"Artificial humans?"
Yōwan slowed his breathing, trying to take in less of the secondhand smoke.
"Yes, artificial humans," Amado said. "Test subjects created using my most advanced cloning technology, combined with Ōtsutsuki cells."
Sitting comfortably in his office chair, Amado placed his pipe in the ashtray, picked up his teacup, took a deep sip, and continued explaining to Yōwan.
"The ultimate goal of this experiment was to create the perfect vessel for Jigen. But among the failed products, I found a few with strength far beyond that of ordinary shinobi. With Jigen's permission, I decided to keep them."
As he spoke, Amado's gaze shifted away from Yōwan.
"That Ras guy—is he one of them?"
Following Amado's line of sight, Yōwan saw rows of cultivation tanks.
Through the translucent glass, he could faintly make out shadowy human figures floating inside.
"Ras, hmm... yes, Ras was one of the more successful test subjects. He possesses both high-level combat capability and cognitive ability—he can communicate normally. Unfortunately, his emotional fluctuations are minimal."
When Yōwan brought up the experimental subject who had been dispatched to the Land of Waves, Amado's expression hardly changed as he coldly explained the man's abilities.
"Also, every time he fights, his body suffers immense strain. After each battle, he must enter a specially designed restoration chamber to recover."
Hearing this, Yōwan began to form a rough understanding of the power of these artificial humans.
"So, it seems that their strength isn't all that impressive after all."
Hearing Yōwan belittle his creations, Amado chuckled softly and set his teacup down.
"That description may fit Ras, yes. But if you were talking about these others..."
He trailed off, deciding not to continue. In Amado's eyes, Yōwan's intelligence was comparable to that of a summoned beast. Explaining technical details to him was pointless.
So, after leaving that unfinished sentence hanging, Amado gave a clear dismissal.
"I'll be conducting experiments related to the 'Karma' next. If you have any questions, discuss them with Sasori—he participated in many of the human creation projects himself."
Yōwan nodded and turned to leave the room.
"Oh, right—don't forget, the data on Miko Teruhiko's body is extremely important. Make sure it isn't lost in the Land of Waves."
Amado's voice echoed out just before the laboratory doors shut completely.
...
Asuma gasped heavily for breath.
The man before him, who called himself Ras, possessed strength far beyond his imagination.
Even unarmed, Ras had managed to suppress Asuma, who was fully equipped with ninja tools. His speed and power both exceeded Asuma's by a terrifying margin.
"What's wrong? Not going to continue?"
Ras's voice came out devoid of emotion. When Asuma didn't respond, the artificial human leaned forward, muscles tensing.
"Then it's my turn."
"Damn it!"
Forcing down the trembling in his arms, Asuma braced himself for the moment Ras moved.
"Ugh!"
But he couldn't defend in time.
Ras's swift punch slammed into Asuma's abdomen, forcing bile and acid up his throat.
Immediately after, Ras grabbed Asuma's right arm and flipped him over his shoulder, hurling him through the air.
Before Asuma could hit the ground, Ras dashed forward and drove a knee strike straight into him.
"Bang!"
The battered Asuma exploded into a puff of smoke.
"So it was a Shadow Clone... when did he...?"
Ras stopped, tilting his head slightly as he scanned the surroundings for Asuma's real body.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
Leaping out from behind a tree, Asuma chose Fire Release as his opening move, since he clearly couldn't match Ras in taijutsu.
As the thick smoke enveloped Ras, Asuma prepared to ignite it—only to see Ras sweep his sleeve, conjuring a fierce gust of air that blew the smoke away entirely.
"Wind Style: Gale Breakthrough!"
When the smoke rebounded and began to envelop him instead, Asuma quickly aborted the ignition and switched to Wind Release as a counterattack.
"Asuma-sensei, behind you!"
Using his wind technique to clear the smoke, Asuma realized Ras had vanished from where he had been standing.
Thanks to Shikamaru's timely warning, Asuma barely avoided a punch from behind.
But Ras's kick followed instantly, sending Asuma flying through the air. He crashed into the ground, stirring up a huge cloud of dust and even knocking down several trees in his wake.
"That's terrifying..."
Ino's legs trembled uncontrollably as she watched the scene before her. The kunai she held for self-defense nearly slipped from her shaking hand.
"Tch. This is getting troublesome."
Seeing that Asuma had disappeared from view, Shikamaru's mind began racing, searching for a strategy to break the deadlock.
But against such overwhelming power, even Shikaku himself couldn't have devised a way out.
Ras calmly straightened his leg again, his eyes still closed the entire time. His expression remained utterly blank.
After waiting a moment and sensing that Asuma wasn't getting back up, Ras turned to face Tazuna's direction.
"He's looking over here!"
Choji shouted a warning to his teammates.
But the next second, Ras vanished from their sight.
"Ah!"
Tazuna's scream came from behind them.
The three turned around in shock, only to see Ras already standing there, gripping Tazuna's throat with one hand and lifting him effortlessly into the air.