New Cooperation

Uchiha Nara smiled and said,

"Of course, Hiruko. Our cooperation has naturally come to an end. It's been a pleasure working with you."

"Thank you for your support, Lord Nara. I have a few ideas about choosing a Kekkei Genkai for the Chimera Technique. I wonder if you'd be interested in hearing them."

"Hahaha, naturally. Go ahead."

"Ninja Art: Puppet Curse!"

Hiruko suddenly attacked. A red ring lit up on Nara's forehead, and his body went rigid.

"You!" Nara cried.

"Lord Nara, I think the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan is an exceptionally powerful Kekkei Genkai. Would you be willing to merge with me so we could make it even greater together?"

Hiruko wore a crazed expression. His three ninja students, One, Two, and Three, blocked Nara's escape routes.

"The Puppet Curse? What kind of ninja art is that? Interesting."

Nara, who had seemed so shocked just moments ago, returned to his calm self. He even had the leisure to comment on Hiruko's technique.

Hiruko's crazed expression faded. He frowned. A ninja under his control shouldn't have been so composed. Did Nara have some kind of backup plan?

"I sent your four guards away to look for experimental subjects, Lord Nara. You have no reinforcements left."

Hiruko explained the situation, hoping to see Nara panic.

"Lord Hiruko, why waste your breath on this ant? Let me devour him."

"Hehehehe, hahaha! Is that so?"

Nara burst into hearty laughter. The room seemed to turn red as crimson light suddenly flared in the darkness.

The four of them sensed something was wrong and looked toward the light.

In the dim basement, countless scarlet eyes gleamed from the surrounding walls.

Hiruko knew what they were: the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan.

One of the ninjas used a lightning-style technique to illuminate the room. Countless Uchiha ninjas stood on the walls. Some were upside down on the ceiling, others stood vertically against the walls, and still others clung to them.

They used chakra to hold themselves in all kinds of impossible positions.

Uchiha Nara had never intended to let Hiruko leave. He had still been deciding what to do with him.

Before coming here, Nara had already assigned a mission to every member of the Special Police Force. They had been secretly lying in wait on the walls.

Seventy elite Uchiha. They didn't even need all seventy; seven would have been more than enough to deal with the lot of them.

Hiruko dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Lord Nara, I was only making a suggestion. I didn't mean anything by it. Please don't misunderstand!"

The three underlings were trembling so badly they could barely stand. They collapsed to the ground.

"Please spare us, my lord!"

"Hehehehe, hahaha..."

Uchiha Nara, still under the Puppet Curse, let out a wild laugh. His whole body turned yellow, then crumbled into a pile of dirt.

The real Uchiha Nara emerged from the dark passageway.

"Heh. Hiruko, I know you were only making a suggestion, and I think it's a very interesting one."

Uchiha Nara's smile remained unchanged.

"Besides, your fondness for the Sharingan puts me, as the leader of the Uchiha Clan, in a difficult position."

"I imagine that if you have such improper ideas about the Sharingan, you must also be eager to get your hands on Wood Release. I've heard that Konoha's Anbu are researching the First Hokage's Wood Release."

"Heh. They desecrated the First Hokage's remains to study Wood Release, and have already conducted several rounds of experiments. If I could obtain tissue from the First Hokage, Hiruko, could you create a Wood Release user?"

Uchiha Nara spoke slowly, tempting Hiruko.

When it came to human experimentation and cell fusion, Hiruko was an absolute expert. The Chimera Technique had already overcome the problem of cell fusion. The key issue with experiments on Wood Release Cells was their excessive invasiveness. It would take repeated experiments to gather data and determine the optimal ratio for creating Wood Release users. Those were precisely the things Hiruko excelled at.

Hiruko had been trembling with fear, convinced he was about to die. He hadn't expected Uchiha Nara to give him another research assignment.

As Hiruko listened, he forgot all about his fear. A scientist's particular brand of mania appeared on his face.

"Yes, Lord Nara. I can absolutely create Wood Release users. If you can provide me with the First Hokage Cells and enough experimental subjects, I'll complete the task!"

Hiruko had long since put aside his improper thoughts. Now, resigned to his fate and determined to make himself stronger, he focused on what came next. He had already completed the Chimera Technique, but still needed to decide which five techniques to use. During the Second Shinobi World War, Hiruko had witnessed far too many powerful Kekkei Genkai, and he had already chosen his targets.

Originally, he had planned to take the Sharingan—and Nara's pair, at that. But now, Hiruko had completely abandoned that ignorant idea.

Nara took out two scrolls and two pens, then tossed them precisely in front of Hiruko.

"Write out the Chimera Technique again. You get one chance."

Uchiha Nara's voice was low and elusive, impossible to read.

Terrified of Nara's unknown intentions, Hiruko didn't dare dawdle. He picked up the paper and pens and rewrote the Chimera Technique from memory.

The Chimera Technique had many technical requirements and a large number of classifications. Hiruko didn't dare make a mistake as he carefully wrote it out.

All told, Hiruko spent nearly two hours writing. That showed just how complicated the Chimera Technique was.

"Lord Nara, I'm finished," Hiruko said respectfully.

A servant beside him picked up the two scrolls and walked toward Nara, trembling.

When he reached Nara, he couldn't withstand the pressure and fell to his knees, holding out the scrolls with both hands.

Nara took them and gave them a quick look. There were a few subtle differences from the copy Hiruko had submitted earlier.

With a complex technique like this, even minor differences could lead to serious consequences. That showed Hiruko hadn't been entirely honest.

Nara's expression hardened, and he barked,

"Special Police Force, heed my command! Mission complete! Return to Konoha!"

"Ha!" X70

The ninjas clinging to the walls vanished in clouds of smoke.

Since life in Konoha was peaceful, the Special Police Force had plenty of free time, which most of them spent training. Nara had brought them along to show these frogs in a well just how much power he held.

Hiruko and the others felt a little relief, and some of their tension eased.

Being watched by seventy pairs of blood-red eyes had been incredibly intimidating. After an ordeal like that, none of them dared to act out again.

"Hiruko, I'll consider your mission complete."

Nara wasn't entirely unbothered by Hiruko's rebellious act. He had respected Hiruko and thought they could help each other. He hadn't expected the man to harbor such improper ideas about him.

It was downright suicidal.

"Hiruko, since you're confident you can research Wood Release, let's reopen our arrangement. This time, just like with the Chimera Technique, I'll protect you and provide experimental subjects and materials. You do the research, and we share the results."

There was no choice but to share the results. The data was all in Hiruko's head. Nara was concerned about whether Hiruko was willing to share it with him.

"Yes! I'll follow your lead in everything, Lord Nara."

"Our first collaboration is over. I've already recalled the Uchiha guards. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to obtain tissue from the First Hokage, either. I've always believed in mutual benefit, so it's up to you whether you stay or leave."

"The second collaboration, involving experiments on Wood Release, would mean desecrating the remains of a former Hokage. It's a serious matter. If you're willing to stay and conduct the experiments, we can begin our second collaboration. There's no need to force yourself."

Nara's expression was inscrutable, as though he placed great importance on keeping his word.

"I'm willing to participate and keep this secret. You can count on me."

"Good. Here's the agreement. If you have no objections, sign it and add your seal. As before, we'll each have a copy, and I'll keep mine."

When it came to verbal agreements, it was Nara's habit to draw up a contract and have both parties sign and seal it, as long as they were in agreement.

That sort of thing was usually done by leaders in the Land of Fire or Konohagakure when assigning missions or making deals.

Nara was even signing an agreement with a nobody like Hiruko. That was a great show of respect to him.

Hiruko took the paper and pen, skimmed the agreement, then signed and sealed it.

"If we're going to work together, we should both benefit. It's important to define the terms and method of our collaboration. Now that you've signed this agreement, Hiruko, we're partners once again."

"You're far too courteous, Lord Nara. I'm merely your humble subordinate. There's no need to go to such lengths."

"Heh. The guards at this base have already withdrawn, and I can't guarantee I'll be able to obtain tissue from the First Hokage. So there's no set date for beginning the experiment. If you're willing to wait, then wait. If not, go travel around. You've finished your research on the Chimera Technique, and it's time for you to go out and grow stronger."

Nara thought it over and decided to let Hiruko go. First Hokage Cells truly weren't easy to obtain, and there was no point in keeping Hiruko confined.

A valuable person shouldn't be imprisoned. If you were going to lock someone up, you might as well kill him. If Hiruko spent years confined and forced to research Wood Release, he wasn't a fool. He'd know he would never get out, and there was no way he'd cooperate wholeheartedly.

If you wanted to make use of someone, you had to give him hope. So Nara decided to let him go and go with the flow.

"I'll be ready whenever you need me."

Seeing that Nara really intended to let him go, Hiruko couldn't help admiring his magnanimity. Hiruko thought that if he were in Nara's place, he might well have chosen to kill him to silence him.

Nara slowly began forming hand seals.

Hiruko and his servants tensed up again.

"Summoning Technique!"

"Meow."

Nara summoned a black cat. Though calling it a cat wasn't quite right: it was as large as a fox, with a face that also bore many similarities to one, and it wore a short red jacket.

"Hachiro, sorry for the trouble. Please sign a contract with him and act as a bridge between us."

Hiruko saw that Nara truly meant to let him go.

He couldn't help feeling a little ashamed of his own despicable behavior.

"Lord Nara, could you give me another sheet of paper and a pen? There are still a few details of the Chimera Technique that I need to rewrite."

"Heh, you really are something."

Nara was astonished. Even while surrounded by a heavily armed force and terrified, Hiruko had still dared to falsify the document. He truly was a man who conducted forbidden experiments.

Nara took out a sheet of paper and a pen and tossed them to Hiruko.