Karin and Jugo

At that moment, the system prompt beeped.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for significantly altering Karin's life trajectory.]

Congratulations to the host for acquiring: King Kong Blockade X1

[Ding! Successful recruitment of Karin.]

Congratulations to the host for gaining: physical healing.

Curious, Natsuki decided to bite himself to test if it could trigger his healing ability.

"Karin, do you have enough food?"

Orochimaru, unusually tolerant, permitted only Karin to eat in his laboratory.

Due to her unique physique, she required substantial energy—not only chakra but also life energy.

Karin could replenish herself by consuming large quantities of food.

Orochimaru, appreciative of valuable experimental subjects, found her healthy physical and mental state advantageous, making cooperation in experiments hassle-free.

Whatever Karin desired to eat, Orochimaru would arrange for it without hesitation.

After finishing the rice cake, she mumbled, "That's enough, Orochimaru-sama. I feel very full."

For her, accompanying Itachi to Orochimaru was the most life-changing decision she had ever made.

In Kusagakure, both she and her mother were treated as mere tools, with her mother meeting a tragic end—sucked to death.

Living in constant fear and disgust since childhood, her perspective shifted when Itachi descended from the sky and offered to take her away from the Village.

Without a second thought, she agreed. Even if the new place turned out to be hell, it had to be better than staying in the Village.

Upon arriving in the Land of Sound, she discovered it to be a paradise.

Abundant and delicious food was readily available, and Itachi was exceptionally generous, allowing her to indulge in whatever she desired.

Though initially frightened when meeting Orochimaru, over time, she realized that Orochimaru was quite warm.

He only required her cooperation in conducting various experiments, and in return, she could eat to her heart's content and sleep as much as she pleased.

It was a dreamlike existence.

Itachi credited all of this to Natsuki-senpai's instructions.

For this, she felt immense gratitude towards him.

As Orochimaru led everyone forward, they approached a massive machine with a connected pipe.

Below it stood a child with orange hair and orange pupils, radiating strength.

This must be Jugo, Natsuki mused, noting his impressive height. He couldn't fathom what Jugo had consumed to grow so tall at his age.

At around twelve or thirteen years old, Jugo's height already surpassed Itachi's, standing at about 1.75 meters—a mere half a head shorter than Orochimaru.

Jugo greeted everyone joyfully, "Orochimaru-sama, Brother Itachi, and Karin, you're here."

Noticing Natsuki, Jugo, though familiar with the Uchiha traits, hadn't seen him before.

Itachi took the opportunity to introduce Natsuki to Jugo.

Bowing respectfully, Jugo addressed Natsuki, "Natsuki-senpai, thank you for rescuing me. If you hadn't asked Brother Itachi to come for me, I might have harmed someone else."

Observing him with clear eyes, Natsuki couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow.

Jugo, originally a person who loved nature and had a stable mind, now struggled to control the urge to kill—a consequence of the rampages he experienced.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for significantly altering Jugo's life trajectory.]

Congratulations to the host for acquiring: Cursed Seal Transformation X1

[Ding! Successful recruitment of Jugo.]

Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Natural Affinity.

'Curse Seal Transformation—I wonder how my Curse Seal Transformation looks,' Natsuki mused, contemplating the new addition to his abilities.

Noticing another natural affinity, he sensed a unique energy in the air, hinting that the Sage Mode might soon become a reality.

Natsuki greeted Jugo with a smile before turning to Orochimaru with a question, "How do you currently manage to restrain his rage?"

Orochimaru explained, "Excess natural energy affects his mind. Regularly draining away this energy keeps him stable."

He affectionately touched Karin's head and continued, "Karin has a keen perception. When Jugo accumulates excessive natural energy, just bring him over, and a little slap helps."

Karin displayed a proud expression.

Orochimaru glanced at the pipe connected to Jugo. "Well, that should be enough."

Upon hearing this, Jugo promptly detached the tube, gaining the ability to move freely.

Natsuki felt a sense of joy seeing that Jugo wouldn't have to be confined.

"Let me introduce you to some friends. I believe you'll get along well with them," Natsuki suggested, looking forward to their meeting.

"Itachi, take Jugo and Karin to meet their new partners," Natsuki instructed.

Itachi nodded and escorted them out.

Jugo, originally rescued by Kimimaro, had been saved ahead of time.

Now, he was uncertain whether he would grow closer to Itachi or Kimimaro in the end.

There was a nagging feeling that someone was missing from their group, but Ntaski couldn't recall who it was.

Deciding it probably wasn't crucial, he dismissed the thought.

Following Orochimaru into the secret study, they took their seats opposite each other.

Orochimaru updated Natsuki on the progress of Itachi and Shisui.

"The eyes are independent of the immune system, and your Sharingan is influenced by a brain-secreted hormone, triggering a substantial Yin Release Chakra production and evolution."

"However, it's imperfect. The Sharingan prioritizes evolution without considering whether the body can endure it, leading to blindness in Mangekyo Uchiha."

"I've administered a drug to Itachi and Shisui that blocks this hormone. Now, their bodies won't be eroded by Yin Release Chakra, and Itachi's cell inflammatory reaction has vanished."

"But their eye powers won't grow further now. I plan to wait for their physical development before proceeding with the next stage of treatment."

Although Natsuki lacked a deep understanding of the specific research details, his theoretical knowledge provided Orochimaru with valuable insights.

Natsuki inquired, "How's the isolation of Hashirama's cells going?"

Having not been in contact with Orochimaru recently, he sought an update on the specific progress.

Orochimaru initially considered directly injecting Hashirama's cells, but Natsuki advised against it, explaining that Hashirama's cells were too strong-willed.

Attempting direct injection could potentially result in turning into a tree if the Yang Release Chakra couldn't be successfully separated.

"The Yang Release Chakra at the cellular level is challenging to separate, and several crucial materials are still missing. However, Jiraiya paid a visit about a month ago," Orochimaru updated Natsuki.

Natsuki, narrowing his eyes, began to contemplate. When he informed A about the baby, he casually placed the blame on Danzo, considering Danzo's already tainted reputation.

However, to his surprise, the Third Hokage had different thoughts.

If the Fourth Hokage hadn't existed, and Orochimaru hadn't delved into dark research, would the Third Hokage have chosen Orochimaru as the Hokage?

In this world, Orochimaru had not joined the terrorist organization Akatsuki, nor had he assassinated the Fourth Kazekage or plotted for the collapse of Konoha.

He was solely a scientific research enthusiast. The defection and involvement in human experiments many years ago were considered ancient history.

The world, as Natsuki reflected, was harsh. Similar incidents occurred in every ninja village, but they remained hidden from outsiders.

Given the ongoing focus on Obito, Orochimaru's past seemed relatively insignificant.