As usual, Bing San trained for two hours, then went home for breakfast.
But Danzo, who ate his meals on time every day, hadn't shown up today. It seemed he'd left last night and hadn't returned.
After breakfast, Yong Ren came to see Bing San, dressed in black and wearing a mask.
Who would've thought this sleazy-looking guy was a Root Ninja?
"Pack your things. The lord wants to see you." Yong Ren took off his mask, looking very serious.
The coldness in his eyes made him seem like a complete stranger to Bing San.
After Bing San quickly packed a few things, Shimura Yujin frowned slightly, grabbed him by the shoulder, and vanished in a flash.
Bing San felt the world spinning as the scenery around him flickered in and out.
Before long, they arrived behind the Hokage Building.
Watching Bing San crouched in a corner, throwing up all over the place, Danzo frowned slightly.
Shimura Yujin's body gave a slight shudder, but he straightened up again in an instant.
Danzo glared at Shimura Yujin, then said to Bing San, "Follow me."
Bing San followed Danzo into an underground building.
He never would've guessed Danzo had built an underground base directly beneath the Hokage Building. Was this what they meant by hiding something in plain sight?
Just then, a pale, thin man came toward them.
"Hehehe, this little guy looks pretty lively." The man licked his lips as he looked at Bing San.
A loose white kimono, purple eyeshadow, and thin eyebrows. Androgynous features, a cold, hoarse voice, and refined manners! It was Orochimaru.
Danzo snorted. "Hmph. Stay here and cooperate with Orochimaru. I'll come get you myself tonight."
Bing San's body trembled slightly, and his gaze wandered.
"Hehehe, are you scared? Or nervous? Your legs are shaking, and your eyes are full of fear."
Orochimaru bent down to look at Bing San, then continued, "What an precocious child. It seems you've already guessed what we're going to do."
"Come with me. If you want to be precise, your life originated from me." With that, Orochimaru walked farther inside, while Danzo turned and left.
Inside, Orochimaru changed out of his white kimono and into a lab coat.
Orochimaru politely gestured for Bing San to lie down. Bing San obediently did so. Orochimaru attached numerous tube-like devices to him, securing his hands and feet with a pair of tubes. Needles were inserted into his arms and thighs.
Looking at the readings on the instruments, Orochimaru exclaimed with a hint of madness:
"Ah, incredible! The activity of these body cells is more than three to five times greater than that of an ordinary person.
"His metabolism is more than twice as fast, too. His Chakra reserves are already close to those of a Genin.
"This body was cultivated from that lord's flesh and blood, after all."
As he spoke, Orochimaru injected a red liquid into Bing San's body.
Then he drew some blood.
Bing San soon grew groggy and passed out. It seemed to be an anesthetic.
By the time Bing San woke again, he had no idea how much time had passed.
He felt as if he were soaking in nutrient fluid again. It had soaked his entire body.
There were many more tanks beside him, each containing a child. It was terrifying.
"You woke up so quickly? I gave you three times the dose I'd give an adult.
"Incredible. You've only been alive for three years and eight months." Orochimaru watched Bing San as he scribbled notes in a book.
After a while, Orochimaru drained the nutrient fluid and let Bing San out.
Bing San felt as if something about his body had changed, though he couldn't quite tell what. Orochimaru took out a piece of Chakra Paper and handed it to him. "Here, channel some Chakra into it."
Bing San hesitated, then slowly channeled his Chakra into it.
"Water, Earth, and Wind? Just as I thought?" Orochimaru sank into thought, then seemed to realize something.
Just then, Danzo pushed open the door and asked Orochimaru, "How did it go?"
Orochimaru raised the Chakra Paper in his hand. Danzo's pupils contracted, and he asked, breathing a little quickly, "Did it work?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Not yet. Those are just his Chakra natures. We won't know if it worked until he's at least seven or eight, when he can use ninjutsu properly."
After talking a little longer with Orochimaru, Danzo took Bing San out of his laboratory.
Outside, Yong Ren was already waiting.
"Take him home. Starting tomorrow, teach him ninjutsu." Then he tossed Yong Ren a scroll.
Yong Ren caught the scroll and nodded to Danzo. Just as he was about to grab Bing San and leave, he suddenly thought of something.
He looked back at Danzo, whose expression seemed a little off, then carefully picked Bing San up in his arms and vanished in a flash!
The days passed quickly, and three more went by in the blink of an eye. Life carried on as usual, except Bing San's hair gradually changed from white to brown. His eyes, once reddish-black, slowly turned pure black.
Bing San opened his mission panel and saw that quite a few things had changed.
Host: Shimura Bing San (Cyborg), Strength: 7 (10) Agility: 6 (10) Intelligence: 11 (10) Constitution: 5 (10) Skill 1... Skill 2... Skill 3... Skill 4: Affinity for Water and Earth (Passive). When using Water- or Earth-natured powers, consumption is reduced by 20%, power is increased by 10%, and range is increased by 5%.
Orochimaru was certainly skilled, though when he went crazy, he could be downright terrifying.
Bing San's physical abilities had improved, and his Chakra had more than doubled.
As he lay in bed, Bing San watched the roulette wheel's countdown and counted along silently. Suddenly, the number on the wheel reset to 1.
Bing San couldn't help grumbling, "Isn't this just some crappy web game's gacha? Why make it so mysterious?"
Bing San focused on the wheel, and it began to spin. Suddenly, a blue orb of light appeared in the center.
Bing San quickly shifted his focus to the box beside it. The box opened, revealing a book inside.
The book appeared in Bing San's hand, weighing it down. The cover read: Water Arrow Technique (Level 1).
Bing San opened the skill book. It turned into a streak of white light and shot into his mind.
It was as if everything suddenly clicked. He understood how the energy flowed, how it took shape, and how it was released.
He understood it all at once. A new skill appeared on the character panel.
Skill: Water Arrow Technique (Level 1), Water damage +8, applies Slow 5 for 3 seconds, cooldown: 15 seconds.
It was a simple skill, but Bing San was delighted. It was the only active skill he could use so far.
As for the Three Body Techniques, he was learning them. It was just that the Chakra inside him had grown more and more vast, and with it, harder and harder to control.
And so Bing San drifted happily into a dream. In it, he became a boy of fourteen or fifteen, gaming with friends at an internet café and "slaying everyone."
The next morning, Bing San had somehow "mastered Zuanese."
When he woke up, he was still muttering about pressing forward without hesitation, as long as he was happy, some words that started with F, and all kinds of advanced swearing.
It was certainly something to celebrate.