Chapter 374: Shadow 2
"Kabuto, what are you doing here?"
Inside the Sector 13 Laboratory of the Department of Research and Development, Tobitake Tonbo appeared and looked at Kabuto, who was currently assisting Orochimaru, with a face full of curiosity.
Good grief, he actually managed to talk Kabuto into this.
The current Kabuto's perspective was completely different from what it used to be. Tonbo had thought about inviting Kabuto himself earlier, but before he could act on it, Orochimaru had beaten him to the punch. He wondered what kind of methods Orochimaru used to lure him over.
"Lord Orochimaru's invitation, plus such excellent research material—I am more than willing," Kabuto replied, his eyes drifting toward the body of Urashiki Otsutsuki. He hadn't expected Tonbo to be able to acquire such an experimental subject; no wonder Orochimaru wanted his help. The difficulty of this research was on another level.
Currently, Kabuto's primary goal was to shorten the research time as much as possible to save on the budget.
"And what has a 'busy man' like you been researching? You're never seen in person these days," Orochimaru remarked. He was referring to how Tonbo constantly used Shadow Clones to trick people. What kind of work could be more enticing than researching an Otsutsuki? Orochimaru himself couldn't help but work day and night, staying buried in research. Even Kabuto was captivated by it.
However, Kabuto was different from him now; Kabuto had many more ties to the world.
"Increasing my strength, of course. Just because an enemy reveals a weakness doesn't mean you can crush that weakness. Strength is still the foundation," Tonbo stated.
Recently, his research into World Harmonization had failed again. He could achieve the equalization of damage, but he couldn't yet transfer that damage to the Shield of the World. There was still a long way to go. Having taken a break, he happened to learn that Orochimaru had recruited Kabuto, so he came over to take a look.
"You have a point," Orochimaru admitted. He knew a great many things, but some of that knowledge hadn't been converted into raw power; that's why he couldn't break the genjutsu and escape during the Infinite Tsukuyomi. If it happened again, he definitely wouldn't fall for it. Thus, he agreed with Tonbo's words.
They all understood the importance of strength, but intelligence was also a form of strength and could not be neglected.
"Is everything alright here, Kabuto? It must be much better than your old laboratories," Tonbo said.
"Aside from having fewer assistants, there's nothing to complain about," Kabuto replied. Most importantly, he was making money.
"It's going very well," Orochimaru added. "The research on Urashiki has already made some progress. Just as you suspected, his eyes can manifest more than three types of special ocular powers, all of which are quite unique."
With the R&D Department having been operational for several months, Orochimaru had already produced results. He had discovered many fascinating things. Specifically regarding Urashiki's eyes, they had already identified three ocular powers, and they couldn't rule out the existence of more yet to be discovered.
By contrast, the Uchiha Sharingan he had coveted in the past only possessed one type of unique ocular power. These Otsutsuki ocular powers also possessed great plasticity, though they felt quite different from the Sharingan. While the Sharingan's power increases based on intense emotion, Urashiki's eyes seemed to rely on raw, inherent strength.
"Heh, well done. It seems my investment wasn't in vain," Tonbo said happily. Orochimaru was reliable after all.
Orochimaru and Kabuto exchanged a glance; as expected, Tonbo didn't care about the funding at all. This confirmed that Tonbo was currently loaded with cash—it was time to fleece the sheep thoroughly.
"This is the data I've compiled. Take a look; it might be useful to you. Since you want to increase your strength, do you want me to transplant his eyes into you? It might be beneficial," Orochimaru suggested, pulling up the research data on Urashiki from the database. He was curious to see if his current technology could perfectly transplant Urashiki's eyes. It would at least provide a decent boost in power.
"Forget it. Using the body parts of someone I killed? That's just creepy. Orochimaru, think of something better," Tonbo flatly refused. A mere pair of eyes—his own were already good enough. If he had wanted a Sharingan, he could have acquired one long ago with his abilities.
"...Thinking about it that way, I feel like your body is actually more worth researching," Orochimaru said, his eyes gleaming. Kabuto also looked at Tonbo with great interest. Indeed, being able to defeat an Otsutsuki single-handedly proved that Tonbo's body was far more worthy of study. Or rather, his methods of victory were more intriguing.
"Pah! What are you two thinking? Careful, or I'll beat you both up. Anyway, besides checking on Kabuto, I came to help coordinate the research. I'm planning to find someone from the Hyuga clan to cooperate with you."
Tonbo thought about it and mentioned his previous plan to introduce Byakugan ocular power to Hyuga clan members. Since there was already progress and results regarding ocular power, they could let the Hyuga assist in the next phase.
"Don't mess around. We have a complete Hashirama cell cultivation system now; we don't need random experimental subjects," Orochimaru said dismissively. He had lost interest in crude experimental bodies.
"Lord Orochimaru, don't let the Otsutsuki blind you. Since Senior Tonbo has this idea, he must have some inspiration," Kabuto noted. They actually hadn't done much research on the Byakugan, largely due to the Hyuga clan's Caged Bird system.
"Good point. I was being narrow-minded," Orochimaru chuckled.
"See you later, I've got things to do." After memorizing all the data, Tonbo left in a hurry. His recent research into World Harmonization was driving him crazy. It was simply too difficult.
"I say... did Dad forget he has a son here?" Keigo Tobitake spoke up like a little ghost. From start to finish, his father hadn't mentioned him once.
"Let's go, kid. Your brain is quite good; you can provide us with plenty of inspiration," Orochimaru said, looking at the boy with satisfaction. Keigo had high comprehension and a strong desire to explore, which suited Orochimaru's tastes perfectly. Kabuto also looked at the boy and sighed inwardly—the tiger's son does not become a dog.
Time passed quickly as Tonbo remained immersed in his research.
The World Ninja Association he proposed had become known to basically every nation except for a few isolated ones, and it was highly esteemed. Ninja who obtained the One-Star Ninja title became prizes for major corporations and countries. A commercial war had begun, with companies spending vast sums to hire these specialized ninja.
The number of Two-Star and Three-Star Ninja remained extremely small, and even One-Star titles were relatively rare. Consequently, Tonbo was hailed as the Honorary Chairman of the Ninja Association. Although he didn't officially hold the title, the rumors were already widespread.
Kakashi gradually grew accustomed to his role as Hokage. The world was changing rapidly; in just over a year, skyscrapers had begun to rise everywhere, and Konoha's territory continued to expand.
However, high above on the moon, a dark shadow began to stir.
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