A/N: I have not studied Biology/Botany.
One Week Later – The Shadow Realm Laboratory
It had been seven days since the Uchiha family took control of the Land of Rice Fields.
Inside the laboratory, Ren stood in front of a long row of ceramic pots, where different types of crops sprouted from the soil. The spatial barrier rippled as Satoshi stepped into the lab. He looked at the row of fully grown plants, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Have you succeeded?" Satoshi asked, walking over to inspect a stalk of wheat.
Ren grinned, a spark of pride flashing in his red eyes. "Of course."
Kaori walked in right behind Satoshi, carefully analyzing the flora. "How did you manage this, Ren? Whenever we tried to infuse them, the White Zetsu cells would just forcefully suppress the seed's original genetics, turning it into a miniature wooden tree."
Ren walked over to his workbench, looking every bit the mad scientist. He picked up a normal, perfectly innocent tomato seed. Next to it sat a glass jar filled with a thick, white, jelly-like liquid.
Ren dipped the tiny seed into the white jelly with a pair of tweezers. When he pulled it out, the seed had doubled in size, coated in a thick, pale white shell. He plopped the coated seed into the dirt.
Nothing happened at first. Then, Ren pressed two fingers against the soil and injected a carefully measured spark of Natural Energy.
Rustle.
Instantly, a green shoot erupted from the dirt. It grew steadily, winding upward to about a meter in seconds. Yellow flowers blossomed, and right before their eyes, a plump, red tomato swelled into existence with a soft pop.
"Great! So you finally made the infinite harvesting tree!"
Unable to contain his excitement, Satoshi grabbed a handful of raw seeds, dipped one into the white jelly, and shoved it into an empty pot. Pressing both hands against the rim, Satoshi frantically pumped massive amounts of Natural Energy into the soil.
"Wait, Dad, tomatoes are indeter—!" Ren started, but it was too late.
The plant shot up like a rocket. But instead of just growing a few tomatoes and stopping, the vine exploded. In biology, many tomato plants are 'indeterminate' growers—meaning they function as sprawling vines that will continuously grow and produce fruit as long as the weather and nutrients hold out.
Supercharged by the Zetsu juice and Satoshi's aggressive chakra pumping, the tomato plant turned into a terrifying, sprawling jungle. Thick green vines lashed out, wrapping around the laboratory tables and knocking over beakers. Tomatoes the size of melons swelled, ripened, and dropped like heavy artillery, splattering all over the floor, while the vine just kept surging toward the ceiling, popping out more fruit.
Satoshi scrambled backward. "It won't stop! Why won't it stop?!"
Ren sighed, drawing a kunai and swiftly slicing the main vine at the base, severing it from the hyper-active white roots. The massive jungle of foliage instantly slumped, leaving behind a mountain of red fruit and a very messy floor.
"Because, Dad, that variety of tomato is an indeterminate vine," Ren explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They can grow and produce continuously until frost or disease kills them. With that white root system constantly feeding it Natural Energy, it will produce infinitely. But the tomatoes won't normally be this large, and the vines won't be this aggressive. It only happened because you were actively pumping so much Natural Energy into it."
Ren then pointed at the pale white roots of the plant. "The roots you see are from the coating on the seed. That shell turns into a root system which actively absorbs nutrients and Natural Energy, feeding it directly to the seed so it grows faster. If you actively pump Natural Energy into it, you get a disaster like this. Without the extra energy, the tomato plant would naturally start providing fruit after five days."
Kaori looked at the rest of the greenery. "What about the other plants?"
"Standard crops like rice and wheat are determinate," Ren clarified, pointing to the neat pots. "They grow, produce their harvest within 7-10 days, and naturally die off, leaving those thick white roots behind. You just plow the roots back into the dirt, and they act as a hyper-potent fertilizer. It completely prevents soil degradation. But the tomatoes? Those require management."
Kaori nodded in approval, mentally calculating the agricultural monopoly they were about to establish.
Ren wiped his hands on a towel and turned to his parents. "What about that other matter?"
"It is done," Satoshi said. "We have secretly distributed the basic chakra extraction method to everyone. It's public knowledge now. As for our offensive jutsu—excluding the Uchiha secrets, obviously—we handed them out to the native ninja clans, who now answer directly to the Daimyo's throne."
Satoshi crossed his arms, his expression grim. "But Ren... even if twenty percent of the people manage to extract chakra, they will not be a match for the trained genin of the Five Hidden Villages. It will still take fifteen to twenty years to develop a military force that can compete with a Great Nation."
"He's right," Kaori added. "We are absolutely not ready to announce a regime change to the outside world. The Great Nations won't tolerate a country run by rogue ninjas. The three of us would be fine on our own, but the civilians wouldn't stand a chance."
"You're right. We have to keep a lid on the news," Ren agreed. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Yes, this is feasible, he thought to himself. "Mom, Dad... I have a way to make them stronger, faster. But it requires further experimentation. Can you arrange some volunteers?"
Kaori glared at him. "What are you going to do, Ren? Are you going to do something like last time?"
Ren held his hands up in total innocence. "Don't worry, Mom. It won't be anything like that."
Kaori stared at him for three agonizing seconds before sighing. "Good."
Satoshi interjected. "When and how many volunteers will you need? Are there any risks of death in these experimentations?" He seemed just as ready to lecture him as Kaori.
"Dad, don't look at me like I'm some kind of mad scientist who kidnaps children for experiments," Ren protested. "First, I am going to test my theory on animals. I'll proceed with humans only if I feel it's feasible and carries no risk."
"Good," Satoshi replied.
Satisfied for now, Kaori and Satoshi left the laboratory.
Ren took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shifted his consciousness inward, descending into his mentalscape.
The Inner World
The vast, ethereal landscape of his soul stretched out before him. The Hollow Branch was at 54%, the Quincy Branch was at 83%, and the Shinigami Branch was just glowing faintly.
Ren walked toward the center of his inner world, where a pedestal of pure Reishi stood. Resting atop it was a small, perfectly spherical orb that pulsed with an eerie, bluish-purple light.
The Hōgyoku.
It had previously been untouchable. But two days ago, something had finally clicked. Ren reached out, and for the first time, his fingers actually made physical contact with the Hōgyoku.
He picked it up—the literal power to manifest desires and break the boundaries between different forms of existence.
Feeling dramatic, Ren unbuttoned his shirt, grasped the glowing orb, and slammed it directly into the center of his chest, fully expecting a glorious, god-like transformation.
Bonk.
Nothing happened. The orb simply bounced off his collarbone and sat against his skin, completely unresponsive.
Ren pulled it away with a heavy, disappointed sigh. "It didn't fit... again."
He looked at the bluish-purple sphere resting in his palm.
Ren Thought, "now, I just need to check, if I could use the Hōgyoku to boost the potential of other people—to see if it could force their evolution.