Even with a year to prepare, it would be impossible to completely eliminate the risks of implanting Hashirama cells. This technique carried inherent dangers, no matter how much the risks were reduced, there would inevitably be casualties.
The process itself was fraught with peril, and even if Nanako worked tirelessly for a year, achieving a 60% success rate would already be a best-case scenario.
If Ye Zi truly intended to proceed, then out of the more than a hundred children at the base, over forty might die from the experiment. Due to the unpredictability of probability, the number of casualties could be higher... or lower.
One thing was certain: there would be sacrifices, and they would not be few.
Why had Ye Zi suddenly decided to have the children undergo Hashirama cell implantation? While the strength of clones was admittedly limited, they didn't come with the same risks of loss. So, even if the goal was to maximize the Sharingan's potential, using clones as hosts wasn't a bad option.
"Ye Zi, even if you give me a year, the risks will still be high," Nanako said after a moment of hesitation. She didn't try to dissuade him but instead laid out the reality.
"No matter how high the risk, they must undergo the implantation in a year," Ye Zi replied calmly, fully aware of the implications of his decision.
Nanako bit her lip, unable to stop herself from asking, "Is this really necessary?"
"It is," Ye Zi said without hesitation. "I don't have the patience to wait for them to grow. This is the only way to make them useful as quickly as possible."
Nanako fell silent. Making the children "useful", that had been the purpose of gathering war orphans in the first place: to train them into a deployable force.
Yet Ye Zi had always allowed the children to train at their own pace, never sending them on missions and often personally teaching them. In the early days, he had even repeatedly refused Orochimaru's requests to use the children for experiments.
There had been times when Ye Zi considered having the children implanted with Hashirama cells, but he had always abandoned the idea after hearing the success rates from her.
Now, something had clearly changed, something she wasn't privy to, that made Ye Zi so decisive this time.
"If you're unwilling, I'll have Orochimaru do it," Ye Zi said, noticing Nanako's silence. He took a few steps toward the door, then stopped, his back to her.
"I'll do it," Nanako quickly said, her heart skipping a beat.
"Good. I'll send Sakana to help you organize everything. Once your preparations are complete, we can leave," Ye Zi said before walking out of the room.
Nanako watched him go, her gaze dropping as a complicated expression crossed her face.
Leaving the laboratory, Ye Zi walked alone through the passageway, his face expressionless. His dark eyes disappeared into the shadows where the light didn't reach.
He needed to push the plan forward quickly. As things stood, the children's strength averaged at the level of Chunin, with a few reaching the capabilities of ordinary Jonin.
But that wasn't enough.
He had decided to give them one year of intensive training. Afterward, they would undergo Hashirama cell implantation. Those who succeeded would then be implanted with Sharingan. Those who failed would die.
For non-Uchiha, implanting Sharingan came with physical burdens. However, with Hashirama cells in their bodies, not only would those burdens be alleviated, but the combined effect of the two would far surpass their individual strengths.
Ye Zi understood this better than anyone. As Madara had once said, the combined power of the Senju and Uchiha clans was the strongest and paved the way toward the Rinnegan. While reaching that ultimate goal was nearly impossible, this path was undeniably the correct one for gaining strength.
Because of his childhood experiences, Ye Zi had always resisted using children in experiments. That was why he had vehemently opposed Orochimaru's requests before.
But now, he had made his decision. Although the primary motivation was to accelerate the plan, this approach was also the best chance for the children to survive in the ninja world.
Ninja battles were not games, they were life-and-death struggles. Weakness meant death.
When the time came for the children to be deployed, they would face enemies in deadly combat. At that point, strength would be the only factor determining their survival.
While the implantation carried a risk of death, those who succeeded and gained Sharingan would have significantly enhanced combat abilities, it was a true safeguard for survival in battle.
Still, Ye Zi wouldn't inform the children of his decision now. He planned to tell them one year later. By then, it wouldn't matter whether they were willing or not, they would have no choice.
Ye Zi went to find Kotoe and the others, who had nearly completed their preparations to leave. He instructed Sakana to assist Nanako, ensuring that once the laboratory was ready, they could depart immediately.
Soon, everything was set. The group began their relocation in an organized procession.
Before leaving, Ye Zi activated Sage Mode and used Inorganic Reincarnation to erase all traces of the underground base, leaving nothing behind.
The new base was to be established in the Land of Waterfalls.
The choice was simple. After Nagato's battle to extract the tailed beast, Takigakure had suffered significant losses. Although it wasn't entirely destroyed, its population had drastically dwindled, and the village had fallen into decline. It would take decades to recover to its former state.
Ye Zi's plan was to annihilate Takigakure completely and build the new base on its ruins. The location was naturally defensible and an excellent choice.
As the group made their way to the Land of Waterfalls, Ye Zi instructed White Zetsu to create Wood Clones as scouts, spreading them around the perimeter to ensure their movements remained undetected.
....
As time passed, news of the devastating attack on Konoha quietly spread across the entire ninja world.
From the great ninja villages to the smaller ones, everyone learned of the incident and knew the perpetrator well.
The name Ye Zi had become universally recognized. Even bounty hunters lurking in the shadows knew of him, let alone the ninja villages.
Regardless of whether his reputation was positive or negative, good or bad, there was no denying that Ye Zi's fame had reached everyone in the ninja world.
People might not know the names of the Kage from the five great ninja villages or the smaller ones, but they undoubtedly knew Ye Zi.
Now, Ye Zi had committed yet another shocking act, an attack on Konoha. Not only did he inflict significant damage, but he also managed to retreat unscathed.
This was no ordinary village. Konoha was home to a concentration of high-level combat power.
In these times of peace, when villages didn't need to disperse their military forces, Konoha boasted a considerable number of elite ninjas.
Rumor had it that Ye Zi had launched the attack with minimal forces, and the damage dealt to Konoha was almost entirely his doing.
How had Ye Zi managed to pull off such a feat, causing this level of destruction in Konoha and escaping unscathed?
It was a question that baffled many. Throughout the long history of wars, no one had ever dared to attack Konoha head-on. But now, someone had done it and left Konoha to suffer a significant loss.
When other villages, many of whom harbored resentment toward Ye Zi, heard about Konoha's defeat, they couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude deep down.
Meanwhile, Konoha remained shrouded in an atmosphere of grief and sorrow.
If you want to read more...
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 499 - The Hunt for the Two-Tails Begins...