Orochimaru the Cold Lord

"It was Lord Orochimaru."

"What was Lord Orochimaru doing here?"

In the hospital room, Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin alongside Tsunade, shocked the medical ninja nearby the moment he appeared.

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Though I am not as skilled as Tsunade in medical ninjutsu, I have some expertise myself. I believe I can be of help."

Anko stared curiously at Orochimaru. So this was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin? For some reason, the instant she saw him, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

Why had Orochimaru come?

On the hospital bed, Hyuga Satoru frowned slightly.

He still harbored some wariness toward Orochimaru the Cold Lord.

More importantly, he was in poor condition right now. If Orochimaru wanted to tamper with him...

"I came here for Wu, of course. I believe I can help Wu. If possible, I would like some time alone with him. Would that be acceptable?"

Orochimaru's voice was utterly sincere as Aburame Shibi and the others turned their attention to Hyuga Satoru.

Hyuga Satoru considered it. Orochimaru had not yet defected at this point. At worst, he was obsessed with pursuing immortality. With Aburame Shibi outside, nothing should go wrong.

Most importantly, Orochimaru truly possessed something he needed...

"Alright."

Bang!

The hospital room door shut, leaving only Orochimaru and Hyuga Satoru in the empty room.

"Lord Orochimaru, what do you want from coming here this time?"

Hyuga Satoru got straight to the point.

He did not believe Orochimaru had come merely to treat him.

"As expected of Wu. You noticed my purpose."

"One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and an Elite Jonin of the Kaguya Clan. Even I would likely choose to retreat before such a lineup, yet Wu actually survived. My, my."

"Perhaps I did more than merely survive."

Hyuga Satoru looked at him indifferently.

"Could it be?!"

A sharp gleam flashed through Orochimaru's eyes. He drew a deep breath, and his previous playful expression turned solemn.

Hyuga Satoru pondered quietly. It seemed Anko had only told them about the enemies he had encountered, not the details of the battle. But thinking about it carefully, by the time Anko arrived, their corpses had already been swallowed by the Metal Jungle.

Still, he needed to throw Orochimaru a heavy blow. After all, it was dangerous to make a deal with a snake like this without showing enough capital.

Orochimaru reined in his shock and walked to Hyuga Satoru's bedside, clicking his tongue as he examined his body.

The more he observed, the deeper the smile in his eyes became, until he could not help voicing his admiration.

"As expected of the first ninja in Hyuga history to possess a Dual Bloodline, the greatest genius of the new generation. Such a peculiar body, such incomparable vitality... There also seems to be an unusual power repairing your wounds..."

"Lord Orochimaru has sharp eyes."

Hyuga Satoru spoke calmly. After being tempered by three upgrades of Electromagnetic Force, his body had long surpassed that of ordinary people. The Life Magnetic Field's automatic adjustments were also constantly healing his injuries.

"But if that is all, some aftereffects will inevitably remain. After all, Wu, it seems you used some forbidden technique with an enormous cost. Even your cells have suffered some damage."

Orochimaru clicked his tongue again. In only a few minutes, he had reached a conclusion more accurate than what those medical ninja had managed after several hours.

Hyuga Satoru remained silent.

Tyrant Mode drastically drained both mental energy and chakra. Once chakra was pushed to its limit, the cells risked being damaged.

That was why he needed a long period of recuperation after using Tyrant Mode. Both his mind and body had already reached their limits.

"I came at the right time. This is the cultivation method for [Cell Activation], a secret technique I spent three years developing. Not only can it repair Wu's cellular damage, but it can also make your special constitution even stronger."

"Then... what is the price?"

Hyuga Satoru asked in a low voice.

Orochimaru smiled. "Cells. Fresh samples of your cells, along with samples of your hair and blood. The only Dual Bloodline in Hyuga history, along with such an extraordinarily rare special constitution... I can hardly wait to explore it."

"Fine."

"Haha, Wu truly is a straightforward person."

As he spoke, Orochimaru took out a scroll and spread it open. In its center were items such as test tubes, scalpels, and forceps.

"I will be very careful. It will not hurt Wu."

The corner of Hyuga Satoru's mouth twitched slightly. Even now, Orochimaru still had to disgust him.

Collecting the samples was not complicated, and Orochimaru's movements were delicate. At least outwardly, there was not much change.

Hyuga Satoru watched carefully, making sure Orochimaru did not do anything suspicious.

Once he was finished, Orochimaru handed the scroll to Hyuga Satoru.

"The method for cultivating Cell Activation is not complicated. With Wu's memory, I believe you will memorize it quickly. Then you can try cultivating it right there on the hospital bed. I am sure Wu will like it."

Orochimaru turned to leave when a calm voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Wait, Orochimaru."

"What is it?"

"I hope there will be opportunities for us to cooperate in the future."

Hyuga Satoru looked at him calmly.

Orochimaru paused, then suddenly laughed.

"Hehe, Wu is indeed an ambitious person, isn't he?"

What purpose did Hyuga Satoru have that required cooperation with a snake like him?

Or rather, what was restraining him, forcing him to cooperate with Orochimaru?

The moment four words surfaced in his mind—the Hyuga Branch Family—Orochimaru immediately understood.

The Caged Bird! He was Leaf Village's most renowned research ninja. For something like the Caged Bird, perhaps only by coming to him would there be even the slightest hope of breaking it.

For some reason, Orochimaru suddenly began looking forward to their cooperation. How terrifying would a completely unrestrained Hyuga Satoru be?

With that thought, he smiled and pushed open the hospital room door.

"Wu, how are you?"

"Are you alright?"

The people waiting anxiously outside immediately rushed into the room.

"I'm fine." Hyuga Satoru smiled and nodded at them.

"Since Wu no longer needs me, I shall take my leave."

Having obtained what he wanted, Orochimaru was already impatient to return to his laboratory.

"Lord Orochimaru, you have truly troubled yourself this time."

"I never expected Lord Orochimaru to know medical ninjutsu as well. Hyuga Satoru's complexion looks much better."

The medical ninja around them instinctively began flattering Orochimaru.

Orochimaru nodded and walked out of the hospital room.

Beside the bed, Anko unconsciously clenched her hands. Her gaze struggled, as though she were making an extremely difficult decision.

Soon, she drew a deep breath, ran into the corridor, and deeply bowed toward Orochimaru's retreating back before he had gone far. She lowered her head to her chest and shouted loudly.

"Lord Orochimaru, please accept me as your disciple!"