Cell Activation and Body Regeneration

After dessert, Akashi parted ways with Anko and headed to their usual training spot alone. He kept at it until dinnertime, then dragged his exhausted body home.

At night.

When Akashi lay in bed staring at the ceiling, he often found the greatest peace in that quiet stillness.

Half an hour of zoning out passed in the blink of an eye.

He came back to himself, got up, and sat down at his desk. Then he opened his diary and prepared to write.

A small snake slithered in beside the windowsill.

Hiss, hiss—

It flicked its tongue and swayed its head back and forth in a steady rhythm.

This was Orochimaru's communication code. The different movements of each kind of snake, along with the length of its hisses, corresponded to written characters. Put together, they formed sentences that could be deciphered.

[Come to the base outside the village at two tomorrow afternoon.]

"Got it. You can go back now." Akashi waved the little snake off.

Hiss, hiss—

It let out two soft hisses, then swiftly slithered away, vanishing into the night without a trace.

"The base outside the village..." Akashi murmured.

The base had been established before he started following Orochimaru. It was twenty miles from Konoha, hidden deep in the woods, and exceptionally well concealed. Experiments that weren't suitable to conduct in the village were often carried out there.

Besides that one, Akashi had seen the codenames of several other secret bases.

But he had no idea how many hideouts Orochimaru had in all.

The following afternoon.

In a stone cave on the edge of the forest, a secret door swung open. The carved serpent head, with its lifelike, sharply pointed fangs, gave off a sinister, terrifying air. Dim yellow lights lined the narrow passageway, making it feel as though he were walking through the belly of a snake.

Orochimaru had once said that this was also one of the village's research facilities, an official institution. He was simply in charge of it, and its existence was kept secret from the public.

With decor like that, who would believe it belonged to Konoha?

Akashi knew the way to the lab by heart.

As soon as he entered, he greeted him respectfully. "Lord Orochimaru."

His tall, slender figure stood before a massive, transparent cylindrical tank, commanding respect for no apparent reason.

Something bubbled inside the tank.

A white snake was submerged in dark green liquid. A pipe above it continuously pumped in nutrient solution, while another pipe below drained away foul-smelling waste.

It was as though the snake's body was being cleansed.

"You're right on time today." Orochimaru's voice was low and hoarse. His gaze remained fixed on the coiled white snake, and he didn't move a muscle.

"How could I dare keep you waiting when you summoned me?"

"Heh. How's your Hidden Shadow Snake Hands coming along?"

Akashi answered honestly. "I can summon four snakes at once now. My hands are faster than Anko's."

Orochimaru glanced at him sidelong. "It's no surprise that you're faster than her. Her talent is nothing compared to yours. Once you've mastered it completely, I'll teach you Hidden Shadow Multi-Snake Hands."

"Give me a week. I should have it down by then."

Akashi shrugged. "As for the research you asked me to work on, I'm still figuring it out."

Orochimaru gave a slight nod and pointed to the table. "The main reason I called you here today was to show you this."

Following his gesture, Akashi spotted an unrolled scroll on the table.

"This is..."

"The techniques for cell activation and body regeneration."

Orochimaru made no attempt to hide it. "I've conducted many experiments. I intend to use these techniques to gain immense vitality and chakra, and I've already made progress."

Akashi's eyes lit up.

Some of one's chakra came from the physical energy of the cells in the body. Naturally, activating those cells would increase one's chakra reserves.

According to Orochimaru's status panel, he didn't have much chakra. Yet he had never run short in battle. He could use Summoning Technique repeatedly, along with Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique and even a forbidden technique like Yamata no Orochi, all without difficulty.

That showed just how much cell activation could do.

As for body regeneration, Naruto had once been able to reattach an arm even after the four-tailed beast had slapped it off. It was no exaggeration to say that the technique made Orochimaru almost immune to physical damage.

These two techniques were the foundation for his future development of Soft Physique Modification and Living Corpse Reincarnation. They were also the starting point for achieving his dream.

Orochimaru sought to master every technique in the world, and doing so would take a very long time.

That was why his plan had one crucial step.

Immortality.

As long as he lived long enough, he could have it all.

And if Orochimaru had it, so did Akashi.

"Congratulations on another groundbreaking achievement!" Akashi said.

"But..." Orochimaru's tone shifted. "The number of cells in the human body is limited. They can't simply increase out of nowhere. If we repair and regenerate the body through cell proliferation, it will affect one's lifespan, because the number of times a person's cells can divide over a lifetime is also limited."

Orochimaru shook his head. "The theory is still imperfect. Humans have their limits."

The deeper he delved into his research, the more disappointed he became with the brevity of human life and the limits of the body. Unless... he cast aside his decaying body and let his soul live forever? Was that even possible?

For an instant, it seemed a flash of inspiration appeared.

Akashi had no idea what Orochimaru was thinking, so he tentatively asked, "Is there anything you need me to help with?"

"It's simple."

Orochimaru spoke casually. "The Body Regeneration Technique still needs some work, but the Cell Activation Technique is in its final stages. Take it and try it out first. I know you have plenty of ideas, so help me find any flaws and think carefully about how to deal with the problems that come afterward..."

"If you need any test subjects, just let me know."

He added that last part as an afterthought.

By test subjects, he meant people for live experiments. Whenever Orochimaru went on a mission, he had plans of his own. He also had extensive connections with several black markets overseas, where he traded for people like prisoners and orphans.

"The village has already made its decision. In no more than a month, I'll be heading to the border. I'll take you with me."

"I understand."

Akashi nodded, accepted the heavy scroll, and took his leave respectfully.

In the lab, Orochimaru ran a hand along a pipe, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Don't disappoint me, Uchiha Akashi."

Half an hour later.

Akashi returned to the village. As soon as he entered through the gate, he saw Anko walking toward him.

"Anko, what are you doing here?"

"Hmph! I've been looking for you forever. It was Uncle Oda at the gate who told me you'd gone out. That's how I found out you'd snuck out to train! You left me behind. I'm telling Lord Orochimaru!"

Anko started shouting.

Akashi had no way to explain. He couldn't exactly tell her he'd just gone to meet Orochimaru in secret, could he?

But he couldn't be bothered to explain, either. He waved a hand. "What do you want?"

Anko pouted and tugged at his clothes. "My shurikenjutsu has improved a lot over the last couple of days! Come on, come on, spar with me!"

"A spar...? Didn't we just fight yesterday?"

"That was the day before yesterday! We had dessert together yesterday, remember?" Anko rolled her eyes.

Akashi scratched his head and gave an awkward laugh.

Just then, someone strode into view.

A green, skintight suit, a bowl cut, and thick eyebrows—his distinctive appearance made him instantly recognizable.

Might Guy.

Akashi's heart leaped. He'd found the perfect buyer for his Cell Activation and Body Regeneration techniques!