Drawing on his memories of his previous visit, he quickly found Orochimaru's base.
The same large boulder still blocked the entrance.
Just as Gentō was wondering how to get inside, the boulder suddenly moved on its own, slowly sliding aside to reveal the tunnel entrance.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The tunnel still had that strange smell.
Gentō quickened his pace, passing the glass tanks holding experimental subjects and the stone chambers piled with equipment, heading straight for the innermost laboratory.
Sure enough, Orochimaru was still there.
Dressed in a white robe, he stood before a lab bench, fiddling with something in his hands.
"My place certainly is lively today."
Orochimaru did not even turn around.
"Even you have come... Gentō."
Gentō was in no mood for small talk and cut straight to the point:
"Orochimaru, get out of Konoha right now!"
"I just received word that Hiruzen Sarutobi has decided to arrest you tonight!"
Orochimaru's hands stopped moving.
He slowly turned around, his previously composed expression finally changing.
Within seconds, however, he regained his composure.
Without another word, he took out one Sealing Scroll after another and began packing at a frantic pace:
Research data, reagent bottles, culture tanks-even the glass vessels holding experimental subjects were sealed into the scrolls, one after another.
Once he had finished packing, Orochimaru summoned his disciple, Anko.
He was just about to say something when his expression suddenly changed, and he whipped his head toward the exit.
"This is bad!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a thunderous boom erupted at the far end of the tunnel.
The explosion's shock wave kicked up clouds of dust.
Then Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice rang out through the dust:
"Orochimaru is inside! Follow me! Take him alive!"
Gentō's expression changed when he heard Hiruzen's voice from the other end of the tunnel.
He was here already!
With no time to think, he grabbed Orochimaru with one hand and pulled Anko over with the other, activating his left eye's Dōjutsu.
"Yomi-no-Mikoto!"
Layers of ripples spread through the space behind them. In the blink of an eye, the three of them slowly sank into it and vanished without a trace.
Almost at that same instant, Hiruzen charged into the laboratory with more than a dozen Anbu.
Torchlight illuminated the entire stone chamber, but it was deserted. All that remained were a few empty lab benches and broken glass scattered across the floor.
Hiruzen froze, a flicker of bewilderment crossing his face.
"Where is Orochimaru?"
Only moments earlier, he had still been wavering over whether to kill his disciple once he rushed inside or let him live.
Now he no longer had to choose.
Orochimaru had vanished into thin air!
Not only was he gone, but the laboratory equipment, culture tanks, and scrolls-almost everything that could be moved-had been taken away, leaving only a heap of useless junk.
What did that mean?
It meant Orochimaru had known he was coming to arrest him!
He had left at his leisure.
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
A moment later, he clenched his pipe between his teeth and ordered:
"The Ninjutsu and research data in Orochimaru's possession are vital assets of Konoha. We cannot let him take them away!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping toward the tunnel:
"He cannot have gotten far. Pursue him immediately!"
"And one more thing..."
He glanced at the disordered laboratory.
"Take everything left here back to Konoha."
Meanwhile, Gentō, Orochimaru, and Anko had landed in Yomi Space.
Everything around them was gray and hazy, with murky, chaotic vapor drifting through the air.
Orochimaru's eyes lit up the moment he landed.
He looked around the strange space with undisguised excitement, even reaching out to grab the murky vapor floating beside him, as though he wanted to hold it in his hands and study it.
"This is... Space-Time Ninjutsu!"
His voice brimmed with excitement he could not conceal.
"And an independent space, at that!"
As he spoke, he was already considering how to collect the "murky vapor" here, showing none of the fear one might expect after narrowly escaping the Third Hokage's encirclement.
Gentō was at a loss for words.
That dedication to research...
It really was something else.
No wonder he could be a scientist.
He could not help reminding him:
"Orochimaru, we are not out of danger yet. Don't let your guard down."
With that, he activated his left eye's Dōjutsu again, and space rippled once more.
Their vision blurred, and they emerged from Yomi Space beneath a large tree in the Forest of Death.
Orochimaru had been engrossed in his research, and a trace of displeasure crossed his face at the sudden interruption.
He turned to stare into Gentō's eyes, his tone probing:
"This must be a Dōjutsu awakened through the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan."
Knowing he could not hide it from him, Gentō simply nodded:
"That's right. But this Dōjutsu cannot transport us very far. We are still in the Forest of Death."
Rather than rushing to escape, Orochimaru grew reflective upon hearing that:
"How fascinating... I have studied so many forms of Ninjutsu, yet in the end, I find Kekkei Genkai more wondrous than any secret technique."
Gentō did not pursue that topic. Instead, he said solemnly:
"Orochimaru, from now on, I will no longer supply you with the remains of Uchiha Clan members."
Naturally, this was because the newly available clan building required Sharingan as sacrifices.
Orochimaru did not seem to care in the slightest and waved a hand:
"It makes no difference. The experimental subjects you provided before have already allowed me to discover quite a few things."
He paused, then suddenly gave Gentō a meaningful look:
"For instance... using the Sharingan too much causes blindness."
Gentō's heart lurched, and his pupils contracted slightly.
Orochimaru continued:
"My research has shown that, whether or not a member of the Uchiha Clan has awakened their Sharingan, the eyes themselves are rather like... containers, naturally holding large quantities of yin release chakra."
"And yin release chakra is closely tied to a person's mind. When an Uchiha experiences a powerful emotional shock, the brain produces a special kind of energy that opens these containers, awakening the Sharingan."
"The stronger the shock, the more advanced the Sharingan's awakening."
After hearing this, Gentō could not help expressing his heartfelt admiration:
"Orochimaru, your research is entirely correct."
It matched exactly what he had read in the original story.
Reaching this level with only a year of research was truly impressive.
Orochimaru continued his explanation:
"However, once the containers open, their contents begin to be depleted. Each use of the Sharingan consumes a little of the yin release chakra within the eyes."
"With an ordinary Sharingan, that is manageable. But once the Mangekyō awakens, its immensely powerful Dōjutsu consume it much faster. When the yin release chakra in the eyes runs out, blindness naturally follows."
At this point, Orochimaru gave Gentō's eyes another meaningful look.
Gentō was shaken.
Something suddenly occurred to him, and he could not help asking:
"There is a legend in the Uchiha Clan that a blind Mangekyō can become an Eternal Mangekyo that will never lose its sight if the user replaces it with the eyes of a biological brother. How does that work?"
Before you continue