Root operates in the shadows, a force with principles completely distinct from the rest, hiding from the light and protecting Konoha through unconventional, even twisted methods.
No matter the purpose, no matter the harm done to fellow villagers, and no matter if the actions are right or wrong, the process is deemed just because the end goal is righteousness. This allows Root to mask all of its evil deeds.
Danzo's ambition is vast. For the position of Hokage, and for his personal obsessions, there is nothing he wouldn't do.
He craved more power, so he helped Orochimaru unlock the secret vault containing forbidden jutsu scrolls, giving Orochimaru the opportunity to access them. In exchange, Orochimaru used his abilities to help Danzo study the secrets of the human body, forming a mutually beneficial relationship.
The Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's mark and the source of their strength. Those blood-red eyes are coveted by many, not just outsiders but even those within Konoha.
Among them was Danzo. While Orochimaru wasn't interested in the Sharingan, being focused on his pursuit of immortality, there were overlaps in their research, and he was more than willing to commit his efforts to this endeavor.
The research sought to answer one question: how to transplant a Sharingan into a non-Uchiha body while retaining its power. This was the starting point, the foundation of the study.
Since Orochimaru began the research, there had been progress. From stumbling in the dark to having a clear direction, they had now reached the stage of human experimentation.
The first step was to transplant the cells of Hashirama into a human body, ensuring the host could accept and fuse with Hashirama's cells. That was step one, but even this initial step had consumed a considerable number of test subjects.
These subjects were of various ages, ranging from full-term infants to fully grown adolescents. After a brutal phase of trial and error, with many test subjects dying, the research finally stabilized, producing several successful examples. With that, they could begin focusing on the technique for transplanting the Sharingan.
The idea was to transplant the Sharingan into a limb fused with Hashirama's cells, and then graft that limb onto a non-Uchiha body.
The goal was always fusion, acceptance, and integration, not destruction. However, within one branch of the research, Nanako significantly deviated from this original goal.
Under Danzo's cold, watchful eye, she began to stray from the intended path.
Bearing the surname Shimura, Nanako was expected to devote her life entirely to it. However, she chose to help Konoha's Little White Fang, a man who was merely a tool in Danzo's hands.
But she succeeded. In the part of the research focusing on devouring Hashirama's cells, Nanako achieved a breakthrough, which both surprised and didn't surprise Danzo.
"Orochimaru, does this data help our cause?"
In a dimly lit room, Danzo, his expression cold, stood in a shadowy corner. His eyes were deep, like icy flames from the depths of hell.
Orochimaru's pale, eerie face blended perfectly with the dark environment. He was intently observing a piece of flesh wriggling inside a beaker. When Danzo spoke, his long tongue slowly extended, licking his lips.
Beside the beaker lay a thick record book. It contained the extensive data that Nanako had meticulously compiled.
"This is a result from a different direction. I can't say it will be helpful, but it's not useless either. With this data, we have the possibility of exploring another path. Nanako, hmm..."
A creepy smile appeared on his face, his eyes filled with curiosity.
He had never paid much attention to Nanako before, but now she intrigued him—not only because of her breakthrough but also because the subject of her experiments was Ye Zi.
Orochimaru knew that Ye Zi's body had cells that rivaled those of the Senju clan, but he hadn't expected that even Hashirama's cells could be devoured by Ye Zi's cells. It seemed that Ye Zi's body had untapped potential.
Without direct evidence, both he and Tsunade once suspected that Ye Zi's bloodline might be related to the Senju or even the Uzumaki clans.
Danzo said nothing, merely watching Orochimaru from the shadows.
Orochimaru leaned in closer to the beaker, his reptilian eyes reflecting the wriggling flesh. "Now that you have this data, are you going to dispose of her?"
Danzo remained silent for a moment, as if lost in thought. After a while, his cold, emotionless voice echoed.
"Not yet. Since this research is meant for Ye Zi, we must see it through to the end. I'm very interested in the outcome."
Hearing this, Orochimaru's expression slightly changed. The interest that had filled his eyes was now replaced by a cold, serpentine gaze.
"As promised, you'll get what you want. But the one to deliver the final result won't be Ye Zi."
"Oh?" Danzo's tone was noncommittal, a hint of malice flickering deep in his eyes. How could he easily let go of someone who could devour Hashirama's cells? In fact, Ye Zi's body might possess the perfect compatibility for the Sharingan.
"What if he's needed? Even as a corpse?"
Orochimaru let out a cold laugh. Even in front of the leader of Konoha's shadowy Root, one of the Legendary Sannin like him showed no fear. His long tongue swept over his purple lips, and his serpentine pupils gleamed with dangerous light.
"He belongs to me."
Nanako had been imprisoned. Her surname, Shimura, was as useless as a piece of waste paper. On the contrary, it became a source of regret.
She was held in a narrow, dark cell. The only light came from a small window the size of a palm, through which a dim candle's glow reached her. Her hands and feet were tightly bound, and she slumped against the cold, filthy wall, staring blankly at the faint light.
After her groundbreaking success in the experiment, she never expected such a sudden change. It came so quickly that she had no time to react.
She hadn't even had the chance to celebrate her success before being cruelly thrown into hell.
Silent, she gazed at the candlelight, her thoughts drifting to that man far away.
If her soul could leave her body, sprout wings, and fly to him, she would do so without hesitation to warn him.
Danzo had shown her his ruthless side, and it made her worry about Ye Zi, who was currently on a mission.
"Perhaps... I'll die before I can warn him..." A sorrowful expression appeared on her pale face.
When the experiment succeeded, she had longed to tell him personally, to fulfill the promise she once made.
But... it was too late...
Click.
The iron door slowly creaked open, and candlelight flooded into the small, dark room.
A tall figure stood at the entrance, blocking most of the light.
The sudden brightness made Nanako squint, her eyes now accustomed to the darkness. She vaguely saw a pair of cold eyes...
....
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Currently on Chapter 158 - Flashback III (Ye Zi's mysterious past)