As space rippled like disturbed water, Yuzuru appeared inside Orochimaru's experimental base.
Catching sight of Orochimaru, Yuzuru smiled and asked, "Orochimaru, did you call me here because there's been new progress on immortality?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "If only it were that simple. I've run into a bottleneck."
The flicker of anticipation in Yuzuru's eyes gradually faded. He frowned. "What kind of bottleneck?"
Orochimaru produced a stack of experimental data and sighed. "Over the years, I've conducted countless experiments, but none of the results have been satisfactory."
"No matter how strong the physique, the number of times a person's cells can divide is limited."
"Once that limit is reached, the cells stop differentiating."
"Whether it's my Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique or Takigakure's Earth Grudge Fear, in essence they both rely on seizing new bodies and organs to prolong life…"
After laying out his reasoning at length, Orochimaru finally said, "So, Yuzuru… is true individual immortality even possible?"
A trace of confusion showed in his eyes, as though he were waiting for Yuzuru to answer.
Yuzuru, however, let out a quiet breath of relief. He happened to know a little about this problem.
"Orochimaru, this needs to be solved at the genetic level."
"There's something inside living organisms called telomeres. They control how many times cells can divide."
"Each time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten, until eventually they disappear."
"But there's a special enzyme called telomerase that can replenish telomere loss and extend their length."
"This telomerase is highly active in cancer cells. You can start your research from that angle."
Yuzuru explained everything he remembered from his past life on the subject.
Though it was broad and somewhat generalized, it should be more than enough for Orochimaru.
After all, with Orochimaru's research capabilities, all he needed was a direction.
When he finished listening, Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
He excitedly ran his long tongue over his face and said in disbelief, "Yuzuru-kun, you never fail to astonish me."
For Orochimaru, Yuzuru's godlike power was easy to accept—after all, it could be explained within the logic of the shinobi world.
But Yuzuru's uncanny ability to pinpoint groundbreaking insights in his research every single time left him deeply perplexed.
He simply couldn't understand how someone who had only spent a few years at the Ninja Academy could know so much, even going so far as to establish systems the shinobi world had never seen before.
It was nothing short of miraculous.
Thinking this, Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh. "If I didn't know your background so clearly, Yuzuru-kun, I might believe you were one of those sages born with innate knowledge described in storybooks."
'Rule out the correct answer first, huh?'
Yuzuru silently complained to himself.
It was fortunate that Orochimaru had long since been placed under Kotoamatsukami. Otherwise, that very guess might have sealed his fate.
Yuzuru warned, "Don't mention anything about me to anyone. If asked, claim that all of this research was done by you alone. Understood?"
Orochimaru would not defy Yuzuru's orders. He nodded. "Understood, Yuzuru-kun."
"Still, even with a direction, achieving results at the genetic level won't be easy."
Hearing Orochimaru's concern, Yuzuru frowned as well.
Offering a broad suggestion was one thing, but when it came to detailed execution, he was no different from a layman.
For a time, the two fell into silence.
Before long, a set of brisk footsteps approached.
Kabuto pushed the door open and walked in quickly. After giving a respectful bow, he said, "Lord Yuzuru. Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru glanced at him. "Kabuto, what is it?"
Adjusting his glasses, Kabuto replied in a steady voice, "Lord Yuzuru, this was delivered by your guard, Anko Mitarashi. Please take a look."
Yuzuru accepted the intelligence scroll from Kabuto and gave it a brief glance.
A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.
"Orochimaru, there's no need to look so troubled anymore."
"I'll find you a capable assistant for your research on telomeres and telomerase."
Orochimaru raised a brow. "Yuzuru-kun, what do you mean?"
"What's written in that scroll?"
Yuzuru casually tossed it over. "At the border between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, there's a country called the Land of Claws."
"It doesn't have a hidden village and has always been ruled directly by its daimyō."
"Recently, one of its towns was massacred. Not a single survivor."
Orochimaru had already finished reading the contents. He frowned slightly. "The Land of Claws has long been under the control of the Land of Earth, while to its south, the Land of Fangs has been under the Land of Wind."
"For the sake of their respective great nations, the two small countries often clash. According to the intelligence, this massacre was carried out by a shinobi hired by the Land of Fangs."
"Are you planning to use this incident as a pretext to move against the Land of Earth or the Land of Wind?"
Yuzuru shook his head. "I have no intention of expanding outward for now. My interest lies entirely with the shinobi hired by the Land of Fangs."
That only deepened Orochimaru's confusion.
"The report says the hired shinobi is an S-rank rogue ninja from Sunagakure. A prodigy puppet master known as Sasori of the Red Sand."
"I've heard of him—Chiyo's grandson. His parents were killed by Sakumo during the Second Great Ninja War."
"The capable assistant you mentioned… don't tell me you mean this puppet master?"
Although Sasori of the Red Sand had been designated an S-rank rogue ninja by Sunagakure, Orochimaru clearly looked down on him.
In his view, the shinobi of Sunagakure who toyed with puppets were nothing more than second-rate figures.
A group obsessed with mechanisms and poison—what insight could they possibly have into life sciences?
Seeing through Orochimaru's thoughts, Yuzuru couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
They hadn't even met yet, and Orochimaru already showed clear disdain. No wonder that in the original timeline, the two would become enemies who sought nothing less than each other's death.
Suppressing the stray thoughts in his mind, Yuzuru said, "Orochimaru, don't underestimate Sasori of the Red Sand. One of the techniques he developed may be extremely helpful to our research into immortality…"