Damn it, is it still not working...
Orochimaru stared coldly at the experimental subject before him.
A patch of grayish-white skin was spreading frantically from the subject's chest. No matter what measures Orochimaru took to save him, he could not stop the spread of the Hashirama cells.
Ultimately, the Hashirama cells completely devoured the body, absorbing it as nutrients.
A tiny sprout grew from the subject's chest, and in the next second, it instantly transformed into a towering tree!
Orochimaru had expected this. He drew the Kusanagi Sword and swiftly severed the branches lunging toward him.
Then, he pulled out a scroll and used a Sealing Jutsu to seal the experimental subject inside.
He had performed this action countless times already.
"How many test subjects from Danzo are left?" Orochimaru asked the person beside him.
A subordinate quickly replied, "There are 36 left, Lord Orochimaru."
"Mm."
Orochimaru's eyes were deep as he pondered something.
Danzo had sent a total of one hundred test subjects, and they were high-quality ones.
Danzo had not lied on this point. After all, he desired the emergence of a new Wood Style ninja even more than Orochimaru did.
These high-quality subjects had indeed played a different role in Orochimaru's experiments.
At the very least, they were able to withstand the erosion of the Hashirama cells for a longer period—nearly three to four times longer than ordinary subjects.
However, what frustrated Orochimaru was that they showed no signs of merging with the Hashirama cells. They simply resisted for a longer duration.
Besides the Sharingan, is there really no other way to balance Wood Style?
What is the reason the Sharingan can check Wood Style? Is it truly that mysterious destiny between the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan?
Orochimaru thought continuously, but limited by his current scientific methods, he had no good way to solve these problems.
After losing another 20 experimental subjects, Orochimaru was finally forced to temporarily halt the experiment.
For some reason, a certain figure surfaced in his mind.
Could it be that I really have to cooperate with that guy?
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly. He thought of the body Simu had created, which was almost identical to the original, and finally made up his mind.
On the other side, Simu was observing Gaara. He had just completed the modification of the child, activating the Magnet Style gene within him.
Through his research into Magnet Style, Simu had gained some understanding of the causes of Kekkei Genkai.
Generally speaking, a Kekkei Genkai can be described as a genetic mutation.
Ninjas with a Kekkei Genkai possess specific segments in their genetic code.
Once these special segments are activated and successfully expressed, the body's cells produce a unique substance. This substance allows two different chakra natures in the body to fuse, thereby forming a new type of chakra.
This is what people refer to as a Kekkei Genkai.
This applies to Kekkei Genkai involving chakra natures. As for those involving physical expression—such as the Hidden Leaf's Sharingan and Byakugan—Simu had not yet encountered them.
"Senior Simu, is this enough?"
Sasori was also looking at the child. He found it hard to believe that under Simu's power, this red-haired kid—who shared the same hair color as himself—had actually obtained the power of the Third Kazekage.
"More or less. Once Gaara wakes up, he should be able to use Earth and Lightning Style chakra to synthesize Magnet Style chakra, allowing him to release Magnet Style nin術."
Simu pushed up his glasses, appearing as if this matter was not a big deal to him.
"However, he will still need to learn the corresponding Magnet Style ninjutsu himself."
Simu's calm and composed posture made Sasori admire him even more.
I see. For someone like Senior Simu, a technique of this level is probably just something he can do on a whim.
Suddenly, Simu seemed to remember something and said to Sasori, "By the way, Sasori, I've created that core you mentioned last time. Come with me and take a look."
Hearing this, Sasori's face filled with confusion. He asked in bewilderment, "Senior Simu, you've been researching Gaara and the Magnet Style genes these past few days. How did you have time to help me manufacture a core?"
Sasori had been with Simu the entire time over the past few days. He could not understand how Simu had found the time to help him build the core.
To this, Simu replied, "A mere Magnet Style isn't enough to require my full devotion."
Hearing these words, Sasori's eyes suddenly lit up. "As expected of Senior Simu."
Simu smiled slightly as he felt the admiration in Sasori's gaze.
He wasn't intentionally showing off. A single Magnet Style truly didn't require his total focus. Most of his "computing power" was dedicated to other, more important projects.
As Simu led Sasori to the edge of the Blood Pool, a spherical mass of flesh slowly floated up from the pool and landed in Simu's hand.
"This is the 'core' I built based on your ideas."
Simu injected chakra into this "core." In the next second, the chakra transformed into countless chakra threads that shot out from numerous tiny pores on the surface of the fleshy core.
"I removed those tiny tentacles. It should be more convenient to use this way. You can install it directly anywhere on your body."
Sasori took the fleshy core from Simu's hand. Without hesitation, he used a kunai to cut an opening in his chest and stuffed the core inside.
The fleshy core quickly fused with his body. There was no rejection at all, and the fusion was perfect.
Immediately after, Sasori took out a scroll, summoned a puppet, and controlled it using the chakra threads emitted by the fleshy core.
Then came the second one, the third one...
More and more puppets appeared in the laboratory until the number stopped at forty-six.
"If I continue, the precision will drop significantly."
Sasori determined his current limit.
Of course, this limit was only for now.
Sasori had only just implanted the fleshy core into his body. Only a genius puppeteer like him—who had spent years pursuing precise control over his body—could adapt to this new... organ in such a short time.
If it were any other puppeteer, they would probably have trouble controlling even a single puppet at first.
Simu was curious. Once Sasori fully adapted to the fleshy core and strengthened his control through training, just how many puppets would he be able to control simultaneously?
Where exactly would Sasori's limit be...
"As I thought, the human shell has limits. Only by modifying one's body can one break through those limits and become stronger."
After realizing the function of the fleshy core, Sasori became a firm believer in Simu's theory.
If possible, he wanted to modify his body to an even greater extent—just like modifying a puppet!