The prosthetic limbs developed specifically for the civilian population had already become a testament to Hiruko's "burning Will of Fire."
However, he possessed a glaring weakness: lechery.
Perhaps due to the unbearable experiences of his childhood, Hiruko's personality was somewhat extreme. But in the eyes of the Uchiha, such instability was hardly worth mentioning. Fugaku felt a dull headache coming on as he recalled sending a beautiful Uchiha woman to Hiruko, only for the man to not even spare her a glance.
Though Hiruko was lustful, he seemed to have a singular obsession with kunoichi who had carved out a name for themselves on the battlefield; his relentless pursuit of Tsunade was proof enough of that.
The "gift" Danzo had sent—Pakura of the Scorch Style—had seemingly captivated him to the extreme. Hiruko hadn't stepped foot in his beloved laboratory for ten straight days after her arrival. When he finally emerged from Pakura's quarters, he had gifted Danzo a set of "Transcendental Augmentations."
According to Hiruko, once these prosthetics were equipped, the user would possess combat power comparable to a Kage-level shinobi for thirty minutes. The drawback was severe: the set would break down after three uses, the materials were incredibly rare, and the production cost was so astronomical that even the village couldn't afford a bulk order.
Fugaku pondered for a long time, only to realize that among the Uchiha's active female ninja, there wasn't a single one renowned throughout the shinobi world.
Unless...
Fugaku's gaze inadvertently fell upon his wife, Uchiha Mikoto. In her youth, Mikoto had been one of the clan's most talented kunoichi. After marrying him, she had retired from active duty, and her fame in the ninja world had gradually faded.
Fugaku quickly shook the absurd thought from his head. Looking at Shisui with a serious expression, he said, "Please inform Orochimaru that I will be awaiting his arrival at my home."
Uchiha Fugaku was indeed indecisive and lacked the backbone for bold leadership, but that didn't mean he was blind to the current political climate. Supporting Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, on the battlefield had been the greatest investment of his life.
Since taking over as Clan Head, his greatest wish was for his people to truly integrate into the village. Even more, he hoped for an Uchiha to one day become Hokage—a dream shared by the entire clan.
He preferred to achieve this through moderate means, but the radicals in the clan were becoming too aggressive, even plotting to take power by force if the village refused to cooperate.
Now, with Minato as the Fourth, and as the Third grew older and the village elders lost their influence over time, the prospect of a Fifth or Sixth Hokage from the Uchiha wasn't out of reach—provided they played their cards right. If they could secure Orochimaru's backing, that hope would undoubtedly burn brighter.
Unfortunately, the Uchiha had made too many wrong moves in the past. Looking at Shisui, Fugaku sighed inwardly. The new generation of Uchiha seemed to be drifting further and further away from the seat of Hokage.
Kagami-senpai, you died far too young!
Hiruko had just finished venting the frustrations he'd accumulated on Pakura, and his mood had significantly improved.
He understood that the key reason he hadn't yet broken through to the Kage level was the flaw in his heart. While some said the Sharingan was the "eye that reflects the heart," Hiruko believed that Chakra was the true bridge to the soul. It was a universal force, inextricably linked to one's will; it wasn't uncommon for ninja with unshakable resolve to undergo a breakthrough right in the heat of battle.
Hiruko turned his gaze toward the flowerpots on the balcony, where several unremarkable plants were growing. These were specimens he had brought back from the Forest of Death during his experiments. Originally ordinary, they had begun to change over the past few days.
Initially, Hiruko's experiments were limited to humans, aimed solely at increasing his own strength. But now that the Third Great Ninja War had ended, there wouldn't be another large-scale conflict for a while, giving him ample time to explore the essence of Chakra.
One pot held a species of fern, known for its rapid reproduction and common use as a medicinal herb. Under the nourishment of Hiruko's chakra, it displayed an incredibly tenacious vitality. Even if chopped into several segments, a lush new patch would grow back within days.
There was also a carnivorous plant resembling a pitcher plant that had grown massive over the last few days. Occasionally, small animals like sparrows or mice that wandered too close were trapped and devoured. Another fast-growing orange tree and "Flowing Water Grass"—which could be revived with water even after being dried—were also undergoing wondrous mutations in the chakra-rich environment.
Of course, these changes were guided by Hiruko using the power of his mind to direct their evolution.
However, none of these were the main focus.
Hiruko walked slowly toward the largest glass tank in the living room. Inside were several transparent organisms. If one didn't look closely, they were almost invisible. They drifted slowly, waving long tentacles. Their presence was only betrayed by the ghostly, cold blue sparks of light flickering at the center of their clustered bodies.
These were special creatures Hiruko had asked Danzo to retrieve from the deep sea. The moment he saw them, Hiruko had been ecstatic. He didn't just keep them in a chakra-dense environment; he had even "directionally" fed them the blood of various ninja.
Ultimately, Hiruko was thrilled to discover that these creatures shared strikingly similar characteristics with the Turritopsis dohrnii—the "Immortal Jellyfish"—from his previous life.
In his old world, the Immortal Jellyfish was the only known biologically immortal species. Given the right conditions, it could live forever by reverting from its mature medusa stage back to its polyp stage, repeating the cycle indefinitely unless eaten by a predator.
A longing for immortality had long been Orochimaru's obsessive goal, and Hiruko was no different. Although he knew he was already on the path to godhood, he remained curious about other methods of longevity.
Furthermore, as the number of women in his life increased, he realized not everyone would have the talent to reach the "Six Paths" level. Therefore, a universal longevity technique was a primary direction for his research.
Orochimaru had delved into this for years, yet his methods remained imperfect. The so-called "Reincarnation" techniques had massive flaws and remained largely theoretical. Even the Living Corpse Reincarnation (Fushi Tensei) was merely a pseudo-immortality.
Hiruko found it hard to accept Orochimaru's gruesome methods. But did he really have a chance to develop a longevity technique suitable for ordinary people?