New assistant

The time has come to create my own version of Nemu to turn her into my perfect laboratory assistant, and I have Tsunade by my side, looking at the detailed project documents with trembling hands.

I think she's reading the part about creating the artificial soul, a poor choice; she should glance at what she can understand instead.

Regardless, she agreed to provide me with some genetic material on the condition that she would be present throughout the process and be a part of the project, even if it's limited to the role of a spectator. It was one of the many things we discussed at her complex.

I didn't mind; after all, even if I give her a few years, she won't understand the genetic engineering calculations I'm going to use for the body or the abstract concepts behind creating an artificial soul.

I'm not belittling Tsunade; I'm just being clear about the level of knowledge involved. I had to use a supercomputer on the island to perform the precise calculations, and it spent months in an overheated state.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi is a true mad genius.

If it weren't for his memories of how to create Nemu and the updates she received later, I genuinely suspect that my first attempt would have created a very terrible being.

Naturally, I will create the version closest to the final one possible.

"Are you ready?" I asked her to snap her out of her trance.

I'm dressed like a surgeon to set the mood and make her believe it's a solemn moment, but it's not really necessary, as I prepared everything as I obtained it, and Tsunade's genetic material was the last piece of the puzzle needed to set the machine in motion.

You could consider the process almost automated at this point, with only a few crucial things needing my approval.

"Is this even possible?" she asked me with a bewildered look.

"You'll know the answer as soon as it begins," I replied as I approached the console containing the various genetic samples I would use for her creation. All had been properly processed and altered, while the sample I took from Tsunade went through the same process while she had time to read the documents.

In fact, I even thought about adding a bit of myself to further strengthen the physical aspect, but remembering the promise Ameyuri made to me, I think it's better not to risk any possible misinterpretation.

I'm somewhat excited, I must admit. I'd laugh like a mad scientist, but I don't think I have the ideal laugh in my repertoire to match.

Let's press the big red button and let the mad science begin.

The medical pod I'm using is special even among those I have at my disposal. It looks like a giant blue lava lamp, except the inside is filled with extremely concentrated nutrient solution enriched with oxygen, as the bubbles inside betray.

The first sample and the foundation, the Kaguya clan.

Tsunade and I can see how the genetic solution seems to be shaped by invisible hands once injected into the medical pod, but the truth is, I'm using a series of electrical discharges to guide its formation.

A yellow skeleton with golden traces slowly takes shape over the next twenty minutes, creating the complete structure the size of a ten-year-old child.

Could I create the adult form directly? Yes, but according to the knowledge in my head, that could leave many hidden imperfections.

It's better to create a child form first and then induce development; this results in the assembled parts adapting to each other and correcting various issues.

After ensuring that the skeleton's measurements and proportions are correct, it's time to inject the genetic cocktail of the Nara, Senju, Uzumaki, Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Yuki clans for body formation.

Well, I even thought about using the samples I have from Terumi and Pakura, but in the end, I discarded the idea because I would have to recalculate how to genetically assemble these two additional pieces.

Not that they could contribute anything useful; I want a capable laboratory assistant, not a war kunoichi or a seduction kunoichi. The bloodlines they possess are more suitable for the battlefield than for research, while with the Yuki, Senju, and Hyuga clans' blood, feminine beauty is something that will naturally be achieved.

In the medical pod, we can see how the genetic cocktail acts like fireworks, and blood vessels, nerve endings, muscles, organs, and everything else begin to appear.

It's interesting to note that the brain is slightly larger and more active than expected; it seems I made a good choice by selecting the Nara clan for it.

Oh? The teeth seem to be subtly changing shape. This is precisely why the adult form isn't created directly; children have a much more flexible adaptation to these types of changes. I don't doubt for a moment that this has to do with the Inuzuka clan; their sense of smell will be useful when preparing more delicate solutions.

The main organs have already formed, and the musculature continues to expand and attach to their places. Cellular activity is astonishing, even surprising to me despite expecting it; the combination of Senju's physique and Uzumaki's recovery ability is extraordinary.

In a way, I understand why Orochimaru and the rest of the world wanted to study them.

The distinctive Uzumaki red hair has started to grow on her head.

Well, another unexpected change made me raise both eyebrows simultaneously. The body is supposed to be created with the idea of being ten years old, but the little girl floating in the medical pod is much more physically developed than she should be for her age, appearing to be around thirteen years old.

Even the skeleton had to grow to accommodate this!

A quick glance at the data on various screens reveals the cause: combining Yuki, Inuzuka, and Senju genes causes an abundance of female hormones and some chemical reactions contributed by the Hyuga genes that empower this aspect.

Honestly, I thought this would be mainly influenced by the Yuki or Hyuga clan.

Even Senju, just compare the young Tsunade to the one I have next to me; clearly, there's something in her blood that stimulates this development.

I didn't expect the Inuzuka clan to strengthen that aspect in particular...

A small red light on the console lights up, making me furrow my brow; it seems that the Hyuga clan's Byakugan is having trouble forming.

Let me try to explain it more simply.

It's not a problem with the sample; after all, they come from Hinata and her mother. Instead, it's as if the eyes are confused by the body they are forming in.

The Byakugan has extremely high purity, but at the same time, they feel that the rest of the body doesn't match it, and there are too many things it's unfamiliar with. There's no rejection because they know this is their natural home, but their confusion prevents them from forming smoothly.

"This is normal," Tsunade tells me, causing me to look away and see her face as she offers comforting words. "If the Byakugan were easy to replicate, the other villages would have done it long ago."

I give her a dry look in response; it's clear she still hasn't fully grasped what I'm capable of, even though Karin whispered to me in secret how impressed she was.

It's time to use the wildcard.

I press the blue button on the console, and another substance is injected into the pod. Once absorbed by the developing body like a sponge, it resolves the Byakugan problem as if it were a simple memory error.

Tsunade is left speechless, and I silently nod, satisfied with her reaction.

Now, using this will make Nemu's eyes appear seemingly normal, probably black or brown, according to the statistics. The Byakugan is still there and will work perfectly, but unless activated, the bulging veins and white color won't be revealed.

"How did you do it?" I hear Tsunade ask me.

I look at her with an expression that says, "Seriously?"

She's puzzled by my look until it seems to dawn on her.

"You used the Golden Apple, didn't you?" she affirms rather than asks, rubbing her nose in frustration. "That thing is a complete cheat," I hear her mutter with a tone that's part frustration and part amusement.

Well, I would have really given her a tap on the forehead if she hadn't connected the dots.

I have something that Mayuri Kurotsuchi didn't have, and naturally, I'll use it to further enhance Nemu. Giving her this Golden Apple BEFORE she matures will cause her body to absorb and digest its properties much better when she enters the maturation and learning phase.

But before moving on to physical maturation, I need to form the artificial soul and place it in the body so that they both tune in properly. I thought about causing her "birth" when she matures physically to around twenty years old, her brain has finished absorbing and digesting the knowledge I will provide, and her soul has adapted to the body and generated a personality that will be almost a replica of the original Nemu, but there may be discrepancies due to the genetic material I used.

This will take some time because I can't rush it, and it will take about two years if I want to find the optimal point. Fortunately, I only need to check on her every few weeks and can continue with the rest of my pending tasks in the meantime.

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What did you think of the formation of Nemu?

By the way, Merry Christmas everyone!