I, Orochimaru, Have Always Been Strong in Life

Orochimaru looked at Keigo Uchiha, who was already an Elite Jonin, his face full of emotion. "To have such a powerful disciple is truly a stroke of luck!"

If not for Keigo Uchiha and Ruri Hyuga.

Hunting down the Tailed Beasts would certainly not have been so simple.

It might even have ended in failure, but now, with the Sharingan and the Byakugan present, success was guaranteed!

The corner of Keigo Uchiha's mouth twitched slightly as he glanced at Orochimaru. "Teacher, do you finally realize the benefits of having a disciple?"

Back in the beginning.

Orochimaru had not wanted to take them on as disciples at all.

He had worn an expression of complete reluctance.

But now, having recognized his erudition, his strength, and the talent of Ruri Hyuga, this man had completely changed his tune!

"Of course."

Orochimaru understood exactly what Keigo Uchiha meant, and he said with a beaming smile, "Keigo-kun is my most cherished and favorite disciple. If not for Keigo-kun, I fear it would have taken me over a decade to uncover so many secrets."

Keigo Uchiha offered a perfunctory laugh in agreement.

The two of them looked like a picture of a benevolent master and a filial disciple.

"Forget it. Just let me know when you're ready to depart, and give me the summoning scroll for Ryūchi Cave. I need to set up some survival measures for this trip to Kumogakure."

Keigo Uchiha held out his hand without ceremony.

If you want work done, you have to provide the benefits first, right?

He wore an expression that suggested this was only natural.

Orochimaru's mouth twitched, and he helplessly summoned the summoning scroll. "You still need survival measures? Once you activate the Storm Release Armor, even I would find it hard to keep up with your speed. There aren't many people in the entire ninja world who can rival you in that regard."

"If you want to swindle me out of a summoning scroll, just say so. By the way, don't give the contract scroll to anyone else."

Orochimaru cautioned, "Back then, Ryūchi Cave stated that each contractor can choose at most three summoners, so you cannot give it away casually. Also... Ryūchi Cave is extremely dangerous. When you want to practice Sage Art, do not go alone!"

He narrowed his eyes.

His amber pupils held a look of caution.

When he first signed the contract, he had met the White Snake Sage once; that cold, sinister aura was pure, chilling malice!

And surrounding Ryūchi Cave were endless piles of bones!

According to the lore of Ryūchi Cave, these were all the remains of those who had failed to master Sage Art.

Orochimaru's voice turned grave as he spoke, enunciating every word: "Those who fail are eaten by the sages of Ryūchi Cave! There is no room for resistance!"

"This is one of the reasons why I am so incredibly cautious when practicing Sage Art. The method of practicing Sage Art in Ryūchi Cave is perilous—a hundred times more dangerous than the training methods of Mount Myoboku—and there is no turning back!"

The training method of Ryūchi Cave.

It is an arrow shot from a bow; there is no turning back.

"A snake that eats people, huh?"

Keigo Uchiha narrowed his eyes, thinking of the White Snake Sage from Boruto, who radiated a bone-chilling aura, and the three 'guides' who were always ready to devour someone.

There is no human sentiment in Ryūchi Cave.

Even for a contractor, failure results in being devoured without mercy!

"I understand. I will be careful about this matter, and besides... I will not fail!"

Keigo Uchiha's lips curled upward with confidence.

He still had a Perfect Card in his possession; no matter what ninjutsu he wanted to learn, there had never been a case of him being unable to master it—only things he didn't care to learn!

"Then, Teacher, notify me when you need me to go."

After Keigo Uchiha finished speaking.

Seeing that Orochimaru looked eager to continue his research, he chose to take his leave.

For now, Orochimaru hadn't produced anything useful yet.

Therefore, there was no need to linger.

Orochimaru waved his hand and continued his research.

"He really is tireless. No wonder Orochimaru achieved what he did in Boruto. So, White Snake Sage, you won't teach me Sage Art? Damn it, I'll just modify the Sage Art myself!"

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; perhaps the name was just changed!

Keigo Uchiha shook his head, unable to help but find it amusing.

"In some respects, Orochimaru is a very stubborn man."

"The more you tell him not to do something, the more he insists on doing it, and he must do it well. He truly is a man who strives for greatness his entire life."

Keigo Uchiha couldn't help but sigh.

Perhaps that was precisely the reason.

Orochimaru was able to modify the Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave, bestow it upon others at will, and make Sage Mode even more powerful—to the point where... there were already signs of dragonification!

It was unknown how much time had passed when Orochimaru stretched his back.

He covered the Sharingan and Byakugan behind him, rubbed his forehead, and turned to leave.

Research is not a matter of a single day or night. If I want to become stronger, I must first consider the matters at hand. The Eight-Tails... is a decent target.

Orochimaru walked out of the laboratory.

He was very satisfied with the research results of this period.

At the same time, a trace of coldness flickered in his eyes. Why did Ryūchi Cave refuse to let me learn Sage Mode? And... the Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave is far too cruel. My goal is eternal life, to learn all ninjutsu!

If the danger of learning the Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode is too high, then... I need to consider other ways to become stronger.

Besides, it is merely Sage Mode; I may not necessarily be unable to research it myself!

He let out a cold snort, his eyes filled with arrogance!

If he had previously harbored greed for Sage Mode, he now had the ideas provided by Keigo. He had different paths to becoming stronger, so there was no need to rely solely on Sage Mode anymore!

Moreover, wouldn't it be the same if he learned it after Keigo mastered it?

After all, that fellow Keigo's talent was even higher than his own!

"Lord Orochimaru!"

A sound of rushing wind rang out.

An Anbu ninja appeared beside Orochimaru. "The Hokage requests your presence at the Hokage Building."

As the words fell.

The Anbu ninja vanished again just as quickly.

The old man? What troublesome matter requires me to step in again?

Orochimaru was stunned.

A trace of helplessness appeared on his pale face.

Honestly, that fellow Jiraiya has been obsessed lately. He actually believes in some nonsense about being the mentor to the Child of Prophecy, and that his existence is solely to find this child. He leaves the village every few days; he's truly gone mad.

Because of Jiraiya's frequent departures.

Many missions had been piled directly onto him.

As for Tsunade, she had been listless during this time; because of the death of Dan Katō, she had not gone on a mission for over half a year. Humans... truly are such fragile creatures.

Orochimaru sighed softly, yet his eyes grew even more determined!

Before long, he arrived at the Hokage Building.

In the Hokage's office.

"What is it, old man? What do you need me to do this time?"

As he looked up, he saw the serious expression on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath, slammed his hand onto the desk, and his gaze turned sharp!

It flickered with a cold, icy light!

In an instant.

Orochimaru's heart sank!

Could it be... that his experiments had been discovered?

Human experimentation... was a taboo!