Ryūchi Cave

The agonizing distortion of features came as cells broke free of their restraints and proliferated infinitely, destroying all organs from within the body.

The special instinct of the Hashirama Cells began to act. The host's chakra could no longer suppress them; they began to cluster, breaking through the host's flesh in an instant like countless bizarre sarcomas.

When they burst through the skin, the fusion liquid that had originally nourished the host became their finest nourishment. Small saplings began to sprout from various parts of the host's body, and in the blink of an eye they broke through the glass container, expanding in all directions.

A piercing scream echoed through the laboratory, but it stopped abruptly after only a moment. The test subject's face grew as if it were a tree trunk, transforming into wood that was frozen forever atop a tree stump.

"Sorry..."

Kato Osamu had arrived before the glass container at the very first sound, and he watched helplessly as this test subject turned into a wooden stake due to the eruption of the Hashirama Cells.

He fell silent because he was utterly powerless to do anything.

For three months, he had done his utmost, mixed every suitable fusion liquid, and used every ounce of strength to study the secrets hidden within the Hashirama Cells. Yet it seemed entirely in vain, and he had found not a single shred of a clue...

"Whoosh..."

Before Kato Osamu could make a move, two Root ninja appeared in the laboratory. Wearing masks, only a hint of surprise could faintly be seen in their pupils, but it vanished in a flash.

They carried away this failed test subject without a single word.

Kato Osamu uttered no words either, simply watching quietly as they departed.

The entire laboratory seemed to return to peace once more, save for a shattered glass container that had lost its vibrant, life-like green.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you..."

"Perhaps I'm not much of a good person either..."

The scale of morality always changed in different eras. It was not as if Kato Osamu did not understand this reasoning.

Upon coming to this unfamiliar world, he had initially thought he could fully adapt to it, and that he already understood its cruelty. Yet for some reason, watching such events unfold while remaining powerless to stop them always brought a deep sense of guilt.

"Just what is that fundamental secret hidden within the Hashirama Cells..."

"Why can the Hashirama Cells generate spiritual energy out of thin air..."

Kato Osamu's eye sockets were deeply sunken. This problem had tortured him for three months; he looked like a slovenly vagrant, and his research had consumed far too much of his energy.

"Kato-kun, it seems some results have been produced today..."

He had not seen Orochimaru for a long time. He looked somewhat exhausted as well, yet still appeared rather spirited.

"A failure, a complete failure..."

Kato Osamu's tone was somewhat heavy, his gaze locked onto the analyzer screen as he searched for the slightest trace of abnormal movement.

"Failure is the finest gift; it is the final, impotent accusation of success..."

"Kato-kun, it appears you require a little assistance..."

"Lord Orochimaru..."

"What secrets do the Hashirama Cells truly hide?"

"Why... why is it that they can defy common sense, and seemingly generate chakra out of thin air relying solely on physical energy..."

Kato Osamu once again felt a sense of powerlessness, like a headless fly without direction. He was like someone floating in the fog of an endless sea of truth, needing someone to point the way for him.

If a person's talent and effort were the cornerstone of scientific research, then a correct direction was the blueprint upon that cornerstone. No matter how hard a headless fly without direction tried, it would merely be doing the most numb work in vain.

"Has Kato-kun already noticed this point..."

"It seems the growth of the past two years has made Kato-kun capable of standing entirely on his own..."

"Lord Orochimaru... I need a direction..."

"I have a vague feeling that this is the key to unlocking the deepest secrets of the Hashirama Cells..."

"However, this place does not require this key..."

Orochimaru smiled faintly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Kato Osamu, causing the latter to widen his eyes.

"So... Lord Orochimaru knew all along..."

"Therefore, is this a doomed piece of research destined to fail..."

The movement in Kato Osamu's hands stagnated, and he chuckled softly. So he was merely a pawn Orochimaru used to stall Danzo...

"Perhaps it is time to let Kato-kun witness some of the realities of this world..."

The underground laboratory of Root was dead silent, without the slightest hint of noise. Kato Osamu looked at Orochimaru, seeing a fanaticism and excitement lurking deep within those eyes.

"Reverse Summoning Technique..."

Orochimaru grabbed Kato Osamu's shoulder, and a wave of dizziness washed over them as the scenery before their eyes instantly transformed.

They were in a dark, damp karst cave, where the dripping sound of water echoed constantly.

Kato Osamu gazed at this gloomy karst cave with a hint of wonder. He faintly sensed that it was filled with cold chakra, and it seemed countless stern gazes were staring closely at them from the cave's exit.

"Here, there should be no one to disturb us..."

Orochimaru walked slowly toward the depths of the cave, and Kato Osamu followed silently behind him.

"Lord Orochimaru..."

"Where is this..."

"Ryūchi Cave..."

"You will find the secrets you desire here..."

Orochimaru's snake eyes flicked with a faint luster, yet he did not explain much further.

The further they walked into the depths, the thicker the cold chakra aura felt to Kato Osamu. He heard a hissing sound by his ears, and from time to time, two or three small snakes slithered past, their eyes carrying an anthropomorphic luster vastly different from other wild snakes.

"In this world, chakra is not the only energy. There is a special energy called natural energy. This elusive special energy, which permeates heaven and earth, combines with chakra to form a special kind of chakra known as senjutsu chakra."

"And as far as I know, the only person throughout the entire shinobi world who has ever used this senjutsu chakra is the First Hokage..."

The sides of the karst cave grew increasingly spacious, with snakes of ever-growing proportions coiled up and spitting their tongues. Their cold gazes were even more unsettling to Kato Osamu than Orochimaru's, yet Orochimaru's words captivated Kato Osamu's mind.

"Orochimaru, move your laboratory out of this place. I feel extremely disgusted by a fellow like you..."

A giant snake of incomparable size, carrying an overwhelming presence, emerged from the shadows, its icy gaze sweeping over Orochimaru and Kato Osamu.

"Manda, you truly are a greedy fellow. A hundred sacrifices will be offered up..."

Orochimaru stood before Manda, making Kato Osamu feel as though two giant snakes were staring at each other, both possessing a similar chilling aura.

"Hmph... The White Snake Sage is deeply dissatisfied with you placing your laboratory here..."

The giant snake—whose single pupil was larger than Kato Osamu by several fold—slowly slithered through the karst cave and vanished into the dark shadows. A deep tunnel then appeared before Kato Osamu and Orochimaru.

"Kato-kun does not seem afraid at all..."

"I suppose Lord Orochimaru ought to be more afraid than them..."

"Kato-kun, are you very afraid of me?"

Orochimaru's gaze was serene. He did not look at Kato Osamu, but merely walked toward the tunnel.

"Compared to giant snakes, humanoid snakes are the most terrifying, aren't they..."

"Kato-kun, you always manage to bring me surprises..."

"It seems I did not misjudge you. You possess a kind of perception that others lack—it seems brought by the Spirit Transformation Technique, and yet it seems not, but it is always so sharp..."

The tunnel was very long, the lights on both sides somewhat dim. Eerie light spilled onto Orochimaru's face, adding a hint of gloom to Kato Osamu's heart.

He seemed to know far too much...