Half a month later, Konoha's reinforcements arrived, and the situation at the border grew increasingly stable. Only ninjas from smaller countries still sought to provoke conflict between the great nations, constantly attempting to sow discord or hire Rogue Ninja.
In a hidden corner of the forest, screams echoed from within a dark underground cave, yet the surrounding barrier isolated every sound so completely that not even a trace escaped.
Aboveground, verdant trees cast deep shade. Dense forests and clumps of grass covered the land, while chirping birds sang merrily. Beneath it all, however, lay a terrifying Human experimentation facility.
The barrier also sealed off any scent in the air, which was why this place appeared so unusually tranquil, without leaving behind the slightest clue.
"Heh heh, Lord Yoru, I never expected you to possess such skilled Medical Ninjutsu."
Beneath Orochimaru's hoarse chuckle, Uchiha Yoru slowly removed his medical rubber gloves. He wearily wiped the sweat from his brow, then smiled. "Elder Setsuna once said that a ninja must never reveal his trump cards. But in order to earn Teacher Orochimaru's trust, this was necessary."
Seeing Uchiha Yoru's youthful face, Orochimaru immediately revealed his signature smile, his tongue involuntarily licking his lips.
"Lord Yoru has been at the front line for three months now. To master the A-rank Medical Ninjutsu, the Mystical Palm Technique, at the age of fifteen is truly extraordinary."
Uchiha Yoru was briefly stunned by those words, then smiled and nodded. That was right. Nine-Tails Night was the protagonist's birthday, and Naruto's birthday was October 10. Three months had passed into the next year, so he had naturally turned fifteen.
Orochimaru nodded with great satisfaction. This disciple sent by the Uchiha Clan truly suited his tastes. In fact, he had already understood everything.
In Orochimaru's mind, the Uchiha Clan clearly wanted to board his ship, so naturally they had catered to his preferences. Human experimentation required Medical Ninja, after all, and Medical Ninja capable of using the Mystical Palm Technique were few and far between—especially among the Uchiha, known as a battle clan.
First, they had dangled the bait of a wood style ninja. Then came the funding support tailored to his needs. Finally, there was this free assistant. It had to be said, the Uchiha Clan's sincerity was overflowing.
Yet Orochimaru did not know that all of this was the handiwork of the disciple before him, who had played both sides.
With the advantage of foreknowledge, Uchiha Yoru naturally had to make good use of it. Orochimaru would surely fill in the gaps himself, while the clan would surely assume that he had sacrificed his looks to get close to Mitaraishi Anko and learned certain secrets—for example, that Orochimaru was secretly carrying out Konoha's long-standing research, but Konoha's turmoil after the Nine-Tails had cut off his funding.
Naturally, the Uchiha Clan would invest in order to establish ties with Orochimaru. Information that neither side truly understood had created the current situation.
As for being exposed? Uchiha Yoru could not help but smile. There would be no time for that. Not only would Orochimaru defect, but more importantly, considering the Uchiha Clan's current situation, they were desperate to keep such matters hidden and gradually ease their relationship only after Orochimaru took power.
If this became known now, would it not be exploited by people with ulterior motives? Especially Danzo.
With both sides maintaining a cautious attitude, neither would bring up such a foolish matter again. After all, their intention to cooperate had already been established.
The Uchiha needed the trust of Orochimaru, the future Hokage, while Orochimaru needed funding. They were a perfect match.
"Teacher Orochimaru, it seems we're running short on Test Subjects."
Uchiha Yoru wearily rubbed his brow. Human Experimentation really required talent. Even after he had spent heavily to pile up his Medical Ninjutsu experience to the level of a Special Jonin, he could still only serve as an assistant following instructions. This field truly demanded natural aptitude.
If you told him what to do, he still knew how to do it. But if you told him to handle it alone, the difference was enormous.
When Orochimaru saw the human bodies and even organs soaking in containers throughout the laboratory, along with all sorts of snake monsters, a smile appeared on his face.
"Heh heh, Lord Yoru, I fear this time I'll have to trouble your Uchiha Elite Squad for the Test Subjects. This time, the requirements are different."
Orochimaru spoke with an eager, hoarse laugh. "One hundred male children. Any age under five will do. Preferably the descendants of ninjas."
Uchiha Yoru immediately showed a look of shock upon hearing this. As he stared at Orochimaru, he seemed to think of something. Orochimaru did not hide it and simply nodded with a smile. "Just as you think, Lord Yoru."
"The Uchiha's information was useful. There truly is a wood style ninja in Root now, which proves that the direction of the experiment is correct. Therefore, I need more Test Subjects this time."
Uchiha Yoru frowned slightly, then nodded. "Teacher, these Test Subjects will be somewhat troublesome this time. They are ninja children, after all, so we'll need some time."
Orochimaru was exceptionally tolerant toward those of value. Beneath his hoarse smile, he did not urge him at all. After all, in conversations between smart people, both sides knew what needed to be done. Neither would deliberately waste time.
"By the way, Lord Yoru, it seems your clan head has brought his eldest son to the front line this time, along with your Uchiha Elite Squad."
Orochimaru looked over with a hoarse smile. Uchiha Yoru immediately gave a troubled smile and shrugged. "It can't be helped. The clan head's eldest son is a genius, after all, so naturally he wishes to study under you, Teacher."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying nothing. Uchiha Yoru naturally understood and smiled as he nodded.
"Don't worry, Teacher Orochimaru. I'll return right away and make sure no one disturbs you."
Orochimaru was not yet obsessed with the Sharingan, so naturally he had no desire to play babysitter. After all, he was pursuing Eternal Life. The reason Uchiha Yoru had earned this honor was entirely through his own efforts.
First, he had used the clue about the wood style ninja to establish contact. Then he had raised a banner and used funding to become a collaborator. Finally, he had revealed his hidden Medical Ninjutsu ability, allowing him to become Orochimaru's assistant.
After studying the analysis report provided, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, then shook his head with a disappointed sigh. "It seems the side effects of fusing animals with human bodies still cannot be reduced to a minimum."
This laboratory was dedicated to researching the fusion of animals and human bodies. After all, some animals possessed longevity genes. Only after being thoroughly disappointed did Orochimaru abandon this line of research and turn to other areas.
However, the central principle remained simple: lifespan. How could one extend one's lifespan?
Although Uchiha Yoru had little talent in this area, he still possessed the vast knowledge of his previous life. He could not help but smile and nod. "Teacher Orochimaru, perhaps we can try Summoning Beasts."
Summoning Beasts?
Orochimaru revealed a thoughtful expression at those words, while Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded. "Although I don't understand much about this, I know that the greatest difference between animals and humans is intelligence. But Summoning Beasts are different. Aside from their physical forms, their intelligence is nearly equal to that of humans."
It had to be said that in terms of creativity, Uchiha Yoru was what satisfied Orochimaru the most. Orochimaru could not help but smile and nod. "Not bad. Summoning Beasts are worth trying, but Summoning Beasts with intelligence equal to humans are far too rare."
Even so, greedy curiosity gleamed in Orochimaru's sinister golden snake eyes. Though rare, that was precisely what attracted him.
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