Setting aside those cases that relied on the Dark nature of the Sharingan for forced balance or fusion, such as Madara Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, and Danzo Shimura, in the original timeline's first Hokage cell human experiments, why was the young Yamato the only one who survived and ultimately successfully inherited the Wood Style power of the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju?
Later, according to Yamato's own recollection, it was because of his strong desire to survive that he miraculously lived and obtained that power.
But could it really be accomplished merely through a sufficiently strong desire to survive? Did the dozens of other children selected as experimental subjects not yearn for life? Did they not want to survive?
Even earlier, during the first Hokage's cell-transplant experiments conducted on adult ninja, among the volunteers were many experienced and strong-willed Chunin and Jonin who had endured countless battles of blood and fire.
Could their willpower truly have been weaker than that of a child only a few years old?
But what was the result?
Without exception, all failed, turning into twisted trees or collapsing and dying outright.
Therefore, a strong desire to survive might have been an important psychological factor, but it was absolutely not the only one, and perhaps not even the most decisive condition.
Earth and Water!
Soil and nourishment.
Thinking of this, Shinichi became thoughtful. Wood Style was a Kekkei Genkai created from the fusion of water and earth, or perhaps even water, earth, and light chakra natures.
Then, in order to successfully accept, fuse with, and give birth to the power of Wood Style, did one need to possess those two, or even all three chakra natures themselves?
Perhaps acquired training alone still fell slightly short, and the ideal condition was being born with them?
Of course, there were likely many more hidden conditions Shinichi still did not know, complicated bodily compatibility factors, and perhaps even some unexplainable elements called fate or coincidence.
But regardless, Yamato, the only individual in the original timeline who survived the Wood Style experiments, would certainly provide Shinichi with tremendous help and inspiration for future research into Wood Style.
For Shinichi, researching the bloodlines of this world in the future was inevitable. Through the operation of his talent system over these years, he had also discovered that external recognition seemed capable only of helping him generate and develop talents that represented certain generalized characteristics or abilities.
For example, Splitting Rocks and Cleaving Gold represented great strength, Bronze Skin and Iron Bones represented high defense, and Light As The Wind represented great speed.
However, this system seemingly could not directly generate talents belonging specifically to the Kekkei Genkai of a certain ninja clan through external recognition alone.
Otherwise, with the terrifying physique, astonishing recovery ability, chakra reserves, and other talents he had displayed over the years, even if the outside world clearly knew he had no blood relation whatsoever with the Senju Clan, there still would definitely be many people suspecting he had some connection to them, including top-tier powerhouses.
If bloodline talents could truly be generated, then by now, he should at least possess a blue-grade Senju bloodline talent.
But the reality was that he did not.
Therefore, if Shinichi wanted to obtain the power of these bloodlines, he could only research them personally.
He had once thought about exploiting the Clone talent to take shortcuts.
For example, by deeply researching his clone Isshin and attempting to discover a way to perfectly integrate the tyrannical physical talents of the Adamantine Monkey Clan into his own original body.
After all, Isshin was essentially another version of himself that had perfectly fused with the Adamantine Monkey Clan's bloodline, theoretically making him the ideal research sample.
However, when he truly began trying, he discovered that on a microscopic level, Isshin's cells were not fundamentally different from his own cells in terms of their basic genetic material.
But no matter how he analyzed or compared them, he could not reverse-engineer or isolate the mysterious Kekkei Genkai factor from Isshin's cells that could cause such a qualitative transformation in physical constitution.
It was as if that fusion occurred on a level beyond conventional matter and energy, closer to conceptual rules being bestowed. With Shinichi's current knowledge, understanding, and research methods, he was still far from being able to comprehend that level.
"Then, before that, I should find a way to properly cultivate Yamato."
Shinichi thought inwardly. In the original timeline, although Yamato survived the Wood Style experiment, there was also a significant element of luck involved, and his ultimate achievements may have been limited by it.
But Shinichi believed he could do better.
First, strengthen Yamato's physical foundation and nurture and expand the vitality within his body (Light nature).
Second, enhance his understanding and control over the earth and water nature chakra.
Then, later, extract a bit of his cells and attempt a tentative fusion with the first Hokage's cells to see what kind of results would emerge.
And by that time, his taijutsu, medical skills, and even talents like Gourmet would likely already have advanced to purple quality, representing a domain, through continuous effort and accumulation of events.
At that point, he would definitely be able to observe more essential mysteries from that microscopic cellular war, thereby reverse-engineering a safer and more efficient fusion pathway.
Thinking in this way, Shinichi suddenly found it somewhat amusing. He seemed to be planning to systematically cultivate another first Hokage.
And the other party, he had already long designated in his heart to become his founding student, Kabuto Yakushi.
Kabuto was already a top-tier genius in medical and research talent, and the abilities he would later display in forbidden technique research, human body modification, and intelligence analysis were also worthy of being called, to a certain extent, another second Hokage.
The eldest student would be the rebirth of the first Hokage, and the second student would be the reincarnation of the second Hokage?
Then who would become the third?
Shinichi smiled slightly and temporarily sealed away this somewhat mischievous thought deep in his heart.
That evening, in the western part of Konoha, in front of a simple detached house.
Having just returned home after completing his daily patrol mission and preparing to cook dinner, Kosuke Maruboshi heard a knock at the door, neither too heavy nor too light.
"Who could it be at this hour?"
Kosuke wiped his hands somewhat puzzledly and walked to the door to open it. The person standing outside caused him to pause slightly, before a gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Shinichi? Come in quickly and have a seat. Have you eaten? I was just about to cook. Why not stay and eat together later?"
The one standing outside was indeed Shinichi. Not only had he come in person, but he was also carrying a rather heavy food box in each hand.
"Sorry for the disturbance, senior Kosuke."
Shinichi smiled and nodded in greeting. Following Kosuke into the living room, he placed the food boxes on the low table. While opening the lids, he said, "I haven't eaten yet. Coincidentally, I brought some freshly prepared dishes. Why don't we try them together?"
A short while later, after several rounds of food and drink and with the atmosphere harmonious, Shinichi finally put down his chopsticks. His expression became somewhat more formal as he looked toward Kosuke and spoke: "Senior Kosuke, actually, besides visiting you today, there's another matter I'd like to ask your help with."
"Oh? What matters? Go ahead. As long as these old bones of mine can still help, I'll certainly do my best."