Chapter 84: Orochimaru's Temptation! [Bonus Chapter]

After Danzo left, Orochimaru looked at Shūichi with a meaningful smile and said, "Shūichi-kun, you truly haven't disappointed me."

"However, being a double agent isn't an easy role to play."

Shūichi replied, "Who in this world could possibly understand Danzo better than the Third Hokage?"

Orochimaru paused for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Shūichi then turned to Orochimaru, speaking with a deeper implication, "As long as I prioritize the Third Hokage and the village's interests above all else, no one will doubt my loyalty."

Orochimaru, of course, understood the underlying message in Shūichi's words and chuckled lightly. "In terms of connections, my relationship with the Third Hokage runs deeper than yours, Shūichi-kun."

He had already begun treating Shūichi as an equal, with no hint of condescension. In the ninja world, strength is always the best way to earn respect.

As he turned to walk away, Orochimaru continued, "Shūichi-kun, is it your ambition to master all types of ninjutsu?"

Shūichi followed a step behind him, replying, "If possible."

"However, a human's life is ultimately limited. From ancient times to the present, countless jutsu and secret techniques have emerged. Trying to master them all in one lifetime might be impossible."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "Indeed."

But then he shifted the conversation, his tone becoming more seductive, "However, Shūichi-kun, your perspective is still too narrow. There are beings in this world with extraordinarily long lifespans."

Shūichi feigned ignorance, asking, "Is Orochimaru-sama referring to those with special constitutions?"

"I've heard that the Uzumaki Clan has incredibly long lifespans."

Orochimaru glanced back at Shūichi and smiled. "No, even the Uzumaki Clan are still just mortals."

Shūichi nodded thoughtfully, "That's true."

"As long as one is human, there's no escaping the limitations of cellular division."

"This is why, in medical ninjutsu, techniques that accelerate cell division come at the cost of one's life."

"I've also studied many other animals; no flesh-and-blood being can escape this shackle."

Of course, there's a difference between cell division and cell regeneration or metabolism.

For example, Tsunade uses chakra to maintain her appearance in her thirties, and it's not just for beauty.

More importantly, she uses chakra to keep her cells vital, delaying their aging process and extending the cycle of cell renewal, thereby reducing the number of times cells need to divide, which in turn prolongs her lifespan.

But this clearly can't grant immortality. Forget about becoming like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki or Black Zetsu; even living for 500 years seems impossible.

After all, chakra ultimately comes from both the body and spirit. Organ aging is irreversible; its consumption may be small but is ever-present.

"Sage Arts…"

Shūichi's thoughts wandered to Sage Mode, then to Kabuto's state after mastering it.

He also thought of Jūgo.

Both of these individuals could save others through cellular transference, and both had saved Uchiha Sasuke.

"In the ninja world, it seems that the only viable paths to immortality currently lie in the God Tree and Sage Arts…"

To be honest, this was the first time Shūichi had ever seriously considered the question of immortality.

After all, he was still so young.

He had previously been focused solely on how to keep himself alive.

Orochimaru's gaze swept over Shūichi's thoughtful expression, noticing the glint in his eyes—a look he was all too familiar with.

"It seems Shūichi-kun has gained quite a bit; Tsunade must have taught you well," Orochimaru remarked with a smile.

Shūichi modestly replied, "It's nothing significant, just a small idea to slow down cellular aging and extend the cycle of cell division."

Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "Oh? May I hear about it?"

"Of course, I'll offer something of equal value in return."

This was exactly what Shūichi was hoping for, so he smiled immediately. "That's not a problem at all. It's nothing extraordinary or secret."

With that, Shūichi began to explain his idea in detail.

Orochimaru listened intently, even offering suggestions on certain details. Though this wasn't the high-level information he was after, there were elements that might prove useful.

Indeed, within Shūichi's concept, there were many aspects worth absorbing.

After hearing everything, Orochimaru smiled. "It's certainly a very interesting idea, quite innovative."

"Shūichi-kun, you truly live up to the praise Tsunade and Jiraiya have given you as a genius."

The compliment made Shūichi feel a bit embarrassed.

However, his thick skin prevented him from blushing. Just as he was about to speak, Orochimaru stopped in his tracks. "We're here."

Shūichi looked ahead and saw an entrance.

Was Orochimaru bringing him to a lab?

Shūichi glanced around. "Orochimaru-sama, is this a secret base of the Root?"

Orochimaru chuckled. "No, this is where I conduct my research."

With that, he led Shūichi through the entrance into a long passageway.

Shūichi could sense that the passage sloped downward. After about twenty meters, it branched off into multiple corridors, each leading to various rooms.

Entering one of the rooms, Shūichi was amazed by what he saw.

Shelves lined the walls, filled with glass jars of various sizes, containing all sorts of strange things—eyes, body parts that could be human or from other animals, and more.

Of course, what Shūichi noticed most were the numerous samples of different types of snakes, particularly white ones.

"Is this the beginning of your research into the soft body modification and the Eight-Headed Serpent Technique?" Shūichi thought to himself.

At that moment, Orochimaru approached one of the glass jars and said, "Now, let me show you what I've been working on."

Shūichi stepped forward, his eyes falling on the contents of the jar, and he was slightly taken aback. "A... horn?"

Orochimaru smiled mysteriously. "This isn't just any ordinary horn!"

Shūichi feigned ignorance. "Is it the horn of some powerful summoning beast?"

"Eight-Tails!" Orochimaru revealed. "You've heard of it, right? The Eight-Tails jinchūriki of the Cloud Village, Killer Bee."

Shūichi feigned surprise, then nodded. "Yes, Minato-sensei did mention it once. He said the Eight-Tails is a terrifying creature with an enormous amount of chakra, which is why it's sealed within a human and used as a powerful weapon."

This was indeed something Minato had once explained to him.

In this era, it's not uncommon to see jinchūriki on the battlefield, especially from the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone villages.

In fact, even Uzumaki Kushina has been released from the restrictions preventing her from leaving the village, and she occasionally takes on missions. Of course, she's usually well-protected during these missions.

However, Minato Namikaze didn't go into great detail about jinchūriki in his explanations.

Perhaps when it comes to understanding jinchūriki or the Tailed Beasts, Shūichi Hoshita knows more than Minato does!

Orochimaru smiled and said, "Minato wasn't wrong."

"Tailed Beasts not only possess immense chakra, but they also have unparalleled longevity. It's said that they've existed since the time of the Sage of Six Paths and that each time a jinchūriki dies, the Tailed Beast can be reborn."

Shūichi appropriately displayed a look of shock, his eyes fixed on the small horn inside the glass jar. "The era of the Sage of Six Paths is incredibly ancient, isn't it?"

"Can they really survive until now, continually resurrecting?"

"Orochimaru-sama, how did you obtain this?"

"Minato-sensei mentioned that Tailed Beasts have the power to destroy entire cities."

With a hint of pride, Orochimaru smiled. "Jinchūriki, or rather, Tailed Beasts, are indeed difficult to deal with, but there are ways to extract some of their cells."

Shūichi was astonished. "Is this something you made using cells from the Eight-Tails, Orochimaru-sama?"

"Incredible technology—Tsunade-sama might not even compare to you in this field."

Orochimaru nodded. "Our paths are different."

"Unfortunately, the power of the Tailed Beasts is too wild and unstable, making it unsuitable for human transplantation at this time."

He spoke with genuine regret.

Even so, he intended to continue researching this piece of the Eight-Tails' horn.

Though the power of the Tailed Beasts is indeed uncontrollable, it holds great potential. With this, many previously difficult experiments could be conducted.

Turning to Shūichi, Orochimaru smiled and said, "Shūichi-kun, you have remarkable ideas and are well-suited for research. How about joining me in exploring how to make the human body immortal?"

"I believe this would be an incredibly significant endeavor."

"With such technology, even previously incurable injuries could become manageable."

Orochimaru's voice was filled with temptation, and there was an underlying message directed at Shūichi.

Shūichi withdrew his gaze from the Eight-Tails' horn and smiled wryly. "Orochimaru-sama, I would be happy to."

"But as you know, I've become a double agent, so the situation here might..."

Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "Feel free to report everything here to the Third Hokage. There's nothing here that needs to be hidden."

Hearing this, Shūichi immediately bowed and said, "In that case, I look forward to your guidance, Orochimaru-sama!"

Orochimaru nodded with a smile, then turned to leave. "Come, take a look at this research of mine. Consider it a return favor for the knowledge you shared earlier!"

...

By the time Shūichi left Orochimaru's lab, night had already fallen. As he walked toward the Hokage's office, he pondered to himself, "Did Orochimaru recruit me for experiments purely because of my abilities?"

"Or is it for the Nine-Tails?"

The fact that the Nine-Tails is sealed within a jinchūriki is a secret to many Konoha shinobi, but Orochimaru is not among them.

"Surely the Third Hokage is aware of this little scheme?"

Shūichi mused, "It seems Orochimaru is playing an open game."

"He's trying to subtly pull me deeper into this path of research, and then..."

"What a well-thought-out plan."

"But Orochimaru does have a lot that I can learn from. When it comes to the study of the human body, cells, and cloning, Tsunade can't hold a candle to him."

With that in mind, Shūichi focused on the tags in his mind.

A new tag had been triggered!

(End of Chapter)

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