I have no interest in forcing others.

Orochimaru stood atop the serpent's giant head, gazing down at the two drugged snakes below with a smile curling at his lips. Manda had served as his summoned beast for over a decade; formulating a special paralytic tailored to it was hardly a challenge, and experimenting on Manda had never proven an obstacle.

He remained motionless for a considerable while, quietly waiting. In Ryuchi Cave, nothing escaped the notice of the White Snake Sage. Before he could officially begin his experiment, whether the White Snake Sage spoke directly or dispatched a Snake Princess to intervene, there was ample time for either to occur.

Yet, aside from Manda's feeble curses and complaints, the cave echoed with no other voices. None of the other massive serpents stepped forward to prevent him. Manda had become the king of snakes simply because of its strength; cold-blooded creatures could never unite for warmth, even if they banded together.

"Excellent." Orochimaru licked his lips. The most perilous step had been crossed; implicit permission had been granted. Although his observations of the cave had given him some insight into the White Snake Sage’s nature, whether events would unfold as he desired remained uncertain—he had to take the risk. Perhaps today, the White Snake Sage was in poor spirits. Perhaps meddling with her snakes in Ryuchi Cave would be seen as an affront. There were countless uncertainties.

But, as the Lamp Genie had surmised, the White Snake Sage was not only a 'person,' but a pragmatic one. The worst-case scenario did not come to pass. She did not object to sacrificing her snakes, so long as she could witness the value gained in return.

Whether he could present something worthy of her favor was now the trial he had to face.

With a swift motion, Orochimaru leapt from the giant python’s head onto Manda’s, forming hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"

In an instant, a dozen figures emerged from the white smoke. They took apparatus from the original and dispersed along Manda’s lengthy body, administering the drug evenly.

"No need to rush. As such a rare and extraordinary specimen, I'll be even more cautious with you." Unfazed by Manda’s furious glare, Orochimaru smiled lightly. "Bear with me for a moment."

This dose of paralytic would keep Manda incapacitated for a while longer; as for the other python, such measures were unnecessary. Once the experiment began, refusal to cooperate would be nothing short of courting death.

Orochimaru moved to the head of the gray python. During his previous wait, the drug had begun to dissipate within its immense body, restoring basic consciousness.

"Cooperate with my experiment; that's the price for eating that pig, don’t you think?" Orochimaru spoke calmly, his words terrifying the snake. "Of course, if you refuse, it matters little—the one who’ll die will be you."

The gray python glared with regret, but there was nothing it could do. Its mother had never taught it not to eat food from strangers. Now, it was meat on the chopping block—there was little left to say.

It blinked its eyes to signal agreement.

"Very good. I appreciate your cooperation; I have no interest in forcing others." Under the snake’s incredulous gaze—astonished by human shamelessness—Orochimaru vaulted onto its body. Borrowing the Lamp Genie’s vision, he surveyed up and down, quickly pinpointing the site for surgery.

Although the pathways of chakra between humans and snakes were entirely different, the heart remained the central organ. Previously, he’d worried about the survival of the Uchiha subjects, but for this python, such concerns were irrelevant; he would choose the site with the highest chance of success.

He affixed the nutrient solution device to the snake’s belly, handed a chakra intensity monitor to a shadow clone, and formally began the experiment. He injected the prepared first-generation cell fusion serum into the python, activated the nutrient injector to supply cells in the designated area, then stepped back and ordered his clones to administer the paralytic antidote.

Suddenly, the gray python let out a roar, arching its body and flinging the clone aside. Judging by its reaction, it seemed the antidote was unnecessary.

"Remarkable… For such a massive creature to react so swiftly—what astounding first-generation cells." Orochimaru remained calm, his feet glued to the python’s back, his gaze tracking the heart and following the chakra pathways with keen interest.

The first-generation cells truly had a tendency to grow stronger when met with resistance. In terms of cell strength and vitality, human first-generation cells paled compared to those of a giant serpent exposed to natural energy for years. Yet, paradoxically, the first-generation cells could invade and, using these new cells as a base, generate a terrifying amount of chakra.

Even so, the gray python’s situation was far preferable to that of Uchiha Shinsuke. Its size, strength, and chakra reserves were overwhelming advantages. As long as it—

"Ahhh…"

The python’s back arched into a shape like the character for 'seven,' its head raised high, and it let out a piercing scream. Orochimaru’s eyes narrowed; he turned sharply, spotting a nearly vertical spike on the chakra monitor. The first-generation cells' chakra had, in a moment, broken through some threshold and surged wildly.

"It's natural energy."

Behind him, the Lamp Genie tilted its head, apparently surprised. "Hashirama Senju was highly adept at senjutsu, though his training wasn’t with the White Snake lineage."

Orochimaru agreed. Secondhand natural energy required adaptation; Jiraiya, expert in Toad Sage Arts, couldn’t simply master Ryuchi Cave’s senjutsu. This unexpected development made Orochimaru’s expression shift. Before his eyes, a new color appeared, representing natural energy.

He could clearly see the natural energy within the gray python was being rapidly consumed. The energy that had always empowered its body now seemed like a death sentence.

Watching this, Orochimaru licked his lips. Usually, warrior-type pythons first adapt their bodies to natural energy, then use enhanced cells to extract high-quality chakra. Compared to mage-type pythons, who directly use natural energy to strengthen chakra, there’s always a barrier.

Now, the python’s natural energy was entirely fueling the enemy. The first-generation cells acquired both its cell strength and the boost of natural energy; the original body, aside from its sheer numbers, was overwhelmed in every other aspect.

Orochimaru made a quick decision, sending a clone to the python’s heart to inject a large dose of inhibitor. The rampant expansion of first-generation cells slowed, but the invaded python cells counteracted the inhibitor even faster; time was short.

He frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected the subject to succeed, but to endure so briefly against the first-generation cells made data collection difficult.

"Ahhh…"

The gray python shrieked again, and in the brief respite, its body began to swell. The dark gray keratin on its skin cracked, mucus seeping from the fissures.

The python was shedding its skin.