Konoha: Who's the good guy?

Within the Land of Fire, in a vast, uninhabited forest spanning tens of kilometers in radius.

"Wood Release is truly powerful!"

After experimenting with Wood Release for several hours, Yamanaka Kei let out a long sigh.

Wood Release is indeed very powerful.

Especially considering that Hashirama Senju possessed the Sage Body, mastered Sage Mode, and also had Ashura Chakra.

The power of Wood Release completely exceeded the limits of Bloodline Limit.

However, the strength that Yamanaka Kei refers to is not the kind of strength that is manifested by the user's own abilities.

Rather, it was Hashirama Senju's near-perfect mastery of Wood Release, reaching its absolute limit!

Whether facing an army of ninjas, a giant summoning beast, a tailed beast jinchūriki, or a complete Susanoo.

With enough chakra, Wood Release has ways to deal with any situation.

Unparalleled destructive power combined with comprehensive coverage without any blind spots.

Even if the user is not Hashirama Senju.

Wood Release still possesses power that surpasses the vast majority of Kekkei Genkai!

Um......

Except Yamato.

"How could I have forgotten about Yamato!"

A mountain view suddenly struck me.

More than two months ago, he also had Nara Shikaku secretly check the archives of Hashirama Senju's cell transplantation experiment that were sealed in the Hokage Building.

However, due to Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi's sudden and bizarre actions.

He went directly to Kumogakure and stayed there for more than a month.

Upon returning, Kushina handed over the files that Nara Shikaku had copied to him.

However, the series of events involving joining the Root, controlling Danzo, and taking control of the Root forced him to temporarily suppress this matter in his heart.

This delay has lasted until now.

"Let's go first, so as not to delay any longer and cause the landscaping team leader to be absent."

"I muttered to myself in the mountains."

I recalled the name of the research base on the file that Nara Shikaku had copied.

He then compared the location of the abandoned research base with Danzo's memories.

He continued to use the Flying Thunder God Technique and arrived at a dense forest less than 100 kilometers away from Konoha.

After determining the direction, he summoned a falcon or eagle.

After circling several times over a dense forest more than ten kilometers to the west, the mountain scenery finally found the entrance to the abandoned research base hidden beneath a rocky mound.

Using a special technique to remove the seal at the root, the boulder blocking the entrance to the research institute was moved.

Pushing open the somewhat rusty door, a foul, rotten smell mixed with a large amount of dust rushed out.

Wind Release: Chaotic Airflow.

Yamanaka Kei formed hand seals, and a strong wind created by basic wind-style ninjutsu rushed into the passageway behind the research institute's door.

Whew~ Whew~ Whew~

Suddenly, large amounts of foul-smelling gas poured out from the ventilation vents of the research base, which were hidden in various locations.

Birds and beasts scattered in alarm.

"The quality is pretty good; it hasn't been completely blocked after all this time."

Shan Zhongjing glanced in the direction of several ventilation vents.

Standing at the entrance, after using Wind Release several times, he finally stepped into the dark passageway.

Da~ Da~ Da~

Inside the quiet passageway.

The sound of the ninja shoes landing on the ground was clearly audible.

In the mountain scenery, one can unleash their senses, locate the light switch, and press it.

After a period of struggling, the old starter finally brought light to the dark research institute.

--------

The research room located deep within the research base.

Sixty glass culture chambers, each over two meters tall, are neatly arranged.

Five years have passed.

Of the original sixty culture chambers that were in operation, only the two in the center are still running normally.

Two petite figures, a boy and a girl, were quietly resting with their eyes closed in the incubation chamber.

Their entire bodies were enveloped in a bright green culture medium, and black pipes that fell from the culture chamber wrapped around their bodies, continuously providing them with the energy they needed to survive.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching from afar reached the boy's ears.

While immersed in the culture medium, he suddenly turned his head and looked towards the door of the research lab.

The sound is coming from there!

Opposite him, a little girl, looking weak and clearly in much worse condition than him, also woke up from her dozing.

He rested his hands on the glass shield, staring blankly at the person opposite him.

It was as if she was asking what that sound was, and whether he was calling her.

Faced with the girl's bewildered gaze.

Watching the incubation chambers rupture one by one, and seeing the boy who had once been a child like him die, he suddenly felt an instinctive urge to cry.

He knew that the last 'light' accompanying him on the other side was about to disappear.

The light that had vanished also dimmed quickly after revealing this weak and powerless expression.

He doesn't want that!

No!

No!

Thump~ thump~ thump! Thump! Thump...

The boy pounded on the glass shield of the incubation chamber in front of him.

He didn't know why he was doing this, nor what he was longing for or hoping for.

But his body's instincts told him that only by doing this could the 'light' not disappear.

Whoosh! Crack!

A sudden, sharp sound followed.

The door to the research room, which was covered with seals and restrictions, was suddenly pulled open by Yamanaka Kei.

The sudden burst of white light in the darkness stunned the boy, who, half-lying in the incubation chamber, gave the girl, whose face was full of surprise and confusion, a bright smile.

He didn't know why he had that expression.

But instinct told him that perhaps, perhaps...

The light will not disappear!

Swish~!

"two?!"

Yamanaka Kei appeared between the two incubation chambers standing opposite each other using the Instantaneous Movement Technique.

......

Name: None

Occupation: None

Entry: Wood Release Experiment Subject (Purple), Compatibility (Blue), Survival Intuition (Green), Watchfulness (Green), Ignorance (White)

......

Name: None

Occupation: None

Entry: Wood Release Experiment Subject (Purple), Vigorous (Blue), Confused (White), Weak (Gray)

......

Wood Release Experimental Subject (Purple): An experimental subject who, after undergoing cell erosion, rejection, and assimilation following the transplantation and fusion of Hashirama Senju's cells, possesses the aptitude for Wood Release bloodline limit and can learn and perform Wood Release ninjutsu; the release speed, power, and effects of Wood Release, Water Release, and Earth Release are greatly enhanced; affinity for Water Release and Earth Release is increased; and physical constitution is slightly improved.

"A degraded [Wood Release Successor]?"

Shan Zhongjing glanced at the two people's entry interfaces and understood.

Although it also possesses Wood Release and has become a purple-level attribute, the Wood Release obtained through cell transplantation still requires continuous learning and improvement.

Not only did it lack the enhancement from refining, improving, and creating Wood, Earth, and Water Release techniques, the "improvement" in physical constitution became a "minor improvement."

It also lost the amplification of its affinity for vitality and natural energy.

The difference between the two.

perhaps......

A father looking after his son?

Well, maybe it's just a grandfather looking after his grandson.

Of the two children, the little boy is undoubtedly Yamato, and the little girl...

Yamanaka Kei recalled the original plot.

It seems that the little girl died before Danzo arrived because the nutrient tank broke.

They didn't even leave a name.

I glanced again at Yamato's blue tag "Compatibility" and the little girl's blue tag "Vigorous".

He roughly understood why the little girl had died prematurely.

Yamato's "Compatibility" allowed him to absorb and fuse with Hashirama cells relatively smoothly, while the little girl relied entirely on the vitality provided by his "Vigorous" life force to withstand it.

After the initial integration process.

As the body continues to grow.

The little girl's daily energy requirements to maintain life are undoubtedly far higher than Yamato's. The energy provided by the incubation chamber is simply insufficient to support her consumption, hence the additional negative attribute of "weakness".

However, when the energy required for cultivation exceeds the threshold set by the cultivation chamber.

The default program would determine that the little girl was devoured by the Wood Release cells, and her fate would be obvious.

"Thankfully, there's still hope..."