"Sorry."
"I'll find a way to bring in more staff for the laboratory."
Lin Ze spoke with some apology.
Kabuto shook his head, a sincere smile appearing on his face.
"No need to apologize, Lin Ze."
"Actually... I really like these things."
He looked at the Chimera Technique scroll in his hands, his eyes shining.
"Studying unknown ninjutsu, exploring the mysteries of life, solving one problem after another..."
"And I'm happy to be able to help you, Lin Ze."
As Lin Ze looked at Kabuto, he felt a slight stirring in his heart.
In the original story, Kabuto Yakushi had gone astray, only to finally rediscover himself within Itachi's Izanami.
But the Kabuto of today had taken an entirely different path. Perhaps this was how he was truly meant to be.
Lin Ze patted Kabuto on the shoulder.
"Let's go."
"Let's check on the preparations for the Soul Clone Technique."
The two headed toward the underground laboratory.
The laboratory's core area.
Dozens of unconscious wandering ninja were neatly arranged around the perimeter of the formation.
They had all been captured from across the shinobi world. Most were thoroughly wicked, so Lin Ze had no qualms about acting against them.
At the center of the formation, four specially made cultivation devices had already been activated.
From left to right, they were-
The Yin Release "Youying" clone, the Water Release "Genbu" clone, the Earth Release "Yinglong" clone, and the Lightning Release "Kirin" clone.
The Yin Release clone naturally needed to advance to the Rinnegan. After more than a year of adjustment, the Water Release clone was eighty percent of the way through and still needed some time. The Earth Release and Lightning Release clones had only just been completed and had yet to begin the adjustment process.
Meanwhile, Lin Ze's original