Cooperative Research

Bang!

Blinding lights flared over the operating table. Shinnō shook his dizzy head, his first reaction being: I'm still alive! He had assumed he was a dead man, yet somehow, the other party had spared his life.

The scorching brightness made it impossible for him to open his eyes for a moment.

Voices reached his ears from two people.

"This doctor doesn't seem to have anything particularly special about him."

"He had a wound on his left abdomen that I pierced with a Kunai, and it has already mostly recovered. So, I suspect that even if it isn't the Body Regeneration Technique, it is at least a similar technology."

"Looking at it that way, he does have some value. Heh, you've unearthed some decent material."

"Anything for Lord Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru!

Upon hearing that name, Shinnō was jolted with shock. He suddenly sobered up and struggled to force his eyes open.

After blinking repeatedly, his vision finally pierced through the glare.

Shinnō saw two figures—Orochimaru and Akashi.

He tried to sit up instinctively, only to find his limbs locked down and his torso strapped tight. Aside from being able to turn his head, he was completely unable to move.

"Oh? He's awake." Akashi smiled and glanced back at the screen.

"How are the vital signs?"

"Everything is normal."

Orochimaru walked over, a wicked smile on his face, though his golden pupils flickered with a terrifying, murderous light. A single glance was enough to make one tremble.

Akashi pressed down on Shinnō's shoulder, soothing him: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. As long as you cooperate, we won't do anything to you."

"Cooperate how?" Shinnō grew alert.

"Don't use such a tense tone. I'm not a bad guy. I wouldn't do the kind of petty thievery you do; we just want you to cooperate with some research."

"What kind of research?"

"Being the subject of it."

Lying on the white operating table, Shinnō looked panicked and struggled desperately, but having been injected with snake venom, he felt weak and limp, with no way to escape.

"You... you are actually doing this inside the village!"

"Who told you that you were still in the village?" Akashi said with a grin.

Shinnō froze.

He turned his head to look around. The surrounding equipment was highly professional, some of which he couldn't even name. It turned out that Orochimaru and Akashi had built such a massive laboratory outside the village. What were these two planning?

"Enough talk."

Orochimaru interrupted their exchange, concise and to the point: "Begin."

Akashi replied: "Understood. One more question, Shinnō: how far have you researched your Body Regeneration Technique? Hand it over to us, and honestly, I might consider reducing your sentence."

"Why should I trust you?" Shinnō looked suspicious.

Ever since he had been swindled at the restaurant, his trust in Akashi had dropped to zero. Now, he didn't even bother with the honorifics after "Mr. Shinnō," addressing him by name instead. With such an attitude, it was hard to hand over his trump card.

But Akashi didn't care; he shrugged: "It seems you still don't understand your situation."

With that, two long wires were connected to Shinnō's body. As the console lights flickered, a powerful current surged through him, the high voltage instantly forcing a scream from his throat!

"Ahhhhhhh—oh!!!"

Akashi observed the data on the instruments while recording Shinnō's status. Orochimaru spoke coldly: "You can add a little more."

"No... no, no, ahhh!!"

"Add more."

"Ahhh... ahhh!"

"Add more."

"Please... ahhh!"

The harrowing screams echoed through the laboratory. Akashi couldn't even bear to watch. He finally understood why Orochimaru had insisted on taking Shinnō outside the village to perform the experiments; if these screams had occurred in the village, they would have surely alerted the Hokage.

Was it cruel? Not necessarily.

To survive in this world, without the ability to change it, one must adapt to its rules.

The ninja world was, by nature, a place where people devoured one another.

If one needed a shred of comfort, it was that Shinnō was no saint, which helped alleviate some of the psychological burden.

Akashi scribbled away at his report. Besides the one in his hand, several others were spread out on the table.

<Preliminary attempts on the destructive nature of Lightning Release Chakra Mode toward the body>

<Research on the resistance of Body Regeneration to Snake Venom-α>

Hypothesis on the Feasibility of Limb Regeneration

<Proof of the Maximum Propagation Speed of Explosive Tag Detonations>

Every one of these studies caused immense damage to the test subject; had he not encountered Shinnō, they would still be buried at the bottom of a box.

Electric currents passed through Shinnō's body again and again, simulating the effects of Lightning Release. Though crude, it still held some value for reference.

Ten minutes later, the research paused.

Akashi kindly allowed Shinnō some time to rest.

"How about it? Bring out your research results. Save us some time so we don't have to take matters into our own hands."

"If I hand them over, will you let me go?"

"Why are you starting to negotiate again?" Akashi smiled, his hand pressing the power switch.

Screams rang out once more, echoing shrilly.

Devils! Both of these people are devils!

After another round of torture, Shinnō closed his eyes in agony, his entire body trembling. Amidst the blank void of his mind, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck.

That's it, I'll fake my death!

Shinnō squeezed his eyes shut and instantly suppressed his aura; for him, feigning a corpse was no difficult task. I am a master of playing dead, heh heh. Once you throw me out, I'll seize the chance to slip away.

Orochimaru frowned. "He doesn't seem to be holding up."

"Really?"

Akashi checked his breath, knowing full well what was happening. He exchanged a glance with Orochimaru, and the two reached a silent understanding.

Just as Shinnō was feeling smug about his acting skills, Akashi's voice drifted over—"What is this? So much for physical regeneration; he couldn't even handle a few jolts."

"Should we preserve him as a specimen? Or maybe scoop out his brain for sectioning and study?"

"Throw him to the snakes," Orochimaru suggested more directly.

You are simply not human!

Even I am not as vicious as you two!

Shinnō wailed internally. Having witnessed Akashi's methods, he did not doubt the sincerity of their discussion for a second. Suddenly, he choked on a breath:

"Wait! I... I... I feel like I can still be saved!"

"Yo, quite the tenacious vitality."

Akashi still wore a playful smile, which sent a chill down Shinnō's spine. "Have you made up your mind?"

"I have! I'll give them to you! All the research results I've gathered to this day, I'll give them all to you!"

"Very good. Then we shall skip this experiment."

Shinnō felt as if he had been granted amnesty.

Even though he possessed the technology for physical regeneration, it had yet to be perfected. Enduring such high-intensity electric currents repeatedly was one thing for a few minutes, but the damage to his body over several consecutive hours was unimaginable.

He could recover, yes, but the speed of each recovery was slowing down.

Finally...

"Wait, this experiment?" Shinnō suddenly realized.

Akashi stepped aside, yielding his position to Orochimaru, and explained, "That was my project just now; now it is Lord Orochimaru's turn."

"You..."

Shinnō's voice cut off midway, as if his throat had been stuffed with cotton; terror choked the sound right out of him. A terrifying, gloomy face loomed closer. Orochimaru looked as if he had spotted his prey and lunged for the kill!