The underground laboratory's frigid air seemed frozen solid. Only the faint hum of precision instruments and Kyohaku Uchiha's steady, nearly imperceptible breathing broke the silence. He was not engaged in any intense training. He simply sat quietly on a cushion in the center of the training room, his eyes slightly closed while his mind raced at an astonishing speed, sorting through his power system and the path ahead.
The Bloodline Completion Plan was his foundation, the key to reaching greater heights, but it had currently reached a temporary plateau. His initial fusion with the Hashirama Cells had succeeded, but fully assimilating that power from the "God of Shinobi" and perfectly integrating it into his Uchiha-White Zetsu-Uzumaki composite bloodline would still require time and patience. It could not be rushed. He could clearly sense the vigorous yet somewhat unruly life energy within him slowly being assimilated and absorbed. This was a process measured in years.
More importantly, there was the next step. His instincts—or rather, an extraordinary perception born from his biological knowledge from his previous life and his extensive experience with human experimentation in this one—had repeatedly warned him: his current bloodline balance was nearing a critical threshold. Uchiha bloodline power (Yin Release), White Zetsu traits (God Tree characteristics), Uzumaki bloodline power (Yang Release and vitality), Senju bloodline power (Yang Release and Sage Body)... these powerful yet distinct bloodline powers had remained temporarily stable under his control. But if he rashly introduced another powerful bloodline, especially one with an ancient heritage and unique power like the Hyuga or Kaguya bloodlines, it would very likely shatter that fragile balance and trigger a chain reaction of genetic collapse. That would mean utter, irreversible destruction.
I need a stronger vessel, a more stable foundation... Kyohaku murmured inwardly. This meant that until he had