Research Progress

"Aburame Shigang, Special Jonin, excels at the Aburame Clan's secret Insect Manipulation Jutsu; Hyuga Kaoru, Special Jonin of the Hyuga Branch Family, excels at Gentle Fist; Yamanaka Shigeyoshi, Special Jonin, excels at the Yamanaka Clan's secret Mind Transfer Jutsu and has sensory abilities!"

After introducing Uchiha Akira's three teammates, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him. "All three are excellent ninja, fully capable of handling this mission."

Uchiha Akira nodded. Going by their records alone, the three were certainly qualified. They were all Special Jonin, so their strength couldn't be underestimated.

Ordinary Anbu were only Chunin; the elite among them were Jonin.

When he had returned to Konoha earlier, his own rank had only been Chunin.

Of course, Uchiha Akira had already been promoted to Jonin.

Just then, a series of rapid footsteps sounded, and three people entered the Hokage Office one after another.

One wore a black hooded coat and dark sunglasses. He seemed unapproachable, and an icy aura radiated from him.

Another wore a white kimono. She had black hair, pale eyes, and striking features. Her expression was indifferent, and she looked about sixteen or seventeen.

The last wore a Jonin flak jacket. He had orange hair, looked to be in his twenties, and wore a stern expression.

"Lord Hokage," all three said almost simultaneously as they entered.

"I've called you here because I have a difficult mission for you," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, his expression grave. "A group called Akatsuki has appeared in the Land of Rain. This organization..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen briefly explained the mission's objectives, then continued:

"This is Uchiha Akira, your team leader for this mission. I'll give him the details, and the three of you can discuss them on the way."

At Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, the three turned to look at Uchiha Akira. Each reacted differently.

Aburame Shigang and Hyuga Kaoru remained completely impassive, as if nothing could stir their emotions.

A flicker of surprise crossed Yamanaka Shigeyoshi's eyes. Uchiha Akira was no longer an unknown figure; his name was renowned across the Five Great Nations, and he was especially famous in Konoha.

Seeing that Uchiha Akira was their leader, he knew this mission had to be dangerous.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!" the three replied respectfully.

"Good." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Go prepare. Your mission officially begins tomorrow."

The others acknowledged him, then left the Hokage Office one after another.

Back at the Uchiha Clan compound, Uchiha Akira immediately summoned his Ninja Cats and asked them to notify Nekomata, requesting that she prepare some ninja tools and Explosive Tags for him.

Afterward, Uchiha Akira went to the residence where Uchiha Fugaku lived and briefed him on the mission.

A mission of this caliber warranted informing Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head.

Uchiha Fugaku looked at Uchiha Akira solemnly and cautioned him, "Your target is someone capable of defeating Hanzo. Be careful this time."

"I know," Uchiha Akira replied with a nod.

Though he was powerful enough to stand up to a Tailed Beast, he couldn't claim he could handle Nagato as he was now.

Since Nagato had defeated Hanzo, he must have already created Deva Path Pain and mastered the Six Paths of Pain Technique and Yin-Yang Release.

Nagato was certainly not as powerful now as he would be when he attacked Konoha, but Uchiha Akira still wasn't confident he could take him down.

If the opportunity arose, Uchiha Akira naturally wouldn't pass up the chance to capture him.

It rained year-round in the Land of Rain, which gave Uchiha Akira the advantage of favorable terrain.

"In any case, be careful. Danzo spent several months in the Land of Rain, and who knows what traps he laid there," Uchiha Fugaku warned again.

"I'll be extra careful on this mission. Don't worry, Clan Head," Uchiha Akira replied with a nod.

Then he continued, "Clan Head, while I'm away on the mission, please keep a close eye on Shentian Bio for me. They should be close to getting results."

Uchiha Akira had been overseeing Shentian Bio's work all along, while Uchiha Fugaku had focused more on the affairs of the Uchiha Clan.

At Uchiha Akira's words, a hint of delight appeared on Uchiha Fugaku's face. "They're close to getting results?"

"Yakushi Nonō is more capable than I expected. Under her leadership, the Cloning Technology team has overcome several major obstacles. They should be ready to begin testing in a few months at most," Uchiha Akira said gravely.

Uchiha Fugaku smiled. "Looks like we really did find ourselves a treasure. Yakushi Nonō is quite the talent."

"Absolutely," Uchiha Akira agreed with a nod. Then he added, "But we also need to watch out for that bastard Danzo. Keep a close eye on Yakushi Nonō's Orphanage. She cares deeply about it, and I'm worried Danzo might resort to dirty tricks to force her back into Root."

"I'll keep an eye on it," Uchiha Fugaku replied with a nod. "I'll have people stationed at the Orphanage to keep it safe."

After Yakushi Nonō began producing results, Uchiha Fugaku took her very seriously.

Even if she wasn't handling the Hashirama Senju Cells transplantation, cloning and targeted cloning were still tremendously important to the Uchiha Clan.

Targeted cloning was especially important. If they could make a breakthrough, he wouldn't have to worry about going blind from the Mangekyō Sharingan anymore.

"Any progress on transplanting Hashirama Senju Cells?" Uchiha Fugaku asked.

This was another matter he cared deeply about. Combining Wood Release and the Sharingan held enormous promise.

"No progress yet. We're still feeling our way forward. Every animal experiment has failed," Uchiha Akira said, shaking his head.

"No wonder the First was called the God of Shinobi. Even the power he left behind after death is this formidable. Transplanting other people's cells causes no trouble at all..." Uchiha Fugaku remarked.

Indeed, as he said, in the Shinobi World, people with chakra could generally transplant other people's cells and even organs without encountering major problems.

Kakashi and Ao, the Kirigakure Jonin from the original story, were good examples. One had transplanted a Sharingan, the other a Byakugan, and both had learned to use them quite well.

The chance of dying outright was nowhere near 99.99 percent, as it was with Hashirama Senju Cells transplants.

Hashirama Senju Cells were simply extraordinary. Wood Release might have been only one of the traits they manifested.

Setting aside the matter of Hashirama Senju Cells transplantation, Uchiha Akira asked, "When does the Third plan to step down? Isn't the situation clear now? Orochimaru is no match for the Yellow Flash, and most of the village's Jonin support the Yellow Flash."

Uchiha Fugaku pondered for a moment, then said, "The Third hasn't announced an exact date for stepping down, but it'll most likely happen within the next month or two. The only thing left is a visit to the Daimyo."

"Are you planning to deal with Danzo after the Third steps down and Minato takes over?" Uchiha Fugaku asked.

"That's what I'm thinking," Uchiha Akira admitted candidly.