〚Story by: 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙮𝙅𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙧   ︱ Edited by: 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞_𝘿𝙤𝙜〛

...

...

...

I then called someone from the Torture & Interrogation Department and asked him:

"Tell me... How many prisoners do we have here? ... Give me a full report officer."

...

With the characteristic expression of a torturer; one devoid of all emotion and as cold as your ex, he answers dutifully... 

"All of our prisoners were taken to the T&I facility on the outskirts of Konoha.  All except 6 jonin. The former commander ordered us to hold them in the camp, as she pretended to use them as bait to lure in the remaining Swordsmen of the Mist." 

"However, there have been no signs of enemy movement near the camp, and ever since Inuzuka-sama's assault, they have retreated even further in order to regroup. Those 6 have been forsaken by Kirigakure."

"Hmph, I see... Anyway, do any of them possess any of the village's special bloodlines? ..."

"Most notably, there is a Yuki clan member, but he is currently in a dire overall health condition and all valuable intel has already been extracted from him. Therefore, I've scheduled his execution in 4 hours. That is all Inuzuka-sama!"

"Good job officer. Dismissed."

"Hai!"

...

Well... That was certainly disappointing... I was hoping for at least a Yoton (Lava Release) user... But alas, we can't always get what we want now, do we?

...

...

I go towards my tent and get to work right away. 

Everything's ready to begin the construction of my own private lab at first light tomorrow. As the camp's Commander, I have available to me all the space and resources necessary to build an underground lab. This way I can safely keep my most 'sensitive' material away from prying eyes... 

I'll obviously set each and every kind of territory protection Fuinjutsu I'm able to... Can't leave my ocean of knowledge open for just anyone to swim in... Not even an Anbu...

This undertaking won't be a secret per se, but only the quartermaster and some camp officials know of it... 

Works for me. 

On the other hand, I'm sure the Brass back in Konoha will see this as standard procedure as well. Given that I'm Tsunade's best and last student and a somewhat reputed medic-nin myself they should see no problem with me 'looking for new and better ways of healing their soldiers'. If anything, they should encourage it... 

They also won't expect results anytime soon, thanks to medicine in this world advancing at the speed of a crippled slug... 

I don't have to report to them either. They'll probably have their eyes and ears everywhere within the camp by now... But that also means I'll have to tread very carefully... Even more so now that my 'first' mask has already been seen through... 

Nothing I can't take measures against though.

Anyway... This is the power I wanted... The power that I needed to make some real headway on my projects... 

Shikaramu had to go and there's no doubt about it... 

Also, I didn't have to kill him, so that's a plus. I wouldn't want to deal with his annoyingly cunning self... 

Yet...

...

...

...

-(Time Skip. 3 months later)- 

...

These past few months I have spent doing a lot of research, while a shadow clone does all the tedious work of running a military campaign. I dispel the clone every night, take in all of his memories and experiences, and then make another that already has his orders for the next day... 

I've mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu at such a level that nobody has noticed the deception... As long as he doesn't get attacked, everything will continue to run smoothly... 

Whilst the real me is attending more pressing matters than dispatching cannon fodder out to die and such...

Instead, I like to focus on my experiments and research, but of course, that doesn't mean that I can just neglect my duties as Commanding Officer of the Mist Division... And the Shadow Clone patented method has proved to be my ace card in this affair...

'Excellence and discipline' is my motto. I like to run a tight ship and I've done well so far. Having zero tolerance for any insubordination or inefficiency, no one dares to question my authority now. 

Good. I intend to keep it that way. 

I must say... These past three months have been quite productive, to say the least... 

Most recently, I've been working with my brand new test subjects I've been kindly procured by my hardworking subordinates...

I am currently going over my new Taijutsu moves. My body has gotten a little stronger now as I haven't dismissed my training, not one day. 

Of course, when I say 'going over' I mean using a prisoner as my punching bag. 

This way, I get the most accurate data regarding my damage output, chakra and stamina consumption and replenishment rates, the effects of striking certain Tenketsu (Chakra Points), and a long etcetera... 

This is formal scientific work and without precise data results, there's no point in me wasting my time with these experiments... 

Now, analyzing the current condition of this used-to-be-jonin meat bag, I start taking notes... 

The man isn't conscious, obviously. He is a black-haired feminine man from the Yuki clan... I have already conducted several experiments on him, so he evidently looks like a mess... 

23 days of incessant physical and mental strain, have rendered his already weak mind completely blank and at this point is hardly able to process the simplest of my orders. 

To be expected, since I have been trying different memory manipulation techniques, and additionally training my Sharingan's genjutsu capabilities on him.

His body is in an emaciated state with several healed and recent fractures, muscle tears all over, bruises, and some organ damage to top it all off. 

To be honest, he actually went beyond my calculations and managed to stay alive for 7.2 hours longer than I had predicted. I'll make the pertinent modifications.

Not my proudest piece of work, -I'll admit as much- but it was a necessary one... 

There are many sacrifices to be made if I am to reach the apex, and his life is one that I'm willing to make...

...

...

I go on with my 'session', putting aside my pen and notebook...

"Come here Number 1..."

He comes towards me in a strange crawling motion fitting a zombie, and as soon as he is 2 meters away from me...

*Slash* 

I cut his throat so fast that my movements couldn't have been seen by the untrained eye, putting him out of his misery. 

I didn't do this out of pity though, he simply is no longer useful to me.

Afterward, I burn his body until nothing remains, as usual. I've implemented a crematory in the lab with an optimized exhaust system, and a chimney that remains hidden between some rocks; well beyond the camp's premises. 

The remaining jonin prisoners have also seen the end of their usefulness. Their cause of death was my new Taijutsu Style called Death Fist. 

I secretly used my Sharingan to copy the basics of the Hyuga Taijutsu from a scout: the Gentle Fist. 

Even though the Gentle Fist itself can't be used without a Byakugan, the main principle for my technique derives from it, along with a combination of the Eight Inner Gates technique, plus my Chakra Enhanced Strength technique. 

This particularly devastating Taijustu obliterates the Tenketsu of the target with a silent chakra shockwave, effectively crippling them in the best-case scenario and killing them in a full-on direct hit. 

However, it is not yet battle-ready. It'll take some more trial and error in order to complete it, but the progress I've made so far is to not be disdained either. It's just a matter of time, really...

...

On another note, I have currently stopped studying the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. 

The reason being that, even though I now possess all of the Uzumaki Fuinjutsu and made substantial progress on that front as well, I've also inevitably hit a wall. And a quite considerable one at that... 

This is a technique that needs 100% of my attention to develop from now on -which I most certainly will eventually-.

I've already grasped the core principles of the technique, but now I need to develop my very own kind of Technique Formula to be able to teleport. 

This 'formula' consists of two elements: the fingerprint, that in this case would be the Fuinjutsu; and the ink with which to inscribe it: chakra. 

In theory, there wouldn't be a problem, but the thing is that the kind of Fuinjutsu used in it is unlike any other. Anyone who tries to learn the technique has to start by creating their own Fuinjutsu mark. One that is tuned precisely to one's chakra flow and vibration at the time of casting it.

And chakra is the combination of Physical and Spiritual Energies...

In other words, that means that each Technique Formula is unique for each individual that casts it. It's basically tailored to a specific body, at a specific time, under specific conditions... Nigh impossible to replicate, no matter how many tests are run... At least with the current technology.

So... the giant wall that stands in my way is this: Not even my shadow clones have a formula 100% identical to mine.

Theirs might be almost 99.99%, but they don't have a physical body that can be hurt or that needs to eat, et al. This becomes a problem when their Fuinjutsu mark, -the fingerprint- isn't the same... And in turn, the formula is unequivocally altered.

The solution to that dilemma, however, is also the main complication for me right now: I need to study the Jutsu on my own... That means no shadow clones hack, regrettably...

Given the aforementioned, I postponed it at least until the 2nd Ninja War ends, in order to be able to study it on my own and dedicate myself fully to such endeavor.

...

Going on with my inner monologue, I have completely unveiled the profound truths of the Eight Inner Gates technique, and have been trying to combine it with the Creation Rebirth technique. That would counteract the Eight Gates' weakness: the destruction of one's body inside out. Such a dreadful combination could very well become my trump card... 

Just remembering how Might Guy brought Six Paths Madara to his knees when he unleashed the Eighth Gate, is a testament to its undeniable potential... The potential to open the Eighth Gate without dying or crippling my body forever... It certainly puts things into perspective...

But there comes the reason why not all ninja learn the Eight Gates technique, besides the difficulty of learning how to open the Gates... 

When even someone as untalented as Guy was able to do so... When just the First Gate would already be able to help any ninja tremendously in a battle...

The reason for it couldn't be more judicious... And it is that whenever a Gate opens, you can't use even the simplest of ninjutsu or genjutsu... The chakra is literally rampaging all around your body... It is statistically impossible, no matter how good your chakra control is.

Plus there's a high chance of it backfiring if the user isn't in top physical shape, potentially leaving the user as a maimed vegetable… And that's just with the First Gate open... Now imagine how it would be in the Third or Fourth... Let alone the Seventh...

Though this method might be impossible, there should be a way to train your body using the Eight Gates... 

...

Finally... About my next course of action... 

During these three months, there have been no battles against the Mist, as they took huge losses... They lost around 30% of their army last time and there was even a high number of jonin casualties...

Indeed, there have been some skirmishes. It's not like they surrendered or anything... I took care of the majority without any remarkable development, other than taking some more prisoners. 

I couldn't pass the opportunity to obtain fresh test subjects... That's something I can never get enough of. They didn't last much though, as their level was at most chunin...

In any case, now that I've got my Sharingan 100% mastered, I am planning on venturing into enemy territory once again... Obviously not with an army at my back, otherwise they'd notice that a hundred miles away...

After all, the Mist still has scouts all around... 

...

I left my second in command -a random jonin officer- in charge, while I am away conducting my 'advanced reconnaissance tactics' and 'preemptive trap setting'... 

Also, the shadow clone I commissioned to secretly go back to Konoha and contact a certain council member, has concluded his mission satisfactorily. 

I asked Danzo to give me some information on the Mist and their patrol routes. I also added in some bullsh*t speech about the greatness of Konoha and how we mustn't lose any more forces over a lack of preparation. 

Obviously, I won't be taking the 'safe route' he 'graciously' marked for me... 

Danzo is probably on my top 5 people I wouldn't trust in this world no matter what.

The true objective of that meeting, however, was to get a way in with Danzo. Firstly, because he has a way to get me more test subjects during peacetime, just as he did for Orochimaru in the canon... 

And secondly, because I also need him to vote for me when I contest for the title of Hokage... 

His political support is invaluable for my plans...

...

...

I stealthily go out of the camp, only the jonin -including the Brass' spies- know that I am going away... And I didn't even go into much detail when I informed them of my departure...

As soon as I'm a couple dozen meters outside of the camp...

<Shunshin>

So it begins, my journey well into the Land of Water...