They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 43 Hashirama Cells and Sharingan
The research base at the root was as gloomy as ever.

The cold steel walls blocked out the outside sunlight, and only dim lights cast swaying shadows in the narrow passage, making people's shadows long and eerie.

"Orochimaru-kun, I am very pleased that you have come of your own accord."

"The future of Konoha ultimately belongs to you young people."

Danzo sat in the main seat with a formulaic smile on his face, but his deep eyes revealed no true emotion.

"Lord Danzo, I think we can skip the formalities?"

Orochimaru casually pulled up a chair and sat down, his golden snake eyes calmly fixed on the other person, and said indifferently.

"Oh?"

"So, Orochimaru-kun, are you prepared to step into the darkness?"

Danzo's smile faltered slightly, then vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

He leaned forward slightly, and an invisible pressure spread out.

"dark?"

Orochimaru repeated the word, seemingly savoring its meaning.

"The more lush and leafy the Leaf Tree becomes, the more intricate its root system, buried deep underground, must be to draw nutrients that cannot be seen in the light."

"The Hokage stands in the sunlight; he is the face of Konoha, the light that all the villagers revere."

"Therefore, someone always needs to do those things in the shadows and bear the necessary evil."

"I am the root of Konoha, the darkness beneath this land."

Danzo snorted coldly, his eyes sharpening, his voice low but carrying an undeniable resolve.

"I understand."

"Some experiments and some methods are indeed not suitable for being conducted in the open."

"I do have that much awareness."

Orochimaru nodded slightly in response.

"Excellent! I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
"You and I are more alike than Sarutobi..."

A hint of appreciation flashed in Danzo's eyes, seemingly quite satisfied with Orochimaru's "frankness".

He waved his hand, signaling the Root ninjas standing in the room to step down.

"Come with me."

Danzo stood up, his hunched back looking somewhat desolate under the lamplight.

He led Orochimaru deeper into the base.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, making the atmosphere even more somber.

"Orochimaru-kun, you should know that a large part of my research is inherited from my teacher, the Second Hokage."

Danzo spoke slowly as he walked, his voice sounding somewhat hollow in the passageway.

"Ever since the First Hokage fought Madara Uchiha at the Valley of the End, the Second Hokage noticed something was amiss."

"On the arm of the first generation, there was an unusual scar."

Danzo paused, seemingly recalling the scene from back then.

"After the Second Hokage questioned him, the First Hokage only said that it was a piece of flesh that was cut off by Madara Uchiha."

"This alerted my teacher."

"That place is not a vital spot. With the First Lord's almost superhuman regenerative abilities, such an injury should have healed instantly."

"Based on my teacher's understanding of Uchiha Madara, that person would never make such a meaningless attack."

"Ok?"

Orochimaru was taken aback upon hearing this, and a slight ripple appeared in his pupils.

Could it be that……

"so……"

Danzo stopped in front of a heavy metal door.

"The Second Hokage secretly dug up Madara Uchiha's grave without the First Hokage's knowledge."

"You can probably guess the result."

Danzo turned his head and stared intently at Orochimaru.

"The grave is empty."

"Madara Uchiha did not die in that battle."

"Not only that, his real purpose in that battle with the First Hokage was probably to obtain the First Hokage's body tissue..." Orochimaru took a deep breath and, keeping pace with the other party, slowly uttered his conclusion.

He thought to himself, "Tobirama Senju is frighteningly perceptive."

It's astonishing that such a shocking truth could be deduced from such a small clue.

This perfectly explains why Danzo, who inherited the research results of the Second Hokage, would risk the world's condemnation to frantically research Hashirama cells and the Sharingan.

Its fundamental purpose was to figure out Madara Uchiha's schemes and the possible changes that might occur after those two forces combined.

and many more……

Orochimaru had a sudden inspiration.

If that's the case, could the death of the Second Hokage also be related to Madara Uchiha, who was lurking in the shadows?
After all, people who know too much often don't live long.

Moreover, if we take this premise into account, then the reasons why the Konoha leadership later decided to eradicate the Uchiha clan seem even more compelling.

The Nine-Tails Night was likely the work of Madara Uchiha, since before that, Madara Uchiha was the only one who could control tailed beasts with the Sharingan.

Danzo also knew that Madara Uchiha had fought the First Hokage to the death in order to obtain the First Hokage's cells.

Research has even shown that the combination of the first generation cells and the Sharingan produces a miraculous chemical reaction.

Therefore, the existence of the Uchiha clan undoubtedly amplified the potential threat posed by Konoha.

After all, no one can guarantee that the vanished Uchiha Madara won't suddenly reappear one day and implant Hashirama cells into every Uchiha clan member.

When that time comes, who knows what will happen?

"Yes."

Danzo seemed to have seen through Orochimaru's thoughts and said in a deep voice:

"This is the original intention behind my founding of 'Root'."

"Inherit our teacher's will and eliminate all factors that could threaten Konoha from their very source!"

His eyes became fanatical and obsessive.

"So... come and help me, Orochimaru-kun."

"I can provide you with the research materials and equipment you need."

"We share a common goal, don't we?"

Danzo slowly raised his hand and placed it on the identification device next to the metal gate.

"Click——"

The heavy metal door slid open slowly to both sides with a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

A blinding white light poured out from the crack in the door, causing Orochimaru, who was used to darkness, to instinctively squint.

Behind the main gate was a giant laboratory that was much more spacious than the outside passageway.

Various sophisticated instruments, whose names I do not know, gleamed with a faint light and emitted a subtle hum.

The air was filled with a pungent odor, a mixture of strong formaldehyde and the smell of blood.

In the very center of the laboratory, there were several huge glass petri dishes.

The petri dish was filled with a pale yellow nutrient solution.

Several clumps of indescribable, slightly wriggling pale flesh were soaking in nutrient solution.

Even more shocking is that within those writhing clumps of flesh, several scarlet eyeballs were embedded!

Three tomoe slowly rotated beneath the scarlet eyes, emanating an ominous and eerie aura...

　To put it simply, Danzo was unlikely to have bypassed the Second Hokage to study Hashirama's cells. If he had only started studying them after the Second Hokage's death, then the First Hokage's body would have been reduced to bones by then.

　　Therefore, the research on Hashirama cells must have been started by the second generation. So what was the second generation's purpose? The only possibility is that their combat power was insufficient.

　　But at that time, Konoha had him and Mito, the perfect Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, which was more than enough to deal with other ninja villages.

　　The only enemy who could make him dig up his brother's grave was Uchiha Madara, because the only one who could fight him was Senju Hashirama.

　　Furthermore, the Second Hokage explained the principles behind the Uchiha's awakening of the Sharingan, indicating that he had studied the Uchiha clan, so there's no reason for him to leave the corpse of the strongest Uchiha alive.

　　Given the strange behavior of Madara Uchiha suddenly coming to fight the First Hokage to the death, the Second Hokage could easily deduce that Madara Uchiha might not be dead and that his purpose was to obtain Hashirama's body tissue if he paid a little attention.

　　Then, naturally, he began to study his brother's cells, and even the Impure World Reincarnation technique was used to bring out Hashirama Senju to fight Madara.

　　Then the second generation's death was also very strange. There was no way that Gold Horn and Silver Horn could kill the second generation who had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.

　　Madara and Black Zetsu had ample reason to eliminate Tobirama and prevent him from completing his research.

　　Then there's Danzo, who inherited the research of the Second Hokage. He was a complete novice. Despite having so many resources, all he did was insert a dozen or so Sharingan eyes into his body, most of which were left behind by Orochimaru before his defection.

　　(Of course, the above content is all speculation, just like the conspiracy theories of the third generation, it is only to explain the bugs in the original work.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)