Splash!
Inside the life-support pod, the now-spent nutrient fluid slowly drained away through the outlet at the bottom. Hyuga Aotsuki's body, losing the buoyant support of the liquid, slumped softly against the transparent walls.
But compared to before—something had changed.
A leg.
The right leg that had once been severed was now whole again.
Though newly regenerated, it was still different from the left one in strength and coordination; it would take time before it could move normally.
And for that leg alone… they'd already gone through two full tanks of nutrient fluid.
That's twenty million ryō right there.
If one included the cost of auxiliary materials—algae cultures, the rare lizard tissue, and various catalysts—the total expenditure of this experiment had easily exceeded fifty million ryō.
More expensive than an elite jonin like Asuma himself.
And that wasn't even counting the wear and tear on the lab's instruments or the technical expertise involved.
If you truly added everything up—it would be an astronomical figure.
That much money could have hired Kakuzu to assassinate several jonin.
Yet it was all spent… just to restore one leg.
A literal golden thigh!
Even if it were cast from pure gold, it still wouldn't be worth as much as Hyuga Aotsuki's new right leg.
But for some people, money simply wasn't an issue—so long as they could see results.
"Did we really succeed?" murmured Uchiha Shizuka, still unable to believe her eyes.
"We did," Shien replied, nodding unconsciously as he glanced at the barely covered Aotsuki.
He only managed a few seconds of observation before Uchiha Mei stepped in front of him, forcing him to avert his gaze awkwardly.
Her perception really was sharper than the Sharingan—was sensory ninjutsu truly this powerful?
While Shien's thoughts drifted, the respirator mask on Hyuga Aotsuki's face detached, cutting off the anesthetic gas. Her breathing steadied, and she began to awaken.
Ordinary people would still be unconscious after such anesthesia—but a shinobi's body was different. They recovered fast.
"…I…"
Her mind still foggy from sedation, she slowly turned her gaze downward.
And then—she saw it.
Her right leg. Smooth, fair skin, whole and unscarred.
Tears welled up in her pale eyes before she could stop them.
She had once believed, after living through that hellish nightmare, that she had no tears left to shed.
But that resolve crumbled the instant she saw her reborn limb.
Tears of joy.
Shien and the others understood. No one stopped her; no one spoke.
She lay limply in the pod only because the anesthetic hadn't completely worn off. Soon, she'd be able to stand again— and when that moment came, they would need to test the new limb thoroughly.
Only after confirming it was fully functional could they begin treatment for the "main sponsor."
Time was of the essence.
Though Uchiha Mei could already move freely thanks to sensory ninjutsu, that didn't mean she wasn't anxious.
Every resource had been mobilized without hesitation, no matter the cost—that alone showed how desperate she was.
One who has once known light cannot endure darkness.
Only her unyielding will and the hope Shien offered kept her sane. Without that hope, she might have ended her life long ago.
In the original timeline, there was no record of her existence at all—likely erased after her suicide brought shame to the clan.
"All right, let's see if you can stand," Uchiha Shizuka urged.
"We can talk about the rest later."
If she had to be the villain to make Mei whole again, she didn't mind.
Shien, too, offered no objection.
Hyuga Aotsuki was far from fragile—she didn't need months of convalescence.
The pod and the nutrient fluid had already accelerated her recovery.
Without these instruments, the regeneration would've taken ages.
Knowing full well that her chance at rebirth came from serving as the "test subject," Aotsuki began to rise within the pod.
Thud!
She collapsed again almost immediately—but instead of despair, a smile curved her lips.
She could feel it.
A faint, almost imperceptible sensation from her right leg—after all these empty years, there was feeling again.
However weak, it was real.
Her right leg had truly been reborn.
"I can't believe it…" whispered Uchiha Shizuka, watching Aotsuki brace herself against the glass, struggling to stand on both legs.
As an elite jonin, she had seen countless things—but never something like this.
A miracle.
Shinobi did not fear death—but they feared crippling injuries, feared being broken.
Now, with this technology to restore lost limbs, even if it could never be mass-produced, their own people would never have to dread such fate again.
"Mei," said Shien,
"it's your turn to prepare."
Seeing Aotsuki's success, he was certain—the technique was now fully mastered.
Of course, the extensive medical knowledge they'd studied had been crucial.
Even if brute force could have produced results eventually, it would never have been this perfect.
Medical ninjutsu is god-tier!
"Right," Uchiha Mei nodded, forcing herself to remain calm, though her heart was trembling with hope.
The light was within reach.
Pre-operation preparation.
They needed her in peak condition—and the room completely sealed from outside interference.
Only important subjects received such careful treatment.
Anyone else would be operated on immediately, no questions asked.
The pod's glass slowly lowered, allowing the now-upright Aotsuki to step out.
But suddenly, Shizuka's eyes flashed scarlet—the three-tomoe Sharingan spinning to life.
"Wait!"
Shien instantly stepped between them.
"What are you doing?" Shizuka's voice turned sharp.
"You understand what happens if this leaks, don't you?"
If word got out that Shien possessed the power to regrow lost limbs, not only the Uchiha and the village—every great shinobi village would come for his head.
She intended to eliminate the risk entirely.
Even genjutsu seals couldn't guarantee silence forever.
"I know," said Shien firmly,
"but she will never betray me."
She had already given everything—even her body and identity—for his cause. She would rather die than turn on him.
Besides, he planned to grant her the Tenseigan someday. With that, betrayal would be impossible.
Of course, Shizuka didn't know that.
That was why she had resolved to kill Aotsuki, no matter if it angered Shien.
"Shizuka-aunt!"
Uchiha Mei's voice cut through the tension.
Clearly, she chose to trust Shien—and to share the risk.
"Hmph."
Shizuka snorted in displeasure but didn't press the issue further, stepping aside.
Seeing that she'd backed down, Shien turned to Aotsuki and instructed,
"Wear your prosthetic as before—and find a way to acquire those 'samples.'"
Once he obtained Hyuga clan blood, he could extract its genetic code and complete her reconstruction.
Every transmigrator before him had known this: with perfect Hyuga genes came the Tenseigan.
Even if not, her power would surge immensely—and once he got hold of Otsutsuki genetic material from the moon, success was certain.
Of course, gene fusion carried tremendous risk—complete genetic collapse.
But his own blood could stabilize the process, ensuring safe integration.
Utterly broken balance—yet perfect for him.
That was why he believed Aotsuki was his most promising subject—her potential could be realized the fastest.
As she carefully slipped her regenerated leg into the hollow leather prosthesis, Hyuga Aotsuki nodded solemnly.
"Yes!"
She understood the danger he faced for her sake. Her mind was set.
Even if it cost her life—she would never betray this secret.
From now on, everything would be for the next operation.
After all, now that they had succeeded— it was no longer an experiment.
It was a surgery.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/FicHaven786