Orochimaru no longer gave Tsunade a chance to breathe. She stretched out her fingers and tapped the armrest of the seat gently, making a rhythmic "tuk-tuk" sound. Every syllable seemed to hit Tsunade's heart:
"Don't forget our transaction, Tsunade. Dan Katō and Nawaki have been resurrected."
The transaction between the two was thrown out again. This time the transaction was finalized after Tsunade came back. At that time, Jiraiya was still Hokage.
"Then, in exchange, you promise to bring me the blood sample of Jiraiya. This is also written in black and white.
Now, you have seen the results from my side, it's your turn."
She leaned forward slightly, Golden Snake Eyes stared at Tsunade closely, with unabashed persecution and questioning in her tone:
"Still...
Because that guy paid off that sky-high gambling debt for you that you can't even remember how much it was... Do you want to break the contract?
In other words, you simply don't want to repay this 'favor debt', so you're coyly here and want to regret it?"
These words touched an unspeakable sore spot for Tsunade. Jiraiya had indeed repaid her huge gambling debts countless times. This financial debt was mixed with years of comradeship, which made her particularly entangled when faced with the choice of "hurting Jiraiya."
"You're talking nonsense!"
Tsunade was furious when he heard this, and his cheeks turned red with anger.
"How could I think that!
Jiraiya That guy... no matter how out of tune he is, he is still an old friend who has fought side by side with us for many years.
How could I do something that I feel sorry for him for... for money or to avoid debt!"
Her argument seemed a bit weak, because Orochimaru really pointed out the contradiction in her heart.
The friendship and sense of indebtedness to Jiraiya, and the ultimate desire for Resurrection and Nawaki, formed a fierce conflict.
Although Tsunade loses every ten times she gambles, her gambling products are pretty good.
Seeing Tsunade's angry but shaken look, Orochimaru lost his last patience.
She coldly interrupted Tsunade's excited defense, and the last trace of disguised gentleness in Golden Snake Eyes completely disappeared, leaving only a sinister and dangerous cold light.
"Tsunade, make no mistake."
Orochimaru's voice was extremely low, but it carried a steely coldness and an unquestionable threat.
"I can make Dan Katō 'come back', and naturally I have a way to make him 'come back' again. My skills can both be given and taken back. The same goes for Nawaki..."
This is already a naked threat.
Resurrecting a loved one as Decoy, and threatening to take them away again.
Orochimaru stood up, and a tall shadow enveloped him. The pair of Snake Eyes locked on Tsunade, and threw out the final ultimatum with no room for change:
"Are you... going to go, or not?"
The air seemed to freeze.
The temperature inside Laboratory seems to have dropped a few degrees.
Tsunade trembled all over, and his pupils shrank violently due to shock, anger, humiliation, and deeper fear.
She looked at Orochimaru's cold, emotionless eyes and knew that the other party was definitely not joking.
Friendship, debt, principles... Faced with the temptation of resurrecting loved ones and the threat of losing them, they were pushed to the edge of the cliff.
"You..."
Tsunade squeezed out this word through his teeth, his chest heaved violently, and his fists clenched loudly.
But in the end, all the struggle, all the anger, all the unwillingness, under the threat of Orochimaru, turned into a voice squeezed out from the depths of the throat, with endless bitterness and compromise:
"Go!"
This word seemed to use up all her strength.
After saying that, she seemed to have lost her support, her shoulders slumped slightly, she turned her face away, and no longer looked at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru got the answer he wanted, and the cold arc at the corner of his mouth reappeared, regaining his lazy and controlling demeanor.
"Very good.
Then, I will just wait for the good news."
Just let Tsunade trick Jiraiya into taking a blood test for a physical examination. This guy has so many dramas.
After Tsunade left, the controlling but cold and coercive expression on Orochimaru's face faded like a tide, and returned to the calm, focused scholar's demeanor with endless desire to explore.
She did not stay where she was, but turned around and walked deeper into Laboratory, where more unfinished tasks were waiting.
At the core of the experimental area, there are several precision instruments with complex structures, flashing indicator lights of different colors and Chakra reaction halos.
Next to one of the equipment, which was similar to a combination of a large centrifuge and a Chakra dialyzer, a figure was facing away from the door, concentrating on adjusting the parameters above.
The man was wearing a robe with a stand-up collar from Deep Blue. He had silver hair, red eyes, and a cold temperament. He was none other than Tobirama Senju.
Hearing the footsteps of Orochimaru approaching, Tobirama did not look back, but just raised his eyes and glanced at the figure behind him through the reflection on the surface of the instrument with his sharp Red Eyes eyes.
The movements of his hands did not stop, but his tone contained unabashed inquiry and questioning:
"You went to such great lengths to become what you are now, could it be... just for Jiraiya?"
Tobirama knew that Orochimaru was a man before, so he raised the question "Does this guy like men?"
"Of course not."
Orochimaru's answer was quick and plain, even with a hint of impatience at having his train of thought interrupted.
She walked to another experimental table, picked up a copy of Scroll that recorded complex data, and browsed it.
For Orochimaru, changing bodies is a conventional means to pursue immortality and explore the mysteries of life. Gender selection is more based on current research needs or simply curiosity about "different experiences" and has nothing to do with emotional entanglements.
Tobirama This kind of speculation based on "common sense" seems very naive to her.
Even Master Forbidden Jutsu is not exempt from vulgarity.
Tobirama did not give up questioning because of this denial.
He stopped debugging, turned around, and looked directly at Orochimaru. The sharp light in Red Eyes's eyes became brighter:
"Then why are you so obsessed with his blood?"
Tobirama asked, the logic is clear.
"According to Xiaozuna's reaction just now and the fragments of your conversation, Jiraiya himself seems to have no interest in 'resurrection' or using technology to extend life, and is even quite resistant to it.
For an individual who has no will to survive or cooperate, the research value of his sample will be greatly reduced in my opinion."
Orochimaru put down Scroll, Golden Snake Eyes turned to Tobirama, this time she did not avoid:
"I'm going to clone him."
However, this answer simply cannot satisfy Tobirama Senju, who pursues ultimate efficiency and practicality.
His Red Eyes brows wrinkled, with obvious confusion and a hint of criticism in his tone: "You are wasting resources":
"Clone? Just to make an identical copy of an individual?"
Tobirama's voice increased a little.
"If you are interested in the so-called 'Sage Mode' and want to conduct research, wouldn't the child named Jūgo be more suitable? He is born with the ability to naturally absorb Natural Energy and enter a state similar to Sage Mode, and it is relatively easy to obtain samples."
In Tobirama's view, Jūgo is simply an excellent natural sample for studying "Sage Mode", with low risk, easy acquisition, and clear research value.
Orochimaru's behavior seems unnecessary and even a little irrational.
Faced with Tobirama's doubts based on efficiency, Orochimaru finally put down everything in his hands. Golden Snake Eyes looked directly at Second Hokage, with the paranoia and harshness of a top scientific researcher for "perfect samples" flashing in his eyes:
"Jūgo can't."
Orochimaru shook his head slowly.
"Although he can enter a state similar to Sage Mode, it is passive, unstable, and comes with serious side effects.
His consciousness will be eroded by Natural Energy and he will become extremely aggressive and uncontrollable.
That is not controlling Senjutsu energy in the true sense, but being enslaved by power."
Orochimaru spoke faster, with a kind of contempt for "inferior samples" and enthusiasm for "perfect topics":
"However, Jiraiya is different. His Sage Mode was finally achieved through his own arduous Training and contractual cooperation with Mount Myōboku's Toad, which is a perfect fusion state that is stable, controllable, and able to maintain a clear mind!"
Her eyes revealed genuine interest. "Jūgo is a born 'defective', and his state is closer to a blood disease or a curse from Natural Energy."
And Jiraiya is the result of acquired cultivation, so Sage Mode is more worthy of study.
Originally Minato could have been, but he is still in the state of Impure World Reincarnation, and he has been dead for so many years and has no flesh and blood."
"By studying Jūgo, I may be able to understand how Natural Energy erodes the human body and causes mutations.
But study Clone Body of Jiraiya..."
Orochimaru's voice was filled with an almost fanatical expectation.
"It is possible for me to uncover the ultimate secret of independent cultivation of Sage Mode, and even... find a safer, more efficient, and more universal way to develop artificial Sage Mode.
How can the value of this be compared to a 'natural disaster sample' that may go berserk at any time?"
The goal of Orochimaru has never been to simply copy a "Jiraiya" or resurrect an old friend.
What she wants is to crack the life code behind Perfect Sage Mode obtained by Jiraiya through Training.
This involves the deeper nature of the interaction between Chakra and Natural Energy, and is the ladder to higher life forms and understanding of the nature of the world.
For this reason, even if the means are ruthless, even if the target is uncooperative, even if it means taking advantage of and betraying old friendships, there will be no hesitation.
Tobirama After listening, a hint of understanding flashed in Red Eyes's eyes, and then he returned to his usual calmness.
He understood that what Orochimaru pursues is not "practicality" or "efficiency", but a paranoid exploration of some ultimate mystery.
This way of thinking is, to some extent, similar to his mentality when developing Forbidden Jutsu, but Orochimaru is more extreme and does not care about the cost.
"That's it."
Tobirama asked no more questions, turned around and focused on the instrument in front of him again.
The path to pursuing power and knowledge is inherently taboo and controversial, and he himself is the best example.
As long as Orochimaru's research does not endanger Konoha, no matter what Orochimaru's ideas are, he will not interfere too much.