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Midorima didn't have to wait long—or rather, the moment he devoted all his attention to adjusting the [Cell Laboratory], he triggered a hidden condition of the [Research Lab]: [Ecology].
"[Ecology]: Balances the cooperation between the various functional zones of the [Biological Laboratory], unlocking their maximum potential…"
Isn't that exactly what I'm doing right now?
Midorima muttered to himself before continuing to read.
"The coordination difficulty between functional zones is reduced, chakra consumption is decreased, and extensibility is improved."
In short, [Ecology] acted as a lubricant—or more accurately, a control center—ensuring smooth coordination between the major functional zones.
The explanation for [Ecology] was rather vague, but given Midorima's growing understanding of his "cheat ability," this description suggested that the [Cell Laboratory] would have even more possibilities in the future. Of course, he still had to explore them himself.
After the emergence of [Ecology], the [Cell Laboratory] finally unlocked its last functional zone: the [Cell Evolution Chamber].
Since it belonged to the [Biological Laboratory], Midorima naturally assumed that the [Cell Evolution Chamber] could be applied to the cells within the [Cell Research Room].
And he was right.
"This is a laboratory for evolution. For certain special cells, the greater their quantity, the higher the success rate. The more powerful and complex the function, the longer the evolution process and the more chakra it consumes. Note: When a selected cell is undergoing evolution, it enters a sealed state, and its related functions cannot be used. If attempting to evolve non-cellular matter, the risk factor is high and not recommended."
This explanation reminded Midorima of two things.
First, the Sharingan was a special type of cell—in theory, it could also undergo "evolution." Second, since there was a possibility of "sealing," the two pairs of Sharingan he possessed could be rotated for evolution. Even if one pair failed, he still had the other as backup.
Once he made up his mind, Midorima began his experiment by placing one pair of Sharingan into the [Cell Evolution Chamber].
As the description stated, the more complex the function, the longer the process would take.
Once the [Evolution Chamber] began operating, the timer pointed directly to six months later.
Since Midorima had placed an entire pair of Sharingan inside, the success rate should be decent—50%.
After all, he wasn't a member of the Uchiha clan. Even with the [Cell Laboratory], there was no guarantee that the evolution would succeed. The more depressing thought was that even if it failed, Midorima wouldn't know whether it was due to the "success rate" or if the [Cell Laboratory] simply couldn't evolve the Sharingan at all.
However, since he still had another pair of Sharingan to fall back on, Midorima had room for error. Rather than worrying endlessly about whether the evolution would succeed, he decided to use this time to increase his chakra reserves.
And so, he began training in this isolated place.
The days of training were monotonous and tedious. Yet, at the same time, after each session, he could clearly feel his chakra growing stronger, which motivated him to keep going.
Six months passed in this manner, with Midorima never allowing himself to slack off.
During this period, his life consisted solely of training. He also revisited the ninjutsu he had learned from Orochimaru, refining his hand seals to increase their speed. In his spare time, his only other focus was further exploring the [Cell Laboratory].
Perhaps because he was completely undistracted, Midorima's progress during this time exceeded his expectations. Compared to a year ago, his chakra reserves had nearly doubled.
As for the Sharingan, there was finally a result.
Success!
The moment he confirmed the evolution of the Mangekyō Sharingan, Midorima let out a long sigh of relief. The tension that had been weighing on him finally dissipated. Without hesitation, he placed his remaining pair of Sharingan into the [Evolution Chamber], setting the timer for another six months.
It was at this exact moment that two unlucky souls appeared.
Midorima looked down at the two corpses floating in the water and shook his head slightly.
The first people to find him weren't ninja from the Akatsuki or Kirigakure, but rather two from Kusagakure—something he hadn't expected.
Still, if they had managed to locate him, it meant this place was no longer safe.
"Where should I go next?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, an image of Jūgo surfaced in his mind.
"Right, Jūgo's cells are essential. After all, to use Sage Mode, I'd need his natural energy adaptation. Considering my current affiliations, Jiraiya probably wouldn't teach me Sage Transformation, let alone take me to Mount Myōboku. And Orochimaru? He'd sooner try to kill me. So, the only shortcut to obtaining Sage Mode is through Jūgo's cells."
He had his target, but figuring out where to find Jūgo was the real challenge.
"Whatever. I'll go look for Orochimaru first. Maybe I'll stumble upon something useful. Speaking of which… has Itachi already found him?"
Midorima pondered.
Orochimaru alone might not be a threat to Itachi, but if Danzo got involved… Tsk, that'd be trouble.
Hope he doesn't act too recklessly.
Returning to his dwelling, Midorima packed his belongings and set the place on fire.
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Elsewhere…
Within a vast, towering structure, a colossal statue sat cross-legged atop a lotus, its hands shackled and palms facing upward.
Surrounding it stood several shadowy figures.
"Our income has been rather tight lately. Kakuzu, what's going on? I already assigned you a partner—your combat capabilities shouldn't be an issue," said the central figure.
"You wouldn't understand," Kakuzu replied. "It's not my fault. Most of the high-value bounties—or the targets we've selected—have already been taken out by someone else. We're left with low-paying missions. Right now, the only high-profile rogue ninja left are Danzo and Asachi Midorima, but neither has been located yet…"
Just thinking about the past year's earnings gave Kakuzu a headache.
Was he not putting in the effort?
Of course he was.
Half of the bounties worth over ten million ryō had already been claimed by someone else—except for those they couldn't find.
As the one in charge of Akatsuki's finances, Kakuzu couldn't tolerate this. He immediately attempted to intercept the competition, setting up ambushes to eliminate them. Yet, after two consecutive failures, he still hadn't succeeded.
"Since I've got nothing better to do, why don't I join you and take out that annoying pest?" a voice suddenly interjected.
Kakuzu paused before snapping, "Shut it! This is my prey—no one interferes! If anything, you should worry about where your own partner is. After all, it's been a while since you two split up, Sasori."
Needing help to deal with a single ninja? That would be an insult to his pride.
"Heh, who knows where that guy ran off to? I'll just assume he's dead. Honestly, just assign me a new partner. Orochimaru really isn't working out. Sure, we both modify our bodies, but he's too obsessed with experiments. I haven't seen him in four or five months," Sasori said, tilting his head. "How about it, Kakuzu? Lend me your new partner for a bit?"
"Dream on!" Kakuzu refused outright.
No way in hell. He'd just gotten a partner who matched him perfectly—why would he give that up?