Secret Research Institute

Half a month later, Konoha's reinforcements arrived, and the border situation grew increasingly stable. Only a few small-nation ninjas, still trying to provoke war between the great powers, kept attempting to stir trouble or even hire rogue ninjas.

In a hidden spot deep within the jungle, inside a dark underground cave, screams rang out one after another. But they were sealed off by barriers around the area, not even a single sound able to escape.

Above ground, trees cast green shade, dense forests and haystacks stretched everywhere, and chirping birds sang cheerfully. Yet beneath the earth lay a horrifying human experimentation lab.

The air's scent was blocked by the barrier, so the place seemed eerily calm, leaving no trace behind.

"Heh heh, Lord Yoru, I never expected you to possess such skilled Medical Ninjutsu."

Under Orochimaru's hoarse laughter, Uchiha Yoruro, who had just slowly pulled off his medical rubber gloves, wiped the sweat from his brow wearily and smiled. "Elder Setsuna always said a ninja should never reveal their trump cards. But to earn Teacher Orochimaru's trust, this was necessary."

Looking at Uchiha Yoruro's young face, Orochimaru broke into his signature grin, his tongue unconsciously licking his lips.

"Lord Yoru has been at the front for three months now. Mastering the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu 'Mystical Palm Technique' at the age of fifteen is truly remarkable."

Hearing this, Uchiha Yoruro paused, then smiled and nodded. Yes, the Nine-Tails Night was the protagonist's birthday, and Naruto's birthday was October 10th. Three months later, it was already the next year, so naturally he had aged another year—fifteen now.

Orochimaru nodded with evident satisfaction. The disciple the Uchiha Clan had sent truly suited his tastes, and he had already figured it out.

In Orochimaru's mind, the Uchiha Clan must be trying to hitch their wagon to his star, so naturally they would cater to his interests. Human experimentation required Medical Ninjas, and those who could master the Mystical Palm Technique were rare—especially from the Uchiha, a clan famed for combat.

First, they dangled the bait of a Wood Style Ninja, then provided funding to suit his needs, and finally offered this free assistant. The Uchiha Clan's sincerity was undeniable.

But Orochimaru had no idea that all of this was the handiwork of the very disciple before him, playing both sides.

Relying on his advantage as a foreknower, he naturally had to make good use of it. Orochimaru would fill in the gaps with his own assumptions, and the clan would likely imagine he had sacrificed his charm to get close to Mitarashi Anko, learning secrets—like how Orochimaru was secretly carrying out Konoha's long-term research, and how the Nine-Tails incident had caused turmoil in the village, cutting off his funding.

Naturally, the Uchiha would invest to build a relationship with Orochimaru. And so, with both sides in the dark about the full truth, this situation had come about.

As for being exposed? Uchiha Yoruro smiled to himself. There wouldn't be time for that. Not only was Orochimaru going to defect, but more importantly, the Uchiha Clan's current situation meant they desperately wanted to keep things under wraps, waiting for Orochimaru to rise to power before slowly mending ties.

If this came to light now, wouldn't someone with ulterior motives seize on it? Especially Danzo.

With both sides treading cautiously, they naturally wouldn't bring up such a foolish question. The intent to cooperate was already set.

The Uchiha needed the trust of Orochimaru, the future Hokage, and Orochimaru needed funding. It was a perfect match.

"Teacher Orochimaru, it seems we're running low on test subjects."

Uchiha Yoruro rubbed his temples wearily. Human experimentation really required talent. Even after dumping resources to stack his Medical Ninjutsu experience up to Special Jonin level, he could still only act as an assistant following orders. This stuff truly demanded natural aptitude.

Tell me what to do, and I can follow. Leave me to do it alone, and I'm far from enough.

Orochimaru looked at the human bodies and organs soaking in containers inside the lab, along with various snake monsters, and smiled.

"Heh heh, for the test subjects this time, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Lord Yoru's Uchiha elite squad. What I need this time is different."

Orochimaru's face lit up with eager excitement as he rasped, "One hundred male children, no older than five. Preferably the offspring of ninjas."

Hearing this, Uchiha Yoruro was stunned. He stared at Orochimaru, suddenly seeming to realize something. Orochimaru didn't hide it and smiled, nodding. "Just as Lord Yoru is thinking."

"The Uchiha's information was very useful. There really is a Wood Style Ninja in Root now. This proves the direction of the experiment is correct, so this time I need more test subjects."

Uchiha Yoruro frowned slightly, then nodded. "Teacher, these test subjects are a bit troublesome. They're ninja children. It'll take some time."

Orochimaru was extremely lenient with valuable people. With his hoarse laugh, he wouldn't rush you. After all, conversations between smart people meant everyone knew what to do, and no one would deliberately delay.

"By the way, Lord Yoru, it seems your clan leader has brought his eldest son to the front this time, along with your Uchiha elite squad."

Orochimaru's hoarse smile turned toward him. Uchiha Yoruro gave a troubled grin and shrugged. "Can't be helped. The clan leader's eldest son is a genius, after all. Naturally, he wants to become your disciple."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and smiled but said nothing. Uchiha Yoruro understood and nodded with a smile.

"Teacher Orochimaru, rest assured. I'll head back now and make sure no one disturbs you."

At this point, Orochimaru wasn't obsessed with the Sharingan yet, so he had no desire to be a babysitter. After all, he was pursuing Eternal Life, and the honor of being his assistant had come through Uchiha Yoruro's own efforts.

First, he used the Wood Style Ninja clue to make contact, then waved the banner of funding to become a partner, and finally revealed his hidden Medical Ninjutsu ability to become Orochimaru's assistant.

Orochimaru squinted at the data analysis report provided, then shook his head in disappointment and sighed. "It seems the side effects of merging animals with humans can't be minimized after all."

This lab was dedicated to research on combining animals and humans. Since some animals carried longevity genes, Orochimaru had only abandoned this line of research after complete disappointment, turning to other areas.

But the core principle remained simple: lifespan. How to extend it.

Uchiha Yoruro, though not particularly talented in this area, still had the explosive knowledge from his past life. He smiled and nodded. "Teacher Orochimaru, maybe we could try Summoning Beasts."

Summoning Beasts?

Hearing this, Orochimaru's expression turned thoughtful. Uchiha Yoruro smiled and nodded. "I don't understand much about this, but I know the biggest difference between animals and humans is intelligence. Summoning Beasts are different. Compared to humans, aside from their form, they have nearly equal intelligence."

In terms of creativity, Orochimaru found Uchiha Yoruro the most satisfying. He smiled and nodded. "Not bad. Summoning Beasts are worth trying. But ones with intelligence equal to humans are far too rare."

Even so, a greedy thirst for knowledge gleamed in Orochimaru's sinister golden snake eyes. Rarity was exactly what drew him in.

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