The Chimera Technique Was Complete

Naraku wanted to recruit Hatake Sakumo, because the Hokage Faction would smear his name with rumors to undermine the White Fang's reputation.

With Shimura Danzō secretly fanning the flames, the White Fang would be so humiliated that he would commit seppuku.

For a ninja to die by the samurai's method of ritual suicide was, to say the least, ironic.

This incident also showed that some people had already grown greedy for power, to the point of suppressing even famous ninja.

It was a defining incident, and one that drove many ninja away from the village.

Tsunade was surely among those ninja. Perhaps she left Konoha because of disputes over power and funding, as well as the heartbreak caused by the White Fang incident.

Even Tsunade's superb Medical Ninjutsu was useless against her Hemophobia. Perhaps that was why the Third Hokage had given her such a long leave of absence.

If someone from the Uchiha clan had wandered outside the village for so long without reason, they would undoubtedly have been branded an S-rank missing-nin.

Thinking of Hatake Kakashi's reputation as a genius, Naraku naturally thought of the White Fang of Konoha.

At this point, the White Fang of Konoha was still a renowned Konoha jonin, the legendary White Fang.

Foreign countries had even established a rule that anyone who encountered the White Fang during a mission could abandon it without punishment. That showed just how fearsome his reputation was.

Naraku returned to the secretary's office and said to Fugaku, "Fugaku, write a letter recruiting Hatake Sakumo to work for the Police Force. Let's see if Lord White Fang will accept."

"Ah, what?"

Uchiha Fugaku was taken aback. He couldn't make heads or tails of Naraku's instructions. The Military Police Force was the Uchiha clan's stronghold.

How could the White Fang of Konoha possibly come to work at the Uchiha stronghold? There was no way he would accept a recruitment letter like that.

"It's fine. Just write it. We're simply making our position clear. Say in the letter that Konoha has too many criminals and they're difficult to catch. Tell him I admire the White Fang's reputation and invite him to join the Criminal Investigation Division of our Police Force to help us apprehend those criminals. Add plenty of respectful, admiring language, and describe the difficulties of the capture missions in detail. Write it like that. Understand?"

"Yes..."

Although Uchiha Fugaku found Naraku's approach strange, he obediently followed orders and began writing the letter for him.

"Right, you're in charge of this. I said at yesterday's clan meeting that I'd be going to the Land of Rain. I won't tell anyone when I leave, so you'll have to take care of the Police Force's work."

"Yes."

An underground base somewhere outside Konoha

Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru walked side by side through the base.

"Orochimaru, I hope you can get results from these sixty children."

Shimura Danzō spoke coldly to Orochimaru beside him. For the past few years, the Wood Release experiments always seemed close to a breakthrough, or reached a crucial moment, only to produce a few inconsequential findings that did little to help them control Wood Release.

"Lord Danzō, don't worry. The Wood Release experiments have reached a critical stage. I won't disappoint you."

Orochimaru looked a little crazed—the kind of madness that belonged to a scientist.

Though he had once been kind, Orochimaru had become immersed in these cruel human experiments and took immense pleasure in them.

"We've already uncovered the secrets of the First Hokage's Wood Release." Orochimaru's eyes held urgency and yearning.

Shimura Danzō gave Orochimaru a cool glance. The Wood Release experiments had been going on for over a decade. They had cost a great deal in funding and personnel, and they had committed countless heinous acts.

There had been plenty of minor breakthroughs, but not a single major one.

This time, Orochimaru had designed a dosage and a drug mixture that, according to him, had already revealed the secrets of Wood Release and the First Hokage's power.

As for the specifics, they would have to wait for the results.

Shimura Danzō had nearly lost heart in the Wood Release experiments. All the wealth plundered by Root had gone into these forbidden experiments, and it had all been like throwing good money after bad.

"We'd be better off studying the Uchiha's Sharingan..."

The thought crossed Shimura Danzō's mind. Orochimaru wasn't involved in the Sharingan research; Shimura Danzō had a separate team of researchers working on it.

Over the past two years, they had seized quite a few Sharingan in the Land of Rain. Only one pair had been an unexpected find—a Three-Tomoe Sharingan. The rest belonged to Chunin and Genin, and had either one or two Tomoe.

They could only use them for basic Sharingan research and experiments. Shimura Danzō already knew a great deal about the forbidden techniques of the Sharingan.

An underground base somewhere outside Konoha

A man was bound to a pillar.

A woman performed a jutsu.

"Chimera Technique!"

Liquids seeped from the woman's body. They seemed to have a will of their own and quickly enveloped the man bound to the wooden frame.

The man screamed in agony. Once the liquid had covered him, it rippled and took on a human shape, then transformed into the woman who had performed the jutsu.

"Hahaha, excellent, excellent! Two, are you feeling any discomfort?"

Uchiha Nara and Hiruko walked over slowly. Hiruko clapped, visibly excited.

The woman who had performed the jutsu was Hiruko's maid. She had no name, only a code name: Two.

The woman called Two licked her lips, seeming to enjoy it immensely.

"No, Lord Hiruko. This feels wonderful. I've gained another nature transformation."

Like martial arts novels, where powerful figures liked to have their underlings practice techniques and test their secret manuals,

the Chimera Technique had been created through fits and starts, but overall, progress had been rapid. With the help of test subjects, funding, and medical equipment, they had quickly overcome every key obstacle.

Neither Hiruko nor Naraku had practiced the perfected Chimera Technique. Instead, they had their ninja students practice it.

As civilian ninja who knew only the Three Body Technique, they were naturally delighted to learn such a mysterious and powerful jutsu, and eagerly chose to practice it.

None of the three ninja students had encountered any problems. They ate well, drank well, and slept well.

They gained whatever nature transformations the ninja they devoured had possessed.

After more than three years of experimentation, those who practiced the Chimera Technique appeared to be fine. Their chakra reserves had increased noticeably, and their strength had improved in a way that was plain to see.

It was a win-win. They gained a forbidden technique, while Naraku and Hiruko gained data they could use to make adjustments and refine it.

"The Chimera Technique is incredible. Hiruko, you're a true genius. The Sannin can't compare to you at all."

Naraku praised him without holding back.

Fusing living beings—it seemed impossible, even in the ninja world.

Hiruko had made the impossible possible. He had actually done it, and created this powerful jutsu.

"It's all thanks to your support and guidance, Lord Naraku. You've seen the Chimera Technique experiments for yourself, and you already have the scroll, the theory behind it, and the training method. Does that mean our deal is over?"

Hiruko licked his lips as he spoke.