Slowly retracting the massive lightning construct, Diarmuid landed and rubbed his chin.
From a perspective of defense and raw power, this "Giant Mode" was superior. However, it had a drawback: the original mode's incredible speed and reaction time were significantly reduced. The giant form was far less agile.
"I can split it into two applications," Diarmuid mused. "The standard mode for regular enemies, and the Giant Mode for dealing with Susanoo or Tailed Beast transformations."
He turned to Kakuzu. "Why are you staring?"
"I'm looking at a monster," Kakuzu said flatly.
Diarmuid laughed. "Your mode seems proficient too. The rest is just the 'grind' of daily accumulation. How are the other Lightning techniques coming along?"
"I can't match your pace, but I'm not that interested in the flashy stuff anyway," Kakuzu replied.
Techniques like the Hell Stab, Lightning Release: Lariat, and Lateral Bolt of Pain: Chop were all Nintaijutsu designed to be used in conjunction with the Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Diarmuid had mastered the mechanics of all of them; he just needed more combat experience.
Kakuzu cared more about the defensive properties of the armor. It fixed his greatest weakness: the vulnerability of his hearts. With the Lightning Release Armor, puncturing one of his hearts was now nearly impossible. One would have to break his lightning defense and then kill him five times over. In a one-on-one fight, he was now virtually unkillable.
As they exchanged notes, Orochimaru emerged from the woods looking somewhat dejected. For six months, he had been obsessing over the secret of Diarmuid's immortality rather than the Raikage's secrets.
His research had been a total failure. He couldn't crack the code of Diarmuid's condition, let alone replicate it for himself.
It was the same frustration he felt with Hashirama's cells. He could understand what they were, but he couldn't safely integrate them into himself.
Orochimaru had studied Hashirama's cells for years. Comparing them to Diarmuid, he found they were similar in their immense vitality. The difference was that Hashirama's cells, due to the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, were incredibly invasive and aggressive. Diarmuid's vitality was far more "gentle" and lacked that predatory quality.
Orochimaru had even tried transplanting some of Diarmuid's cells into himself. It made him feel "younger," but that was the extent of it.
"Failed again?" Diarmuid asked with a grin.
Orochimaru shot him a look. "You and the First Hokage are the same, you inspire longing and despair in equal measure."
"It's only been six months. Giving up already?" Diarmuid teased.
"In theory, I've been researching this for years, not just six months," Orochimaru sighed. "The more I study, the more I realize that evolving my own physical constitution through yours is a pipe dream."
In the future, Orochimaru would realize that balancing Hashirama's cells with the Uchiha's Sharingan could stabilize the body and grant Wood Release. But even then, he wouldn't take that path for himself because the balance was too fragile.
This "despair" regarding physical immortality was what would eventually lead Orochimaru to change his entire research direction. He would stop looking for a way to make the body immortal and focus on the soul and spirit instead.
That shift would lead to his greatest success: the Living Corpse Reincarnation. By treating the body as a mere container for the soul, he could live forever as long as his soul remained intact. Of course, the downside was that frequent "vessel" changes weakened the soul's resistance to genjutsu, which is why Itachi would eventually defeat him with a single glance.
"Is that so?" Diarmuid noted, slightly disappointed.
"I'm changing my approach," Orochimaru said, his mood rebounding quickly. "I was being too narrow-minded. If the body cannot be made immortal, perhaps the soul can."
"An interesting thought," Diarmuid praised.
"I haven't been back to Konoha in over half a year. It's time I returned. I came to say goodbye."
"Leaving already? You've been so busy; why not stay a few more days and rest?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "No. We'll meet again. And if anything interesting happens, stay in touch. We are 'comrades,' after all. Hehehe..."
Diarmuid wanted to tell him that if he couldn't laugh normally, he shouldn't laugh at all—it was bone-chilling. But he simply nodded. "Don't worry, I won't forget you if something good comes up."
"Then, before I go, I have a gift for you. Follow me," Orochimaru said, turning back toward the base.
Diarmuid followed, curious. Kakuzu remained behind to continue his training.
Back at the laboratory, Sasori had finished turning the Third Raikage's body into a Human Puppet. It was now his second-greatest trump card after the Third Kazekage. With the Raikage's "addition," Sasori's power had leaped far beyond what it would have been at his peak in the original timeline.
As they entered the lab, Sasori glanced at them. "I still think you should reconsider," he said to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru replied, "My tests show zero danger. I just want to leave a 'seedling' for Diarmuid. Whether it grows into a towering tree is up to him."
"What are you two talking about?" Diarmuid asked, genuinely confused.
Sasori said flatly, "He wants to transplant the First Hokage's cells into you so you can use Wood Release."
Orochimaru smiled. "You often mentioned your interest in Wood Release, didn't you? Want to give it a try? Theoretically, with your vitality, you can perfectly accommodate the First Hokage's cells. They would merge completely without any side effects."
Theoretically, Wood Release was a combination of Water and Earth natures activated by immense vitality and chakra. Diarmuid should have been able to do it on his own. But even with Orochimaru's help, he had never succeeded, not even a sprout.
Diarmuid had concluded it was a matter of "Chakra quality." Hashirama was the reincarnation of Asura; Wood Release was fundamentally linked to the God Tree. As an alien, Diarmuid lacked that specific "connection."
Hashirama's cells were the key to unlocking that lock. It had worked for Yamato, after all. Yamato's Wood Release was weak only because his own base stats weren't high enough.
Orochimaru had brought a sample of Hashirama's cells from Konoha for comparison and experimentation. While his own research into physical immortality had failed, he had experimented with merging Hashirama's cells with Diarmuid's tissue samples.
The results were perfect.
Because both possessed immense vitality, the cells didn't fight. They harmonized. Orochimaru's plan was to use a tiny amount of Hashirama's cells as a "primer." Once inside Diarmuid, these cells would be integrated by Diarmuid's superior, unending life force. There would be no risk of the cells taking over.
In doing so, Diarmuid might unlock the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, becoming the second person since Hashirama to truly master it.
To a research maniac like Orochimaru, transplanting cells was as simple as changing a lightbulb. Diarmuid felt a little weird about it, but he wasn't repulsed. In his previous life, people transplanted corneas and organs all the time. If it solved his power bottleneck and opened new doors, why not?
Diarmuid smacked his lips. "Why not? Let's give it a shot."
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