c54: Prepare for a Rainy Day
"Teacher Orochimaru, this base is quite extensive. It must have taken a lot of effort to construct, right?"
"It wasn't overly troublesome," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile. "If you're proficient in Earth Release Ninjutsu, much of the labor can be handled solo. Manipulating terrain, excavating tunnels, reinforcing structure—it's all fairly simple with the right techniques."
Hmm… Earth Release, huh? Gen Uchiha made a mental note. From now on, I'll need to seriously study Doton. If I want to pursue my own research, a personal underground base will be essential.
"Teacher Orochimaru," Gen continued, glancing at one of the tanks nearby, "the human test subjects you use surely they don't come from within the village?"
"Of course not," Orochimaru answered with casual certainty. "Some are prisoners of war, captured during border conflicts. Others are acquired through black market channels missing-nin, criminals, vagrants with no village ties."
"The Konoha Council strictly forbids the use of Leaf citizens or even Fire Country civilians in these types of experiments."
"Huh... not as dark as I feared, then," Uchiha Gen said, exhaling in measured relief.
Truthfully, he wasn't overly shocked. In his previous life, even so-called 'civilized' nations like the United States had conducted unethical experiments on their own people sometimes openly, often in secret. The Naruto world, shaped by war and shinobi pragmatism, was far from clean to begin with.
Exposure to such harsh realities had dulled his moral panic long ago. In fact, it sharpened his sense of what must be done.
"Ho ho... Xuan," Orochimaru said with a chuckle, "these are simply the necessary sacrifices on the path to eternity."
"It's not that they should be sacrificed," Gen murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly, "but because I am stronger, they must be. Power dictates sacrifice. That's just the way of the shinobi world."
Orochimaru's golden eyes glittered with approval.
"If needed," Orochimaru began, voice low, "even villagers of the Fire Country or Konoha itself could"
"Teacher Orochimaru," Gen interjected, his tone sharp, voice rising with urgency. "You must not touch the people of Konoha. And it's best if you avoid civilians from the Fire Country altogether."
Orochimaru blinked, mildly surprised by the forcefulness in Gen's voice.
"If you're short on research materials," Gen continued, "the Uchiha clan can provide funding. You could buy subjects discreetly on the black market. That way, there's no trail leading back to the village."
He leaned forward, gaze serious. "And if the black market proves insufficient or the clan refuses, I'll personally lead a covert squad into the shinobi world to capture viable experimental subjects. Missing-nin, bandits, rogue chakra users there's no shortage of options."
"Some taboos," he added, "are best left untouched. Once crossed, there's no way to clean up the fallout."
Gen knew the stakes.
If it was merely exposed that Orochimaru conducted human experiments on external subjects, there would still be political wiggle room. The village elders, especially Danzo and possibly even Homura and Koharu, could be persuaded to share the burden or defend the research under the guise of military necessity.
Even if news leaked to the public, the average Konoha civilian or shinobi would tolerate it as long as they weren't the ones being experimented on. Denial, deflection, and targeted propaganda would control the narrative.
But if Orochimaru crossed the line and began experimenting on Konoha's own, then no amount of justification would save him. He'd become a traitor, a figure of hatred, a monster worse than any missing-nin.
He would be chased out, just like in the original timeline.
Gen refused to let that happen.
He didn't know if he could stop Namikaze Minato's death from playing out as it had before, and if Minato fell, Orochimaru would be the most qualified successor for the Fifth Hokage.
Unlike Jiraiya who rejected the title and Tsunade, who was currently exiled by grief and debt, Orochimaru was still in the village, still loyal, and still powerful.
Even better, he had no children or known blood relatives no clan politics to weigh him down. His vision of Konoha's future was rooted in progress and research, not sentiment.
If Orochimaru became Hokage, Gen's position would soar. He would inherit not just jutsu, but influence, protection, and a key role in reshaping the village from within.
But that dream depended on keeping Orochimaru from making the same mistake he did in the original timeline.
As long as Orochimaru never harmed the people of Konoha, Jiraiya and Tsunade would still protect him. They were bound by the old Team Hiruzen bond. If push came to shove, Gen was certain that even if they disapproved—they'd side with their teammate against the Council rather than let him be destroyed.
If that future could be secured Orochimaru in the Hokage seat, his name cleared, and Gen at his right hand then perhaps many of the tragedies of the past could be prevented.
Perhaps the Uchiha Massacre could be stopped.
Perhaps Konoha's darkness could be controlled rather than allowed to consume the village from within.
But only if Orochimaru didn't take that one, fatal step.
Orochimaru slowly turned, his golden, serpentine eyes narrowing as he locked onto Gen Uchiha. His face was unreadable, but the murderous aura rolling off him was suffocating, like a viper coiling just before it strikes. The lab's dim lights flickered faintly, casting long, sinister shadows.
"Are you teaching me... how to conduct my work?" he asked coldly, each word laced with killing intent.
But Gen stood firm, his posture unwavering. In response, his Sharingan spun to life—two tomoe gleaming crimson in each eye, filled with resolve.
"Yes," Gen said bluntly. "I'm teaching you how to act."
"I've been with you long enough, sensei. I think I understand some things about you by now."
"Your obsession with immortality... it runs deeper than even you might admit. I'm curious about it, sure but I can accept failure. You can't. For you, success is the only option."
"That's why I know if your resources run dry, and the black market can't supply you... you will eventually turn your eyes toward the civilians of Fire Country, and even the villagers of Konoha."
"And once you do that, everything you've built—your achievements, your prestige, your future will collapse into ruin."
Gen's gaze sharpened.
"Maybe that doesn't matter to you. Maybe you think your brilliance puts you above politics. But as your student, I won't stand by and let you make that mistake."
There was a long silence. The oppressive air that had coiled around them began to fade. Orochimaru's expression softened—barely and a thin, amused smile curled his lips. He turned his back and began walking deeper into the lab.
"Selfish or not, Xuan… I don't regret accepting you as my student."
"If I'm ever short on test subjects," he added without looking back, "I'll speak to the Uchiha Clan or to you directly."
The Sharingan faded from Gen's eyes, and he returned the smile.
"I'm honored to serve you, Teacher."
"Hoho... and what if I never become Hokage?"
"I would still serve you, Teacher," Gen replied calmly.
"But the Uchiha Clan wouldn't be so easily convinced. I'll do what I can to sway them."
"Hoho... very well. Enough sentiment for now. It's time to begin today's experiment."
"What would you like me to do?"
"Your first task is to learn. Start with the basics proper use and maintenance of lab tools, how to sterilize, repair, and calibrate experimental instruments. You'll assist in prepping materials and fetching supplies."
"Also," Orochimaru continued, "you must begin studying Medical Ninjutsu. A skilled assistant with healing knowledge is an invaluable asset in research."
"How is your chakra control?"
"Very good," Gen replied without hesitation.
"Oh?" Orochimaru's eyebrows arched. "You seem confident. Medical Ninjutsu requires precise, almost surgical chakra control. One mistake and you could kill your patient."
"No matter how high the bar is, I can reach it," Gen answered.
With the dual boost of his transmigrated soul and the latent abilities of the Soul-Soul Fruit, Gen's spiritual energy had been greatly enhanced. His chakra control had long since surpassed the average jonin's, reaching a level where even the micro-manipulations needed for chakra scalpels were within reach.
He was a natural for Medical Ninjutsu he simply hadn't had the time or resources before.
"In that case," Orochimaru said, intrigued, "once today's trial is done, take a scroll on basic healing techniques. Let's see how far you get in a few days."
"No problem," Gen replied.
Although the Uchiha Clan possessed some medical scrolls, they lacked depth. The clan's brilliance was built around combat and fire-style ninjutsu, not healing. And with the Third Shinobi War over, it was no longer easy to requisition clan resources—everything now had to be earned through merit.
By contrast, Orochimaru's collection was vast, taken from both official archives and forbidden scrolls. He had even studied under Tsunade, whose skill in Medical Ninjutsu was unmatched. Learning from him would provide Gen access to not only superior techniques but also to experimental methods unavailable anywhere else.
Gen didn't care much for unraveling the secrets of the world, but he was determined to evolve his Sharingan to push it to the Mangekyō, or even beyond.
Leaving it at two tomoe was like having a masterpiece half-finished. He felt it constantly, a restless itch beneath his skin, like ants crawling over his spine.
"Alright," Orochimaru said, eyes gleaming, "the experiment begins now. Head to the specimen storage and bring back a standard cadaver."
"Understood."
Gen exited the lab and walked down the corridor into the storage area. Cold light glinted off metallic shelves. It didn't take long for him to find a labeled specimen. With practiced efficiency, he triggered the seal on the storage vault, watching as the storage bin sank and then rose again with a hiss. He lifted the vat, filled with a pale chemical solution, and returned to the lab.
Once the procedures began, Orochimaru's usual calm was replaced by obsession. His voice became low and fast, like a man possessed. He could work for hours without pause, caught in the rhythm of dissection, observation, and documentation.
If Gen's physical resilience wasn't so high bolstered by his dual-soul existence he would've collapsed from mental exhaustion days ago.
Eventually, it was Gen who reminded Orochimaru that it was past eleven.
They returned to camp under the cover of night. Orochimaru, as a field commander, had privileges that allowed for extended absences. Otherwise, they both might have drawn attention.
From that night on, Gen adopted a rigorous routine: mornings were for ninjutsu practice and theoretical study; afternoons were spent in the secret lab assisting Orochimaru; late nights were his own, where he read scrolls and refined his chakra control.
Within five days, Gen mastered a C-rank healing jutsu, leaving Orochimaru genuinely impressed.
Of course, jutsu alone didn't make a good medic. One needed anatomical knowledge, poisons and antidotes, cellular regeneration theory—all fields in which Tsunade had excelled. Gen, knowing this, spent his idle moments learning the theoretical foundations of Orochimaru's work.
If he was to someday direct his own experiments, he needed to be more than a talented assistant he had to become a scientist in his own right.
As weeks passed, Gen's understanding of tools, methods, and surgical instruments deepened. He was no longer a clueless novice. Though he still lacked the experience to lead research, the gap was closing steadily.
Then, after half a month, news arrived.
The first wave of ninja would soon rotate back to Konoha, their duty on the front lines completed.
That news spread like wildfire.
Restless energy filled the camp. Soldiers who had been numb from routine began counting down the days like schoolchildren before a long-awaited break.
The Third Great Ninja War arc had ended.
And now… a new chapter was about to begin.
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