Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

"Then get ready. You can come one by one," Kagetsu said.

He didn't bother to speculate on their motives. The only reason he was giving them this opportunity was because they had performed the best out of the available candidates.

But it wasn't as if they were irreplaceable.

If Hiroto and the others refused, he could easily find another group to replace them.

As for loyalty? 

That didn't matter to him. He had never expected unwavering loyalty from these people.

All he needed was for them to temporarily manage the lab in Ancor Vantian that Shinnō had painstakingly built.

Moreover, lacking loyalty doesn't mean Kagetsu has no means to control them.

"You are the first batch, and you will also be the batch I put the most effort into. Afterward, I will leave you some books and ninjutsu. If you wish to advance further, it's best to carefully study and learn from what I leave behind.

Additionally, if you accept experiments, I will assign certain tasks to you in the future. If you can complete these tasks well, I won't hesitate to reward you.

At the very least, if you desire power, the one who completes the most tasks will gain the most power!"

Kagetsu crossed his hands and sat calmly in his seat, looking at the four people in front of him with an open and straightforward demeanor, clearly stating his purpose and conditions.

"We have no objections! Serving you is what we ought to do!"

The four of them bowed to Kagetsu in turn, speaking respectfully.

Having witnessed the harshness of the Shinobi World, experienced their own helplessness, and recognized the truths of this world, they were more realistic and perceptive than anyone else.

"Very well. I can stay here for at most half a month. During this time, I will do my best to raise your abilities to a level where you can survive in the Shinobi World.

In the early stages, I won't require you to risk your lives for me. Instead, I will give you some time to grow and become familiar with the power you acquire.

Do you have any questions?"

Kagetsu stood up from his chair after speaking to the four of them. Seeing them collectively shake their heads, indicating no questions or objections, he pointed his finger at Hiroto.

"Then, let's start with you. Are you a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Rain (Amegakure)?"

"Yes! I am a Genin from the Village Hidden in the Rain!"

Hiroto stepped forward from the group, bowing respectfully before Kagetsu as he answered.

"Then you must be familiar with the power of Water Release and possess the chakra nature of water, right?" Kagetsu asked softly.

The Land of Rain, much like the Land of Water, excelled in Water Release techniques, with a high number of shinobi possessing the water nature chakra.

Sometimes, the environment could guide a shinobi's chakra nature and power.

For example, in areas abundant with water resources, mastering water-nature chakra was easier. Additionally, using Water Release jutsu required less chakra and often increased the technique's potency.

"Yes, I naturally have a water-nature chakra, so I've mastered three E-rank and one C-rank Water Release jutsu," Hiroto replied.

Kagetsu gestured for Hiroto to lie down on the operating table. He didn't ask the other three to leave but allowed them to observe the entire process of Hiroto's transformation.

The transformation wasn't completed in a single step—it took three days for Hiroto's modifications to near completion.

After moving the still-unconscious Hiroto to another operating table, the remaining three were brought forward one by one to undergo their transformations under Kagetsu's meticulous efforts.

Nearly half a month later, the fully transformed Hiroto, along with the merchant Gatō, the bandit Hayato, and the last one to be altered, Sango—who was still unconscious and weak—had all undergone their changes.

Now, on the water's surface outside Ancor Vantian, Hiroto was demonstrating his newly acquired powers to Kagetsu with great enthusiasm.

Acting as Hiroto's sparring partner was Hayato. Hayato had visible muscles, and he tightly gripped a long blade in his hand.

"Are you sure about this?" Hayato asked cautiously after hearing Hiroto's request, his gaze instinctively shifting to Kagetsu, who stood nearby.

"Don't worry about me," Hiroto said confidently, his face beaming with self-assurance. He hadn't expected to gain such immense power. 

Over the past few days, as he familiarized himself with his new abilities, his admiration for Kagetsu had reached an indescribable peak.

Upon seeing this, Hayato did not speak any further. Instead, he swung his long blade at Hiroto's body, following Hiroto's earlier instructions. However, the blade did not strike the vital spots as Hiroto had mentioned. Instead, it avoided the vital areas and landed on Hiroto's waist.

The blade effortlessly sliced into Hiroto's body, but to his surprise, there was no blood splattering out. Hiroto's body seemed to have turned into something like water.

The blade passed through Hiroto's body and emerged from the other side. The area where the blade had struck should have been injured, but it was completely unharmed.

"This..."

Hayato was stunned, staring at Hiroto, who had returned to his normal state. If it weren't for the cut marks on Hiroto's clothes, he would have almost thought he had fallen under an illusion.

"Water Transformation Technique?"

Seeing this near-miraculous scene, Shisui immediately recalled the legends recorded in his clan's archives. During the Ninja Wars, the Uchiha clan and the major Kekkei Genkai clans of the Hidden Mist Village had frequent clashes and skirmishes. Naturally, these clans had records of the techniques and Kekkei Genkai of their enemies.

He had read about the Hozuki clan's near-bloodline limit Water Transformation secret technique in those records. Comparing those records to the current situation, Shisui instinctively thought Hiroto might be a lost member of the Hozuki clan.

"No!"

The next moment, with his Sharingan activated, Shisui immediately discarded this idea from his mind. Hiroto was just an ordinary Rain ninja, and the so-called Water Transformation technique seemed more like a self-activated technique that followed a seal engraved inside his body.

"It's not the Water Transformation technique. I've inscribed a technique-seal organ into his body that allows the technique to transfer to any part of his body. As long as this organ is not found and destroyed, his body can freely switch between solid and fluid states. Simple weapons like kunai will not be able to harm him."

Kagetsu, noticing Shisui's confusion, took the initiative to explain.

"However, the drawback is that he will always have a single attribute, meaning his chakra nature will always be Water."

Wherever there is water, it will become Hiroto's domain. As he further explores and masters his abilities, as long as he doesn't encounter an enemy that counters him, in the right environment, he will become a troublesome opponent for anyone.

Similar to Hiroto, there is also Sango, who is still lying on the operating table. The medicine provided by Kagetsu is helping his new organs and body to further merge. The power granted to him by the technique-seal organs is fire.

Like Hiroto, at crucial moments, he can transform into flames to avoid damage and is immune to most fire-style techniques.

Hayato was modified in terms of his body's Chakra Pathway and constitution. This allows him to have stronger physical abilities and power, as well as the ability to use some lightning-style techniques.

The merchant Gatō, on the other hand, had his abilities altered according to his own requests. He was granted the power to move within shadows, conceal his presence, steal information, and escape when necessary.

The powers mastered by the four of them are currently sufficient as long as they do not reveal their own information and become targets. 

Once they become familiar with their own powers, learn the ninjutsu and books left for them, and understand how to cooperate, even the elite shinobi of the Five Great Shinobi Villages will have a high chance of losing their lives without knowing the proper intelligence.

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