Konoha Village, an unknown underground base.
This is Tobirama Senju's personal research facility.
Located in the heart of Konohagakure, the large-scale facility is surrounded by dense forests, ensuring both secrecy for research and convenience for developing ninjutsu or conducting various experiments.
Uchiha Kagami followed Tobirama up the stairs, pushing through layers of hidden doors until they entered the empty laboratory, still reeling from the earlier shock.
"The teacher... acknowledged me..."
"He wants me to become Hokage..."
He was somewhat dazed, his mind replaying Tobirama's earnest expression and gratifying words on loop, mechanically following him into the laboratory—so much so that he completely overlooked the surroundings.
"Snap!"
Tobirama pulled down the switch, completing the circuit. Rows of bright yellow lights flickered on simultaneously, instantly illuminating the dim laboratory with stark clarity.
Only then did Kagami snap out of his daze, instinctively surveying his surroundings. A strong sense of dissonance welled up in his heart.
The first thing that caught the eye was a massive central control console, covered with flickering screens and buttons, connected to various experimental equipment through intricate and complex circuitry.
Specially designed sealing devices for ninjutsu development, chakra analysis instruments, and over a dozen types of biochemical experimental equipment whose names he couldn't even guess—if it weren't for Tobirama's explanations by his side, he might have mistaken them for some kind of combat machinery.
Dust particles floated in the beams of light, and the air was filled with a peculiar mix of metal and medicinal scents. Rows of refrigeration units and filing cabinets flashed by on either side, while through the glass storage cases, one could see various test tubes, petri dishes, and colorful reagents.
Kagami felt dazzled, now standing at the heart of the laboratory.
Further inside, the lab was divided into several well-organized sections—rest area, herb area, training area… Listening to Tobirama's casual introduction, it seemed each zone served a distinct purpose.
Kagami's mouth hung open as he stared at his teacher in astonishment, as if seeing him for the first time.
Despite the lab being equipped with advanced technology, Tobirama still preserved some traditional elements, such as the Senju clan emblem, ninja tools, and some ancient scrolls and books hanging on the walls.
This made Kagami breathe a slight sigh of relief, realizing he was indeed still in the shinobi world.
He was at a loss for words, having witnessed too many incomprehensible things today. If he had to summarize it in one sentence, Tobirama's research facility was simply a perfect fusion of biology, technology, and ninjutsu.
In one of the cultivation chambers, he even saw lava. Amid the rolling waves of heat, there grew clusters of dark purple plants, their branches sprawling like thickets of thorns, with faint black vapors rising from their surfaces.
The air shimmered with distortion, and even through the glass, the heat was palpable.
'That's the Oni Karasu Grass. Don't let its unremarkable appearance fool you—it's the key to our current experiment,' Tobirama noted, following his gaze. 'The solution extracted from the Oni Karasu plant effectively reduces the body's rejection response. It's a form of genetic-level permeation and fusion...'
Soon, Tobirama led him to the heart of the laboratory. The moment the door was pushed open, Kagami was dumbfounded, standing there like a wooden statue.
What did he see? In a massive container tank at the far end of the room, the already buried First Hokage was quietly submerged in an eerie green solution, his eyes closed, his face peaceful, his long black hair floating like seaweed.
On the side workbench lay a thick stack of experimental documents, while the walls were covered with all sorts of charts and data, clearly indicating that some research had progressed to a certain extent.
"Sensei! (Teacher!)" Kagami widened his eyes, trembling as he pointed at the distant glass tank. "This is..."
Tobirama sighed lightly. "Becoming Hokage requires strength, but your current power mainly comes from those Mangekyō Sharingan. Once you go blind, your strength will plummet instantly."
"Your intelligence reminded me—if we could transfer the life force contained within my elder brother's cells to you, perhaps the self-healing factors could continuously repair your optic nerves, thereby avoiding the risk of blindness..."
Listening to Tobirama's account, Kagami still found it hard to believe. "Can our teacher really do something like that?"
"It's not a question of whether I can do it, but whether you... can accept it?" Tobirama spoke calmly. "I can't guarantee the experiment will succeed. If it fails, both your life and Konoha will be lost."
It seems the teacher has indirectly entrusted the village to me.
Kagami took a deep breath, 'Then bring it on. As long as we can win this war and protect more comrades, I'm not afraid of failure!'
Only he himself knew the true state of his body. Every time he used the Mangekyō Sharingan's ocular techniques, both his vision and physical strength diminished day by day.
He didn't know how much longer he could hold on—three months? One month? If this continued, the day would come when he'd lose his sight completely.
Tobirama opened the refrigeration unit, and as a burst of cold air rushed out, he carefully retrieved a small vial of golden solution, treating it as if it were a priceless treasure.
The test tube swayed, casting ripples of pale gold under the light.
"This is the genetic solution I spent weeks extracting from my elder brother's cells," Tobirama carefully cradled the test tube. "Our ultimate goal is to inject it into your body, allowing it to fuse with every cell of yours, reconstructing your genes so you may fully inherit his power."
Kagami's pupils involuntarily contracted. Within this small vial of liquid, he sensed a surge of vibrant vitality—pure life force, blazing like the midday sun.
He even had an intuition that if a single drop of this solution were spilled onto the soil, a towering tree would instantly sprout from the ground! And if the entire contents were poured out, a dense forest would emerge in the blink of an eye!
He truly couldn't imagine what terrifying things might happen if he injected this solution into his body now.
"Don't worry, of course not now."
Tobirama returned the gene solution to the refrigeration cabinet, locking the door layer by layer, 'Over the next three days, I will also extract your gene solution from you, analyze and compare the differences, and then use a special fusion agent to attempt to merge the two...'
"By continuously adjusting and fine-tuning the concentration of the genetic solution until it assimilates into the one that suits you best..."
"Only after all the samples have perfectly fused can the injection of the genetic serum begin."
"This is bound to be a lengthy process, and we may have to endure countless failures..."
Tobirama's gaze pierced through his eyes, his tone carrying a firm trust, 'No matter the final outcome, I, along with the entire Hidden Leaf Village, will stake everything on you.'
Kagami nodded solemnly.
"First, I need to examine your current physical condition and conduct a comprehensive assessment of your physical fitness..."
Three days later, Tobirama was holding a pale red solution in his hand.
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