Under Senju Mori's substantial financial investment over the years, this secret laboratory located beneath Konoha has gradually expanded significantly, long since ceasing to be the small laboratory left by Senju Tobirama.
From its original two main research areas, it was directly expanded into an underground complex with dozens of areas.
Experiments on the tolerance of Kinkaku and Ginkaku cells, inhibition and fusion experiments of First Hokage Senju Hashirama's cells, optimization and further development of forbidden jutsu like Edo Tensei... Each area had its own unique projects, with researchers working in three shifts, pushing forward the research progress day and night without stopping.
With a continuous influx of massive research funds, a large number of the latest experimental equipment were purchased and added here.
The size of the experimental personnel team also rapidly expanded, now reaching a massive scale of nearly one hundred people.
In fact, as mentioned before, Senju Mori even specifically established a "Secret Experiment Special Unit," thoroughly formalizing the private research and transforming it into an official departmental organization endorsed by the Village.
Even more interesting, with the continuous consumption of materials and the increasing demand gap for experiments, Konoha has continuously dispatched teams over the past five years, steadily expanding the scope of their sweeps.
Now, not only has it covered the entire Land of Fire, but even bandits, robbers, and rogue Ninja in the small countries surrounding the Land of Fire have been systematically cleared out by Konoha Ninja.
For the public, who were completely unaware of the truth, they only felt that the unstable elements in these countries rapidly decreased, significantly improving the overall public security environment in the Land of Fire and its surrounding small countries.
Over the past five years, in addition to dedicating himself to secret experiments and single-handedly building a stable trade with the Hidden Mist Ninja Clans, Senju Mori's own strength has also grown considerably.
He has completely mastered the Sage Jutsu of Shikkotsu Forest, as well as the special combat methods in Sage Mode.
Each type of Sage Jutsu is created based on the characteristics of the organism itself.
Just as besides enhancing the power of jutsu and sensory abilities, Mount Myōboku's Sage Jutsu also grants the contractor the jumping ability of a toad, as well as immense strength and reaction capabilities... while the Ryūchi Cave contractors evolve towards cold-blooded animals like snakes, thereby gaining abilities such as sensing the body temperature of other organisms and collecting scents with their tongues, even growing snake-like corneas... The characteristic of Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Jutsu is powerful regenerative ability and sustained combat capability, which undoubtedly perfectly matches the characteristics of the Senju Clan members, and Senju Mori's own combat style.
And facts have proven that the marriage alliance with the Uzumaki Clan was undoubtedly a very wise choice.
In addition to gaining the favor of the Village elder Uzumaki Mito and earning him more support at the beginning of his succession.
His wife, Uzumaki Mio, has been of great help to Senju Mori in all aspects, especially her unreserved teaching, which enabled him to quickly master most of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu.
Moreover, because he is a member of the Senju Clan, and the Uzumaki Clan are both descendants of their ancestor Asura, he can even use the Uzumaki Clan's secret jutsu, "Adamantine Chains."
Only "Kagura Mind's Eye," even though Uzumaki Mio taught him all the techniques, he still could not learn it.
Senju Mori speculates that this might not only be a simple secret jutsu but also related to the Uzumaki Clan's special physique, a trait that the distant relative Senju Clan does not possess.
Besides this, Senju Mori also personally participated in various human experiments of the secret research unit, and with the rich experience gained from them, he thoroughly understood the forbidden jutsu scrolls left by Tobirama.
Even the two forbidden jutsu on the scroll of seals that Senju Tobirama had not completed during his lifetime were perfected and improved by him one by one.
It is no exaggeration to say that he is no longer the "Little Tobirama" who first ascended to the Hokage position five years ago, but a truly enhanced version of Senju Tobirama... "Creak—"
The heavy metal door was pushed open, and the scene of the underground laboratory was revealed before Senju Mori's eyes.
The air was filled with a mixed scent of disinfectant and culture medium, and dozens of huge cylindrical culture tanks were neatly arranged, in which various experimental subjects and special biological specimens were immersed.
And in the central part of the laboratory, in several of the latest model culture tanks, several anesthetized experimental subjects were quietly sleeping.
Each experimental subject was naked and had their hair shaved off, with dense tubes inserted into their bodies, providing them with essential nutrients and energy for life.
"Teacher, look!"
Hiruko's pale face flushed with excitement as he pointed inside the culture tank, his face full of excitement, ready to show his teacher the fruits of several years of hard work.
As he personally operated the instrument, two cell solutions popped out from a constant temperature bath nearby and replaced the original nutrient solution.
Hiruko's hands did not stop, and he did not forget to introduce to Senju Mori in detail:
"These experimental subjects are just ordinary rogue Ninja, their strength is probably at the Chunin level, but since they can extract Chakra, it proves that they have complete Chakra pathways in their bodies."
"That's enough."
As the first tube of cell solution was injected into the experimental subject's body, the physical characteristics of one of the subjects rapidly changed.
Two small bumps gradually bulged on his head, as if something was about to break out of his body.
"Kinkaku and Ginkaku's cells are inherently extremely stable; after our repeated adjustments, they can almost be directly injected into any Ninja's body without causing any conflict or rejection reaction."
"The only possible effect is that over time, the experimental subject will gradually grow black horns like those of an ox, and their hair color will randomly change to either gold or silver."
"The principle behind this situation is a unique characteristic of Kinkaku and Ginkaku's cells."
"They forcefully cover and rewrite parts of the host's own genetic expression, manifesting as keratin proliferation and hair heteromorphism; we can understand this as a kind of 'assimilation.'"
"It attempts to transform the host into its own likeness, but the First Hokage's cells can suppress this phenomenon."
As Hiruko continued his explanation, he slowly pushed the second tube of cell solution into the experimental subject's body.
Surprisingly, the two bumps on the experimental subject's head rapidly receded at a visible speed; instead, the skin color began to gradually whiten from the shoulder where the second tube of cells was injected.
Finally, an extremely blurry human face appeared on the experimental subject's right arm; if one were to lean in and examine it carefully, it would be found to be the exact likeness of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama.
However, compared to the face that appeared on Uchiha Madara's chest after he transplanted Hashirama's flesh in Senju Mori's memory, this face was undoubtedly much rougher and blurrier, and the facial features were not as three-dimensional.