Senjutsu

"I only need the cells. I don't need Lord Orochimaru to help transplant them."

After leaving the base and coming outside, Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled.

He knew his own limits. Hashirama's cells weren't easy to transplant, and besides, he didn't trust Orochimaru to do it for him.

But now that he had Hashirama Cells, one of his biggest concerns was settled.

He now had both Shisui's eyes and Hashirama Cells. It was only a matter of time before he fused them.

"Kid!"

Orochimaru said coolly, "I gave you Hashirama's cells, so now you should tell me who that person is, shouldn't you?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded. "Uchiha Itachi."

Uchiha Itachi!

Orochimaru's pupils contracted. "Fugaku's son? He's quite a promising child!"

As he spoke, he stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth.

Back when he was still in Konoha, he had seen Uchiha Itachi's Shuriken skills. They were on the level of an elite jonin.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan!"

A feverish light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.

He couldn't wait to head to Konoha.

After the two had gone a long way, a figure suddenly emerged from beneath the water. It was Hōzuki Mangetsu's Shadow Clone.

He had left a Shadow Clone behind when he left the base. The Hozuki Clan moved through water like fish, and even Orochimaru, who was above Kage Level, hadn't noticed it.

Amachi!

Hōzuki Mangetsu's figure appeared in front of the base again.

"What are you doing back here? Come to laugh at me?"

Amachi stared coldly at Hōzuki Mangetsu. He formed a hand seal and summoned a strange mass of water.

"Umi-bozu, take him out!"

Orochimaru had just abandoned him, and Amachi was in a foul mood. Hōzuki Mangetsu's arrival was perfect. Killing the bastard would let him vent his anger.

Hōzuki Mangetsu took a few steps back and smiled. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to propose a partnership."

Amachi had lost Orochimaru's financial support. If he wanted to finish his experiment, he would have to find a source of funding himself.

Although the Land of the Sea was weak, it was a vassal of the Land of Water and paid a hefty tribute every year in exchange for protection.

If Amachi planned to make a move against the Land of the Sea, he would attract the attention of the Land of Water. Once they discovered the base, it would be finished.

"A partnership? What kind?"

Amachi paused, staring at Hōzuki Mangetsu in confusion.

Hōzuki Mangetsu's smile remained unchanged. "It's simple. I provide the funds, and you work for me. You can continue your own research, too."

"Work for you?"

Amachi suddenly sneered. "Sorry, you haven't earned that right."

Although Orochimaru had abandoned him, he wasn't about to submit so easily.

Hōzuki Mangetsu sighed. "Then there's nothing I can do. I'll just have to go back and tell the Mizukage. I wonder if he'll allow a base like this to remain in the Land of the Sea."

With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the water's surface.

Amachi gritted his teeth.

He didn't know whether Hōzuki Mangetsu was telling the truth, but he was still somewhat wary.

If Kirigakure really took an interest, everything here would be doomed.

Lord Orochimaru had really brought trouble upon himself!

What Amachi didn't know was that Orochimaru and Hōzuki Mangetsu had some shady dealings between them, so Orochimaru wasn't worried that Hōzuki Mangetsu would leak the secrets of the base.

Besides, since Orochimaru had already decided to abandon the place, he wouldn't give it another thought.

"What do you want me to do?"

Amachi asked, puzzled.

Seeing how readily Amachi had come around, Hōzuki Mangetsu finally smiled.

"Put your expertise to use and help me modify some people, but not right now."

"What?"

Amachi stared at Hōzuki Mangetsu in surprise.

That wouldn't be difficult. In fact, it sounded almost too easy.

He had been modifying human bodies for years. Most of Orochimaru's modification experiments had been carried out by him.

"That's easy!"

Amachi nodded. "Just send the people over, and I'll make sure they're modified properly."

When Amachi agreed, Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled as well.

He had decided to modify people into amphibians after being inspired by Kisame.

Kisame had been able to capture a jinchuriki alive not only because of Samehada, but also because he was amphibious and could breathe underwater.

If other ninja were equipped with gills, they could also use the same technique Kisame used to capture jinchuriki alive.

Orochimaru's body modifications all had their drawbacks, but with proper training, they could still be beneficial.

That fanatical scientist had always been using his methods to help the underdog turn into a winner.

Besides...

Hōzuki Mangetsu's tone changed. "I also want to get the Cursed Seal."

"The Cursed Seal!"

Amachi paused, then shook his head. "Sorry, I really can't help you with that. I don't know where it comes from."

He had been involved when Orochimaru developed the Cursed Seal, but he didn't know the details of its core.

All he knew was that Orochimaru had used a strange liquid as a medium, mixed it with snake venom, and created a new kind of Cursed Seal.

There were two types: the Heaven Cursed Seal and the Earth Cursed Seal. Once someone received one, they could never betray their master.

"Where it comes from?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu smiled faintly. "Have you ever heard of Senjutsu?"

"Senjutsu?"

Amachi asked in surprise, "You mean the mysterious arts of the Three Great Sage Regions?"

He had heard of the Three Great Sage Regions.

"That's right."

Hōzuki Mangetsu nodded.

Orochimaru's Cursed Seal originated from Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions.

The Cursed Seal's raw material had also been extracted from Jugo, who could absorb Natural Energy. But Jugo still couldn't control Senjutsu Chakra, so he often went berserk and killed people.

Orochimaru had failed to learn Senjutsu because the bodies he had taken over weren't suited to practicing it.

For years, he had searched everywhere for a suitable body and placed Cursed Seals on those he found.

Only bodies suited to the Cursed Seal could learn Senjutsu, making them the best vessels for reincarnation.

In the end, he had chosen the young Sasuke, whose Uchiha bloodline and body made him suited to mastering Senjutsu through the Cursed Seal.

It was clear that Orochimaru's ultimate goal was Senjutsu.

Besides Mount Myoboku and Ryūchi Cave, there was another place where one could learn Senjutsu: Shikkotsu Forest.

Although the story never showed the Sage of Shikkotsu Forest, it did show Hashirama's Sage Mode.

That Sage Mode didn't require hand seals to absorb Natural Energy.

Even if Hōzuki Mangetsu managed to fuse with Hashirama's cells someday, he certainly wouldn't gain all the strength of the God of Shinobi. So he needed another safeguard.

That safeguard was Senjutsu!

Shisui's eyes, Hashirama's cells, and the practice of Senjutsu—that was Hōzuki Mangetsu's real goal.

Now that he had Shisui's eyes and Hashirama's cells, only the practice of Senjutsu remained.

Since Hōzuki Mangetsu wasn't descended from someone with a Sage Body, he would have to find another way to learn Senjutsu.