nonou actively teaching classes for the industrial sector shinobi.
Her level of medical ninjutsu wasn't extraordinarily high, but she was exceptionally skilled at guiding others from the beginner stage to proficiency.
It could only be said that every Konoha Commissioner or candidate was highly capable in their own right.
A few hours later, although Hizashi was still in a deep sleep, his physical indicators had completely stabilized.
"You guys go ahead; I'll stay here with him and wait for him to wake up."
Hiruko waved his hand. After the others left, he stared at Hizashi's face and began to laugh.
"You lucky bastard."
"If you can master the power of the Curse Mark, given the curse-marked anatomical structure Lord Hokage and I designed for you, your future combat capabilities will be absolutely terrifying!"
Hiruko pulled up a chair, sat down next to Hizashi, and muttered to himself.
Storm Release was a jutsu combining Lightning Release and Water Release, possessing the characteristics of homing tracking and extreme speed.
With the Hyuga clan's unique constitution, Hizashi was highly skilled at expelling chakra. Once paired with the custom Curse Mark developed by Hiruko and Orochimaru to further strengthen his physical structure, he could compress his Storm Release chakra to its absolute limit.
This was the theoretical blueprint they had pre-designed before operating on Hizashi.
The combat style of the Hyuga clan primarily focused on close-quarters combat.
But their Byakugan's x-ray vision actually paired much better with long-range attacks.
Once the full-screen x-ray vision was active, as long as one had a ninjutsu with sufficient power and precision, enemies would essentially have nowhere to hide. The moment they were spotted by Hizashi, they would face relentless bombardment!
Storm Release.
Especially after activating the Curse Mark, the Storm Release compressed by the precise chakra control of a Hyuga...
Would act like an unstoppable arrow of lightning, mercilessly impaling enemies hiding anywhere!
A scene even surfaced in Hiruko's mind.
Suppose someone in the village was spreading unfavorable remarks about Lord Hokage.
Hizashi, recognizing the lip movements through his Byakugan, wouldn't even need to hide in the rafters and laugh anymore. He could simply snipe a Storm Release beam right in front of that person from a great distance away.
Hizashi slept deeply.
Hiruko yawned. The prolonged surgery had taken a heavy toll on his energy. Leaning back in the chair, he gradually drifted off to sleep as well.
Anyway, if any anomalies occurred, the machine alarms would wake him up.
Who knows how much time passed.
Hizashi slowly opened his eyes and saw Hiruko, leaning back in the chair, fast asleep and snoring.
Feeling the power surging through his body.
Hizashi stared at Hiruko, shook his head, and whispered, "You idiot."
...
A few days later.
The Kirigakure exchange students bid farewell to their good friends from the Ninja Academy.
Happy times are always brief.
As they were about to part ways, they shared one last meal in Konoha, bought some souvenirs, and embarked on their journey home with complicated feelings.
"We must report Konoha's intelligence truthfully to the Mizukage," Kisame thought to himself.
Mei probably harbored similar thoughts.
They weren't fools; they knew Elder Genji had long coveted Konoha's wealth, and Kirigakure's cooperation agreement had no real credibility—it was just a piece of scrap paper that could be torn up at any moment.
"We cannot let the Mizukage misjudge Konoha's true strength."
Mei sighed. "The thought that we might one day face such Konoha shinobi on the battlefield puts so much pressure on me."
Kisame nodded silently.
But Kimimaro and Yuki were thinking entirely differently; they were practically praying that the Third Mizukage would continue his madness, so their clansmen would realize that Kirigakure was a village completely unfit to live in.
Arriving at the border of the Land of Fire.
The four Kirigakure shinobi, each burdened with their own thoughts, were calculating how to report to the Mizukage and Elder Genji.
But at that very moment.
A shinobi wearing the uniform of the Kirigakure Anbu appeared silently before them.
"By order of the Mizukage, you are to unify your statements. Upon returning to the village, you must vigorously spread the narrative that Konoha is weak and easily bullied, and heavily emphasize their laziness toward their primary duties as shinobi."
This, naturally, was not a real Kirigakure shinobi, but a White Zetsu personally controlled by Madara Uchiha.
"Do not speak any words that are detrimental to the Village of the Bloody Mist, or detrimental to Kirigakure's future!"
"The village is currently in the painful transition period of stepping toward greatness. You must stay in step with the Mizukage's pace and not allow Konoha's unhealthy trends to blow into Kirigakure."
Madara Uchiha's tone was icy.
He couldn't let Konoha's false prosperity frighten Kirigakure.
Otherwise, how could he prove that the chains of hatred were impossible to sever?
He needed to add more fuel to the fire!
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