Chapter 69
I hadn't noticed it while working at Konoha Hospital, but camp life was utterly exhausting.
Medical ninjas may not step directly onto the battlefield, but their work in the camp is relentless. Unfortunately, few understand how overwhelming it can be.
Especially when the number of wounded spikes—there isn't even time for a meal.
But still, Hyuga Shinki was the chief medical officer in the room. Whenever a difficult case came in, he was the first one sought out.
"It seems you've had a productive day," Orochimaru noted.
"Somewhat, but the next step depends on you, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru placed a sealed scroll on the table, his eyes gleaming with curiosity about how Shinki brought life to puppets.
"How many?"
Dragging his exhausted body, Shinki picked up the scroll and assessed its weight.
"Two hundred."
Orochimaru flashed a toothy grin. Whether due to his long dealings with corpses or not, it only made him look more eerie.
"I'll take twenty. The rest is yours."
Shinki wasn't greedy and left Orochimaru with a tenth of the spoils.
"No problem," Orochimaru agreed instantly.
The number of puppets meant little to him; it was the secret of their lifelike quality that intrigued him.
Shinki gave him a look, implying that it was time for Orochimaru to leave. The last step wasn't for others to witness.
But Orochimaru didn't budge.
Sensing Shinki's intention, Orochimaru proposed, "Let me observe, and you can keep all the subsequent puppets."
"The materials I've gathered could produce around 500 puppets."
What?!
Did Orochimaru raid a treasury? How did he have so many resources already? Research really did pay off.
More than half a year had passed, and Orochimaru had accumulated wealth at an impressive rate.
Was it worth letting him watch to gain 500 puppets?
Yes. Even if Orochimaru understood the method, he couldn't replicate it perfectly without prolonged research, which wouldn't impact Shinki significantly.
"Not enough—500 puppets are too few."
After some thought, Shinki declined.
It was fine to let him watch, but... the price needed to be higher.
"One thousand," Orochimaru countered, knowing Shinki's nature. Wealth was no longer a concern for him; while he hadn't struck gold overnight, he did have substantial and ongoing income.
If money could solve a problem, it wasn't really a problem.
Worst case, he could return to his usual projects, developing new tools or formulas to turn a profit.
War was a lucrative time for both weapons and various combat-supporting items. Orochimaru was more than willing to dabble in these for more funds.
Deal.
"Deal," Shinki said, snapping his fingers. "I expect those puppets delivered soon—I depend on them for my safety."
"I'll ensure the materials reach camp shortly. And as I promised, I'm here to watch, not interfere or spread word. Rest assured, Shinki."
"Good."
With the conditions set, Shinki no longer held back. He retrieved a puppet that had already been processed from the scroll, placed a hand on it, and injected chakra into its core while Orochimaru's curious gaze sharpened.
The puppet, once lifeless, twitched, sat up, and stood as if alive. Its previously closed eyes opened, glowing an eerie blue.
"This..."
Even with mental preparation, Orochimaru stood up, stunned, unable to believe his eyes.
Injecting chakra to animate a puppet?
Was that even possible?
It seemed unimaginable!
Orochimaru felt his beliefs shaken to the core.
"Hahaha, fascinating, so fascinating."
Suddenly, Orochimaru clapped his hands and burst into laughter. His body shook with such intensity, one could mistake it for a seizure.
Witnessing life granted to puppets would make anyone question reality—especially puppet masters from Sand Village. When they saw Shinki's puppets, they would probably wonder if they had been going about their craft the wrong way all along.
But replicating this technique was impossible without also possessing the Tenseigan.
Watching the ecstatic Orochimaru, Shinki continued his work, pulling out more puppets and injecting chakra into each. Soon, all the puppets came to life, each taking on Shinki's appearance.
He left 20 lower-quality puppets in the lounge for Orochimaru's use.
"Shinki-kun, a pleasure working with you."
Orochimaru didn't mind the puppets' appearance. For him, they were to be disassembled for research or used in related experiments, so aesthetics were secondary.
"Likewise. Remember, don't go spreading this around."
"Of course."
With a satisfied smile, Orochimaru collected his share and left. Had the camp not lacked the proper facilities, he would have begun his experiments immediately.
Time to rest.
After bidding Orochimaru farewell, Shinki prepared for bed. But just as he lay down, his vision blurred, and he found himself in the Wet Bone Forest.
"Little Shinki, it's time to begin your Sage Mode training," announced the Slug Sage, who had summoned him from the Shinobi World.
"..."
Can I opt out?
I just want to sleep.
Before he could protest, a swarm of little slugs began to climb over him.
Fine, training it is. If I'm not going to die, I might as well train until I drop. Who needs sleep at this age, anyway?
With that, Shinki sat cross-legged and began absorbing the dense natural energy of the Wet Bone Forest, following the Slug Sage's guidance.
The Wet Bone Forest, Myoboku Mountain, and Ryuchi Cave—the three great sacred grounds—boasted far richer natural energy than the rest of the world.
Training in Sage Mode here yielded twice the result with half the effort, though the risk of turning into stone was greater.
Feeling the natural energy flow into him, Shinki focused. Yet on his first attempt, his arm began to petrify from an imbalance. One of the little slugs quickly enveloped his arm, secreting mucus that dissolved the petrification.
This was much easier than using toad oil at Myoboku Mountain.
The slugs' mucus absorbed excess natural energy, preventing Shinki from turning to stone.
Covered in slick mucus, Shinki would have given them a thumbs-up and a five-star review—if only he weren't so slimy.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 160 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss