In the underground laboratory.
Ken Kaneki lay on the operating table, screaming over and over.
Beside him stood Orochimaru and Kanou, watching the computer screen.
Hideyoshi Nagachika never took his eyes off Ken Kaneki, constantly shouting encouragement until his voice grew hoarse.
At that moment, Ken Kaneki's consciousness hovered between dreaming and waking. He felt as though wood and flesh had wrapped around him.
Both the wood and the flesh sought to consume his body, while also consuming each other.
Though his awareness was hazy, he could still hear Hideyoshi Nagachika cheering him on.
"Hide..."
Murmuring that single word, Kaneki began struggling desperately, trying to break free of the wood and flesh tangled around his body.
Just as his will to survive surged, the wood and flesh trying to consume him turned on each other, giving Ken Kaneki a chance to catch his breath.
Time ticked by, second after second. The ghoul cells inside Ken Kaneki began to fade, gradually replaced by hashirama cells. Having assimilated too many ghoul cells, the hashirama cells also became less aggressive.
At the same time, the breakdown of Ken Kaneki's body gradually began to stop.
Seeing this, Orochimaru smiled. "Good... he pulled through."
Dr. Kano let out a relieved breath as well. "Yes! He pulled through."
Just as Dr. Kano finished speaking, Itachi walked over and asked him, "Kanou, do you think humans and ghouls could join forces if a third kind of creature appeared between them-one so dangerous that it could wipe out either humans or ghouls?"
Itachi's question plunged Kanou into thought.
Through genjutsu, Itachi had already learned all the secrets Kanou knew.
Itachi asked because Kanou truly understood ghouls.
"I think... they probably would join forces, but... it would take time."
"To truly unite ghouls and humans, we'd need more