He had originally thought that space was empty and had planned to store other important things there.
Instead, he had found this.
After more than a month of research, he discovered that the substance inside this crystal...
...was identical to the mark on the man he had captured.
He had interrogated that man about where the mark on his body had come from, but the man himself did not know, so naturally, he had learned nothing.
His research had ruled out the possibility that the substance inside the crystal was dangerous. On the contrary, it was a treasure!
But if it was a treasure, how had he forgotten about it?
Had someone altered his memories?
Yet after examining himself, he had found no signs of his memories being altered. Of that, he was quite certain.
Unless the person who had altered his memories was incredibly powerful-far stronger than him!
Having once brought back the First Hokage through Impure World Reincarnation, he knew what a monster Hashirama Senju, the man called the God of Shinobi, had been!
He doubted that any monster like the First Hokage was still alive in this world.
But regardless, he had decided to use the substance inside the crystal!
He might not have been the strongest in the Shinobi World, but when it came to scientific research, he considered himself at the very pinnacle.
Even if the substance inside this crystal really was dangerous, he could simply reincarnate again.
To him, that meant nothing more than switching bodies.
What Orochimaru had failed to fully understand, however, was that the Stigmata could change not only its holder's constitution, but also his soul!
After all, chakra itself contained spiritual energy!
After arriving in the Land of Water, Kumogakure's force of several hundred did not immediately attack Kirigakure.
Instead,