Inside a hidden cave in Rock Shadow Village.
"Well, well..."
Having fled for his life, Orochimaru gazed at the Diary in his hands with an entranced expression.
After his failed ambush with Shimura Danzō, the little snakes he had transformed into had indeed all been...
But only the little snakes he had created on the spot had been wiped out.
As cautious as Orochimaru was, he had left another little snake behind long beforehand. That was how it was. Precisely because he had an escape route, he had not transformed into the Eight-Headed Serpent to fight for his life.
He was the hardest person to kill, bar none.
But even if it was not time to fight for his life now, it was certainly time to replenish himself like mad.
After two consecutive reincarnations into new bodies, less than a tenth of his body's immunity and his soul's strength remained.
In his current state, even a Special Jōnin could easily kill him, despite his fame throughout the shinobi world as one of the Sannin.
So, to be cautious, Orochimaru had dug numerous underground tunnels, with many separate areas in between designated for experiments and rest.
He had laid plenty of traps, so no one had discovered this location. He was still researching desperately. This time, with his life truly on the line, Orochimaru had decided to resume his research into Hashirama cells.
His idea was to thoroughly research Hashirama cells and implant them into himself to remedy his weaknesses.
He had once grafted an arm onto Shimura Danzō, and that entire Sharingan-covered arm had been constructed from Hashirama cells. But its drawback was obvious: if he lost control, his entire body could easily turn into a tree.
He could no longer afford to worry about so much. Orochimaru was still