Chapter 407: On the Verge of Losing Control

Chapter 407: Chapter 407: On the Verge of Losing Control

Looking at the fleshy sprouts writhing beneath Shisui’s skin, Hyuga Kagami’s heart tightened.

These wriggling sprouts were undoubtedly mutations caused by the Yang-nature chakra contained within the First Hokage’s cells acting upon Shisui’s own cells.

At the same time, Kagami understood that the moment these sprouts broke through the skin, Shisui’s body would immediately be devoured by the First Hokage’s cells, reduced to nutrients for trees that would grow wildly out of control.

"What are you doing?! Suppress them with your ocular power!"

Kagami shouted as he injected another vial of fusion solution into Shisui’s body.

This fusion solution placed an enormous burden on the body. Two vials were essentially the limit for an ordinary person, which was precisely why Kagami had only injected one before the transplant.

But right now, he obviously couldn’t afford to worry about that.

If Shisui couldn’t suppress the First Hokage’s cells, then before the backlash from the fusion solution could even take effect, he would already be dead—completely devoured by the First Hokage’s cells.

"Ugh... ngh..."

At that moment, incomprehensible sounds escaped from Shisui’s mouth as he lay on the operating table.

He already appeared somewhat delirious. Saliva trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his gaze had become unfocused. Although his eyes still displayed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the convulsions wracking his body were steadily becoming more violent.

"How could this happen?!"

Kagami’s expression changed drastically.

Shisui’s current condition was unmistakably a sign that he was on the verge of losing control.

He abruptly turned his head and swept his gaze across the instruments surrounding the operating table.

Connected directly to Shisui’s body, these instruments displayed his current physical condition with precise accuracy.

"His blood pressure, heart rate, and cellular activity are all abnormal..."

"Heart rate increased by 170%..."

"Cellular activity has increased seventeenfold..."

The readings displayed on the instruments made Hyuga Kagami wonder whether the equipment itself had malfunctioned, because these abnormalities far exceeded anything he had anticipated.

"Don’t tell me this is going to fail...!?"

In an instant, an ominous feeling surged through Kagami’s heart.

According to his calculations, although the surgery only had about a sixty-percent chance of success, considering Shisui’s unparalleled talent and the formidable ocular power of his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Kagami had still been extremely optimistic about the outcome.

After all, Obito had survived the process despite being grievously wounded and having only a single Sharingan.

There was no reason Shisui, who was in excellent condition and possessed a pair of Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, should fall here.

Suddenly, the fleshy sprouts writhing beneath Shisui’s skin broke through the surface one after another. At a speed visible to the naked eye, they transformed into tender branches and began growing rapidly.

In just a few breaths, those tender branches grew into towering trees. Taking root in Shisui’s body, they rapidly expanded until they filled the entire operating room!

......

Above ground.

Itachi sat cross-legged atop a large tree, uneasily surveying his surroundings.

The experiments involving the transplantation of First Hokage cells were no secret within the village. Many jōnin-level shinobi had heard about them, since the village had made no particular effort to conceal the matter when it originally recruited volunteers.

It was precisely because of this that Itachi knew exactly how dangerous this surgery was.

On top of that, before coming here, Shisui had solemnly entrusted Itachi with his final wishes. As a result, even someone as consistently calm and composed as Itachi couldn’t help but feel restless and deeply uneasy.

Rumble...

Just then, a violent tremor accompanied by a muffled boom came from deep underground.

Itachi abruptly rose to his feet and stared toward the underground operating room in alarm.

"What happened? Did something go wrong with the surgery?"

Boom...

A few breaths later, accompanied by the sound of earth bursting apart, thick trees erupted from the ground one after another!

Itachi’s gaze sharpened as countless thoughts surged through his mind.

But he quickly suppressed those distracting thoughts and calmed his turbulent emotions. His hands rapidly formed seals as he faced the trees bursting from the earth and shouted,

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Unlike in his usual battles, where he meticulously controlled his chakra, this time Itachi held almost nothing back, allowing the chakra within his body to pour out freely.

In an instant, blazing firelight engulfed the entire area!

Not long afterward, a fully armed ANBU squad rushed to the scene.

As the ANBU squad captain surveyed the surroundings, he asked Itachi,

"Was that disturbance just now caused by you?"

Panting heavily, Itachi nodded.

In the past, the disturbance from the underground operating room might not necessarily have alerted the village.

But things were different now.

Konoha was currently on high alert, constantly guarding against a retaliatory attack from Akatsuki. The Barrier Team and Sensor Team were working around the clock, monitoring every corner of the village.

That was why Itachi had immediately realized that the commotion from the underground operating room would inevitably attract the village’s attention. He had decisively used a Fire Release ninjutsu, both to burn away the trees that had erupted from the ground and to create the illusion that he had simply been practicing ninjutsu here, thereby providing cover for the operating room below.

Seeing the conspicuous three-tomoe Sharingan in Itachi’s eyes, the ANBU squad captain had little doubt about his identity and merely asked,

"Why are you practicing ninjutsu here?"

In a rare display, Itachi adopted the characteristic arrogance of an Uchiha and replied coldly,

"Where I choose to train is none of your concern. I don’t need your permission!"

The ANBU squad captain seemed long accustomed to the Uchiha manner of speaking and didn’t become angry. He merely reminded him,

"This area isn’t safe. You’d be better off practicing your ninjutsu at one of the village training grounds."

Whoosh...

With that, the ANBU squad immediately used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared from the spot.

Itachi once again looked toward the underground operating room.

He knew that something unexpected must have happened inside, but he forcibly suppressed the urge to rush over. He understood that even if he reached the operating room, there was nothing he could do to help.

Rather than going down there and getting in the way, it was better for him to remain above ground and prevent anyone else from disturbing the surgery.

"Kagami-senpai definitely won’t fail!"

After reassuring himself, Itachi leapt back onto the treetop and resumed surveying the surroundings.

......

Inside the underground operating room.

Hyuga Kagami had already entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

As he continuously poured Tenseigan chakra into Shisui on the operating table, he cursed inwardly,

"Damn it! If that idiot Obito could survive the transplantation of First Hokage cells, then Madara must have used some other method to help him through it!"

Shisui’s loss of control immediately made Hyuga Kagami realize that he had still underestimated just how dangerous the First Hokage’s cells truly were.

And the fundamental reason he had underestimated their danger was Obito.

When Obito underwent the transplantation of First Hokage cells, his condition in virtually every respect had been terrible. Because of that, Kagami had naturally come to believe that if even Obito could survive it, there was no reason Shisui should fail.

However, Kagami had overlooked one crucial fact—

At the time, Madara had the Gedo Statue by his side.

If the Gedo Statue was also taken into consideration, then Obito’s ability to survive the transplantation of First Hokage cells was probably not merely the result of his luck and constitution.

There might have been other, unknown factors involved...