142 It Was All Orochimaru’s Fault

After settling matters regarding Kabuto, Orochimaru wasted no time. Using his own chakra as a conduit, he summoned a soul fragment from the Pure Land.

*Sssss...*

Following the dissipation of a phantom mist, a blue, spectral chakra entity materialized within the underground laboratory. Unlike the previous orb-like state, it now possessed a complete human form, much like the Third Kazekage had. However, compared to Orochimaru himself, this soul entity had a disproportionately small head and a massive body—it looked like a giant python that had just swallowed an ox, its abdomen grotesquely distended into a sphere.

"..."

Only then did Orochimaru truly understand the meaning of the "greed" the Genie had mentioned. Watching the soul entity, which shared his own mind, keep its mouth tightly shut while still unable to prevent the leakage of soul energy—emitting puffs of shimmering light—Orochimaru felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment. Yet, he also understood that for him to be caught in such an unsightly state, the value of this soul energy was self-evident.

Without further delay, Orochimaru recalled the soul fragment into his body.

In an instant, a wave of profound relief surged from the depths of his soul, followed immediately by physical changes.

Orochimaru was suddenly overcome by a ravenous hunger that radiated from every single cell. The sensation was so intense that even one of the "Legendary Sannin" found it difficult to resist.

Watching Orochimaru collapse and curl up in a display of uncharacteristic weakness, Yakushi Kabuto, despite having been warned in advance, was still struck with astonishment. He hurried to place Orochimaru into a nutrient tank.

*Splash...*

As the pale green liquid filled the tank, Orochimaru’s body relaxed slightly. He bit down on a respirator, breathing heavily like a beast, releasing bubbles into the solution. Under the instinctive ravenous consumption of his body, the nutrients in the liquid rapidly turned murky.

The speed was far beyond expectations. Kabuto’s expression shifted, and he immediately pushed the tank’s circulation equipment to its maximum capacity. Fearing that it would not be enough to satisfy Orochimaru, he decisively dismantled the equipment from two other tanks and connected them to the spare intake and outlet ports of the main one.

Only with three times the maximum power supply was he able to barely maintain the nutrient concentration in the tank at a minimally acceptable level.

This frantic consumption lasted for three days and three nights before it finally ceased. Kabuto, who had kept watch in the laboratory the entire time, breathed a sigh of relief as the rate of consumption slowed.

In just three days, Orochimaru had consumed an amount that would satisfy an average Jonin for twenty days. The laboratory’s entire reserve was only meant to last two months; if this continued, Kabuto truly feared it would not be enough. Even now, the rate remained two to three times that of a standard Jonin, enough to last only another twenty days at most.

"It seems I need to prepare more nutrient solution," Kabuto mused, his brow furrowing slightly.

Nearby, the Genie stroked his chin, observing Orochimaru’s state. He had never told Orochimaru that keeping a soul entity separated for long periods was a highly dangerous endeavor. Different experiences and shifts in cognition could, at best, lead to a split personality or, at worst, the soul fragment contending with the original for control of the body—especially since the pure energy of the Pure Land allowed the fragment to grow significantly, bridging the gap with the original.

Yet clearly, his judgment was sound; not even the slightest symptom of such issues had manifested in Orochimaru.

*The chakra-based soul entities of the Ninja World are truly interesting,* the Genie thought to himself. *Perhaps the people here are even more suited for Zanpakuto than I imagined.*

In the Soul Society, Shinigami at least needed to undergo Shikai and Bankai to realize that there was no such thing as a "sword spirit," and that the Zanpakuto was merely a part of their own soul. Orochimaru, however, might not need to go through that process at all.

...

Deep beneath the Root headquarters, in a secret laboratory, Danzo clutched his cane and struck the floor heavily. "How is the experiment progressing?"

The researcher snapped out of his trance and hurriedly replied, "Lord Danzo, the transplantation of the First Hokage’s cells has made significant progress. We have found..."

"Spare me the drivel!" Danzo interrupted, his face cold. "Give me a specific timeline. How much longer until I can undergo the transplantation myself?"

"This..."

Facing Danzo’s imposing aura, the researcher wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. "The transplantation can be performed at any time, and the success rate is guaranteed, but..."

"But what?"

Danzo’s chakra flared, causing all the researchers in the room to tremble in fear. The chief researcher turned deathly pale, leaning against the edge of a table to remain upright. He stammered, his voice trembling:

"The transplantation can proceed, but it will never match the surgical results achieved by Lord Orochimaru. We suspect the experimental data itself is flawed—that Lord Orochimaru led us into a dead end."

Danzo frowned, falling into deep thought. The data had indeed been obtained too easily; setting aside Orochimaru, even the oversight of Hiruzen seemed highly suspicious.

Seeing Danzo fall silent, the chief researcher felt a wave of relief. He had long heard that Danzo was at odds with both Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, and that there was deep mutual suspicion between them. Shifting the blame for the lack of progress onto them was a calculated move. He was no fool; those who only understood research and lacked social acumen had long since been purged by Danzo and the Root, their graves long overgrown.

He was not afraid that Danzo or his spies in the lab would see through him. The experiments based on Orochimaru's data had been smooth until the very final step, where they hit a wall so conveniently that even he suspected Orochimaru had intentionally laid a trap to waste Root's time and resources.

After a moment of reflection, Danzo’s expression suddenly turned fierce. "Are you lying to me?"

The chief researcher collapsed to the floor, crying out, "No, truly, I am not!"

"Hmph... Whether or not Orochimaru's data is flawed, if you cannot perfect the transplantation in one more month, I will see to it that all of you disappear!"

With that, Danzo turned and left the underground laboratory without a backward glance. The chief researcher leaned against the table leg, gasping for air, yet feeling much lighter than before.

...

After leaving the lab, Danzo’s expression darkened. He knew the researcher wasn't lying—his own subordinates hidden in the lab had already hinted as much—but he had applied the pressure to keep them on edge. If the researcher wasn't lying, then the data was almost certainly compromised. It made sense; even if Orochimaru had compromised, he would never be kind enough to provide the correct data.

"Hiruzen might also be meddling. I cannot keep my eyes on him alone; I must get to the source—Orochimaru."

A cold glint flashed in Danzo’s eyes. He summoned a subordinate and asked, "What has Orochimaru been up to lately?"