There's still room for further exploration.
This is very good news for Araki.
Araki began to control himself, carefully reviewing these fragments during this break, trying to improve himself as much as possible.
Even last-minute preparation can be effective.
There isn't enough time for him to carefully build up his strength right now.
Even after Orochimaru recovered from the state of the Eight Branches Technique, he still didn't have the confidence to completely defeat Orochimaru.
Facing a terrifying ninja like Orochimaru, he could not relax at any time. He hoped to find some techniques here that would allow him to break through, even if the price he had to pay was to completely deplete the energy he had just absorbed from Hashirama Cells. But as long as he could defeat Orochimaru, it would all be worth it for him.
At this very moment.
Orochimaru and Araki surprisingly shared similar emotions.
Orochimaru is now willing to pay any price to obtain Araki, because he believes that once he has Araki in his possession, everything else will be insignificant, and the costs and benefits will be negligible.
After all, Araki was a Wood Release ninja who had already integrated Hashirama Cells.
That meant he had no way to give up!
At the same time, Araki was also thinking that if he could defeat Orochimaru, he could focus on developing his skills for a long time to come and truly become a Wood Release ninja who could rely on his own Chakra.
Both of them were thinking that once they got rid of each other, they could enjoy a period of peace and comfort.
This has led both sides to hope to defeat the other regardless of the cost and consequences.
During this process, the two gradually descended into madness. Araki sat cross-legged beneath the Demon Face and Fangs shield, observing the constantly flashing fragments in his mind, carefully examining every detail, trying to find any overlooked details.
At least this Wood Locking Wall Jutsu was something he didn't obtain when acquiring Hashirama Cells, which is why he felt there was room for exploitation and perhaps he could discover other secrets.
With these thoughts in mind, Araki's heart gradually calmed down. After all, with this shield of Demon Face and Fangs, he believed that even the Eight-Headed Serpent would not be able to break through this defense.
Araki was indeed relieved. Orochimaru was getting more and more anxious. He watched as the shield with its Demon Face and Fangs showed almost no sign of being breached, not even a scratch. The human hand and eyes seemed to be looking at him with contempt, which made him feel a surge of nameless anger.
At the same time, Orochimaru's keen senses detected someone approaching. Although there was still some distance, the speed was extremely fast. If he couldn't deal with Araki soon, the secret of the Wood Release ninja would be exposed.
Orochimaru shared Araki's thoughts to some extent: he didn't want others to know about the Wood Release ninja. This was no small matter, and if the people of Konoha found out, especially with the Third's sluggish and incompetent attitude, they would definitely not allow him to continue his research on Araki.
The Hashirama cell transplantation program will end at that time.
This could indeed be good news for Konoha.
Whether it was the Second Hokage or someone who took over the experiment, their ultimate goal was to train Wood Release ninjas for Konoha once again.
If the people of Konoha knew that Araki was already Wood Release ninja, it would be equivalent to the experiment being a success, and their goal being achieved. There would be no need to conduct the experiment again, because the experiment would involve huge sacrifices, which was an important reason why the Third had been hindering this matter all along.
Orochimaru knew all too well how incompetent the Third was. Many of his ideas were outdated, and even when he conducted human experiments, he needed people's consent. Yesterday, he had a feeling that was hard to describe.
Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles.
However, I still believe that Third are not capable of achieving great things.
I was determined to make this happen.
On the one hand, they don't want to make sacrifices.
There's no way you can have such a good deal!
Orochimaru knew the Third too well, so he knew that if the Third found out about Araki's actions, he would definitely stop all the remaining experiments and not want any more people in the village to die.
From the village's perspective, the appearance of Wood Release ninjas would allow them to be used effectively, providing a certain level of protection in the fight against Tailed Beast, which is sufficient. They could even deter other villages.
However, from Orochimaru's perspective as a scientist...
If he couldn't properly study Araki, it would be a huge failure for him. He didn't want that to happen. He wanted to make good use of this rare opportunity to study Araki's cells, which could fuse with Hashirama Cells, and perhaps even allow more people, including himself, to possess Wood Release and uncover the secrets of life.
Over the years, although he has been performing Hashirama Cells transplantation surgeries, he has focused more on researching Hashirama Cells. He discovered that these cells can survive even after being separated from Hashirama's body. The tenacious vitality that sustains these cells has inspired him, and he hopes that he can also possess such cells.
Through these experiments, he conceived of some special Cursed Seal, but lacked the Natural Energy to support them like the Hashirama Cells, so he was unsuccessful. He racked his brains to come up with many methods, which fueled his even stronger desire to explore the profound life significance of the Hashirama Cells ' ability to survive indefinitely.
Orochimaru harbored a very strong belief that if he could glean even a glimpse into the life meaning within Hashirama Cells, the Reincarnation Jutsu might truly succeed, and that as long as his own cells survived, he would have a real chance to be reborn.
That's why.
At the time, I even thought that Araki possessed the secret of immortality.
This would allow him to glimpse some of the mysteries surrounding Hashirama Cells.
Therefore, he did not want the village to know that Araki had become Wood Release ninja and to protect him. He wanted to study Araki properly. With this eagerness, his attacks became more frequent, and his Chakra consumption increased.
Maintaining the Eight-Headed Serpent was extremely taxing for him, and even he was beginning to struggle under such immense strain.
Do you want to be a coward forever?
Orochimaru's roar suddenly rang out, with all eight snake heads roaring simultaneously. The sound was deafening and could be clearly heard by Araki.
He was well aware of this situation; Araki had begun using delaying tactics, which was very disadvantageous for him.
They were both just waiting for the right time.
It's all about who can hold out the longest.
However, it was clearly not so convenient for him at the moment, because he was already on the verge of collapse, but he didn't know how much longer Araki could hold on. He felt that Araki was probably barely holding on, so he started to use words to provoke him.
Orochimaru's attacks didn't stop as he spoke, but the shield of the Demon Face and Fangs in front of him was like an impenetrable barrier. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get past it, which made him somewhat wary of the Demon Face and Fangs fang in front of him.
He had never imagined that something so hard existed in the world.
Even the Eight-Headed Serpent couldn't break through it.
With his attack style, he could level not just a few logs, but even a small mountain.
But even these pieces of wood couldn't be broken through.
"Is this Wood Release Ninjutsu?!"
As Orochimaru's eight snake heads charged towards the Demon Face and Fangs's shield, he rapidly considered the situation. The more tenacious Araki appeared, the more powerful Orochimaru felt the potential of Wood Release, fueling his greed and desire to possess Wood Release.
Gradually.
Time passed second by second.
Another ten minutes or so passed.
Suddenly.
Three figures suddenly appeared beside Orochimaru. Each of them wore a mask. One of them was wearing a white robe, while the other two were wearing black robes. They were all Anbu Ninja from Konoha.
What kind of monster is this?
The three Anbu Ninja who arrived here were filled with indescribable shock upon seeing the scene before them.
They were ordered to come here to see what had happened, as there had been a huge commotion. However, the scene before them upon arrival left them utterly shocked.
It was a giant serpent with eight heads and eight tails, its body as large as a small mountain, with eight-colored clouds on its head, creating an extremely terrifying visual impact.
besides.
In front of the snake was a huge shield with a Demon Face and Fangs, which the snake was frantically attacking.
"What's going on?"
"Was that thing the cause of the commotion just now?"
These three Anbu Ninja were all puzzled, momentarily stunned.
"Return immediately and report to the Third Lord Hokage!"
A serious look flashed in the eyes of the white-robed Anbu Ninja. He felt that what was happening here was beyond their control and they had to return immediately to report to the Hokage.
"Want to leave?"
Suddenly, a hoarse voice seemed to rise from the heavens and earth, and the eight snake heads simultaneously stopped attacking the Demon Face and Fangs shield, turning their gaze towards the three Anbu Ninja.
A fierce killing intent flashed in his scarlet eyes.
Orochimaru had sensed that someone was approaching not long ago, but he hoped to break through Araki's defenses before they arrived, though he was unable to do so.
Upon seeing the three people who had arrived, they immediately recognized them as members of the Anbu Directly Under the Hokage.
At this point, Orochimaru is also a member of Root and Danzo's right-hand man, so he is very clear about the information of the Anbu and understands what these three people will do after seeing this scene.
I will definitely inform Third!
That would not only expose his secret, but also spread the news about the Wood Release ninjas, completely shattering his planned scheme.
We must never let this happen!
Orochimaru immediately shifted his focus to the three Anbu Ninja, hoping to eliminate them quickly before resuming his attack on Araki. He also wanted to give Araki some time to cool down.
He felt that Araki's consumption must be considerable, because the Demon Face and Fangs shield was not a one-time use; it required a continuous infusion of Chakra to stabilize its rigidity.
If even his attack consumed so much power, then Araki, as the defender, must have also consumed a great deal of Chakra.
Based on this situation...
Orochimaru figured Araki wouldn't know when he would attack, so he would keep Chakra into the Demon Face and Fangs's shield. When that happened, Araki's chakra would reach its limit, and then breaking through the Demon Face and Fangs's shield might be a better option.
As for these three Anbu Ninja...
This must be resolved quickly!
Orochimaru didn't have much energy to get involved with these three Anbu Ninja. After all, his most urgent task was to break through Araki's defenses. If he were to let them escape while he was not careful, it would make it difficult for him to have any confidence in his future experiments.
In an instant.
Eight snake heads stared intently at the three Anbu Ninja from all directions.
The eight-colored dark clouds also enveloped the three people, and the wind and rain seemed to strike them relentlessly.
The three Anbu Ninja stood back to back, forming a triangle. In their line of sight, they could see two or three enormous snake heads, which was not a particularly friendly thing for them, as they had never seen such a behemoth before.
The masks concealed their faces, preventing Orochimaru from seeing their features, but he could sense through the masks that everyone looked unwell, and their eyes held an undisguised fear and panic.
Even though they are trained Anbu Ninja who are not afraid of death, they are still human beings after all. When faced with terrifying things that are beyond their comprehension, they will still have instinctive inner reactions.
Now, the three of them were being stared at by those scarlet eyes, which filled them with intense terror. Their hearts were pounding wildly, and even their hormone levels were out of control.
" Lord Orochimaru?"
The Anbu Ninja in the white robe immediately recognized the familiarity in the voices and tentatively called out.
"What? He's Lord Orochimaru? How is that possible?"