Chapter 83: Menma: Orochimaru, What's the Hurry to Leave?
Root's underground base, inside a secret laboratory.
Thump thump thump!
Danzō, leaning on his cane with his left hand, tapped it heavily on the ground.
Seeing the lab personnel look over, Danzō asked gravely: "What stage has the experiment reached?"
One of the researchers in a white lab coat snapped back to reality, quickly stepping forward: "Lord Danzō, the Hashirama cell transplant has made great progress. We've discovered..."
"Tell me the specific timeline!"
Danzō, face cold, interrupted directly: "How much longer do you need to fully digest Orochimaru's experiment report? When can I transplant the First Hokage's cells?"
He was utterly sick of this one-armed state.
Without the Hashirama arm, without Sharingan, he felt so powerless, so old.
But that guy Orochimaru made an exorbitant demand.
To recreate an arm, he actually wanted a huge amount of high-end experimental equipment.
Simply bullying others too far!
"This..."
Faced with Danzō's coercion, all the researchers couldn't help but tremble, fear showing on their faces.
The lead researcher also turned deathly pale, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking: "The Hashirama cell transplant surgery can be performed at any time, but the success rate..."
"Speak!"
The researcher's heart trembled. He quickly said: "The success rate is only thirty percent! We suspect Orochimaru's experiment report is missing very crucial parts!"
Danzō's brow furrowed, his face instantly darkening.
"That guy Orochimaru... truly considerate, huh."
Defecting so decisively, and not forgetting to take crucial experimental data before leaving.
A cold glint flashed in Danzō's eyes.
He summoned his subordinates, took out two sealing scrolls from his robes: "Deliver these two secret letters to [Priestess] and [Glasses] respectively."
"Yes!"
The Root ninja responded respectfully, then vanished with a Body Flicker.
...
Meanwhile, at the border of the Land of Earth and the Land of Grass.
Underground in this area, a secret base unknown to others was hidden.
Orochimaru stood before a giant transparent glass wall, half his face shrouded in shadow.
In the room separated from him by only a wall, over a dozen children stood obediently.
Looking at these children, Orochimaru revealed a slightly cold smile.
"Gentlemen, you may now activate your Cursed Seals."
As soon as these words were spoken, the children on the other side of the glass wall looked as if they had heard some joyous news, their faces lighting up.
Immediately after, they all began to tremble in unison, bizarre patterns starting to spread and crawl across their bodies.
Continuously writhing, corroding parts of their bodies.
Simultaneously, it also brought them even greater power.
"Such powerful strength!"
"Hahaha! I've become stronger!!"
"Lord Orochimaru!!"
Feeling the power surging continuously from within them, the faces of these children showed excitement and agitation.
And their gazes towards Orochimaru were filled with fanaticism and admiration.
Just one bite can grant such power...
Indeed, following Lord Orochimaru was the right choice!
Orochimaru, seeing this, maintained an unfazed smile.
However, the faces of the two people beside him looked somewhat strange.
The orange-haired Jūgo was expressionless, his gaze icily watching the people before him.
He couldn't help but mourn silently for these cannon fodder.
"Merely experimental subjects Lord Orochimaru uses to develop the Cursed Seal. Death is at their door, yet they are still unaware."
Wonder how many will be left this time.
Nearby, Uchiha Shin watched the children with great interest.
However, upon discovering that power seemed far weaker than the Sharingan, he immediately lost interest.
Uchiha Shin turned his head, about to say something to Orochimaru.
Rumble rumble!!
The underground base actually began to shake violently.
"This..."
"What's going on? An earthquake?!"
The children, just moments ago immersed in joy, now panicked at the intense tremors.
Orochimaru also frowned, looking up at the ceiling from which dust was continuously falling.
It clearly wasn't an earthquake originating from below, but something happening on the surface.
"Is someone fighting above the base?"
Orochimaru thought this, then shook his head.
This secret base, located at the border of the Land of Grass, was built eight meters underground.
Could two Tailed Beasts be fighting up there?
But just then.
"Wuhahaha..."
Jūgo beside him suddenly clutched his head, gurgling sounds coming from his throat, his eyes filling with dense bloodshot veins.
Extremely dense black patterns also surged across his body surface.
His entire form also began to distort and change as the patterns covered him.
Uchiha Shin's face changed nearby, a hint of apprehension in his eyes as he slowly backed away.
"Jūgo!"
Orochimaru, seeing the out-of-control Jūgo, immediately took out a medicinal agent he carried and injected it into Jūgo.
A short while after the injection,
Jūgo gasped for breath, looking exhausted, but the patterns on his body gradually receded.
"Why did you suddenly enter Sage Transformation?" Orochimaru asked with a frown.
Although Jūgo was still very young, he was an important experimental subject, and also the source for developing the Cursed Seal.
Jūgo was usually calm. Only if too much natural energy entered his body would he rampage into State Two, unable to control his murderous impulses, turning against everyone.
His appearance just now clearly indicated he almost went on a full rampage.
"Lord Orochimaru."
Jūgo's eyes trembled slightly as he explained: "I don't know why, I suddenly felt an intense sense of fear, and then I..."
Hearing Jūgo's explanation, a sense of gravity rose in Orochimaru's heart.
Because of fear?
Jūgo was naturally highly sensitive to natural energy.
He had rampaged due to anger before.
However, rampaging due to fear...
This was the first time.
Uchiha Shin nearby, seeing Jūgo calm down, showed a trace of disdain in his eyes.
Turning to Orochimaru, he said: "Lord Orochimaru, do you need me to go up and see—"
But before he could finish,
Orochimaru raised his index finger to his lips.
"Shh, quiet."
As his voice fell, the children also stopped their noise, and the base gradually returned to calm.
But faintly, it seemed an inexplicable sound was approaching.
Tap~ Tap~ Tap~
Orochimaru's narrow snake pupils scanned around, quickly locking onto the source of the sound.
-- From the base's passageway, footsteps drawing nearer and nearer.
"So the noise just now... was someone breaking the base door and directly barging in?"
Listening to those unhurried footsteps, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Hiss hiss hiss~"
From the direction of the footsteps, the dense hissing and crawling sounds of snakes suddenly appeared.
However, the next moment, they all fell silent.
"Hmm?"
Orochimaru, receiving the perspective from his summoned beasts, looked slightly stunned.
They were all killed without even seeing the intruder's shadow?
But before Orochimaru could react,
A small black sphere floated over, slowly drifting from the end of the base passageway.
The sphere looked only about the size of an eyeball.
But just this inconspicuous thing.
Orochimaru, through the glass wall, the moment he saw the small sphere,
"Hiss!"
Orochimaru's face changed drastically, his entire body's hairs standing on end, his slender snake pupils instantly dilating.
His snake-like sharp intuition madly warned him.
"Run!!"
But the next second, the moment the small sphere touched the wall,
Rumble!!
A tremendous roar sounded.
The terrifying explosion, carrying annihilating power, directly obliterated the Cursed Seal recipients separated by the wall.
And the residual explosive shockwave shattered the reinforced glass wall before Orochimaru and the other two.
The entire underground base began to shake violently, showing signs of imminent collapse.
When the explosive aftermath dissipated,
The interior of the underground base was filled with dust and smoke, almost turned into a pile of ruins.
If Orochimaru wasn't always willing to spare no expense on self-preservation measures,
This place would probably have already caved in.
Crack crack crack.
"Cough cough!!"
Jūgo, having entered Sage Transformation, crawled out from under the rubble, coughing up a mouthful of blood mixed with unknown fragments.
Although he hadn't directly faced the explosion, the aftermath still injured his internal organs.
The natural energy that once caused Jūgo immense pain now became his life-saving straw.
Continuously pouring into his body, repairing his internal injuries.
Simultaneously, Uchiha Shin, who had been protected beneath him and was dumbstruck, also crawled out.
"Wh-what kind of power is this!"
Looking at the wreckage before him, and the Cursed Seal recipients who were lively just moments ago but now had not even their bones left,
Uchiha Shin felt his entire worldview had been refreshed.
That small black sphere, how could it possibly have such power?!
"Power similar to a Tailed Beast Bomb, but also far too stable."
Orochimaru's voice came from the side.
Uchiha Shin turned his head to look.
He saw Orochimaru standing there, completely unharmed.
Only the mucus and dust on his body made him look somewhat wretched.
Just a second before the explosion, Orochimaru had directly activated his Great Snake Style Replacement.
Decisively abandoning a layer of flesh, he exceptionally wretchedly dodged the explosive aftermath.
And the original replacement body had already been melted by the high temperature.
Tap~ Tap~ Tap~
Unhurried footsteps once again reached the ears of the three.
But this time, accompanying them was a voice tinged with amusement.
"Orochimaru, did you like the return gift I sent you?"
Under Orochimaru's grave gaze, a figure slowly walked out from the darkness at the end of the passageway.
Three-eyed fox mask, clad in a black cloak, red bandages on his arms and legs.
Orochimaru looked at the figure's appearance.
His mind rapidly searched for intelligence and information on this person.
"His tone sounds very familiar with me, but his figure, voice, and ninjutsu are all completely unfamiliar."
This guy, who exactly is he?
And how did he find this place?
The masked man stopped, suddenly shifting his gaze towards Uchiha Shin nearby.
"Hmm?"
He said with some surprise: "A one-tomoe Sharingan? But..."
"...somewhat trashy."
As soon as these words were spoken, Uchiha Shin, whose body had stiffened from being watched, instantly snapped back.
"You dare say my eyes are trash?!"
Uchiha Shin, provoked, looked extremely angry.
These were the Sharingan he dreamed of, his first pair of eyes worth cherishing in his life!
What does this masked guy mean?!
"Is Your Excellency very interested in the Sharingan? If Your Excellency is here for the Sharingan, I can gift Your Excellency a pair. Consider it making friends."
Orochimaru pressed Shin down with one hand, his voice hoarse: "Possessing such ninjutsu, you presumably wouldn't look down on a mere one-tomoe. Then what is your purpose?"
Menma continued his unhurried pace, slowly walking towards the three.
His eyes narrowed slightly, yet his gaze carried immense pressure.
"Even the strongest eyes are, in essence, merely tools."
Saying this, Menma suddenly reached out his hand, as if to grab Uchiha Shin.
Orochimaru's expression turned grave. He quickly bit his finger.
"Summoning Technique: Rashōmon!!"
A gate carved with a demon face erupted violently from the ground, blocking the space between Orochimaru's group and Menma.
"Go!"
As his voice fell, Orochimaru grabbed Uchiha Shin and was about to leave.
He knew a mere Rashōmon couldn't possibly stop the opponent.
However, a doubt lingered in his heart.
"This strange fellow... why is he interested in Shin?"
Besides Shin's special physique, there was nothing noteworthy about him.
But Orochimaru had never told anyone about Shin's physical constitution.
Before the three could run far,
"Orochimaru, what's the hurry to leave?"
Rumble!
The Rashōmon behind them was attacked, immediately developing a terrifying crack, then dissipating into smoke.
But Orochimaru and the other two suddenly stopped.
Uchiha Shin and Jūgo simultaneously showed expressions of terror.
"Is it genjutsu? Since when?"
Orochimaru, seeing the masked man suddenly appear before him, flicked his tongue out and licked his lips.
"Your Excellency attacks us with a forbidden technique upon meeting, then tries to lay hands on my subordinate. Isn't that a bit too domineering?"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Menma shook his head: "Didn't I say so? That was just a return gift."
"Those crawling insects you sent me initially, I quite liked them."
Crawling insects?
Hearing the masked man's cynical tone, Orochimaru was also slightly taken aback.
Only then did he recall the several python summons he had dispatched initially.
"Is Your Excellency angry because of that?"
Orochimaru smiled: "Why don't we sit down and talk things over properly? I am willing to apologize to you."
As he spoke, the fingers of his hand hidden behind his back moved slightly.
At the same time, Menma also lifted his right foot.
Then gently brought it down.
BOOM!!
The next instant, the sound of the earth shattering echoed.
Dust and smoke scattered, large amounts of rock fragments flying everywhere.
"This doesn't look like an attitude for a proper talk."
When the smoke cleared,
A pool of blood appeared beneath the masked man's foot.
In his hand, he held a large black python whose head had been crushed.
"That unheard-of powerful forbidden technique, and strength comparable to Tsunade's Superhuman Strength Technique..."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, asking in a low voice: "Who exactly are you?"
(End of Chapter)
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