Chapter 45: A New Research Path
"Based on his refusal to show his true face, I doubt he is the real Uchiha Madara," Uchiha Akira stated, his expression thoughtful. "However, that individual has almost certainly awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. He must have some connection to Madara—perhaps even being his designated successor."
"How strong is he?" Hiruzen pressed.
"From our brief exchange, I can confirm his Fire Release is extremely advanced, and his reaction speed is exceptional. He is far from an ordinary shinobi," Akira reported. His gaze shifted to Namikaze Minato. "Furthermore, he possesses a space-time ninjutsu similar in nature to Minato's Flying Thunder God. His mastery of it appears considerable."
"Troublesome... Space-time ninjutsu..." Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a vein throb at his temple. His blood pressure was undoubtedly rising. Enemies who wielded space-time techniques rendered many conventional strategies useless. A large part of Minato's fearsome reputation was built upon the Flying Thunder God. If such an enemy chose to disengage, stopping them was nearly impossible. There existed no known sealing barrier in the ninja world capable of reliably containing space-time ninjutsu.
Utatane Koharu looked at Hiruzen, her expression grim. "Hiruzen, what is our course of action?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen could only shake his head. For the moment, he had no viable plan.
Launching a concentrated assault on the Land of Rain was out of the question. They had no intelligence on Akatsuki's headquarters or primary bases. Charging in blindly would only alert the enemy. The Rain Country was their domain. If Akatsuki detected the threat and burrowed deeper into hiding, the problem would only compound.
After several minutes of tense contemplation, a chilling realization dawned on Hiruzen: Konoha currently had no effective means to counter this new threat.
He looked around the table at the assembled jonin and clan heads. "What are your thoughts?"
The leaders exchanged uneasy glances. Seconds ticked by in silence. No one volunteered a solution. An enemy pairing a legendary dojutsu with space-time ninjutsu was a nightmare scenario. A surprise attack on a known location might have a chance, provided they could separate the two key figures. But without that location... the strategy was dead on arrival.
The meeting concluded without resolution. Sarutobi Hiruzen could only issue general orders: increased vigilance around Konoha's perimeter, heightened alert status, and a directive for the Uchiha Police Force to intensify patrols.
As for Jiraiya, Hiruzen placed him under temporary house confinement. His freedom was now subject to the Hokage's discretion. With the war over, Konoha had no immediate need for the Toad Sage's services. The confinement was as much for his protection as for punishment—to prevent him from rushing headlong into the Rain Country on a futile, likely suicidal, mission of atonement.
Uchiha Akira did not return directly to the Uchiha district. Instead, he made his way to the Shentian Biologics research facility. Here, he maintained a private, high-security laboratory for storing and examining unique acquisitions: the severed tail of the Six-Tails, and now, the fragments of the Gedo Statue recovered from the Rain Country.
Only he possessed access.
He stood before the examination table, studying the strange, petrified fragment of the Divine Tree's husk and the larger piece of the statue's calcified tissue. A contemplative gleam shone in his eyes.
After a moment, he retrieved a fist-sized sample of Six-Tails flesh from a preservation container and carefully placed it atop the half-meter-long segment of statue tissue.
Then, he activated his Sharingan, its crimson pattern spinning as he focused intently on the point of contact.
After some time, a look of revelation crossed his face. "As I suspected... The statue's tissue retains the instinct to absorb tailed beast chakra."
Through the enhanced perception of the Sharingan, he observed clearly: the Six-Tails flesh placed on the statue fragment seemed caught in an invisible vortex. At the point of contact, the bijuu's tissue steadily broke down, transforming into pure chakra that was then drawn into and absorbed by the dead-looking branch.
Thirty minutes later, the fist-sized piece of Six-Tails flesh had vanished entirely, as if it had never existed. The statue fragment showed no visible change, appearing no different from any ordinary, lifeless piece of wood.
What would happen if this statue tissue were allowed to devour the chakra of all nine tailed beasts? The thought was electrifying. Could it regenerate into true Ten-Tails flesh? Could it become a conduit to indirectly access the power of the Ten-Tails? The power of the Six Paths?
He stroked his chin, his mind racing. The potential was immense, absolutely worth rigorous experimentation.
He harbored no illusion that this small fragment could regrow an entire Divine Tree. But if it were a seed from a true tree, that would be a different matter. This substance, while called part of a "tree," was a living entity, not plant matter in any conventional sense.
Even the prospect of indirectly obtaining a fraction of Six Paths power through this method was a monumental discovery. At the very least, he could attempt to emulate Kin and Gin—the Gold and Silver Brothers—who gained pseudo-jinchuriki status by consuming Kurama's flesh. He could become a pseudo-Ten-Tails Jinchuriki! Such a being would possess a measure of the Ten-Tails' might and Six Paths power, placing them in a completely different league from ordinary shinobi in terms of strength and vitality.
With his course decided, Uchiha Akira carefully selected a half-meter segment of the statue tissue and left his private lab. He sought out Yakushi Nono, who was busy overseeing another project.
Although he held little hope of actually cultivating a new Divine Tree from this fragment... what if? The collective intellect of a dedicated research team might uncover unexpected properties or applications. Even if they couldn't grow a tree, valuable secondary products might be developed. Akira never underestimated the power of organized, scientific inquiry.
"Jonin Akira, what can I do for you?" Yakushi Nono looked up from her notes, her white lab coat crisp. She seemed puzzled by the dead branch he carried.
Instead of answering directly, Akira asked, "How is your workload currently?"
"Manageable," she replied with her characteristic gentle smile. "This level of intensity is nothing compared to my previous... occupation. I still have time to return to the orphanage each evening for the children."
"Good," Akira nodded. "When you have capacity, I need you to establish a new research division. Their sole focus will be to analyze the biological and chakra-reactive properties of this specimen." He handed her the branch. "Study it exhaustively, from the molecular level outward. The ultimate, theoretical goal is to induce it to sprout and resume growth."
Yakushi Nono accepted the fragment, turning it over in her hands with a scientist's careful scrutiny. Her expression grew solemn. "I will assemble a dedicated team immediately. However, I must be candid: pinpointing its unique characteristics, let alone achieving reactivation, could take an indeterminate amount of time."
Given Akira's specific instructions, she understood this was no ordinary piece of wood. It might not be plant matter at all. She chose caution over promises.
"I understand," Akira said. "Proceed with the research. If you require more personnel, instruct the HR department to begin recruitment. There is no budget ceiling for this project."
"Understood. You have my assurance that research progress will not be hindered by a lack of resources or personnel," Yakushi Nono stated firmly.
(End of Chapter)
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