Life Material

After settling the Uzumaki clansmen in his base in the Land of Grass, Orochimaru

began researching Shao Nan's flesh and blood tissue.

"Orochimaru, research all you want, but don't use innocent civilians as test subjects."

"Oh! Big Brother, I understand! I won't use ordinary civilians."

"Do you really understand what I mean?"

Orochimaru nodded solemnly. "I know your goal is unification, Big Brother. I won't slaughter innocents indiscriminately. I promise you!"

Who am I, Orochimaru?!

Even if I can't use civilians, if I want test subjects, couldn't I get as many as I want?

"Fine, as long as you know your limits. The Land of Grass is in your hands! Don't lose it for me!!!"

Orochimaru suddenly set aside his experiment and pulled a scroll from his robes, handing it to Shao Nan.

"Big Brother, this contains all the life material I currently have for Impure World Reincarnation!

"There are only a few dead powerhouses I've managed to find.

"After all, I have too much research to do. I don't have the time."

After taking Orochimaru's scroll, Shao Nan began to form a plan. Perhaps the path to unifying the Ninja World was not so far away after all.

"Orochimaru, I also want Madara Uchiha's life material!"

"I thought I was the only one coveting the great figures of the past! I never expected you to be a kindred spirit, Big Brother!"

Jokes aside,

being Orochimaru's kindred spirit would mean becoming both male and female. Otherwise, one would not be worthy.

Clearly, I was not one of them.

"No, no, no, Orochimaru. Just be my little brother. I'll find you someone like-minded someday. I think someone named Kabuto Yakushi would be quite suitable!"

"Kabuto? You met him during the Chunin Exams, right? What do you think of that child, Boss?"

"Honestly, I think Kabuto Yakushi is a perfect match for you, Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru smiled. "He is my prized disciple! I don't have the energy to dig up other people's graves. I'll have Kabuto do it. I trust him."

Shao Nan was speechless. Orochimaru, it was precisely because you trusted Kabuto Yakushi too much that, after Uchiha Sasuke killed you, he inherited all your abilities and those of your subordinates, becoming a true Snake Sage.

Kabuto Yakushi was one of the major bosses of the Fourth Shinobi World War.

If Itachi Uchiha had not used Izanami on him,

Kabuto Yakushi would have continued carrying out your will, seeking immortality while still coveting Uchiha Sasuke's body.

It was because Kabuto Yakushi had been influenced by you, Orochimaru, that he chose to join forces with Obito Uchiha and launch the Fourth Shinobi World War. His purpose was Uchiha Sasuke's youthful body!

"Do as you please, Orochimaru, but don't force it. If you can't find it, forget it!

"If you do find it, never use Impure World Reincarnation on Madara Uchiha.

"Madara Uchiha's strength is not something you or Kabuto Yakushi can compare to!

"He can break free of Impure World Reincarnation at any time and kill both of you.

"Once you find it, come to me immediately! Do you understand, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru's thoughts were unsettled:

Madara Uchiha was a legendary figure of the Uchiha clan, even of the entire Ninja World.

Yet he had once been defeated at the Valley of the End, at the hands of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Why did his boss place such importance on him?

Seeing how serious Shao Nan was, Orochimaru understood the gravity of the matter.

He then recalled the time when he had searched for the life material of the First and Second Hokage.

He had also searched for Madara Uchiha's corpse.

He had found Madara Uchiha's body, but the corpse in that coffin had only been a clone.

Orochimaru said calmly, "Boss, I have some rather unusual intelligence. I'm not sure whether I should say it!"

"Orochimaru, hesitating isn't your style. Spit it out!"

"I once searched for Madara Uchiha, but all I found was the corpse of one of his clones.

"When I tried to take life material from it, it directly dispersed."

Good grief, Orochimaru really dared to do anything!

And your current Impure World Reincarnation was only half-baked.

Good thing you didn't find him and revive Madara Uchiha.

Otherwise, in the original story, the Fourth Shinobi World War might have begun much earlier.

Madara Uchiha had used Izanagi to fake his death at the hands of Hashirama Senju.

All so he could bite off a piece of Hashirama Senju's flesh.

Afterward, he awakened the Rinnegan and began preparing the Eye of the Moon Plan.

After his death, he handed everything over to Obito Uchiha.

Thinking of this reminded him of Nagato and Obito Uchiha.

The Akatsuki they were currently in should be working as mercenaries, right?

Obito Uchiha was probably playing the role of an intern in the Akatsuki while secretly acting as its mastermind!

"Orochimaru, Madara Uchiha is indeed dead, but his corpse must be somewhere in a corner of the Ninja World."

"Understood, Boss! Once Kabuto returns, I'll have him dig up graves and search for Madara Uchiha's corpse while he's at it."

Shao Nan nodded at Orochimaru, then began to think:

Madara Uchiha was a formidable warrior. Sasuke and Naruto alone would not be enough to stand against the future Otsutsuki.

If they could not stand against the Otsutsuki clan, then unifying the Ninja World would lose all meaning.

After leaving Orochimaru's laboratory, Shao Nan took Karin Uzumaki's hand and said:

"Karin, is there anything here that you still care about?"

"Brother Shao Nan, I want to go up the mountain and pay my respects to the Uzumaki clansmen who died here."

"Alright, I'll go with you, Karin."

Shao Nan had been startled at first, but then he understood.

Countless Uzumaki clansmen had died after fleeing here.

They could only be buried in a foreign land. It was truly pitiful.

The Uzumaki clansmen rescued here were all women.

The future revival of the Uzumaki clan's population would rest in their hands.

He just wondered whether they would be willing to intermarry now!

Some of the women were quite plump and lovely.

Especially the one named Huai Meng.

She radiated the charm of a mature woman.

She looked so delicate and tender,

like a ripe peach that would surely drip with juice after one bite.

Shao Nan shook his head. It was better to wait until after his great undertaking.

He could not keep indulging in beauty. Since ancient times, heroes had struggled to overcome the allure of beautiful women!

Who am I, Shao Nan? I can definitely do it!

But he already had Tsunade, Ayame, and Yugito Nii. Three already!

And that little girl Hanabi Hyuga seemed a little too intimate with him.

Something was not quite right; yet he found himself enjoying it too much. Haha.

And Karin Uzumaki standing before him had been acting like a lovestruck fool ever since he rescued her in the Forest of Death.

Ah, it was truly hard to resist!

Before Tsunade returned, he could not add any more women!

If he found another, he would be letting Tsunade down!

After going up the mountain, Shao Nan discovered that this could hardly be called a cemetery. It was more like a mass grave.

The graves were all piles of earth, tangled together in a chaotic mess.

Each only had a wooden board stuck into it, bearing an Uzumaki clan crest but not even a name.

Watching Karin Uzumaki carefully pull weeds from those graves,

Shao Nan joined her.

"Karin, let me build them a shelter."

After saying that, Shao Nan prepared to press his hands together and use Wood Release.

But Karin Uzumaki stopped him. "Brother Shao Nan, there's no need!

"They never got to see sunlight while they were alive. Now, let them return to nature!"

Karin Uzumaki's voice sounded deeply dejected.