It was similar to the concepts of the Id, Ego, and Superego in Freudian theory.
In a broad sense, applying such terms here might seem a bit exaggerated or not entirely fitting for the current situation. However, the essence of the matter lay in the stratification of the mental realm—the core objective being the clear identification of "self" versus "other."
Hiruko collected those kunoichi for a dual purpose: to vent the accumulated darkness within his heart and to firmly anchor his identity as a transmigrator. Yet, even with these measures, he remained incredibly cautious when facing the soul-body within him, even if it was just that of a child.
In reality, the willpower Hiruko had cultivated as a "hothouse flower" in a peaceful modern era would have had a very low probability of successfully seizing the body of a seven-year-old ninja child. However, Hiruko came from the modern age—an age of information overload. The sheer, terrifying intensity of the data surge he brought with him had essentially caused the little guy's consciousness to crash instantly.
In the battle for mental dominance, the winner takes all. There is no room for mercy or negotiation. Now, with two souls in one body, it was clear that the original Hiruko had faded, and the "he" from the previous life had inherited everything. Barring any accidents, this residual consciousness would remain in its current state until he slowly siphoned it dry, eventually causing it to vanish forever.
Philosophically speaking, what is memory? Plato viewed memory as knowledge, while others believe memory is the soul itself. Regardless, memory is the foundation of self-recognition—a subjective existence. I am my memories; I am the fusion of my past and present states.
The childhood shadows haunting Hiruko had undoubtedly been triggered by this entity. Although Hiruko was close to his parents in this world, his feelings shouldn't have been that agonizingly deep. It was the interference of this soul-body that had plunged him into such extreme grief and despair.
"Since you're dead, just behave and become my nourishment. Everything you desired... I will fulfill it all, one by one!" Hiruko gazed coldly at the fractured soul-body.
With that, Hiruko returned to reality. He knew full well that unless he completely resolved this mental instability, he would never find true peace, nor would he ever be able to break through the threshold to become a Kage-level powerhouse.
Seven days later, Hiruko was a whirlwind of activity in his lab. In his brief moments of downtime, he refueled by snacking on desserts. Since arriving in this world, he had never once deprived himself; if he wanted sugar, he indulged.
For some reason, the newly inaugurated Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, paid a special visit to Hiruko's lab today. "Senior Hiruko! Senior Hiruko!" he called out warmly.
As he shouted, Minato looked around, noting that Hiruko's lab was the polar opposite of Orochimaru's—which was usually a damp, eerie, and dimly lit cavern of horrors. This place was bright, spacious, and well-ventilated. The temperature was perfectly regulated by air conditioning, and there wasn't a hint of a strange odor. Everything was spotless.
Various instruments hummed as they operated autonomously, while several large domestic service robots lined the hallways. They each had their own duties: some handled trash, others washed and dried laundry, some sliced fruit, and one was even specialized in making pastries. More impressively, there was a high-end integrated robot capable of preparing barbecue, hot pot, and even perfectly steamed rice.
These were actually accidental byproducts of Hiruko's research into prosthetic and "cyborg" technology. Robotics wasn't particularly difficult once you mastered the right materials and logic; if you had the knowledge, building them was a breeze.
Minato's eyes sparkled as he took it all in. This is incredible! No wonder Lord Jiraiya and the Third have nothing but praise for Senior Hiruko, he thought.
Still in his youthful, idealistic phase, Minato felt a deep sense of admiration for the setup. Thinking of his pregnant wife, Kushina, and the hard work she did managing their home, he made a mental note: once they finished their official business, he had to ask Hiruko if he could buy a few of these domestic robots to lighten Kushina's load.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Hiruko spoke up. "Minato, what brings you here?"
As he spoke, Hiruko set aside his Black Forest Caramel Mousse cake and signaled a service robot to brew a cup of coffee for the Hokage. As a researcher, Hiruko often worked late into the night when inspiration struck. But as a transmigrator, the concept of "quality of life" was etched into his marrow. He couldn't stand a meal that was just "good enough."
Because Hiruko's technology was so advanced, the food produced by these robots was nearly indistinguishable from that of a master chef. Their only flaw was that they couldn't replicate "a mother's touch"—that was simply impossible for a machine.
"Senior Hiruko, what is your opinion on the Uchiha clan?" Minato asked, dropping a rather heavy and peculiar question.
Hiruko wasn't surprised. This was the age-old question for Konoha's top brass—a matter of factional politics. While Minato was curious about Hiruko's take, he knew that with the exception of the First Hokage, every generation of leadership had viewed the Uchiha with deep-seated prejudice and wariness.
Minato was on good terms with Fugaku and Mikoto personally, but that didn't change the institutional fear within the village. Even as the Fourth Hokage, he couldn't instantly overturn the policies of the Third and Danzo. Countless intelligence operatives still monitored the Uchiha's every move, reporting back to the elders.
The fact that Itachi Uchiha, the son of the clan head, was frequently seen with Hiruko—the "goose that laid the golden eggs" for Konoha—had naturally raised red flags. To the village elders, Hiruko was a genius on par with Orochimaru, and in certain fields, he had already surpassed him. His value to the village was essentially equivalent to that of the Nine-Tails.
The massive influx of prosthetic technology Hiruko provided during the war had elevated his status to the point where even Kage-level experts didn't receive as much public acclaim as he did. Furthermore, Hiruko had recently developed "Life Formula No. 1," a physical enhancement serum that could boost a Genin to Chunin-level strength with a single injection.
The scale of such an advancement was terrifying. But the most critical part was...