After Kain left the Uchiha tribe, he noticed that Tsunade was still waiting for him nearby, so he hurried over.
When Kain approached, Tsunade asked, "Is the talk over?"
"If it's just about the visit, they treated it solemnly. As for other matters, it's neither a success nor a failure." Kain shook his head, explaining that he met with Uchiha Hamada, but that was all.
He hadn't discussed anything further. After exchanging greetings and expressing his gratitude, Kain took his leave.
Uchiha Hamada possessed considerable knowledge, having experienced the era of the Second Hokage. Currently, Konoha's views on the Uchiha clan were limited to a few high-level executives, and there were no significant developments regarding business cooperation or other matters.
Thus, Kain decided to remain silent for the time being. The current patriarch was not easy to convince, so they would have to wait for the next opportunity.
Fortunately, Uchiha Hamada appeared to be a reasonable man. Uchiha Fugaku, who was around the right age, was likely to inherit the position of patriarch soon.
During the following days, Kain spent his free time in the Senju tribe. When he wanted to go out, he would call Tsunade.
Meanwhile, Tsunade took the time to manage village affairs, utilizing Shadow Clone and Transformation Techniques to help Orochimaru clear some tasks.
This was a condition for Orochimaru to remain in the research lab; after all, as a Jōnin and a disciple of the Hokage, it would tarnish his reputation if he had too much free time.
Moreover, following the end of the war, a surge in missions had resulted in a backlog. Almost every Jōnin was assigned numerous missions, preventing Tsunade from accepting tasks in the name of reforming the medical system.
She still had to assist Orochimaru in completing quests.
One day, Tsunade returned from Konoha Hospital in the morning with good news for Nawaki.
"Nawaki, come with me! Orochimaru's side has succeeded!"
As soon as Nawaki heard this, he understood the implications of Tsunade's words. He immediately sprang up, excitement coursing through him as he set off with Tsunade.
Later, Tsunade conveyed the message Orochimaru had given her to Kain, allowing him to review it. The remaining test subjects had all succeeded, with none failing.
Orochimaru had presumably dealt with the successful experimental subjects; these few words implied that Orochimaru had handled dozens of lives, yet both Tsunade and Kain chose to overlook this grim reality.
The trio quickly cleaned up and set off. Originally, Tsunade intended to bring back serum to inject into Nawaki, but Orochimaru argued that the research base had superior equipment to monitor Nawaki's physical reactions. Thus, he persuaded Tsunade to leave the serum at the lab.
At the gate of Konoha, Tsunade was interrogated by the guard. However, the two Chūnin gatekeepers were frightened off by Tsunade's stomp on the ground.
Although ninjas were generally not allowed to leave the village without proper certification, the circumstances dictated exceptions.
After the Second Shinobi War, Sannin's reputation had spread far and wide, and Tsunade's lineage—being the granddaughter of the First and Second Hokages and the apprentice of the Third Hokage—made her a notable figure.
Once outside the village, only two of the three were commoners. Nawaki's physical fitness was not even as good as Kain's, so their speed was relatively slow.
However, Tsunade split off a Shadow Clone to assist them, and with the combined effort, they reached the experimental base in less than a day.
Upon arrival, they found that Orochimaru had already prepared everything.
"Orochimaru-sensei!" Nawaki exclaimed as he rushed over to greet him.
Orochimaru smiled back at Nawaki and replied, "Nawaki, come with me. After today, you'll be back to normal."
Tsunade and Kain followed closely behind. However, Kain first checked the surveillance footage, concerned that Orochimaru might exaggerate the success rates to save the Extremis virus serum.
After reviewing the recordings, Kain felt relieved. All the test subjects had adapted to the new version of the Extremis virus serum, with over 90% successfully awakening Wood Style.
Those who struggled to use ninjutsu had met a grim fate, as Orochimaru lost patience and eliminated them.
The Extremis serum that Kain had previously given to Orochimaru had all been utilized, which only increased Kain's assessment of Orochimaru's capabilities.
Once in the lab, Orochimaru asked, "Kain, would you like to create a new Extremis virus serum for yourself?"
"Yes, I would appreciate your help. This is my intention." Kain gestured to his head and continued, "I want a serum that rapidly repairs severed limbs, enhances physical fitness, and defends against illusion attacks. Anyone would want to inject it, and I might not get my share upon returning."
Creating a well-organized background had become second nature for Kain. With the Extremis virus serum injected, as long as he maintained consciousness, he could manipulate the ninja world to his advantage.
"It makes no difference to me whether I cultivate one or two serums, so I'll need to extract some of your cells for this process," Orochimaru stated.
After finishing the conversation, Orochimaru began cultivating the new serum. Kain also took the opportunity to copy all the materials related to the new Extremis virus for safekeeping.
He had already discussed the Hashirama cells with Tsunade, and the cells Kain obtained should suffice for him to create 20 batches of the new Extremis virus.
"Once the serum is successfully cultivated, you'll be the only other person in the ninja world who can wield Wood Style. If you wish to join Konoha, I can help you with the high-ranking officials so they won't trouble you regarding your Wood Style ninjutsu," Tsunade offered.
Tsunade hoped to restore Konoha's relationship with Kain, believing that Wood Style ninjutsu would serve as an effective lure. However, Kain did not place much value on it.
The First Hokage's strength stemmed from his own abilities, and Wood Style was not the key to that strength. Even with the Extremis virus serum and Hashirama cells, achieving the scale of the First Hokage would require an immense amount of Chakra and miraculous feats.
"Forget it, Tsunade. If there's a first time, there will be a second time. Unless they come down and you go up," Kain replied, shaking his head.
"I don't trust many people in Konoha—only you and Kushina. Unless you two are Hokage, let's not discuss this further. Wood Style doesn't hold much value for me, and I have other matters to discuss, so I can't give you a definite answer."
Seeing Kain's resolute stance, Tsunade sighed inwardly, lamenting how those old men had no sense to avoid offending others.
It would take about two days to cultivate the serum. When Orochimaru finally produced a successful batch, Nawaki leaped up with excitement.
Seeing Nawaki's enthusiasm, Tsunade immediately scolded him, "Calm down! I remember telling you that it's best not to get too emotional when injecting this serum."
"I understand, sister," Nawaki replied, slowly managing to temper his excitement. Kain, however, felt more at ease; the success rate was almost 100%, and he had little to worry about, aside from a slight fear of pain.
Afterward, both of them lay down on the beds, secured by restraints, while Tsunade prepared to inject them with the new Extremis virus serum.
In an instant, Kain felt as though he had plunged into magma, pain radiating throughout his body. The same was true for Nawaki beside him.
Thirty minutes later, drenched in sweat and nearing the end of their bodily transformations, Kain suddenly felt an exhilarating change.
The metal shackles that had previously felt unyielding were now as pliable as mud. His strength, speed, and physical perception had all significantly improved.
Extremis Introduction: Extremis enhances the user's physiological functions by rewriting their DNA. It utilizes bioelectricity within the human body to activate and chemically encode the part of the brain responsible for repair.
This process allows users to essentially hack into their organism's basic operating system. If the user's body accepts the serum, they gain regenerative healing abilities, enabling them to heal all wounds, including previously amputated limbs and even psychological damage.
As body parts regenerate, the wounds appear as burning embers, and lost limbs can regenerate within minutes, cooling down to normal flesh, blood, and bone.
Bloodline limits can also enhance physical performance, granting superhuman strength, reflexes, and overall resilience.
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