Unlike Linto's group who were leisurely heading to the royal capital, Warshia City, Sasuke and Little Momo rushed day and night, eager to return to the research institute as soon as possible.
Whether it was Shinno's memories, Ninjutsu discs, or the Uchiha bloodline, they were all temptations worth risking one's life for many people.
Along the way, they encountered three teams who tried to ambush them. Fortunately, under the tempering of the Land of Water's chaotic April, Sasuke, Little Momo, and the knights of the Annihilation Army had already developed an incredibly默契 teamwork. They returned to the research institute without much incident.
"Here."
Sasuke handed Shinno's memories and the Ninjutsu disc to Samui.
This female ninja from Kumogakure had been facing constant controversy since taking on the role of liaising with Kumogakure and Kirigakure. Initially, many people called her a "village traitor" and a "shameless woman."
Samui didn't argue with them and just buried herself in her work.
As time went by, with adjustments to military spending and increased productivity, the tangible benefits that reached the ninjas and villagers gradually silenced many of her critics.
Samui didn't gloat or say things like "fortune can turn for anyone" either. She just continued to focus on her work.
After all, her choices were never about making others think highly of her, nor were they about proving herself to others…
No, it wasn't that absolute. There was still one person she wanted to prove to – that she was walking the path he had taken.
"Linto didn't come?"
Samui stared at Shinno's memory disc, not looking up, as if asking casually.
"Brother Shou went to the royal capital of the Land of Wind. Otherwise, he definitely would have brought something this important himself," Sasuke said.
Samui nodded, her eyes slightly unfocused, and said in a low voice, "Busy, it's good to be busy."
Little Momo crept over to a whiteboard pinned with many documents. Various research directions and their progress were marked on it, broadly divided into three areas:
Biological Genetics: Centered around Orochimaru's research, the scope of study was further expanded after Tsunade joined.
The current primary research direction is Hidan's ashes.
Anti-Air Weapons: Based on Kumogakure's weapon development project, further enhancing the strength of strategic weapons.
Ninjutsu Development: Based on the Ninjutsu of Kirigakure and Kumogakure—and now also Sunagakure—new Ninjutsu is being jointly developed.
"This disc you brought back,"
Samui quickly composed herself and waved Shinno's memory in her hand.
"It will become a fourth research direction: the aerospace project."
"And the sky carriers manufactured using this technology will become platforms for 'Biological Genetics,' 'Anti-Air Weapons,' and 'updated Ninjutsu.'"
"Platform?" Little Momo tilted her head slightly.
Samui put away the two discs.
"Just saying it dryly might be a bit abstract. I'll take you to see the 'Hidan Research Lab.'"
She led Sasuke and Little Momo to a massive research lab in the core area, covering nearly a thousand square meters.
Before entering, they underwent three rounds of disinfection and Ninjutsu detection.
"The Hidan Research Lab is currently the department with the most investment and the largest number of researchers in the institute. Look—"
Samui gestured towards the cultivation vats, rows of glass jars within the lab.
Inside these jars were countless organs: arms, hearts, thighs… At a glance, it was like a human body museum.
"Every bit of Hidan's ashes, when injected with a large amount of life energy, can spontaneously grow organs.
With the technical support of Orochimaru and Tsunade, perhaps one day, we can use the ashes to create 'Hidans' one by one."
Sasuke and Little Momo stood there in shock.
This, this… it's too evil, isn't it?
Even though they were enemies, they were killed. This kind of endless torment…
"I know what you're thinking,"
Samui said, "The bodies formed from the ashes have no souls. They are just components made of flesh and blood.
The researchers here are not anti-human madmen. If they were dealing with living people, they would be the first to abandon the experiment. Moreover…"
"Did you notice the problem?"
Sasuke blinked. He was stunned by what he saw and hadn't looked closely. After looking again, he suddenly understood and was about to speak when Little Momo pointed and spoke first:
"These organs don't have heads, butts, or little ding-dongs."
Sasuke's attempt to cover his mouth was a moment too slow.
Fine, little ding-dongs it is. Better than—
Sasuke coughed lightly, skipping over the topic: "So, the researchers' ultimate goal is to create soulless 'Hidans'? But… what's the point?"
"A hollow Hidan by itself is indeed useless. Or rather, the current research directions, when taken individually, don't have much use. But imagine this."
Samui said, "A sky carrier that has broken the limits of gravity and can fly in space, equipped with the latest weapon systems, heading to the moon for exploration.
Everyone on the sky carrier, from the pilots to the combat personnel, is a 'Hidan.'
We can remotely control these soulless 'hollow Hidans' using updated puppet techniques. This way, even if we encounter aliens, there will be no casualties."
Not only that, but dangerous operations like mining and deep-sea exploration could be handled by "Explorer Hidan." Some surgeons could even perform brain surgery across half the ninja world using "Medical Hidan."
Sasuke and Little Momo's mouths grew wider as they listened.
It can be done like this?
But as they thought about it carefully, they wondered why it couldn't be done.
A technology, used directly for killing, is the most rudimentary application.
Often, a seemingly ordinary ability or technology, when "detoured" slightly and combined with other ordinary abilities, can produce unexpected results.
"But…"
Sasuke asked, "Cultivating 'hollow Hidans' requires a lot of life force. Where does the life force come from?"
"Of course, by taking it from other life forms, like… cockroaches."
Samui said, "The current technology can only extract the life force of cockroaches. Once the technology iterates a few more times, it might be possible to extract the life force of 'tardigrades.'"
Seeing the dazed look on the two children's faces, Samui smiled.
In order to cooperate with these researchers, she had done a lot of homework day and night.
Samui looked at the laboratory.
Linto's battlefield was in the ninja world, in this realm.
The battlefield for these researchers was in this laboratory.
Unlike the laboratories in ninja villages, which required them to develop weapons of mass destruction.
Here, the researchers could finally do what they truly wanted. As long as there was a project they were interested in, they could report it and apply for resources.
For them, this was an unprecedented opportunity.
They were all putting in their best efforts, wanting to achieve something.
It wasn't about repaying, that would be too abstract. They simply wanted to prove that they weren't a waste of resources and mediocre talents.
"So."
Sasuke stroked his chin, "The key now is to find the 'lost' heads, butts, and little ding-dongs."
He remembered Brother Shou mentioning that during the battle of Kyoto, some of the Hidan who were blown to ashes were taken away by summoned beasts and eaten. They were probably already… expelled now.
"Where is this part of Hidan?"
In a cave several kilometers away.
An eye opened, followed by Hidan's arrogant voice: "Your daddy is here!"
After that, a white snake tail whipped his mouth.
"Be quiet! Don't let anyone hear you!"