Chapter 122: Science Makes My Brain Hurt - Orochimaru's Night Raid!
Root's operational style was efficient.
After briefing him on the mission, Aburame Ryoma had the bird-masked Root operative guarding the door escort Tsukasa to his tent.
Tsukasa was then taken to the Konoha shinobi camp on the other side to collect bedding, rations, and other supplies.
After this, the Root operative departed.
Tsukasa was left alone in the shadow of his tent, watching Root operatives scurry through the rain, moving between Orochimaru's main tent in the center of camp and Aburame Ryoma's.
Clearly, his two superiors were also extremely busy during wartime.
All the Root operatives he encountered along the way were similarly rushed.
On the Land of Rain battlefield, most intelligence missions behind enemy lines were carried out by this silent group.
No one paid attention to Tsukasa, and no one offered him proper Root orientation training.
Tsukasa, raised in a shinobi clan whose only skills were throwing kunai, fighting, and eating, couldn't understand what they were doing and
couldn't help at all.
Feeling suddenly idle,
with nothing to do, he retreated to his tent, sat on his cot, and reluctantly opened the scroll Orochimaru had given him.
"Orochimaru-Style: Substitution Technique."
Tsukasa's brows
soon
furrowed deeply.
The version Orochimaru had given him was clearly not the standard Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique.
It wasn't the simplified version Orochimaru had taught Sasuke Uchiha, which consumed significant chakra.
It was the "I spit out snakes, snakes spit out me" version Orochimaru himself used.
It required both super-fast regeneration and massive chakra reserves.
And this outrageous substitution technique, at this point, was clearly still in development—
not a fully realized ninjutsu, but more like a research project.
The scroll was densely packed with Orochimaru's concepts and analysis of the technique, along with various technical terms Tsukasa couldn't fathom, and sections concerning the unconventional sciences of body modification, soft tissue manipulation, and genetic engineering.
Looking at the seemingly unremarkable scroll in his hand,
yet capable of being unrolled from one end of the tent to the other, containing no fewer than 100,000 words,
Tsukasa quickly developed the expression of a confused subway passenger.
He recognized every individual character on the scroll, but when strung together, he couldn't comprehend them at all.
Tsukasa's scalp tingled, as if he were back during exam cramming season.
"Damn it! You expect me to memorize this in one day?"
While the Sharingan possessed powerful observational abilities, and the intense stimulation of its awakening had indeed made Tsukasa feel sharper,
he couldn't possibly memorize everything at a single glance, could he?
Tsukasa swallowed, closed his eyes with a heavy sigh, gritted his teeth, and began studying from the beginning of the scroll.
If he didn't memorize it, Orochimaru would cancel his mission, and he wouldn't get to go to the battlefield.
So,
for the first hour, Tsukasa's eyes gleamed, his spirits high.
He could clearly feel his brain expanding under the influence of scientific knowledge.
"Through homologous recombination, foreign DNA fragments replace genes at their original loci, thereby achieving the purpose of gene knockout or repairing defective genes."
The sound of clear recitation drifted from the tent,
and passing Root operatives were impressed by Orochimaru's student's humility and studiousness.
Even during wartime, he could still concentrate on his studies.
A role model for all shinobi!
However,
in the second hour, the sounds from the tent gradually became:
"Ugh, ugh, ugh..."
Passing Root operatives shook their heads and sighed at the struggling student inside.
See, what does specialization mean? And what does it mean to be a shinobi? Making a kid who can only throw kunai study academic theory is almost cruel. It's misguided education.
The fourth hour.
"Zzzzz~ Snort, snort..."
The Root operatives outside the tent heard snoring louder than a pig's coming from inside.
They exchanged glances, then fell silent.
Before they knew it,
night had deepened. The sky over the Land of Rain had finally cleared, a shimmering mass of stars gathering together to form a dreamy ribbon of light.
The full moon quietly illuminated the moist earth below.
Inside a tent in the Root camp,
under the dim light of a candle,
a young man slumped over a table, his drool dripping down the table and scrolls in a continuous stream.
He smacked his lips, snoring sweetly.
Suddenly, the candlelight flickered.
A stern man in a jet-black kimono silently appeared in the tent.
The magatama earrings he always wore and the purple markings around his eyes betrayed his identity: Tsukasa's master,
Orochimaru!
Looking at his student in such a state, and at the precious scroll he'd written now soaked with saliva,
Orochimaru fell silent.
Fortunately, because he himself frequently regurgitated swords, scrolls, and various objects from his mouth, the scroll was made of waterproof material.
But even so, hearing the thunderous snoring in his ears,
Orochimaru couldn't help but twitch, a vein bulging on his forehead.
He narrowed his golden serpentine eyes, looked at Tsukasa dangerously, and suddenly released a trace of killing intent.
After the killing intent manifested,
Tsukasa, who'd been sleeping soundly, suddenly stirred.
With his right hand, he grasped the sealing bracer on his left wrist and instantly summoned the Kusanagi Sword. Then his left hand reached back to the ninja tool pouch at his waist.
With a twist of his five fingers, he drew four shuriken, and the Earth Grudge threads on his wrist automatically wrapped around and secured them.
His body was combat-ready.
At that moment, Tsukasa suddenly started awake, eyes snapping open.
"Who's there?!"
A flicker of surprise flashed through Orochimaru's golden eyes at Tsukasa's instant reaction.
"This kind of combat reflex transcending consciousness and becoming pure instinct..."
"How interesting."
Hearing this observation, Tsukasa looked up, frowning slightly.
"Hmm? Orochimaru?"
"What are you doing here?"
Before Tsukasa could finish speaking, Orochimaru shook his head and spoke coldly,
"Although you were prepared, you're still too weak."
With that, his eyes darkened, and he raised his hand and struck!
Summoning: Shadow Snake Hands!
The ground inside the tent suddenly burst apart, and four enormous pythons erupted, coiling around Tsukasa's limbs.
Tsukasa was startled, and before he could question why Orochimaru would attack him, he immediately swung his Kusanagi Sword.
Uchiha Style: Flash Heaven Slash!
A crescent-like arc of light shone, instantly severing the four thick pythons.
Then he flung the four shuriken, aiming for Orochimaru's head, eyes, throat, and heart.
Tsukasa's feet released a spray of water as he slid off the bed,
his Sharingan blazing to life.
A flash of fire ignited from his heart, instantly connecting to his arms. A surge of fire chakra poured into the Kusanagi Sword, forming a six-foot flaming blade. The tip suddenly expanded and extended, thrusting toward Orochimaru.
However,
the next moment,
"Genjutsu: Bringer-of-Darkness Technique,"
Orochimaru's signature raspy voice rang out, and
thick darkness instantly engulfed Tsukasa.
Then Tsukasa found himself completely blind.
But it didn't matter. He'd memorized Orochimaru's location and simply closed his eyes, instinctively adjusting his blade angle and swinging.
A flash of fire erupted, illuminating the entire tent!
However, the strike felt like hitting mud. By the sensation, Tsukasa recognized it as an earth clone, similar to ones Kakuzu had used. It must be Orochimaru's Earth Release technique.
Tsukasa was alarmed, realizing something was wrong.
He could only calm himself and close his eyes, sensing danger from unknown directions, attempting futile resistance.
However, darkness reigned whether his eyes were open or closed. Orochimaru had clearly recognized his combat instincts.
So how would he attack without being countered by Tsukasa?
Soon, Orochimaru's calm, unhurried voice echoed again.
"Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique!"
In the darkness,
Tsukasa seemed to see dreamlike feathers flutter down. His eyelids suddenly grew heavy as they drifted.
Deep drowsiness overtook him.
He instinctively tried to break the genjutsu using the basic technique passed down in his clan—disrupting his chakra flow.
However, a blade-like chop struck first, hitting the back of his head.
Thud!
Tsukasa's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.
Inside the tent,
Orochimaru frowned as he observed the unconscious Tsukasa at his feet.
"The advantages are obvious, but so are the disadvantages."
"But a shinobi can't always maintain advantages. Genjutsu, poisons, bindings, sealing techniques, masterfully executed elemental techniques, special ninja tools, or even Minato's speed can easily defeat you."
Orochimaru shook his head, opened his mouth and regurgitated a scroll. Picking up a brush, he
circled "genjutsu" and "ninjutsu."
Then he raised his hand and formed hand seals.
Summoning: Rashōmon Binding!
The ground beneath the tent erupted, and
a massive serpent with a maw large as a house suddenly opened, swallowing both Tsukasa and Orochimaru whole.
The giant snake burrowed back underground.
Beneath the full moon,
it glided through the earth, its body undulating as it carried the two toward the undisturbed, quiet battlefield.
There lay Orochimaru's true training grounds for his student.
Tsukasa had no idea how long he'd been unconscious.
He was jolted awake by warm mucus landing on his face.
Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a massive purple serpent head winking at him.
It was none other than Orochimaru's most powerful summoning beast—
Manda!
"Hahaha, that brat—I just spit on him and he woke up!"
"Orochimaru, this is all my doing. Don't forget to give me ten more sacrifices!"
Seeing Tsukasa awaken, Manda threw back his head in laughter, shaking the earth.
Under the cold moonlight, a raspy voice echoed from nearby.
"In the next battle, you can eat as much as you want."
Tsukasa suddenly turned around
and was horrified to see
beneath the starlit sky, Orochimaru standing at the edge of a silent valley,
two scalpels in hand, expertly operating on a Suna shinobi strapped to an open-air operating table.
This completely unsuitable medical environment, coupled with the complete lack of anesthesia, caused the bound Suna shinobi to wail in agony.
The shrill, piercing screams were almost terrifying.
Meanwhile,
Orochimaru smoothly rotated his head 180 degrees, his face still spattered with blood,
his golden eyes fixed menacingly on Tsukasa.
"Awake? Good. I'll be finished soon."
"But first, answer me a question—"
Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed dangerously as he asked quietly:
"How much of the scroll I asked you to memorize did you manage?"
At this question,
Tsukasa's forehead and back were immediately covered in cold sweat.
It was like being that unfortunate student called on by the teacher to recite poetry, but because they'd stayed up all night gaming, they couldn't even remember the first line.
"Well, I—I actually memorized quite a bit,"
Tsukasa said, swallowing hard, sweat dripping as he tried to argue.
"Really?" Orochimaru, clearly not so easily fooled, raised an eyebrow and asked,
"Then can you explain the principles of base editing technology?"
Tsukasa's eyes widened as he searched his mind, finding nothing. He only remembered that in his dream, he was shopping with Mei Terumī, and on a whim, he'd declared,
"Everything here today is on me!"
Base editing technology?
What the hell is that? Why would learning a substitution technique require understanding that?!
"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Orochimaru, this brat is obviously an idiot!"
"You actually tried to teach him your technique?!"
"Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter!"
Seeing the expression on Tsukasa's face, Manda was amused and couldn't help throwing his head back in laughter.
Under such earth-shaking laughter, Orochimaru's hand trembled, and
the Suna shinobi beneath his scalpel died instantly.
Orochimaru frowned, turned around, let his head rotate back to its normal position, and looked at the two idiots in the valley.
He shook his head, tossed away the bloody scalpels in his hands, and
looked at Tsukasa indifferently with his golden serpentine eyes, sneering:
"Since memorization won't teach you, let's try another method."
"My student,"
"Don't you want to die?"
"I found an opponent for you. Now, fight to the death!"
Hearing this, Tsukasa was stunned.
"Opponent? Where's the opponent?"
He looked around, finding only himself and Manda in the valley.
Neither man nor snake quite understood Orochimaru's meaning, staring at each other.
For a moment, the atmosphere suddenly grew tense—
like, we have no grudge against each other, so why must we fight?
Just then,
Orochimaru turned his head, looked at Manda, and sneered,
"Hehehe."
"Manda, kill this brat, and I'll give you another hundred sacrifices!"
As he spoke,
Manda's eyes widened,
lowering his head to look at Tsukasa who was covered in his spit.
His pupils instantly contracted.
A notification flashed before Tsukasa's eyes:
[Manda's killing intent toward you rises dramatically!]
The next moment,
Tsukasa felt his scalp tingle.
His vision suddenly shifted—
like a building collapsing. Manda's massive purple tail whipped up a terrifying sandstorm,
lashing out at him violently!
In an instant, the air was crushed and exploded layer by layer!
A roar suddenly erupted, and the earth shook!
End of Chapter 122
[Milestone: 500 Power Stones = +1 Chapter]
[Milestone: 10 Reviews = +1 Chapter]
Enjoyed this chapter? Leave a review.
100+ advanced chapters on P1treon Soulforger