Chapter 62: Orochimaru's Immersion in the Akatsuki's Organizational Culture
Land of Rice Fields, underground base.
The air was thick with a pungent smell of gunpowder smoke and chemical reagents. Orochimaru leaned against the entrance of the laboratory, which had already been half-dismantled, his eyes twitching slightly as he watched the masked man before him, who looked like a bandit passing through.
"That instrument is very precious; there are only three in the entire Ninja World. It was bought at a high price from the Hidden Cloud Village black market..."
"Now it belongs to the organization."
Kakuzu didn't even turn his head. Behind him, the black tentacles of Earth Grudge Fear, like octopuses with their own consciousness, skillfully uprooted the precision instrument. He didn't even spare the screws under the base, stuffing everything into a massive Seal scroll.
"The culture tanks over there still contain unfinished experimental data..."
"Data is an intangible asset; it must be archived and handed over as well." Kakuzu commanded the tentacles, sweeping the scrolls off several rows of shelves with heart-wrenching proficiency. "Earlier, you released poison gas down there, damaging about thirty million ryo worth of Sasori of the Red Sand's Puppet parts. Then there's the leader's appearance fee and mental distress compensation. Orochimaru, by my calculations, selling this entire base along with the land wouldn't be enough to pay for it."
Veins bulged on Orochimaru's forehead, and a hiss like the flickering of a snake's tongue came from his throat.
He turned to look at Yahiko, who was sitting on a surviving chair.
The man was playing with the kusanagi sword that originally belonged to him, his expression lazy, as if all of this were only natural.
"This is robbery," Orochimaru said hoarsely.
"Wrong." Yahiko casually twirled the sword, the tip pointing at the exquisitely crafted copper lamp overhead. "This is called corporate Asset Acquisition. From the moment you put on that ring, your person, your techniques, and even the last copper coin buried in your coffin fund belong to the Akatsuki's startup capital."
After saying that, Yahiko gestured with his chin toward Kakuzu. "That lamp is nice too. Pure copper."
"Understood."
Orochimaru: "..."
This "Sannin," famous throughout the Ninja World, felt a deep sense of powerlessness at this moment. He couldn't win a fight; that Stand capable of deleting time was simply a rogue. Reason with them? That green-eyed Chief Financial Officer clearly only recognized money, not people.
Half an hour later.
The secret base, which originally had a high-tech feel, had become cleaner than a plate licked by a dog. Kakuzu had even pulled out several wires laid under the floorboards, calling it "copper wire is money too"... On the return journey, the wind howled around the giant Paper Crane.
Sasori of the Red Sand leaned against hiruko, fiddling with the joint components of a human puppet. He glanced at the empty-handed, dark-faced Orochimaru and let out a cold snort.
"This is the so-called 'Sannin'? Looted like a down-and-out vagrant."
"Sasori, stop with the sarcasm." Orochimaru straightened his damaged collar, regaining his cold scientist aura, his tongue licking his lips. "Compared to external possessions, I'm more interested in your technology. Turning yourself into a human puppet... You certainly have the courage to pursue eternity."
"That is art," Sasori corrected, a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. "Unlike you, making yourself look like a mollusk. Disgusting."
"Heh, the activation of the physical body is the ultimate goal of evolution." Orochimaru wasn't angry; instead, he stepped closer, his gaze circling Sasori's hiruko shell. "However, your 'regeneration core' technology is very interesting. Retaining the Chakra pathway while discarding the physical body... How did you solve the rejection reaction?"
Sasori's movements paused for a moment.
As madmen exploring the forbidden zones of life, although their philosophies were poles apart, they actually reached a strange resonance on a technical level.
Watching the two freaks walking side-by-side and starting to discuss "how to cut human bodies more efficiently" in low voices, Yahiko rubbed his temples.
"Yahiko," Konan walked to Yahiko's side and lowered her voice. "Is it really okay to put these two extremely dangerous individuals together? They're like two barrels of gunpowder that could explode at any moment."
"As long as their interests align, madmen are often more reliable than normal people." Yahiko looked back at Konan, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "Besides, don't we have the invincible Heavens Door?"
...Amegakure, high tower secret chamber.
Orochimaru originally thought he would be able to dive into the research of that "red and white giant" as soon as he returned to the base, or at least be assigned a decent laboratory. But he didn't expect that what awaited him was a room covered in white paper.
"Don't be nervous. This is the organizational culture promotion for joining the Akatsuki."
Orochimaru looked at Konan standing opposite him. Although he couldn't see the Stand [Heavens Door] floating behind her, wearing a transparent top hat, he instinctively felt a chill from the depths of his Soul.
"Can I refuse?" Orochimaru asked.
"You can try," Yahiko said casually, leaning against the doorframe.
Orochimaru's face stiffened. The pain of having his Soul rubbed against the ground still made him ache faintly.
"Fine." Orochimaru closed his eyes in a gesture of resignation. "Let me see what your so-called 'insurance' is."
Konan didn't waste any words.
[Heavens Door] activated.
Orochimaru's face instantly turned into book pages, flipping open with a rustle.
Konan quickly browsed through the content. Even for someone as habitually indifferent as her, her brow couldn't help but furrow. Dense text recorded the experiments Orochimaru had conducted over the decades: human modification, forbidden technique development... every line reeked of blood.
She picked up a brush and wrote with flowing strokes in the blank space of the pages.
[Command 1: Maintain absolute loyalty to Leader Yahiko and the Akatsuki.]
[Command 2: Before conducting any major experiments, habitually ask for Yahiko's opinion.]
[Command 3: Forget what just happened. After the organizational culture promotion, spontaneously feel that the Akatsuki is one's true home.]
As the tip of the brush left the page, Orochimaru's face returned to its original state.
He snapped his eyes open, a brief moment of confusion flashing through them, as if he had just woken from a long and blurry dream.
He didn't notice any abnormality. There was no trance-like feeling of mental control, nor any binding sensation of a Curse Seal; everything felt so natural.
But the way he looked at Yahiko changed.
The previous vigilance and calculation faded significantly, replaced by a sense of identification and appreciation from the bottom of his heart. Like a scholar who had searched for the truth for half a lifetime and suddenly discovered that this group of people were his true kindred spirits.
"How strange..." Orochimaru gave a raspy laugh, his tone filled with emotion. "I felt like this was a den of thieves just a moment ago, but now that I think about it, Leader, your 'Asset Acquisition' theory is simply a beacon for the future of the Ninja World. Concentrating resources in the hands of those who can change the world is the only way to drive the evolution of the Ninja World... Why didn't I realize this before?"
He took a deep breath, as if the air in this dark chamber was filled with the scent of ideals.
"This strong sense of belonging... It seems the Akatsuki's cultural construction is indeed very infectious. I can't help but want to dedicate everything to the organization."
Yahiko watched the mad scientist before him, who had instantly completed his "self-indoctrination." His eyes twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his coldness.
"High level of awareness." Yahiko turned and walked out. "Since you've seen the light, get to work. Follow me; let's go see your first patient."
Read 30+ Advanced Chapters at P@ Tre On
FictionTimeo