For this farewell, the three of them drank heavily.
Hayashi and Jiraiya ended up completely drunk, but Tsunade, despite drinking even more than both of them combined, remained perfectly fine from beginning to end.
When Hayashi woke up the next morning, he finally realized what had happened.
They had been completely set up.
Tsunade, along with Shizune, had gone on a massive shopping spree throughout the Uchiha Clan's commercial district before quietly leaving Konoha during the night.
Every single expense had been charged to Hayashi and Jiraiya.
Faced with such shameless behavior, Hayashi naturally protested with all his strength.
Unfortunately, the protest accomplished nothing.
As Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki immediately pretended not to know anything, refusing to acknowledge the debt no matter how much Hayashi argued.
Among the Sannin, Orochimaru was the only one who did not come to see Tsunade off.
His experiments had already reached a crucial stage.
Recently, Orochimaru had been moving constantly between Root and his private laboratory. The research conducted in both locations was entirely different. One laboratory belonged to him personally, while the other operated using Root's funding and resources.
Naturally, Orochimaru had no intention of separating the two completely.
He quietly diverted Root's resources toward his own projects, using Danzo's support to advance his private research.
In Hayashi's words, Orochimaru was draining Danzo dry.
Yī, who acted as both assistant researcher and supervisor, also pretended not to notice anything.
Or rather, this researcher who was gradually being drawn over to Orochimaru's side had his own agenda as well.
Yī secretly maintained a private laboratory where he conducted experiments unrelated to Root.
The two researchers each had their own schemes.
Meanwhile, Danzo remained completely unaware, continuing to fund everything like a fool.
Deep within an underground laboratory, Orochimaru handed a test tube to Hayashi.
"This is the fourth generation result we developed."
Hayashi accepted the tube and lightly flicked it with his finger. The green liquid inside swayed gently.
Contained within it was an extract refined from Hashirama Senju's cells, jointly developed by Orochimaru and Yī.
Hashirama's cells possessed terrifying regenerative properties and overwhelming vitality. Ordinary people simply could not withstand them.
Direct transplantation would lead to death almost immediately, which was why Orochimaru had spent years weakening the cells through repeated cultivation and refinement.
Each generation reduced the violent rejection response while also lowering the strength of the Yang Release contained within the cells.
Of course, even after four generations of adjustments, the risk remained extremely high.
An ordinary ninja still could not survive a transplant.
The Uchiha Clan, however, was a different matter.
After the battle at the Valley of the End, Uchiha Madara had transplanted Hashirama's cells into himself without any refinement process at all.
Not only did he survive, but he eventually awakened the Rinnegan.
Uchiha Obito had also fused with Hashirama's cells and similarly avoided being consumed.
For those who possessed the power of the Sharingan, the balance between Yin Release and Yang Release allowed the two forces to stabilize one another.
This was the meaning hidden within the stone tablet left behind by the Sage of Six Paths.
The union of Yin and Yang gives rise to all things.
It was also the true reason Madara awakened the Rinnegan.
If Orochimaru continued researching long enough, he would probably uncover part of that truth eventually.
Unfortunately, understanding the principle alone was meaningless.
The Rinnegan required the chakra of Indra and Asura to recreate the Sage of Six Paths' power.
Without Madara's chakra, even someone possessing both Mangekyō Sharingan and Hashirama's cells could never naturally awaken the Rinnegan.
"Is Danzo preparing to transplant Hashirama's cells?" Hayashi asked.
Now that the fourth generation had completed human testing, the risks were still severe, but power always came with danger.
Danzo understood that better than anyone.
Yet Orochimaru shook his head.
"For someone as cautious as Danzo, directly risking his own body would be his last choice. He found another method."
Hayashi narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What method?"
"There is a Root ninja named Shin," Orochimaru explained. "His body possesses an abnormal trait. No matter what tissue is transplanted into him, he shows no rejection whatsoever."
Hayashi's expression shifted slightly.
A body completely free of rejection reactions was an absurdly valuable ability in Orochimaru's eyes.
"Danzo intends to have Shin receive Hashirama's cells first," Orochimaru continued. "After that, he will transplant the Sharingan he has secretly collected over the years into Shin's body. Once the process stabilizes, Danzo plans to replace his own arm with Shin's."
"There's actually someone with that kind of body…" Hayashi muttered.
The ninja world truly contained all kinds of terrifying abnormalities.
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Shin's physique is extremely useful. I've already extracted samples from him. If the cloning experiments succeed, future research will become far easier."
The technological development of the ninja world had always been strange.
Some areas were incredibly advanced, while others remained primitive.
Medical ninjutsu and biological research were undoubtedly among the most developed fields.
Tsunade specialized in medical treatment and chakra control.
Orochimaru focused more heavily on biological modification and forbidden experimentation.
Cloning, artificial enhancement, genetic manipulation, Orochimaru had already touched upon all of them.
Hayashi had once suggested using cloned bodies instead of living people for experiments.
Unfortunately, the process still contained too many limitations.
But if Shin's cells could truly be replicated successfully, many problems would disappear entirely.
After a moment of silence, Hayashi suddenly asked:
"Teacher, why is Danzo becoming so impatient lately?"
In the past, Danzo had always remained patient regarding research.
But recently, he had been pressuring Orochimaru constantly, eager to complete the transplant as quickly as possible.
That did not match Danzo's usual personality at all.
Orochimaru spoke calmly.
"I'm not completely certain either. But after returning from Amegakure, he immediately pushed the research forward. I suspect something happened there."
"Amegakure?" Hayashi frowned slightly. "Why did he go there?"
"The Third Hokage ordered him to assist Hanzō in removing a curse mark," Orochimaru explained.
Hayashi's eyes narrowed.
If Orochimaru's information was accurate, then Danzo and Hanzō had likely already moved against the Akatsuki.
Nagato had probably already begun to change.
To Hayashi, the fate of the Akatsuki was irrelevant.
Back during their first meeting, he had deliberately avoided becoming involved with Nagato and the others.
If not for Madara's plans, Hayashi might have killed Nagato back then.
But without Madara manipulating everything from the shadows, Nagato would likely have grown up with his family still alive instead of becoming another sacrifice of the ninja world.
From beginning to end, Nagato had simply been used by others.
His tragedy had been inevitable from the start.
Danzo's current anxiety was most likely connected to Nagato's awakening.
He had provoked someone he could no longer control.
Naturally, he would desperately seek more power.
"When are you planning to act?" Orochimaru asked quietly.
The meaning behind his words was obvious.
Act against Danzo.
Despite benefiting greatly from Root's funding, Orochimaru and Hayashi had already begun planning Danzo's downfall in secret.
Scheming against one of Konoha's elders could easily be considered treason.
Yet the two discussed it as casually as ordinary business.
Hayashi looked down at the reflection on the test tube in his hand.
"After he completes the transplant," he said calmly. "Danzo's position makes it difficult to move against him openly inside Konoha. But once he finishes implanting Hashirama's cells and those Sharingan, there will finally be an opportunity."
Orochimaru nodded silently.
The underground laboratory returned to silence.
Hayashi stared quietly at the faint reflection staring back at him through the glass.
But the person occupying his thoughts was not Danzo.
It was the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
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