Here...have a snickers bar Kamui.
I knew that I was missing something in my life just about now.
QUESTION:
It was my understanding that once the DNA imprint was within the statue, that it contained all it needed to make Zetsu of that individual. It was not my understanding that once a Zetsu was made of that individual, that the DNA information was used up and lost. It still would contain the blueprint of the person and could make as many of them as it wished.
So...is this incorrect? We are not talking Edo Tensei here where genetic material is used up after creation. The knowledge, the DNA data, the recipe for the individual person would still be recorded within the Gedo, The statue contains tons of organic material to actually make a body, all it needed was the code to personalize them for identity theft.
Yes? No?
hmmm...
If we go by canon information, the creatures of the Gedo Mazo are in fact mortals that were trapped in previous IT
(Infinite Tsukiyomi) and ended being integrated into the statue--meaning that their genetic structure slowly turned over time and made them into what we now call "Zetsu".
Which is why I said that even if you did manage to extract the DNA of a certain someone from the statue, it would either at this point be useless by the contamination or you would only have enough viable and undamaged genetic material that can only be used by users of ET
(Edo Tensei).
Shoot! You won't even have to do the previously stated, all you have to do is basically abuse Substitute technique to obtain the genetic information that you need for both the Curse and Edo Tensei technique. It'll take longer if you go the latter way, which is understandable that this issue was brought up in the first place.
PS: I recall that Madara had integrated the DNA of Hashirama into the statue in order to cultivate an variety of husks that were known as "Zetsu". However later on in the series, this was revealed to be false. Instead the Zetsus were explained to be previous victims of the IT and everything that Madara said or done was retcon in some form.
PPS: I'll admit this. Obito magically gaining usage of Mokuton wasn't fully explained, I just assume it was from the DNA of Hashirama. Later on came to find out that it was due to the Zetsu that helped him survive his horrific injury of being crushed on one side of his body. Predominantly and oddly enough the creatures derived from the statue can use a rudimentary from of Mokuton, so really it is up to the imagination at this point to what one can get from the statue that will have some sort of benefit.