Stage Results

Konoha Research Department.

Orochimaru Earth Flow briskly ahead, the hem of his white lab coat silently brushing against the cold, polished floor. He led Tsunade and Taiichi through a series of heavy doors requiring complex authorization verification, finally stopping before a door engraved with special Sealing Talisman.

This is it.

Orochimaru's voice revealed a hint of barely perceptible excitement. He quickly formed several hand seals, the runes lighting up and then fading away, and the heavy door slid open silently inward.

A richer, more concentrated air, carrying the scent of decay and rebirth, rushed towards us.

The moment Tsunade and Taiichi stepped into the laboratory, Hikaru was immediately captivated by the scene before him.

The laboratory was unusually spacious, but the lighting was deliberately dim, with only a few specially made cool-light lamps providing basic illumination.

However, what is truly shocking is the central area of the laboratory, where dozens of strangely twisted "trees" stand.

They are not naturally growing plants. The trunks have a sickly grayish-white color, like the color of White Zetsu's skin.

These "trees" are covered with vein-like raised wood grains, twisted and gnarled. Some branches even have incompletely lignified, purplish-red lumps resembling animal tissue, exuding a contradictory feeling of vitality and death that is extremely unsettling.

"This—" Tsunade's brows furrowed instantly, her emerald eyes sharp as knives as she swept over these deformed creations, and an suppressed rage, accompanied by a powerful aura, began to rise around her.

She was all too familiar with this scene. In the past Wood Style experiments, most of the Senju clan members who sacrificed themselves for it had transformed into this strange mentality, only they were closer to the green of normal trees.

Here, it is clearly an experiment of the same nature, demonstrating the out-of-control and destructive aspects caused by the erosion of Wood Style power.

She turned her head sharply, her piercing gaze fixed on Orochimaru, her voice low and deep like thunder before a storm. "Orochimaru!"

You dare use living people—"

"Calm down, Tsunade."

Orochimaru seemed to have anticipated her reaction, his face still bearing that enigmatic smile, but his voice clearly pierced through Tsunade's impending rage, "These are all the results of experiments using mice as carriers for Hashirama Cells transplantation."

He emphasized the words "white mice" and casually pointed to a row of laboratory mice stored next to the laboratory.

Upon hearing "white mouse" instead of "human," the terrifying aura surrounding Tsunade dissipated abruptly, like a punctured balloon.

Her tense shoulders relaxed, and although her furrowed brows were not completely relaxed, the anger in her eyes had transformed into a complex and indescribable disgust and solemnity.

She loathed this distortion that desecrated the essence of life, and was even more deeply concerned with the terrifying power of the Hashirama Cells.

But she also understood that such sacrifices in research and development were inevitable. The fact that these mice were used as test subjects, rather than humans, was enough to demonstrate Orochimaru's, or rather the Scientific Research Department's, caution in conducting experiments.

She glanced back at Taiichi, who was still standing at the door. All of this was something that this kid had strongly promoted and was written into the fundamental rules of the Scientific Research Department.

Tsunade's gaze returned to the "trees," and she silently Earth Flow a few steps closer, extending her fingers, clad in thin medical gloves, to gently touch a grayish-white "twig."

The touch from my fingertips was cold and hard, with a lifeless wood grain.

"Pure destruction and alienation—" she muttered to herself, withdrawing her hand, her gaze towards Orochimaru still scrutinizing, "You didn't just bring us here to see these things, did you?"

"Of course not." Orochimaru didn't seem to care about Tsunade's questioning; his snake-like eyes gleamed with rationality.

"The domineering nature of Hashirama Cells is a double-edged sword. They contain immense vitality, but also possess an infectivity capable of destroying and reshaping everything. Previous experiments, including those failed attempts in Konoha's early years, were all because we were unable to tame the blade of this sword."

Taiichi stood to one side, his gaze calmly sweeping over these eerie "trees".

He had access to the White Zetsu samples earlier than Tsunade and had participated in some of the early experiments, so he wasn't surprised by the existence of these failed samples. He was more concerned about the shift in Orochimaru's words. "You mean before?" It seems there's been a breakthrough now?

"Follow me." Orochimaru didn't answer directly, but a triumphant smile appeared on his lips as he turned and walked towards a secluded area at the far end of the laboratory, bathed in soft, warm light.

The air here is noticeably fresher, without the putrid and fishy smell of the outside.

Inside, there were three rat cages covered with specially made transparent reinforced glass. Each cage was spacious, lined with clean wood shavings, and contained a food bowl and a water trough.

Meanwhile, the three main characters in the cage—a glossy-furred little creature, noticeably larger than ordinary mice, and remarkably energetic—were oblivious to their surroundings, clutching specially made nutritional pellets in their front paws and munching away rapidly, their beady black eyes shining brightly.

Taiichi and Tsunade were immediately drawn to the sights. Both were top-tier Medical Ninja with exceptional observational skills. They noticed the unusual features of the three mice almost simultaneously:

Exceptional vitality and physique: Their movements are swift and coordinated, with smooth and full muscle lines, completely lacking the lethargy or restlessness commonly seen in laboratory animals. They are robust in build, with thick and glossy fur, a sign of ultimate health.

The faint fluctuations of Chakra: Under the perception of the two, it was clear that an extremely faint but definitely present Chakra was steadily flowing within the bodies of the three mice! Although the total amount of this Chakra was pitifully small, it was a revolutionary change for ordinary animals!

Taiichi and Tsunade exchanged a glance, both seeing undisguised surprise in each other's eyes.

They carefully checked again and found no signs of lignification, deformity, or depletion of vitality.

These three mice were, physiologically speaking, healthy to the point of being almost "overweight".

"These are them?" Tsunade's brows relaxed, as if she were looking at some treasure.

Orochimaru stood to the side, a proud smile finally spreading across his face, his snake-like eyes gleaming with excitement in the warm light. "That's right. This is the latest achievement, a mouse fused with a 'weakened version' of Hashirama Cells."

He strolled to the mouse cage, like an artist displaying a masterpiece. "From the White Zetsu, we isolated and analyzed a Stabilizing Factor that can effectively neutralize the extreme infectivity of Hashirama Cells." After numerous failed attempts and optimizations, we successfully combined it with extracted active fragments of Hashirama Cells to create this weakened version of a "Cell Preparation."

He pointed to the lively mice in the cage. "These three are the seventh batch of experimental subjects to receive the injection, and also the first batch to successfully survive and fuse stably for more than three months."

As you can see, they are not only perfectly healthy, without any signs of abnormality, but their basic physical condition, strength, speed, endurance, and recovery ability far surpass those of their peers. More importantly,

He paused, then emphasized, "They can stably generate their own Chakra! Although weak, this means that the 'weakening cells' have successfully integrated into their life system and promoted a certain kind of evolution at the life level."

"All three succeeded?" Taiichi astutely grasped the key point. The success of a single individual might be accidental, but the simultaneous stable existence of three independent individuals has a completely different significance.

"Yes." Orochimaru nodded, his tone certain. "The seventh batch consisted of ten test subjects, all injected with the same modified formulation. These three survived and achieved stable fusion. Although the success rate was only 30%, this proves the reproducibility of the technology!"

Tsunade withdrew her Scout Chakra, her expression becoming incredibly focused and serious; her previous aversion had been replaced by a strong desire for professional investigation.

She looked at Orochimaru: "So, you requested access to the sealed original cell samples of your grandfather because you wanted to conduct more in-depth research based on them?"

"That's right. The Hashirama Cells in White Zetsu's body are, after all, modified and weakened, and there's a significant difference between them and the original cells in every aspect."

Orochimaru said solemnly, his snake eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge and power. "The Weakened Cells prove the feasibility of fusion, giving us hope of taming that raging life force."

The next step is to see if this approach can be applied to primitive Hashirama Cells, which is an essential step in the research.

Taiichi's gaze darted between the three energetic mice and the menacing, woody "trees" outside, as he quickly weighed his options.

He looked at Tsunade: "Teacher Tsunade, putting aside the grand goal of Wood Style, let's just talk about the current effects of weakening cells on the mice—"

Tsunade took a deep breath. As a medical expert, she instantly saw a more practical and urgent value. "It can already be applied to the medical field! Especially for the recovery of bodily functions after severe trauma!"

Her speech quickened, tinged with professional excitement. "These weakened cells can significantly enhance the receptor's basic vitality, accelerate cell division and tissue regeneration, and optimize physical condition."

For the recovery period after bone shattering, internal organ rupture, extensive burns, or even limb reconstruction, if this technique can be safely applied in conjunction with Medical Ninjutsu, recovery time can be shortened by several times, and it may even break through the original recovery limits, allowing severely injured patients to return to a healthy state faster and more completely! The significance is immense!

She looked at Orochimaru, her eyes burning, "This part of the data in your previous report wasn't detailed enough!"

Orochimaru smiled. Although Tsunade's words and his intentions were completely different, Tsunade's reaction was exactly what he wanted. "This part is a result that has only recently stabilized, and detailed data reports are being compiled. But its potential is beyond doubt."

He looked at Taiichi and Tsunade, extending an invitation. "What do you two top-tier Medical Ninja think of this project—"

Are you interested in getting involved yourself and seeing if we can work together to truly forge this double-edged sword into a "divine weapon" to protect Konoha? Of course, this also includes exploring the mysteries of its potential power, belonging to the "God of Shinobi."

A brief silence fell over the laboratory, broken only by the soft rustling of three white mice nibbling on their food.

Tsunade and Taiichi looked at each other again. This time, they both saw the same determination in their eyes.

"Hmph, since you've already achieved results," Tsunade crossed her arms, chin slightly raised, resuming her arrogant posture, but her eyes were incredibly serious. "Then let me see if your so-called 'weakening' technique can withstand the test of medical practice! Count me in!"

Taiichi's lips curled into a smile as he nodded to Orochimaru, his tone full of certainty. "This research is crucial to Konoha's future, both in terms of medicine and power. I'm joining. However—"

He then shifted his tone, adding with an undeniable emphasis, "All aspects involving human experimentation must be subject to the most stringent safety regulations and reviews. This is to ensure our experiments proceed more smoothly and sustainably. Lord Orochimaru, do you understand?"

Orochimaru's smile deepened, his snake-like eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. "Of course, no problem. Welcome, Tsunade, Taiichi. Let's—begin."

He opened his arms wide, as if to welcome a successful future.

With something she was interested in, Tsunade reduced her time spent drinking and gambling, which should have been a good thing. However, Tsunade also completely gave up her work at the hospital and her teaching at the Ninja Academy.

This gave Taiichi bigger headache; he never expected that a research project would double his workload.

Fortunately, their efforts paid off; among the 15 students who graduated from the Ninja Academy in the previous batch, 15 had also studied Medical Ninjutsu.

According to later investigations, four of them were directly assigned to Konoha Hospital for internships, while the others also took on the role of Medical Ninja in their respective teams.

--

Such a high success rate fully demonstrates the effectiveness of the teaching method presided over by Taiichi.

According to Taiichi's estimate, he can only teach this class for the most time, and then improve the teaching methods. After that, the teaching will be handed over to other Medical Ninja or teachers who have changed professions.

After all, it would be a waste of talent to ask top talents like Taiichi and Tsunade to dedicate a lot of time to regular teaching tasks.

The current situation is merely a last resort under special circumstances.

Ring ring ring----

The bell rang, signaling the end of class Taiichi finished teaching for the day and looked at the children below the stage, still diligently writing down the notes he had left on the blackboard. Taiichi smiled with satisfaction.

These children in front of him were only a year or two younger than him, but now he felt like they were from two different generations.

This is not just a matter of age, but also the difference between a seasoned ninja and a rookie who has experienced countless trials and tribulations.

Just as Taiichi was packing up his lesson plan and preparing to leave the classroom, he suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the classroom door.

Three breaths later, an Anbu Ninja appeared there.

"Lord Taiichi, the Hokage-sama has summoned you with a specific mission."

"Oh!" Taiichi eyebrow and revealed a meaningful smile. Finally, finally, he had another task assigned to him.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

As he spoke, he immediately quickened his pace and then followed the Anbu Ninja as they sped towards the Hokage Building.

Within minutes, Taiichi arrived at the Hokage's Office.

Knocking on the door, they discovered that Shisui one in the room. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu were also there, as well as Taiichi, whom they didn't recognize, but who clearly belonged to a person of high status.

"Oh, Taiichi's here. Let me introduce you. This is the person who commissioned this mission, the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Hot Water."