The Transformation Begins!

In a secret chamber at the deepest part of the underground base, Riu sat upright and solemn. Before him stood Orochimaru, Tobi, and Yūhi Uzuki.

Orochimaru took out a glass tube filled with gleaming golden blood. Every drop was the pinnacle of his painstaking work. This tiny tube contained the path to Riu's bright future!

"Yu-kun, before we officially begin, is there anything you wish to know?" Orochimaru asked.

"How long will the entire process take?" Riu asked.

"It varies from person to person, but for the overwhelming majority, the process ends in less than one second. The excessively powerful vitality of Hashirama Cells turns into lethal poison the instant it comes into contact with blood, causing the recipient to die on the spot! But that is actually the most merciful outcome, because the pain lasts only an instant~"

"And what if I don't die immediately?" Riu asked.

"Hehehe." Orochimaru gave a sinister smile. "If you don't die the instant it is injected, then congratulations. You will get to experience the joy of a fate worse than death. Over the next sixty seconds, the blood containing Hashirama Original Cells will circulate through every blood vessel in your body. Your blood will boil—truly boil~ Hotter than boiling water!"

"Your blood pressure will skyrocket, your blood vessels will rupture, and your body temperature will soar to unimaginable levels. All life functions will cease. You will wander the gap between life and death. Put simply, you will enter a state of suspended death~"

"During suspended death, your organs will gradually die from oxygen deprivation—your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, without exception. The limit of suspended death is fifteen minutes, which is also the maximum time the brain can withstand oxygen deprivation. If you awaken before your brain dies and control your Chakra to guide the part of Hashirama's Power that has spontaneously fused with your body to repair your organs, you can survive. Otherwise... you will sleep forever."

"So if I don't wake up within fifteen minutes, I die, correct?" Riu said.

"Hehehe, precisely."

"Then what are the conditions for waking up?" Riu asked.

Orochimaru shrugged. "That, I do not know. My current field of research is limited to the body. I have yet to delve into the realm of the mind, so I have no experience in that area..."

"Then assuming I wake up before my brain dies and guide Hashirama's Power to repair my organs, does that mean I've succeeded?" Riu asked.

"Not yet~" Orochimaru wagged a finger. "That only means you are qualified to formally receive the baptism of this power. The next twenty-four hours are the true beginning. Hashirama Cells will divide and proliferate uncontrollably within your body, gradually replacing your own cells. To put it bluntly, this is the process of Hashirama Cells devouring your body."

"At that point, Hashirama Cells are equivalent to 'cancer cells.' We call this cancer 'Hashirama Cancer.' Hashirama Cancer differs from any other form of cancer. Its onset period lasts only twenty-four hours~ Whether you live or die will be decided within those twenty-four hours."

"Then what determines life or death?" Yūhi Uzuki asked at that moment.

"Good question, little girl~ Let us use illness as an example again. When a disease erodes the body, the body produces 'antibodies.' Hashirama Cancer is no exception. Your body's cells will gradually produce antibodies against Hashirama Cells. Once there are antibodies, there is resistance."

"These twenty-four hours will be a contest. Will Yu-kun's own cells be killed off and exterminated by Hashirama Cells first, or will Yu-kun produce enough antibodies~ In any case, the outcome will be clear after twenty-four hours~ Of course, this process will also be accompanied by unimaginable pain. Every cell in your body will be screaming..."

"Gulp." Yūhi Uzuki swallowed, staring at Riu with a complicated and puzzled expression.

Riu remained as calm as ever. "Go on~"

"If you successfully endure the twenty-four hours, congratulations, you will be halfway to success~ But Hashirama Cells are the strongest cells. Even with antibodies, your own cells can never kill them in return. They will continue to proliferate and divide within your body. It is simply that your own cells will no longer be so easily killed."

"Hashirama Cells and your own cells will coexist within your body. Over time, they will tend toward a certain balance, leading to two possible outcomes... one is assimilation, and the other is fusion."

"What is the difference between assimilation and fusion?" Riu knew the true crux had arrived.

"With assimilation, Hashirama Cells will actively deteriorate to adapt to your own cells, while your own cells undergo a certain degree of optimization to adapt to Hashirama Cells. One declines while the other rises, meeting at an average point. Once stabilized, you will obtain an Incomplete Hashirama Body. Well, it may be incomplete, but it will still be far stronger than what you possess now..."

"And fusion?"

"Hehehehe..." A fanatical smile appeared on Orochimaru's face. "Hashirama Cells will fuse with your own cells, truly and completely becoming a part of you, Uchiha Riu. They will no longer be distinguishable from one another, and you will obtain a Complete Hashirama Body!"

Riu clenched his fists. "Then there's no question about it. It has to be fusion. If not, I would rather die!"

Orochimaru looked at Riu with admiration. The more he looked, the more pleasing Riu seemed to him. "What fine resolve, Yu-kun~ Although I think highly of you, the risk is too great. Just in case, you should settle your affairs first. What do you think, Yu-kun?"

Riu nodded.

Orochimaru gave an unusually refined smile, then knowingly excused himself and left the room.

Riu looked at Tobi and reflected that he had been in the Naruto World for over half a year. The only one he could truly call a friend was Tobi...

Although Tobi was not truly human, and although Tobi had certain peculiar tastes Riu could not agree with, Tobi had accompanied him through wind and rain to this day. He was Riu's irreplaceable best friend!

"Tobi, we know each other so well that I won't say anything mushy. Thank you for taking care of me all this time. If I..."

"No, no, no. If you die, I will not be sad either."

"Uh, that was a little too direct..."

"But you being alive is much more interesting. Let me tell you a secret: Hashirama Senju himself needed to eat, and he needed to take a dump too!"

"How do you know that??" Riu was astonished.

Tobi leaned close to Riu's ear and whispered, "Madara said it in his sleep while he was alive!"

"You idiot..." Riu shook his head, torn between laughter and tears.

Tobi turned and walked out, but inwardly he thought, Yu, if you really die, then one day, I will have Nagato revive you with the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. Because the days without you will definitely become boring!

Only Riu and Yūhi Uzuki remained in the room.

"Waa..." Yūhi Uzuki began to cry.

"Oh dear, why are you crying now?" Thinking that this might be a final parting, Riu showed a rare tenderness.

"You won't die, right? Although I do not understand why someone as strong as you still has to take such risks and pay such a price to become stronger, even if I said I did not want you to take that risk, you would not listen, would you?" Yūhi Uzuki looked at Riu pitifully.

"I'm happy that you would cry for me, Xiyang. If I leave, I hope you..."

"I don't want you to leave!" Yūhi Uzuki suddenly became emotional. "You still haven't built the hot spring you promised me! You can't just leave like this!"

"Oh? Do you like soaking in hot springs that much?" Riu asked.

"Do you know what it feels like for a girl to go an entire month without a hot bath? Idiot, idiot!" Yūhi Uzuki stepped forward and hugged Riu.

"Then when the hot spring is built, can I bathe with you?" Riu pressed the back of his hand to Yūhi Uzuki's cheek.

Yūhi Uzuki raised her head. Her watery eyes looked at Riu as she instead asked, "Would bathing together satisfy you?"

"What else would we do?" Riu asked in surprise.

"We would do what we did not finish last time. This time... it would not be for the Hidden Leaf Village. It would be because I am willing!" Yūhi Uzuki said affectionately.

"Then help me have another child?" Riu smiled.

"Ah, th-that... I'm only seventeen this year. I'm still too young. H-how about in... in another two years?" Yūhi Uzuki bit her red lips, her face flushing as though it might drip blood.

"Oh? So you can make such a cute expression too." Riu laughed.

"So promise me that you won't die, okay?" Yūhi Uzuki pleaded deeply.

"Alright, I promise you." Riu nodded solemnly.

Before leaving, Yūhi Uzuki took the initiative and kissed Riu on the lips.

Five minutes later, Orochimaru entered.

"Are you ready, Yu-kun?"

"Let's begin. Life and death are up to fate; wealth and honor are determined by heaven!" Riu held out his arm.

A thin needle extended from the end of the glass tube containing the golden blood, but not a single drop leaked out. Every drop was incomparably precious, and there could be no waste!

"Whew..." Orochimaru steadied himself, located the blood vessel, and inserted the needle. After taking a deep breath, he pressed down the plunger and injected this tube of blood concentrated with Hashirama's perfect Original Cells into Riu's body!

At this moment, the transformation began!