As they entered the experimental area, Orochimaru and Danzo did not immediately approach Bai Shi but instead made their way to Cultivation Tank No. 17, where Yamato was located.
At that moment, Yamato was not in a good state. His body was tinged green, and parts of his skin had cracked open, with saplings sprouting from the crevices.
It was evident that this was a sign of losing control.
It was no wonder that Orochimaru had declared the experiment a failure in his previous life; even now, he didn't believe the subject could survive.
If not for Bai Shi being present, he probably wouldn't even have returned to this experimental base.
Seeing Yamato, who was still showing signs of pain despite being injected with a tranquilizer, Danzo suddenly asked, "Can he survive? It's been three days."
Instinctively, Orochimaru wanted to deny it.
But soon, he recalled the time a few months ago when Bai Shi was on the verge of losing control for an extended period, and his tone became hesitant: "Perhaps!"
However, he quickly shook his head and said, "What's the point? Even if he survives, his potential will be exhausted. At most, he'll hold out for one more round and ultimately fail to replicate the First Hokage's miracle."
At this, Danzo remained silent. He didn't care about replicating the First Hokage's miracles; he only wanted to have everything in his grasp.
Orochimaru then said, "Let's go see the real miracle."
As he spoke, he had already walked toward Bai Shi, with Danzo following closely behind.
······
Clap, clap, clap...
The footsteps grew closer, but this time Bai Shi didn't activate his evolution in advance.
The reason was simple: as the experiment neared its conclusion, he would eventually need to leave this place. He couldn't keep hiding from Orochimaru and Danzo forever.
Moreover, he now had a method to deceive them and thought it was a good opportunity to test it out.
With this in mind, Bai Shi focused the majority of his attention on the sphere of light deep within his soul (the 'system'), leaving only a sliver of his will to control his body.
In an instant, the sparkle in his eyes faded, and his demeanor became vacant, resembling that of an innocent child.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and if he didn't disguise himself, his unguarded thoughts might inadvertently reveal his true intentions.
But it was different now. With the 'system' to cover his thoughts and his own practice, fooling others was no longer a problem.
As long as he didn't expose himself temporarily, even if he acted maturely in the future, he wouldn't raise any suspicion.
After all, children in the ninja world tended to mature early.
While he was in contemplation, Orochimaru and Danzo had already approached.
Seemingly drawn by the sound of footsteps, Bai Shi turned his head to look at the two.
Seeing this, Danzo quickly stepped forward and observe him for a moment before asking, "Why is he awake?"
Orochimaru, after checking the life-support equipment and monitoring instruments, replied, "He has fused with the First Hokage's cells; his physique has increased rapidly. The previous tranquilizer is no longer effective."
After hearing this explanation, Danzo thought for a moment and nodded in acknowledgment, then asked, "Should we give him another tranquilizer?"
"No need. The tranquilizer was intended to alleviate pain. Given his current condition, the fusion with the First Hokage's cells should not cause him much pain," Orochimaru replied without looking up.
Following this, Danzo fell silent while Orochimaru examined Bai Shi's status, excitedly muttering to himself, "It's incredible! In just one day, the First Hokage's cells have diminished so much!"
After a moment, he stood up and said to Danzo, "I plan to adjust the experimental process and inject him with a higher activation extract of the First Hokage's cells."
Upon hearing this, Danzo became tense and asked, "Why? According to plan, we were supposed to increase the activity next month, weren't we?"
"Next month? No, his body can already handle a higher activation of the First Hokage's cells. Continuing with the current activity level of the cells is meaningless, and we might miss a great opportunity.
Right now, his cells are in a rapidly evolving state, and this state cannot last long, so we must seize the time," Orochimaru explained.
Normally, Orochimaru wouldn't explain himself, but since Danzo had confirmed Bai Shi's value, he wouldn't allow Orochimaru to conduct the experiment without supervision.
Reluctantly, Orochimaru could only provide a reason; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to enter this place again.
After hearing Orochimaru's explanation and considering Bai Shi's condition, Danzo finally nodded in agreement.
However, he reminded him, "Orochimaru, let me repeat: I don't want to see him die inexplicably, understand?"
"Hehe~ Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"
As he spoke, Orochimaru was still intently gazing at Bai Shi, as if appreciating a work of art.
······
As the sounds of footsteps receded, Bai Shi's consciousness returned to his body.
Feeling the increasingly active Hashirama cells within him, he sank into deep thought.
However, he was not contemplating matters related to the experiment; with his level III [Cell Adaptability], those issues were no longer worth his concern.
What he was contemplating was his future path.
Based on his age, he inferred that the current timeframe must be around Konoha Year 42 or 43, but no later than Year 44.
This meant he was right at the point between the Second Shinobi World War and the Third Shinobi World War.
There was no doubt that this was not a peaceful time.
Moreover, with him being only a little over two years old, he couldn't escape Orochimaru and Danzo's control. The inherent dangers of the ninja world were beyond what he could handle at the moment.
Thus, he had only one choice: to temporarily stay in Konoha.
However, no matter what, he could not stay under Orochimaru's command; otherwise, he would eventually become an experimental subject again. He could clearly sense that greedy gaze, even with his average perceptiveness.
Even if the man hadn't yet learned the forbidden technique of reincarnation or developed curse mark techniques, his research skills were indeed formidable. Who knew what odd experiments he might conduct using Bai Shi? Would he be as fortunate to survive the next time?
On the other hand, Danzo, while not a good person either, would likely only use him as a pawn. In the short term, there was no need to worry about safety.
As for the brainwashing and curse mark control of the Root, Bai Shi was not particularly concerned.
He wasn't an actual child; his worldview from his previous life, combined with his foresight, made him resistant to simple brainwashing.
As for curse mark control, it mainly affected the spirit and will of the recipient. As long as he evolved the necessary capabilities at the right time, there was no worry about not being able to break free.
Moreover, he could also learn related knowledge and eventually solve these issues.
Just as he was thinking this, Bai Shi suddenly sighed inwardly and shook his head, saying to himself, "What's the point of thinking so much? It's not like I can control who I end up with."
Indeed, in the end, the final decisions rested in the hands of Orochimaru and Danzo.
Fortunately, given Danzo's character, status, and position, there was a high probability that he would ensure Bai Shi remained safe. This thought provided Bai Shi with a little reassurance.
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