Uchiha Shunichi stayed in the laboratory for a long time, yet the progress of his experiments remained unchanged.
There were results—but they were completely unstable.
Even someone like Shunichi, who possessed a rewind ability, would never consider injecting such experimental outcomes into his own body.
Because this kind of modification wasn't a one-time effect—it would exert long-term influence on the body.
The results might look promising at first, only to deteriorate suddenly months—or even years—later.
"The science of this world…"
Shunichi frowned.
"…really is astonishingly imprecise."
At that moment, he finally understood why Orochimaru resorted to human experimentation.
Scientific research in this world lacked formulas, lacked systematic theory, and lacked structured methodology.
Most experiments followed a simple logic:
Have an idea? Then try it.
As for whether it would succeed…
That depended entirely on luck.
The terrifying strength of chakra lay in the fact that it could suppress countless cellular reactions—and even forcibly bind together two things that should never have been related.
For example…
Kekkei Genkai transplantation.
Scratching his head, Shunichi decided to set the matter aside for now.
He wouldn't conduct human experiments, and cloning a human body required vast amounts of funding. Shunichi had no intention of turning to robbery—and for the time being, he also had no intention of betraying the village.
That said, Sarutobi Hiruzen was absolutely not someone he could trust.
It would be better to wait until Tsunade became Hokage.
That woman… should be able to recognize the value of his research.
…
The period that followed was, for Shunichi, unbearably dull.
Yes—truly dull.
As long as Uzumaki Naruto stayed within the village, nothing usually happened. As a result, the ANBU tasked with secretly protecting him spent most of their time doing nothing at all.
Thankfully, the assignment was fairly flexible. When Naruto accompanied Kakashi on missions during the day, surveillance wasn't necessary. And at night, when Naruto slept, things could relax a little.
In fact, it wasn't just Shunichi who felt impatient.
Even Uchiha Sasuke was growing restless.
Catching cats, chasing dogs, cleaning trash—
Endless trivial errands that felt more like children's chores than ninja work.
Eventually, Naruto was the first to snap. He went to Sarutobi Hiruzen to complain, asking for a more advanced mission.
Hiruzen agreed—and assigned a bodyguard escort mission to Team Seven.
And at the very moment Naruto received his new mission, Shunichi received one as well.
This time, ANBU wasn't just protecting Naruto—they had a task of their own.
"Purge rogue ninja in the Land of Waves?"
Shunichi looked at Tenzo with some confusion.
"But don't we still have another mission?"
No matter how he thought about it, he hadn't expected himself to be the one leaving Konoha first.
"We just need to maintain a safe distance," Tenzo replied calmly.
"With a ninja's speed, if anything happens, we'll reach them in time."
It was clear that Tenzo trusted Hatake Kakashi's strength.
"I understand."
Shunichi nodded and didn't press further.
Still, Tenzo seemed uneasy.
"This is your first mission outside the village," he said seriously.
"Your strength has been acknowledged, but anything can happen on a mission. If something unexpected occurs, contact me immediately."
It had to be said—there were quite a few decent people left in Konoha.
Although Shunichi knew that part of Tenzo's duty involved monitoring him, these words still earned a measure of goodwill.
"Mm. I stay calm. Nothing will go wrong."
Though he had yet to kill a person, Shunichi had already slaughtered thousands of lab mice.
Some of those mutated mice weren't much smaller than humans.
And recently, Shunichi had been constantly thinking about cloning—yet he still hadn't resolved the issue of the soul.
After all, what he wanted was only a body.
A soul introduced far too many variables into experimentation.
"Good. Prepare yourselves. We depart in one hour."
Tenzo clearly had little confidence in Shunichi's reassurance.
And it wasn't unreasonable.
Before experiencing real combat, no one could predict how they would react. Some adapted instantly—others never did.
Following behind Team Seven, Uchiha Shunichi stepped beyond Konoha's gates for the first time.
The scenery outside felt unfamiliar—but it also lifted his mood.
Unfortunately, that good mood didn't last.
It ended at the next town.
The settlement was fairly orderly, yet everywhere he looked were villagers with sallow faces and thin bodies, along with visibly dilapidated homes.
"This place…"
Shunichi frowned slightly.
He had always known that suffering existed in the shinobi world—but he had never imagined seeing such conditions within the Land of Fire.
After all, the Land of Fire was the most prosperous of the Five Great Nations.
"It looks very different from the village, doesn't it?" Tenzo said indifferently.
"This area's remote. No valuable local products. And most importantly—it's close to the border."
Tenzo had grown up in the shadow of war.
Even if he hadn't fought on many battlefields himself, he had seen more than enough cruelty through Root, and through the suffering of ordinary people.
"No… I just didn't expect it to look like this," Shunichi said quietly, shaking his head.
Tenzo glanced around, sighing.
"Not everywhere is Konoha. Honestly, this place is already doing relatively well."
"All right. We'll rest briefly. Gather intelligence and regroup in fifteen minutes."
He then added, "This is the mission target. Do not expose yourselves."
It was clear that Yūgao Uzuki and Gekkō Hayate already knew the objective. The information Tenzo handed over was meant specifically for Shunichi.
Shunichi took it, glanced over it, and saw a ninja he had no memory of.
According to the report, the target was a Tokubetsu Jōnin who had defected during wartime after choosing cowardice over combat.
After scanning it twice and committing the details to memory, Shunichi returned the intel to Tenzo.
Observation was a fundamental skill every ninja had to master.
Among the Three Basic Techniques taught at the Academy, the most difficult wasn't the Clone Technique
It was the Transformation Technique.
Not because it was complex, but because it demanded meticulous observation.
Especially when transforming into another person—you had to note not only their physique, but also their belongings, habits, and countless subtle details.
In that sense…
Uzumaki Naruto truly was a genius.
He just never had a proper teacher to guide him.