"I hope to use some of Shodai-sama's cells to attempt some experiments, and I hope to obtain your permission, Mito-sama."
Looking at Uzumaki Mito in front of him, Minamikawa Yuu spoke.
Compared to the Kinkaku Brothers, the cells of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, were also excellent research materials.
Or rather, for Minamikawa Yuu, the latter was much more important than the former.
Because the former was merely a suspected atavist of the Six Paths bloodline, but the latter was the reincarnation of Ashura, one of the direct sons of the Six Paths Sage.
As the reincarnation of Ashura's Chakra, Senju Hashirama's cells contained the power of Ashura's Chakra.
This was very useful to Minamikawa Yuu, to the point where it could not be ignored.
"Hashirama's cells?"
Hearing Minamikawa Yuu's words, Uzumaki Mito couldn't help but fall silent.
After a while, she spoke: "If I don't agree, what do you plan to do next?"
"Then I will seal the experiment."
Minamikawa Yuu spoke softly, his expression calm: "I will wait until after you pass away, Mito-sama, and then restart this experiment."
As his voice fell, the atmosphere on the spot fell into silence once again.
Behind them, Uchiha Kagami and the others who were following Minamikawa Yuu lowered their heads, hurriedly trying to reduce their presence as if afraid of attracting Uzumaki Mito's attention.
Minamikawa Yuu's words just now had not been hidden from them.
Listening to the conversation between the two, Uchiha Kagami and the others couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from their backs.
At this moment, they all felt a bit resentful toward Minamikawa Yuu.
Hokage-sama, even if you want to do these things, you could do them in secret; why bother saying it directly to Uzumaki Mito's face?
Asking a wife to her face if you can take her husband's cells for experiments—is that appropriate?
Those present felt it was not appropriate at all.
On the spot, Uzumaki Mito was silent for a long time before speaking: "You certainly dare to tell the truth."
"However, it can be considered candid."
She thought of something and then sighed: "In this regard, you are different from Tobirama."
1
"If Tobirama were here, he probably wouldn't say anything and would just do it silently."
"I know that he was actually researching Hashirama's cells in secret as well, he just never mentioned it to me."
"In this sense, you are better than him."
Second Hokage Tobirama Senju had also performed many forbidden experiments.
Among them, Senju Hashirama's cells, as excellent experimental material, had naturally been studied by him, though he hadn't produced many results.
However, related research was clearly always ongoing.
Otherwise, where would that pile of Hashirama cells in Konoha in later generations come from?
"Do what you want to do."
Uzumaki Mito spoke softly: "But there is one thing I must remind you."
"I don't want to care about what experiments you do, and researching Hashirama's cells doesn't matter."
"But you cannot put people from the Village on the experimental table, nor can you strike at the people of your own Village."
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Uzumaki Mito said.
"I understand."
Minamikawa Yuu smiled: "Even if you didn't remind me, I would never do such a thing."
"I am the Hokage of Konoha; I cannot let the people of Konoha be sacrificed in vain."
"It's good that you think so."
Uzumaki Mito nodded.
On this point, she was still willing to believe Minamikawa Yuu.
Relatively speaking, the way he did things was undoubtedly much more candid and gentle, and he wouldn't reach such an extreme state.
Her words just now were merely a reminder.
After taking Uzumaki Mito for a walk around the area, Uzumaki Mito left.
However, before leaving, she spoke a reminder: "That child Tsunade misses you very much. If you have time, you might as well look for her."
"You are both young people; it's not bad to get a bit closer."
She looked at Minamikawa Yuu in front of her, seemingly implying something.
Minamikawa Yuu was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a smile: "Is that so."
"I understand. I'll go find her once I'm done with the work at hand."
"Coincidentally, I have some ideas for techniques lately that I want to share with her."
"Just ideas for techniques?"
This thought flashed through Uzumaki Mito's mind, and then she shook her head inwardly.
Granddaughter, Grandma can only help you this far.
She thought of Tsunade's worried expression earlier, and this thought flashed through her mind.
"Let's start the testing."
A moment later, after Mito had left, Minamikawa Yuu stood on the spot and spoke to those around him: "Start with Ginkaku first."
He didn't come here simply to take Uzumaki Mito on a tour; he also had work to do.
Having finally captured such excellent material, he naturally had to get started on the research as soon as possible.
Soon, the related research began.
The first to come out were the test results for the Kinkaku Brothers' cells.
The research results showed that compared to the cells of ordinary people, the cell vitality of these two was very powerful.
Among them, Ginkaku's corpse, even after being dead for many days, still exhibited an active nature.
Although that activity was not as powerful as Hashirama cells, it was still quite astonishing.
"A pity..."
After researching for a period of time, Minamikawa Yuu felt some regret: "If only I had the original version of the cells."
The Kinkaku Brothers' current bodies had already been affected by the Nine-Tailed Chakra, and even their cells had changed through combination with the Nine-Tailed Chakra.
Minamikawa Yuu suspected that the Nine-Tailed Chakra must have activated something in their cells, which allowed them to gain the ability to produce Nine-Tailed Chakra and turn into a mini Nine-Tails.
But unfortunately, he did not have their cells from before they obtained the Nine-Tailed Chakra, so he couldn't form a comparison and thus didn't know exactly which part had changed.
After this, he studied the Hashirama cells for a while.
With just a simple test, he discovered something familiar in the Hashirama cells.
"As expected, it is this thing..."
Standing on the spot, feeling the power contained within the Hashirama cells, Minamikawa Yuu's expression became solemn: "The power of the Divine Tree..."
Ordinary people might not be able to detect this power, but for Minamikawa Yuu, who was once the son of heaven of the ancestral country and had been in contact with the Divine Tree for many years, although this power was weak, he could still sense it.
Within the Hashirama cells, there was actually a trace of the weak power of the Divine Tree.
It was precisely this wisp of Chakra of the God Tree that gave the Hashirama cells that powerful vitality, causing them to far exceed the level of ordinary cells.
Looking at it this way, the reason why Senju Hashirama could be so powerful was finally found.
Because as the reincarnation of Ashura, he used that as a catalyst to master a portion of the Divine Tree's power.
The essence of the Divine Tree is the Kekkei Genkai (Kekkei Mora); whether it is the Ten-Tails or the Rinnegan, fundamentally speaking, they can all be described as the manifestation of the Divine Tree's power.
If Senju Hashirama could master a portion of the Divine Tree's power, then being so powerful follows logically.
This also explained a doubt Minamikawa Yuu had always held.
That was the origin of Wood Release.
Theoretically speaking, Wood Release is merely a Bloodline Limit formed by the combination of Earth and Water, but in reality, who could truly combine such a thing?
But to say it was brought about by Ashura's Chakra was also unrealistic.
One must know, it's hard to say if Ashura himself even knew Wood Release.
As the second son of the Six Paths Sage, what Ashura possessed was a pure Sage Body, not other miscellaneous things.
Relatively speaking, Senju Hashirama was far too strong.
To put it bluntly, let alone Uchiha Madara, even if the original Ashura himself came before Senju Hashirama, it's hard to say who would be stronger.
If the later reincarnation of Ashura's Chakra, Uzumaki Naruto, had not been given power by the Six Paths Sage to truly activate the Sage Body and Six Paths Sage Mode, even with the Nine-Tails in hand, he would only be fit to carry Senju Hashirama's shoes.
The reason for such a gap, in the final analysis, lay in Wood Release.
"But if that's the case, then..."
Minamikawa Yuu's heart stirred, and he quickly began to experiment.
He guided a portion of the Nine-Tailed Chakra out of Ginkaku's body and then combined it with some Hashirama cells.
Sure enough, in the next moment, a miraculous scene began to occur.
The originally violent Nine-Tailed Chakra immediately became docile upon contact with the Hashirama cells, turning from its original rage to being incredibly stable.
In contrast, the Hashirama cells became incredibly active.
Under Minamikawa Yuu's observation, the Nine-Tailed Chakra was directly eaten by the Hashirama cells, disappearing without a trace.
"It was eaten directly."
Minamikawa Yuu observed carefully.
After devouring the Nine-Tailed Chakra, the Hashirama cells underwent significant changes; the power within seemed to become even stronger, various activities increased, and the overall manifestation began to show a certain similarity to the cells of the Kinkaku Brothers.
"It actually works!"
Facts proved that Minamikawa Yuu's hypothesis was correct.
Hashirama cells possessing the power of the Divine Tree indeed also possessed the ability to devour Tailed Beast Chakra and transform into a state similar to the cells in the Kinkaku Brothers' bodies.
No, to some extent, it was even more thorough.
After all, what the Hashirama cells possessed was the power of the Divine Tree.
And the Chakra of the Tailed Beasts was originally split from the Ten-Tails, which in essence was part of the Divine Tree.
This might also be why Wood Release can suppress Tailed Beasts and absorb Tailed Beast Chakra.
However, compared to the Kinkaku Brothers, the change in the Hashirama cells was only temporary.
In just a moment, after the Nine-Tailed Chakra was consumed, this portion of cells returned to its previous appearance, as if nothing had happened.
Minamikawa Yuu guessed that this should be because the Tailed Beast flesh and blood were not directly combined with the Hashirama cells.
Merely absorbing Chakra would not permanently change the cell morphology.
Just like the Kinkaku Brothers, if they hadn't directly swallowed the Nine-Tails' flesh and blood and had only absorbed the Nine-Tailed Chakra, it would have been impossible for the Nine-Tails' power to combine with themselves and allow them to become artificial Tailed Beasts.
The combination of Chakra is only temporary; the combination of flesh and blood is more stable.
Then a new problem arose.
Where could he find the flesh and blood of a Tailed Beast?
Minamikawa Yuu fixed his gaze on the Nine-Tails again.
In the current Konoha, the only Tailed Beast that could be found was the Nine-Tails inside Uzumaki Mito's body.
Without the slightest hesitation, he walked straight out of the laboratory.