The group of orphans was not brought back to the village but instead placed at Orochimaru's former secret base, located outside the village.
Makoto didn't bother looking at what they were like.
These were all war orphans collected by the Anbu, with no parents and very young.
Even if they weren't brought here, it would have been hard for them to survive in this world.
Orochimaru had checked the base and expressed his satisfaction with the situation to Makoto.
Previously, due to Makoto's suggestion, some villagers who had lost limbs in the war were able to have them reattached by Orochimaru, which made them immensely grateful to the Hokage.
Orochimaru's research had made progress, and Makoto went to check on it.
The mass production of the White Zetsu had advanced, and Orochimaru had created several samples, implanting Sharingan and Byakugan into them to see what differences there might be compared to normal humans.
Unfortunately, although these White Zetsu possessed enhanced and even superior physical capabilities, their intelligence was extremely low, resembling that of young children.
They could use the Byakugan and Sharingan, but they could only use them without any advanced understanding.
Orochimaru had created several child-like forms of White Zetsu to see if they would grow, but unfortunately, after several months, there was no change.
Their intelligence remained stagnant at a certain level.
"Could it be a problem with the soul?" Makoto said to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru paused in surprise.
"These White Zetsu seem to have life, but it's incomplete. They aren't naturally born humans, and without the cycle of reincarnation for their souls, they only operate with a fragment of instinctive consciousness, being controlled by others."
"Lord Hokage, you do believe in the existence of souls, don't you?"
Orochimaru pondered for a long while before suddenly asking,
"What if we were to transfer a human soul into these White Zetsu bodies?"
Makoto was taken aback by this idea, as it meant a whole new batch of test subjects.
He asked, "If a human soul leaves the body, wouldn't the person die?"
Orochimaru chuckled and replied, "Of course not. There are some secret techniques that allow the soul to leave the body. For example, the secret techniques of the Yamanaka clan... or the Spirit Transference Jutsu..."
Spirit Transference Jutsu? That was the technique used by Tsunade's lover, Kato Dan, wasn't it?
Makoto pondered this thought.
As he thought more carefully, Makoto realized that this idea was eerily similar to Orochimaru's later technique of the Impure World Reincarnation ( Edo Tensei ).
But Orochimaru's idea was even more radical.
He said, "I want to create another batch of child-like White Zetsu, making their bodies capable of growth. I will erase their consciousness and turn them into empty shells, then transfer the souls of those children into them. Makoto, what do you think the result will be?"
Makoto felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.
"What if the process fails?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Of course, it will fail. There are always failures. Without failure, how would there be success?"
He continued, "Makoto, I now feel that the number of children we have isn't enough. You'll need to keep searching for more."
Makoto lowered his head and responded, "...Understood, Lord Hokage."
Orochimaru then asked, "By the way, when were you going to start telling me about the Byakugan?"
Makoto's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "I'm still carefully searching through the clan's records on this matter. Progress is slow."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "That's fine. I'm not in a hurry. Take your time with it."
"The unknown is what's interesting. If I figure out the secret of the Byakugan before you tell me…"
His words trailed off, and he let out a low, enigmatic laugh.
After leaving Orochimaru's research facility, Makoto went to visit Yakushi Nonou to check on the children's progress.
He came back every week, sometimes bringing things for the children.
When the children saw Makoto, they would respectfully call out to him as "Lord Makoto."
They weren't cut off from the outside world and knew what had been happening, as well as Makoto's position and status in the village.
Nonou sometimes took them out for walks as well.
Makoto would also take time to check the children's training progress.
After raising the standard, Kabuto's talent immediately stood out, making him stand head and shoulders above the rest of the children.
Makoto was thinking about how to provide Kabuto with a better environment for growth.
He then went to the Konoha prison.
In the place where the most dangerous criminals are held, Nii Yugito were seen locked up in solitary confinement.
Her hands and feet were bound by chains, her clothes ragged, and her expressions haggard.
With her disheveled hair, she appeared to be in a very poor mental state.
Upon hearing footsteps, Yugito did not look up.
She merely sat in the corner, her eyes vacant as she stared at the prison walls.
Makoto, standing outside the iron cell, asked, "Have you not thought it through yet?"
Yugito seemed to not hear, remaining silent.
Makoto signaled to the ninja beside them, and before long, two more people were brought in.
These were also two girls.
One had golden, medium-length hair, which was originally styled with neat bangs, but after months without trimming, it had become messy.
Although her clothes were shabby, she still exuded a cold, elegant aura.
The other girl had dark skin and silver-gray long hair.
She looked timid, as though she had gone through some unpleasant experiences.
Makoto ordered the cell door to be opened and allowed the two girls inside.
Mabui timidly spoke, "Yugito..."
Upon hearing her friend's voice, Yugito slowly raised her heads, her eyes now filled with light.
"Mabui... Samui..."
Mabui immediately ran forward and hugged Yugito, crying uncontrollably.
She was just a teenage girl, and the torment she had endured had pushed her mental state to its limit.
Her cries also affected the emotions of the other two, though they didn't lose control like Mabui, their eyes were red and swollen.
Yugito looked at Mabui and asked, "Did they do something to you?"
Both Mabui and Samui were silent.
As captives from an enemy country, they were certainly subjected to harsh interrogations, all in an attempt to extract some intelligence from them.
Mabui looked at Yugito and slowly spoke, "Yugito... they also captured my father..."
Uncle Moroi?
Yugito's heart sank as she suddenly understood why they had brought Mabui and Samui here.
She suddenly jumped up and ran to the bars, glaring at Makoto.
"You bastard, I'm going to kill you! Even if I become a ghost, I'll kill you!"
Makoto, seeing this, calmly approached the bars.
As Yugito reached out her arm to grab him, an invisible barrier blocked her.
He spoke slowly, "Nii Yugito, you wouldn't want your friends to get into trouble, would you?"
"I've already stated the conditions. All you need to do is tell me how to control the tailed beasts and how to become the perfect Jinchuriki."
Konohagakure had been racking their brains over how to turn someone into the perfect Jinchuriki.
As Yugito were Jinchuriki herselves, the people from the Yamanaka family couldn't probe into their minds.
They could only try to get her to speak, but after trying all kinds of methods, they found that the girls were tougher than they imagined.
No matter how much she suffered, she stubbornly refused to speak.
Makoto looked at Yugito, whose expression was twisted in anger, and continued, "You can talk amongst yourselves. I'll come back in ten minutes. You'd better think carefully."
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