"It did look convincing, I agree," Mom nodded. "I looked over my medical records afterward. Don't avert your eyes—I understand why you did what you did. But we'll talk about that later. So, what do you think? After that coma, my chakra reserves increased significantly. If even I, once a frail med-nin, can now use fairly powerful techniques, then you should be able to rise to the level you call 'Tailed Beast without a Tail.'"
"It won't work," I shook my head. "I've already done everything I could. For anything further, I'd need a second me—with the same body. Otherwise, it's impossible to precisely calibrate the necessary cocktail of stimulants. By the way, I really am short on assistants. In Root, I don't trust anyone, and I personally carry out only a small portion of the experiments that interest me—those involving the First's and the Uchiha's genetic material, which Danzo is so obsessed with. Most of the time, we're working on developing cloning technology. Danzo hasn't moved on to human experimentation yet, but I have a feeling it won't be long…"
I paused, then continued:
"Anyway, cloning is interesting and promising, but right now I need something else. Ma, soon I'll obtain Mito-sama's DNA. And since you've been in the village longer than I have, I'd like to ask you to handle some tedious but simple work. How about it?"
"I don't mind, but first you need to explain the details, don't you?" Reiko replied with a faint snort.
"It's simple," I began enthusiastically. "In a few days, I'll prepare a thousand samples using my bone marrow cells, into which I'll transplant various fragments of Mito-sama's DNA. You'll need to check their growth daily. If a sample dies, discard it and mark it in the journal. Since we can't obtain Uzumaki cells without histocompatibility antigens, I plan to modify my own using the genome of the First's wife. After the first stage, when the remaining samples are confirmed viable, we'll test them for histocompatibility with my tissues. And only after the second phase will we check whether the necessary DNA sequences have been successfully incorporated."
"And how are you going to do that? Organs don't generate chakra on their own," Mom frowned.
"But they do produce physical energy," I replied with a smirk. "All we need to do is pass a bit of spiritual energy through the sample and observe the response. I've already conducted similar experiments in Root—it works. You can sense chakra, right?"
"I'm a very poor sensor, but if the source is just a few centimeters away, I can feel it," she shrugged.
"I take after you!" I couldn't help but grin broadly. "By the end of the experiment, we should be left with samples whose chakra either differs from mine or produces a stronger response than the others. Those I'll test on myself. I'll implant them one by one—say, into my arm—until I achieve the desired result: an increase in physical energy. If there are complications, I'll sever the limb and use the Body Replacement technique—the restored limb will revert to its original state, matching the template of a larger intact portion, meaning it will return to how it was before the genetic modifications."
"I see. I can't say I like all of this, but… fine. I'll help if needed," Mom sighed again, then smiled and ruffled my hair. "You're working so hard, Chi-chan."
"All for you, Mother," I couldn't resist adding with a hint of sarcasm. "See? I even bought you a house at the age of ten!"
"For me?" Reiko mused, tapping her chin with a finger. "For some reason, it seems to me you bought this little house only because you couldn't set up such a lovely basement in an apartment. And also because you wanted to get away from that restless boy, hm?"
"You mean Nawaki?" I smiled, recalling the kid.
"Oh!" Mom's eyes suddenly widened. "What's that smile, Chi-chan? Don't tell me you…"
"Ma! Please don't jump to conclusions!" I shook my head wearily. "He's just a Senju with that damn restless streak—he got it into his head that I could teach him something… special."
"Oh, my daughter, you don't understand men at all," Reiko said reproachfully, shaking her head. "And Nawaki might become the future Hokage."
"He actually thinks I'm a guy. And first he needs to live long enough," I snorted, crossing my arms demonstratively. "How do the Senju even tolerate each other as kids?"
"Well, of course he thinks you're a guy," Reiko grumbled. "You introduce yourself as Orochimaru—that's one. No chest—that's two. No hips—that's three. You refer to yourself in the masculine—that's four. Sometimes you even slip up when talking to me."
"Hey, that was actually hurtful!" I protested. Not really, of course—but Mom wouldn't understand if I didn't act offended.
"And why do you think Nawaki won't live to become Hokage?" she continued, ignoring my complaint. "The war is over. You've already hunted down all those missing-nin that sprang up afterward. There aren't any dangerous missions on the horizon. Even you have stopped bringing your mommy piles of money."
"As if it's so hard for another war to start," I grimaced. "Hiruzen is already complaining that Suna is carrying out raids along our borders and is threatening to respond 'appropriately.' In short, the gap between the First and Second Shinobi Wars won't be long."
"And that's why you agreed to train Nawaki recently, isn't it?"
"He'll get himself killed on his first mission otherwise—the dumbass," I replied irritably, recalling the hyperactive kid. "And I'd very much prefer he became Hokage. Otherwise, God forbid, they might appoint me!"
"Hm," Reiko murmured thoughtfully, watching me closely. "Chi-chan don't tell me you're… tsundere?"
Deep breath. Exhale.
"Mom. You have a shift tomorrow. Go. Sleep. Please!"
"Chi-chan is so mean!" Mom exclaimed theatrically, throwing up her hands before running upstairs.
"Thirty years old, for crying out loud," I muttered, barely resisting the urge to spit on the floor in irritation. "Might as well go relax in the lab."