Chapter 145: The Fused Clone of Shikotsumyakuand Uzumaki Bloodline
"Lord Orochimaru, today you..."
"Seem a bit different?"
Orochimaru chuckled, continuing to lead the way at a leisurely pace. At this moment, he felt incredibly real, living with a greater sense of purpose.
"It truly isn't easy to fully acknowledge someone. Even Jiraiya and Tsunade never made me feel this way."
Reaching the innermost part of the secret laboratory, four massive cultivation tanks lined the corridor, containing four clones of varying forms but similar ages.
Reaching out to gently stroke the outer wall of a tank, Orochimaru's eyes revealed satisfaction. These four clones, which he had spent a fortune to cultivate, were his greatest masterpieces to date.
"I used to feel that immortality was my ultimate pursuit, but now I think it's time for a change." Orochimaru remarked with some emotion, "Bonds are indeed the most wonderful kind of relationship in the world; they have refilled my empty heart with vitality."
"I just feel it's too sudden..." Yakushi Kabuto's personality being what it was, it was only natural for him to raise doubts. "Don't you feel there's anything wrong?"
"Wrong?!" Orochimaru turned his head, his snake-like eyes staring at Yakushi Kabuto. "What could be wrong? My friendship with Naruto-kun goes back seven or eight years..."
"But..."
"No more questions. I know my own business well." Orochimaru waved his hand, stopping Yakushi Kabuto from discussing the matter further. "Which body do you think I should use?"
"All four bodies are perfect. It depends on Lord Orochimaru's own choice."
Yakushi Kabuto was very respectful, his answer flawless. He knew his previous questioning had annoyed Orochimaru, so he was being very cautious now.
Kabuto understood Orochimaru's nature well; he didn't want to become Orochimaru's next test subject over such a trivial matter.
"Let these four stay here for now. Sometimes, being too perfect is its own kind of imperfection." Orochimaru continued walking forward. "They are simply too mediocre..."
"Lord Orochimaru, you want to..."
"Yes, the body cultivated using Kimimaro's and Naruto-kun's cells is my choice."
"But that body has the bloodline disease... and it's very severe!"
"This is where you fall short of Naruto-kun." Orochimaru's tone was flat. "You are too stable; you lack the necessary factors for achieving greatness."
Hearing this, Yakushi Kabuto secretly clenched his fist, but immediately returned to normal, continuing to follow closely behind Orochimaru.
"bloodline disease is an inevitable part of tracing back to the original Bloodline. No one can escape it; that power is simply too immense..."
Orochimaru felt somewhat emotional. After years of research, he had gained a general understanding of the Six Paths Sage's Bloodline, but that wasn't everything.
The Six Paths Sage had a mother, known to the world as the Rabbit Goddess who created the Ninja World. Her complete Bloodline was Orochimaru's current research goal.
"Only by experiencing the bloodline disease can one better understand it. This has been my plan all along."
"But your Soul..."
"Hehe, you worry too much, Kabuto. I know my own Soul." Orochimaru licked his lips. Once he knew the weaknesses of the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu, it was impossible for him not to improve it. Simply switching to an Uchiha body was by no means Orochimaru's only choice.
The most crucial part was the Cursed Seal Orochimaru had invented!
Whether it was the Cursed Seal of Heaven or the Cursed Seal of Earth, both contained fragments of Orochimaru's Soul. This was his capital for future resurrection, but also another major reason for his extreme Soul depletion.
Once Orochimaru completed the Bloodline tracing, those Cursed Seals left on numerous people could be released, and his Soul power would recover by more than half.
After all, the power possessed after completing the Bloodline tracing would be unimaginable, and immortality would be within reach. Orochimarunaturally had a reason to abandon his backup plans for resurrection and focus on nourishing his Soul.
"Let's begin, Kabuto. I'm getting a bit impatient!"
Orochimaru approached the cultivation tank of the clone covered in eerie white bones. He reached out and pressed a button, and the nutrient fluid inside was rapidly drained.
"I understand, Lord Orochimaru."
As Orochimaru's assistant, Yakushi Kabuto was extremely dedicated and diligent. He was already well-versed in the process, having considerable experience in assisting Orochimaru with the Living Corpse Reincarnation Jutsu.
He placed the clone with the severe bloodline disease on the experimental table. Since it lacked consciousness, Orochimaru's Soul encountered little resistance when entering the body.
This naturally saved Kabuto many steps, making it the easiest assistance he had ever provided.
"This feeling... Blegh!"
Before the newly-reincarnated Orochimaru could finish speaking, he suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood, staining his entire upper body red.
"*Cough, cough*, the power is truly strong, but the body's condition is also truly terrible!"
Orochimaru described his sensations while Yakushi Kabuto stood by, recording them rapidly. "Are there any other symptoms, Lord Orochimaru?"
"Vitality is being devoured by some force, but at the same time, the intensity of the Shikotsumyaku's evolution is constantly increasing. As long as there is a sufficient supply of life energy, the Shikotsumyaku can completely finish its evolution."
"Then... how much life energy do you estimate is needed?"
"Probably the power of an entire Sage Body..." Orochimaru pulled out his own spine and observed it for a moment. "The power of only half a Sage Body is simply insufficient, yet even with only half of it absorbed, the Shikotsumyaku has evolved into this!"
With that, Orochimaru casually swung the spine at the experimental table. Before the sliced-off corner of the table could even hit the ground, it turned to ash and scattered into the air.
Yakushi Kabuto's pupils shrank suddenly as he gradually realized the gravity of the situation.
"Is this a Bloodline Selection? No... it's a power even more overbearing than a Bloodline Selection!"
"This is just the tip of the iceberg of the original Bloodline..." The sickly look on Orochimaru's face grew more severe. "And this is while it's still incomplete..."
"Is this power truly the power of a god?"
"Hehe, so what if it's the power of a god?" Orochimaru's lips curled. "Given enough time, even a god is something I will replicate!"
He casually tossed the spine to the ground. Without the infusion of Chakra, the greyish-white spine quickly dissipated, as if it had never existed.
"Should we inform Naruto-kun about this?" Yakushi Kabuto asked out of the blue.
"Give the test report to Naruto-kun; I think he'll be interested." Orochimaru didn't hold back. "Naruto-kun has the right to know about all of my research."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Yakushi Kabuto's eyes dimmed slightly. He was the one who most needed Orochimaru's acknowledgement, especially after the death of Yakushi Nono, as he viewed Orochimaru as his most important person.
Naruto's interference had pushed Yakushi Kabuto a step further along the path toward becoming Orochimaru Kabuto ahead of time...
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