At first, Hiruko had suspected Zetsu—that "dutiful son" of Kaguya—but he eventually dismissed the idea. Black Zetsu's focus was singular, and the creature hadn't shown any signs of monitoring him specifically. Then he suspected the Sage of the Six Paths himself, though Hiruko had no real way to monitor a ghost lingering in the pure land.
Regardless, he had his contingency plans. If things went south, he'd simply flee the Ninja World entirely, develop his power elsewhere, and return later to crush anyone who dared scheme against him.
For now, his absolute priority was perfecting the Chimera Technique.
Under normal circumstances, before the final ritual, the technique allowed the user to devour four sacrifices to gain power and compensate for physical deficiencies. The fifth sacrifice, however, could only be integrated on the day of the Solar Eclipse.
While this metamorphosis was essential, Hiruko had no intention of devouring living people with active consciousness. Instead, he took his own somatic cells and used embryo culture to grow "blank" vessels with no activated awareness. He then fused these embryos with the specialized cells of various ninja he had collected over the years, transforming them into artificial humans—the perfect, mindless "sacrifices" for the Chimera Technique.
To ensure total control, he infused these successful experimental subjects with minute fragments of his own soul. Once the alignment was perfect, he could devour them in one fell swoop to bolster his existence.
In terms of his obsession with longevity, Hiruko was every bit as fanatical as Orochimaru.
Three thousand meters beneath Hiruko's laboratory lay a hidden chamber.
Row upon row of high-tech incubation vats lined the walls. Inside were various individuals—each bearing Hiruko's face, yet each possessing a distinct biological style. Their bodies were etched with intricate sealing marks—his method of identification and control.
These labs weren't just in Konoha. Hiruko had hidden outposts scattered across the Ninja World. These clones served a dual purpose: they were backups for his consumption plan and "extra lives" in case his main body was ever assassinated.
In this regard, Hiruko and Orochimaru were mirrors of each other. Truly killing Hiruko would be a nightmare.
He had based his resurrection method on Orochimaru's research but refined it. Even the current Orochimaru, who hadn't yet perfected his "Living Corpse Reincarnation," couldn't match Hiruko's survivability. If his main body perished, he would use a modified version of the Spirit Transformation Technique, using his soul fragments as anchors to revive in a new body.
He was, for all intents and purposes, a "pseudo-immortal."
For over a decade, he had been trying to break the inherent limitations of the Chimera Technique to allow for the limitless absorption of abilities. While his biological mastery had reached dizzying heights, the "occult" or metaphysical breakthroughs remained elusive. Perhaps, he mused, he truly did need to visit other worlds to acquire the missing pieces of the puzzle.
Back in the lab, Minato spoke with a serious expression. "Senior Hiruko, please ensure that this matter regarding Kushina remains confidential."
To Konoha, Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. While her pregnancy couldn't be hidden forever, the fewer people who knew the details, the better.
Hiruko nodded. "Relax. Aside from Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya, I don't have many friends in Konoha anyway. Even if I wanted to talk, who would I tell?"
Minato hesitated before asking, "Regarding the payment, I'll have it delivered soon. But... is it really safe for Kushina to be injected directly? I'm concerned."
Hiruko replied nonchalantly, "If old fossils like Danzo were to use it, the mortality rate would be over 50%, and they'd need constant cellular tuning to survive. But for the youth? No problem. Kushina's life force is overflowing! Her success rate is 100%. If you're worried, she can have the procedure here in my lab."
"Ah... that... I doubt the Third Lord and the elders would agree to her being here," Minato said awkwardly.
Minato himself trusted Hiruko, but the "Old Guard" wouldn't fully trust anyone when it came to the Jinchuriki. Hiruko didn't mind the rejection.
"By the way, Minato," Hiruko switched gears. "I'm thinking of opening a factory. What kind of paperwork do I need?"
Minato turned cautious. "What kind of factory, Senior? Certain industries in Konoha aren't open to private ownership."
"Oh, just a salt factory," Hiruko replied casually, as if unaware of the weight of his words. "The research department needs to find its own funding, so..."
Minato's expression turned pained. "Lord Hiruko... Salt is a monopoly held by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the nobility. It's not something Konoha can easily stick its hands into."
It was the classic "empty-handed white wolf" strategy—the village wanted Hiruko and Orochimaru to develop miracles without providing the budget, yet they wouldn't let them make their own money.
"If we could integrate all the salt production in the Land of Fire, that would be quite nice," Hiruko mused, seemingly ignoring Minato's warning.
"Senior, Cloud Village has been restless lately. We can't afford a major internal disruption right now," Minato tried to steer him back to reality.
"It's fine. Talk it over with the Third. With a salt factory, many of our larger plans can begin. We might even have a shot at truly unifying the Ninja World!" Hiruko said with boundless confidence.
Minato was momentarily speechless. He decided to change the subject. "Actually, Senior Hiruko, I saw a proposal you submitted years ago about building global transportation infrastructure. You mentioned railways, steam engines, aviation, and even spatial teleportation networks. I wanted to ask... are those things actually possible?"
Minato had stumbled upon these files while reviewing old records. The documents had basically been tossed in the trash, buried under pages of vitriol from the elders calling Hiruko a "fanciful dreamer."
But the world described in those papers was beautiful—a world where commoners were fed, clothed, and educated. It sounded far too good to be true, yet Minato couldn't help but wonder: Could it actually happen?
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