Chapter Nineteen: Studying Gaara

A new research project? Tsunade was present when Kabuto had come to report earlier, so she too was aware that the One-Tail Jinchuriki had arrived at the Sound Village.

“Are you planning to study the Tailed Beast?” Tsunade guessed.

Orochimaru shook his head. “I've already studied it. I want to verify a hypothesis.”

“Is it related to the Tailed Beast?” Tsunade pressed.

Orochimaru neither confirmed nor denied it.

Chiyo and Gaara arrived, and Orochimaru received them in a serpentine cavern.

Gaara, proud and untamed, stared at Orochimaru seated in the main seat. “Orochimaru, did you kill the Kazekage?”

Orochimaru nodded. There was nothing to deny.

Gaara fell silent for a while, his inner thoughts unreadable. At last, he said, “Good riddance!”

Chiyo turned sharply to look at Gaara, her emotions flaring. “You!”

“Hmph!” Gaara turned away, ignoring her.

Orochimaru found it amusing and smiled. “Chiyo, a little temper in a child is a good thing.”

Chiyo fixed her gaze on Orochimaru. “Orochimaru, don’t think I’m as easy to fool as a child. Tell me where Sasori is, and what you want from me in return!”

Orochimaru chuckled. “You are indeed sharp, Chiyo. I want your Reanimation Technique.”

Chiyo’s pupils shrank. That jutsu was a forbidden technique, never to be passed on!

Why would Orochimaru want it? Did he intend to sacrifice himself to revive someone else?

Orochimaru continued, “I'll give you time to consider, there’s no need to answer now. Gaara, come with me.”

He led Gaara to the laboratory. After they left, the Third Hokage was brought in.

Chiyo was startled to see him. “Hiruzen Sarutobi?”

The Third Hokage was equally taken aback. Then he smiled ruefully. “I've been assigned to keep you company.”

...

In the laboratory, there were only Orochimaru and Gaara.

Orochimaru had Gaara lie down on the bed and raise his arms.

Then Orochimaru locked Gaara’s wrists, and then his ankles as well.

Gaara found it amusing. He wriggled his hands and feet, the chains rattling. He couldn’t move at all. Well, this was surprisingly entertaining!

Orochimaru said, “You can go to sleep now.”

Gaara was puzzled. “Sleep?” Someone was telling him to sleep? How strange.

“You want me to sleep?” he asked.

Orochimaru nodded. “Sleep.”

In that instant, Gaara thought of countless nights he’d spent, unable to sleep, keeping solitary watch. He had never known what it felt like to sleep. That simple word—“sleep”—almost made him want to cry.

Orochimaru said softly, “Don’t worry about it. Go to sleep. What I want to study is precisely it.”

Gaara’s eyelids grew heavy. He felt drowsier and drowsier, but he was afraid that if he fell asleep, “it” would emerge, or that he would never wake again.

Struggling, he drifted further toward unconsciousness, his mind growing fragmented and dim.

“Why am I still forcing myself to stay awake? For that person's words, not to harm the villagers? Heh, ridiculous! Especially now that person is already dead! Am I afraid I’ll never wake up?”

At this thought, Gaara curled his lip in silent contempt. He had never believed himself afraid of death.

With a sigh, Gaara finally fell asleep, feeling an unprecedented sense of peace, though tears streamed down his cheeks.

He did not know why he was crying.

“Ha ha ha ha! At last! I’m free! How stupid you humans are, letting me out!” Shukaku, the One-Tail, roared with laughter.

Without Gaara’s consciousness suppressing it, Shukaku immediately began to materialize, intent on rampage, on sheer destruction.

“Five Elements Seal!”

Just as it managed to break halfway free, its body not yet fully emerged, a sealing technique slammed onto Gaara’s chest.

Shukaku’s power was abruptly cut off. The beast found itself caught in an awkward limbo—half its body manifest, half still trapped within Gaara, unable to fully enter or depart. It was a mortifying predicament...

This humiliation drove Shukaku into a rage.

“Pathetic human! How dare you treat me like this!”

Although the Five Elements Seal was formidable, it could not completely restrain the One-Tail. Orochimaru had only used it as a clever means to limit Shukaku, but given the beast’s strength, it would not be long before it broke free again.

Shukaku was well aware of this, and felt no fear. Instead, its anger only grew, baring its fangs at Orochimaru. “Human, you’ll pay for your folly!”

Orochimaru ignored the threats, or rather, he simply didn’t care. Calmly, he took out his instruments and began his observations.

He was determined to study—and claim—a piece of Shukaku’s body.

All Tailed Beasts possessed a kind of corporeality that could become incorporeal. Even if destroyed, as long as the host’s body remained, the beast could still manifest itself.

Moreover, such a body could withstand the power of a Tailed Beast.

Chakra came in levels—human chakra, that blue glow, was the most basic, formed from the energies of the human body.

But Tailed Beasts could draw directly from natural energy, producing chakra of a far higher order.

“Tailed Beast chakra...” Orochimaru licked his lips with his tongue, then raised his hand, blue chakra swirling above it. With a swift motion, he sliced off a portion of Shukaku’s body.

Shukaku howled, “Human! You’re dead! You will die for this!”

Orochimaru paid him no mind, carrying the severed piece to another chamber to continue his experiments.

Suddenly, Shukaku burst out laughing. “You’re finished, human! I’m breaking free!”

It had already overcome the Five Elements Seal’s constraints and was on the verge of complete manifestation. But just then, a bespectacled young man entered, leading in a stubborn-faced blond boy.

Shukaku paused, sensing a deeply familiar and detested aura. Sniffing carefully, it recognized the Nine-Tails!

With a shudder, Shukaku shrank back inside Gaara’s body, deciding not to emerge—for now.

...

In another lab, Orochimaru and Tsunade continued their experiments. The fragment of Shukaku’s body was sectioned and preserved.

Some of it was sent off for cloning and cultivation, while another part was fashioned into a hollow sphere.

“Orochimaru, what exactly are you trying to do?” Tsunade asked, perplexed. Tailed Beasts could not be cloned—what was the point of studying their bodies?

“As you can see, I wish to create a Jinchuriki,” Orochimaru replied calmly.

Tsunade was stunned. “Create a Jinchuriki? Are you insane?”

Orochimaru smiled. “No need to be so shocked. I’m merely testing a theory. I’m not at the stage of actually creating one yet.”

Tsunade was speechless. Even the idea was terrifying enough!

Orochimaru handed her a cultivated “artificial Byakugan.” “Give this eye to Gaara. He’ll find it useful.”

Gaara possessed the Third Eye ninjutsu, and was known for his unorthodox use of such abilities. This “artificial Byakugan” would be ideal for observation and recording.

Tsunade hesitated. “That child? But this eye still has many technical issues. If it’s used too often, it could explode and endanger him.”

Orochimaru waved dismissively. “Go on. You know if you don’t, I’ll just send someone else. As one of the researchers behind this eye, you are best placed to explain its strengths and weaknesses, and guide him.”

Tsunade fell silent. Indeed, if she delivered the eye herself, she could offer guidance. No one else understood it as she did.

She accepted the eye.

Orochimaru paid her no further heed, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism. It was time to test his hypothesis.