Hashirama Cells

Uchiha Shūichi wiped away the blood flowing from his left eye. Looking at the ever-respectful Orochimaru before him, he revealed a pleased expression.

"Orochimaru, you should still have Hashirama Cells on hand, right?"

Orochimaru nodded and said,

"Yes, sir. During this time, I have cultivated quite a few Hashirama Cells. I also conducted experiments fusing Hashirama Cells with White Zetsu Cells, creating a gentler variety of Hashirama Cells."

The White Zetsu Cells were the gift Uchiha Shūichi had given Orochimaru back then. It was also because of those White Zetsu Cells that Uchiha Shūichi had obtained the scroll from Ryūchi Cave.

As for where the White Zetsu Cells had come from, after the Nine-Tails' Attack, Uchiha Shūichi had scoured the entire battlefield before finding a small amount of white blood.

Anyone who had read the Naruto manga carefully might remember that when Uchiha Obito fought Namikaze Minato, he had shed some blood as well.

Before Uchiha Obito's mask had been removed, attentive readers had noticed that the masked man's blood was white.

Many people had even guessed at the masked man's identity based on that white blood. But because Shūichi remembered that detail, he knew Obito had left White Zetsu blood behind on the battlefield.

White Zetsu itself was a spore-based organism. As long as one's techniques were sufficient, even a new White Zetsu could be replicated from its blood. Using that small amount of White Zetsu blood, Orochimaru had cultivated a large quantity of White Zetsu Cells.

Compared with Hashirama Cells, White Zetsu Cells granted far less power, but they were also much safer. Even ordinary ninja could easily receive White Zetsu Cell transplants.

Furthermore, as a spore-based humanoid organism, White Zetsu possessed an unimaginably long lifespan. It was easy to imagine just how much Orochimaru, whose dream was immortality, valued White Zetsu Cells.

The reason Uchiha Shūichi had been able to so easily avoid Orochimaru's covetous gaze was largely because Orochimaru had found a new option in White Zetsu and therefore did not place too much importance on Shūichi's body.

White Zetsu did not possess the Uchiha Clan's powerful physique, but its long lifespan alone was already enough to provide Orochimaru with a safeguard.

Over the years, Orochimaru had conducted countless studies on White Zetsu Cells. Even Uchiha Shūichi himself had received a small transplant of White Zetsu Cells, and that was precisely the foundation of Shūichi's genius.

However, Uchiha Shūichi understood Orochimaru well. Even though he could be called Orochimaru's most perfect experimental subject, Orochimaru could not possibly have put every good thing into his body. He had certainly held back his most cutting-edge research.

"Gentler Hashirama Cells... How do they compare with the original Hashirama Cells?"

"The effects are not too different. Both can greatly enhance Chakra and physical ability. However, even the gentler Hashirama Cells are difficult for ordinary ninja to endure."

"Unlike the original Hashirama Cells, which almost certainly kill anyone who receives them, the gentler version still has an extremely high mortality rate. Out of ten ninja, perhaps only one can endure it."

Uchiha Shūichi nodded slightly and said,

"Then there is no problem. Ordinary ninja have a one-in-ten chance of survival, let alone Uchiha. The Uchiha's Sharingan and Hashirama Cells complement and counter one another. When the two merge, they can greatly increase the survival rate of a Hashirama Cell transplant."

The future Shimura Danzō had relied on Sharingan to transplant the power of Hashirama Cells. Yet Shimura Danzō did not even have Uchiha blood, nor could he control the activation and deactivation of the Sharingan. Compared with Uchiha Shūichi, he was far inferior.

"The Sharingan can suppress and fuse Hashirama Cells? I see... Is it the fusion of ultimate Yin Release and ultimate Yang Release?"

A look of realization appeared on Orochimaru's face. After considering it for only a moment, he already believed the theory.

"Then, Lord Shūichi, are you also planning to transplant Hashirama Cells?"

"No... As far as I know, aside from ordinary transplantation, there should be another method of fusion for Hashirama Cells. Back when you were still in Root, weren't there infants used in experiments?"

"Lord Shūichi means Stem Cell Transplants. That is indeed the most perfect fusion method. However, as far as I know, all sixty infants used in those experiments died. Even with gentler Hashirama Cells, the success rate was not high."

"That is not quite true. The sixty infants from your experiment did not all die. One survived and awakened the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai."

"Although his Wood Release cannot compare to Senju Hashirama's in the slightest, he truly absorbed the power of Hashirama Cells perfectly."

The experimental subject Uchiha Shūichi spoke of was naturally Kano from Root, now Yamato of Konoha's Anbu.

Yamato's strength was ordinary. Even with the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, he was merely an Elite Jonin. But he had indeed fused with Hashirama Cells perfectly rather than brutally transplanting them.

Even Uchiha Madara, or Uzumaki Naruto after the final battle, developed all kinds of abnormalities after fusing with Hashirama Cells. Their skin might turn white, or faces might grow from their chests. Those were irrefutable signs that the transplanted Hashirama Cells had not truly fused with their bodies.

Only Yamato displayed no abnormalities whatsoever. He had truly absorbed all the power of Hashirama Cells. From this perspective, Yamato was the most perfect product of the Hashirama Cell experiments.

"There was actually a successful Hashirama Cell experiment subject?!"

Orochimaru's eyes lit up, then he realized something, gritting his teeth in fury.

"I see. That bastard Shimura Danzō actually dared to deceive me!"

When the Wood Release Experiment had been conducted, Orochimaru had still been Root's second-in-command. He had led the experiments, while Shimura Danzō had been their investor.

The only person capable of hiding the experimental results from him and taking them for himself was Shimura Danzō. It was precisely because of Shimura Danzō's deception that Orochimaru had always believed it was impossible to completely fuse with Hashirama Cells.

"If there was a successful case, that proves this path truly can succeed. But if we want to research it successfully and eliminate the risks completely, we will need some time."

"It would be best to capture Yamato. With a sample, I can develop a method for fusing Hashirama Cells in a very short time."

"Yamato... As Konoha's only Wood Release Ninja, he is somewhat troublesome..."

Uchiha Shūichi frowned slightly. A Wood Release Ninja was of great significance, and the Third Hokage currently valued Yamato highly.

However, to Uchiha Shūichi, it was only somewhat troublesome. If he truly wanted to capture Yamato, there were still ways to do it.