The Wisdom of the Dead

Although he suffered a major setback in the village almost simultaneously, his last order before being placed under house arrest was to instruct his subordinates to dispose of the two men according to the original plan.

In the original timeline, Shimura Danzō's distrust of the two men caused Leaf Village to lose both of these excellent intelligence agents, while Orochimaru gained a capable assistant.

The same applies to this spacetime.

Orochimaru had a deep impression of Kabuto Yakushi. He had seen the boy in the medical camp during the Third Shinobi World War. At that time, as one of the Legendary Sannin and a battle-hardened ninja, he found that he could not see through the boy's thoughts.

This made Orochimaru remember it.

Kabuto Yakushi is a typical example of a person with inner talent and hidden depth.

His performance after joining Root proved that Orochimaru was right.

After escaping Leaf Village, Orochimaru immediately went to find Kabuto Yakushi.

At that time, Kabuto Yakushi was already Sasori's subordinate, though still in the role of a spy.

Because of this incident, Sasori harbored a great deal of resentment towards Orochimaru.

It was Kabuto Yakushi himself who "resolved" this conflict. He made Sasori believe that he was still Sasori's subordinate. Sasori, thinking that he could plant a hidden pawn next to Orochimaru, whom he hated the most, was willing to reconcile with Orochimaru.

As for Nagato, he didn't want to get involved in this mess at all; as long as Sasori didn't fight Orochimaru, everything was fine.

As for Uchiha Shingen, he always believed that even if the timeline was different, Kabuto Yakushi must have already become Orochimaru's loyal subordinate.

Regardless of strength, Kabuto Yakushi joined Root voluntarily from the beginning, for the sake of Yakushi Nonō and his companions in the orphanage, because these people gave meaning to the first stage of his life.

Becoming Orochimaru's subordinate was the same; Orochimaru gave him meaning in the second phase of his life.

Who exactly am I? If I gather all the information and knowledge in this world, I should be able to find the answer.

Uchiha Shingen had long wanted to meet this young man who was so adept at being a spy, but unfortunately, Orochimaru had kept Kabuto Yakushi hidden away like a precious treasure, refusing to let Uchiha Shingen see him.

I already know your name, are you afraid I'll see it?

Uchiha Shingen found this utterly baffling.

Orochimaru led him down the path.

"Your base is getting bigger and bigger," Uchiha Shingen asked, descending the steps. "How many layers have you dug up?"

"There aren't many left," Orochimaru said. "One more floor and we'll reach the bottom."

The two descended the steps and entered the lowest level.

The lights here are much dimmer; there isn't much illumination.

The sound of drainage can be heard from inside the wall.

This floor is mostly filled with dehumidification equipment, and the sound of the machines echoes in the corridor.

Orochimaru walked to the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a large iron gate.

"Shingen- kun, I hope you will keep this a secret, after all..." Orochimaru chuckled wickedly, his tone tinged with smugness, "The people of Hidden Leaf Village will probably be very unhappy."

After saying that, he pushed open the door.

Uchiha Shingen went inside.

The room was very spacious, and on both sides were many new coffins neatly arranged.

Inside the room, a young man put down his work and looked at Uchiha Shingen.

"Lord Shingen, hello. I am Kabuto Yakushi."

"Hello." Uchiha Shingen nodded to Kabuto Yakushi.

To be fair, Kabuto Yakushi didn't do anything to wrong Leaf Village; it was Leaf Village that truly wronged him.

But what Shimura Danzō did wasn't actually that bad.

The problem lies solely in the fact that Yakushi Nonō and Kabuto Yakushi are too unconventional.

Kabuto Yakushi was a double agent but never thought of benefiting from both sides, while Yakushi Nonō went back to be a spy solely to keep the orphanage running.

Neither of them felt anything about the Will of Fire, but betraying Leaf Village was something they had never even considered.

They were all working tirelessly for that orphanage.

At that time, Hidden Leaf Village did indeed cut its budget in this area due to financial constraints.

"Kabuto, haven't you always wanted to meet Shingen- kun? Now I've managed to bring him over."

"Yes, I've always wanted to know what kind of person Lord Shingen is." Kabuto Yakushi smiled innocently.

Kabuto Yakushi has many identities, one of which is Genin) of Hidden Leaf Village.

However, he didn't dare to wander around in front of Uchiha Shingen while in the village.

Even though he knew from Orochimaru that Uchiha Shingen was a collaborator.

Cooperating with Orochimaru and then killing him when you see him wouldn't cause any conflict.

But now that Uchiha Shingen has been able to enter this place, he feels he shouldn't have to worry about this problem anymore.

"Want to see me?" Uchiha Shingen thought for a moment, not realizing that he had done anything to make Kabuto Yakushi so eager to see him.

"Yes, I want to express my gratitude to you regarding the orphanage."

"Oh..." Uchiha Shingen suddenly realized.

After he introduced the association's channels, Hidden Leaf Village's financial situation improved significantly, and welfare institutions such as orphanages no longer faced funding shortages.

Of course, a very important reason is that Uchiha Shingen needs to participate in every budget meeting, and he will lock this part into a fixed cost.

Orphanages have always been an important channel for Hidden Leaf Village to absorb external human resources.

The orphanage that was once established by Yakushi Nonō was also reopened after being abandoned.

The orphanage was managed by the orphans who had grown up.

Thanks to the improved environment of Hidden Leaf Village, most of the orphans raised by Yakushi Nonō are still alive and have returned to the orphanage.

"If you'd like to become Konoha Ninja again, I'd personally be quite happy to welcome you," Uchiha Shingen said with some emotion.

"Shingen- kun, this is not right of you. How could you poach my important assistant?" Orochimaru said from the side.

But neither of them took it seriously.

Everyone knows that Kabuto Yakushi cannot leave Orochimaru.

"I'm sorry, Lord Shingen, my dream can only be realized by Lord Orochimaru's side," Kabuto Yakushi said with a smile.

"Well, I wish you success."

Thank you for your encouragement.

After finishing their pointless conversation, Uchiha Shingen looked at Orochimaru again and asked, "Weren't you going to show me? What is it?"

"Kabuto." Orochimaru Kabuto Yakushi to Kabuto, who, upon seeing this, took out a set of experimental data from a nearby cabinet and handed it to Uchiha Shingen.

Uchiha Shingen took a look.

"This doesn't seem to be a technique of the Second Hokage."

"Did Lord Shingen notice?"

Of course I can see it! This is clearly Lao Tzu's technique!

Dango, I taught you how to use it yourself, and you actually taught it to Orochimaru?

"Where did you get this technique? Although the Impure World Reincarnation is recorded in the Book of Seals, the Third Hokage shouldn't have allowed anyone to learn this Ninjutsu."

"Shingen- kun, you are a ninja of the Uchiha Clan, so you should know about Senju Muzoku," Orochimaru laughed. "As a formidable enemy of your clan, this Ninjutsu should have been copied by you as well."

"Would you believe me if I said no?"

He never used a copy hammer in front of the Uchiha Clan; it was always pre-made.

"I see, so cautious indeed. That's a real shame," Orochimaru regretfully.

He truly regrets that he was born too late.

During the reigns of Senju Tobirama and Senju Muzoku, Leaf Village was at the peak of its Ninjutsu experiments, unlike the later period when Sarutobi Hiruzen was so wary of them.

"So, this is what you showed me?" Uchiha Shingen handed the experimental notebook back to Kabuto. "What? You want the Uchiha Clan to invest in this project?"

"If that's the case, would you vote?"

"To be honest, this can't be faked, there's no way to cover it up," Uchiha Shingen said.

Of course I won't vote.

Not only would he not surrender, he also wanted to thoroughly investigate whether Orochimaru had actually preserved any of the two men's body parts.

"Orochimaru, let me be frank. Let's put aside the Wood Release experiment for now, but helping you complete this technique conflicts with my principles," Uchiha Shingen said. "Tell me honestly, do you still retain the body tissues of the First Hokage and Second Hokage?"

"Shimura Danzō provided me with the body tissue of the First; I really don't have the Second Hokage's," Orochimaru said, sensing that Uchiha Shingen seemed to value this point highly.

Orochimaru thought this was probably because these two had once been the most formidable enemies of the Uchiha Clan.

What he wanted to resurrect was not the strongest Senju Clan, but the most evil Senju Clan.

"The First's organization was used up during the initial experiments, and a large portion of it was previously sealed away by Leaf Village. Later, I left Leaf Village in such a hurry that it became even more impossible for me to continue using it."

Uchiha Shingen stared at Orochimaru for a long time, but the latter didn't seem to care and looked relaxed.

When it comes to research, Orochimaru has always been someone who has nothing to hide and has nothing to fear.

He never lies. Although he often uses incredibly fancy PowerPoint presentations to fool investors, the content itself is all true.

"I hope what you're saying is true," Uchiha Shingen said. "As long as we don't cross this line, we can talk about anything."

"Don't worry, I lost interest in Wood Release a long time ago," Orochimaru said. "Compared to the First and Second Hokage, I'm more interested in that Wu Zu Lord. To be honest, I obtained his remaining body tissues."

"Huh?" Uchiha Shingen's eyes widened immediately.

Say that again, you son of a bitch?

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Wisdom of the Dead

When a person is covered in Explosive Tag, and then subjected to Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, it is the best way to destroy the body and eliminate all traces.

Not only is it fast-acting, but it's also pollution-free; perhaps only Deidara's self-destruction in the original timeline can surpass it.

As for how he lived in his first timeline, Uchiha Shingen wouldn't dare say he could remember every single detail, but he knew exactly how he died in his first timeline.

After all, he blew himself up; how could he not remember clearly?

He asked himself if his method of explosion was absolutely perfect, covering every angle and ensuring even distribution, taking full account of himself and every audience member around him. It was absurd that something could still be left behind.

"Oh, Wu Zu," Uchiha Shingen said, forgetting his slight embarrassment at being addressed as "Lord," "Where are you?"

Tell me right now, and I'll unleash a Majestic Destroyer Flame on you.

"Shingen- kun is also very interested, but not now." Orochimaru refused, then stated his reason. "Because I haven't found a way to restore the usability of those organizations."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Shingen felt immediately relieved.

Why didn't you say so earlier?

He thought the body tissue the other person was talking about was the kind that was "undamaged" and could be used directly for Impure World Reincarnation, and he said that it was impossible for him to leave such a loophole.

Those burnt things are fine; if they're burnt, you can't extract Chakra, so you can't use Impure World Reincarnation.

He's not Senju Hashirama.

Uchiha Shingen had always had full confidence in Orochimaru's professional abilities, but he was not optimistic about Orochimaru's idea of making a name for himself in something that had been around for decades.

But we still have to be careful; what if the crispy rice wasn't fried properly and a single grain of rice ended up stuck in the bottom?

"Alright, I still admire Lord Wu Zu very much. If you have a way to restore him, remember to let me pay my respects."

"I definitely will, and I hope to share this joy with Shingen- kun as well." Orochimaru smiled, but his eyes were a little eerie.

However, Orochimaru's gaze was never anything but chilling, Uchiha Shingen didn't take it seriously.

At most, it's just that my attitude towards "Senju Muzoku" is obviously different from that of the two Hokage, which might give them some different ideas. It's not a big deal.

Anyway, he's Uchiha Clan now, so whenever he's unsure what to do, he brings up history.

"Since there's nothing left to see, I'll be leaving now," said Uchiha Shingen.

"Shingen- kun, it seems you've suddenly lost interest in this project?" Orochimaru observed Uchiha Shingen's reaction. "Is it the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu that you're not interested in? Or is it something else? I think we can have a frank discussion."

"You haven't achieved anything yet, it's too early to talk about interest." Uchiha Shingen didn't really want to respond, but since Orochimaru asked, he might as well provoke him. "The Impure World Reincarnation technique itself isn't suitable for reviving skilled individuals, it's rather useless."