Chapter 41

Things in the camp were tense, fights occasionally broke out and trust was hard to come by now.

Even though neither Orochimaru nor I were assassinated, the assassins still caused us problems.

The fights weren't a huge deal, though they were annoying when they happened five-times a day.

I was the designated mediator as Orochimaru was too busy to do so himself.

Being eleven I wasn't taken seriously and had to kick ass and take names...

Though I mainly kicked ass, things usually weren't a problem after an ass-kicking...

...

"Shiro, it's time to test your chakra network expansion."

Orochimaru distracted me causing the DNA I was working on to fracture and start falling apart.

Surrounding a chain of DNA with chakra, removing it and then replacing it was nearly impossible.

Any distractions, even a slight breeze caused me to lose control of what I was doing.

"I had forgotten about that."

Orochimaru and I had meant to do it a few times but things always seemed to pop-up.

"Sigh... I'll be with you in a moment, I just have to pack-up."

DNA analysis was going smoothly, I had identified most of what I needed, my lack of progress in Splicing was the only thing stopping me from trying to awaken the Shikotsumyaku.

The older one got the harder it was to make complex changes to your DNA.

What I wanted to do wasn't complex nor was I planning on doing it with my DNA, but every day that I failed to produce results had me feeling the pressure.

I wanted to get this done as soon as possible, it was delaying other projects that I had an interest in pursuing.

...

"What's this?"

Orochimaru's dissection table was covered with seals, it looked like we were going to perform a ritual sacrifice of some kind.

"These are used to monitor chakra, it measures and records changes in the subject's chakra."

I hummed and paced around the table, it wasn't something I had seen before.

"I haven't seen this before."

Orochimaru smiled and tilted his head back.

"It's my creation."

Orochimaru was looking rather arrogant, but it wouldn't do me well to point that out.

"It is masterfully done." Is what I settled for after a moment of thought.

It truly was, I could see some unfamiliar symbols.

They were likely created just for this seal by Orochimaru.

"Are those symbols your own?"

Orochimaru merely nodded but had a proud smile on his face.

"Well, let's get to it."

Orochimaru probably wanted to stroke his ego some more but I wanted to get this show on the road.

Time's a wasting after all...

...

"You can indeed expand someone's chakra network..."

I just hummed.

"Sadly, you still can't escape someone's inborn genetic limit."

I just hummed again, you could reach the genetic limit with training as well.

Unless you were pressed for time it seemed better to do the training yourself.

"How would one increase their chakra density?"

It was on my mind near constantly, I knew that your chakra increased in quality over time, but I had no idea what contributed to it.

"It's genetic."

That didn't answer my question...

"It has a lot to do with bloodlines and genetics, people often don't have dense chakra unless they practice Sage Mode or they were born with it."

It could be that people with Ōtsutsuki genes had denser chakra...

Most clans that didn't directly come from the Ōtsutsuki were shit...

Sigh...

...

There were a couple of genes that I couldn't identify.

"Mom I need some of your blood."

I figured they were of Hyuga origin but it didn't hurt to check.

"What do you need it for?"

Mom raised an eyebrow but took the vial I offered her.

"I'm doing science stuff."

Mom hummed and sliced her finger using a chakra coated nail.

"No body modifications I hope."

She squeezed her finger and a few drops of blood dropped into the vial.

"Nope."

I touched my finger to hers and healed the wound, I took the vial and corked it soon after.

"Thanks, I'll be hiding in the lab for a week or two, if you need anything let me know."

Mom nodded and sent me a sloppy wave.

"Will do..."

Oh, yea...

"Send Duy to medical whenever he trains the Gates, I don't want him vulnerable."

Mom shoed me with her hand.

"Go have fun in your lab."

I chuckled and started making my exit.

...

The mystery genes were indeed from my Hyuga half, though there were quite a few different genes...

More then I had from my Kaguya bloodline in any case...

The Kaguya DNA seemed rather simple compared to the Hyuga DNA.

It was unusual...

I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

I guess simple was what I wanted...

Whatever...

Since I was already looking at her DNA lets find that sensor gene...

I would like it if I could sense someone coming to slit my throat...

...

"These are the genes that determinate chakra capacity."

Orochimaru gestured towards two different lengths of DNA.

"And these are the genes for chakra density."

He pointed towards two different sections of DNA again.

"Those are for affinities, right?"

Orochimaru nodded.

"It depends on what you get from your parents, it's more like a gene that designates hair color and less like a gene corresponding to a bloodline."

So, it depends on what your parents had, I guess?

"What about people born with three affinities?"

The third Hokage was one such case.

"Mutants."

I snorted.

"I studied people with multiple affinities extensively, it mostly comes down to mutation, they have multiple sets of genes corresponding to their affinities."

Orochimaru gestured towards said genes.

"Most of the population will only have one set of affinity genes while some are born with more."

Orochimaru took his hand off the seal and straightened.

"A person's personality also seems to correspond to what element you possess, though not always."

I hummed...

"Alright, thanks."

Orochimaru nodded.

"Your welcome."

I blew a breath from my nose.

"One last question before I leave."

Orochimaru motioned me to continue.

"Is there a better way to practice DNA Splicing?"

Orochimaru didn't say anything for a moment and the lab was silent.

"...DNA Splicing will get better with practice and experience..."

I smiled half-heartedly, even with my excellent chakra control I was having problems.

"Will you watch how I do it and give me some tips? I've been making no progress as of late."

Orochimaru grunted and sent me an annoyed look but started rooting through the cupboards looking for the required seals.

...

I stood and started focusing on the task ahead.

Orochimaru hovering over me made me feel nervous but I did my best to put it out of my mind.

The seal was three circles two palmed sized circles with an extra small circle between them.

I placed my hands on the two outer circles and was instantly put under a Genjutsu, I felt Orochimaru put his hands on the seal as well and I did my best to dismiss the thought.

I started channeling my chakra to the circles and sent a string of chakra from each circle into the middle circle.

I located a few cells but focused on one, in particular, I located it's nucleus pushed an even smaller tendril of chakra into it.

I located my desired chromosome and surrounded it in chakra and started to slowly unravel it.

Over the course of thirty-minutes, I unraveled the chromosome bit by bit until it was one long strand of DNA.

I identified the DNA I wanted; it was just the gene for bone density it wasn't particularly special.

I located the second gene for bone density and got to work.

I 'ejected' the dominate gene and kept the recessive gene, I sent another sting of chakra to capture the free-floating DNA.

I then made two more strings of chakra and sent them from the circles and into the middle circle where I repeated the process.

I was once again unraveling a chromosome when things started to go awry.

I lost control and a slight twitch of chakra crushed the DNA I had unraveled.

My frustration leaked into my chakra and destroyed the rest of my work.

I sighed and removed my palms from the circles.

"As you can see, I can't maintain focus and hold different DNA strands with my chakra."

Orochimaru stared at me for a moment.

"...Who said you had to hold all of the DNA?"

I stared at him.

"...What?"

Orochimaru looked at the ceiling in exasperation.

"Once you've extracted your desired gene you can let it and the DNA float, or you could even unravel both of the chromosomes and then splice them..."

Orochimaru shook his head and started walking away.

"You were making things unnecessarily complicated..."

Fuck...

...

After Orochimaru left I had practiced a few more times and was successful in my endeavors.

One major hurdle was overcome...

Now, what do I do?

I wasn't ready for any success...

Sigh...

...

"Shiro, I haven't seen you in sooooo long!"

I was promptly smothered with a hug and spun.

I heard some glass break signaling the loss of some of the remaining Kaguya DNA I had left.

"Hi, Kushina."

She wasn't supposed to be on the front...

And definitely not on a front where we were holding our own.

"What brings you here?"

I was released.

I turned and saw Kushina rummaging through her kunai pouch looking for something,

"I brought gifts!"

Kushina shoved a book into my hands and took off.

"Gotta go see Sumikooo...!"

I heard her yell trail off as she gained distance.

I turned my eyes to a nervous Chunin standing by the door.

"I couldn't stop her..."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry about it."

I looked at the vial that had hit the ground.

It had already soaked into the dirt, I had little hope of retrieving it.

"I want proper flooring and no more delays on the water system..."

I side-eyed the Chunin while I started gathering my things.

"Yes Sir!"

I sighed through my nose.

I took a moment to look at the book.

Tale Of A Gutsy Shinobi.

Hmm?

...

Mom and Kushina had invaded my lab.

Apparently, they liked the heating...

Kushina could make her own heating...

"So, your heading back?"

Mom had been here for four months and was growing homesick.

Duy was as well and they were planning on making their way home as soon as they could.

"Yes, though I wish Shiro would come with me, he's been rather stubborn lately. It's probably puberty or something."

Mom had been rather insistent that I join her, sadly there were things to do and people to kill.

I was slowly being involved in Orochimaru's experiments and was learning lots.

Taking a break would only limit my progress...

"Oh? Shiro too? Kakashi has been getting stinky lately, he's growing up and becoming a little man!"

I blinked at that.

I'm not sure I wanted to hear anymore...

I started making my way outside, I think it's time to escape.

...

DNA Overwrite was going fine, my main problem now was applying the seal on someone.

No-one would want to sit still while I applied a cursed seal on them...

So, I needed to go the Orochimaru route and apply it as he did.

I already had a rough idea of how to do so, I just needed a bone senbon...

I could probably use some sort of Fuinjutsu on the needle and use the needle to do the hard work.

Then the only problem would be the activation of the seal...

I could make that automatic, something that feeds on the host's chakra to fuel the transformation...

Though to fuel a full-body change would require a ton of chakra...

I'll replace the temporary activation part of the seal with some sort of chakra drain...

Sigh...

Overwrite was fine as it was, but I wanted something combat applicable...

I guess I'll figure it out...

I should focus on editing the remaining cells first, I'm only partway through that...

And even then, I'll need to run some tests...

Can't go editing my DNA without testing it, now can I...

This could either go horribly wrong...

Or horribly right...

...

"I heard you took six of the captured Jonin..."

I turned slightly and side-eyed Orochimaru.

"I did indeed."

Orochimaru hummed and a creepy smile covered his face.

"Testing DNA Overwrite are we...?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, I thought I adequately disposed of any evidence...

"Indeed..."

Orochimaru clapped his hands together.

"Any success...?"

Orochimaru hissed his last word.

"Somewhat."

I held my hand out and bones erupted from it.

"Ohhhh you've already done it to yourself?"

I shook my head and the bones protruding from my flesh started retreating into my body.

"Just my hands."

Though it was successful, it changed my chakra and made it feel foreign, it felt like I had warm oil running through my body.

It gave me control over my body's osteoblasts and osteoclasts and the ability to regulate my bones' calcium density. Though so far it was limited to my hands.

"You've done well to only change little bits of yourself at a time, the last one I taught tried to change his whole body at once and died of chakra exhaustion."

I had realized that chakra cost was a problem when my last Jonin died and I only received two hands worth of cells...

"I'm starting to feel hesitant to do a full-body change, the feeling of having your chakra changed is violating."

Orochimaru looked gleeful he took my hand and started performing some sort of scan on it.

"What your feeling will pass."

I felt his chakra slither up my arm and I gave his chakra a nudge.

"Remember discomfort is temporary, power is forever, kekeke..."

Orochimaru laughed creepily and released my hand.

"Once your whole body is changed you won't feel the same discomfort."

Orochimaru started circling me and staring hard at me.

I stayed still unsure of what he was doing.

"When I made changes to my own body my chakra changed color and consistency, something similar should happen to yourself."

A grin stretched across his face.

"Though your changes aren't as extensive as my own the same still applies."

He stopped circling me and started heading towards the exit.

"Remember to make changes to your DNA little by little, don't get too excited and try to give yourself a new bloodline..."

Before he left, Orochimaru stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"I look forward to working with you Shiro, kekeke..."

Orochimaru left the room with a creepy laugh.

Sigh...

What am I doing...?

...

I didn't know I'd get such fast results, the Shikotsumyaku seemed to be mostly about chakra control and using chakra leaning towards Yang.

Something I had in spades, so I had no problems utilizing it at the moment.

DNA Overwrite worked out well as did the stem cell conversion, only ten percent of the stem cells became cancerous so little was lost.

My main problem seemed to be chakra cost, with the Strength Of A Hundred Seal it wasn't much of a problem.

But did I want to drain my seal in a warzone?

The obvious answer was no.

So, I needed some way to quickly administer the seal...

Sigh...

I'm glad I didn't have to cut off my hands...

If things went wrong the hands would have had to go...

They might still have to go...

I held my hands out in front of me and eyed them.

The still looked the same...

A quick flicker of chakra and I had a bone spike erupting from the back of my hand.

It was a cool bloodline...

I wonder if I can swim now...?

I've always been too heavy to swim...

I'll see if I can make my bones lighter...

Though should I even bother...?

Sigh...

To swim? Or not to swim?

...