#44

Once the meeting ended.

Mufasa wasted no time and headed straight for the hospital.

The construction teams were already hard at work, expanding the hospital at full speed. One of the biggest advantages of the ninja world was the efficiency of infrastructure development. A group of skilled Earth Release users stood in a circle around a large open space, performing hand seals in unison.

Within moments, a six-story building, designed precisely according to the blueprints, rose from the ground. Once the main structure was complete, craftsmen moved in, swiftly installing prefabricated walls, wiring, pipes, and furniture.

From foundation to completion, the entire process took only a morning.

Mufasa, meanwhile, continued his work as a master of ninja tools. With a clap of his hands—

Snap.

A hospital bed materialized, perfectly assembled.

Snap. Snap.

An oxygen machine appeared, followed by more medical equipment.

As he watched the inpatient ward take shape, Mufasa felt a rare sense of satisfaction. Soon, the many pregnant women inside would have spacious, well-lit rooms and proper medical care.

A warm, almost fatherly smile crossed his face. The children who might have once been abandoned would now be welcomed into the world, given the chance for a bright future.

The thought filled him with pride.

"Who says standing in the obstetrics ward doesn't make you a hero?" he muttered with a grin, clapping his hands even faster to summon more supplies.

Half a Month Later – Kazekage's Office

Bang, bang, bang!

Mufasa slammed the table, glaring at Kankuro.

"I gave you a task, and all I hear are excuses! Are you even trying? Can you do it or not?!"

Dark circles heavier than Gaara's, Kankuro looked utterly defeated. "Boss, it's not that I don't want to do it… It's just really hard."

Mufasa arched an eyebrow, amused. "What's the problem? You're only assisting the research team, not leading it. What's got you so shaken?"

Kankuro shuddered, recalling the horrors of the past few weeks. His voice wavered.

"B-Boss… I'm not assisting in the research… I'm the research!"

Mufasa frowned. Kankuro looked like he had just escaped from a nightmare. Could Orochimaru really be going overboard?

Then again… that was his style.

"Alright, alright," Mufasa sighed. "I'll go check on the progress myself."

Kankuro practically latched onto him like a lifeline.

The moment they arrived at Orochimaru's research facility, Kankuro hesitated at the entrance, shifting uncomfortably.

Mufasa frowned. "What's wrong with you? He's not going to eat you."

"… That'd be preferable," Kankuro muttered under his breath.

They stepped inside, and almost immediately, Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes locked onto them. His tongue flicked out in excitement as he appeared beside Kankuro in an instant.

"Ahhh, you've finally returned," he purred. "Just in time—I have a new theory I'd like to test."

Kankuro, wide-eyed and trembling, clung to Mufasa.

"B-Boss, no! I don't wanna do this anymore!" he wailed.

Mufasa sighed, pushing him away. "Orochimaru, at least wipe the drool off your face first."

Orochimaru, unbothered: (￣.￣)(￣.￣)

Seeing Kankuro on the verge of a breakdown, Mufasa relented. "Fine. You wait outside."

Kankuro didn't hesitate—he bolted.

Orochimaru sighed longingly, watching him go.

Mufasa shook his head. "Alright, enough playing around. Show me what you've been working on."

Orochimaru led him deeper into the lab, which had undergone a complete overhaul. He had brought in more equipment, more researchers, and—thanks to Mufasa's funding—state-of-the-art computers and advanced technology.

The place now looked like the kind of high-tech villain's lair straight out of a movie.

As Mufasa walked past the glowing tanks and data screens, something caught his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks, his brows furrowing.

There, floating in one of the tanks, was a familiar face.

Kankuro.

Or rather, a clone of Kankuro—still incomplete, with only a head and torso.

Mufasa slowly turned to Orochimaru.

"… What exactly are you doing?"

Orochimaru's grin widened. "Ah! My lord, let me explain! These are the results of my latest research. Look here, here, and here—these are all cloned limbs based on Kankuro's cells."

Mufasa pinched the bridge of his nose. No wonder Kankuro looked traumatized.

He took a deep breath. "You do realize that we were supposed to be working on puppet technology, not human cloning, right?"

Orochimaru, still smiling: "But my lord, isn't this the best way to solve the problem?"

Mufasa shot him a deadpan look. "The goal was to improve puppetry mechanics—not create an army of Kankuros."

Orochimaru's expression remained unfazed. "The old method of using chakra threads to control puppets is too flawed. You disapprove of it, don't you?"

Mufasa nodded. He had always disliked puppet strings—they were too obvious, too vulnerable. A true puppet master shouldn't advertise their weakness to the enemy.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. "Then why not create self-moving puppets—ones that think, react, and act on their own?"

Mufasa crossed his arms."And you think cloning Kankuro is the way to achieve that?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Well… trial and error."

Mufasa sighed. "Let's get one thing straight. I want innovation, not a psychological horror show."

He turned on his heel. "And for the love of all things holy, stop using Kankuro as your test subject. The man's on the verge of a breakdown."

Orochimaru sighed dramatically. "If you insist."

Mufasa massaged his temples. 'What have I gotten myself into…?'

Orochimaru led Mufasa back to his power center research room.

Unlike the control center, this place wasn't filled with cultivation tanks. Instead, the room was lined with various ninja tools and biological components—clones of Samehada in different stages of growth, pieces of fleshy tissue, spine fragments, and thigh bones. The walls bore the marks of extensive testing—scorch marks, frost patches, and deep gouges, making it look more like a weapons testing ground than a laboratory.

Orochimaru approached a cube-shaped object, roughly half the height of a person, with a metallic shell covered in intricate seal patterns. The cube had openings on multiple sides, revealing sections of knotted, decaying flesh inside. Some of it was already blackened, as if it had started rotting.

"This is the first-generation prototype," Orochimaru explained, tapping the metal casing. "The outer shell is made from reinforced Sand Village steel, and the inside is filled with chakra-absorbing tissue and a special nutrient solution."

Mufasa observed it closely. "What's the result?"

Orochimaru sighed, shaking his head. "Complete failure. The cells lose all ability to absorb chakra once they're severed from the original host's consciousness."

Mufasa frowned. "Did you try connecting it to the control center?"

"No, that's another failure," Orochimaru admitted, irritation flickering across his face. He wasn't someone who cut corners. To him, anything less than perfection was unacceptable. "What I need is a self-sufficient power module—one that can absorb chakra automatically and inject it as needed, without requiring constant supervision. Linking it to the control center would just be another burden during battle. Controlling multiple weapons and maintaining synchronization with puppets is already a heavy enough task."

Under Mufasa's influence, Orochimaru had begun striving for efficiency, focusing on modularization and miniaturization. With a satisfied smirk, he moved to unveil the second-generation prototype.

This time, the object was much smaller—about the size of a palm. Its surface was smooth and pure white, covered in black sealing patterns resembling blooming flowers. It felt cool and slick to the touch, deceptively light, but when tapped, it gave off a crisp metallic sound. There was also a faint sloshing of liquid from within.

Orochimaru smiled mysteriously. "My lord, inject some chakra into it."

Mufasa complied, channeling his chakra into the cube. Orochimaru quickly performed a sealing technique to bind it to Mufasa. "Now, try again," he instructed. "And this time, picture something in your mind."

Mufasa focused, imagining a ninja sword.

The cube quivered, then began to liquefy, reshaping itself like flowing water. Within moments, it solidified into a sleek, white porcelain ninja blade. The moment Mufasa grasped the hilt, he felt a faint surge of energy coursing through it.

This feeling… it was familiar.

A realization struck him.

"This is… the same natural energy you channeled when you bit me before," Mufasa muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Orochimaru's grin widened. "Correct."

Mufasa closed his eyes, focusing on the energy within the sword. The sensation was faint, almost imperceptible, likely due to the lack of natural energy underground. But what intrigued him was how the energy didn't originate from a single point—it seeped in through countless microscopic gaps in the sword's surface.

Opening his eyes, he turned to Orochimaru. "What exactly is this thing?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Not a 'thing,' my lord—a power module." He paused, then added, "One that absorbs natural energy."

Mufasa's gaze sharpened. "Explain."

Orochimaru crossed his arms, clearly pleased with himself. "I combined the unique abilities of Kimimaro's bones and Jugo's flesh to create it."

Kimimaro, the last survivor of the Kaguya Clan, possessed the rare Shikotsumyaku ability, allowing him to manipulate his skeletal structure at will. His bones were harder than steel and could be freely reshaped into deadly weapons.

Jugo, on the other hand, had a completely different gift. His clan's physiology allowed them to absorb natural energy instinctively, though they struggled to control it. Jugo's body constantly pulled in nature energy, which led to violent outbursts. His abilities were the foundation of Orochimaru's Cursed Seals.

By fusing the two bloodlines, Orochimaru had created something revolutionary.

"Jugo's flesh continuously absorbs natural energy, while Kimimaro's bones provide a stable environment to house it," Orochimaru explained. "The natural energy enters through the bone structure, seeps into the flesh, and is stored within. With the right seals, it can be controlled and converted into usable chakra."

Mufasa was impressed. A fusion of two bloodlines resulting in a self-sustaining energy core? This was beyond anything the ninja world had seen before.

After a few moments, the energy in the sword depleted, and it reverted back into a cube.

Orochimaru nodded. "The current issue is storage capacity. There's too little flesh and blood inside, so the energy runs out quickly. I'll need to solve that problem." He tapped the cube thoughtfully. "In the future, we can enhance the structure by incorporating memory metal into the bones for added durability."

Mufasa suddenly thought of a major flaw in this plan. His expression darkened. "Wait a minute."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, my lord?"

Mufasa crossed his arms. "You're basing this entire system on Kimimaro and Jugo's unique abilities. But Kimimaro was terminally ill, and Jugo's clan isn't exactly common. How do you expect to mass-produce these modules in the future?"

For the first time, Orochimaru's smug confidence wavered slightly.

Mufasa smirked. "Thought so."

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Word count: 1760

BTW, I posted a new translation. "Vector Control in Marvel". It's a Marvel fanfic. Read it for those interested.