Chapter 165: If You Love Him, Tattoo Him on Your Chest

Deep within the Land of Dragons stood a newly constructed palace, built just a year after the country's founding. It was grand, luxurious, and occupied a vast area. Upon seeing it, even the Daimyō of the Land of Dragons felt that his own palace paled in comparison.

Yet, despite its enormous size, only two people resided within this palace.

At this moment, Ni was reporting to Kakuzu. She stood before the man, his breath slightly uneven, then straightened up and wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with a red handkerchief. Flashing a charming smile, she asked,

"Kakuzu-sama, have I improved?"

Kakuzu glanced at the report in his hands. Over the past year, the Land of Dragons had developed steadily. Under his management, the country's tourism industry had flourished. Furthermore, the Land of Dragons shared borders with the Land of Fire, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Iron—three wealthy nations. As long as stability was maintained, the country's future looked promising.

Rising to his feet, Kakuzu patted Ni's delicate face.

"You've done well. When I'm not around, I'll leave these matters to you."

"Thank you for your praise, Kakuzu-sama."

Lowering the handkerchief, Ni bowed respectfully, clearly pleased.

"By the way, how are things on Rokuno's side?"

"Kakuzu-sama, Rokuno has divided the ninja forces under his command into several smaller squads. The total number is around two hundred, with ten jōnin among them. They handle the village's daily patrols."

"Not bad. Tell Rokuno to focus on security and regular training."

Two hundred ninja didn't seem like much—especially when at least eighty percent of them were genin—but to Kakuzu, this was sufficient. The key wasn't numbers but efficiency. As long as they were used properly, even a small force could be formidable.

After confirming the country's security matters, Kakuzu made his way to the underground research facility of Ryūgakure. The laboratory was spacious and well-equipped, but the number of researchers was limited. Only a few assistants worked on the outskirts, while the only person granted access to the core research was Hiruko.

And Hiruko… well, he looked absolutely deranged.

Much like his appearance in the movie after his defeat, his hair was disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot. But there was a reason for his madness—he had found something here.

"Hahahahaha! Kakuzu-sama! The biological fusion theory you provided me has finally yielded results! With my initial experiments, I've created the foundation for a whole new kind of life! Before long, I will bring forth an entirely new species with my own hands!"

"Is that so? Well then, congratulations."

Kakuzu chuckled, slipping on a pair of white gloves before stepping forward to the experiment table with Hiruko.

Hiruko still hadn't let go of his resentment over his past—his weak talent as a ninja. He continued to chase after power, seeking to transform himself through experimentation. In a way, this was his way of making peace with his past.

Kakuzu had no objections to this. In the world of shinobi, even medical ninja needed formidable strength to survive. Besides, once his own Earth Grudge Fear technique stabilized further, he wouldn't mind experimenting with grafting a Kekkei Genkai onto Hiruko as well.

After chatting for a while about the latest experimental results, Kakuzu brought the conversation back to the main topic.

"How's the research on Hashirama Cells coming along?"

At the mention of this, the blood vessels in Hiruko's eyes seemed to darken, and his already manic expression grew even more frenzied.

"Kakuzu-sama! After dissecting so many test subjects, I have never seen cells this tenacious! They seem capable of infinite survival and can even adjust their size at will!"

Following the fall of the Land of Dragons, Kakuzu had finalized his deal with Danzō, who had provided him with a fresh batch of Hashirama Cells. Kakuzu had already injected these cells into his wood clones, and within a few years, he would fully integrate them. By then, the dilution rate of the Hashirama Cells in his body would be reduced to about thirty times.

"However, Kakuzu-sama, I made another discovery while studying the Hashirama Cells. When their concentration drops below sixty times dilution, they become so agitated that they can rupture the blood vessels of an ordinary person."

"And when the dilution falls below twenty times, even an elite ninja would likely be unable to withstand them."

As he spoke, the madness on Hiruko's face finally subsided a little. His words carried weight, as they directly concerned Kakuzu's survival.

When Kakuzu had first injected the Hashirama Cells, their dilution had been several hundred times. But as the concentration decreased over time, they would become increasingly volatile. Eventually, his body would reach its limit. If he pushed the assimilation any further, the side effects would be catastrophic. After all, Hashirama Cells weren't like ordinary Kekkei Genkai—they exceeded the limits of what Earth Grudge Fear could control.

"Kakuzu-sama, there's something else—perhaps not a problem, but I feel I should mention it."

"What is it?"

"Since the Hashirama Cells contain the genetic lineage of the First Hokage, when they become highly agitated, they tend to undergo recombination. I suspect that at a certain threshold, your body may develop… traits similar to Hashirama himself."

"…Hm?"

Kakuzu's eyebrow twitched.

He had spent all these years focused on strengthening himself with Hashirama Cells, but he had overlooked an important factor.

There was an old saying: If you love someone, tattoo them on your chest so you can remember them always.

Kakuzu had no intention of commemorating Hashirama in such a manner. He'd leave that kind of devotion to someone else.

Thinking carefully, Hashirama Cells originated from the Divine Tree. If he could find the Divine Tree itself, he might be able to obtain a pure sample of its cells—perhaps that would eliminate the side effects. Alternatively, he could extract only the Wood Release genes from the Hashirama Cells, avoiding the unwanted traits entirely.

Both methods seemed viable, but Kakuzu had a more pressing concern.

"The Hashirama Cells will only become more aggressive over time. Is there any way to suppress them?"

Hiruko pondered for a moment before answering.

"Kakuzu-sama, if your body possesses an immense amount of chakra, you could continuously use it to suppress the agitation of the cells. However, this would require constant chakra expenditure, and if you resist them too much, you'll never fully integrate with the cells. That's the theoretical approach."

Kakuzu nodded in understanding.

Every day that the Hashirama Cells remained in his body, they continued to alter him.

Yin and Yang combined could create all things—but if he wanted to awaken the Rinnegan, he wouldn't take that route. Kakuzu lacked the Uchiha lineage, and even if he acquired their blood now, it wouldn't contain Indra's chakra. He needed to use a more primal approach.

But abandoning the Hashirama Cells wasn't an option either. They were the fastest path to godlike power.

"Heh… Seems like I'll need to use a more direct method to adapt to them."

With that, Kakuzu decided—it was time to take a trip.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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