On the way to Orochimaru's secret laboratory, Shimura Danzo remained silent, but his mind was far from calm.
He knew full well that Asahi's so-called reason—wanting to check on the lone surviving experimental subject—was nothing more than a flimsy excuse. The real reason was obvious: Asahi was interested in Orochimaru's experimental data and research outcomes.
Still, Danzo didn't call out the lie. He, too, had his reasons for playing along. In fact, he was quite interested in seeing the only surviving experimental subject himself.
More importantly, the relationship between Danzo and Orochimaru had already fractured beyond repair after the Fourth Hokage selection. Since Danzo had tried and failed to secure the position for himself, and Orochimaru had been discarded in favor of Namikaze Minato, there was no longer any room for cooperation between the two. Danzo knew he could no longer rely on Orochimaru for research into the fusion of the First Hokage's cells and the Uchiha clan's dōjutsu. Asahi was the only viable replacement.
Even more critically, Danzo had recently come into possession of a technique meant to counter one of the most dangerous jutsu in existence—Flying Thunder God Technique.
It was a forbidden seal known as the Self-Karma Curse Seal. Once this fūinjutsu was branded onto the target, it would immobilize them instantly. With no mobility and no ability to form hand seals, any shinobi—even one like Minato—would be rendered helpless. No matter how brilliant or swift the Flying Thunder God Technique was, it would mean nothing if the user couldn't activate it.
This discovery gave Danzo unprecedented confidence. If the seal worked as intended, even Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, could be neutralized.
Of course, Danzo had conducted extensive research into defeating Flying Thunder God Technique, but this was the only breakthrough so far. It still wasn't perfect—but it was promising.
"We're here." Danzo said curtly.
They had arrived.
The entrance to Orochimaru's hidden laboratory lay behind a thick iron door, sealed by a complex series of fūinjutsu. Danzo quickly formed a series of hand seals—more than twenty in total—before the sealing matrix shimmered and dissipated.
*Clank… Squeak!*
The heavy door creaked open, revealing a cold, clinical chamber filled with a haunting atmosphere.
Asahi stepped inside, his eyes scanning the dimly lit space.
Glass incubators lined the walls—dozens of them. Inside, over sixty children under the age of ten floated in viscous liquid, their small bodies subjected to the corrosive experimentation with the Hashirama cells. These were the victims of Orochimaru's cruel science—living tools bred for power.
"Which one is it?" Danzo asked, his tone impatient.
From the way he moved through the lab, it was clear to Asahi that Danzo had been here before. Not just once or twice—many times. It wouldn't surprise him if Danzo had personally monitored the progress of these experiments. Especially if rumors were true: that only one among the sixty had managed to survive and begin merging with Hashirama Senju's cells.
Asahi narrowed his eyes, scanning the incubators carefully.
He was searching for the one child who resembled Yamato—the future user of Wood-style. But identifying a child's adult self based on vague recollections was not easy. Appearance changes drastically with age, and facial features blur with time. Still, he managed to narrow it down to four potential candidates.
Unfortunately, he couldn't examine them closely under Danzo's watchful eye. There would be no way to test for compatibility in front of him. He had to pick one.
Finally, he pointed toward one of the four.
"That one. Let's take a look at him." he said, feigning certainty.
"Oh?" Danzo leaned closer, his single visible eye narrowing with curiosity.
He studied the child for a long moment, then scoffed. "There's no difference."
"If the distinction were so obvious, Orochimaru would've identified him long ago." Asahi replied with a smirk.
Danzo didn't take offense. Instead, he turned his attention fully to the child in question. 'Perfect fusion with the First Hokage's cells…' Even if this boy wasn't Danzo's direct subordinate, if he could be molded into a weapon, it would still be a valuable asset—one capable of Wood-style, no less.
While Danzo was engrossed in the child, Asahi quietly moved toward Orochimaru's research desk. He scanned the documents quickly, but there were no records detailing the experiments with Hashirama cells.
As expected.
Orochimaru had always been cautious. The most important information wouldn't be left lying around. And even if something was, it was likely to be false or misleading.
But Asahi hadn't come this far only for data.
If he could gain access to the experimental equipment and the actual subjects, he could deduce Orochimaru's methods himself.
He opened one of the incubators, carefully removing the child inside and laying him on the examination table. Then, he began a full diagnostic scan.
This was his specialty.
For years, Asahi had developed a method to reverse-engineer scientific research by examining live data from experiments. By combining his knowledge of medical ninjutsu and biology, he could interpret the changes happening in real-time and extrapolate the methods used to achieve those results.
He didn't need Orochimaru's handwritten notes. The answers were inside the flesh and blood of the experimental subject.
And this approach had served him well. On more than one occasion, Orochimaru had tried to deceive him with false reports. If not for Asahi's vigilance, he might've fallen into those traps.
'But Orochimaru never imagined I'd turn to Shimura Danzo for help.' Asahi muttered inwardly, a gleam in his eyes. 'He never predicted Danzo would discard him so coldly.'
He continued to run tests, documenting each subtle cellular reaction. Using this live feedback, he could formulate the correct sequence of injections, stimulations, and genetic stabilizers Orochimaru must have used. It was a slow but effective process.
"What are you doing?" Danzo's voice cut in sharply.
"Testing." Asahi replied without looking up.
"That child—what's special about him?"
"Nothing." Asahi said, straightening. "He'll be dead soon. His body is already reaching its limit. He can't suppress the First Hokage's cells any longer."
Danzo frowned and walked to the table, watching as Asahi adjusted instruments and recorded data.
But Danzo was no scientist. He had no knowledge of biology, and certainly not the technical skill to understand what the readouts meant.
"Is Elder Danzo interested in research now?" Asahi asked lightly.
"Hmph." Danzo crossed his arms, tone sharp. "You came here for Orochimaru's data, didn't you?"
"I won't deny it." Asahi replied. "He's been researching longer than I have. With his foundation, I can leap forward instead of building everything from scratch."
"Heh…" Danzo chuckled darkly. "And what if Orochimaru returns and finds out you've broken into his lab?"
"I wouldn't have entered at all—unless you, Elder Danzo, want Orochimaru to know about your involvement with me." Asahi said with a cold smile.
*****
Support me on my pat reon and gain early access to my creations.
https://www.pat reon.com/RroY28 (remove the space)
You can access up to 30 advanced chapters.