Tekka Uchiha could feel it—the faint, electric hum of a breakthrough vibrating through his core.
Nearby, Orochimaru watched the sheer efficiency of Hiruko's serum with eyes that shimmered like polished gold. His scientific curiosity was piqued, a restless hunger stirring within him. Without a word, he signaled his subordinates; they approached the Uchiha ninja with specialized heavy-duty needles, drawing several vials of dark, empowered blood.
Orochimaru immediately set to work analyzing the samples in a makeshift mobile lab nearby.
"Hiruko, you really are a marvel," Orochimaru murmured.
Though the extraction of this substance was clearly grueling and carried significant risk, its regenerative potential was staggering. On a battlefield, such a catalyst could turn the tide of an entire war in a single heartbeat. It was reminiscent of the Akimichi clan's Three-Colored Pills—dangerous, potentially lethal, but a literal lifeline when everything was on the line.
And the Uchiha constitution seems uniquely suited to buffering the side effects... Orochimaru mused, his eyes narrowing. Is it the ocular power of the Sharingan acting as a stabilizer? On his quest for immortality, these shrouded mysteries of bloodline limits were becoming his favorite obsession.
Time trickled by. Eventually, Hiruko emerged carrying three sets of pills. Each set was a vibrant, almost garish collection of seven or eight pellets of varying sizes and colors. He placed them before the three selected Uchiha, his expression grave.
"I cannot predict what kind of sensory world your minds will construct," Hiruko warned, his tone heavy with steel. "But I can guarantee one thing: it will be a world of profound tragedy and grief. In there, the illusion is so perfect you will struggle to recognize it as a lie. I don't know what horrors you will face, but you must maintain your mental stability. If your spirit breaks in there, you won't be coming back."
Without a word of hesitation, Tekka Uchiha stepped forward. He took the handful of colorful pills from Hiruko and swallowed them in one go. Finally, he shoved the fist-sized silver blossom into his mouth, gulping it down.
Instantly, an icy, oppressive chakra erupted from Tekka. It was dark, heavy, and saturated with a sense of profound unease—a "cold" energy that everyone in the room felt like a physical weight. As the pills began to counteract the darkness, two thin trails of blood leaked from Tekka's tightly shut eyes, carving crimson paths down his cheeks.
Only three seconds passed in the real world. In his mind, it had been over a decade.
Fugaku watched the erratic flow of Tekka's chakra with growing concern. Suddenly, Tekka's eyes snapped open. A burst of Kage-level chakra, fueled by a frantic, jagged madness, exploded outward.
"Something's wrong!"
Hiruko moved with practiced precision. He dropped to a seated position, his hands blurring through seals. Invisible sealing chains surged from the floor, binding Tekka. However, Tekka seemed completely lost to the hallucination; his mind reacted to the shadows on the floor as if they were monsters. With a roar of raw power, he shattered the chains.
He lunged forward, weaving a dizzying sequence of signs. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique! A massive sphere of white-hot flame roared from his mouth, expanding until the air hissed. Orochimaru's summoned snakes, caught in the periphery, were scorched instantly, smelling of burnt meat.
Fugaku acted. Moving in perfect sync with two other Uchiha, they intercepted the rampaging Tekka, systematically breaking his defense and knocking him unconscious.
Fugaku stared at the fallen shinobi. Tekka's mind had clearly been pushed past its breaking point, leaving him unable to distinguish between the waking world and the nightmare. Hiruko stepped in, checking Tekka's vitals with medical ninjutsu. Once satisfied he was stable, Hiruko "casually" drew another large vial of blood.
"Have him come in for a full check-up when he wakes," Hiruko instructed, smoothly siphoning the sample into a specialized container. He then handed the remaining two sets of pills to Fugaku.
"Is this... a success?" Fugaku asked, his voice low.
"In my eyes, yes. But the long-term mental fallout remains to be seen. I suggest the other two wait a while before their turn."
Hiruko waved them off, signaling the end of the session. Fugaku surveyed the scorched, ruined lab and decided to lead his clansmen away. Only Shisui remained behind, quietly beginning to tidy up the wreckage.
As deep night fell, buoyed by the day's experimental success, Hiruko made his way to Pakura's room. The space was pristine, kept tidy by the diligent Rin.
Inside, the Scorch Style user's breathing was ragged. Her chakra was nearly depleted, but her eyes remained as sharp and defiant as daggers. She tilted her chin up, a smear of blood on her lip, and offered a feral, mocking smile.
"Just kill me."
It was a magnificent display of bravado—a woman facing the end with a warrior's grace, demanding control over her own death. Hiruko studied her, feeling a flicker of genuine admiration. This was the legendary Hero of the Sand; even in ruins, she was dangerously beautiful, her pride cutting through the gloom.
She was a masterpiece of a kunoichi, yet she had been discarded like a pawn by her own village's leadership. To live so fiercely, only to be betrayed so pathetically... was this the destiny of heroes? In the game of power, even the strongest piece is still just a piece.
"Any last words?" Hiruko asked, his voice low and teasing. "I'm a man of my word. If your request isn't too outrageous... I might just grant it."
Pakura's body went rigid. Her dull eyes ignited with fury. "Pity? From you?"
She spat a dry, raspy laugh. "I am Pakura of the Sand. I don't need charity from a Leaf dog! Kill me and be done with it!"
Hiruko raised an eyebrow. It had been a long time since anyone had dared to speak to him that way. Tonight, he decided, he was going to take his time...
Meanwhile, back in his private thoughts, Orochimaru was still dissecting the day's work.
To create a substance that triggers such rapid cell division, restoring stamina and chakra almost instantly while mending flesh... during the duration of the effect, it practically rivals Tsunade's Mitotic Regeneration.
He shook his head, a lone smile stretching across his pale face. No... it's more than just a medical feat. There's something else hidden in that formula.
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