The return of the ninja army had a significant impact on Konoha. At least within the Military Police Force, Tatsuya noticed that the Uchiha seemed less agitated than before. It seemed that the return of Orochimaru and Jiraiya had a sobering effect on them.
Several days passed, and Shisui still hadn't shown his face at headquarters. He was probably still "sulking"! Tatsuya didn't pay it much mind. His entire focus was on the lab.
As for the pet shop, Tatsuya had simply handed the reins over to Kyoko. The girl had accepted the task without a moment's hesitation, positively beaming with enthusiasm. She was really into it. Tatsuya gave her several hundred thousand ryo and left her to it.
After a few days of preparation, the lab was finally stocked with the necessary experimental materials. Standing before the workbench, Tatsuya felt a flicker of excitement. He retrieved the two vials of flesh and blood he'd stored in the lab earlier, extracting dozens of cell samples from each. Then, he began to separate and fuse these samples in a 1:1 ratio within the centrifuge.
The first experiment Tatsuya wanted to conduct was a fusion experiment, combining Shisui's cellular genetic material with his own to create a new type of cell sample—a cell that incorporated the bloodline traits of both the Akimichi and Uchiha clans.
However, the difficulty of this cellular fusion proved to be greater than Tatsuya had anticipated. He separated and fused dozens of cell samples, but not a single one was successful. Forced to continue, Tatsuya extracted even more cell samples for the fusion process.
After a long day of work, separating and fusing hundreds of cell samples, he finally obtained two successful samples. However, the quality of the successful fusion was still unknown for the time being.
He placed the two painstakingly-obtained, successfully fused cell samples into petri dishes and began to nurture them with a nutrient solution. According to the biochip's calculations, these samples would need about half a month to develop into an embryonic form. Once the embryonic form was achieved, Tatsuya could use the Fujinhоin and the Body Regeneration Technique to accelerate their growth.
Tatsuya was planning to use these cultivated clones to develop a physical clone capable of using Shadow Clone Jutsu. This idea had only recently occurred to him, and it wasn't entirely his own.
During his time back in Konoha, Tatsuya had visited the village's archive several times. Perhaps because of his significant contributions during the battle in the Valley of the Land of Hot Water, his access to the archives had been upgraded. On the second floor, Tatsuya had found a book that contained records of a clone-based Shadow Clone Jutsu, even detailing the necessary sealing techniques and materials.
The principle was to eliminate the clone's original consciousness before it could even develop, completely preventing its emergence. Then, the jutsu user would use a shadow clone to take its place, thus gaining control of the clone.
Tatsuya suspected that this was likely the work of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, since the foundation of this concept was the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
While Shadow Clones could be useful in some situations, they had significant limitations. Their duration and combat power were major issues. Ordinary clones, on the other hand, would develop their own sentience during their growth, eventually becoming true individuals—individuals who shared many similarities with the original, but were ultimately distinct.
While there were methods in the ninja world to control others, such control was unstable and carried the risk of backlash or escape. And there was the Ethical trouble.
For this reason, the person who proposed this concept drew inspiration from the creation of Jinchuriki. Using their expertise in Shadow Clone Jutsu and sealing techniques, they proposed sealing a shadow clone, containing the user's chakra, into the clone to solve this problem.
Tailed Beasts were essentially collections of a Tailed Beast's will and chakra, and shadow clones were also collections of a ninja's will and chakra. Even if there was a vast difference in their power levels, the underlying principle of their formation was similar.
The difference from Jinchuriki was that Jinchuriki were primarily controlled by the human's will, with the Tailed Beast's will sealed away. Clone-based Shadow Clones were the opposite. The body was merely an empty shell. Before the clone could develop, its sentience needed to be extinguished, and then a shadow clone bearing the user's will would be sealed within.
A clone cultivated from the user's cells would naturally have a strong affinity for the shadow clone, making it a smooth process for the shadow clone to take over the clone's body.
However, for anyone other than the originator, clone-based Shadow Clones had a fatal flaw: the shadow clone's chakra was limited! If the clone couldn't quickly and independently refine chakra, its usefulness would be severely limited. Even powerful individuals like Jiraiya or the Third Hokage couldn't make their shadow clones last long in battle.
A single major battle could be enough to destroy a clone-based shadow clone! Considering the high cost of cultivating a clone, using them as disposable tools was incredibly inefficient and, frankly, inhumane. For this reason, the concept had been shelved long ago by Konoha's leadership.
But for Tatsuya, who had already researched the Fujinhоin and the Yin-Yang Seal, this problem was potentially solvable. Using the Fujinhоin and the Yin-Yang Seal, Tatsuya could seal a large amount of chakra into the clone-based shadow clone's body in advance, increasing its combat endurance. Moreover, as long as the shadow clone didn't completely disappear, it could be recharged and reused.
Such a physical clone would undoubtedly be much more useful. If he had several flexibly controlled clones, Tatsuya's work would become much easier.
Of course, all of this was still theoretical at this point and required further experimentation.
Having dealt with the two fused cell samples, Tatsuya left the lab. One step at a time, one bite at a time! To truly create a viable clone, Tatsuya estimated that he would need a significant amount of time for experimentation and refinement.
In the Forest of Death, within Orochimaru's secret base...
Drip... Drip...
The soft sound of dripping water echoed through the dark passage. A figure walked through the long corridor and entered an inner room.
Inside the room, the slender Orochimaru stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
The figure approached and respectfully addressed Orochimaru. The newcomer wore a mask and the attire of an Anbu Black Ops member.
"Yes. Have there been any unusual occurrences within Root during my absence from the village?" Orochimaru turned, his narrow, golden eyes fixed on the person before him, his voice calm.
This Anbu-clad ninja was a spy that Orochimaru had cultivated within Root.
"There have been no unusual occurrences..." The newcomer pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Think harder. Don't overlook any details!" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice taking on a colder tone.
The newcomer's body stiffened. He thought for a moment before hesitantly speaking, "If there's anything that could be considered unusual, it's that Danzo has been assigning a Root member named Kinoe to constantly follow and monitor Akimichi Tatsuya..."
"Oh? Following Akimichi Tatsuya?" Orochimaru fell into thought upon hearing this.
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