Karot led Uchiha Shisui into Orochimaru's lab with practiced ease.
Orochimaru was busy dismembering a corpse. Intrigued, Karot walked over.
"Senior Orochimaru, what are you researching this time?"
Karot was making full use of the admirable tradition of asking whenever he didn't understand something. Orochimaru ignored him, but his assistant, a little boy wearing glasses, answered instead.
"Lord Orochimaru is testing the destructive effects of First Hokage cells."
"Lord Orochimaru, hiring child labor is against the law, you know."
Karot put on an exaggerated look of surprise.
Orochimaru knew that if he let Karot keep fooling around, he'd never finish his experiment. He had no choice but to stop.
"This is a promising young talent I found. Kabuto."
"Nice to meet you, Lord Karot."
The young Kabuto bowed politely to Karot.
Karot ruffled Kabuto's hair and thought,
So this is the future Sage Kabuto, summoning the dead and running wild across the Ninja World.
Just as Karot's imagination was running away with him, Orochimaru spoke.
"Now, what do you want?"
Orochimaru got straight to the point.
Karot snapped his fingers to signal Shisui. Shisui stepped forward and spread a scroll on the ground. He formed hand signs, and with a "poof," a White Zetsu corpse appeared before them. It was a gift Karot had brought back for Orochimaru. From Madara Uchiha's hideout, Karot had brought back not only Obito but also a White Zetsu. He had found Shisui beforehand and had him seal the corpse in a scroll.
Seeing Orochimaru's questioning look, Karot spoke.
"Senior Orochimaru, this body was cloned using Hashirama's cells."
"What? Someone else has mastered Hashirama's cells? And they've even managed to create a successful test subject?"
Orochimaru could hardly believe it. Hashirama's cells were highly invasive and difficult to control. Even he and Danzo had paid