Inside a hidden laboratory, there was a large transparent petri dish.
Inside the dish, a mass of special white cellular flesh was continuously absorbing nutrients and growing rapidly.
Satori Hyūga had some free time and was experimenting with the new version of Chakra Supplement.
The specialized fat cells cultured from his own cells possessed the ability to quickly convert into chakra.
Because these abilities originated from Satori's own cultured cells, they only functioned for him.
Now he wanted to improve this limitation—to optimize the supplement for general use.
At that moment, a bone-chilling and sinister aura erupted from inside the lab, seeming to freeze the very air.
Feeling the change in temperature around him, Satori raised an eyebrow and turned toward the entrance tunnel.
"Professor Orochimaru, congratulations on your successful experiment."
Unknowingly, Orochimaru had already appeared at the doorway.
Orochimaru's long hair hung down, covering both sides of his face. His exposed skin bore a sinister pallor.
A pair of golden snake-like eyes were cold and emotionless, like those of a real serpent.
Upon hearing Satori's words, the icy aura radiating from Orochimaru slightly eased, lessening the terror he exuded.
"My Soft Physique Modification has succeeded," he said, "but this is merely the first stage. There are still multiple transformations yet to come."
It seemed as if he were adjusting to his new body; his voice carried an eerie hiss. Underneath his wide kimono, his flesh twisted unnaturally without conscious control.
Satori glanced briefly and saw countless tiny snakes slithering beneath that pale skin.
Flesh writhed beneath his skin, exuding chilling energy, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who saw it.
"Professor Orochimaru, your modification method looks impressive, but it appears to have critical flaws," Satori frowned.
"Your chakra signature and external appearance have already changed. If this continues for too long, you may eventually descend into inner darkness."
Chakra originates from the fusion of cellular energy and spiritual energy—it reflects and reveals one's true nature.
Similarly, chakra's nature reflects one's soul.
Judging from Orochimaru's current condition, he likely performed extensive modifications on his own flesh using snake genes.
Snake cells carry cruel, bloodthirsty, and cold-blooded traits. They haven't consumed Orochimaru—yet. But they may in time.
When combined with Orochimaru's spiritual energy, the snake cells are generating icy chakra that may easily alter his personality.
After all, a soul can easily twist and decay when exposed to such an environment for too long.
Judging by Orochimaru's transformation, this experiment deeply altered his physical form—and was subtly affecting his spirit.
At first glance, Orochimaru appeared to have transformed into a cold, venomous snake, naturally provoking instinctive wariness in others.
In Satori Hyūga's eyes, Orochimaru had already been somewhat changed.
Perhaps in the original storyline, Orochimaru, through repeated body modifications, had morphed into something unrecognizable—cold, ruthless, and utterly indifferent to life.
Orochimaru said, "These are merely minor imperfections. My current self far surpasses my former in both vitality and strength."
"I estimate this body has another century left in it."
"And I feel a constant flow of mental energy supporting me, keeping me at peak condition constantly—allowing me to conduct experiments nonstop."
Orochimaru was highly satisfied with his transformation—not only did it grant him boundless energy, but it also strengthened his mastery over snake-based techniques.
Ordinary ninja required hand seals to release techniques, yet for him, as long as he desired battle, the flesh within his body would automatically solidify into jutsu.
For example, transforming both hands into giant snakes to strike down enemies, or spitting venomous snakes from his mouth for sneak attacks...
Although he hadn't completely figured everything out yet, he had already envisioned several new combat forms in his mind.
Seeing Orochimaru so satisfied, Satori knew better than to argue. He simply said, "Overall, the benefits seem to outweigh the drawbacks. Congratulations."
"All that remains is suppressing the reptilian instincts embedded in the cells, and this experiment will be flawless."
Orochimaru let out a raspy chuckle. He raised his arm, and a massive snake, as thick as a tree trunk, lunged at Satori.
The snake struck with a bizarre, unpredictable angle, wide jaws snapping straight at him.
With lightning reflexes, Satori sidestepped to the right, then gathered a vast amount of chakra in his palm and slammed it downward.
With immense force and overwhelming power,
He slammed it so hard it crashed into the ground.
At that moment, another smaller snake burst from the belly of the fallen one, streaking through the air like lightning toward Satori.
Unshaken, Satori spun on his axis. Chakra erupted outward from all the tenketsu points around his body.
[Eight Trigrams: Rotating Sphere!]
Instantly, a whirlwind of chakra, like a spinning top, formed around him, flinging the small snake away.
Even attacks as fast as lightning were effortlessly deflected by Satori.
"Heheheh, your strength has improved again," Orochimaru said with an approving gaze, gazing at Satori like a priceless artifact.
However, seeing the large snake on the ground, he wore a strange expression. "You're part of the Hyuga Clan and used Iron Fist in battle. If the elders back at the Hyuga compound saw that, they'd probably throw a fit."
Satori shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just a minor improvement. Your progress in power has truly been amazing."
"After this transformation, you're likely now the strongest among the three of us."
"As for my use of Iron Fist, it's simply employing the most effective method against an enemy. As long as it defeats them, the means don't matter."
To Satori, whether it was Gentle Fist or Iron Fist—if it could defeat an opponent, it was good enough.
Orochimaru's giant serpent had been a unique species summoned from Ryuchi Cave; ordinary Gentle Fist techniques wouldn't have pierced its defenses.
Besides, Satori didn't even know the precise meridians and energy nodes of the giant snake. Using Iron Fist was simply more practical.
At the very least, the Iron Fist would inflict true, undeniable damage on the giant serpent.
As he watched Satori Hyūga openly defy the clan's rules, Orochimaru licked his lips and smirked knowingly.
Moments later, his eyes drifted to a nearby petri dish, which held a large, pale white chunk of fatty tissue.
"Is this your test specimen?"
Orochimaru studied the fleshy lump of fat cells with curiosity, but oddly enough, a sudden craving to devour it surged within him.
This made his expression harden slightly as the memory of Satori's words suddenly surfaced.
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