Two weeks later, the reinforcements from Konoha arrived, bringing stability to the border situation. Only a few small nations' ninjas were attempting to provoke conflicts between the major powers by hiring rogue shinobi.
In a hidden spot within the jungle, there was a dark underground cave where muffled screams could be heard. However, the barriers surrounding it prevented any sound from escaping.
Above ground, the area was filled with lush trees, dense forests, and patches of grass. Birds chirped joyfully, creating a lively atmosphere. But beneath the surface, a horrifying human research facility lurked.
The barriers isolated the air inside, creating an unnerving silence without leaving any traces.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun, I didn't expect you to be so skilled in medical ninjutsu," Orochimaru said with a hoarse smile. Uchiha Yoru, who had just removed his medical gloves, wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a tired smile, "our Clan Elder once said that a ninja should never reveal their trump card. But in order to gain Orochimaru-sensei's trust, it was necessary."
As Orochimaru looked at Yoru's young face, he couldn't help but reveal his trademark smile, his tongue involuntarily licking his lips.
"Yoru-kun has been on the front lines for three months now. It's truly remarkable for a fifteen-year-old to master A-rank medical ninjutsu like the Mystical Palm Technique."
Upon hearing this, Yoru paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. Yes, the night of the Nine-Tails attack was the protagonist's birthday, and Naruto's birthday was on October 10th. Three months had passed since then, making him another year older—fifteen years old.
Orochimaru nodded with satisfaction, his smile widening. The Uchiha clan's chosen disciple was indeed to his liking, and he already had a good idea.
In Orochimaru's understanding, it was clear that the Uchiha clan had approached him to gain favor. Naturally, they needed medical ninjas for their human experimentation, and there were not many medical ninjas capable of mastering the Mystical Palm Technique, especially within the combat-oriented Uchiha clan.
They started by presenting the bait of a Wood Release ninja, then provided financial assistance according to Orochimaru's preferences. Finally, they offered the services of an assistant for free. One had to admit that the Uchiha clan had shown their sincerity.
However, Orochimaru was unaware that all of this was a masterstroke orchestrated by his disciple.
Leveraging his advantage of foresight, Yoru naturally wanted to make the most of it. Orochimaru would undoubtedly assume that the Uchiha clan had sacrificed something to get closer to him and had learned some secrets, such as Orochimaru's ongoing research for Konoha, which had been hindered by the Nine-Tails incident and the disruption of funding.
Naturally, the Uchiha clan had to invest to establish a relationship, discreetly handling matters until Orochimaru took over as Hokage, and then gradually smoothing out the relationship.
If they were to learn about it now, wouldn't someone with ulterior motives exploit it? Especially Danzo.
With both sides approaching the situation cautiously, neither would raise this foolish question again. After all, their intention to cooperate had already been established.
The Uchiha needed Orochimaru's trust as the future Hokage, and Orochimaru needed the funding. It was a perfect match.
"Orochimaru-sensei, it seems we're running short on test subjects."
Yoru rubbed his temples wearily. This human experimentation required talent. Despite his accumulated experience in medical ninjutsu through diligent practice, he could only be an obedient assistant. After all, talent played a crucial role in this field.
"What can I do? Even though I understand what needs to be done, if I were to work on my own, it would be far from adequate," Orochimaru said, observing the bodies contained in various containers and the strange snake-like creatures in the laboratory, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Hehe, this time we'll need your Uchiha elite team to handle the test subjects," Orochimaru said with a raspy laugh. "We need one hundred male children, as long as they're not older than five years old, preferably descendants of ninjas."
Hearing this, Yoru's expression turned shocked as he looked at Orochimaru. Suddenly, he seemed to have realized something. Orochimaru, on the other hand, smiled and nodded, saying, "Just as you suspected."
"Uchiha's information is indeed valuable. There is a Wood Release ninja currently in Root. This will prove that our experiments are heading in the right direction, which is why I need more test subjects."
Yoru furrowed his brows slightly, then nodded. "Sensei, it will be troublesome to obtain test subjects this time. After all, they are children of ninjas. It will take some time."
Orochimaru, lenient towards valuable individuals, didn't rush him, and instead gave a hoarse smile. After all, conversations between intelligent people were conducted with an understanding of how to proceed. No one would intentionally delay the process.
"Oh, by the way, Yoru, it seems your clan head has brought his eldest son to the front lines this time, along with your Uchiha elite team."
Orochimaru's raspy smile shifted towards Yoru, who responded with a troubled smile and shrugged. "Can't help it. The clan head's eldest son is a prodigy and naturally wants to become Orochimaru-sensei's disciple."
At that moment, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and smiled, but didn't say anything. Yoru naturally understood and nodded with a smile.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru-sensei, I'll go back now and make sure no one disturbs you."
Currently, Orochimaru was not yet obsessed with the Sharingan. He didn't want to be a babysitter. After all, he was pursuing immortality, and the recognition he had obtained was due to his own efforts.
First, he approached Orochimaru with the clue of the Wood Release ninja, then established financial support, and finally revealed his hidden medical ninjutsu abilities to become Orochimaru's assistant.
As Orochimaru analyzed the data report provided to him, he shook his head in disappointment and sighed, "It seems that minimizing the side effects of fusing animals with humans is still not possible."
This laboratory was focused on the study of combining animals and humans. After being thoroughly disappointed, Orochimaru abandoned this line of research and shifted to other areas.
However, the ultimate goal remained the same: extending lifespan.
Two weeks later, the reinforcements from Konoha arrived, bringing stability to the border situation. Only a few small nations' ninjas were attempting to provoke conflicts between the major powers by hiring rogue shinobi.
In a hidden spot within the jungle, there was a dark underground cave where muffled screams could be heard. However, the barriers surrounding it prevented any sound from escaping.
Above ground, the area was filled with lush trees, dense forests, and patches of grass. Birds chirped joyfully, creating a lively atmosphere. But beneath the surface, a horrifying human research facility lurked.
The barriers isolated the air inside, creating an unnerving silence without leaving any traces.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun, I didn't expect you to be so skilled in medical ninjutsu," Orochimaru said with a hoarse smile. Uchiha Yoru, who had just removed his medical gloves, wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a tired smile, "our Clan Elder once said that a ninja should never reveal their trump card. But in order to gain Orochimaru-sensei's trust, it was necessary."
As Orochimaru looked at Yoru's young face, he couldn't help but reveal his trademark smile, his tongue involuntarily licking his lips.
"Yoru-kun has been on the front lines for three months now. It's truly remarkable for a fifteen-year-old to master A-rank medical ninjutsu like the Mystical Palm Technique."
Upon hearing this, Yoru paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded. Yes, the night of the Nine-Tails attack was the protagonist's birthday, and Naruto's birthday was on October 10th. Three months had passed since then, making him another year older—fifteen years old.
Orochimaru nodded with satisfaction, his smile widening. The Uchiha clan's chosen disciple was indeed to his liking, and he already had a good idea.
In Orochimaru's understanding, it was clear that the Uchiha clan had approached him to gain favor. Naturally, they needed medical ninjas for their human experimentation, and there were not many medical ninjas capable of mastering the Mystical Palm Technique, especially within the combat-oriented Uchiha clan.
They started by presenting the bait of a Wood Release ninja, then provided financial assistance according to Orochimaru's preferences. Finally, they offered the services of an assistant for free. One had to admit that the Uchiha clan had shown their sincerity.
However, Orochimaru was unaware that all of this was a masterstroke orchestrated by his disciple.
Leveraging his advantage of foresight, Yoru naturally wanted to make the most of it. Orochimaru would undoubtedly assume that the Uchiha clan had sacrificed something to get closer to him and had learned some secrets, such as Orochimaru's ongoing research for Konoha, which had been hindered by the Nine-Tails incident and the disruption of funding.
Naturally, the Uchiha clan had to invest to establish a relationship, discreetly handling matters until Orochimaru took over as Hokage, and then gradually smoothing out the relationship.
If they were to learn about it now, wouldn't someone with ulterior motives exploit it? Especially Danzo.
With both sides approaching the situation cautiously, neither would raise this foolish question again. After all, their intention to cooperate had already been established.
The Uchiha needed Orochimaru's trust as the future Hokage, and Orochimaru needed the funding. It was a perfect match.
"Orochimaru-sensei, it seems we're running short on test subjects."
Yoru rubbed his temples wearily. This human experimentation required talent. Despite his accumulated experience in medical ninjutsu through diligent practice, he could only be an obedient assistant. After all, talent played a crucial role in this field.
"What can I do? Even though I understand what needs to be done, if I were to work on my own, it would be far from adequate," Orochimaru said, observing the bodies contained in various containers and the strange snake-like creatures in the laboratory, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Hehe, this time we'll need your Uchiha elite team to handle the test subjects," Orochimaru said with a raspy laugh. "We need one hundred male children, as long as they're not older than five years old, preferably descendants of ninjas."
Hearing this, Yoru's expression turned shocked as he looked at Orochimaru. Suddenly, he seemed to have realized something. Orochimaru, on the other hand, smiled and nodded, saying, "Just as you suspected."
"Uchiha's information is indeed valuable. There is a Wood Release ninja currently in Root. This will prove that our experiments are heading in the right direction, which is why I need more test subjects."
Yoru furrowed his brows slightly, then nodded. "Sensei, it will be troublesome to obtain test subjects this time. After all, they are children of ninjas. It will take some time."
Orochimaru, lenient towards valuable individuals, didn't rush him, and instead gave a hoarse smile. After all, conversations between intelligent people were conducted with an understanding of how to proceed. No one would intentionally delay the process.
"Oh, by the way, Yoru, it seems your clan head has brought his eldest son to the front lines this time, along with your Uchiha elite team."
Orochimaru's raspy smile shifted towards Yoru, who responded with a troubled smile and shrugged. "Can't help it. The clan head's eldest son is a prodigy and naturally wants to become Orochimaru-sensei's disciple."
At that moment, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and smiled, but didn't say anything. Yoru naturally understood and nodded with a smile.
"Don't worry, Orochimaru-sensei, I'll go back now and make sure no one disturbs you."
Currently, Orochimaru was not yet obsessed with the Sharingan. He didn't want to be a babysitter. After all, he was pursuing immortality, and the recognition he had obtained was due to his own efforts.
First, he approached Orochimaru with the clue of the Wood Release ninja, then established financial support, and finally revealed his hidden medical ninjutsu abilities to become Orochimaru's assistant.
As Orochimaru analyzed the data report provided to him, he shook his head in disappointment and sighed, "It seems that minimizing the side effects of fusing animals with humans is still not possible."
This laboratory was focused on the study of combining animals and humans. After being thoroughly disappointed, Orochimaru abandoned this line of research and shifted to other areas.
However, the ultimate goal remained the same: extending lifespan.
