"Orochimaru-sensei, this base is quite large. It must have been troublesome to build, right?"
"Not too troublesome. If you're proficient in Earth Release, it saves a lot of effort."
Hmm... looks like I'll have to devote more energy to Earth Release in the future. If I'm doing research, having my own research base is essential.
"Orochimaru-sensei, the subjects for human experimentation don't come from the village, do they?"
"No. Some are prisoners of war, while others come from the black market."
"The higher-ups forbid using people from the village for human experimentation. Even people from the Land of Fire are not allowed."
"Whew... so it's not completely dark after all," Uchiha Gen said, seeming to let out a sigh of relief.
In truth, Uchiha Gen was not particularly surprised by any of this. In his previous life, even the United States had conducted experiments on its own citizens.
In a world with advanced information networks, he had long grown accustomed to all kinds of bizarre incidents that shattered one's worldview. His ability to accept such things had naturally been cultivated.
"Hehehe... Gen, these are necessary sacrifices on the path to immortality."
"It's not that they should be sacrificed. It's that I'm stronger than they are, so they have no choice but to be sacrificed. That's all."
"If necessary, even people from the Land of Fire and the village aren't beyond—"
Before Orochimaru could finish, Uchiha Gen rudely and bluntly cut him off. "Orochimaru-sensei, you absolutely must not touch anyone from the village. It would be best not to touch people from the Land of Fire either."
"If you lack research subjects, the Uchiha Clan can provide money to purchase them from the black market."
"If the black market isn't enough, or if the Uchiha Clan is unwilling, I'm willing to