Projection magicians starting from the Uchiha clan

Not only did Root use the Hokage's name to poach people from the ninja clans, but they were also completely under Danzo's command.

Not only that, they also infiltrated the Anbu, making their actions unknown to the Anbu. No Hokage could accept such a thing.

Unless the next Hokage is a partner he personally supported.

Orochimaru also needs Danzo's power to fulfill his own dream.

He lost both his parents at a young age and was likely born into a commoner family. Although he was one of the best Jonin, he was not short of money.

But money is never enough for his dream. His laboratory used to be extremely rudimentary, and it was only after he collaborated with Danzo that things changed dramatically.

Danzo was able to provide him with more than just money; he also had access to rare materials that were unavailable on the market, including the Sharingan and the Byakugan that had been destroyed by the Caged Bird Seiryu.

Through years of entanglement and mutual exploitation, the relationship between Orochimaru and Danzo is like a balance scale.

It wasn't until Hiruzen Sarutobi's decision removed Orochimaru from the list of candidates for Hokage that the scales finally began to tip in Danzo's favor.

Furthermore, with the sudden emergence of Iori, Orochimaru, having found a new ally, decided to turn against Danzo.

"Yes, he should be called Jia now. Although his Wood Release is not bad, its power is similar to the Five Elements Release Techniques, and it is far from comparable to the First Hokage."

Iori sat down in front of a strangely shaped machine unlike any other in the ninja world, which aroused Orochimaru's great interest.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with curiosity, and his face beamed with excitement. He asked:

"Iori-kun, what is this device? Why have I never seen it before? It's also different from the design of current ninja devices. Is it a creation from another world?"

Iori gently touched the surface of the machine and replied, "Yes, this is an instrument from the Empire, a gift from a compatriot of mine."

"Some of these warriors have enhanced themselves through genetic modification technology. I am currently using it to analyze Wood Release cells in preparation for creating special seeds to be implanted into their bodies."

Orochimaru's eyes lit up. He began to walk around the instrument, touching it as he went, and making sounds of amazement.

His fingers lightly glided across the surface of the machine. If Iori hadn't been there, he probably would have already disassembled the instrument to study it.

Iori inserted the Sharingan cells and Wood Release cells into the device, then said to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru-senpai, please leave the vicinity first. I still have a ritual to complete."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru took a few steps back, his gaze shifting between the instrument and Iori, filled with anticipation and curiosity.

Looking at his inquisitive eyes, Iori smiled helplessly and then began to praise the Machine Soul.

"In the name of the sacred binary code, praise Omnesia! Glory to the god of machines!"

May the gears of loyalty never rust!!!

"Ring the bell once! Push the lever to start the piston and pump."

As he spoke, the machine emitted a deep rumble, as if responding to his commands.

"Ring the bell twice! Press the button, start the engine, ignite the turbine, and inject life."

The air in the laboratory seemed to tremble as the instruments were started, and a powerful electric current was brewing inside the machines.

"Ring the great bell three times! Sing in unison, praising the god of all machines!"

As Iori praised it, the machine started running automatically, and Orochimaru watched the scene in astonishment.

He keenly sensed that there was a peculiar energy in the instrument, an energy unlike any chakra he knew.

"Iori-kun, what's inside that device? Is it some kind of special chakra?"

Orochimaru asked curiously.

"According to them, this is called a machine spirit. It seems to have mutated in the ninja world. I don't know the specifics, but it works now, so that's good enough."

Iori shrugged and said helplessly.

Before the instrument, Orochimaru couldn't help but begin to observe it closely. His eyes were focused, and his fingers gently touched the surface of the instrument, feeling the subtle vibrations as it operated.

Seeing this, Iori felt embarrassed to leave, so she began to peruse the recipe Orochimaru had brought, and the two of them became engrossed in their own research.

Time passed unnoticed, and after several hours of operation, the genetic data of the Wood Release cells and Sharingan cells had been extracted.

Inside the laboratory, the low hum of the instruments intertwined with the occasional ticking sound, creating an exceptionally quiet atmosphere along with the two people's breathing.

Orochimaru and Iori recorded the data together and compared it with the previous experimental data.

They discovered that the data provided by the Imperial Instruments was more comprehensive and detailed than that of the Ninja World.

Orochimaru muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement. For a genius like him, new ideas were the most valuable asset.

After archiving the data, the two concluded that the Sharingan could indeed suppress Wood Release cells, but at least the Mangekyou Sharingan was needed to counteract it.

If it's not the Mangekyou Sharingan, the only way to control Wood Release cells is by combining multiple pairs of three-tomoe Sharingan.

Orochimaru was somewhat frustrated. Although the research was indeed completed, the scope of application was too narrow. The scarcity of the Mangekyou Sharingan was not much less than that of the Wood Release.

Iori smiled mysteriously and led Orochimaru to another device in the corner.

"Now comes the moment to witness a miracle."

Iori spoke excitedly, then took the Wood Release cells from the cabinet beneath her and placed them into the instrument.

After fine-tuning the parameters obtained earlier, he started the instrument.

Chapter 117 Implantation of Interstitial Cells

As the instrument rotated, a tube of special medicine shimmering with silver light slowly flowed out of the machine, as if capturing a beam of flowing moonlight.

Its color is unusually peculiar, like liquid silver, emitting a dazzling light.

"What is this?" Orochimaru stared intently at the vial of medicine and asked curiously. Even without Iori's explanation, he guessed that the equipment used to produce the medicine was also from another world.

However, he couldn't discern the effects of the instruments at all. The Empire's instruments followed a relatively scientific approach, which was quite different from the chakra technology of the ninja world.

Iori gently picked up the vial of medicine and explained to Orochimaru, "This is the gene serum, which extracts the most primitive power of the Wood Release cells."

"After the injection, you will gain the full power of Wood Release, and of course, your death will be quite a sight."

"It should be like being hit by Wood Release: Wood Splinter Technique, turning your whole body into wood."

Orochimaru was not disappointed when he heard Iori's words; instead, the light in his eyes burned even brighter.

Iori doesn't intend to commit suicide. Since he created such a potion, he must have a way to use it.

[It looks like I'll soon be able to see the First Hokage's Wood Release. I'm really curious, just how powerful is the God of Shinobi?]

Orochimaru stared at the potion in Iori's hand with a hint of fanaticism, his desire to study it almost uncontrollable.

Just then, Tsunade walked in from outside. Her gaze fell on the potion in Iori's hand, and she said, "I've calculated the time, and it does look about right."

She looked at Iori with concern and said, "Are you really going to inject it directly? Don't you want to reduce its activity first?"

Iori shook her head and said, "I hope to obtain this power as completely as possible. If I use an inhibitor, I'm not sure if Ashura's chakra will disappear."

"Are you saying that the strange activity of Great-Grandpa's cells is caused by Ashura's chakra?"

Upon hearing this, Tsunade began to think, recalling the difference between the First Hokage and a normal Senju clansman, and nodded in agreement.

The First Hokage's power was like a myth, and the gap between him and ordinary Senju clan members was like an insurmountable chasm. Tsunade's father, brother, and herself did not inherit the First Hokage's terrifying power at all.

They are just like normal Senju people, which cannot be explained by genetics.

Iori carefully placed the precious potion aside, then drew a magic circle on the ground with his finger. After pouring in the prepared blood, he injected chakra into it and began the summoning ritual.

"Your body is entrusted to my command, and my fate is tied to your sword."

"He who answers my call, who obeys this will and this reason, respond to me!"

"Appear beyond the wheel of suppression, guardian of the scales!"

Because this was a simple ritual to summon oneself, Iori's incantation was perfunctory, but very effective.

As Iori summoned, a tremendous light erupted from the magic circle, illuminating the entire laboratory.

At the center of the light, the figure of a man gradually solidified.

Iori felt a part of his will that remained in Valhalla being summoned, and his spirit connected with this newly appeared incarnation.

The perspective was split in two, giving him a unique sensory experience.

“Saber Uchiha Iori has answered the summons.”

Orochimaru looked at Iori with some confusion, but he was unaware of the details and thought it was just some kind of advanced clone technique.

Tsunade understood what Iori had done and showed an expression that said, "It's alright."

Iori took out the "Perfect Repair" and a class card from the Gate of Babylon and handed them to the Heroic Spirit Avatar.

As an avatar connected to Iori's spirit, his existence is like a clear mirror, reflecting Iori's physical condition clearly, allowing him to make the most accurate judgments during the fusion process.

Iori lay on the operating table, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her wildly beating heart. Even though she had prepared herself mentally, she still felt nervous.

The clone walked expressionlessly and steadily to Iori's side, clutching the vial of gleaming silver potion tightly in his hand.

Without any hesitation, he aimed the medicine at Iori's heart and inserted it directly.

As the medicine was injected, a surge of intense pain instantly overwhelmed Iori's entire body like a flood.

His body shuddered violently, the pain cutting through every nerve like a sharp blade.

Then his eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

His fingers gripped the edge of the operating table tightly, his knuckles white and veins bulging, as if he wanted to crush the table beneath him.

His breathing became rapid and erratic, each breath feeling like his lungs were being torn apart by scorching iron hooks, the pain omnipresent and inescapable.

I felt as if my heart was being burned by flames, and every beat brought excruciating pain.

The feeling of genetic modification is repeatedly like stuffing yourself into a blender, completely crushing you up, and then reassembling you.

Even though Iori had experienced various deaths in Valhalla, she still couldn't help but let out a low growl under this pain.

The avatar of the hero stood to the side, gripping the staff tightly in his hand. Every second, he struggled with the desire to use the staff to heal himself and end this torment.

But his reason told him that he could still hold on; the power of the Kaleidoscope had begun to fight against the Hashirama cells, and he could continue to hold on.

As the kaleidoscope and Hashirama cells clashed, Iori felt as if she had fallen into an abyss, surrounded by boundless darkness and pain.

Every second now felt incredibly long to him, his consciousness was tormented by pain, but his mental strength was also transformed into something even stronger.

Time passed slowly amidst the pain, feeling as if an entire century had elapsed.

Eventually, the intense pain gradually subsided, and Iori's body slowly calmed down.

His breathing was still rapid, but it was no longer so disordered.