Passing through several secluded alleys, Lin Ze entered the backyard of a seemingly ordinary tavern, pushed open an inconspicuous wooden door, and followed the stone steps down into a dim underground space.
The air held a mixture of tobacco, alcohol, and a faint trace of blood.
All sorts of people gathered here: rogue ninja, wandering warriors, information brokers, noble retainers...
They conducted all manner of shady dealings.
Lin Ze found an inconspicuous corner with practiced ease, sat down, and ordered a cup of cheap sake. His powerful perception quietly spread over his surroundings.
Before long, he discovered that the rumors he had previously spread about Orochimaru conducting human experiments and researching forbidden techniques had already reached this place, even branching into several different versions.
The time was ripe.
Sipping his drink at a leisurely pace, Lin Ze struck up a conversation with an information broker beside him who looked rather well-informed.
"Have you heard? That Lord Orochimaru isn't just researching some ordinary forbidden techniques..."
"Oh? Got something even juicier, brother?" The information broker immediately perked up.
"Heh, I've got a distant relative making a living over in the Land of Rice Fields. He happened to hear a few things..."
Lin Ze leaned closer and lowered his voice. "That lord isn't just secretly transplanting the First Hokage's cells in an attempt to obtain Wood Release... he's also secretly collecting the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan!"
"Hiss!"
The information broker drew a sharp breath:
"The Sharingan?! Has he gone mad? Would the Uchiha Clan let him get away with that?"
"Who knows? Maybe the higher-ups have given their tacit approval? Or maybe he's been discreet enough?"
Lin Ze shrugged and dropped another bombshell:
"But that's not even the scariest part. They say he's even trying to... fuse tailed beast chakra with the human body!"