Over the next week or two, Hyuga Kagami frequently traveled between the village and the sky fortress, busy preparing the clones needed to modify the Yin Seal. As a result, he slowed down his training in the Eight Gates somewhat.
Inside the sky fortress.
Kagami placed a fresh batch of cell tissue collected from his Yin Release true body into an incubator, then slowly stepped out of the cell cultivation room.
Since the clones intended for modifying the Yin Seal had no particular requirements in terms of strength, he could dispense with both the cell fusion process and the cell viability screening process.
Instead, Kagami could simply collect cell tissue directly from his own body, cultivate it, and use it to produce clones on a mass-production basis.
The mass-produced clones cultivated in this manner had limited strength and were unsuitable for high-intensity combat. However, they were more than sufficient for the trial-and-error experiments involved in modifying the Yin Seal.
Moreover, mass production offered another advantage: a shorter cultivation period.
The ten Earth Release clones Kagami had painstakingly cultivated required a growth period of at least two months, regardless of what methods he used to accelerate their development.
Mass-produced clones, on the other hand, could have their growth period shortened to just one month, provided he was willing to sacrifice their strength.
After leaving the cell cultivation room, Kagami’s gaze naturally fell upon the long row of large nutrient tanks before him.
After two whole months of waiting, the day to reap the fruits of his labor had finally arrived!
Walking over to the row of nutrient tanks, Kagami carefully examined the clones inside.
All ten Earth Release clones had now fully developed.
Although they had been cultivated at the same time, their appearances were noticeably different. Some had black hair, while others had blond hair. Some possessed sturdy, muscular builds, while others were comparatively thin and slender.
Kagami removed all ten Earth Release clones from their nutrient tanks in one go and laid them out individually on ten operating tables. He then proceeded to conduct physical examinations and record their data.
It took him approximately four hours to complete all the examinations and finish recording the results.
Just as the previous data had indicated, two of the ten Earth Release clones had developed exceptionally well, standing a cut above the other eight.
Although they couldn’t compare to his Wind Release clone with the horn on its forehead, their potential was undoubtedly first-rate. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe them as one in a thousand, or even one in ten thousand!
Of course, this was only natural.
Ever since awakening the Tenseigan, Kagami’s physique had been gradually improving under its influence. After so many years, his natural aptitude was already worlds apart from what it had once been.
As for Deidara, he was the most talented shinobi of Iwagakure’s younger generation. In the entire village, there wasn’t a single shinobi of his age who could compare to him. Even among the several generations of shinobi beneath the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, no one could match his talent.
By fusing the cell tissues of these two individuals and then selecting the ten most viable embryos from dozens of successfully fused samples for cultivation, the chances of producing exceptional clones were naturally very high.
With a delighted expression, Kagami began numbering the ten clones.
He designated the two with the greatest potential as Clone No. 1 and Clone No. 2, while the remaining eight were numbered sequentially from No. 3 to No. 10.
Clone No. 1 had black hair and bore a striking resemblance to Kagami. Its data was outstanding in virtually every respect. Its only shortcoming was that its primary chakra nature, Earth, wasn’t sufficiently prominent compared to its other secondary chakra natures.
Clone No. 2 had blond hair. Although it also resembled Kagami, its appearance was somewhat more youthful.
Its chakra attributes were exceptional, perfectly satisfying every requirement Kagami had for his Earth Release clone. Its only weakness was its physique. Compared to the other nine clones, it was noticeably thinner and less robust.
As for the remaining eight clones, their overall data was actually quite impressive as well. They simply fell somewhat short when compared to No. 1 and No. 2.
Leaving the two most promising Earth Release clones on their operating tables, Kagami returned the other eight, whose physical examinations were now complete, to their respective large nutrient tanks.
Immediately afterward, Kagami hurried back to the operating tables and performed the Spirit Descent Technique, transferring his spirit body into Earth Release Clone No. 1.
Rustle...
In an instant, Clone No. 1, which had been lying on the cold operating table, suddenly sat upright.
Controlling the Earth Release clone, Kagami jumped down from the operating table. As he shook his head and moved his limbs, he muttered, "As expected, its compatibility still can’t compare to my Wind Release clone!"
Previously, when Kagami had transferred his spirit body into his Wind Release clone, he had experienced almost no resistance whatsoever. It had felt as though his spirit body had entered his own Yin Release original body, allowing him to move with complete ease.
Although Earth Release Clone No. 1 possessed excellent data in virtually every respect, its compatibility with Kagami’s spirit body was noticeably inferior.
Or rather, it was still a little too ordinary.
After transferring his spirit body into the clone, Kagami could clearly feel a certain sluggishness in his movements.
After withdrawing from Clone No. 1, Kagami transferred his spirit body into Earth Release Clone No. 2.
Unfortunately, the result was the same. Both clones exhibited a noticeable degree of resistance.
"A Wind Release clone like that really is an exceptional specimen that can only be encountered by chance!"
Having returned his spirit body to his Yin Release true body, Kagami sighed softly. However, there was little disappointment on his face.
After all, the two Earth Release clones before him were already exceptionally outstanding. They were in no way inferior to his previous Water Release and Fire Release clones. They simply couldn’t compare to his Wind Release clone.
But an extraordinary specimen like his Wind Release clone, which had exhibited atavistic traits, was an extremely rare occurrence.
Kagami circled the two clones, No. 1 and No. 2, before falling into deep thought.
In terms of their overall data, the two clones were evenly matched, with neither possessing a clear advantage over the other.
However, Clone No. 1’s primary chakra nature, Earth, wasn’t sufficiently prominent. This would likely present certain obstacles when he eventually attempted to develop the Kekkei Genkai, Explosion Release, and the Kekkei Tota, Dust Release.
By comparison, Clone No. 2 had no such concerns.
Unfortunately, its relatively weak physique meant that it would be at a noticeable disadvantage in taijutsu compared to Clone No. 1.
After carefully weighing the pros and cons, Kagami ultimately decided to prioritize developing Clone No. 2.
After all, exceptional taijutsu ability had never been a strict requirement for his Earth Release clone. What Kagami truly needed was a clone capable of mastering Earth-related Kekkei Genkai and Kekkei Tota as quickly and efficiently as possible.
From that perspective, Clone No. 2 clearly held the advantage over Clone No. 1.
Walking over to the blond-haired Clone No. 2, Kagami gently patted the operating table on which it lay and muttered to himself, "I hope you won’t disappoint me."
Immediately afterward, he sealed Clone No. 2 into the storage scroll he carried with him...