Ascending to the Heavens Upon Gaining Power

Climbing down from the hospital bed, Little White Snake hurriedly slipped into his sleeve. Orochimaru did not reject the slick little creature against his skin.

After straightening his clothes, he left the ward.

He went to the front desk to complete the discharge procedures, then quickly walked out of Konoha Hospital.

It was worth mentioning that whether doctors or nurses, all of them greeted him respectfully when they saw how lively and energetic he was.

Faced with these staff members, who either revered or fawned over him, Orochimaru politely nodded in response.

Orochimaru, who had yet to stand against Konoha, was still widely respected. Though his cold exterior made people hesitate to approach, that aloofness also inspired greater awe.

Besides, the Sannin had become famous, drawing attention wherever they went. Under such circumstances, the paperwork was naturally handled without much delay.

"The immediate priority is to resolve the issue of my body's energy. And while I'm at it, I should see whether this newly acquired ability is really as powerful as I imagined."

No sooner thought than done. With a slight use of the Body Flicker Technique, Orochimaru vanished from where he stood.

Konoha had not yet expanded to the enormous scale it would reach in the future. Before long, Orochimaru arrived at a forest near the village's outskirts.

He took out an Explosive Tag and ignited it. The instant it burned out and detonated—

Orochimaru thrust out both hands, compressing and absorbing the violent energy that was about to surge in every direction.

In an instant, every cell throughout his body sent forth a sensation of pleasure and fulfillment, so comfortable that even his pores seemed to open.

Thanks to the high energy conversion rate, the Explosive Tag's energy was depleted before it could last long.

"Heh heh... What a wonderful ability. It truly hasn't disappointed me!"

After the flash of fire faded and darkness shrouded him once more, Orochimaru could not help but let out a sinister chuckle, his tongue unconsciously licking his lips.

It was similar to Sebastian Shaw's ability from his memories. Sure enough, his body could absorb energy from the outside world.

After absorbing the energy from one Explosive Tag, the craving in his body's cells had already diminished, and he could feel strength filling every part of him.

This was no illusion. This body was indeed far stronger than his original one. As for how much stronger, he would have to wait until his cells were fully charged with energy to find out.

With that in mind, Orochimaru took out another Explosive Tag and repeated the process.

With the experience from before, Orochimaru quickly completed the absorption. This time, the energy not only filled his body's cells to the brim, but the excess was instinctively stored within them.

"So this is where energy is stored—in the cells. It seems I'm still far from full!"

Not only could this stored energy be used in emergencies, but simply keeping it there would continuously enhance and transform his body.

It could also preserve his appearance and extend his lifespan. One could say that Orochimaru's dream of immortality had been realized in an instant.

After igniting and absorbing another Explosive Tag, the energy stored in Orochimaru's cells was finally close to full. He estimated that one more Explosive Tag would overload them.

In the Original Work, Sebastian Shaw was already a Level 4 mutant. He could absorb not only the kinetic energy of guns and artillery, but even nuclear energy.

Orochimaru had only just acquired this ability. Being able to absorb the explosive energy of four Explosive Tags at once was already quite good, not to mention that he had yet to release it.

If he kept absorbing and releasing energy, Orochimaru believed he could wear someone down for an entire day.

However, absorbing and releasing that energy also consumed Chakra and stamina.

Though the consumption was slight, Orochimaru had yet to transplant White Snake cells into his body and transform his original body into White Snake Sage Mode. His regenerative ability and Chakra reserves were still nowhere near as great as when he appeared in the Original Work.

"Ten years of bad luck trap the dragon in a well; one day of success sends it soaring into the clouds."

What butcher had never dreamed of becoming a dancer? The moment to change his fate began now.

Even without this ability in the Original Work, Orochimaru had been able to stir up storms throughout the Ninja World. Now, with such a powerful beginning, all the more so.

He still did not know exactly what functions the Life Choice System possessed, but judging by the Newbie Gift Package it had rewarded him, this system was anything but simple.

Just as Orochimaru was envisioning the future with high spirits, a sudden sound came from behind him.

"Who is it?"

By the time Orochimaru came back to his senses, the newcomer had already closed to within ten meters of him.

The Orochimaru who had been smug just moments ago cursed himself inwardly. How could he have been so careless? For a ninja, that distance could be crossed in an instant with the Body Flicker Technique, yet he had not even noticed.

"Lord Orochimaru, so you were here!"

The newcomer wore a fox mask. There was no need to think about it—they were Anbu.

"What is it?"

At the sight of the visitor, Orochimaru relaxed slightly. However, his tone was clearly displeased, and his eyes narrowed unconsciously, cold light gleaming in his snake-like pupils.

"The Third Hokage asked me to deliver a message. Attend Dan Katō's funeral tomorrow."

The visitor paid no heed to Orochimaru's tone, as if he could not see his displeasure.

After delivering the Third Hokage's order, the Anbu ninja did not wait for Orochimaru's response. He activated the Body Flicker Technique and left directly.

"An order from the Third Hokage, huh? I should indeed attend Dan Katō's funeral."

Orochimaru did not find the Anbu ninja's hasty arrival and departure strange at all.

As the Hokage's special assassination force, they answered only to the Hokage. They were the sharp blade in the hands of every generation of Hokage, owing no one else any courtesy—much like the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty.

Muttering to himself, Orochimaru headed back toward the village. It was late at night, after all; any commotion would inevitably draw the attention of night-patrol ninjas.

Besides, there would be plenty of time in the future to experiment. The ability was already his. There was no need to rush.

Back on Konoha's streets, Orochimaru found a restaurant and quickly took care of dinner.

He had felt ravenous when he first left the hospital, but after absorbing the energy from three Explosive Tags, his hunger had lessened considerably.

Even after going a full day and night without eating, Orochimaru only ate as much as he normally would at mealtime.

"Training can even curb hunger? Isn't this basically cultivation immortality?"

It would save on rations during future wilderness missions, at least. With his mind wandering over such random thoughts, Orochimaru unknowingly arrived at the residence from his memories.

Although Orochimaru had carried out many missions and accumulated quite a bit of savings over the years, he was not particularly picky about food, clothing, housing, or travel.

Looking at the house before him, which was not much different from the surrounding residences, Orochimaru opened the door with practiced ease.

Fortunately, the interior was kept quite clean. Unlike some researchers, he was not slovenly. It was clear that the previous owner had been a particular person as well, not truly fond of damp, cold environments like a snake.

After washing up, Orochimaru lay down on the bed again. He intended to carefully plan out his future path.