The Leaf Village's SSS-rank Rogue Ninja, the Ultimate Murder King--Uchiha Ryobu

Before long, Ryobu was holding a scroll the size of a child and reading it with great interest.

This was the Uchiha Clan's Fire Style Scroll. Madara had probably taken it with him when he left. It contained many high-level Fire Style ninjutsu.

The elemental ninjutsu Ryobu knew were all C-rank beginner techniques, such as the Fire Style's Great Fireball Technique, Small Fireball Technique, and Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.

As for Lightning Style, he knew Earth Run.

As for other basic techniques, like Clone Technique and Transformation Technique, there was no need to mention them.

Ryobu looked at a Fire Style technique called Great Fire Annihilation. This was Madara's signature Fire Style technique. A B-rank ninjutsu, when released by his hands, was no different from a Forbidden Technique.

Ryobu had just memorized Great Fire Annihilation when Black Zetsu put away the Uchiha Clan's Fire Style Scroll.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?"

Black Zetsu's voice held not the slightest trace of emotion. "You still have to develop a technique to Restore Youth for Lord Madara. Don't waste all your time on ninjutsu."

He had to fulfill today's quota first, or he would be put on the electricity.

Helpless, Ryobu looked toward Ryūsetsu, who was curled up off to the side, somewhat at a loss.

Although Ryūsetsu was the same age as Itachi, Itachi was a ninja who had been on the battlefield and seen blood.

For a little girl like Ryūsetsu to be captured and brought to this gloomy, terrifying Underground Space without sobbing meant her mental fortitude was already adequate.

Ryobu walked over. "Ryūsetsu, tell me about your Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique."

"..."

Ryūsetsu glanced at Ryobu and stayed silent.

A vicious look appeared on Ryobu's face. He took off his Rogue Ninja Forehead Protector and showed it to her. "Hmph! See this? This is a Rogue Ninja Forehead Protector."

"I'm an SSS-rank Rogue Ninja of the Leaf Village, the Ultimate Murder King—Uchiha Ryobu."

Ryūsetsu glanced at Ryobu's forehead protector. Looking at it up close, the scratch mark on it seemed to have been drawn on, and the color had even faded.

Ryobu also noticed this little flaw, took out a pen, and drew it on again.

He put it back on. "Back in the day, I held two katana and cut my way from the Leaf Village gate all the way to the Hokage Building, then back and forth for three days and three nights, until blood flowed like rivers!"

"And I just raised my blades and brought them down, raised them and brought them down, without blinking once!"

Ryūsetsu found it very strange. If he did not blink for that long, would his eyes not get dry?

Although she had only just Become a Ninja, she still knew that the highest rank for a rogue ninja was S-rank. There was no such thing as SSS-rank.

Ryobu threatened, "If you know what's good for you, hand over your Forbidden Technique. Otherwise, I'll slaughter your whole village!"

"..."

Ryūsetsu said nothing and only kept staring at the ground.

Grass Village might be small, but it was as strong as grass. Ryūsetsu's teacher had told her this principle before.

Tobi had gotten tired from hitting him, and Obito was finally able to catch his breath—but he stubbornly refused to breathe, stood up, and cursed at Ryobu. "Bastard Ryobu, threatening such a young child—are you still human?"

Ryobu ignored Obito. Seeing that Ryūsetsu had not been intimidated, he gave a cold laugh. "Still a tough bone, huh?"

"Hmph. Looks like Grass Village really is a small village. You've never heard how terrifying I, Uchiha Ryobu, am."

"The Six Paths Sage was born a thousand years before me. Was he three parts afraid of me, or was it simply that kings do not meet kings?"

"Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were born before me. Was it the clumsy bird flying early, or were they avoiding my edge?"

As Ryobu spoke, he deliberately glanced back. Seeing Madara sleeping greedily like an incompetent husband, he relaxed.

"When I close my eyes, the sky turns dark. When I open them, the sky turns bright. Ryūsetsu, I'm asking you—are you scared or not?"

"[・_・?]"

Black and White Zetsu, beside Madara, stared blankly at Ryobu's jumpy behavior.

White Zetsu asked the more cultured Black Zetsu, "What is he doing?"

Black Zetsu was also puzzled. "Don't know! Scaring a child, I guess?"

Unable to scare Ryūsetsu, Ryobu directly hugged her leg and started begging. "Please, Ryūsetsu, hurry and teach me your Forbidden Technique, or we're all going to die."

Ryūsetsu finally reacted. "No. I can't teach you. This is the village's Forbidden Technique. Teacher won't let me pass it on to anyone else."

Ryobu grabbed Obito over. Lightning Release Chakra gathered in his hand, and in an instant, Obito was shocked until he howled.

"Ryobu, Aminos ￥%#..."

"Ryūsetsu, see that? I said I kill without blinking. Did you think I was joking with you?"

In the end, she was still a little girl, and had not yet fully undergone a ninja's systematic training.

Ryūsetsu felt a little lingering fear at the sight of Obito being tortured until he went mambo-mambo. She took a few steps back and said, "But... my Forbidden Technique is a Kekkei Genkai. Teacher said only I can learn it."

Ryobu barked, "I don't care. Teach me first!"

"O-okay..."

Before long, Ryobu heard the principle of Dragon Life Reincarnation from Ryūsetsu's mouth.

That move was indeed a forbidden technique for someone with a Kekkei Genkai. If Liao Wu wanted to learn it, he would first have to develop the Chimera Technique to version 2.0 and seize Ryūsetsu's Kekkei Genkai.

But that move used one's own life to revive someone on the brink of death. He was not stupid. How could he give one of the Chimera Technique's precious empty slots to Dragon Life Reincarnation?

But if Madara was not restored to youth, he was going to die.

Although he could not learn Dragon Life Reincarnation, Liao Wu could use it as a reference! Dragon Life Reincarnation was an advanced nature transformation of Yang Release.

Life Secret Arts were all nature transformations of Yang Release. Tsunade's Creation Rebirth and Chiyo's Life Reincarnation were both transformations of Chakra's Yang attribute.

Liao Wu's Plunder Regeneration was also Yang Release.

Liao Wu had previously fused with White Zetsu Cells, and his use of Yang Release had grown increasingly effortless.

With his familiarity with his own forbidden technique, plus Ryūsetsu's Dragon Life Reincarnation as reference, Liao Wu could probably develop a Lichun-type function for Plunder Regeneration in two or three weeks.

But too fast would not do. He had to master several advanced Fire Style techniques as soon as possible, properly familiarize himself with his White Zetsu Cells, and strive to improve his strength before Madara returned to his peak.

Having calculated this in his heart, Liao Wu had Zetsu fetch paper and a pen. He was going to begin deriving and designing version 2.0 of Plunder Regeneration.

Version 1.0 of Plunder Regeneration focused on absorption. Version 2.0 would specialize in release.

That meant giving his own life to someone else, then absorbing another person's life for himself.

It sounded simple, but overcoming the technical hurdles was not that easy. It was like nuclear fission and nuclear fusion—they were just atoms splitting apart and coming together.

But the former's technological advantage had led the latter by more than seventy years.

Orochimaru moved toward the Land of Grass with Edo Hiruko.

Along the way, Hiruko had already been threatened by Orochimaru into revealing the Chimera Technique.

Version 1.0 of the Chimera Technique could only hold one Kekkei Genkai, which did not amount to much for Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was also still at version 1.0. He had not yet become a complete supporter of Bloodline Theory, nor had he witnessed the ultimate power of the Mangekyo and Wood Style.

He was still looking down on everything and feeling smug over power at the level of the Sannin.

At Orochimaru's level, many Kekkei Genkai users were not even worthy of carrying his shoes.

In the village, the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, and other Ninja Clans with Kekkei Genkai—all their Clan Leaders were exceedingly respectful, bowing and scraping when they saw Orochimaru.

Mastering a single Kekkei Genkai was not worth mentioning to Orochimaru.

What Orochimaru truly valued was Plunder Regeneration, which had been derived from the Chimera Technique—in other words, Liao Wu's Immortality Technique.

Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation had also been developed, but it had many limitations.

It had a long cooldown time, and he also had to consider compatibility between the reincarnation body and the soul.

On top of that, he had to bear soul damage during the reincarnation process, as well as the risk of suffering a backlash.

It was far inferior to Liao Wu's Forbidden Technique, which was simple and brutal. Cooldown? Compatibility? It did not understand any of that. Grab a Living Person, and they would be refined in an instant.

This was the perfect immortality that suited Orochimaru.