Orochimaru's body had sustained severe damage—so much so that any normal person would have died hundreds, if not thousands, of times over by now.
However, his body had long since ceased to be that of an ordinary human. Thanks to his modifications, he had fundamentally transcended human limitations.
Under Yamanaka Shinno's medical ninjutsu, Orochimaru's innate regenerative abilities were pushed to their absolute limits.
A dense layer of white scales spread across his skin, overlapping like armor. As his wounds rapidly healed, his entire form transformed—into a massive, multi-meter-long white-scaled serpent.
This wasn't an illusion or a mere external transformation like the Transformation Jutsu—it was a complete and total metamorphosis.
He had actually turned himself into a snake?!
"White Snake Sage?"
Recalling Orochimaru's trait, Child of the White Snake, Shinno frowned slightly and questioned him.
"Hiss~ A serpent that has lived for over a thousand years…
Shinno-kun, doesn't that make you the least bit curious?"
Orochimaru's serpentine body remained limp on the ground. The rapid cell regeneration and division had drained an immense amount of his life energy. Even with his enhanced physiology, recovering from the brink of death left him in a state of prolonged weakness.
"...Fine."
Shinno gave a slight nod. To someone obsessed with immortality like Orochimaru, the existence of such an ancient entity was indeed tempting.
But for Shinno, it wasn't particularly fascinating. Maybe he had already accepted this sort of thing as a given. At most, he was only interested in the sage mode it possessed.
Orochimaru instantly caught onto his indifference. The sharp glint in his snake-like eyes flickered as he probed further.
"Shinno-kun, how exactly did you acquire Wood Release?"
"Sometimes, the process of discovery and research is just as valuable as the answer itself. Don't you think so, Orochimaru-kun?"
Shinno obviously couldn't just say he had a cheat-like system. He brushed off the question with a vague response before re-burying his Wood Dragon and Wood Golem underground and tidying up the remaining flowers from the Flower Tree World technique.
Then, without hesitation, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and teleported himself and Orochimaru back to the underground Lab No. 7.
Taking a palm-sized scroll from the storage pouch of his jōnin vest, Shinno casually undid the first seal.
A wave of chakra smoke erupted, and from within it emerged a captive White Zetsu, who had been sealed inside.
Like a plant awakening from dormancy, White Zetsu stretched out its limbs, adjusting to its surroundings. The moment its gaze fell upon Shinno, it shuddered violently and instinctively tried to sink into the ground and escape.
But before it could move, vines of Wood Release shot up from the ground, instantly binding it in place.
"A species capable of surviving in stasis within a storage seal…"
Despite his weakened state, Orochimaru forced himself over to White Zetsu's side, completely ignoring its panicked ramblings. Without hesitation, his sharp fangs sank into White Zetsu's neck.
A thick green fluid—not human blood—burst into his mouth. It was brimming with vitality yet felt fundamentally different from anything human. Orochimaru's golden snake eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Be careful. This thing can escape through the ground, and it also knows Wood Release. When you're done playing with it, just give me a heads-up—I'll bring you another one."
Since this was their first time collaborating, Shinno wasn't about to hand over too many White Zetsu at once. While they weren't particularly strong in combat, their abilities made them an enormous nuisance.
Who knew what kind of trouble Orochimaru might stir up if left unchecked?
After a brief moment of thought, Shinno spoke again.
"Orochimaru-kun, how's your research on the Edo Tensei coming along?"
"I still can't fully preserve the deceased's power from when they were alive, and there are significant flaws in the control mechanism. The records in the Scroll of Seals are incomplete—Tobirama didn't leave behind the full technique."
Orochimaru pulled his fangs from White Zetsu's neck, his gaze fixed on the wound, observing its rapid regeneration.
"Keep at it. We'll need to resurrect a few people eventually."
Shinno wasn't surprised that Tobirama hadn't left behind the complete Edo Tensei technique. Given his intelligence, it was unthinkable that he wouldn't have kept a few things to himself.
"Oh? So this is the correct path you mentioned before, Shinno-kun?"
"Not exactly. But haven't you ever considered resurrecting Hashirama, Tobirama, and even Madara for research?"
Shinno casually pulled up a chair and sat down. In his eyes, using Edo Tensei solely for combat was a waste.
Hashirama might not have been known for his scientific mind, but the man had mastered Wood Release to an unparalleled level. Who could say he wasn't knowledgeable about ninjutsu?
Tobirama was a research fanatic—half the Forbidden Techniques in Konoha came from him.
And Madara? He had single-handedly cultured and transplanted Hashirama's cells, ultimately awakening the Rinnegan.
Imagine these three working alongside Orochimaru on research projects.
Even the Ōtsutsuki Clan would shed tears at the sheer absurdity of it!
And let's not forget—
One White Zetsu was all it took to summon an immortal, tireless, undying researcher who didn't need food, sleep, or wages!
The chakra cost? Negligible!
Where else could you find a better deal?!
"...Shinno-kun, you're absolutely insane."
For the first time, Orochimaru tore his eyes away from White Zetsu, staring at Shinno in utter disbelief.
Summoning legendary figures for research? Was this a thought that a normal person should even have?
But the more he considered it…
The eerie researcher sitting before him, the groundbreaking ideas, the potential for actual immortality, and the relatively fair terms of cooperation…
Perhaps working with Shinno wasn't such a bad idea after all?
Ding~ Significant advancement in the fate of an important storyline character. Timeline progression accelerated. Rewards obtained: Trait Extraction ×3, Trait Gift ×2, Random Blue Trait Upgrade ×1, Trait Removal Chance ×1, Trait Reset Chance ×1.
The system's notification sounded abruptly.
Shinno raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.
Just moments ago, he had been wondering whether his influence on Orochimaru counted as altering his fate.
After all, in the original timeline, the guy had always been obsessed with research. At best, Shinno had merely cut out a few detours along the way.
Turns out, it still counted!
And Orochimaru was a gold mine!
He hadn't even killed him or completely rewritten his destiny—just nudged things along a little faster—and the rewards were already this generous.
Hmm…
Not quite as lucrative as taking out Madara early, but significantly better than dealing with Danzo.
"Orochimaru, you better bow to me for this! I just saved you twenty years of detours!"
Shinno mused to himself.
He glanced over at Orochimaru—and immediately looked away in disgust.
While he had been lost in thought, Orochimaru had practically licked White Zetsu all over.
Even perverts would be calling him a freak at this point!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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