Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

Her black hair fluttered in the breeze, and her face was hidden in the dappled shadows of the trees, making it impossible to see her expression.

Only those white eyes gazed into the distance, gleaming with a deep, eerie light in the darkness, like two bottomless, icy pools, reflecting Danzo's receding figure.

Even Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyou Sharingan was deceived, so how could Danzo's so-called restrictions and seals possibly stop Hyuga Kumokawa's multiple illusions?

Everything was just right, everything was so natural.

“Danzo…” he said in a low voice, “You are a very easy and useful pawn. No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi kept you around all this time.”

"I just hope that your methods won't disappoint me."

"This should be what you're best at, right?"

After saying that, Hyuga Kumokawa disappeared from the spot and walked towards Konoha Hospital.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Third Hokage will also send him a gift.

Hinata Kumokawa is already looking forward to it.

------

Underground at the root base, within a special research area.

The cold metal walls on both sides reflected the stark white light, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant and preservatives.

This is the deepest part of the roots, the most heavily guarded area.

Unlike the relatively mild environment of the Konoha Technology Research Institute, the atmosphere here is more oppressive, cold, and full of taboos.

Danzo Shimura passed through layers of alloy doors and finally entered a huge laboratory, looking at the reflection inside through the glass windows.

A huge cylindrical container stands in the center of the laboratory, and inside that container is also a 'void'.

However, unlike the 'Hollow' captured by the Technology Research Institute, this 'Hollow' was one that Danzo himself catalyzed through various forms of torture based on what the 'Shadow' had said.

To be honest, this is not a simple matter; it is almost impossible to catalyze 'emptiness' through pure pain alone.

So Danzo found a ninja skilled in illusion techniques, and then found the ninja's cherished family members, and tortured them to death right before his eyes.

Only the most ordinary 'Hollow' was finally catalyzed.

In Danzo's view, all of this was worthwhile.

Danzo Shimura withdrew his gaze from the 'hollow' and looked down at a report on the table in front of him.

And the title of this report is...

"Experimental Report on Fusion of Intercolumnar Cells with Virtual Force"

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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.

"Cut the nonsense and come on."

Danzo Shimura replied coldly, revealing three shackles and seals on his arm hidden deep within 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."