Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 415 Invitation and Cooperation

Urashiki Ōtsutsuki casually slung his red chakra fishing rod over his shoulder, tilted his head, and his playful smile widened. He walked briskly toward Jigen and Amado, his eyes taking in the surrounding culture chambers and instruments with great interest.

After being badly beaten and forced to flee by that native boy in the Land of Waves, Urashiki knew that there was something wrong with this timeline, but since "Plow" was in the hands of two other guys, it was impossible for him to return to his original timeline for the time being.

Urashiki was outnumbered and outmatched, and the chakra he had consumed during the time travel was too much to allow him to search for Momoshiki and Kinji in other star systems. So, he remembered Otsutsuki Isshiki, who was still alive at this point in time.

After recovering from his injuries, Urashiki spent some more time searching and finally found Isshiki's "vessel" in Amegakure.

"Of course, I heard that our clan's legendary predecessor, Lord Isshiki, seems to have encountered some 'minor trouble' on this inconspicuous planet, so I came here specifically to see if there's anything I can do to help." His tone was flippant, with undisguised teasing.

Especially when the topic of "minor troubles" came up, his gaze lingered on the faint black erosion marks on Cixian's abdomen that were visible through his clothing.

"I will handle Kaguya's matter myself." Jigen remained unmoved by Urashiki's teasing, his tone indifferent.

"What brings you here?"

"Kaguya?" Urashiki curled his lip, seemingly disdainful of the name, after all, she was just a low-ranking Otsutsuki warrior.

However, his attention was quickly drawn to the clones in the incubation chambers next to him. He moved closer to one of the chambers, almost pressing his face against the glass, and carefully looked at the rapidly growing humanoid figure inside, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Cloning technology? Using the technology of such low-level organisms to create 'devices'? How creative, Isshiki-senpai."

He turned to look at Cixian's face, his smile turning somewhat eerie: "However, I didn't come here entirely to see you make a fool of yourself. It's mainly because I've discovered something... more interesting on this planet."

"Something interesting?" Cixian's expression furrowed almost imperceptibly.

What Urashiki Otsutsuki finds "interesting" is usually not a good thing.

"Yeah~" Urashiki turned around, his back to the culture chamber, and gently tapped his palm with the end of his red fishing rod.

"A while ago, I met a... very strange native on a small island on this planet."

A flicker of shame crossed his eyes as he recalled, "He possessed power akin to a 'wedge' thawing to a certain stage, and his eyes..."

Urashiki paused, then looked at Jigen: "It's a golden Tenseigan."

"Ten-Sengan?" A noticeable emotional fluctuation finally appeared on Jigen's usually calm face.

Surprise, and deep doubt.

The Tenseigan is an extremely rare and powerful supreme eye technique, even among the Otsutsuki clan!

It usually only exists in individuals with extremely pure Otsutsuki family blood, or requires meeting extremely harsh conditions to awaken. For warriors like them who come out to plant trees, the Byakugan is the minimum requirement, and the Rinnegan is standard among high-ranking Otsutsuki warriors, but the Tenseigan is...

On this planet, apart from the Rinnegan possessed by the traitor Kaguya and her son, even the Rinnegan of the leader of the Akatsuki organization is, in Isshiki's view, merely the most basic version.

But now Urashiki is telling him that there are still natives with the Tenseigan?

"It seems you haven't seen it either." Urashiki got the answer from Jigen's reaction, and his interest grew even stronger.

"I later inquired around on this planet and found out that a force called the 'Star Kingdom' had suddenly emerged in recent years. The supreme ruler of that force, a guy called 'Shura,' seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, which might be related to this 'container.'"

Pu Shi clearly misunderstood.

He mistook the simulated "wedge" form power that Menma displayed in the Land of Waves for the thawing of a "wedge" from a certain "container".

They also mistakenly believed that the identity of "Shura" was a guardian protecting the "container" or a manifestation of the will of the "container".

Upon hearing the name "Shura," Cixian's eyes suddenly turned icy cold, and the temperature in the laboratory seemed to drop several degrees.

The conflict three years ago, the humiliation of having the Ten-Tails seedling stolen, the current state of the container rapidly collapsing...

All of this is thanks to that mysterious "Shura"!

"The Land of Stars... Asura..." Cixian repeated softly, a black flame seemingly flickering deep within his eyes.

"That's right." Urashiki grinned and leaned closer, lowering his voice as he began to share a funny prank he had planned.

"I heard that the 'vessel' with the Tenseigan and the kid with the Nine-Tails will both be appearing in a village called 'Konoha' to participate in some kind of 'Chunin Exams'. It seems the last open tournament is in a few days, it's going to be really exciting."

He licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation. "How about it, Isshiki-senpai? Interested in coming with me to Konoha for a bit? We can collect the Nine-Tails' chakra, and while we're at it... dispose of that strange 'vessel'? I bet the expression on that Shura's face when he sees his 'treasure' in trouble will be... quite something, right?"

Cixian fell silent.

He looked at Pu Shi, and then at the immature clones around him.

The Nine-Tails' chakra was one of the keys to his ability to reclaim the power of the God Tree's fruit and reshape his body.

If that "vessel" that is suspected to possess the Tenseigan is indeed a "vessel" of a member of the Otsutsuki clan, then Shura's abnormal abilities, his understanding of the Otsutsuki clan, and his strength, which far surpasses that of ordinary ninjas on this planet, can all be explained.

However, the hostility and danger shown by the other party must also be eliminated!

Pu Shi’s proposal stirred up the dormant waves in his heart.

They launched a surprise attack on Konoha, taking advantage of Shura's predicament in the Land of Stars before he could react, and destroyed the "vessel" that Shura cared about, absorbing the Nine-Tails' chakra in full view of everyone...

This will not only strike a blow against that despicable guy, but also pave the way for his subsequent plans.

More importantly, with Urashiki around, he might be able to share some of the pressure, or even... create more chaos.

A moment later, Cixian slowly raised her head, and something dangerous seemed to be gathering in her eyes.

He nodded slightly to Urashiki.

"……Can."

Under the cold blue light of the laboratory, two Otsutsuki from distant stars, who viewed all living beings in this world as mere ants and weeds, reached a tacit understanding without words.

With the agreement reached, Pu Shi snapped his fingers.

A spatial rift with black and red light flashing at its edges opened behind Urashiki.

"Well then, Isshiki-senpai," Urashiki turned his head and gave Jigen a meaningful smile, "see you in Konoha."

After saying that, he didn't linger and disappeared into the portal with light steps.

The crack rapidly contracted and disappeared, and the laboratory returned to calm.

Jigen stared blankly in the direction where Urashiki had disappeared. After a moment of silence, he slowly turned his head and turned his gaze to Amado, who stood respectfully by the control panel with his hands at his sides, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Amado." Cixian's voice was devoid of any emotion, yet carried a commanding tone.

"Yes, Lord Jigen." Amado immediately bowed slightly, his posture respectful.

He knew that Cixian appeared to be a gentleman and very tolerant of him, but in reality he was arrogant and ruthless, and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If he went against Cixian's will, he would suffer a terrible fate.

"Start cloning those materials you mentioned." Cixian's gaze swept over the rapidly developing humanoid figures in the incubation chambers, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

"Jiraiya, Hanzo of the Salamander... in order of priority, I need to see a finished product with sufficient combat power as soon as possible."

He paused, then added, "There's no need to overemphasize stability and lifespan. In the initial stages, some quality can be sacrificed, prioritizing quantity and the speed at which combat power is formed. Issues like genetic breakdown and rapid aging can be gradually optimized in subsequent batches."

For Isshiki Otsutsuki, these clones were merely consumables, temporary tools to help him complete his "recycling" plan.

As long as one can exert a certain proportion of the Primarch's power, be able to carry out orders, create chaos, and draw fire, that is enough.

As for their "lifespan" and "human rights"?

That was not within his consideration.

Even if it means filling the void with mountains of corpses and seas of blood from these clones, as long as it buys him time to recover the tailed beast chakra, deal with that bastard's backup plan, and finally find a suitable "weapon," it will be worth it.

"...Yes, Lord Jigen." Amado bowed his head and replied.

Ci Xian said no more. He took one last look at the clones floating in the pale green nutrient solution, then opened a black and red circular portal and stepped into it.

Once Cixian's portal disappeared, the laboratory returned to silence, with only the low hum of the instruments, the gurgling of the nutrient solution circulating, and the faint heartbeats and breathing of the clones in the culture chamber.

Amado's tense shoulders relaxed slightly only after confirming that Cixian's aura had completely disappeared.

He slowly straightened up and gently wiped his forehead with his right hand, which was wearing a white glove.

There, a fine layer of cold sweat had appeared, without anyone noticing.

That guy with the fishing hook put a lot of pressure on him...

Amado's face was somber, and behind the lenses of his orange glasses, his gaze flickered with a complex and uncertain light.

After a long while, he seemed to break free from some heavy thoughts and silently sat back down in the chair in front of the central control console.

The seat made a slight creaking sound.

He stretched out his hands, his fingers tapping on the complex control panel again, reviewing various experimental data, checking the life support system parameters of each culture chamber, and recording data on the clones' cell division rate, gene expression stability, and the latent damage caused by accelerated metabolism...

His movements remained professional, precise, and meticulous.

However, if someone were to observe closely, they might notice that he pressed the buttons slightly harder than usual, switched screens a little faster, and his eyes, hidden behind orange lenses, would occasionally drift toward the heavy alloy door of the laboratory.

About half an hour later, Amado stopped what he was doing.

He stood up and left the core cloning laboratory, his footsteps echoing in the empty, silent metal corridor.

He walked through several sterile corridors, all filled with cold light, and arrived at another laboratory area.

The style here is completely different from the previous incubation room, and the lighting is much dimmer.

The entrance is more like a heavily guarded gate.

After the heavy alloy door slid open, a straight, long passage came into view.

On both sides of the passageway, there are rows of individual cells separated by high-strength bulletproof glass and alloy fences.

Each cell is about five or six square meters, containing only the most basic toilet and a metal board bed fixed to the wall.

The cells held in the prison housed clones that had completed basic cultivation, been removed from the nutrient tanks, and been "activated."

They varied in appearance; some maintained the standard physique of adult men, with bulging muscles, but their eyes were dull, like puppets whose souls had been taken away. They simply sat quietly on the edge of the bed, unresponsive to the outside world.

Some exhibit obvious signs of developmental abnormalities or accelerated aging, with loose, wrinkled skin and sparse, gray hair. They pace anxiously in their cramped cells, occasionally banging their heads or bodies against the walls and bars, producing dull "thump-thump" sounds and hoarse, unintelligible growls.

There are also some who look relatively "normal," even retaining the appearance of teenagers or young adults, but their eyes flash with confusion, fear, and sometimes sudden bursts of rage and destructive madness.

Several researchers dressed in white lab coats similar to Amado's were walking through the cells with whiteboards, recording the clones' condition through observation windows, passing in simple food and water through small openings in the cell doors, or stopping in front of a cell and calmly and coldly ordering the clones inside to perform specific actions, testing their reaction speed, strength, and even obedience to simple ninjutsu commands.

Upon seeing Amado enter, several researchers immediately stopped their work, turned around, and respectfully bowed: "Lord Amado."

Amado nodded expressionlessly in response.

He took a tablet computer connected to a central database from one of the researchers and quickly swiped his fingers across the screen to access the latest observation data reports.

The report was filled with detailed records of the various physiological indicators of these clones.

The charts show that these clones have an astonishingly fast metabolic rate, with cell divisions compressed to an extreme degree, causing them to age and collapse at a rate dozens of times faster than normal.

Many individuals bred in the early stages have already shown severe signs of aging and rejection, such as muscle atrophy, organ failure, and skin ulceration.

"The instability of cellular tissues remains severe," Amado muttered to himself.

"Yes, Lord Amado," another researcher in charge of life monitoring immediately replied, his voice tinged with tension.

"Although we have improved the nutrient solution formula and gene stabilizers, the metabolic overload and gene damage caused by the 'ripening' technology are systemic and difficult to fully repair in the short term. In particular, there is a serious asynchrony between the development of the nervous system and the rapidly growing body..."

Amado didn't listen to his explanation. He had already looked away from the tablet and into a more secluded cell with a larger observation window, deeper in the passageway.

Those imprisoned there are a few individuals among this batch of clones who are "relatively" intact, and even show faint signs of "autonomy".

He waved to signal the researchers to continue their work, then strode toward the cell.

Standing in front of the observation window, Amado quietly looked inside.

It was a male clone who looked to be in his early twenties, with a well-proportioned physique and a rather handsome face.

However, his condition at this moment is extremely unstable.

Sometimes he would sit quietly in the corner, hugging his knees and burying his face in them, his body trembling slightly, as if he were afraid of something; other times he would suddenly jump up, his eyes bloodshot, letting out a beast-like growl from his throat, frantically pounding on the walls and bulletproof glass until his fists were bloody and mangled, his eyes filled with pure, irrational violence and destructive impulses.

"Regarding ideology..." Amado asked in a low voice without turning around, "Is it still impossible to stabilize?"

A researcher who had followed them and was in charge of recording behavioral psychology information quickly stepped forward and reported in a low voice: "Yes, Lord Amado. The vast majority of clones are basically in a 'blank' or 'chaotic' state, and can only accept the simplest commands, like a more advanced puppet."

"And those like cell number 7 in this cell, who occasionally exhibit 'self' reactions and strong emotions... are far too few. Moreover, their 'consciousness' is extremely unstable, full of contradictions, fragmentation, and uncontrollable aggression."

He paused, his voice unconsciously lowering, trembling with an indescribable fear and a forbidden excitement: "This...this has already touched upon the realm of 'soul,' 'consciousness,' or rather, 'personality creation.' We...we are, after all, trying to create 'human beings,' not merely to produce a living, breathing body."

"This is the power of gods in mythology; our current technology is far from sufficient..."

"Enough." Amado interrupted him, his voice not loud, but it silenced the researcher instantly, who broke out in a cold sweat.

Amado did not ask any further questions, nor did he reprimand him.

He simply stood quietly in front of the observation window, watching the clone inside, which was sometimes cowering and sometimes manic. The orange goggles reflected the clone's distorted face and desperate eyes.

In a daze, he remembered what the man named Shura had said to him three years ago.

"Amado, I know what you want."

"But I have to tell you the truth that Cixian didn't tell you either."

"Akabi's soul has already gone to the Pure Land."

"The cloning technology he gave you can at most produce an empty shell with your daughter's biological genes, a walking lump of flesh without a soul or memory."

At the time, he was skeptical of these words.

However, as his collaboration with Tzu-hsien deepened over the past three years, and as the cloning experiment progressed from initially cultivating complete bodies to now having to confront the ultimate challenge of "consciousness" and "soul," the scales in Amado's heart were quietly tipping.