Danzo Shimura's expression changed as he realized what she meant. "You want me to use my arm instead of a weapon to carry the mental energy of 'Xu'?" he said in a low voice. "One is flesh, the other is metal. How can they be compared?"
"At least in theory, it works, doesn't it, Danzo Shimura-sama?" Marten said softly. "If your arm can carry the mental energy of 'Xu' and bring the vitality of Hashirama Cells into balance with that energy, you can fully control the Wood Release power within it."
"After that, you would never need to worry about Hashirama Cells going out of control again. It is the most direct and effective method, but you must verify it personally."
Danzo Shimura fell silent, his facial muscles twitching as his breathing grew heavier. The risks were obvious, and a single mistake could turn him into wood in an instant. Absorbing the mental energy of 'Xu' directly into his body could also cause unknown consequences.
But the power of Wood Release and the power of 'Xu' were too tempting to ignore. To him, they were like sweet poison, and the scale in his heart slowly tilted.
Hesitation, greed, and madness flashed through Danzo Shimura's single eye until he clenched his fist and felt his nails dig into his palm. "Are you sure this will work?" he asked hoarsely.
"Success rate is 77.3%," Marten replied with a cold number. "You understand that risk and reward go together."
Less than eighty percent. Danzo Shimura's heart sank, but he had little choice left. The elite forces of the Uchiha Clan had already been wiped out by Itachi Uchiha, and he could not even contact Orochimaru.
At least gambling once was better than relying on Sealing Technique to barely survive until Hashirama Cells devoured him. He truly believed that the appearance of 'Xu' would disrupt the balance of the Ninja World and create new opportunities.
With that thought, Danzo Shimura looked at Marten and sneered. "You really are a madwoman. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
"If I weren't a madwoman, I wouldn't follow you," she replied with a smile.
"Enough," Danzo Shimura said sharply. "Lead the way."
Marten turned and walked toward the heavy lab gate, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. As the gate opened, it revealed an isolation operation room filled with complex Sealing Technique arrays and lines, with the control console facing the massive container that held the 'Xu'.
Danzo Shimura strode in and stared at the creature at close range. "Danzo Shimura-sama, please prepare," Marten said. "Ten seconds later, please remove the first Sealing Technique on your arm. At the same time, the container will open to create an attack window."
"Once the seal is opened, Hashirama Cells will go berserk immediately and cannot be resealed. You only have one chance."
All other researchers had left the lab, leaving only a few Root Ninja skilled in Sealing Technique outside in case of an emergency. Danzo Shimura replied coldly, "Stop talking. Do it."
He drew out the arm hidden in his sleeve, revealing the three Sealing Technique locks on it. Fixing his gaze on the 'Xu', he placed his hand on the first lock.
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
As Marten's countdown ended, Danzo Shimura released the first lock without hesitation. A deep humming sound followed as a terrifying aura burst from the arm made of Hashirama Cells, like a volcano released after long suppression.
The bandages around the arm were torn apart, exposing a pale arm that looked like wrinkled tree bark as flesh writhed and swelled beneath the skin. At the same time, the container holding the 'Xu' opened, and the awakened creature raised its head and roared at Danzo Shimura in rage.
"Now!" Marten shouted urgently.
Enduring the tearing pain, Danzo Shimura poured all his Chakra into that arm. Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree burst forth as the arm thrust forward, wooden spikes growing wildly and shooting out like lances.
The spikes pierced the body of the 'Xu' and shattered its pale bone mask. With a sharp crash, the mask broke apart and the creature's body exploded, releasing a torrent of icy mental energy.
Under their gaze, that visible stream of mental energy surged into the still-growing arm. Danzo Shimura let out a muffled groan as the cold sensation stabbed into him like needles.
Then, the rampaging Wood Release ninjutsu that had been draining his Chakra and nearly filling the lab suddenly began to slow. The pain remained, but the Hashirama Cells were forcibly suppressed.
Feeling the strange balance forming between the two forces in his arm, Danzo Shimura cautiously guided the power back. The massive trees shrank and finally returned to the shape of an arm under his control.
He looked down at it, seeing fine Black Threads patterns covering the once bark-like skin. They stretched from palm to shoulder and moved slightly like living things, emitting an aura similar to 'Xu'.
Danzo Shimura could clearly feel that the corrosive Hashirama Cells was now restrained by that power. The endless rampage had turned into a force that could be guided and used.
"Danzo Shimura-sama, don't just stand there," Marten said excitedly. "Move it, then try using Wood Release ninjutsu with that arm."
He slowly raised the mutated arm and opened and closed his fingers. The joints made soft sounds, filled with unfamiliar strength, as if the arm had truly become part of his body.
"Wood Release…" Danzo Shimura muttered, channeling Chakra into the arm. The Black Threads glowed faintly as he raised his palm toward the reinforced wall.
Without forming seals, he focused his will. Wood Release: Insertion Technique erupted as a sharp wooden spike shot from his palm, piercing the wall and exploding inside it.
Metal screeched as sparks flew and fragments fell to the floor. The lab fell into dead silence, broken only by the echoing sound and the clatter of debris.
Danzo Shimura lowered his arm and looked between the damaged wall and his own hand. His face was blank, but his single eye burned with near-mad shock.
It worked. It really worked.
He laughed loudly as joy twisted his pain-worn face. Marten's voice trembled as she shouted for data to be recorded, praising the fusion as perfect.
Danzo Shimura ignored her excitement and felt the power flowing through his palm. The faint chill from the Black Threads only made him more exhilarated.
This power was not enough. One 'Xu' was insufficient to fully suppress the Hashirama Cells, and releasing the remaining locks would still cause it to go berserk.
"Marten, I'll give you whatever you want," Danzo Shimura said firmly. "I need more 'Xu'."
She fell silent when she saw the madness in his eye and swallowed her warning. She knew he would not listen now.
She understood better than anyone, aside from Orochimaru, what Wood Release meant to Danzo Shimura. It meant power, and it meant the Hokage position.
In the end, she said nothing. She knew the mental energy of 'Xu' was filled with resentment and destruction, and absorbing it directly might turn him into something no longer human. But that uncertainty was exactly what she wanted to see, and she was willing to pay any price to witness it.