"Huh? The Katsuyu is willing to work for Tsunade again?" Orochimaru took the letter with a trace of slime from Shizune's hand, without opening it, and casually asked.
"Yes, Lady Katsuyu has adapted to Lady Tsunade's chakra and doesn't feel uncomfortable anymore," Shizune nodded in reply.
"So, her eyes have merged further with her?" Orochimaru frowned as he spoke, pulling open a drawer and taking out old experimental reports.
According to the data recorded above, the fusion of Tsunade and that eye shouldn't have happened so soon, but it did happen ahead of schedule, so we can only wait until they return to conduct the test.
"I don't know. Lady Tsunade didn't mention it in her letter to me," Shizune replied, gently shaking her head.
"Okay, I understand. You can rest in the next room for a bit; we might need your help with the experiment later."
Orochimaru nodded and arranged for Shizune to stay in the lounge next to the Laboratory. Then he opened the letter that Tsunade had sent him.
There wasn't much important information inside, but it told him some good news: the Hozuki Clan had been captured and they were about to return to the mainland from the Land of Water.
Then I need to speed things up here too, otherwise there will be so many projects that I really won't be able to finish researching them all.
"Ready?" He put down the letter and pushed open the Laboratory door.
All the equipment here has been debugged and is in optimal condition. Hyuga Toshio nodded heavily, indicating that he was fully prepared.
Hinata the only one who helped Hyuga Toshio lie down on the lab table, then clasped her hands tightly together, looking worried.
In those short one or two days, except for sleeping time, she stayed with this former bodyguard, taking care of his daily needs.
This was an unprecedented experience for her. In the family, she was always the one who was taken care of. Even after being taken out of Konoha, she was often left to fend for herself and had to take care of her own life.
This was probably the first time she had ever taken care of someone, let alone someone who had lost both hands. Hyuga Toshio had many things that she needed to do for him: eating, dressing, washing, and the experiments he conducted every day.
Orochimaru told her she didn't need to do it herself, as his base had plenty of servants, but she still insisted because she saw her Brother Toshio smiling—a smile she had never seen in the family before.
So she was terrified of every experiment, because if her Brother Toshio lost both hands last time, he might lose even more next time.
"Don't worry, Young Miss, wasn't the last experiment a great success?"
Hyuga Toshio didn't need to turn his head to see Hinata's face through his Byakugan, but he still turned his head, his Byakugan fixed on Hinata, a smile on his lips.
He also raised his arms slightly; if he hadn't lost both hands, he might have even extended his thumbs to make a gesture.
The previous experiment was indeed a success, and with the experience gained from the first one, Hyuga Toshio became more proficient in his Spirit Transformation Technique.
Orochimaru cautiously allowed him to try on his legs. In the final moments when his chakra was almost depleted, he successfully returned his soul to his body, saving his legs.
The only flaw is that one toe on the right foot has lost sensation, but compared to both arms, this problem is almost negligible.
Even Dan Katō was amazed by his speed of progress, as he himself had only dared to try it slowly, one finger at a time, when he was training.
However, today was completely different from the previous days. Hyuga Toshio and Orochimaru discussed it and decided to use the Spirit Transformation Technique on the most dangerous parts of their bodies, which was also the original purpose of learning this technique.
There were an unusually large number of instruments being set up today, and even Shizune was waiting in a nearby room, her hands clenched as she prayed for Hyuga Toshio.
However, the door was still pushed open. She looked up abruptly and found that the person who came in was neither Orochimaru's subordinate nor Hinata, but a very familiar figure.
"Uncle!"
Yes, she should have realized it sooner. The Ninjutsu Hyuga Toshio used was her uncle's signature Ninjutsu, so it was perfectly normal for her uncle to be here.
What a load of rubbish!
She rubbed her eyes violently and mobilized all her chakra. Was this Genjutsu or a demon?
Dan Katō never expected his niece to be here.
" Shizune?" he called softly, reaching out to touch his niece's shoulder. "How has Tsunade been lately?"
Shizune heard a familiar voice, looked up, and gazed at her uncle's cracked body. She could also feel his warmth. So this wasn't a hallucination.
"Uncle, you..." Her voice still carried a hint of confusion.
"Ah, this is Orochimaru's forbidden technique, which allows me to briefly return to this world."
Dan Katō lowered his head to look at his niece and explained softly, "This is an extremely cruel Ninjutsu. I am not truly resurrected. You should have seen my face and my body; they are on the verge of disintegration at any moment, and I could return to the Pure Land at any time."
"Although this feeling isn't comfortable, it's so good to see old friends, and to see you again..."
Shizune nodded. Staying at Orochimaru's base for the past few days had truly broadened her horizons. She had seen all sorts of Kekkei Genkai she had never seen before, as well as his insane and terrifying research. If there really were Ninjutsu that could revive others, she wouldn't be surprised at all.
She wanted to open her mouth and tell her uncle about Lady Tsunade, but when she actually started to organize her thoughts, she didn't know what to say.
Does this mean that Lady Tsunade also left Konoha, suffered from hemophobia, and spent her days drinking, gambling, and wandering the Shinobi World like a scoundrel?
Uncle will be disappointed. He must want Lady Tsunade to live a happy and joyful life, instead of being unable to extricate herself from the pain of the past.
" Lady Tsunade is doing quite well lately. She's currently in the Land of Water, helping Orochimaru gather information on people with Kekkei Genkai." That was all she could say.
However, she wasn't lying. Lady Tsunade's condition has indeed been quite good recently. At least she has a direction to move forward and has gotten rid of her hemophobia.
He was always hanging out with an unidentified Uchiha...
"That puts my mind at ease."
Dan Katō. Although he had high hopes, and Orochimaru had inquired about it, he didn't intend to meet Tsunade in his current state. His appearance required the consumption of so-called sacrifices, which had already crossed Tsunade's bottom line. Moreover, he hoped she could have her own life...