The original plan was to head to the Akatsuki in two months, but to synthesize Wood Release Parasitic Bugs, Shigeo Aburame had to delay the timeline by half a year.
The main issue was the rapid depletion of Hashirama cells and the slow rate of cultivation.
After more than six months, Shigeo had synthesized only about a thousand Wood Release Parasitic Bugs, averaging five per day.
Due to the rejection properties of Wood Release chakra, the total number of parasitic bugs in his body had reached a historical low.
However, while the quantity of bugs decreased, their enhanced quality significantly increased his total chakra reserves.
The chakra feedback provided by the Wood Release Parasitic Bugs was astounding—each bug individually offered ten times the chakra of a blood bug and nearly a thousand times that of a soldier bug!
If not for the rejection properties of Wood Release chakra, the feedback would have allowed Shigeo to spawn an enormous number of standard parasitic bugs in a short time.
But life had no "what ifs."
Using Wood Release Parasitic Bugs meant he could no longer use other bugs, not even blood bugs.
Gazing at the lifeless Nagato hairs in the petri dish, Shigeo felt a pang of regret.
"What a waste of such precious materials. If only I could cultivate more... Wait, cultivate?"
An idea struck him. Since Hashirama's cells could be cultivated, surely Nagato's cells could be too!
While hair wasn't cellular and couldn't be cultured, other types of cells could!
Shigeo began pondering where on Nagato he should take samples from when a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Master, we've run out of materials to cultivate the white cells. The clan's budget is also exhausted, and we're far from meeting procurement needs. Lord Orochimaru isn't here either. What should we do?"
"Hm?"
Shigeo snapped back to reality. He turned to see a handsome young man with gray hair standing behind him and smiled.
"Ah, Lan, I understand your concerns. In that case, let's halt procurement for now. It's not right for Orochimaru and me to keep draining the Fuuma clan's resources; we feel deeply guilty about it."
"You're too kind, Master!" Lan quickly bowed, his expression serious. "To revive the Fuuma clan, we are willing to pay any price!"
"…"
That's just asking to be exploited, isn't it?
Looking at Lan's earnest face, Shigeo couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
In the original story, Lan, as a representative of the Fuuma clan, was used by Orochimaru for human experimentation and ended up as a grotesque "three-headed man."
He was exploited so thoroughly that even his last shred of dignity was gone.
However, thanks to Shigeo's arrival, Orochimaru had gone to Amegakure earlier, inadvertently saving Lan's life.
*Sigh, I can't stand seeing honest people bullied. Fine, might as well see this through. Helping others is a virtue, after all.*
Shigeo sighed inwardly, adjusted his sunglasses, and addressed the solemn Lan.
"Orochimaru won't be back for a while. Take your clan to Amegakure. Yahiko, the leader of Amegakure, is a friend of mine. Mention my name when you meet him; he'll treat you well. Oh, and…"
Shigeo retrieved the lifeless Nagato hairs from the petri dish and handed them to Lan.
"Take these with you as proof of our connection. But don't let anyone besides Yahiko see them."
"This…!"
Lan's eyes widened in shock before transforming into unrestrained joy.
"Thank you so much, Master!"
Lan was visibly emotional, and Shigeo understood why.
The Fuuma clan had been in decline for so long that they were on the brink of obscurity.
If this continued, the once-proud ninja clan might disappear entirely in a few years.
To rejuvenate a ninja clan, the best strategy was to align with a powerful hidden village and gain its support.
However, for a declining clan like Fuuma, even small hidden villages were unlikely to accept them, let alone the major five.
Blindly pledging allegiance often led to rejection or exploitation as cannon fodder.
The Fuuma clan understood this well, which was why they had sent only a few representatives, including Lan, to Orochimaru. Their allegiance to him was more an act of desperation than genuine trust.
But Amegakure was different.
Though not as mighty as the Five Great Shinobi Nations, it was the strongest among the smaller villages.
Under Yahiko's leadership, Amegakure had flourished, earning the nickname "The Sixth Great Shinobi Village."
Joining such a village was a dream for clans without a home.
Lan could never have imagined that the man he had viewed as merely Orochimaru's follower, Shigeo Aburame, would have such connections.
"Perhaps this Master isn't as simple as he appears!"
At that moment, Lan recalled how respectful Orochimaru had been toward Shigeo. It wasn't the attitude of a superior to a subordinate, but rather one of equals.
Realizing this, Lan fell to his knees and performed a deep bow.
"Master, thank you for your kindness. The Fuuma clan will never forget your generosity!"
"Heh… No need for formalities. Get up!"
Shigeo helped Lan to his feet and patted his shoulder.
"Amegakure is still in a developmental stage, so there will be challenges. As long as your clan works diligently, you'll surely find success."
Lan bowed again. "Yes, Master. I understand!"
Seeing that Lan now regarded himself as a subordinate, Shigeo nodded with a smile.
"Once in Amegakure, if you encounter difficulties and can't find Yahiko, look for a Jonin named Kuroki and tell him I sent you."
"Yes!" Lan's expression was filled with gratitude. "Do you have any other instructions, Master?"
Shigeo shook his head. "No, and I'll be leaving soon myself. After I'm gone, seal the entrance to this base."
"You're leaving too, Master?" Lan was momentarily stunned, then knelt on one knee. "Allow me to follow you!"
"Haha!"
Shigeo laughed and waved dismissively.
"No need. I'm heading to the Land of Rain, not far from Amegakure. I'll contact you if I need you. For now, go and share the good news with your clan. Go on!"
"…Yes, Master!"
Lan responded and left to inform his clan.
An hour later, when he returned, the base was empty.
"Has Master already left?"
Disappointment flickered across his face, but it was replaced with determination as he gazed at the giant solution-filled glass tank in the cultivation room.
"I know how to repay Master's kindness!"
*(Chapter ends)*