"You're right. I'm not a mutant—but I'm not a mutant yet," Shin said, glancing at Magneto.
"You intend to transplant the X-gene using technology?" Magneto looked at him and immediately caught on.
Years ago, Magneto's old enemy Sebastian Shaw, who murdered his mother, was a mutant created post-birth via experiments. Although X-gene transplant is considered high-risk there have still been numerous successful cases.
[Note: Not sure if this is true or not.]
Magneto didn't reject those who had acquired the X-gene artificially. In fact, he valued the gene more than the individual. Even Mystique, his loyal follower for years, was abandoned by him the moment she lost her mutant abilities.
Meanwhile, Shaw, despite being his enemy, had earned Magneto's ideological approval through his mutated nature. Magneto killed him for vengeance, not because he considered him inferior.
Shin couldn't quite understand how Magneto came to value only the X-Gene and not the person, but it didn't matter. The real reason he hadn't forcefully extracted Magneto's X-Gene wasn't because of his fear of retribution, it was to show respect for Professor X.
That is why Shin proposed a trade that involved extending his life. Otherwise, based on Shin's usual methods, Magneto would've been drained dry long ago.
There's a significant distinction between mutants and ordinary superpowered individuals. While lesser mutants might not notice, a powerful telepath like Professor X could sense the change instantly.
If Shin had truly drained Magneto and then suddenly acquired Magneto's power, Professor X would figure it out in an instant. At that point, Shin would become public enemy number one for all mutants, labeled as someone who gained his X-gene from Magneto.
And don't think mutants are ordinary threats. Right now, only Apocalypse, who has just resurfaced, is considered a genuine Omega-level mutant. But as time passes, countless powerful and unpredictable mutants will begin to surface.
Forget monsters like Franklin Richards, who haven't even appeared or been born yet. Even among existing characters, Phoenix, Cyclops, Scarlet Witch, Rogue, and Storm all possess the potential to reach Omega level.
None of them are pushovers.
Moreover, mutant abilities are closely tied to emotional states. No one knows when one of them might lose control. If Scarlet Witch snaps, she won't just defeat Thanos, she could erase all mutants entirely.
If Storm loses control, she can incinerate the Earth with a solar storm even killing someone as resilient as Wolverine.
Shin genuinely didn't want to provoke that mess. The power scaling in the comics is extreme. While the movie portrayals of mutants seem tame, in the comics, their combat potential far exceeds that of the Naruto or One Piece worlds.
"So? Are you willing to make this deal?" Shin asked, looking at Magneto.
Magneto didn't hesitate. "Of course. What do I have to lose at this point?"
Shin nodded, raised a hand, and sucked Magneto into his dark space.
Inside, he transplanted a dose of Hashirama's cells, using the maximum safe amount, into Magneto's body before releasing him.
Of course, he also retained a fair amount of Magneto's flesh and blood. Shin wasn't planning to absorb Magneto's X-Gene yet; his body had already been modified to its current limits.
Maybe later, once space-time ninjutsu in the Naruto world evolved to rival Kamui, or when Shin obtained an X-Gene with true potentials like Apocalypse's, Mystique's, or Rogue's, he would consider altering his bloodline again.
The mutant ceiling was still astonishingly high. The most powerful among them, Franklin Richards, the son of Reed Richards and Susan Storm, had virtually godlike powers. He could travel through time, manipulate causality, modify reality, and even create pocket universes. His abilities bordered on those of the cosmic creator gods.
When Magneto emerged from the black fog, he looked visibly younger, restored to his prime. Clenching his fists, he could feel surging vitality greater than even in his youth.
This was expected. Although the cell transplant only gave him about a dozen more years to live, those dozen years, powered by Senju's vitality, were vastly stronger than the average human lifespan.
Hashirama's cells didn't just extend Magneto's life. They drastically enhanced his physical body. In terms of physical strength alone, he was now close to Wolverine, though his regeneration remained weaker.
That was unavoidable. While Hashirama's cells are famous for their healing, they still fall short compared to Wolverine's monstrous regenerative ability, which lets him recover even from just a skeleton.
Magneto raised his hand and felt his mutant ability stir under the influx of vitality. Even his powers had improved.
He casually manipulated a metal ornament on a table. With a wave of his hand, the ornament compressed into a smooth metallic sphere. A flick of his finger, and the sphere detonated into a fine metal mist.
Feeling his ability more clearly, he realized it wasn't so much an improvement as it was unlocked. His aging body had previously limited how much of his power he could use. Now, he could wield his magnetic manipulation without restraint.
Another observation he found was that a mutant's powers typically surge during puberty, suggesting life force itself may stimulate X-gene.
Though Magneto looked youthful, he only had about a dozen years left, so this wasn't truly a second adolescence. Otherwise, his abilities might've spiked far more dramatically.
As for the X-Gene loss in his extracted flesh and blood, it hadn't impacted his powers at all. As long as the gene isn't diminished beyond a critical threshold, a mutant's abilities remain stable.
Then Magneto looked at Shin with a gleam in his eye. This guy's a genius. The thought hit him instantly, and with it, the temptation to recruit Shin into the Brotherhood.
Shin, sensing Magneto's intent, gave him a sidelong glance. "Don't even think about having me transform your entire Brotherhood. I'm not that bored."
Magneto laughed and said, "How about this if you join the Brotherhood, I'll make you my deputy. You'll be my successor someday!"
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