Early morning light pierced through a large dome within the botanical room of Sun Stream Plaza.
Rin and Tayuya had been sent to the outskirts of the jungle to train while the rest were sleeping. The only person in the plaza awake at this hour was Arthur.
He was seen walking through the garden he had nurtured. It was thriving, filled with a riot of greens and colorful blossoms. He had put a lot of effort into cultivating this oasis, especially after securing rare herbs and plants that had cost him a fortune.
Of course, it was still in its initial stages. Many of the plants had just begun sprouting, while the ones that seemed matured were transplants.
And as great as it looked right, there were still troubles to it. Such Koko's insatiable appetite for anything that grew in their garden.
Who could blame her when the space was filled with rich aromas of plants mingling together—earthy scents laced with sweetness and bitterness?
Most insects and animals would drool after laying eyes on it. There were just that many rows of greenery bathing in natural sunlight.
There were his Yoshinari herbs, known for their healing properties, often used in various remedies designed to treat injuries and hasten recovery. Arthur walked to them and plucked a few sprigs before placing them in his satchel.
Next, his attention shifted to the knotweed, a plant that, while not mentioned in the Naruto realm, held incredible medicinal properties in real life.
Much like the healing herbs from the series, knotweed was recognized for its ability to aid in restoring balance within the body, making it a crucial addition to his collection.
Moving along, he found the ginseng—its roots thick and gnarled, known across cultures for its stamina-boosting effects. Why he grew this was because of the energy supplements he had in mind.
Their effects were similar to that of soldier pills, so he placed a few into his bag.
Then he spotted the bitterleaf, a plant that may have been comparable to some of the more intense healing pills, like those intended for urgent care—strong and effective in action, if somewhat harsh in flavor.
Finally, there were his mandrakes, known for making potions and healing concoctions. This would provide the kind of enhancement that elite shinobi sought in their endeavors. In this case, what he sought for his endeavors.
With his collection secured, surely more would continue to grow. Much more.
It was time to put his plans into action.
The objective was straightforward: modify existing pills and create new ones capable of enhancing combat abilities, infusing them with the healing and energizing properties he had just harvested.
In his lab, an array of tools awaited him: mortar and pestle for grinding herbs into fine powders; beakers and flasks for mixing liquids; measuring scales—crucial for ensuring accuracy; and heating plates to bring it all together.
He set to work, carefully portioning the various herbs and blending them, making sure to consider how each component would interact with the others.
After using the mortar and pestle, he transformed the plants into a fine paste. The test tubes were invaluable for observing smaller experiments, while pipettes and syringes allowed for the precise transfer of liquids.
Each step to take was crucial since he was enacting real-world experiments. Only with chakra in hand.
For each component of the pills, he carefully measured amounts, ensuring that every ingredient was prepared. He then combined the properties of the Yoshinari herb with the restorative effects of the ginseng, harnessing their strengths.
Next, he administered the potent mixture of knotweed and bitterleaf, each prepared particle contributing to the composite energy of the mixture.
Once he felt confident in his blend, he turned to the evaporating dish, heating it cautiously to extract maximum potency from the herbs.
As it steamed, he turned his attention to the more technical aspects: using the filtration equipment. He separated solid components from liquids, ensuring purity and concentration in the final product.
With everything laid out and prepared, he then combined it into a coherent mixture, pouring it into the bottles for storage and sealing them tightly to maintain their efficacy. This would be crucial for achieving the best results when the pills are finally ingested.
This new creation was meant to combine the restorative nature of all the herbs with the capabilities of Akimichi's food pills, designed to enhance chakra rejuvenation and physical strength.
It seemed small, but he knew how potent it was.
Now came the test: the moment of consumption. It had taken him hours to produce the one pill, so would it function as intended, or would it yield unforeseen consequences?
Just then, the doors whooshed open, and Koko bounded into the room with uncontainable enthusiasm as she announced, "I wanna play, daddy!"
It was about this hour that she arose from her sleep. Instantly, her gaze shot to the countertop where he had placed the newly created pill. "What's that?"
Upon leaning closer to inspect it, he considered the moment. Would it be too dangerous to allow her to test it? Evolution was a false theory, so the results garnered might not be useful.
"It's a special pill," he answered. "Would you like to try?"
"I'm hungry, so I want it!" she insisted, bouncing on her feet impatiently.
"Alright," he relented, handing her the pill. "Eat it well."
With an excited squeal, Koko popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed it whole. He said eat it, expecting her to at least chew, but she completely let her appetite overwhelm her sense of reasoning.
Who knew the potential dangers that lurked just below the surface of their current exploration?
This could end badly.
"Yummy!" she exclaimed with a light face. "Tastes like crickets!"
Arthur watched as she began running across the lab while being cheery. But then she suddenly halted, and her expression noticeably shifted. Her eyes went wide, and she began coughing uncontrollably.
"I don't feel so good, daddy…" she moaned.
Arthur calmly activated his Tamashii to check her chakra levels. He witnessed how rapidly her chakra diminished. At the same time, her body temperature skyrocketed to alarming heights.
'It seems to have mainly affected her hypothalamus…' he deduced.
He then took a step forward as her tail curled tightly around herself, and she crumpled to the floor, gasping. Could the pill be that lethal that an animal with Sage Chakra couldn't withstand it?
Although she was likely suffering a pain she'd never experienced before, he remained calm and observed her heartbeat that gradually slowed beneath his monitoring. Yes, he was aware of the risks involved in any form of experimentation, but seeing the little creature who had supported him in tough lapses now facing the ultimate consequence was a cruel twist.
He could always heal her and perhaps inject any remnants of the pill's effects. But why would he do that?
After a moment, Koko stopped moving. Arthur waited for ten minutes without saying a word. When nothing happened, he closed his eyes to walk away.
"Time of death—" Before the chilling words could leave his lips, Koko's eyes snapped open once more.
Her expression shifting to exuberance despite her recent perilous state as she shouted with a big grin, "I feel so great!"
Shot then up from the floor just as he turned around, only to see a bolt of fur dash past him. He examined her with his Tamashii again and saw a peculiar, keen chakra coursing through her.
She raced across the laboratory, running along the walls as she screamed in delight. There weren't that many people that his eyes couldn't keep up with, yet she was disproving that fact in more ways than one.
"Koko, how do you—" He tried to ask, but she darted around the lab, weaving in and out of the machines like there was no tomorrow.
"Look what I can do, daddy! Look, look, daddy! I'm faster than you!"
Her shouts and giggles were punctuated by her exhilaration. Something had seriously gone awry in the crafting of the pill. There was no denying it; Arthur had crossed boundaries he wasn't totally prepared for.
The perfect blend of stimulation from the Akimichi's red pill, added to the various other enhancements he had attempted, all pushed Koko's systems to their absolute limit and then some.
'Perhaps it was the combination of the energy booster and the regenerative nature of the Yoshinari herb that was generating this reaction,' he thought. 'But why was it delayed?'
Regardless, the effects were ones that Koko's little body may not have been capable of handling. And yet, the implications were staggering.
'So how do I fix it?' he asked himself, too absorbed in his thoughts to notice her ecstatic proclamations.
"Rin! Rin just finished climbing the mountain!" Koko shouted, filling the lab as she continued her metamorphosis.
Arthur furrowed his brow, finally processing her words. Rin had been training with Tayuya, and if she was indeed on the mountain he had sent them to, it meant Koko was able to sense them from here—something that not even Arthur could do had he not tagged them with his flying raijin.
They were well beyond the outskirts of the Cayman Jungles. If Koko could sense that Rin was there, it indicated a remarkable enhancement in her sensory abilities.
"Hmmm…" Arthur breathed.
Perhaps if he were to stabilize the effects of the pill, he could nullify that over-the-top energetic feeling she was undergoing. There was also that delay in activation. But he would first need to modify the red pill first, coming to terms with the balance required to avoid catastrophic results like this one.
He watched as Koko continued her high-energy sprint around the room, far too fast for the average ninja to keep pace.
Before he would choose to make any modifications, he would also need to wait for the effects to stop. Who knows how long that would take? And who knows if she'll even be breathing afterwards?
She continued to prance around the room and run along the walls as he calmly walked to the freezing containment unit.
The environment here was quite different than the one outside. The air was bitterly cold, and the temperature was in the negatives, deterring any normal person from entering. However, to him, this is like opening a refrigerator during summer.
The containment unit was an exceptional marvel of engineering. Far larger than any standard lab should possess, it had been deliberately designed to accommodate not only samples and specimens but bodies that he would need to work with in his ongoing quest.
Arthur had plans—plans that required access to the powers of those long gone, and the chilling room was an essential step in that progression.
'Flying raijin…'
There, he teleported in the lifeless body of Haku. The young shinobi's form had materialized in a heap on the cold floor, dirt caking his skin and the signs of decay clear against his features.
It had been a while since he had ended Haku's existence during their last confrontation, and despite the bittersweet victories that had followed, the act hadn't been forgotten.
He stripped the body of its clothes. Each layer fell away, revealing the stillness of the boy's form beneath the grime. Once Haku was naked, Arthur began the cleansing process, washing away the remnants of dirt and decay with a steady stream of water.
With the body clean, he then turned to a compartment built into the wall of the freezing containment.
It was a melding of technology and ninja know-how—an insulated vault capable of maintaining subzero temperatures, allowing for safe storage of materials deemed too dangerous or volatile for conventional means.
It was here that he intended to preserve the remains.
The interior of the compartment was suffused with liquid nitrogen, creating a frost that would most certainly kill someone eventually.
Arthur positioned Haku's body within the vault, being mindful not to brush against the edges—a careless mistake could result in frostbite, something he had no interest in experiencing after all his hard work.
With a click, he sealed the unit, ensuring the body would stay intact.
Next was Zabuza.
Brie had informed him of what transpired to Zabuza's body after he delivered him to her. Like all shinobi with bounties on their heads sent to the Collection Office, they would either be stored for any purpose or cremated on orders from the state.
Arthur, during his tenure as the successor to the feudal lord, halted the cremation, prompting Brie's office to instead keep it in storage.
Using the flying raijin, he successfully performed the same process with Zabuza's dead corpse just as he had done with Haku's.