This new serum carried a small probability of allowing the user's descendants to inherit Wood Release naturally. Even though Minato Namikaze repeatedly emphasized that this version was merely a common Kekkei Genkai—far from the world-shaking, catastrophic power of the First Hokage—the news was enough.
Obtaining this Wood Release was merely planting a seed; without immense natural talent, one could never reach the heights of Hashirama Senju. Yet, this didn't dampen the fervor of the noble clans. The "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio, Minato's staunchest supporters, didn't hesitate to drop over 100 million Ryo per vial to secure three doses for their most promising heirs.
The Hyuga and Uchiha clans watched with undisguised envy, but to maintain the surface-level stability of the village, they couldn't purchase them yet. Meanwhile, Minato and Hiruko didn't forget the civilian ninjas. They established a merit-based system: with enough contribution points and after passing Minato's personal test, even a commoner could earn the "Life No. 3" Wood Release serum.
Hiruko's strategy was clear: harvest the wealth of the clans first. Later, he would flood the market with mass-produced doses, making Wood Release a standard feature for Konoha's shinobi. Of course, Hiruko personally looked down on this weakened version. It was pathetic—only about 70-80% as powerful as a standard Uchiha Fire Style, though it retained the unique trait of absorbing chakra. Without follow-up surgeries and Hiruko's continuous "patching," the ability would never evolve. Its marketing value far outweighed its practical combat utility.
Still, as Wood Release became common, the title "Leaf Village of Wood Release" would finally become a literal reality.
As for that "filial son," Uchiha Obito, Hiruko held zero sympathy. Obito was too old for a "re-education" through biological remodeling. He wasn't like Itachi—the "White-Eyed Wolf" who was currently being raised quite well under Hiruko's tutelage (and whose mother, Mikoto, was proving to be quite... delightful).
In Hiruko's eyes, the Uchiha were a collection of mental patients. Once their "illness" flared up, there was no telling how they would mutate. To Hiruko, Konoha was his private experimental field, his garden of expectations. He wouldn't allow anyone to steal his melons before he was ready to leave this world.
The "Nine-Tails Incident" was a trope mentioned so often in the original story it was almost boring, but for a transmigrator, the details were etched in his mind. Naruto Uzumaki's birthday was October 10th. It was currently September 10th—exactly one month to go.
It seemed that Chunibyo teenager, filled to the brim with Madara's toxic "chicken soup" and negative energy, had already arrived to scout the area. Obito was currently trapped in a cycle of hatred and obsession. At sixteen, he was at the peak of his teenage angst and biological volatility. Combined with the Uchiha's natural tendency toward "yandere" extremism and mental instability, he was a ticking time bomb.
As someone deeply influenced by Chinese cultural values of respecting one's teachers, Hiruko found Obito's desire to murder his master and mistress utterly revolting. In this twisted world, everyone had psychological trauma—everyone was a "mental patient"—so sympathy was a cheap currency. Obito was simply too extreme.
Because half of Obito's body was composed of Hashirama cells, he was a massive beacon to Hiruko, who had studied those cells for decades. While Hiruko didn't broadcast this to the whole village, he did drop a hint to Minato: "Someone has infiltrated the village with ill intent, and they are carrying Hashirama's signature."
As time ticked by, Obito's every move—probing defenses, gathering intel—was under Hiruko's surveillance. He had to admit, those Mangekyo Sharingan abilities were truly broken.
Meanwhile, the Cloud and Stone villages were growing restless. They had sensed something unusual and were likely waiting for the moment of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's labor to strike. Konoha didn't slow its preparations; if the enemy wouldn't move, Konoha would simply keep stacking its deck.
Uchiha District.
It's hard for people to see their own flaws. Some members of the Uchiha clan, intoxicated by ancestral glory, were far from satisfied with Minato's arrangements. They were arrogant, lacked the strength to back up their pride, and couldn't see the long-term benefit of Minato's vision.
To them, Minato was insulting the clan. He had integrated the Hyuga, the Senju, and even civilians into the Military Police Force—their traditional stronghold. Elite Uchiha were being sent across the country to maintain traffic order, gather mundane intel, and help lost travelers.
To Minato, this was a chance for the Uchiha to integrate and fix their public image. But to the "radicals"... it was a declaration of war.
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