Orochimaru had not come this time merely to talk about his departure. He also had an important matter that required Uchiha Yū's help.
"There's a small flaw in the Curse Mark we developed together."
Uchiha Yū took the scroll from his hand and examined it carefully. When he saw the section Orochimaru had marked, his expression grew solemn.
"Orochimaru-sensei, the energy supply for the second stage isn't stable."
The current first generation had been developed using radiation energy from meteorites and could be considered a perfect creation. However, further research revealed that the power provided by the meteorites was ultimately too limited to support the development of Sage Mode, leaving it as a half-finished product.
"I'll help you solve this problem, Orochimaru-sensei. We can try some substitutes."
At present, Uchiha Yū could think of two options. One was to use the Rinnegan's power to pull over a batch of meteorites, though that would take a long time. The other was to develop a way to replicate the meteorites' radiation energy.
He preferred the latter. It would not require a long wait, and current technology could achieve it.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Orochimaru nodded lightly. Yet after he left, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Uchiha Yū had not noticed Orochimaru's microexpression, but he vaguely guessed something and said helplessly,
"It seems Orochimaru-sensei still hasn't given up on immortality."
The first-stage Curse Mark could strengthen the body, and being unable to enter Sage Mode was not a fatal issue. But Orochimaru's ambition was to live forever. The Curse Mark could serve as a spiritual vessel, provided that the power within it did not fade with time. Otherwise, it would deal an enormous blow to Orochimaru, who had split off part of his spiritual power.
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