Chapter 39: Clones and Wood Release
The Forest of Death.
Danzo's Wood Release Laboratory.
"Danzo isn't here?"
"Only a few guards around."
In the shadows, Shishou used his chakra-eating bugs to scout the lab. Activating his Sharingan, he began searching the facility. With Danzo absent and minimal security, he could safely and thoroughly inspect the lab's contents.
Using the combination of his chakra-eating bugs and Flying Thunder God technique, Shishou bypassed several heavy doors, arriving at the heart of the laboratory. He pressed his fingers against the door's seam, releasing his bugs. Moments later, he vanished from sight, reappearing on the other side of the door.
"Hmm?"
"Are these Yamato clones?"
Seeing the numerous clones of Yamato suspended in glass containers, Shishou was taken aback. It seemed that after failing to successfully transplant Hashirama's cells, Danzo had resorted to cloning Yamato.
Perhaps this was the true purpose behind Danzo's lab, Shishou pondered. However, these clones looked strange. While their faces were identical to Yamato's, their bodies had various deformities. Three legs or three arms were among the less grotesque features. Some were so malformed that Shishou struggled to describe them.
It was clear these clones wouldn't survive long. Danzo's cloning technology was evidently flawed. No wonder Danzo never led a Yamato clone army to seize the position of Hokage. His failure seemed apparent. Despite having Orochimaru as his subordinate, Danzo had failed to secure the core techniques. Once Orochimaru left, Danzo was left floundering.
"Well, this works in my favor."
Shishou refrained from touching anything in the lab, moving instead to the area where corpses were disposed of.
"Looks like Danzo's been busy."
The underground corpse disposal area resembled a cellar more than a basement, with only one entry point in the ceiling for dumping bodies. This setup ensured Shishou wouldn't be discovered for taking the bodies.
With a look of disdain at the deceased Yamato clones, Shishou released his chakra-eating bugs. Although these clones contained minimal Hashirama cells and provided little Senju power, consuming enough of them would eventually allow Shishou to obtain Wood Release.
Currently, Shishou's chakra reserves totaled only 3 "cards," insufficient for grandiose displays of Wood Release akin to the First Hokage. However, it would still provide him with additional combat techniques.
For reference, the unit of chakra measurement is "cards." With Kakashi's chakra as 1 card, seventeen-year-old Naruto had four cards, plus 100 cards from the Nine-Tails. After encountering Kakashi in the Land of Demons, Shishou had calculated his own chakra levels.
After consuming the few dozen clone corpses, Shishou left the lab and headed into the Forest of Death. Sensing the increase in his chakra levels, he nodded in satisfaction. Although he hadn't yet awakened Wood Release, he remained unconcerned. Danzo would undoubtedly continue producing clone corpses, providing Shishou with a steady supply until he achieved his goal.
In the forest, Shishou enhanced two giant wild boars to breed his chakra-eating bugs before returning home.
A few mornings later, Shishou awoke early to check on the progress of his bugs in the cultivation space. Today, his special bug was set to emerge from its cocoon, and he was eager to see the results.
After several minutes, the bug finally emerged, revealing a golden head. Now the size of a baby's fist and golden in color, even its venomous spines glowed with a golden hue.
[Golden Venom Bug: Rare species, thrives in dark places. Its sting causes severe swelling and itching that is difficult to treat. Applying its secreted fluid can quickly alleviate the symptoms.]
"The toxicity has increased."
"And it's hard to cure."
"It seems this bug is becoming quite useful."
Satisfied, Shishou then checked on his healing bug, which needed more time to mature before evolving again. He decided to wait until he had transplanted Hashirama cells before accelerating its growth with his Sharingan.
The chakra-eating bugs, however, posed a problem. Unlike other bugs, they couldn't be accelerated by his Sharingan and required vast amounts of energy to reproduce. Currently, their numbers were only halfway to the required amount for evolution.
Moreover, the remaining animals in the Forest of Death were insufficient to support their further reproduction.
"I need to find another place to cultivate these bugs," Shishou mused, reclining on his bed as he brainstormed suitable locations.
Ideally, the Toad and Snake Sage Lands would be perfect. The abundance of toads and snakes would be sufficient for his needs. However, doing so would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage, who would seek revenge.
Shishou considered targeting a few snakes during a confrontation with Orochimaru. Snakes were cold-blooded creatures, and their deaths wouldn't bother Orochimaru or the White Snake Sage much. But attacking Jiraiya's toads would provoke a relentless pursuit from Jiraiya himself.
As for Shikkotsu Forest, the thought alone was daunting. The entire forest was composed of parts of the Slug Sage, making any attempt at harvesting there an immediate cause for alarm.
After considering various options, Shishou settled on targeting the animal-rich Turtle Island in the Land of Lightning. The island's wildlife would be sufficient for his needs, and if necessary, he could even consume the giant turtle itself.
Alternatively, Shishou could use humans to cultivate his bugs, though the number required would be immense.
Last time, the Land of Demons suffered heavy casualties due to Moryo's rampage. The priestess had requested Shishou's help in dealing with the bodies to prevent an epidemic. Even after consuming thousands of civilian corpses, his bugs had only reached half the needed number for evolution. Civilians, lacking chakra, provided minimal energy compared to beasts.
Moreover, killing innocents for power went against Shishou's principles.
"Looks like I'll need to visit the Land of Lightning soon," Shishou muttered, stretching as he got out of bed to start his day.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder