"What happened here?" The three figures arrived at the enormous crater, spanning nearly a kilometer in diameter, and paused in confusion at the scene before them.
"There are traces of chakra left behind. It looks like there was a battle," the sole woman in the group said after scanning the area.
"But there are no bodies or bloodstains," the man with a "3" symbol on his forehead responded, questioning her assessment.
With a battle large enough to cause such destruction, there should have been casualties. Even if the bodies had been taken, the absence of blood was suspicious.
The man formed a series of hand seals and summoned a strange, large bird. Jumping onto its back, he soared into the sky to survey the area. After a thorough search, he found nothing and returned.
"Let's report back to Lord Hiruko," the woman suggested. The three ninjas boarded the bird and flew eastward.
"Hiruko? Could it be that Hiruko?" Daniel mused as he watched them leave. Pulling out a tablet, he opened the map of the ninja world and pinpointed his location.
"This must be the Kinrin Mountains, near Mount Shumi," he muttered. "I didn't expect destroying the Box of Ultimate Bliss would lead me to him. Luck's on my side."
Upon hearing the name Hiruko, Daniel immediately recalled the Chimera Technique—a jutsu developed by Hiruko that could fuse five different kekkei genkai into one body.
In the ninja world, kekkei genkai were some of the most powerful abilities. Even the Sage of Six Paths himself possessed such abilities. A single kekkei genkai was enough to make someone a powerful shinobi, let alone five.
The only known shinobi to naturally possess two kekkei genkai was Mei Terumi, the Fifth Mizukage, a rarity even in this world. It was nearly impossible for someone to naturally awaken two kekkei genkai, let alone more. Hiruko's Chimera Technique, however, aimed to overcome that limit, fusing multiple kekkei genkai into a single body.
Daniel had already made strides in genetic engineering, enabling him to create shinobi with kekkei genkai. But creating someone with multiple kekkei genkai remained an enormous challenge. The Chimera Technique could potentially solve that problem, allowing for the integration of not just two, but even six or ten kekkei genkai.
However, Daniel knew that having more abilities didn't necessarily make a person stronger. The true limiting factor in the ninja world was chakra. With enough chakra, even a basic attack could defeat an opponent. Without it, even the most powerful abilities, like the Truth-Seeking Balls, would be useless.
For someone strong enough, even a single kekkei genkai could suffice.
For Daniel, Hiruko was valuable not just because of the Chimera Technique. Hiruko had access to long-lost kekkei genkai like Steel Release and Swift Release, which had vanished from the world after their clans were wiped out during the ninja wars.
Many bloodlines with unique abilities had gone extinct over the years. For instance, the insect-controlling clans were once numerous, but now only the Aburame clan in Konoha remained prominent. Similarly, the Kamizuru clan of Iwagakure had once been rivals to the Aburame, but after repeated defeats, they had fallen into obscurity.
The ninja world was merciless. Clans were only valued by their villages if they were useful. If they became a liability, they were discarded.
Daniel saw potential in these overlooked clans. For instance, the Kamizuru clan's ability to control bees wasn't particularly strong in combat, but their bees could produce honey—a valuable commodity. Daniel was already considering expanding their honey production and even exporting it to other worlds, given its pure, natural quality.
Unfortunately, some clans with incredible abilities, like those who could control the weather, had gone extinct. Such abilities would have been invaluable for ensuring favorable conditions in agriculture or even in desert regions like Alabasta.
As Daniel followed the three ninjas from a distance, he pondered Hiruko's history.
Hiruko had once been a peer of the Sannin, attending the same ninja academy as Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. He had even been friends with notable figures like Sakumo Hatake and Dan Kato. But unlike his friends, Hiruko had always been overshadowed by their talent. While the others gained fame and recognition, Hiruko remained a mediocre shinobi, his abilities falling far short of theirs.
The turning point for Hiruko came when Kakashi Hatake, son of Sakumo, gained prominence at a young age, becoming a jōnin at just thirteen. By then, Hiruko was still a mere chūnin. His feelings of inferiority deepened, leading him to develop the Chimera Technique.
Initially, the technique was a means of fusing with animals or summoning creatures. But after witnessing the power of Kakashi's Sharingan, Hiruko realized he could use the technique to absorb other kekkei genkai and augment his own abilities. This revelation led him down a dark path, eventually forcing him to flee Konoha and become a rogue ninja.
No one knew that after leaving Konoha, Hiruko had hidden in the Kinrin Mountains, conducting gruesome experiments much like Orochimaru. But unlike Orochimaru, who sought eternal life, Hiruko's focus was on stealing kekkei genkai from others.
"He's a genius in research, much like Orochimaru," Daniel thought as he continued tracking Hiruko's henchmen. "In terms of raw combat talent, Hiruko is lacking. But his innovations in jutsu are on par with the likes of Orochimaru."
Though Hiruko had devised the Chimera Technique, his lack of combat prowess meant that even after gaining four powerful kekkei genkai, he still struggled in battle. If someone like Kakashi had obtained those same abilities, the results would have been drastically different.
"Lord Hiruko." Daniel's tracking brought him to a hidden cave in the mountains. Inside, a massive laboratory was filled with various instruments and glass containers holding corpses. A figure, wrapped in bandages, stood at the center of the room.
"What happened?" Hiruko's voice, cold and calculating, addressed his three subordinates.
"We found no one," the woman replied, though she quickly tensed as a foreign presence appeared behind her. Before she could react, Daniel knocked her unconscious, followed by the other two. Now, only Daniel and Hiruko remained.
"Hiruko. I didn't expect to find you here," Daniel said, stepping into the lab.
"You're from Akatsuki," Hiruko said, recognizing the distinctive black cloak with red clouds.
"That's right. I've come on behalf of Akatsuki Nation to invite you to join us," Daniel said, offering Hiruko a rare opportunity.
"Join Akatsuki? Sure. But only if I become the leader," Hiruko replied, a cold smile forming on his face.
"That's not going to happen. Looks like you've chosen to make Akatsuki your enemy," Daniel responded, surprised by Hiruko's audacity.
"It's you who have become my enemy. I had no intention of getting involved with Akatsuki, but now that you're here, you'll never leave," Hiruko sneered before vanishing from sight, reappearing behind Daniel with his hand raised in a knife-hand strike aimed at Daniel's vital points.
But before Hiruko's attack could connect, he found himself immobilized. Thick vines had erupted from the ground, wrapping around his legs and spreading over his body.
"Wood Style..." Hiruko's voice quivered in disbelief. Even with his face wrapped in bandages, his shock was evident.
"That's right, Wood Style," Daniel confirmed, amused by Hiruko's reaction. Every ninja from Konoha knew the significance of Wood Style.
"This is perfect," Hiruko said, his voice trembling with excitement. He immediately released a surge of powerful lightning chakra, attempting to destroy the vines with his Storm Release. But the vines remained intact.
Hiruko had thought that if he could absorb the Wood Style through his Chimera Technique, he would achieve true power. But he had overestimated his own abilities.
"Are you trying to use the Chimera Technique to obtain Wood Style?" Daniel asked.
"How do you know about the Chimera Technique?" Hiruko demanded, his voice filled with shock and suspicion.
Hiruko had been careful to keep the Chimera Technique a secret. Even when he left Konoha, the village had only discovered his experiments on bodies, not the full extent of his jutsu. Over the years, Hiruko had maintained a low profile, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"You really think that just by absorbing multiple kekkei genkai, you'd become invincible? Look at yourself, Hiruko. Look at what you've become," Daniel said as the vines pulled away Hiruko's bandages, revealing his face.
Though Hiruko's body appeared youthful, his face was that of an old man, wrinkled and worn. Despite his advanced jutsu, his body had paid a steep price.
"You think I can't achieve my goal? You're wrong!" Hiruko shouted, angered by Daniel's words.
"There's no reasoning with you. Fine," Daniel sighed, realizing that trying to persuade Hiruko was pointless. If he forced Hiruko into Akatsuki, it would only create problems down the line.
"The Chimera Technique is an impressive concept, but like Orochimaru, you made a critical mistake. You didn't account for the soul," Daniel said as he studied Hiruko's research. The Chimera Technique could only fuse living beings, not corpses, which meant Hiruko was merging not just bodies
but also multiple souls.
This flaw made Hiruko's supposed immortality a lie.
In the original story, Hiruko's strength came from his Dark Release, which allowed him to absorb chakra. This gave him a significant advantage in battle, but it wasn't enough against more advanced techniques like Naruto's Rasenshuriken.
"The Chimera Technique requires living subjects... What if I used it to create artificial beings?" Daniel mused, his mind already racing with new possibilities.
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