Chapter 65: Release

Several days later, in the Land of the Sea, on Demon Island.

Inside an underground laboratory, Orochimaru was engrossed in the test tubes on his workbench. Suddenly, a figure hurriedly approached from behind, dropping to one knee and reporting, "Lord Orochimaru, the investigation team has returned."

"Oh?" Orochimaru turned with interest. "Do they have results?"

"Yes, my lord. So far, we can confirm that neither Kirigakure nor Kumogakure were involved. Their defensive deployments remain unchanged," the ninja replied.

"Heh, interesting. For Tenshi and his team to be eliminated without even managing to send a distress signal—neither Kirigakure nor Kumogakure could achieve that without prior preparation."

Orochimaru shook his head, dismissing the idea. Everything pointed to Kirigakure and Kumogakure being unaware of the amphibious ninja project. They couldn't have orchestrated a premeditated ambush.

"If that's the case, who—or what group—was responsible?" Orochimaru mused, his eyes narrowing.

Suddenly, a thought struck him.

"Someone…?"

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed as he recalled a piece of information.

At the end of the previous year, Konoha's Anbu had tracked subject No. 36 to the Land of Waterfalls. However, interference from Iwagakure had prevented his capture, and the subject vanished shortly thereafter. Based on his movements, it was presumed he had escaped to the sea.

Although there was no concrete evidence, Orochimaru's instincts told him that Tenshi's disappearance might be connected to No. 36.

A sly smile crept across Orochimaru's face as his tongue flicked out to lick his lips.

After a moment of silence, the ninja below couldn't help but ask, "My lord, should we continue with the harassment plan?"

"Continue? Of course. Not only that, but we will also increase manpower." Orochimaru's response was decisive.

"Understood, my lord!"

The ninja bowed and promptly left the laboratory.

Now alone, Orochimaru murmured to himself, "No. 36... I hope you're still out there."

Meanwhile, Baishi was unaware that Orochimaru had connected the dots and suspected his involvement. He remained on Moon Island, preparing for the chaos to come.

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In the central peak of Moon Island, within a secluded training room, Baishi sat cross-legged in deep concentration.

Suddenly, intricate black markings began to appear across his skin—the fully activated state of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.

Staring at the complete curse mark on his body, Baishi's expression was solemn. He muttered, "A year of study and effort… let's see if this works."

He took a deep breath, calming his nerves, and began forming a series of hand seals. At first, his movements were deliberate, but they quickly accelerated until his hands became a blur. In the blink of an eye, he completed dozens of seals before pressing his palm to his chest.

In that instant, the cursed seal began to dissolve, melting away like ice under the sun. Within moments, it vanished completely.

As the seal broke, Baishi felt an incredible lightness wash over him. The oppressive mental and physical restraints that had weighed on him for years were gone.

Previously, he had relied on his immense spiritual strength and physical resilience to suppress the effects of the seal. Now, he was truly free from its constraints.

Originally, Baishi had planned to eliminate Danzo, the one who placed the seal, to rid himself of the threat. Yet, to his surprise, a year of study and experimentation had allowed him to devise a solution independently.

If others knew what he had achieved, they would likely call it impossible.

Indeed, few others would have been able to observe the curse seal so closely, let alone study it while personally experiencing its effects. Even with such advantages, without sufficient skill and intellect, breaking the seal would have been impossible.

Baishi's success was a testament to his capabilities.

Although modern education from his previous life emphasized logic and science, which should have made the mystical techniques of the ninja world challenging to grasp, Baishi adapted with remarkable ease. The reason was simple—his enhanced Intelligence stat.

As his intelligence grew, so did his mental acuity and cognitive abilities. This development not only boosted his problem-solving skills but also accelerated his learning curve.

The process of deciphering and breaking the curse seal had given him an intimate understanding of its mechanisms. This knowledge laid the foundation for his next move.

While Baishi had no interest in meddling with the affairs of the ninja world, he understood the importance of intelligence gathering—especially now.

The flames of war were approaching Moon Island. Ignoring the outside world would leave him blind to potential threats.

As time passed, the changes Baishi had introduced to the ninja world would only grow, rendering his foreknowledge increasingly unreliable. Sending out spies to gather information was now a necessity.

For this task, Baishi had a perfect group of candidates—the pirates on Moon Island.

Previously, he had hesitated to use them, fearing they might betray him. Now, with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal at his disposal, their loyalty was no longer in question.

Their lack of professional training didn't matter. Baishi wasn't looking for sensitive military intelligence, just a general understanding of the political landscape.

These pirates, who thrived on the fringes of society, often had a sharper instinct for shifting tides than trained operatives.

With his decision made, Baishi expanded his senses and locked onto the position of Ichiro Kutsuki, one of the pirates. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, Baishi teleported directly to him.

Ichiro had proven to be a clever and resourceful individual. When the situation had turned dire months ago, he was the first to surrender and even provided Baishi with valuable information about Moon Island.

Later, when others plotted to escape, Ichiro refrained from joining them, earning Baishi's favor. He was also well-liked among the pirates, always managing to maintain good relations.

For these reasons, Baishi decided to give him an opportunity.

Ichiro jumped to his feet as Baishi appeared beside him. "Lord Baishi, what can I do for you?" he asked respectfully.

Baishi glanced around and noted the presence of seven others. "Go find more people. Smart ones," he instructed.

Ichiro's eyes lit up as he quickly bowed. "Yes, my lord!"

He immediately left the room, hurrying to gather more recruits from the other pirates.

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