Chapter 113: Do You Want to Leave?

At the Akimichi clan compound, inside the laboratory.

Tatsuya stared intently at a clone suspended in a large cultivation tank. His eyes were bloodshot, his face alight with excitement!

A month had passed in the blink of an eye. Although he was confined, he was still well-informed. The anticipated storm had dissipated as quickly as it had threatened to arise.

Through Uncle Rou and Choza's accounts, Tatsuya had learned that the diplomatic incident between Kumogakure and Konoha had been resolved peacefully. Toro's death had barely caused a ripple between the two great ninja villages.

Konoha was eager to deflect blame, and Kumogakure was disinclined to investigate. The Kumogakure Jonin, Toro, had sacrificed himself in vain! This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the radical faction within Kumogakure. Internal power struggles within Kumogakure's upper echelons were involved.

Tatsuya didn't concern himself too much with these matters. During this time, he'd locked himself away in the laboratory day and night.

After the previous cell fusion experiments had all failed, Tatsuya hadn't given up. During the kidnapping a month ago, Tatsuya had seized the opportunity to obtain tissue samples from Hinata Hyuga and Yamato. Using these samples, he'd undertaken even bolder fusion experiments.

Considering that the previous deformed clone with a single Sharingan might have been the result of a power imbalance during the fusion sample's growth, Tatsuya had added cell samples from both Hinata and Yamato this time. In other words, he was attempting fusion using three different cell samples.

The success rate of cell fusion remained incredibly low. After spending several days separating and fusing thousands of samples, he'd obtained only a handful of successfully fused cells.

He'd placed these successfully fused samples in cultivation tanks, and only one had ultimately developed into a clone embryo without deformities. This was the very scene Tatsuya was now observing with unwavering focus.

This was a clone incorporating the genes of the Akimichi, Senju, and Uchiha clans. Thanks to Tatsuya's liberal use of the Fujinhoin and the Body Regeneration Technique for rapid growth acceleration, the clone's independent consciousness hadn't yet formed, but its body had already matured to that of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old.

Its appearance differed from Tatsuya's, with pale skin that exuded a delicate, almost ethereal beauty.

Looking at this "himself" lying in the nutrient solution, Tatsuya felt a peculiar sense of unease. Even though he'd seen clones before, both in the real world and through countless science fiction movies and online novels, Tatsuya still couldn't quite shake the feeling of transgression that came with two identical "selves" existing in the same world.

Moreover, the thought of personally eradicating the chance for this body to develop its own consciousness filled Tatsuya with a faint sense of guilt. This feeling wasn't a matter of maturity or sentimentality; it was simply something he hadn't yet adjusted to. Many changes in people's thinking aren't driven by a conscious desire for change, but rather occur subtly and unconsciously.

Removing the clone from the cultivation tank, Tatsuya began to inscribe sealing formulas onto its body. This was a relatively complex composite sealing technique, based primarily on the Four Symbols Seal, but incorporating elements of contract seals and Five Elements Seals.

To achieve this sealing technique, Tatsuya had expended a considerable amount of chakra, using the bio-chip's analytical and computational capabilities to exhaustively enumerate countless sealing formulas in his mind.

Tatsuya's purpose in inscribing this composite sealing technique was to erase the clone's independent consciousness and then seal his own will-bearing shadow clone into the clone's body, completing his long-planned clone body.

The initial stages of inscribing the composite sealing technique were not difficult, and Tatsuya completed them in just over an hour. If it weren't for the enormous mental strain of the inscription process, he could have shortened the time even further.

The crucial point of the composite sealing technique was the final step: sealing Tatsuya's shadow clone into the clone's body. The difficulty lay in both completely sealing the shadow clone and leaving a "valve" in the sealing technique, allowing him to take over the body by injecting chakra imbued with his own will into the clone.

This demanded an incredibly precise control of chakra and an extremely high level of skill in sealing techniques from the user. Without the bio-chip as a cheat, Tatsuya wouldn't have even entertained such a crazy idea.

Slowly injecting chakra into the clone's body, Tatsuya vaguely sensed a connection forming between himself and this body. As the chakra continued to flow, the feeling intensified.

At a certain point, the amount of chakra injected into the clone reached a threshold, and Tatsuya finally felt himself gaining control of another body.

On the operating table, the clone's eyelids fluttered slightly, and its limbs twitched unconsciously. Then, its eyes snapped open.

At that moment, Tatsuya felt as if he were seeing a new world. On one side was himself, lying down; on the other, himself, standing before the operating table. The sensation was extraordinary!

"Heh, I finally succeeded!"

Tatsuya and the clone stared at each other, and after a moment, both burst into laughter simultaneously. However, the sound coming from the clone body lying on the operating table was clearly a bit awkward.

Tatsuya tried to control the clone body to sit up from the operating table, but found it incredibly difficult. Clearly, the newly born body and Tatsuya's soul hadn't fully synchronized yet.

Tatsuya wasn't worried. The crucial steps were complete. Now, he simply needed to nurture and adapt to the body for a period of time to perfectly control this clone body.

The success of the first experiment greatly encouraged Tatsuya. He could almost see the magnificent scene of himself commanding countless clone bodies to dominate the ninja world in the future.

Returning the clone body to the nutrient solution to allow it to adapt autonomously, Tatsuya began to focus intently on inscribing sealing formulas onto another clone. Tatsuya then began attempting to control the Clone body to make various movements. Nourishment and adaptation both required constant, repeated practice.

That night, Tatsuya returned home.

Inside, a figure stood silently.

The lights flickered on!

"Orochimaru-sama, have you eaten?" Seeing the visitor, Tatsuya wasn't surprised. He routinely held up the food box he was carrying, offering it.

Opposite him, Orochimaru, hands tucked into his pockets, didn't decline. He walked over with a calm expression and sat down at the dining table.

This was the third time this month that Orochimaru had come to Tatsuya's house for a meal! At some point, their relationship had gradually grown closer. It felt like a mix of teacher-student and friendship.

Neither of them were particularly talkative, so they sat opposite each other, eating in silence.

As he ate, Orochimaru put down his utensils and looked at Tatsuya. "Tatsuya-kun, have you ever thought about leaving the village?"

Tatsuya's body tensed slightly, and he looked up at Orochimaru.

Was Snake-sensei planning to defect already? Wasn't he forced to flee after being discovered conducting human experiments? This seems different from my memories!

Looking at Orochimaru, Tatsuya asked, "Are you planning to leave the village?"

Orochimaru nodded calmly. "Yes. I'm going to seek the path to eternal life, and the village will only become a stumbling block! Besides, there are those who no longer wish for me to remain in Konoha. Will you come with me, Tatsuya-kun?"

Tatsuya was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "There are people I want to protect here. I can't leave."

A faint smile curved Orochimaru's lips. As he slowly stood up, he said, "Tatsuya-kun, perhaps one day you will walk the same path..."

With those words, he vanished.

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