Naruto: I, who fooled the ninja world, was hailed as a savior.

Chapter 191 Fusion of Hashirama Cells and Hollows

Around the container, several researchers wearing special protective suits operated the instruments.

Their movements were precise, efficient, and cold, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Various conduits and sensors are connected to the container, and complex graphs and data are displayed on the screen.

Danzo Shimura's gaze swept indifferently across the laboratory, finally settling on a female researcher.

She wore a well-tailored white dress, had short, neat black hair, and wore frameless glasses. Her eyes behind the lenses were calm, with an almost cold focus.

"Lord Danzo."

Noticing Danzo Shimura's gaze and arrival, the woman codenamed "Sable" stepped out and her eyes lit up when she saw the report in Danzo's hand.

Seeing this, Danzo didn't say anything more and handed over the research report from the Technology Research Institute.

'Mink' took the report and quickly flipped through it.

“The research on the professor’s side is much more comprehensive than ours.” Her voice was cool and detached. “This report can save us a lot of steps.”

'Mink' was once a student of that middle-aged man, but her research ideas and style were more radical and clashed with her teacher's conservative and cautious approach.

Several years ago, Danzo recognized her abilities, secretly contacted her, and then orchestrated an accident to fake her death and escape, bringing her under his command.

Here, she gained the research freedom and resource support she had always dreamed of, but at the cost of abandoning her identity and hiding completely in the shadows.

"Mink, can you tell me now...?"

Danzo turned slightly to the side, looking through the glass at the Hollow inside the container, and asked, "Can the Hollow replace the Sharingan to suppress Hashirama's cells?"

This is the issue he cares about most right now, and it is also the reason why he spares no expense to catalyze the 'virtual' and invests a lot of resources in research.

Of course, this is only the problem that needs to be solved in the first phase of the experiment.

The Hashirama cells transplanted into his arm have become a deadly threat, threatening to break through the seal at any moment and completely corrode and petrify his body.

Previously, Danzo had wanted to use more Sharingan to suppress Hollows, but after realizing the true nature of Hollows, he realized that he might have a better option.

"Lord Danzo, the Sharingan can suppress Hashirama's cells because of its eye power, which is essentially a high-intensity special spiritual energy."

'Mink' pushed up his glasses and said, "And 'Void' is the same as our previous conclusion; its essence is also highly condensed spiritual energy."

"Therefore, replacing the Sharingan with a 'Hollow' and fusing it with your arm is highly feasible."

"Moreover, it is more stable, more durable, and even more powerful."

Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Then, what should we do?"

'Mink' didn't answer immediately, but turned around and quickly operated the control panel a few times, the cold light of the screen reflecting off its lenses.

Kaka!

The wall of the laboratory slid open slowly, and cold mist seeped out from the gap, revealing another, slightly smaller isolation room.

Inside the isolation room, there were several culture tanks. What was immersed in the tanks were not complete organisms, but some slightly wriggling and twitching cell tissues.

Without a doubt, it was the interstitial cells.

These cells need to be partially destroyed and then re-cultured every so often, otherwise they will quickly grow to the point of breaking through the culture tank.

“Look.” ’Mink’ pointed to the bottom row of interstitial cells. “These interstitial cells were cultured in the same batch, but cell number 1354 is growing much slower than the others.”

"This is because I tried putting interstitial cell number 1354 into the body of 'Hollow' and found that the strong erosiveness of cell number 1354 was suppressed and became stable."

As she spoke, she pulled up an experimental video, in which a piece of violently writhing cell tissue was carefully placed into the 'virtual' body, and the originally violent cell tissue gradually contracted.

“As you can see,” 'Mink' said, “'Hollow's' spiritual energy can indeed effectively neutralize and suppress the life activity of Hashirama's cells, even more effectively than the Sharingan.”

Upon hearing this, Danzo's single eye gleamed with an uncontrollable light, as if he had seen the dawn of complete control over Hashirama's cells.

“However,” 'Mink' suddenly changed the subject, “'Hollow' energy is also corrosive and uncontrollable. As time goes by, Hashirama's cells will gradually shrink.”

Danzo frowned, glanced at the 'sable', and said coldly, "Just tell me, what do you need me to do?"

"I learned from the people who killed the Hollows that after a Hollow is killed, a portion of its spiritual energy may enter the body of the killer through swords."

"There are many benefits to having stronger spiritual energy, including the ability to control one's own chakra and the speed at which one can refine chakra..."

"So, I think the same way you do. This discovery is the key, so the first thing we do is to verify the pattern."

'Mink' adjusted his glasses and smiled: "We've discovered that whether the spiritual energy left behind after 'Void' is killed can be fed back to the killer depends not on the sword, but on the material of the weapon."

"If a Hollow is killed with a regular kunai, the kunai will acquire a certain degree of chakra conductivity after being modified by spiritual energy, becoming infinitely close to the properties of chakra metal."

"If the killer is killed by a weapon made of chakra metal, a portion of the spiritual energy will remain in the weapon, while the other portion will be directly fed back to the killer."

"During the battle, the reason why Lord Yunchuan thought that only swords could kill 'Hollows' was because no one would be so extravagant as to use chakra metal to forge kunai."

Upon hearing this, Danzo Shimura's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "So that means..."

"If enough Hollows are killed, not only can ordinary metals be transformed into chakra metals, but one's own spiritual energy can also be strengthened?"

'Mink' nodded, but then shook his head: "There are too few materials available for the experiment at the moment, and we don't know what the consequences of doing so will be."

“A very good discovery,” Danzo asked. “But what does this have to do with Hashirama cells?”

"Of course it does."

A near-fanatical desire to explore gleamed in 'Mink's' eyes: "What Hashirama cells and chakra metal have in common is that both possess extremely strong chakra conductivity."

Upon hearing this, Danzo's expression changed, as if he realized what she was about to do.

"You want me to use my arm to replace the sword and bear the spiritual energy of 'Void'?" His expression darkened slightly. "One is flesh and blood, the other is metal. How can they be compared?"

This crazy woman is incredibly audacious! Is she trying to make me her guinea pig?!

"At least it's theoretically feasible, isn't it, Lord Danzo?" 'Sable's' voice carried a hint of seduction.

"If your arm can truly bear the spiritual energy of 'emptiness,' it will allow the activity of Hashirama cells and spiritual energy to reach a balance."

"You will be able to perfectly master the Wood Release power contained in this arm, and from now on you will no longer need to worry about Hashirama's cells going berserk!"

"This is the most direct and effective method, but you just need to verify it yourself."

"..."

Danzo Shimura remained silent, his facial muscles twitching, but his breathing became slightly heavier.

There is no doubt that he will face enormous risks.

If anything unexpected happens and Hashirama's cells go berserk, he could be instantly turned to wood.

Directly absorbing 'empty' spiritual energy into the body could very likely cause some unknown consequences.

However, the power of Wood Release, the power of Hollow...

Undoubtedly, for him, the allure of these two things was like the sweetest poison, gradually tilting the scales in his heart.

Danzo's single eye flashed with complex emotions such as hesitation, greed, and madness, until he clenched his fist and his nails dug into his palm, causing a slight stinging pain, which brought him back to his senses.

"Are you sure it will work?" His voice was terribly hoarse.

"Success rate: 77.3%." 'Mink' reported a cold number. "You should understand that risk and reward go hand in hand."

Less than 80% certain!
Danzo's heart sank.

However, the Uchiha clan's elite forces have now been wiped out by Itachi Uchiha, and those Uchiha clan members with the three-tomoe Sharingan have not even left behind their corpses.

Unable to contact Orochimaru, he seems to have no other choice now.

Taking this gamble is much better than relying on the seal to prolong your life and waiting for the Hashirama cells to go berserk and devour you.

Moreover, what he said to Hinata Kumokawa before was not entirely false.

He truly believed that the appearance of the 'Hollow' would completely disrupt the situation in the ninja world and bring unexpected opportunities.

What he needs to do is seize the opportunity.

Thinking of this, Danzo raised his head, took a deep look at the 'sable' in front of him, and sneered, "You really are a madman. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

'Mink' smiled and said, 'If you weren't a madman, I wouldn't be following you.'

"Hmph!" Danzo snorted coldly, then said decisively, "Lead the way!"

A slight smile curved the corners of 'Mink's' lips as he turned and walked toward the heavy gate of the laboratory.

Click.

As the gate opened, a secluded operating room filled with complex sealing techniques and circuits was revealed, with control consoles for operating various instruments facing the enormous container imprisoning the 'Void'.

Danzo also strode in, looking at the 'Hollow' that was so close at hand.

"Lord Danzo, please prepare yourself."

'Mink' stood in front of the control panel with its head down and said, "In ten seconds, please remove the first seal on your arm. At the same time, the container will open to create an attack window for you."

"Although only one seal is opened, the Hashirama cells will immediately go berserk and will never be able to be resealed, so you only have one chance."

At this moment, all the researchers left the laboratory, leaving only a few Root ninjas skilled in sealing techniques outside. They would break in if anything unexpected happened.

"Enough talk, come on." Shimura Danzo replied coldly, revealing three shackles and seals on his arm hidden deep in his sleeve.

Immediately, Danzo raised his head, staring intently at the 'Hollow' in front of him, and placed his hand on the first shackle.

"three."

"two."

"one."

As the countdown from the 'sable' reached his ears, Danzo unhesitatingly removed the first shackle.

hum! !

A deep hum resounded, and an extremely powerful aura surged from the arm crafted from Hashirama cells, like a volcano that had been suppressed for too long.

The bandages covering the arm were instantly torn to shreds, revealing a pale arm wrinkled like tree bark, with flesh writhing and swelling wildly beneath the skin!

"Roar!!"

At the same time, the sealing container imprisoning the Hollow was also opened, and the Hollow, which had been in a dormant state, suddenly raised its head and let out an angry and hateful roar at Danzo.

“Now!” 'Mink's' voice was urgent.

Danzo endured the excruciating pain that felt like his body was being torn apart, and poured all his chakra into that terrifying arm.

Wood Release: Explosive Spear Tree!
puff! !
The rapidly hardening arm suddenly thrust forward, with sharp wooden spikes, like spears, proliferating wildly from the front of the arm and shooting out.

Those sharp wooden spikes covered 'Void's' body and also pierced through that pale, bone mask!

Click!

As the mask shattered, the 'Void's' body expanded and exploded, unleashing a torrent of icy spiritual energy like a bursting dam!

Under the watchful eyes of 'Mink' and Danzo, the visible spiritual energy surged into the still-growing arm.

"cough!"

Feeling the icy, bone-chilling aura, like ice needles piercing his arm, Danzo couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

But soon, the Wood Release ninjutsu, which had been endlessly multiplying and growing like a runaway horse, almost draining Danzo's chakra and about to fill the entire laboratory...

It started, then slowly came to a stop.

Although the pain was still excruciating, the Hashirama cells that were almost draining him were forcibly suppressed!
"This……"

Sensing the two forces in his arm reaching a strange balance, Danzo cautiously began to gradually withdraw those forces.

Click! Click!

The enormous tree that had filled the entire laboratory gradually shrank, and finally, under Danzo's control, it transformed back into an arm.

Danzo looked down at his arm, where his once rough, bark-like, gnarled skin was now covered with several fine black lines.

These lines spread from the palm to the shoulder, and now they wriggle slightly as if they were alive, emitting an aura similar to 'Void'.

At this moment, Danzo could clearly feel that the highly corrosive Hashirama cells in his arm had been forcibly suppressed by that force.

The two have formed a strange balance, no longer an endless rampage and growth, but a force that can be guided.

"Lord Danzo, don't just stand there, move!" 'Mercury's' voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Then try using this arm to perform Wood Release ninjutsu!"

Upon hearing this, Danzo seemed to finally come to his senses. His throat bobbed involuntarily as he slowly raised his mutated arm, spreading his five fingers in front of him before slowly clenching them.

Click! Click!

The knuckles made a slight cracking sound, filled with an unusual power.

It was as if this arm was no longer an external burden, but had truly become a part of his body, with an unprecedented sense of power filling the arm!

"Wood escape..."

Danzo muttered in a hoarse voice, his voice tinged with disbelief and a tentative attempt to channel his chakra into the arm.

The black lines on his arm glowed with a dark light. He suddenly looked up and stared at the high-strength alloy wall in front of him.

Danzo slowly raised his palm and aimed it at the hard glass. He no longer needed to form hand seals; he simply moved his mind.

Wood Release: Cutting Technique.

puff! !
A sharp, hard wooden spike shot out from his palm in an instant.

With a piercing shriek, it sank straight into the wall.

Then, it exploded!

Click! Click!

A piercing, tooth-grinding clang of metal rang out, and the splinter that had been embedded in the metal sprouted sharp branches, instantly scattering a shower of sparks!

The entire laboratory, inside and out, was deathly silent!

Only the piercing sound echoed in the laboratory, along with the rustling of metal shavings falling to the ground.

"..."

Danzo Shimura slowly lowered his arm, looked at the alloy wall covered with spikes and scratches, and then looked down at his own arm.

His face was expressionless, but his single eye burned with an almost manic shock!
It worked!
It really worked!?

"Hahaha!"

Feeling the power that truly felt like an extension of his own arm, Danzo's face, contorted with pain, broke into a smile of ecstatic joy.

"Data! Quick! Record all the data!" 'Mercury's' voice trembled slightly with excitement. "It's perfect! Lord Danzo, this is simply a perfect fusion!"

Danzo ignored 'Sable's' excitement, feeling the power flowing in his palm. The black line brought a slight chill, but at this moment it made him feel extremely excited.

strength!

This is my power!

"not enough."

Danzo looked at the two remaining shackles on his arm and knew that the spiritual energy of a single Hollow was not enough to completely suppress the Hashirama cells in his arm.

Even if the remaining two shackles are removed, the Hashirama cells will still go berserk.

The ninjutsu he can currently use with his power is only at the level of "Wood Release: Wood Spike Technique," but the true power of this arm is far more than that.

"Mink, whatever you want, I'll give it to you."

Danzo looked up at the 'sable' and said in an unquestionable tone, "I need more 'hollows'."

Only by killing more and more 'Hollows' can you fully master the power of this hand!

Upon hearing this, the 'Mink', who had been excited about the new discovery, instantly calmed down. She instinctively wanted to say something, but when she looked up and saw Danzo's eyes filled with nothing but greed and madness...

"..." She silently swallowed her words.

She actually wanted to remind Danzo that although Hashirama's cells were suppressed, the consequences of absorbing large amounts of 'Hollows' were still unknown, and it was uncertain whether his mind and body would be affected by the erosion.

But she obediently kept her mouth shut, because she knew that Danzo wouldn't listen to her now.

Aside from his predecessor Orochimaru, no one understood better than 'Miao' what Wood Release meant to Danzo.

It not only signifies immense power, but also the "position of Hokage".

Wood Release holds special significance for the entire Leaf Village.

Because that was the bloodline limit of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, a powerful force that laid the foundation for the entire Hidden Leaf Village. After the First Hokage's death, no one has ever mastered that power again.

Even the experimental subject, "Tenzo," couldn't unleash even a fraction of the power of Wood Release; it was completely different from the Wood Release of the First Hokage.

Therefore, if Danzo could truly master Wood Release, even if he couldn't reach the level of the First Hokage, as long as he could use "Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees," he would already be qualified to become Hokage.

Not only will the people of Konoha be shocked and delighted, but even people from other ninja villages will feel apprehensive and fearful.

So, in the end, 'Mink' didn't say it.

She knew that those 'virtual' spiritual energies were filled with resentment, hatred, and destructive desires, and the price of absorbing them directly through the body was to suffer those negative erosions.

Ultimately, they may turn into inhuman monsters.

But what does that matter?

Judging from the fact that she used Danzo as her guinea pig, it's clear that she didn't actually have any loyalty to Danzo.

She and Orochimaru are essentially the same kind of person. If Orochimaru wants to grasp all the truths in the world, then what she cares about is exploring the unknown.

The unprecedented existence of 'Hollows' is what intrigued her. She regarded Danzo as her only experimental subject and was eager to know what would be born from the combination of humans and 'Hollows'.

She knew it was a path fraught with danger and taboos, but she was willing to pay any price to explore that unknown territory.

Lord Danzo must have made the same decision.

(End of this chapter)