Tsunade said, "You have the leisure to mess around with this?"
"Though given your talent, awakening Wood Release isn't entirely impossible."
Tsunade's words carried a hint of bitterness. As Hashirama Senju's granddaughter, she was the one most likely to awaken Wood Release.
Yet the reality was that, up to now, she could only utilize the Senju clan's most proud traits—monstrous strength and physical stamina—along with her chakra.
Uzumaki Mito also grew interested. Wood Release wasn't something one could awaken just by wanting to.
Uchiha Yato wasn't the type to boast, so she was curious about what he had to say next.
Uchiha Yato explained, "I've been researching with Orochimaru recently and stumbled upon some insights."
"If it succeeds, awakening Wood Release is a real possibility."
Hearing this, Uzumaki Mito felt slightly uneasy.
The name Orochimaru wasn't unfamiliar to her.
Like Tsunade, he was one of the legendary Sannin, and he had been Nawaki's teacher before his death. How could she not have heard of him?
But his association with Shimura Danzo was something many in the higher-ups were at least vaguely aware of.
Tsunade then added, "Don't tell me Orochimaru invited you to participate in Wood Release experiments?"
"He approached me about it before, but I thought he was joking at the time."
Uchiha Yato clarified, "Don't be so dismissive of these human experiments."
"Or is it that spending too much time with Danzo makes people narrow-minded like this?"
Uchiha Yato wasn't just trying to clear Orochimaru's name for no reason.
He wanted to rally the Sannin to his side, as this would greatly benefit their future plans.
In the original timeline, various factors had driven a wedge between the Sannin.
But now, as long as Shimura Danzo was dealt with, a Hidden Leaf Village with the Sannin united would be a force to reckon with.
Uchiha Yato's vision was simple—not necessarily to dominate the shinobi world,
but at the very least, during his lifetime, the shinobi world would be his personal playground.
His ambition was straightforward: to share the gifts and "toys" given by his system with the entire shinobi world.
Hearing Uchiha Yato's words,
Uzumaki Mito asked, "Won't this have any adverse effects on your body?"
Uchiha Yato briefly explained the concept of volunteers and shared some medical knowledge.
With Tsunade, a medical prodigy, present, she could verify whether Uchiha Yato's claims held water.
He then elaborated on his theories about Wood Release. (A general explanation here; the details were covered earlier during Orochimaru's invitation.)
"So I believe it's absolutely worth exploring, which is also one of the reasons I came to see you today."Uzumaki Mito roughly understood Uchiha Yato's request.
It was to have Tsunade join the Wood Release research team together and ensure there wouldn't be too much harm to herself.
Tsunade was actually quite excited inside.
From Uchiha Yato's description, Orochimaru's human experiments were related to medical research in certain aspects.
For a ninja passionate about Medical Ninjutsu, this was a common ground.
Not only could she discuss medical techniques with Orochimaru, but she could also attempt to awaken Wood Release and fulfill her long-held wish.
It was killing two birds with one stone, so Tsunade was quite hopeful that her grandmother would agree.
Uzumaki Mito looked at the two of them, both with eager expressions, and didn't stubbornly resist.
She made Uchiha Yato promise to ensure Tsunade's and his own safety—otherwise, she would absolutely not allow them to participate in the Wood Release experiments.
Uchiha Yato still hoped to dominate the entire ninja world in the future—how could he possibly take his own life so lightly?
At this moment, Uchiha Yato skillfully steered the conversation toward another topic.
"Poor Hatake Sakumo lately—he keeps getting framed."
"If this matter is exploited by certain people and successfully pinned on him..."
"Then what will happen to the Will of Fire? Sigh~"
Uchiha Yato deliberately said these words for Uzumaki Mito to hear.
His meaning was clear—human lives were more important than missions, and someone was pulling strings behind the scenes.
If things went wrong, it would be a disaster for the entire Hidden Leaf Village, so caution was necessary.
Uzumaki Mito found an excuse to send Tsunade away and asked Uchiha Yato,
"You must already have a plan in mind, don't you?"
Uchiha Yato gave a shy smile, confirming that he did.
Uzumaki Mito patiently laid out two conditions:
"First, you must have solid evidence."
"Second, no excessive force or violent methods are allowed."
"As long as these two conditions are met, no matter who you uncover, I'll permit you to use force directly."
Uchiha Yato had obtained the guarantee and support he wanted most—an offer from the Hidden Leaf's queen mother herself.
...
Inside Orochimaru's lab.
This time, an unexpected visitor arrived—Uzumaki Mito.
She still wanted to verify whether Orochimaru's experiments were truly harmless and beneficial.
The look in Uzumaki Mito's eyes made Orochimaru experience a different kind of emotion.
It was somewhat like a mother-in-law scrutinizing her son-in-law—full of judgment and disdain.
Give her even the slightest dissatisfaction, and she'd ensure his project was shut down immediately.
Orochimaru promptly led Uzumaki Mito to tour his most legitimate lab.
Uchiha Yato had previously advised Orochimaru to keep his lab aboveboard, but he never expected an inspection from someone of such high authority.
Even his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would likely turn a blind eye to whatever he saw.
But Uzumaki Mito was different—she wasn't so easily fooled.
Fortunately, Orochimaru had no intention of deceiving her. The experimental data and equipment she inspected were relatively normal—no preserved animal specimens, biological samples, or jars of organs in sight.
But there was also an upside to this.
If Orochimaru passed Uzumaki Mito's inspection, his future research on Wood Release would be officially sanctioned by the Hidden Leaf.No longer would Orochimaru be held back by Shimura Danzo's restrictions on experimental funding, because Uchiha Yato would provide the money.
After all, this project was related to himself as well, so investing a small sum was also for his own development.
Uzumaki Mito was generally satisfied but still gave a final warning.
"Experiments are still experiments—you must remain somewhat rational."
"Human experiments require even more caution. You must not harm anyone."
Her implication was clear.
You may conduct experiments, and I approve of them, but you must not hurt others.
If something goes wrong, I won't be able to protect you, so you must be careful—extremely careful.
Orochimaru, ever considerate, presented the initial plan for the Wood Release research.
Personally, Orochimaru also believed that the Senju bloodline was more important.
Thus, the first official Wood Release experiment would revolve around Tsunade.
In later stages, Uchiha Yato might also need to participate.
Helping Orochimaru clear his name this time was also about cutting off one of Shimura Danzo's escape routes.
From this point on, Danzo's remaining options were limited to his own clan and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
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