After a long while, Hiruko spoke to Ranmaru, who lay on the operating table, barely clinging to life. "Congratulations, the surgery was a success!"
With his last ounce of strength, Ranmaru glanced at Hiruko before his eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
"It really worked!"
Looking at the unconscious Ranmaru, a chilling smile spread across Hiruko's face.
No doubt about it.
With the success of this transplant surgery, Hiruko now had a new test subject and could finally conduct another fusion ritual!
Things often worked out this way.
Unbound by moral constraints, individuals like Hiruko, Orochimaru, and Sasori, who operated without limits, were more likely to produce astonishing research results.
It wasn't that their knowledge or skills surpassed others, but their lack of restraint allowed them to conduct large-scale, inhumane experiments.
With enough samples, fate itself seemed to favor them!
The next day.
Wrapped in bandages, Ranmaru limped from his resting room into Hiruko's laboratory, steadying himself against the wall.
Hiruko approached slowly. "Awake? Good, you're up earlier than I expected!"
"When can we perform the ritual?" Ranmaru paused, then added, "I can't wait any longer!"
Hiruko asked, "Have you decided which Bloodline Limits to fuse?"
Ranmaru shook his head.
Hiruko smiled. "You possess a rare dojutsu Bloodline Limit, so I suggest choosing Bloodline Limits that enhance taijutsu. Most ninjutsu are useless against 'Dark Release'!"
Ranmaru nodded, half-understanding. "Which Bloodline Limits should I choose?"
"You could follow my example and pick 'Dark Release,' 'Swift Release,' 'Steel Release,' or 'Storm Release,' or you can choose your own."
As he spoke, Hiruko tossed Ranmaru a small booklet.
Flipping through it, Ranmaru saw it listed all the shinobi with Bloodline Limits that Hiruko had captured, along with the chakra natures of their abilities.
After browsing, Ranmaru pointed to a few pages. "I'll choose these Bloodline Limits!"
Hiruko glanced at him. "Are you sure? Fusing those Bloodline Limits, even if the ritual succeeds, will leave you lacking in wide-range attack techniques."
Ranmaru replied, "I only want to kill one person!"
Hiruko's expression darkened. "The ritual's cost is far greater than you can imagine. You'd better make it through, or I'll be at a huge loss!"
…
In the Hidden Leaf Village.
At a training field.
Wham!
With a muffled thud, Naruto was sent flying by a powerful kick, the figure responsible flashing past and soaring into the air.
Sakura, watching from the sidelines, gaped. "Maple is amazing!"
Yakumo nodded slightly. "Yeah, who would've thought Maple could fly!"
No question about it.
The one sparring with Naruto was none other than Maple, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki who had fled to the Hidden Leaf from the Hidden Waterfall Village for safety.
Being of similar age, Maple quickly bonded with Naruto and the other ninja academy students after arriving in the Hidden Leaf. Today, egged on by the others, Maple and Naruto were having a Jinchuriki-versus-Jinchuriki sparring match.
Naruto scrambled to his feet, pointing at Maple in the sky. "Maple, you're cheating! You're up there—how am I supposed to fight you?!"
Maple crossed her arms in midair. "Flying is part of my ability, Naruto. If you can't beat me, you can always surrender!"
Naruto grumbled, "I'm not giving up! Come down here!"
Maple beckoned with a finger. "You come up here!"
On the sidelines.
Watching the two bicker, the ninja academy students burst into laughter.
Ino chuckled. "Naruto's such an idiot!"
Choji scratched his head. "If it were me out there, I wouldn't know how to deal with her either!"
"Enemies with flight abilities are inherently tricky," Shikamaru said, pausing. "Take this Akatsuki attack on the village, for example. A lot of our forces were tied up dealing with their flying fusion beasts, which left us short on support for other battlefronts."
Sakura asked, "Doesn't the village have any way to counter flying enemies?"
Shikamaru shook his head. "Even for the Hidden Leaf, there aren't many good options. Especially against a target like Maple, who's fast and agile—ninjutsu rarely hits."
Yakumo joined the conversation. "It's not entirely hopeless. Sasuke's Susanoo can use a bow and arrow, making it hard for most aerial targets to escape his aim. Shinji's self-created ninjutsu, 'Kirin,' can also take down flying targets within a certain area. And…"
She trailed off mid-sentence.
Sakura pressed, "And what?"
Shikamaru and the others looked at Yakumo, awaiting her answer.
Yakumo shook her head. "That's all I can think of for now."
She was thinking that if she still had her Koryugan, her 'Ido' could perfectly counter any flying target. In terms of speed and agility, even Maple, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, couldn't compare to the spiritual form of 'Ido.'
At that moment, Shinji arrived at the edge of the training field.
Seeing Shinji, the ninja academy students fell silent. Those less familiar with him bowed respectfully, while even his closer peers seemed uneasy in his presence.
Clearly, with Shinji's string of remarkable achievements, his status had far surpassed that of a typical ninja academy student, making his peers feel overshadowed.
Shinji looked at Maple on the field and said calmly, "She's the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from the Hidden Waterfall Village?"
Sakura quickly replied, "Y-Yes!"
Shinji wasn't surprised by the Hidden Waterfall Village's arrangement. With their limited strength, they couldn't fend off the Akatsuki. Rather than living in fear, it made sense to use the alliance of ninja villages to place their Jinchuriki in the Hidden Leaf for safety.
It was practical and strengthened ties with the Hidden Leaf.
However, this meant the Hidden Leaf now housed both the Nine-Tails and Seven-Tails Jinchuriki—prime Akatsuki targets—greatly increasing the likelihood of another attack.
"What will Nagato and Obito do next?"
Shinji mused to himself before turning to leave.
On the field.
Maple, still airborne, had noticed Shinji the moment he arrived, as the entire training field went quiet.
After Shinji left, Maple landed and curiously asked Sakura and Yakumo, "Who was that guy? Why did you all seem so scared of him?"
"Scared?!" Yakumo laughed. "You've got it wrong. That's our ninja academy's First Chair, Uchiha Shinji!"
Maple gazed in the direction Shinji had gone, murmuring, "So he's Uchiha Shinji!"