I can't think about it anymore. Thinking about something this terrifying so late at night might give me nightmares.
Back when Haru had transmigrated alone into the Naruto world, a world with an extremely high mortality rate, he had started with the classic dead-parents opening. At six or seven years old, he had already begun carrying out missions. A few months after starting missions, he had seen blood and killed someone for the first time.
During battle, warm drops of blood had suddenly splashed onto his face. The eyes of the dying person had finally lost their light. That instant of resentment and despair...
Even now, Haru could not forget that scene.
No matter how bad the current situation was, it was still far better than when he had first transmigrated.
Since he was already here, he had to make peace with it.
After being disrupted by the system mission like this, Haru no longer had any interest in accompanying Chiyo for a stroll through the streets. After saying goodbye to Chiyo, he went straight back to the Uchiha clan compound.
"Tobirama, your beloved Third Hokage is back!"
After returning to the Uchiha clan compound, Haru immediately went to the underground laboratory to visit Tobirama. He wanted to understand Tobirama's recent experimental progress, such as the Hashirama cell experiments that Haru had always paid close attention to.
Since Madara might have slipped into the Leaf, Haru had to prepare early and strengthen himself as much as possible in case of emergency. If a fight really broke out, he might still have a chance to escape.
Cough, cough. To make a strategic transfer.
"Hokage... cough, cough."
As soon as he entered the laboratory, Orochimaru greeted him with a face that looked like death.
It was truly a face that looked like death. His complexion was gray, the dark circles under his eyes were so heavy they were frightening, yet his spirit was abnormally excited.
Science maniacs were probably all like this. For the sake of scientific research, they could forget sleep and food, grind through work like animals, and labor like beasts.
Having such a subordinate made Haru deeply gratified.
He was just afraid that if Orochimaru worked himself this hard, he might die young before he had even grown up. That would truly be a loss that outweighed the gain.
"Orochimaru, have you not been eating properly again recently? How many all-nighters have you pulled? You need to sleep on time."
Haru nagged like an old mother.
"Hokage, please rest assured. Lord Second specially prepared a nutrient solution for me. It can completely replace daily eating. Eating is far too much of a waste of time. Now, I only need one injection."
"I have been sleeping properly recently too. I insist on sleeping four hours every day. I specifically calculated it. With my current body, sleeping four hours a day is completely enough for my nerve cells to rest. Sleeping more would be a waste of time. I should put my precious time into experiments."
After Orochimaru finished speaking, his expression carried a hint of pride. This time, he had prepared very thoroughly. Last time, because he had not eaten actively, often stayed up all night, and followed Tobirama to grind through experiments, Haru had forcibly sent him home to rest.
During the New Year period, Haru had not allowed Orochimaru to step into the laboratory even once.
Orochimaru had been incredibly worried. Not letting him do experiments or improve himself had simply made him restless at home, unbearably uncomfortable.
During the New Year, Jiraiya, that fool, had kept following him around, constantly asking where he had been during this period.
Could Orochimaru casually say something like the Second Hokage had taken him as a disciple and that he was studying at the Second Hokage's side?
Proud face.
Jiraiya spent all day talking about Tsunade this and Tsunade that. But when he actually met her, he could not say a single proper word. Orochimaru estimated that Jiraiya would never catch Tsunade in this lifetime.
What was interesting about women?
Experiments were far more interesting.
Good, good, good!
You really are something, Orochimaru!
You were born to be a workhorse!
Haru was immediately stunned by his brilliance. He raised his index finger toward Orochimaru and waved it several times, revealing a clear and innocent smile.
"Orochimaru... Forget it. I won't say more. As long as you know what you're doing. Go play to the side. I need to talk to the Second Hokage about something."
Since Orochimaru had prepared that thoroughly, squeezing his own time to the limit and arranging everything so perfectly, if Haru kept nagging, he would really become a fussy mother hen.
Let Orochimaru do as he pleased. Even if Haru had interfered and changed his life trajectory, who could say for sure when it came to the corrective force of the world? Maybe Orochimaru would still live all the way to the next generation like in the original story.
"Oh."
Hearing this, Orochimaru obediently walked to the corner of the laboratory, leaving a private space for Haru and Tobirama to talk.
"Tobirama, did you miss me during this period?"
Haru patted Tobirama on the shoulder while Tobirama was busy working with his head lowered.
Tobirama looked up at Haru, spat on the ground, and his lips moved slightly.
"Get lost."
Haru understood a bit of lip-reading and immediately understood Tobirama's meaning.
Hey!
They had not seen each other for so long, yet their relationship had actually grown this distant. Had he not merely worked Tobirama like a beast of burden and made a movie that indirectly mocked him a little? With the relationship between Haru and Tobirama, was this not something that should naturally happen?
"Tobirama, I feel like you're starting to disrespect me again. You wouldn't want..."
"Stop, stop, stop. Hokage, if you have something to say, just say it!"
Seeing that Haru was about to cause trouble again, Tobirama hurriedly interrupted his spellcasting. Going head-to-head with a shameless bastard like Haru would bring him no good result.
"That's more like it."
Haru nodded in satisfaction, then took out an electric tricycle and three boxes of amoxicillin from the system storage.
"These are gifts I brought you. Work a little harder recently. You must mass-produce these two things in the shortest possible time!"
Tobirama carefully examined the electric tricycle. It had a plain and practical design, made specifically for transporting goods. After fiddling with it for a while, he found it somewhat interesting. Some of the technology inside was indeed worth studying, and it would be quite helpful for the train research Haru had been urging him to complete.
"What is this?"
Tobirama looked at the three boxes of amoxicillin on the table. The writing on the boxes was strange. He recognized some of it and did not recognize the rest.
"A special medicine. The ingredients inside can effectively kill bacteria. It has extraordinary effects on bacterial infections and inflammation."
"Tobirama, you should understand very clearly what this kind of medicine means for the entire ninja world. Calling it a miracle drug that saves the dying and heals the wounded would not be too much."
Tobirama nodded in deep agreement.
In war, the number of grassroots ninja who died from bacterial infection, inflammation, pus-filled wounds, and a series of complications caused by injuries was extremely high.
The Leaf had pitifully few medical ninja. Medical ninjutsu was still firmly controlled by the ninja clans. Even if one wanted to learn it, a price had to be paid. Because of funding, time, resources, and all kinds of other factors, there was no way to train medical ninja on a large scale. Sometimes, they could only watch injured ninja die helplessly. There was nothing that could be done.
If even ninja were like this, then there was even less need to speak of civilians, who were treated like weeds.
"Where did you get something this good? And this vehicle too."
Tobirama guessed the origin of the things before him. These things clearly could not have been invented by Haru.
"Hmph, hmph."
Haru smiled. Of course, he had pulled them from the system.
"If you won't say it, forget it. I'll handle it."
Seeing Haru's smug smile, Tobirama understood that this bastard before him would not tell him the truth. In any case, these things were beneficial to the Leaf. As for the truth, Tobirama was too lazy to care.
"Anything else? If not, stop being an eyesore here. You're disturbing my work."
Tobirama bluntly gave the order to leave, wanting Haru to hurry up and get lost. The last time he had been blackened by that movie, Tobirama had been extremely unhappy.
"Of course there's something else. How is the progress on the Hashirama cells? One prisoner after another in the Leaf's dungeon has died. You should be producing some results by now."
Haru's expression became serious. This concerned his own life and safety. He could not be careless in the slightest.
"Everything is progressing smoothly. The preparation of the Hashirama cell solution has reached its final stage. Now, I only need members of the Uchiha clan to cooperate with the experiment."
As Tobirama spoke, he walked to a wall. After pressing a mechanism, the wall opened, revealing a hidden laboratory.
Hashirama's remains were soaked in a tank of green solution. This was the treasure of Tobirama's underground laboratory. Even selling the entire laboratory as a package would not compare to its value.
The other tanks contained experimental subjects. Their appearances were strange and inhuman. Their expressions were twisted, their bodies showed signs of turning into tree trunks, and they had died miserably. However, their deaths had meaning. They had made a contribution to the peace of the ninja world. Their contribution in death was greater than when they had been alive.
"The latest Hashirama cell solution is my most precious research result from this period."
Tobirama picked up a bottle of solution from the experimental table, staring at it with obsessed eyes. The pale green bottle refracted the laboratory lights, appearing especially dazzling.
"Can it be injected now?"
Expectation appeared in Haru's expression. If this tube was injected, maybe he would obtain the complete immortal body and Wood Release.
"It can, but there are risks. Ordinary ninja still have a considerable fatality rate. To test the data, all the captive ninja you sent over died.
The fatality rate for Uchiha ninja should be much lower, but the dosage still needs to..."
Tobirama excitedly explained the principles and the next direction of experimentation. To show respect, Haru could only patiently listen until Tobirama finished.
Good things take time.
At the very least, he had already seen the light of hope. He could wait a little longer.
Haru comforted himself.
"Now I need the Uchiha clan to cooperate with the experiment. Without experimental data from your clan, completing the Hashirama cell solution I envision will be far too difficult. The number of captive ninja required would probably not be enough even if it were multiplied several times."
Tobirama looked at Haru, faintly impatient inside. He understood too well how enormous a change the Hashirama cell solution would bring to the entire ninja world.
Ninja with ordinary talent would become geniuses in people's eyes. Ordinary people without ninja talent would be reborn and gain the opportunity to cultivate chakra. Top-level ninja would advance by leaps and bounds like tigers with wings.
Although realizing all of this was still somewhat distant, the most critical step was about to be achieved. The rest only needed to be slowly overcome.
How to mass-produce qualified Hashirama cell solution was indeed a major problem. The cultivation of Hashirama cells, Uchiha clan cells, eye power, and the auxiliary compounds used to prepare the Hashirama cell solution. When all these things were added together, the cost was truly too high.
However, Tobirama believed that there would always be a way to solve all of this.
The future of the ninja world would ultimately belong to the Leaf. It was truly letting that bastard Haru benefit too much.
He had done all the dirty and tiring work, while Haru took all the glory and honor.
So irritating!
Haru thought briefly, then slowly said,
"I need you to give me a guarantee in terms of safety. Tobirama, it's not that I don't trust you, but your prejudice against the Uchiha..."
Haru did not finish, but his meaning was already very clear. If Tobirama wanted to use public duty for private revenge and kill a few Uchiha, it would be far too easy.
"What kind of person do you take me for? I am the Leaf's Second Hokage. How could I secretly harm comrades from the village?"
Tobirama's face darkened. He really wanted to punch Haru. He had not expected Haru to distrust him in this regard.
Had he not merely pushed Madara away, created an Uchiha Security Department to guard against the Uchiha, and invented a few ninjutsu to deal with the Uchiha?
Aside from those things, had he done anything else to wrong the Uchiha clan?
"All right, all right. I believe you. I'm the Uchiha clan leader, after all. This concerns the lives of my clansmen, so care makes one confused. Care makes one confused, hahaha."
Haru laughed it off to cover things up. He had just asked casually. Although Tobirama disliked the Uchiha clan deep down, he probably was not low enough to do something like that.
"But there is one thing I need to warn you about in advance. Hashirama cells are dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Even now, I have not fully figured out the principles involved. They touch upon a level I still cannot understand."
"To be honest, I even suspect that my brother and I were not born from the same parents. Can his body really still count as human?"
Tobirama's tone carried a sigh. The difference between people could be greater than the difference between a person and a pig.
"Even if your Uchiha clan has a certain natural compatibility with Hashirama cells, considering the danger of Hashirama cells, I can only do my best to reduce the risks. If some unpredictable situation appears and causes casualties, you need to understand."
"This is a great and extremely risky experiment. Casualties among the Uchiha clan may be unavoidable. When the time comes, don't come making trouble with me."
Tobirama's tone was passionate, giving Haru a warning in advance.
If the experiment produced an unpredictable accident and killed a few Uchiha clansmen, Haru might endlessly make trouble for him.
"I understand."
Haru nodded. Sometimes, accidents in experiments were indeed unavoidable. If Uchiha clan members truly suffered casualties, Haru could only mourn them silently and give them a grand burial.
As for your wife and children, I will raise them. Worry not.
Haru would take good care of their entire families.
"Write down the personnel requirements for me later. I'll arrange them and send them over in a few days."
Haru agreed to Tobirama's request. Tobirama visibly became happy. For him, seeing the experiment achieve further breakthroughs was one of the few things that could bring him joy.
"Tobirama, I came here today for another extremely important matter. It concerns the safety of the Leaf, and even the entire ninja world."
After thinking it over, Haru decided to reveal some of the deepest secrets of the ninja world to Tobirama. Madara was putting too much pressure on him. If he did not vent a little, the feeling of keeping it all bottled up was truly unbearable.
Counting everyone in the Leaf, only Tobirama was the most suitable person to confide in, and only he had the ability to help Haru make plans.
(End of Chapter)
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