"Is it really Madara Uchiha?"
Tsunade took a few steps forward, staring at the scroll in Orochimaru's hands, her voice filled with disbelief.
"If my deduction is right."
"I can piece together a rough version of what happened back then."
Kawaki spoke slowly, calmly recounting the truth as he knew it.
All three pairs of eyes locked onto him.
"The battle at the Valley ended with Grandpa's victory," he said calmly.
"But that wasn't the end."
"Madara Uchiha used a secret jutsu [Secret Technique] to evade Grandpa's detection and escaped by faking his death."
At this, Orochimaru couldn't help but ask.
"In theory, faking your death right under Hashirama's nose seems a bit unrealistic, don't you think?"
"If Grandpa understood him so well, how could he possibly miss something like this?"
Tsunade remained skeptical.
Although it was true Madara had been Hashirama's rival, it didn't change the fact that they'd once been close friends.
"Well, we still don't truly understand the Sharingan."
"Maybe Fugaku will provide us with a reasonable explanation."
Kawaki didn't reveal everything—he couldn't afford to appear too knowledgeable, being an outsider.
"That does make sense."
Orochimaru frowned slightly but accepted Kawaki's explanation.
"Even though Madara managed to escape after that battle, he must've sustained serious injuries."
"Now tell me—how do you think he survived?"
Kawaki posed the question, and instantly, Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
Tsunade caught on a beat later, her expression also turning to shock.
"That's right—Hashirama's cells."
"This time, I came across Madara unexpectedly. He was actually using Wood Release."
Kawaki framed his meeting with Madara as a mere coincidence, which sounded believable enough.
With Obito as a witness, he could easily smooth over any inconsistencies.
"He planned this out."
Piecing everything together, Orochimaru reached a firm conclusion.
From leaving Konoha to escaping after his decisive battle with Hashirama, everything had gone far too smoothly for Madara.
"With such severe injuries, he wouldn't have had time to conduct research."
"Are you saying his body was naturally compatible with Hashirama's cells?"
Tsunade knew how difficult it was to fuse with Hashirama's cells. She found it hard to believe Kawaki's explanation.
"That's the only explanation."
"And he did succeed."
Kawaki couldn't explain the secret history of Asura and Indra, so he simply glossed over it.
"He faked his death and vanished without a trace all these years."
"What kind of plot lies behind it all?"
Orochimaru refused to believe that a man like Madara—a cunning warlord—would fake his death for escape alone.
"I'm not entirely sure about the details."
"But I do remember him saying he wanted to achieve peace in the Ninja World through his own methods."
"Initially, he and Grandpa clashed ideologically—that became the catalyst for him leaving Konoha."
"After disappearing for decades, he must be playing a much bigger game."
"Once he fulfills his goal, the entire Ninja World could suffer a devastating blow."
Kawaki only shared what he could say—each word carefully chosen to sound convincing.
"Thankfully, you found him."
"A man like him poses way too great a threat to the Ninja World."
"Thinking back to the old tales of Gundams running rampant from my childhood," Tsunade felt a chill run down her spine.
No one would willingly pick a fight with someone like Madara unless absolutely necessary.
"Just how powerful could Uchiha Madara become after fusing with Hashirama's cells?"
Orochimaru suddenly snapped to attention. Looking at Kawaki, he didn't seem like he'd been seriously hurt.
Could it be that Madara, even after fusing with Hashirama's cells, hadn't gotten any stronger?
"He's old, blind—his strength is barely there anymore."
"If I can't beat him, how can I still call myself Grandpa's successor?"
Kawaki scoffed coldly. Who do you think you're looking down on?
"Blind?"
But Orochimaru only focused on what mattered to him. He hurriedly unfurled a scroll and started the sealing release process.
Madara's corpse appeared intact atop the dissection table.
His aged face, silver-white hair, and withered body.
These visible signs confirmed that Kawaki had spoken the truth—no human could defy time forever.
"This eye isn't even his original one."
True to his reputation as a pro, Orochimaru quickly performed an initial check and discovered that Madara's remaining Sharingan wasn't authentic.
"That's Grandpa's face!"
Tsunade immediately noticed the face embedded in Madara's chest, proof that Madara had truly fused with Hashirama's cells.
"Normal Sharingans don't hold much value anymore."
"I've got more where that came from."
Kawaki took out several vials containing Sharingans and placed them onto a nearby cart.
All of them were three-tomoe Sharingans without exception. Misaki picked one up curiously for closer inspection.
Such items were strictly forbidden within Konoha; the Uchiha clan would never allow their Sharingans to leave the clan.
However, these had been taken directly from Madara. Even if Fugaku found out, he would probably just turn a blind eye.
"Not bad loot. Let's keep all of them."
"I'll handle things with Fugaku."
Orochimaru licked his lips unconsciously. He had long wanted to research the Sharingan.
If not for fear of Fugaku's refusal, he might've even considered removing Fugaku's Mangekyou for study.
"You'd better not lay a hand on Fugaku's eyes."
"Do you really think you can just take them out and put them back afterward?"
"This time, using Madara's body as the blueprint, we might finally resolve the side effects troubling Fugaku's Mangekyou."
Kawaki clearly understood Orochimaru's intentions but was definitely against removing Fugaku's eyes.
Otherwise, slicing them apart under Orochimaru's scalpel would be nothing short of wanton desecration.
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"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind."
"How strong was Madara's Wood Release technique anyway?"
Orochimaru solemnly nodded. Cell fusion experimentation on Fugaku had been ongoing for some time.
"Stronger than mine."
Kawaki gave an honest answer. Yet this conclusion didn't come from personal combat experience against Madara.
Rather, it stemmed from his understanding of the original plot—the actual depiction showed Madara's mastery of Wood Release nearly rivaling Hashirama's.
"In that case, perhaps we should give it a try."
"My Wood Release still lacks punch."
Orochimaru muttered softly—whether he was speaking to himself or others was unclear.
He had plans of his own, planning to strengthen his Wood Release through research on Madara in the future.
"It's a feasible plan, but you must proceed with caution."
Tsunade naturally knew that Orochimaru had fused Hashirama's cells into his body.
However, this research came with significant risks. She still hoped Orochimaru would wait until he was fully confident before trying again.
"I know."
Orochimaru nodded. With responsibilities holding him back now, he naturally wouldn't recklessly risk his life.
"Oh, take me along too."
"Let me see if I can awaken the Sharingan."
Kawaki feigned seriousness while lying. Of course, his true goal wasn't simply acquiring a pair of Sharingan eyes.
"You always have to get involved in everything."
"Are you doing this to make things harder for me on purpose?"
Orochimaru shot Kawaki an annoyed glance. This guy sure knew how to give orders.
"Haha~ Who asked you to be so skilled?"
"I trust you."
Kawaki casually tossed in a compliment, making everyone laugh.
"The chances of awakening the Sharingan are pretty low."
"You'd better not set your hopes too high."
Tsunade poured cold water over the idea. She understood that eyes operated under their own system, separate from other parts of the body. External forces couldn't alter the fundamental nature of eyes. The possibility of realizing Kawaki's idea wasn't very high. If he really wanted a Sharingan, transplanting an eye would be more effective. That would be faster and more straightforward!
"Just let him experiment first."
Kawaki didn't seem to mind. The Sharingan wasn't that important to him anyway. If it were an innate Rinnegan, that might be interesting. Unfortunately, that was even less realistic. Even Madara found it extremely difficult to awaken the Rinnegan. He definitely wouldn't expect to fuse Hashirama's and Madara's cells and magically gain the Rinnegan.
"Fine then."
Tsunade put on gloves as well, clearly somewhat interested in Madara's corpse.
Misaki carefully laid out the tools, performing all the duties expected of a good assistant.
"Ready to start?"
Orochimaru looked at Madara's corpse with barely contained eagerness, showing no respect for the deceased whatsoever.
"Go ahead."
Tsunade picked up a sharp scalpel, and the two took positions on opposite sides of the dissection table.
"I'll go get the vessel."
Misaki quickly walked outside. Kawaki observed Orochimaru and Tsunade's expressions, feeling somewhat uneasy. Indeed, studying medicine required a strong heart.
"How's your Tailed Beast cell fusion experiment coming along?"
Kawaki turned his head. By now, Madara's chest had already been cut open by the researchers.
"So far, the fusion has gone relatively smoothly."
"It's just not complete yet, so we haven't seen much."
"It's definitely more active and powerful than regular Tailed Beast cells."
Orochimaru responded while continuing his precise and swift work.
"The corpse is well preserved, with high cell integrity."
"Some cells haven't completely lost their viability yet."
Tsunade offered a professional assessment, which also served as a subtle compliment to Kawaki.
"Well, I owe it all to my wife's teachings."
Kawaki cracked a playful joke effortlessly while his mind was clearly thinking about something else.
Orochimaru first obtained the cells of the Seven-Tailed Beast Chōmei—they were extracted from its wings.
At that time, the goal was to obtain the flight ability of the Seven-Tails.
By current standards, this could arguably be considered modestly successful.
This is currently the largest Tailed Beast cell cultivated so far.
Next are the Two-Tails Nekomata's cells stolen together with Orochimaru from the Cloud Ninja Village.
They've already developed a crude prototype of razor-sharp claws.
The third obtained was the San's cell. Before killing Isobu, Kawaki quietly saved a sharp spine from its shell.
The fourth was the Nine-Tails' cells, obtained during the new sealing ceremony.
At present, Orochimaru has only fused four types of Tailed Beast cells. He still lacks five more types to complete the full set of Ten-Tails cells.
The One-Tail Shukaku remains within Bunpuku's body. Based on canon events, this old man hasn't died yet.
Only after his death will Shukaku be transferred into Gaara's body.
And at this point, Gaara hasn't even been born.
The Four-Tails lies within Rōshi's body. This person has already made it onto Konoha's hit list.
Obtaining the Four-Tails' cells is just a matter of time.
The Five-Tails has already perished. That requires careful long-term planning.
As for news about the Six-Tails, Kawaki hasn't received any information yet.
Based on the canonical storyline, it should still be in the Land of Water, though whether it's been sealed inside Fu's body remains unknown.
Once the war fully erupts, obtaining the Six-Tails' cells shouldn't be too hard.
The Eight-Tails resides within Killer B, and B is active on the battlefield of the Land of Earth.
Acquiring the Eight-Tails' cells won't pose much trouble either.
Clarifying his thoughts, Kawaki devised a detailed plan.
Regardless of whether the Ten-Tails' cells can truly be cultivated, Kawaki wants to give it a try.
He suspects that the power of the Ten-Tails is actually the key to unlocking Six Paths chakra.
Without receiving the Sage of Six Paths' gift, reaching the peak of ninja world power makes the Ten-Tails' strength absolutely crucial.
If everything proceeds as planned, once he fuses Madara's cells and obtains the Ten-Tails cell—the key—Six Paths powers will naturally follow.
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By then, no matter what crisis the ninja world faces, he'll at least have enough strength to handle it.
As for gathering all nine Tailed Beasts to awaken the Ten-Tails and become a true Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails, that's not within Kawaki's considerations.
Simply the thought of Tsunade dying is unbearable enough, let alone how dangerous the God Tree itself poses.
"Hopeless admirer."
Orochimaru placed a few slightly damaged organs into the vessel Misaki brought.
"I enjoy it. Who asked you to interfere?"
Kawaki snapped. Those bastards had picked up his own curse words.
"Do whatever the hell you want."
"Just don't delay our work."
Orochimaru remained expressionless, hiding a slight smirk curling his lips.
"I'll handle the Tailed Beast cells. You focus on pushing the experiment forward."
Kawaki didn't feel like arguing further with Orochimaru. The corpse that originally seemed intact now looked utterly disfigured.
"In that case, thank you, Lord Kawaki."
The mocking sarcasm dripping from Orochimaru's tone was really annoying.
"Can you shut up for a while?"
"Hmm?"
Tsunade took a deep breath, clearly growing impatient.
What should've been a serious operation was completely derailed by those two clowning around.
"Fine."
Kawaki and Orochimaru answered in unison, acting unusually in sync this time.
Misaki glanced between them repeatedly before covering her mouth, suppressing a laugh.
Tsunade's word really carries weight.
The dissection room finally fell silent, apart from the soft sound of a blade slicing through flesh.
[End of Procedure.]
Tsunade placed the scalpel down and removed her blood-stained gloves.
"We actually did something decent this time."
Orochimaru took off his gloves as well, then resumed his verbal jabbing at Kawaki.
"You brat, just speak properly."
"There's still something I haven't taken out."
Kawaki pointed at Orochimaru, his gaze burning with menace.
"No thanks, I don't care about it."
Orochimaru stayed defiant on the outside but was already uneasy within.
What else could this guy possibly have?
"Hurry up."
Indeed, as expected by Orochimaru, the only research-obsessed person here wasn't him.
Even if he couldn't control Kawaki, that didn't mean nobody else could.
"Alright, beloved wife."
Kawaki glared fiercely at Orochimaru, then instantly changed expressions.
As he activated a Scroll, several White Zetsu bodies materialized on the ground.
"What is this now?"
Tsunade slightly furrowed her beautiful eyebrows—she'd never seen anything like this before.
"I don't know either, but they're definitely valuable."
Kawaki didn't reveal the origin of the White Zetsu, firmly insisting they were treasures.
After all, these special beings derived from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path likely hadn't been seen by anyone else yet.
They weren't quite corpses, nor were they truly alive like regular humans.
Anyway, handing them over to Orochimaru would ensure full utilization. Kawaki didn't bother thinking about it further.
"Although they look like corpses, their vitality is quite strong."
Tsunade stepped forward, examining them closely while detecting a familiar energy.
"These things also contain Grandfather's cells in their bodies?"
Hardly had she finished speaking when Orochimaru could barely contain himself.
He hurried forward and crouched down, meticulously inspecting every inch of the White Zetsu.
"Incredible."
"These beings require no energy replenishment nor do they possess excretory functions."
"And yet they maintain such incredible vitality—unbelievable."
After finishing his examination, Orochimaru couldn't help but express astonishment. He'd never imagined such creatures could exist.
"This should be the result of Madara's research using Grandfather's cells."
"If you can unravel this research, it could revolutionize medical history."
Kawaki said while stepping down hard—the arm of a White Zetsu tore away from its body.
"Regeneration?"
Orochimaru gasped aloud as the severed limb visibly regenerated completely.
"Precisely."
"Do you realize what this means?"
Kawaki had never seen Orochimaru so amazed, privately savoring his triumph.
Took me long enough, but I finally got to show up this bastard properly.
"If this research application could be applied to ordinary people, it would mark a true revolution in the Ninja World's medical history."
[No doubt!!!]
Though Tsunade fully understood the power of Hashirama's cells, the sight before her still brought immense shock.
"That's right. Injuries that once left us helpless may all become curable from now on."
Orochimaru steadied himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
In his opinion, the research value of this White Zetsu body had already eclipsed all his earlier work.
"Keep it up. I believe in you."
Kawaki's heart warmed with satisfaction, clapping Orochimaru firmly on the shoulder.
This research might not go so far as to bring back the dead, but restoring flesh to bone should be well within reach.
At the very least, Kawaki believed an injury like the one Guy suffered in the original plot could definitely be healed.
As for improving safety for Konoha ninjas, its significance was obvious.
...
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