416 Learning Ninjutsu in a Glance

After hugging Eikoku, Shinju wrapped the child's body in his own chakra…

Then, under the shocked gazes of the three opposite him, Shinju threw the child…

"Whoosh~"

Eikoku turned into a streak of light and flew back toward Konoha.

Quartz: "What are you doing?! He's our most important heart—don't just give him away! Σ(っ °Д °;)っ"

Shinju curled his lip. "Stop making a fuss. In a bit, I'll throw you three back too. →_→"

A few dozen seconds later.

Shinju successfully bound the three men with Wood Release vines!

"You three—one inherited Explosive Clay, one possesses extremely powerful taijutsu, and the other can use Dust Release… how did you all obtain these abilities?"

Shinju asked curiously.

The three bandage-wrapped men stubbornly turned their heads away. Not one of them answered.

Shinju: "Doesn't matter if you won't talk. Either way, it has everything to do with that dead old man! ꐦ≖ ≖"

...

Land of Earth.

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office.

Ōnoki paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"Why hasn't the latest news come back yet? This is driving me crazy…"

The very next second, Shinju appeared in the Tsuchikage's Office with four bound individuals!

After tossing the four aside, Shinju faced Ōnoki head-on.

"Care to explain?"

Ōnoki: (≖╻≖;)

"It was these four who took people from my Konoha. One of them can even use Dust Release—don't tell me they have nothing to do with you," Shinju continued.

Knowing he couldn't dodge the issue, Ōnoki simply sat down and laid it all out.

"Shinju, you should know—not everyone in the shinobi world has power like yours. Ordinary ninja lives are far too fragile."

Shinju: "So you started creating artificial humans?"

Ōnoki looked stunned. "I hadn't even said that yet—how did you know? ╭(°A°`)╮"

Shinju spread his hands.

"The four of them don't even have heartbeats. Is it really that hard to guess they're artificial humans? ┐(´-｀)┌"

Ōnoki nodded. "That's right. I want to use artificial humans to replace ninja—protect ninja, let them die in the ninja's stead."

"As you can see, all four of them were cultivated using Earth Release clay techniques combined with human cells."

Shinju shook his head. "No. That alone isn't enough."

Ōnoki lowered his head and gave a self-mocking smile.

"As expected, nothing gets past you. Yes—on top of that, I also researched and utilized White Zetsu…"

"Additionally, I cultivated four-legged monsters. I planned to turn them into an army…"

Shinju pressed on.

"So why did you capture that child? Were the artificial humans not mature enough? You wanted to study the child to fill in the gaps?"

Ōnoki nodded.

"Correct. I'd long heard that Orochimaru created nearly perfect artificial humans, so I resorted to this desperate measure… As for the wounded who appeared in Konoha during this incident, I offer my apologies."

"But Shinju, I won't easily abandon this plan. Compared to the Ōtsutsuki, to those celestial beings from beyond the skies, humans are far too weak. We need the power to protect ourselves…"

Shinju nodded. That statement actually made some sense—humans really were far too weak compared to those extraterrestrial visitors.

Still, researching artificial humans to fight in place of humans wasn't exactly a good solution either.

"Old man, I won't interfere with however you conduct your research—but recklessly sending people to Konoha to abduct someone was your fault. (′д｀σ)σ"

"Now we can sit down and discuss compensation…"

Ōnoki let out a bitter smile, knowing there was no escaping this. He nodded.

"Name the price. I'll pay whatever you say."

A few minutes later, after the discussion ended, Ōnoki admitted defeat.

"I agree to the monetary compensation you mentioned—but an apology is impossible. This experiment was conducted in secret between me and the doctor. Even Kurotsuchi, whom I'm grooming as my successor, doesn't know. It can't be exposed for now…"

Shinju asked curiously, "Doctor? Which doctor?"

Ōnoki answered honestly, "The doctor who assisted me in creating the artificial humans. He's the one who provided the White Zetsu samples and helped me perfect their bodies."

Shinju frowned. "I want to meet him."

Ōnoki nodded and led Shinju to a secret underground laboratory beneath Iwagakure.

There, Shinju saw unfinished specimens, along with other artificial humans inside cultivation tanks.

Yet no matter how many times Ōnoki called out, the so-called doctor never appeared.

Shinju: "He ran?"

Ōnoki's brows knitted together.

"That shouldn't be… The doctor should have been here waiting for Quartz and the others to bring Orochimaru's test subject. Why is he gone now? (.Д.)"

Shinju's eyes flickered. "If he's gone, so be it. I'm heading back."

"But let me give you one last reminder—once artificial humans possess their own will, they'll never let themselves be controlled."

"Old man, you're already up there in years. Don't go inviting trouble for yourself."

With that, Shinju left.

In the underground lab, the muddle-headed Ōnoki continued searching for the doctor's traces.

"Strange… the doctor was always staying in the lab before. Why did he disappear the moment Shinju wanted to see him?"

...

Konoha.

Hokage's Office.

After returning, Shinju distributed the money he extorted from the Tsuchikage to the injured ANBU and the orphanage teachers.

After finishing all that, Shinju sat alone in the office, thinking over the entire incident.

The biggest point of suspicion was the so-called doctor mentioned by Ōnoki.

That, in turn, reminded Shinju of the mysterious person who had appeared in the memories of Kazahana Doto and the leader of the Byakuya Gang…

They all possessed cutting-edge ninja-world technology. Could there be some connection?

Just as Shinju was utterly perplexed, the door to the Hokage's Office was pushed open. Shikamaru entered and said,

"Orochimaru is making a scene in prison, insisting on seeing you."

Shinju asked, "Didn't you tell him the child has already been recovered?"

Shikamaru sighed helplessly.

"We did, but he refuses to drop it unless he sees you…"

Shinju nodded. "I understand."

Everything happening right now revolved around advanced scientific technology, and Orochimaru was someone who had mastered the core technologies of the Hokage's world. Seeing him once wouldn't hurt.

...

Konoha Prison.

Orochimaru pressed his face against the bars.

"In this incident, they captured the artificial human I created. By now, you should realize how important artificial human technology is, right? (•̀⌄•́)"

"Shinju, let me out and let me continue this research!"

"And give me a bit more of your body tissue… I'll create a truly perfect human! ୧⍢⃝୨"

The moment he heard that, Shinju flatly refused. "No!"

Creating a person using his own body tissue felt like randomly gaining a child out of nowhere—absolutely not!

Orochimaru: "How can you not understand… Humans should pursue the truth of the world within their limited lifespans! Just like I do!"

"Even if I don't continue the artificial human experiments, can't you at least let me out? (눈‸눈)"

"You're so afraid I'll escape that you won't even let me out for fresh air. Every day all I do is sleep, eat, and work the sewing machine—my feet are completely numb! （｡í _ ì｡）"