Are You Only Capable of This Much?

Thud, thud...

Facing the light, Hyuga Kagami flicked the syringe in his hand with a finger, squeezing out the air bubbles from the needle one by one.

Shinichi, lying on the operating table, listened to the sounds of Hyuga Kagami preparing the instruments and said weakly, "Boss, please, don't make sounds like that!"

"Shut up!"

Hyuga Kagami snapped at Shinichi irritably. He had never realized before that Shinichi, who looked so brash, was actually afraid of surgery.

Compared to Shinichi, Itachi silently steadied his mind.

Shisui stood guard outside the operating room, while Hyuga Kagami and "Sun God" were inside. At this moment, Itachi could let down all his guard and discard every pretense, focusing entirely on dealing with the First Hokage Cells.

Before long, Hyuga Kagami had prepared all the surgical instruments. As he connected Itachi and Shinichi to devices that displayed their vital signs, he explained the procedure. "First, I'll inject both of you with the fusion solution. Then, while it takes effect, I'll implant a small portion of the most active First Hokage cell tissue into your bodies. Remember, the first half hour after the fusion solution takes effect is your best chance to suppress the implanted First Hokage Cells. Make sure you seize it."

Shinichi cautiously asked, "What if... what if we fail to suppress the implanted First Hokage Cells within that half hour?"

Hyuga Kagami shrugged. "Then the transplant will most likely fail."

Shinichi forced out a smile. "Understood, understood!"

Seeing that not only Shinichi, but even Itachi was a little nervous, Hyuga Kagami said evenly, "Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. Failure is perfectly normal. By my estimate, you'll already be quite lucky if you succeed within three surgeries."

After offering them a brief reassurance, Hyuga Kagami stopped wasting time and immediately began