thefictionvixens Chapter 228 Orochimaru: Impossible! I saw Nawaki with my own eyes...
Chapter 228 Orochimaru: Impossible! I saw Nawaki with my own eyes...
Chapter 228 Orochimaru: Impossible! I saw Nawaki with my own eyes...
In the Land of Rice Fields, in the underground experimental base of the Sound Village.
Orochimaru stood beside the central operating table, watching Kabuto busily working with great interest.
"Keep it up, don't let your guard down."
Orochimaru's hoarse voice broke the silence, carrying a sweet, scientific quality.
Dou nodded upon hearing this.
However, he soon noticed something unusual.
Lord Orochimaru seems to be in a particularly good mood today, and his eyes are not as cold as usual.
Kabuto Yakushi couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make Lord Orochimaru so pleased.
As he was lost in thought, he unconsciously turned his head to steal a glance at Orochimaru beside him.
Just then, a piece of blood cultured in a glass container was accidentally knocked off the instrument by his elbow. Yakushi Kabuto was startled and quickly dodged to catch it, saying anxiously, "I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru, I'm sorry..."
A mocking laugh rang out.
Kabuto paused, cautiously raising his head. He saw that Orochimaru did not show his usual gloomy and angry expression. Instead, Orochimaru stared at him with interest, tilting his head slightly and smiling. "Kabuto, you seem a little out of sorts today."
What? Are your new cells still in the adaptation period?
His golden, snake-like eyes gleamed dangerously under the light.
Seeing this expression sent a chill down his spine.
Kabuto gazed at the composed Orochimaru before him with a smug look on his face, momentarily speechless.
Lord Orochimaru seems to be joking with me now, in a rather amused mood?
Is this still the same cold-blooded, ruthless, and unpredictable legendary Sannin?
Thinking of this, Kabuto's heart couldn't help but beat faster.
Lord Orochimaru is in a great mood today. Could it be because of that dream he had last night?
His brow furrowed slightly, as he struggled internally.
Should we tell Lord Orochimaru what we saw in our dream last night?
Just as Kabuto was struggling to make up his mind, Orochimaru's slightly impatient voice rang in his ears: "Kabuto! Don't get distracted!"
Yakushi Kabuto shuddered and immediately came to his senses.
"yes!"
He suppressed his chaotic thoughts, quickly cleaned up the fragments in his hands, stood up, and continued to focus on the testing work.
never mind..
He pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, lowered his eyelids, and hid the light behind the lenses in the dim reflection.
I don't think it'll be a problem to keep quiet about the bizarre scene in my dream last night.
As Kabuto thought this, he silently suppressed his doubts.
Just then, the earth suddenly trembled slightly.
The laboratory floor rippled like water as an unusual aura of chakra approached without warning!
Suddenly, a bulge appeared on the cold, hard stone ground, and then a dark mass emerged from the ground!
The newcomer was tall and thin, with one half of his body as black as ink and the other half as pale as paper, and a sinister smile on his face.
It was the very place I had visited not long ago.
However, this time, Jue did not come alone.
Beside him stood another humanoid figure, entirely white, with stiff and grotesque facial features, lifeless eyes, and a dazed smile on its face. It stood there motionless, as if it had no soul.
A pair of short, grayish-white horns emerged from the sides of his head, and his body seemed to be covered with a rough, bark-like substance, giving him a strange, half-human, half-plant appearance.
no doubt.
It's a White Zetsu.
Upon seeing this, Orochimaru's slightly impatient expression instantly changed, replaced by undisguised delight.
"Hehe, so it was a brilliant move."
"Did you bring me the experimental materials so quickly?"
Orochimaru's golden eyes were fixed on White Zetsu, a greedy and excited light flashing deep within his pupils.
I never expected Zetsu to be so cooperative. He promised to provide experimental material, and in the blink of an eye, he delivered a ready-made White Zetsu!
This efficiency is truly eye-opening.
Orochimaru slowly revealed a smile of interest, staring at Black Zetsu and chuckled, "It seems that the person you wanted me to reincarnate is indeed very important to you!"
Upon hearing this, Black Zetsu couldn't help but think to himself, "This is bad."
He was too impatient, and Orochimaru actually found his weakness!
There is no greater taboo in negotiation than this, but with the die already cast, we can only grit our teeth and continue.
There was nothing he could do about it. Obito was becoming increasingly unreliable. This morning when he went to find Obito, the kid hadn't even finished dressing before rushing out. He was becoming less and less dependable.
Thinking this, Black Zetsu quickly composed himself, chuckled twice, and said, "Heh, Orochimaru, this is the deposit. What about the terms of the deal we agreed on last time? You're not going to try and make an exorbitant demand now, are you?"
Orochimaru, drawing out his words, replied lazily, "Who knows?"
Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Black Zetsu's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly resumed his negotiating tone, saying seriously, "I personally witnessed the Senju Hashirama you summoned using the forbidden technique last time. His strength seemed... well, not as powerful as I imagined. I wonder if you have any way to improve this technique? To allow the summoned person to regain their peak strength from their lifetime?"
"Hehe, of course."
Before Black Zetsu could finish speaking, Orochimaru chuckled, licked his lips, and narrowed his eyes, saying, "Not only can it be improved, I even have a way to make him surpass his prime. However—"
"The greater the power, the higher the requirements for materials. Zetsu, you understand what I mean, right?"
"Hehe, that's good." Black Zetsu chuckled sinisterly and pushed the motionless White Zetsu next to him in front of Orochimaru.
"I hope you're not exaggerating. This is a deposit. I'll find a suitable body as soon as possible."
Before Orochimaru could reply, Black Zetsu's figure slowly sank, his entire body disappearing back into the soil beneath his feet.
In the blink of an eye, he mysteriously burrowed back into the ground and disappeared completely.
Orochimaru gazed in the direction where Black Zetsu had disappeared, a meaningful smile on his face: "What a cautious fellow, he got away quickly."
He muttered something to himself, then excitedly turned his gaze to the white monster beside him.
"Du, put your test on hold for now."
"Get ready, let's take a good look at it and see if it's really as magical as the rumors say."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto bowed and accepted the order. He immediately stepped forward and, together with Orochimaru, helped the White Zetsu onto the research table next to him so that it could lie down.
Throughout the entire process, the white Zetsu was manipulated like a puppet, its blank eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, showing no sign of struggle or reaction.
Orochimaru was even more pleased to see this. He told Kabuto to prepare the equipment, while he slowly walked around the research table for half a circle, bending down with great interest to examine this rare "experimental material".
"That's really interesting."
He extended his slender index finger and slowly traced it across Bai Jue's bare arm.
The touch under the fingertips is cool and smooth, yet it has a fibrous texture similar to plant branches.
"Is this the body of a White Zetsu? It's even more peculiar than I imagined."
Before the words were finished, a deafening explosion suddenly rang out!
Immediately afterwards, the entire laboratory began to shake violently, a large cloud of dust fell from the rock above with a rumbling sound, and the hanging instruments on the surrounding walls jingled and chirped, with several sophisticated devices emitting piercing alarm sounds.
Orochimaru's hand movements suddenly stopped, and the excited smile on his face instantly froze, replaced by an extremely cold and gloomy anger.
"What's going on?!" Kabuto hurriedly grabbed the control panel beside him, looking around with a face full of surprise and uncertainty.
"Who goes there?" Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils flashed with a dangerous light. "How dare you cause trouble on my turf!"
Orochimaru was both shocked and furious. He flung the hem of his white coat and strode toward the direction from which the sound came.
Kabuto quickly followed, and the two cautiously advanced, following the source of the explosion.
At the end of the dimly lit, winding corridor, a tall figure stood silently amidst the rising dust.
In the dim light of the wall lamp, one could see that the person had long white hair that was casually draped behind them, and a bright red vest that was faintly visible in the dust.
He crossed his arms and watched with great interest as Orochimaru and his companion strode toward him.
Orochimaru abruptly stopped, his snake-like eyes narrowing, and blurted out, "Jiraiya?!"
Kabuto recognized the newcomer, and his eyes immediately tensed up.
Orochimaru quickly recovered from his brief moment of surprise, his gaze darkening as he sneered sarcastically, "Hmph, what a rare guest, Jiraiya. Why aren't you staying in Konoha writing your third-rate novels? What are you doing here? Do you intend to—take me back?"
At this point, Orochimaru's face showed a deep sarcasm. Without waiting for Jiraiya's response, he continued, "Save your breath. That rotten cage of Konoha can't hold me at all."
Jiraiya shrugged and laughed nonchalantly, "Arrest you?"
He shook his head, grinning smugly, "This time it won't be so troublesome. Orochimaru, I think—this time you'll probably be begging me to go back to Konoha!"
"How arrogant!" Orochimaru laughed instead of getting angry, his eyes full of contempt. "Ridiculous!"
"Konoha, that rotten and decaying place, should have been completely destroyed long ago! Let me go back? Hmph, I feel nauseous even staying there for a second longer!"
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya did not get angry. Instead, he shrugged and said meaningfully, "Orochimaru, don't you know? Nawaki has returned to Konoha."
One sentence, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
The dimly lit corridor, which had been filled with a tense atmosphere of confrontation, fell into dead silence in an instant.
Kabuto stared wide-eyed in disbelief, almost thinking he was hallucinating.
He naturally thought of the vote that went unanswered in the audience last night.
Orochimaru's expression suddenly froze.
The cold smile that had just been on his lips froze, and the anger and disdain in his eyes seemed to be frozen in an instant.
His pupils suddenly contracted, turning into two thin vertical lines.
"—What did you say?"
"Jiraiya, when did you learn to joke about dead people? That's not funny at all!"
He stared intently at Jiraiya, trying to find traces of the lie, but Jiraiya remained calm, showing no sign of guilt, and even had a confident smile on his lips.
Orochimaru was deeply shaken, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
This sudden news was hard for him to believe, but Jiraiya's calm and composed expression made him inexplicably uneasy.
Seeing Orochimaru's intense reaction, Jiraiya secretly felt relieved.
Although Orochimaru concealed his emotions deeply, subtle changes in his expression betrayed his shock, as they were longtime friends who knew each other inside and out.
Jiraiya felt much more at ease, knowing that the situation was basically under control.
He laughed heartily, spread his hands dismissively, and said, "Believe it or not. If you don't believe me, come with me and see for yourself!"
"Heh," Orochimaru scoffed, shaking his head mockingly. "After all these years, you still haven't given up? But do you think I'd believe your nonsense?"
Even so, his voice no longer carried the confidence it once did.
Jiraiya's calm and composed demeanor, which seemed to give him no reason to be uneasy, made him feel uneasy.
"Whatever." Jiraiya shook his head and sighed. "Anyway, I've said what I needed to say. Believe it or not, it's up to you."
He gave Orochimaru a meaningful look, then turned around gracefully and was about to leave.
Orochimaru stood there, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, and was momentarily speechless.
Based on his understanding of Jiraiya.
Jiraiya doesn't seem to be lying.
But how is that possible?
Nawaki clearly died right in front of him back then!
He clearly remembered the child's appearance when he sacrificed himself, and Tsunade's heart-wrenching crying from behind—
Orochimaru lowered his eyelids slightly, and a deep, unspeakable sorrow from the past suddenly welled up in his heart.
Could it be Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation)?
No. If it were a product of forbidden techniques, Jiraiya wouldn't have reacted this way—
Thinking about this, Orochimaru's mind was filled with doubts, and he couldn't figure it out no matter what he thought about.
But he didn't chase after Jiraiya. He just stood there silently for a few seconds, then suddenly flicked his sleeves and let out a heavy "humph".
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, and finally turned around without a word: "Tou, let's go back."
Kabuto glanced furtively at his master's grim expression, dared not say a word, and respectfully replied, "Yes."
They then followed closely behind Orochimaru, their pace noticeably faster than when they arrived, hurrying back towards the laboratory.
The two quickly returned to the underground laboratory.
The previous tremors had subsided, but some dust and debris still lingered in the air.
The White Zetsu on the research table remained motionless, completely oblivious to the commotion that had just occurred.
Orochimaru walked to the research table and stood there, gazing at the pale and eerie White Zetsu on the table, his heart unable to calm down for a long time.
The bombshell news that Jiraiya had just dropped was like a tangled mess, lingering in his mind.
He tried to calm down and refocus his attention on the important research at hand, but the name of Rope Tree kept lingering in his mind.
Orochimaru slowly raised his hand and took a scalpel from the instrument tray.
However, staring at Bai Jue's pale body, with the blade hovering in mid-air, he momentarily lost his bearings.
Kabuto Yakushi stood aside, observing Orochimaru's movements. He saw Orochimaru holding a scalpel, motionless and unusually silent.
"M-Lord Orochimaru—" Kabuto asked cautiously, "Shall we—continue?"
Orochimaru suddenly snapped out of his daze, a hint of annoyance and impatience flashing in his eyes. He then let out a long breath and said in a low voice:
"—Let's continue."
During the subsequent research process, Orochimaru was clearly distracted.
With a soft "snip," Orochimaru, while cutting and sampling White Zetsu's left hand, lost control of his strength, and the sharp scalpel severed one of White Zetsu's fingers!
A viscous white liquid slowly seeped out from the broken surface.
Orochimaru stared intently at the white severed finger that had fallen to the ground, stunned for a full two seconds, unable to believe his eyes.
When has he ever made such a basic mistake?!
"This..." Yakushi Kabuto's eyes widened, and for a moment he forgot to react.
He had never seen Lord Orochimaru make such a mistake in an experiment.
After a moment of deathly silence, Kabuto Yakushi pondered for a moment.
He coughed lightly and cautiously began, "Lord Orochimaru, there is something I must report to you now."
Orochimaru slowly came to his senses, his eyes narrowing with displeasure as he looked at Kabuto, a hint of anger in his gaze: "What is it?"
Kabuto took a deep breath and told Orochimaru everything that had happened in his dream the previous night.
Before he could finish speaking, Orochimaru's eyes widened suddenly: "What did you say?!"
"Why didn't you report this sooner?!"
A violent pressure of chakra poured out of his body uncontrollably, and the air in the entire laboratory seemed to freeze instantly!
Kabuto felt a tightness in his chest, large beads of cold sweat rolling down his forehead. He quickly bowed his head, his voice trembling, and said, "Your subordinate... Your subordinate knows his mistake! Please forgive me, Lord Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru then realized his lapse in composure. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried his best to calm himself down.
Does that mean what Jiraiya said might actually be true?
Did that rope tree emerge from a dream?
Thinking of this, he could no longer suppress the intense emotions surging within him, and he had no mind left to continue the experiment!
With a clang, he tossed the scalpel aside and abruptly stood up: "Kabuto, you clean up here! I'm going out!"
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto exclaimed in surprise, quickly asking, "Where are you going—"
Orochimaru no longer had time to explain.
He strode towards the lab exit, and without turning back, ordered, "Keep a close watch on the lab until I get back!"
At the end of the dark and damp base tunnel was a heavy stone door.
At that moment, the stone gate burst open, and Orochimaru strode out, not having time to adjust to the sudden burst of sunlight.
A mocking voice came from not far away:
"Oh—what's this? Our cold-blooded and ruthless Lord Orochimaru has changed his mind so quickly?"
Orochimaru's heart skipped a beat. He stopped in his tracks and looked warily toward the source of the sound. He saw a tall figure leaning lazily against the wall next to the base's stone gate.
Jiraiya, who had been waiting for a long time, slowly emerged from the darkness with a mischievous smile on his face. "Orochimaru, where are you rushing off to?" Jiraiya crossed his arms, winked at his old friend, and looked smug, as if he had just known.
"Jiraiya—" Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly, and his body involuntarily stiffened.
Feeling the other person's disapproving gaze, an uncontrollable anger and embarrassment surged across his pale face.
"Hmph!" Orochimaru snorted curtly. "Don't flatter yourself, Jiraiya. I left the base because I was worried that you, an idiot, would be fooled by someone's clumsy transformation technique and embarrass the Sannin!"
Seeing this, Jiraiya couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Alright, alright, whatever you say!"
Orochimaru could only suppress his embarrassment and glared fiercely at Jiraiya.
"Hmph—Jiraiya, you'd better make sure all of this is true! Otherwise—" He narrowed his snake-like eyes and threatened in a low voice, "You know, you haven't beaten me even once in all these years."