While Orochimaru's clone obtained the Ten-Tails Fragment, his main body in the Northern Lands also received a long-awaited piece of good news.
His Little White Snake, which hadn't appeared for a long time, brought him some surprising news.
For someone with his level of skill, there aren't many things that can be considered a pleasant surprise, which shows how shocked he was by this news.
"You're saying this is Uchiha Madara's hair?"
Shiro, flicking its tongue, recounted its many years of experiences in snake language.
Since Orochimaru returned from Ryūchi Cave, Shiro has also received some gifts from the White Snake Sage, during which time he fell into a deep sleep.
When it awoke again, it had been completely transformed, evolving from an ordinary Little White Snake into a creature like a Manda.
Not only will their lifespan increase significantly, but their size can also grow larger. Perhaps after hundreds of years, they could grow into a behemoth like the Manda.
However, all of this still requires time to mature. Orochimaru didn't expect it to be able to go to the battlefield at this time. At most, it would only be responsible for relaying messages to its clones in the Akatsuki.
Keeping such a spirit beast by your side would be a waste of resources, so Orochimaru gave it a unique command—to find the remains of Uchiha Madara!
Snakes are naturally very sensitive to miasma such as dampness and death, making them the perfect species for dragon hunting and exploration.
The three tomb raiders he had recently recruited were also sent out to continue their old ways, since the Northern Lands lacked sufficient resources and they had to find another way.
It's somewhat similar to the early days of Konoha, when there was a shortage of talent. The Second Hokage created the Impure World Reincarnation, and even after death, they couldn't escape the fate of being used as laborers.
The current situation in the Northern Lands is somewhat similar. In order to prepare for a possible war, Orochimaru can't be too much of a preparation. It can be said that he will do everything he can for the sake of the village!
With the tomb-raiding trio taking care of it, he naturally didn't need to personally take action against the talents from the various deceased ninja villages.
But Shiro, who had been quiet for a long time, brought him an unexpected surprise, just like a pillow delivered when you're sleepy.
"Was it found at the location I told you about?"
Orochimaru gently stroked the Little White Snake's head. The Shiro white snake, familiar with the way, slithered up his arm and soon reached his shoulder, its tongue licking his cheek repeatedly.
Even after so long, they're still so affectionate, which makes me feel even closer to them.
"Oh? The location is quite far off! Maybe I don't remember it clearly, haha..."
Orochimaru's face showed a hint of embarrassment. The place he and Shiro were talking about was naturally below the Valley of the End.
There is a basement there, which was once Uchiha Madara's lair.
Madara made that place his final resting place after his final battle with Hashirama.
He relied on the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to prolong his life and has lived for many years. If it weren't for his greater pursuit and his frail, aging body, it wouldn't be surprising that he has lived to this day.
After explaining his plans to Black Zetsu and arranging a series of backup measures, he also deliberately broke free from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's sustenance and ended his own life.
"Heh heh heh... It seems that Obito didn't Obito him a proper burial! That basement has become his tomb!"
Orochimaru wasn't surprised by this situation. Obito, that traitor, had switched sides countless times, from white to black and back again.
It's no wonder he didn't take Uchiha Madara's instructions to heart. The only one who could truly understand him was Rin. He probably used Madara's arrangements to achieve his own long-cherished wish.
"Did Black Zetsu find out?"
Upon hearing Orochimaru's question, the Shiro- haired boy shook his head humanely, a glint of wisdom flashing in his snake eyes.
In the Original Work, Kabuto found Madara's body. Based on the available information, some say he found it himself, some say he found it by following Obito, and others say Black Zetsu deliberately let him find it.
Orochimaru leans more towards the former and the latter. Given Obito's elusive and unpredictable movements, it would be quite difficult to track him without being discovered.
Of the remaining two possibilities, Orochimaru leans more towards the latter: Black Zetsu's help.
Otherwise, how could Kabuto find the corpse in just one or two years if even Orochimaru, the grandmaster of tomb raiding, couldn't find it?
Black Zetsu, the most deeply hidden traitor, and Madara were never on the same side; they were both using each other, and this is the most likely explanation!
"All that's left is hair, but it's enough!"
Orochimaru wasn't surprised to see the clump of dry, weed-like white hair on the ground.
The first thing to decompose after a person dies is their flesh and blood. This also applies to the Ninja World, since the Ninja World also has to follow science!
Unless Hashirama Senju, whose flesh remains intact even decades after his death.
As long as one is still a mortal, one cannot escape the law of bone formation in three years. Therefore, most of the graves that Orochimaru dug up before yielded only a clump of hair.
One of the conditions for Impure World Reincarnation is the presence of the body's cellular tissues or personal belongings from the deceased's previous life.
With a slight twitch of his finger, the clump of white hair on the ground floated up.
"You've worked hard. You should get some rest. I have things to do!"
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Shiro affectionately rubbed her little head against his cheek before snuggling into his arms.
Leaving his office, Orochimaru went straight to the Biological Research Institute on the edge of the village.
This is his laboratory, where a Shadow Clone conducts experiments year-round. No matter how busy he is, the progress of his various experiments has never stopped.
As soon as I arrived at the laboratory entrance, a Shadow Clone walked out, carrying a petri dish in its hand.
Uchiha Madara's cells are of great use to him. His body has already fused with Hashirama Cells. If Uchiha Madara's body cells are added, then the genes of Asura and Indra will be combined.
This step is essential if you want to take it to the next level.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan reproduces through parasitism, but Otsutsuki Kaguya gave birth to offspring by mating with humans.
The consequence of this behavior is that the offspring cannot fully inherit the abilities of their parents.
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo inherited the power of the Rinnegan, Ōtsutsuki Hamura inherited the power of the Byakugan.
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, also known as the Sage of Six Paths, had sons Asura and Indra who inherited the Sage Body and Sage Eye, respectively.
Strictly speaking, apart from Otsutsuki Kaguya, none of her descendants can be considered true Ōtsutsuki Clan, as their bloodline has become increasingly diluted.
Orochimaru's ultimate goal in his experiments was to combine these bloodlines and gradually move forward, thereby achieving the goal of reversing their ancestral lineage.
With Uchiha Madara's cells, combined with Hashirama Cells, his bloodline could reach the level of the Six Paths.
He possesses cell tissue from Otsutsuki Toneri, who is a descendant of Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
The combination of the two leads to Kaguya's level, which is the true Ōtsutsuki bloodline!