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Code appeared in Amado's main laboratory using one of his claw marks.
The air warped and, as soon as his body materialized, he dropped Kabuto's unconscious form onto the metallic floor with a dull thud.
"Keep him sedated. Do not let him wake up," Code ordered coldly.
Amado, who had been reviewing data on a holographic monitor, slowly turned his chair. When he saw Kabuto's bloodied body, he frowned.
"Why are you bringing a corpse here? What the hell do you think you're doing?" Amado asked irritably. "I'll report this to Jigen immediately."
Code raised a hand, interrupting him without violence, yet with a pressure that made it clear he would accept no argument.
"Jigen approved all of this."
Amado's face tightened slightly, though his expression remained mostly blank.
"I need you to analyze this man's body," Code continued. "I want two kekkei genkai extracted from his DNA. These are Jigen's orders, so you have no room to question them."
Amado watched Code silently, searching for any sign of deception, but Code didn't avert his gaze for even a moment.
"…Which kekkei genkai, exactly?" he finally asked.
"The DNA of the Kaguya Clan, and the DNA of the Jūgo Clan, which allows passive absorption of natural energy. I want you to study how his body generates and processes that energy."
Code crouched down, grabbed Kabuto's face between his fingers, and lifted it slightly.
"When you finish," he continued, "we'll test whether it's possible to replicate the effects of Jūgo's body using this subject as the base. The vessel for the Karma has already been chosen… so you don't need to waste time on anything else."
He dropped Kabuto's head back onto the floor.
"Jigen's orders cannot be disobeyed, Amado. Focus on this project.
Meanwhile, Jigen is training Kawaki. So do not disturb him."
Amado looked at him with his usual uninterested expression, barely lifting a brow.
"I need to confirm this with Jigen himself," he said calmly.
Code smiled slightly, a shadow of the Karma tracing across a corner of his face.
"Do as you like. He'll tell you exactly what I just did."
Amado dragged Kabuto's unconscious body to the containment table while Code watched from the shadows, leaning against the wall. The medical machine lowered with a soft hum, locking the former sannin in place with chakra restraints and mechanical clamps.
"This could have consequences," Amado muttered as he activated the genetic scanner. "Altering the human body at this scale always does."
"For you, maybe," Code replied. "For me, it's evolution."
Amado didn't argue. His fingers danced over the console as dozens of holograms appeared: DNA chains, mutation patterns, cell compatibility charts, and fluctuating rejection rates.
Amado opened a private channel.
Jigen appeared on the screen, arms crossed.
"What is it, Amado?" he asked coldly.
Amado looked at him directly.
"Code arrived with a man named Kabuto Yakushi. He claims you authorized this. He says I must extract two kekkei genkai from his DNA: the Kaguya Clan and the Jūgo Clan. I only wish to confirm."
Jigen turned his head slightly, clearly glancing toward Kawaki, whom he was training.
"It's true," he finally said. "Let him work. Code is still useful. As long as he doesn't disobey me, what he does with his own body is irrelevant."
The screen went dark.
Amado sighed.
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, Code."
Code smirked.
"Oh, I know exactly what I'm doing. You're the one who doesn't understand yet."
Hours passed.
Panels displayed bone mutations, mineral density analyses, cell compatibility, rejection rates, and a red warning bar fluctuating violently.
"The Kaguya DNA… is extremely invasive," Amado muttered while adjusting a filter. "This kind of mutation can tear the body apart before it even integrates. This isn't a normal kekkei genkai… It's a biological structure designed purely for combat."
"Perfect for what I want," Code replied.
Amado ignored him.
"Now the Jūgo DNA… this is different. It's chaotic, saturated with natural energy. It reacts even when isolated."
Code stepped closer.
"Can you do it? Can you fuse them?"
Amado narrowed his eyes.
"I can try. But there's no guarantee. And even if it works, your body will undergo unpredictable transformations."
Code tilted his head, intrigued rather than frightened.
"The unpredictable… tends to be the most powerful."
(SOME TIME LATER)
"I've made progress," Amado said without looking away from the screens. "I've created two separate genetic lines and stabilized versions of both. But combining them…
That's something else entirely."
Code folded his arms.
"How long would it take?"
"Days. Maybe weeks. It depends on whether your body can withstand the grafts."
Code smiled.
"My body will withstand whatever it needs to."
Amado finally looked at him directly.
"You don't understand what it means to alter your genetic structure this much.
You could lose control, become unstable… even destroy yourself."
Code answered:
"If my body can contain the Karma… it can contain this.
And if this path brings me closer to the power I desire, then I'll walk it—even if it destroys me ten times over."
Amado sighed.