"Only somatic cells?"
In the brand-new research lab, Tatsuma asked with some confusion as he looked at the list Orochimaru handed him.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and said, "What else do you think is needed?"
"Uh, reproductive cells?"
Tatsuma asked uncertainly. Orochimaru's mouth twitched slightly as he asked, "Are you sure you want to extract reproductive cells from someone who has been dead for twenty years?"
"Moreover, there shouldn't be any sequences related to Wood Release hidden in the reproductive cells of the First Hokage. Otherwise, it would have been inherited by his descendants, but I've already checked the somatic cells of Tsunade and Nawaki and found nothing."
Extracting reproductive cells from someone who has been dead for twenty years is indeed a bit far-fetched. Not to mention whether they are still viable, the extraction process itself is hard to accept.
Especially since the person responsible for extracting the cells is Tsunade.
Although Tsunade agreed to donate Senju Hashirama's body, she did not donate the entire body directly to the research institute. Instead, the institute provided a list of the required cells or organs, and Tsunade extracted them herself.
Nodding his head, Tatsuma thought about Tsunade's calm expression when she agreed yesterday. He felt it was better to only extract somatic cells, to avoid further angering Tsunade, who had finally managed to adjust her mindset.
After receiving the list, Tatsuma did not leave immediately. Since Tsunade was teaching at Konoha Hospital during the day, it was useless to look for her now.
Staying in the research institute, without Senju Hashirama's cells, all Tatsuma could do was repeatedly calibrate the equipment. After all, Tsunade couldn't provide too many "materials" at once, so each test and experiment was crucial.
Errors in operation or problems caused by improper equipment calibration were absolutely unacceptable.
While calibrating the equipment, Orochimaru casually asked, "I've seen you reading about biochemical regeneration these past few days. Do you have any ideas?"
"Yes, I want to induce and transform Hashirama-sama's cells into spermatogonial and oogonial cells. This way, we might be able to cultivate a child in which Hashirama-sama is the sole participant in the reproductive process," Tatsuma answered honestly. He wasn't there to sabotage the project; if possible, he wanted to help Orochimaru improve the experiment, even if it was just with some ideas.
If, by chance, the experiment could be turned from failure to success, it could at least prevent many deaths.
In the original story, the Wood Release experiment had two phases. The first phase involved the entire village's efforts to cultivate Hashirama Cells and inject them into adult ninjas. However, this experiment ended in failure, and the project was subsequently halted.
The second phase, conducted secretly by Orochimaru, involved experimental research using minors as test subjects. As a result, sixty children in Konoha were innocently dragged into it.
In the end, fifty-nine people died, and only one succeeded. The Wood Release ninja that was cultivated was the future member of Root, Tenzo, who would later be known as Yamato after leaving ANBU.
However, Yamato's Wood Release was incomparable to the Wood Release of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Although Yamato's Wood Release had many miraculous aspects and could suppress tailed beasts to some extent, its strength and range were far inferior to Senju Hashirama's. Some even joked that Hashirama's Wood Release could conquer the world, while Yamato's Wood Release was only good for landscaping.
Based on the storyline, Tatsuma speculated that the reason for Yamato's "weaker" Wood Release was due to the low proportion of Hashirama Cells. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Yamato's Wood Release significantly increased in strength after being possessed by the White Zetsu which was cultivated from Hashirama Cells.
Therefore, Tatsuma believed that to cultivate a Wood Release ninja comparable to the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, or one whose potential could reach that level, the best way would be to cultivate another "Senju Hashirama."
A cell forming a clone almost identical to Senju Hashirama himself.
Such an experiment has been conducted in the ninja world before, successfully carried out by a self-taught Uchiha without any high-tech equipment.
After hearing Tatsuma's words, Orochimaru paused, then lightly tapped the workbench with his fingers. After a while, he said, "No wonder you want Hashirama-sama's reproductive cells. But why use the induced method to convert Hashirama-sama's somatic cells into oogonial cells? Can't we just use enucleated female egg cells?"
Seeing that Orochimaru not only quickly understood his intention but also extrapolated and provided a more suitable experimental plan, Tatsuma secretly admired him but still said:
"We don't yet know if Hashirama-sama's genetic sequence differs from that of ordinary people. Ordinary egg cells may not carry Hashirama-sama's genetic information. Moreover, the normal reproductive development speed does not align with our project's requirements."
Senju Hashirama's cells differ significantly from ordinary cells; his cells are more like cancer cells, which is why Tatsuma has been researching oncology.
Of course, at this point, he couldn't explain this to Orochimaru. After all, they hadn't even gotten their hands on Senju Hashirama's cells yet, so Tatsuma couldn't explain the source of his ideas.
Orochimaru nodded appreciatively at Tatsuma and said, "You are very suited for the path of scientific research. You are much smarter than those idiots in the village. Their minds are completely empty."
Tatsuma quickly shook his head humbly. He just had an idea; if he were to come up with an experimental method, he would be completely lost. However, he was a bit curious and asked, "What are the other people's ideas?"
"Hmph! They think they can isolate cells from Hashirama-sama that 'might' carry Wood Release information and directly inject them into the human body. They must think the human body is a mixing palette," Orochimaru said with disdain.
Tatsuma's mouth twitched, and he instinctively said, "Aren't they considering rejection reactions?"
Orochimaru paused and then curiously asked, "Rejection reactions?"
"Yes."
Seeing that Orochimaru didn't quite understand, Tatsuma explained, "You know about blood types, right? It's best to choose the same blood type for transfusions; otherwise, severe rejection reactions might occur. And it's not just blood transfusions—many transplant surgeries face this problem. Even reattaching a severed limb from the same person can lead to adverse reactions."
"Oh~"
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully and asked, "So how can this problem be solved?"
"Hmm?"
Tatsuma looked at Orochimaru with confusion, feeling that the topic was getting off track. Orochimaru's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "I'm currently developing a technique that's somewhat related to organ transplants."
Tatsuma thought for a moment. Orochimaru did seem to have a similar technique, and later, he even developed the more advanced Reanimation Jutsu, which involved soul-related rejections.
Given Orochimaru's request, Tatsuma didn't refuse. After all, Orochimaru would eventually find a way, so he might as well gain some favor. Tatsuma then began to explain:
"Rejection reactions are primarily caused by the body's immune response. Suppressing the immune system can alleviate these reactions, but of course, a weakened immune system can bring about various other problems. If the compatibility between the graft and the host is high enough, the rejection reaction won't be too severe. Conversely, the lower the compatibility, the more severe the rejection reaction.
Moreover, some rejection reactions are unavoidable and cannot be alleviated, such as chronic rejection. I've reviewed many cases of limb reattachment or organ transplants. In many cases, even if the procedure is initially successful, severe graft dysfunction symptoms often appear within a year."
At this point, Tatsuma suddenly paused, realizing that this was precisely the drawback of the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique.
On the other side, Orochimaru didn't notice the change in Tatsuma's tone. Instead, he furrowed his brow in thought and, almost instinctively, asked in a hoarse voice, "No solution? Not even with Ninjutsu?"
"Even sensei can only complete her own repairs in a very short time without experiencing rejection reactions. Over a longer period, or with mismatched grafts, she can't solve the problem either."
Tatsuma wasn't even sure if he was telling the truth; he instinctively wanted to reduce the likelihood of Orochimaru seeking out Tsunade to solve this problem in the future. However, the current Orochimaru didn't seem to be that obsessed yet, and perhaps hadn't even started developing the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique. So after thinking for a while without finding an answer, he just shook his head.
Orochimaru regained his elegant and reserved smile, looked at Tatsuma, and said, "Tatsuma-kun, thank you for providing inspiration and knowledge. You've brought many possible solutions to my problem."
Then, Orochimaru paused and said, "I wonder if you are interested in Rashomon?"
"Rashomon? Isn't the First Hokage Summoning scroll that went missing?"
"I found it again. Consider it a token of my gratitude. Do you have any other questions? Perhaps I can help you with them as well."
Orochimaru's generosity was sincere. Tatsuma thought for a moment and then nodded, saying, "I've encountered obstacles in the development of Medical Ninjutsu. There is no matching solution in Sealing Jutsu, so I want to comprehensively learn the Cursed Seal technique."
This wasn't the first time Tatsuma sought Orochimaru's guidance on the Cursed Seal technique. However, the last time was focused on general knowledge about the Cursed Seal. This time, Tatsuma wanted a more comprehensive understanding of the Cursed Seal technique.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru nodded and said, "I will share all the knowledge I have compiled on the Cursed Seal technique with you. If you encounter anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me at any time."
Orochimaru didn't mind sharing his knowledge with Tatsuma; in fact, he felt quite gratified. He had encountered many ninjas who were only interested in learning how to use a technique rather than understanding the underlying principles, unlike Tatsuma and himself.
Tatsuma-kun is one of his kind.
Mastering all techniques had been Orochimaru's ambition since childhood. Throughout his journey, he had taken many wrong turns and faced many pitfalls, and he didn't want Tatsuma to go through the same struggles.
This was his way of compensating for dragging Tatsuma into the mire.
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