Hashirama Cells

A/N: Apologies for the late upload. We've reached our double release target, so there will be a Double Release next Monday. Lets go for the Triple Release target. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! New Goal: 1000 Powerstones! Let's increase our power ranking!

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The world was a blur when Goro regained consciousness. He lay sprawled on his back, his gaze fixed on the blue sky above. The clouds drifted lazily across the sky, their fluffy forms decorating it. For a moment, Goro just stared, a sense of peace washing over him.

'Beautiful…'

He could feel drool on his face, and his body felt hot and drenched with sweat. Sitting up, Goro blinked in confusion, his mind still foggy from unconsciousness. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. The sensation of flying through the air puzzled him. 'I'm in the sky? But why? When did I get here?'

Glancing down in front of him, Goro's gaze landed on the multiple jars of Sharingan lined up sloppily beside him. Sasuke lay passed out a few feet away, his chest rising and falling slowly with each breath.

'I remember now…' Goro thought, piecing the fragmented memories together. 'I left the Leaf and tried to implant Hashirama cells into my body, but I passed out. It was painful. I could feel the life within those cells overflowing…'

He looked down at his hand, his breath catching as he saw tiny flowers with wooden stems sprouting from his hand. 'Wood Style…' he muttered, staring in awe at his palm. 'So it worked… I feel weird…'

As the water phoenix soared through the sky, carrying them further from the Leaf Village, Goro closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to enjoy the peace. 'I can sense life in the trees below. All the different animals… I feel peaceful, somehow… What's going on with me?'

Having embraced the peace long enough, Goro opened his eyes and pulled out one of his storage scrolls. One by one, he sealed each jar that contained a Sharingan back into the scroll. He believed the eyes would be useful later on. Having sealed all the jars, Goro's gaze shifted back to Sasuke, still unconscious near the head of the phoenix.

The longer he stared at Sasuke, the more a sense of unease crept over him. 'His hatred…' Goro mused, his brows furrowing. 'For some reason, I can feel it.' Goro was unable to understand what was happening to him. His body was experiencing the benefits of Sage Mode, without having access to it.

'All I did was absorb Hashirama Cells. The System may have something to do with this. It's probably best I ask.'

Before Goro could ask the question, the phoenix began to descend, the familiar landscape of the Land of Waterfall coming into view. As they approached, Goro's eyes narrowed, spotting two figures walking down the route that led towards the village gates.

'There's no mistaking it. They're Akatsuki,' Goro thought, recognizing the black cloaks covered with red clouds that marked them as members of the organization. The energy radiating from them wasn't welcoming. In fact, it was quite the opposite. 'And I can feel their intentions aren't good either…'

While keeping an eye on the two figures, Goro spoke softly to the phoenix. "Take Sasuke to my clone. My clone will be waiting outside the Takikage's Mansion."

The phoenix screeched in acknowledgment of Goro's command, its wings beating steadily as it veered off towards the mansion. Without a moment's hesitation, Goro jumped off the phoenix's back, his body plummeting through the air.

With a crash, Goro landed on the ground before the Akatsuki members, the earth beneath him shattering from the impact. Dust and debris rose up, concealing him from view. The two figures leapt back, startled by the sudden arrival. 'Heh... Looks like my leg is already healed.'

Slowly, Goro pulled his feet out of the cracked ground and stepped forward, emerging from the dust cloud. His gaze locked onto the two familiar faces before him.

"Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha," Goro spoke, his voice calm. "You come here to create discord in my village?"

Kisame's grip tightened around the hilt of his Samehada, his expression filled with confusion. Itachi, on the other hand, stood motionless, his expression unreadable.

"Who're you?" Kisame asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Goro.

Before Goro could respond, Itachi spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "It's him. The leader of the Hidden Waterfall."

Kisame grinned upon hearing Itachi's response, as he pulled Samehada off his back, the blade's scales rattling. "It's about time. I don't know if Samehada could've waited until we got there."

"I'm guessing you thought I was too much of a threat?" Goro asked, his tone flat and devoid of emotion. "What do you plan to do then?"

Itachi's gaze sharpened slightly. 'He's perceptive…' he thought.

"We plan to kill you," Kisame replied, pointing his massive blade at Goro.

Goro nodded slowly, as if expecting the answer. "Why are you so desperately needing money? To attack a village over it… You must be motivated by something deeper."

Kisame's grin faltered, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Enough talk. Itachi, I'll handle this alone."

Itachi nodded, his gaze never leaving Goro. "Knock yourself out."

Not wasting time, Kisame lunged forward, swinging his Samehada horizontally towards Goro. The blade whistled through the air, its jagged edges aimed to tear Goro apart. But Goro moved to evade without much trouble, dodging the attack with ease. He leapt over the blade, his body twisting mid-air as he backflipped away.

Goro's eyes scanned the surrounding area and began to look past Kisame, instead of at him. "Let's handle this in an open field. There are merchants that plan to trade on their way here..."

Kisame's brow furrowed in confusion. "If you're trying to delay your death, it won't make much of a difference."

Goro shook his head, his gaze hardening at Kisame. "You can't feel their life forces?"

Itachi's eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting to Goro as realization dawned on him. "We're heading back," he said abruptly, turning his back to Goro.

"What?!" Kisame's voice was filled with disbelief. "Heading back? We were given orders to kill him!"

"This was a mistake," Itachi replied, his voice calm and measured. "But if you want to continue, be my guest."

Kisame looked back and forth between Goro and Itachi, trying to make up his mind. 'What did Itachi see in him?' he wondered, his grip loosening slightly on Samehada's hilt.

After a tense pause, Kisame slowly placed Samehada back on his back, his grin returning. "I don't know the reason for our parting, but we'll definitely meet again. Samehada seems especially happy about the small bit of chakra it took from you."

He turned and began walking away, his eyes lingering on Goro for a moment longer. Goro watched him go, a faint smile tugging at his lips. 'He managed to take some of my chakra? That's fairly impressive...'

"I'll be looking forward to it," Goro replied, a smirk on his face.

Kisame turned his head slightly, his grin widening before he turned back and continued down the path.

Further down the route, Itachi paused, waiting for Kisame to catch up. He glanced at his partner, his expression unreadable as usual. "You're slow."

Kisame shrugged, his gaze distant. "I was thinking about Samehada's reaction to his chakra… and why you would stop me."

Itachi's gaze shifted back to the path ahead, his voice low and serious. "Sensing life force... That isn't normal. He uses Senjutsu. His sensory ability is also abnormal. We did indeed pass by merchants…"

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Reminder: This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! New Goal: 1000 Powerstones! Let's increase our power ranking!