After several relatively easy days, it was time for the higher-ups to convene a war council.
This time, all the jōnin responsible for affairs within the village would attend.
The conference's main topic was how to respond to the coming course of the war.
However, it had little to do with Satoru.
As the head of the medical corps, Tsunade attended this meeting. The reforms concerning Medical Ninja were likely to be proposed there.
And, incidentally, she would probably gain herself a boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Satoru were busy with something else.
After the Flash Scroll deal was finalized, the cunning Third Hokage had once again set his sights on Satoru.
This time, what he valued was Satoru's mind and research ability.
If he could cultivate Ice Release without anyone's guidance, then what about Wood Release?
With experience in cultivating a Release Kekkei Genkai, could that greatly increase the chances of successfully researching Wood Release?
In order to recreate the First Hokage's invincible Wood Release—and especially because of Wood Release's ability to restrain tailed beasts—Konoha had invested countless resources and personnel.
Even now, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had nearly decided to abandon this seemingly hopeless research.
The one currently in charge of Wood Release research was the Assistant Hokage and leader of Root, Shimura Danzō.
Yet even with the First Hokage's living cells as research material, the project had failed to make progress for a long time.
First, there was no experience in cultivating a Release Kekkei Genkai to use as a reference.
Second, Wood Release differed from other Kekkei Genkai. It seemed to possess special properties; it was not as simple as fusing two Chakra natures.
Therefore, Konoha's research into Wood Release focused on transplanting Hashirama Cells into human bodies, allowing recipients to inherit the Kekkei Genkai.
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