Seeing how easily Danzō handled the 20% concentration, Hiruko grew more confident. If even those Root shinobi could survive a 40% concentration, then surely Danzo would be fine as well.
After giving himself a mental pep talk, Hiruko injected the 40% concentration reagent into Danzō's body. The process was much the same as before. After an even longer period of agony than the last, the 40% concentration Hashirama cells were also successfully transplanted.
Lying on the cold operating table, Danzo's heart was burning with excitement—the sensation of becoming stronger was simply intoxicating.
In just fifteen minutes, his chakra reserves had doubled. For twenty years he had been stuck at the "semi-Kage" level—now, in one leap, he had broken through.
The exhilaration of finally reaching Kage-level strength washed away the agony almost instantly. Yet, Danzō did not allow himself to bask in triumph. He knew very well: this was still not enough.
Gekko Hoshiyomi could fight head-on with both the Four-Tails and the Third Kazekage. At his current level, Danzō was still lacking.
With that thought in mind, Danzō looked at Hiruko and declared firmly: "Give me the 60% concentration."
Hiruko broke out in a cold sweat. With a troubled expression, he said: "Lord Danzo, the success rate for 60% is only ten percent… are you sure?"
Danzo cut him off immediately: "I'll tell you this—if I don't gamble on that ten percent now, the chance of both you and me dying together is one hundred percent."
Hearing this, Orochimaru quickly shut his mouth. What could I possibly say when the boss has decided to risk his life? He just had to do as he was told.
The 60% concentration of Hashirama cells were injected into Danzo's body. This time, Danzo clearly felt a difference.
The pain was far more intense. Even Danzo, with his forty years of battlefield experience, couldn't hold back his screams.
Listening to Danzo's endless cries of agony, a sudden thought flashed through Hiruko's mind:
Wait a minute. Danzō is in so much pain right now; he definitely has no mind to pay attention to me or think about dragging me down to hell with him.
So, if Danzō dies from the pain right now… wouldn't I survive?
After all, aside from Nawaki and those three test subjects, no one else in Root seems to know I'm the one researching Hashirama cells with Danzō, right?
If Danzō dies now, and I go kill Nawaki, then when Gekkō Hoshiyomi storms in, I can pretend to be a test subject he captured, play dumb, and maybe slip through the cracks and escape?
And if, on the other hand, Danzō survives and gains Hashirama's power, then he should be able to fight Hoshiyomi. If Hoshiyomi dies, I still get to live.
Either way, Danzō's life or death doesn't actually matter for me, does it?
The more he thought about it, the brighter Hiruko's eyes gleamed. Instead of worrying about Danzō's survival, he even found himself secretly wishing the man would die in the next second.
After all, only if Danzō dies will I truly be free.
But perhaps his silent curses had some kind of jinxing backlash. For just when Danzō looked on the brink of collapse, screaming like death itself was imminent—he suddenly began to steady.
Gradually, the torment eased. Against all odds, Danzō had also successfully transplanted the 60-concentration.
Hiruko stared at the man in disbelief, feeling as though the sky itself was crashing down on him. Forcing out a smile uglier than crying, he stammered: "C-congratulations, Lord Danzō. You even successfully transplanted the 60% concentration."
Danzo, however, had no interest in Hiruko's words. All his focus was on his chakra. Carefully sensing it, he discovered that he now possessed two additional nature attributes: water and earth.
But when he tried to use Wood Release, he realized… it seemed he didn't have the talent for it at all.
Danzo recalled that Hiruko had said the 60% concentration only offered a chance at awakening Wood Release. The thought left him seething with unwillingness.
Am I destined to never possess the Wood Release? But if I don't have its power, can I really defeat Hoshiyomi?
Lying on the operating table, Danzo hesitated for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said: "Give me the 80% concentration reagent!"
This wasn't because he had completely lost his mind. In truth, the only reason he dared to attempt the 60% and now even the 80% concentration reagents today was because of that Sharingan—
Izanagi!
It was his final trump card, the ultimate Uchiha forbidden technique he had learned of from Kagami's notes. By sacrificing the light of a single eye, it could unleash a genjutsu capable enough to alter reality itself.
With that jutsu in hand, it was as if he had gained an extra life. That was why Danzo dared to gamble.
Now that he had already injected the 60% concentration Hashirama cells without incident, why not stake this eye for a chance at the legendary Wood Release?
If he failed, all he would lose was this three-tomoe Sharingan. But if he succeeded… he would gain Wood Release itself. That trade was more than worth it.
Hiruko, who had resigned himself to a lifetime as Danzo's tool after watching him survive, was shocked that Danzō was greedy enough to try the 80% concentration.
Try it? Try it and I'll make sure you die for it!
With that thought, Hiruko didn't hesitate. He directly took the 80% concentration reagent from the drawer—the one he hadn't even dared to test on living subjects—and injected it into Danzō.
Just as Hiruko expected, the moment it entered Danzo's body, the man let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Watching Danzō thrashing on the table, veins bulging in agony, Hiruko looked at him as if he were already a dead man. In his mind, there was no way this greedy fool could survive—if he did, that would defy all logic.
Danzō was ninety-nine percent a dead man anyway. Hiruko might as well use this chance to get rid of Nawaki—after all, who knew when Gekko Hoshiyomi would come back?
With that thought, Hiruko gave Danzō a deep bow before turning and heading toward Nawaki's room.
Inside, Nawaki was still bound tightly by the the Self-Curse Binding Seal. Seeing Hiruko approach with a strange smile, he felt a chill in his heart. "What are you trying to do?"
"What am I going to do?" Hiruko grinned ominously. "Don't be scared. I'm just going to help you awaken Wood Release."
As he spoke, Hiruko held up a syringe containing nothing other than the original, raw Hashirama cells.
This was a perverse act of a mad scientist. The last Senju clan member whose cells had an inhibitory effect on the Hashirama cells still ended up becoming a "human bonsai."
He wanted to see what would happen to Nawaki, whose cells had an even stronger inhibitory effect, when exposed to the raw cells.
Just as Hiruko was looking forward to seeing Nawaki's reaction, he suddenly felt a terrifying surge of chakra from the next room.
His expression changed. He rushed back in a hurry—only to find Danzo calmly examining several wooden spikes sprouting from his body.
"Lord Danzo… you… you succeeded?"
At that instant, Hiruko felt his mind go blank. He was utterly dumbfounded.