March 20, 9:00 AM.
The Black Tower, sixth floor, Orochimaru's laboratory.
A pungent scent mixing culture medium and formalin filled the laboratory. The cold-light tubes on the workbench illuminated the entire space with a stark whiteness, and the culture tanks on both sides of the corridor suspended a few snake-like and humanoid creatures that floated slowly in pale-green nutrient fluid. As a figure passed by, they opened their eyes out of curiosity and looked at that person's back. It was Hyuga Yu.
At this moment, Hyuga Yu stood with his arms crossed before four special culture vessels, looking up at the four identical clones of himself floating in the containers.
"Just as you wished," Orochimaru's eerie, hoarse laughter came from behind, introducing to Hyuga Yu, "Four 'blank' clones. No chakra natures, no souls and consciousness, and even the expression molecules of the Byakugan in your genes were suppressed, preventing them from developing the Byakugan."
Hyuga Yu's gaze fell upon the four empty-eyed clones in the culture tanks, and he nodded. This was precisely the cloning project he had asked Orochimaru to research, and the subject of the cloning was none other than himself.
The Chimera Technique was a jutsu capable of fusing a shinobi or summoning animal with oneself to acquire their abilities, specifically manifesting as forcibly fusing five individuals into a single body. To minimize rejection as much as possible, fusing oneself with oneself was theoretically the most feasible approach.
At that moment, Hyuga Yu turned his head toward Orochimaru and asked, "How is the bloodline compatibility of the clones?"
"Average." Orochimaru shook his head and said indifferently, "After all, they are based on your cells. Even if you forcibly fuse the bloodlines of other shinobi clans, the Hyuga bloodline among them will still have rejection reactions with the