"Hashirama Cells... Heh, I never expected the village to have secretly done so much research on this."
Looking over the vast amount of material in the classified laboratory, Satoru could not help but feel secretly alarmed.
Behind this research lay the consumption of enormous resources—and the lives of volunteers.
"Hehehe... Satoru, and this is enough to surprise you?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he looked at the materials. "What a windfall!"
"Well then, Orochimaru, all the materials requested by the Third Hokage have been delivered. I hope you will not disappoint him."
Satoru turned to glance at the person who had delivered the documents, wearing a strange animal mask.
Directly under the Hokage—the Anbu.
"I didn't expect you to be the one delivering these materials... Danzo probably wasn't very willing, was he?"
Orochimaru was clearly familiar with this masked Anbu. After thinking for a moment, Satoru remembered that this man should be the white-haired jonin who had come to see Orochimaru after graduating, having been allowed to join the Anbu.
Tch. What was the point of that mask? Acquaintances could recognize him anyway.
Satoru silently grumbled as Orochimaru's conversation with the white-haired Anbu reached his ears:
"Come to think of it, I originally wanted you to serve as my research assistant. But you joined the Anbu, and I don't have the ability to ask my teacher for personnel—especially now, when your missions are even more demanding."
Orochimaru sounded somewhat regretful, as though he thought highly of the other man's abilities.
"Haha... Don't make fun of me, Orochimaru."
The white-haired Anbu waved his hand, his tone deeply regretful.
"In terms of talent, I'm far behind the three of you. And as for research... even your student is already this outstanding. That is a Kekkei Genkai!"
The white-haired Anbu turned toward Satoru, then