Shin stared incredulously at Orochimaru and Naruto as they walked away. This Lord Orochimaru seemed somewhat different from the Orochimaru he remembered. Could they both be the same boy who had been beside him?
Looking at Orochimaru and Naruto, he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt there was something... intimate between them...
Shin hurried to catch up with the two, wanting to know what Orochimaru was talking about, and also curious about who the little guy beside him was, that he could get along so well with Orochimaru, it was truly amazing.
With a sigh, Xin stopped thinking about it; he knew his purpose perfectly well.
The reason she agreed to let Orochimaru experiment on her was more because she wanted to learn techniques from Orochimaru and enjoy the feeling of being needed.
Because this experimental base was some distance from the base in Otogakure, Shin witnessed a side of Orochimaru that was previously unknown. Where was the cold and Orochimaru? What happened to this caring side of him?
Xin seriously doubted that his memory was playing tricks on him.
" Naruto-kun, eat more vegetables to get more vitamins; it'll help your body develop."
Orochimaru completely ignored the terrified expression on Shin's face and continued to put food into Naruto's bowl, while constantly reminding Naruto to develop good eating habits.
Naruto was initially puzzled by Orochimaru's behavior, but he quickly came to understand. This was Orochimaru's unique charisma; otherwise, why would he have so many followers? The main reason is that Orochimaru actually knows how to raise children.
You can tell from his teaching of Sasuke that Orochimaru was a good teacher, but his motives were impure. Although Orochimaru later saw himself clearly and found his true self, he was quite good at that time.
When the group returned to the Otogakure base, they saw Kabuto Yakushi bringing the three children back. Standing next to them was someone who surprised Naruto: Kimimaro. However, Kimimaro was very weak at this time, and Naruto sensed that his life force was very fragile.
" Lord Orochimaru, you're back."
Orochimaru was taken aback upon seeing Kimimaro, then became serious.
"Didn't I tell you not to run around?"
Orochimaru Kimimaro still wanted to bow to him, so he quickly helped him up. His eyes showed regret, and he kept sighing, " Kimimaro, this child, has really suffered too much."
Because of his Kekkei Genkai, the bones inside his body will keep growing until they pierce through his flesh. The final result is predictable: he will explode into a pile of bone spurs and die a painful death.
Naruto naturally noticed Kimimaro's unusual behavior, but he was helpless at the moment. It was a typical case of blood disease, and his bloodline destined him to live a short life.
Orochimaru looked at Naruto and was surprised that he even recognized this.
" Naruto, do you know him?"
"Yes, a descendant of the Kaguya Clan, the holder of the Shikotsumyaku), but his talent is too high, his strength too great, and he has difficulty controlling the bones in his body."
Kimimaro could sense Orochimaru's worry, but he had also heard Naruto's words, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
"Alas, Lord Orochimaru, I know my own body. I can feel that my life is like a candle flickering in the wind. I only hope that in these last moments, I can be of help to you."
"Cough cough."
Seemingly due to excessive emotional excitement, Kimimaro suddenly began to cough violently, even coughing up blood from the corner of his mouth. His body swayed uncontrollably and he fell backward.
Fortunately, Orochimaru reacted quickly and caught him.
"Kabuto, come quickly, treat Kimimaro."
Upon hearing this, Kabuto Yakushi quickly approached, but Kimimaro stopped him as soon as he reached out his hand, shaking his head with difficulty at Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru.
"No need, Lord Orochimaru. I know my own body."
The other kids nearby quickly gathered around, especially Jūgo, whose eyes were filled with worry.
Kimimaro, are you alright?
However, Kimimaro seemed to be too exhausted at this moment and fainted.
When Kimimaro regained consciousness, he found himself lying in bed with various tubes inserted into his body.
He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse.
" Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru, who was discussing Kimimaro's condition with Naruto, rushed over after hearing the noise.
"Woke up?"
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru, I'm sorry to have worried you."
Orochimaru didn't say anything more, but simply patted his hand and advised him at the same time:
" Kimimaro, what you need to do now is rest well and get up quickly. I still have a lot of things I need your help with."
"I will go through fire and water for you, my lord, without hesitation."
"Okay, get some rest."
Orochimaru left with Naruto, and it wasn't until the three little ones, led by Kabuto Yakushi, came in that they were all looking at Kimimaro, wondering what was wrong with him.
On the other side, Orochimaru and Naruto were discussing Kimimaro's solution.
" Naruto-kun, do you think that child can still be saved?"
Naruto pondered for a moment, shook his head, but then nodded.
"Yes, it is possible, but current technology simply cannot do it."
At first, Orochimaru was somewhat disappointed when he saw Naruto shake his head, but Naruto's next words made Orochimaru's eyes light up. He now really wanted to save his loyal subordinate.
"Oh? Quickly share your thoughts."
"The reason Kimimaro became like this is because his body couldn't withstand his own Kekkei Genkai. Is it possible to give him a powerful body, strong enough to offset the negative effects of the Shikotsumyaku?"
" Naruto-kun, what you're saying is, Sage Body?"
"Yes, it's the Sage Body. It's the only thing that can quickly save him right now. Otherwise, he might not survive until your cloning technology is complete. Although you can clone him, will that Kimimaro still be the Kimimaro you know?"
Naruto's words silenced Orochimaru. He admitted that his initial intention was to use cloning technology to create another Kimimaro, an existence exactly like the current Kimimaro. But, as Naruto said, would that Kimimaro still be the Kimimaro he knew?
Therefore, the only path facing them now is the path of Sage Body.
It seems they'll have to make a trip to Ryūchi Cave. To be honest, Orochimaru really doesn't want to go there, even though his summoning beasts are snakes.