"Sensei, are you planning to use that guy's arm for the Third Hokage's transplant?"
Amamiya Kenichi was currently helping Orochimaru out.
Orochimaru had decided to really push forward with the cloning research.
He wanted to complete the clone of that special experimental subject as soon as possible.
Once that was done, the "uses" were practically endless.
He'd already thought of several.
For example, Danzō had been complaining nonstop that his body couldn't handle the strain of so many Sharingan.
But according to Orochimaru's tests, that experimental subject could perfectly host Sharingan with no rejection at all.
Give Danzō that kind of body, milk him for research funding…
With all the experiments Orochimaru wanted to run, being poor simply wasn't an option.
"Mm. The Third offered quite a lot."
Orochimaru calmly watched the instruments, then shook his head.
Another failure.
Kenichi scratched his cheek.
So even the Third Hokage had started learning from Danzō, huh?
One used his left arm as a science project.
The other used his right.
A perfect duo.
And then there was Kakashi.
If they swapped Kakashi's eye out for a normal one…
What kind of future would that guy have?
Kenichi thought about it, then shook his head.
Probably impossible.
That Sharingan was a keepsake from Obito.
With Kakashi's personality, there was no way he'd give it up.
If he could, he would've done it long ago.
With the cloning attempt failed, Kenichi went back to his own research.
He wanted to finish testing the thermobaric explosive as quickly as possible.
"Miss this chance and there won't be another."
Kenichi formed a seal.
With a poof, three more Kenichis appeared beside him.
Multi Shadow Clone Technique!
He'd finally learned one of the most broken jutsu in the entire ninja world.
Orochimaru had gotten a bunch of scrolls from the Hokage Tower, and the multi shadow clone technique had been among them.
The downside, as always, was the ridiculous chakra cost—
and the fact that the more clones you used, the more crushing the rebound fatigue would be later.
Orochimaru had warned him several times to be careful with it.
Kenichi's chakra reserves were already much higher than Kakashi's thanks to his Sage Body,
but he still didn't dare make too many clones at once.
"I'll be counting on you guys. We're on a tight schedule."
He glanced at his three other selves.
They nodded, then went straight to work inside the lab, running tests on thermobaric fuel ratios.
Seven full days later, he finally had something.
"These past few days weren't a waste at all. I've finally found a ratio that's both relatively stable and hits the hardest."
Kenichi looked at the thermobaric mixture in his hand and smiled.
He'd spent a ridiculous amount of time blowing up test targets just to get this far,
but now the most important step in the thermobaric bomb design was basically solved.
He'd also gotten to understand the multi shadow clone technique a lot better.
"Guess those people from my past life were wrong.
Even if a shadow clone uses transformation jutsu, there's no way it can… 'handle your needs' for you."
Kenichi rubbed his chin.
In his previous life, he'd once seen someone post a deranged theory online:
that the reason Kakashi stayed single was because he'd developed a 'self-service' combination of shadow clone and transformation jutsu.
The post was so insane the author got flamed for dozens of pages.
Kenichi had joined in too.
But curiosity is a strange thing, so he'd run a mental test of the idea.
Conclusion: impossible.
A shadow clone was essentially another you.
That alone made the whole thing fundamentally impossible.
After settling on the optimal mixture, the next step was to finally build a proper thermobaric bomb based on the design blueprint.
Kenichi had originally wanted to make two, but the materials he had on hand only just barely covered one.
Making a second would be way too expensive.
So he'd just craft one for now, test its power in the field,
and see exactly how it performed against ninja.
"Kenichi, come here."
Before he could start building the bomb, Orochimaru called him out.
As soon as he stepped into the main chamber, Kenichi saw another person standing beside his teacher—a man with his head lowered, posture timid, aura weak.
But what caught Kenichi's eye first—
Was the guy's scalp.
Smooth.
Polished.
Not a single hair.
He also looked slightly malnourished.
"And this is…?" Kenichi asked, curious.
"This is the experimental subject I mentioned before," Orochimaru said, sounding very pleased. "His body is special. So far, anything I transplant into him causes no rejection at all."
Kenichi immediately understood.
He didn't remember this man ever appearing in the original story,
but that didn't matter.
The important thing was that this man was… special.
His gaze dropped to the man's collarbone—
and froze.
There, embedded near the clavicle, was a transplanted Sharingan.
Kenichi's expression turned weird.
It was his first time seeing someone transplant a Sharingan… into their collarbone.
There were no optic nerves there, okay?
Sure, you could reroute some blood vessels,
but could this guy actually see with that thing?
"This is Hōjun Shin. He volunteered to become an experimental subject," Orochimaru said lightly.
Kenichi nodded and studied him more carefully.
On the surface, Hōjun Shin didn't look like much.
There was chakra in his body, but not much at all—barely above a normal person.
"So, Sensei… why'd you call me out here?"
Kenichi glanced sideways at Hōjun Shin, who still had his head lowered and didn't dare look up.
"I need you to assist me," Orochimaru replied simply.
Kenichi blinked.
Assist? With what?
Orochimaru could make shadow clones and had even taught the technique to him.
Why did he need Kenichi's help?
"The Third Hokage wants a flawless arm, and he's growing impatient."
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"You're very good with new cells. I want to hear your thoughts."
Kenichi froze for a second.
New cells?
There was really only one thing he could think of.
Cancer cells.
He looked at his smiling teacher and suddenly felt a little sorry for old man Sarutobi.
Sensei was really putting his heart into this, huh?
The Third Hokage would surely be moved to tears.