No, I didn't point out their mistakes to them. They can do without it. I'd already had a Yamanaka rummage through my mind—he nearly lost his sanity in the very first second. Serves him right for trying to dig into my head and soul. The demons I've got in there make Kurama look tame—go by the name of cockroaches. Being reincarnated has its perks.
All in all, after taking a look around those laboratories, I decided it might be worth working with those butchers. First, after that Yamanaka incident, they weren't going to leave me alone anyway. Second, I was curious—I wanted to learn a few things and build a reputation for myself. Third, you keep your enemies closer. That's how I ended up in Root.
I still don't know what plans Danzo and Hiruzen had for me. I have no idea whether Reiko was deliberately sent on what was practically a suicide mission in the very first year of the war. But I had to poison my own mother exactly a week after the future Third learned that I possessed an excessive amount of chakra for my age—and that I could use Soft Body Modification.
I don't believe in coincidences like that, though I still can't see any clear logic in the Third wanting Reiko dead.
"How's it going?"
"Ma!" I nearly dropped the pipette in surprise. "Don't scare me like that. It's still unclear—I'll know in a couple of hours. How long have you been here?"
"About ten minutes," Reiko replied, tilting her head and leaning back in the chair she'd been sitting on. "Chi-chan, were you so absorbed in your work that you didn't notice your mommy?"
"Sorry…"
"You're such a clever girl," she cut me off, smiling brightly. "A true Chi!"
"I'm Orochi, Ma," I corrected with a snort.
"Snakes are clever too."
"Oh, go on, keep praising me," I gave in, stretching theatrically as I finally finished implanting the cells into the organs portioned out in flasks.
"Oh my, what's this, Chi-chan?" Reiko widened her eyes in mock shock, covering her mouth with her hand. "Could it be… coquetry?! My little girl has grown up!"
"Ma, stop!" Damn it, how embarrassing! Maybe I should just tell her I'm not exactly a girl anymore—more like a boy?
"All right, all right," Reiko smiled, clearly pleased. "So, will you finally tell me what you're trying to do?"
I looked at her suspiciously. Should I tell her?
"Only if you promise not to tell anyone. We do want to become one of Konoha's noble clans, don't we?"
"Of course," she nodded seriously, straightening up. Then, narrowing her eyes slyly, she added with a smile, "One more little secret, one less—it hardly matters."
"Yeah…" I smirked. If only you knew, Reiko, just how many "little secrets" I have. "Basically, I'm testing the histological compatibility of my tissues with Senju cells. According to my hypothesis, stem cells reduced to an embryonic state from umbilical cord blood should integrate into my liver tissue, since they don't produce histocompatibility antigens. In a couple of hours, I'll be able to judge how well the graft is taking. Tomorrow morning, I'll assess how successful the experiment is."
"It will be successful if your liver tissue is completely replaced with new tissue based on Senju cells—and your body doesn't reject the new organ?"
"Yep."
"And if it doesn't work?"
"I've got a few samples set to divide as a backup," I gestured toward the incubator with a dozen dishes where new Senju cells were currently growing. "I'll continue the experiments afterward. If the easy route doesn't work, I'll have to start integrating DNA into my tissues directly. Actually, I'll have to run those experiments anyway," I grimaced. "Some people in Root have already started thinking about recreating Hashirama's kekkei genkai, and they've been working on it for about half a year now."
"That's classified information," Mom chided me.
"If someone doesn't know how to set seals, that's not my problem," I replied with a sly smile.
"No, it's just that someone doesn't value their own well-being," Reiko shot me a sharp look. "Cutting out your own tongue was completely unnecessary!"
"The simplest solution," I shrugged.
Why complicate things when I could just carve out the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal?I had mastered my signature Body Replacement technique back when I was seven, so I simply cut out the cursed seal placed on me when I joined Root, then repaired all the damage afterward. Of course, it wasn't exactly pleasant, especially with my current level of chakra, but now the mark on my tongue is nothing more than an imitation.
"You really want power that badly," Reiko said after a few seconds of silence, her voice heavy with a sigh.
"I want to be called a Tailed Beast without a Tail," I said with a crooked smile. "My spiritual energy is more than sufficient. Yin Release techniques come easily to me, but I have problems with the other elements—and especially with taijutsu. To achieve what I want, I need a huge amount of physical energy, like the Uzumaki and Senju with their longevity. Or I need a body strong enough to break Hashirama's Wood Release through sheer physical strength alone."
"And senjutsu? Maybe you should try it? You've never even been to Ryuchi Cave to see the White Snake Sage, yet you've already dismissed it."
"I already know what the White Snake will tell me," I muttered irritably. "'You're too weak to handle senjutsu chakra.' Don't frown—that's exactly what will happen. If I want to become a sage, I need to strengthen my body first."
"Then maybe you should repeat my experience? You're the one who put me into that coma seven years ago, aren't you?" Reiko asked seriously, making me shiver.
"So you figured it out…" And here I was, just wishing she'd never find out.
"Of course!" Mom snorted. "Neither I nor my ancestors have ever had a habit of sleeping for a year and not aging afterward, you know."
"And everyone else bought the chakra exhaustion explanation…" I lowered my eyes awkwardly.