Orochimaru felt a surge of energy coursing through his body as he regained consciousness from his coma. His chakra had become more active, elevating from the level of a regular chunin to that of an elite chunin. If he were to face a similar situation again, he was confident that he wouldn't fall into a coma.
The density of Orochimaru's bones gradually increased. The chakra infused with the bloodline of the White-Scaled Orochi was being absorbed and assimilated, causing his bones to emit a warm, milky-white glow resembling jade.
Externally, Orochimaru's gruesome wounds had stopped bleeding and formed scabs. Even the smaller abrasions miraculously healed at an astounding speed, leaving no trace behind. His skin regained its toughness and smoothness, while the fine scales beneath it emitted a radiant milky-white shine, akin to bones. They were incredibly sturdy, exuding a faint noble aura, resembling that of a dormant ancient beast.
This aura was faint, but it was enough to make ants and insects on the ground instinctively avoid Orochimaru's body as if they had encountered a terrifying presence.
"What happened to you, Orochimaru? Are you still alive?!" Jiraiya hurriedly approached, kicking Kaguya ninja's lifeless body aside to check on Orochimaru's condition.
However, as Jiraiya caught sight of Orochimaru's hideous wounds, grief overwhelmed him.
"Damn it! You always have to be so reckless. Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Jiraiya was about to touch Orochimaru's mouth and nose when a figure suddenly appeared behind him.
"Children, your friend is still alive. Let me take care of him," said a ninja wearing an animal mask.
"Who are you?" Jiraiya was taken aback.
Simultaneously, Tsunade, standing in front, was confronted by a calm and sturdy individual. Treating her as a child, he admonished, "Tsunade, do you realize how dangerous it is? Your grandfather cannot afford any mistakes. We generally do not interfere, but this time..."
"Why didn't you show up earlier, then?" Tsunade suddenly exploded, her voice filled with anger. "Orochimaru went alone to fight that maniac Kaguya ninja and ended up getting injured like this. Why didn't you show up? Are you blind?" Tsunade's anger grew with each word, and tears began to stream down her face.
"This..." The Anbu ninja felt a pang of distress. He couldn't say, "Your grandfather's priority is to keep you safe. We cannot interfere with the dynamics between you and your teammates. If they die, so be it. It's best if you can grow up." After all, Konoha has always projected an image of benevolence, unity, and strength. Assigning Anbu to protect her was already a self-serving act. And Tsunade, it's rare for ANBU to care so much about a comrade!
However, what was even more disheartening was Mucheng standing alone. Damn it, our team leader and two teammates have died, why won't he speak up? He only cares about his teammates. Damn it, he's so biased!
"Captain, this kid is strange," one of the perceptive Anbu called out from a distance.
"Oh?" Tsunade and the others rushed over immediately.
"The chakra within this kid is incredibly active, and his wounds are healing on their own. It's as if he's asleep. I'm afraid he'll wake up in a few hours. Moreover, his vitality fluctuations are astounding. He shouldn't be in a coma," the Anbu ninja reported, surprised by Orochimaru's body's recovery from absorbing energy.
"Tsk tsk, this kid really went all out. Look at this wound; it's so severe. Both sides suffered. It's a shame that a genius like monster had to meet such a fate. If I had known earlier... um..."
Seeing Tsunade and Jiraiya, who were angry beside him, the Anbu ninja wisely fell silent.
.....
Orochimaru woke up in a guest room. Although it was uncomfortable without half of his shoulder and one arm, his body brimmed with strength.
"So, this is the natural power of the White-Scaled Orochi. It can devour the unique abilities of defeated enemies to strengthen itself," Orochimaru mused, clenching his fists. Small bumps appeared on the knuckles, radiating a milky-white glow. With Orochimaru's urging, the skin on his fists became fine and firm. Orochimaru could sense the immense power within him. He now had the ability to crush Kaguya clan's bone knife with a single blow!
This devouring power didn't blindly copy the absorbed abilities; instead, it reinforced Orochimaru's own conditions. This ensured that Orochimaru would evolve into a superhuman in the future, rather than a monstrous being like Hiruko!
Although Orochimaru's bone strengthening wasn't as advanced as that of the Kaguya clan, it was close enough in terms of hardness for now. However, he still couldn't form blades that could penetrate his body. This was the limitation of his power. Nevertheless, it was sufficient for now.
Touching the box containing the flesh and blood tissue in his ninja bag, Orochimaru's smirk widened.
"Orochimaru, you're awake!" Tsunade exclaimed as she pushed open the door and entered. Jiraiya and the two Anbu ninjas followed suit.
Mucheng was stationed outside the room, guarding it.
Tsunade inquired about Orochimaru's well-being, while Jiraiya marveled at his newfound strength.
"Oh, are we within Konoha's vital sphere of influence now..." the group rested at an inn. Orochimaru gingerly touched his broken arm, which was already bandaged, though it was unnecessary. Numerous granulation buds wriggled within the fracture, itching intensely. Orochimaru knew he could regenerate his arm.
Although Orochimaru couldn't employ the Snake Replacement Technique to evade injuries or perform the "dazzling" feat of regurgitating himself from his mouth to resurrect, limb regeneration was merely child's play for him—a basic skill of the Snake Uncle!
"Orochimaru, you don't have to fight like this. I'm afraid your injury won't heal properly. Alas, we are too weak to help you..." Tsunade appeared crestfallen, filled with sympathy.
"I can heal myself. It's just a minor inconvenience!" Orochimaru nonchalantly waved his remaining hand.
"Really?" Tsunade was taken aback, suspecting that Orochimaru was trying to comfort her. However, his relaxed demeanor didn't befit that of a poor crippled ninja.
"Why do you care so much about me, Princess Tsunade? I'm genuinely touched!" Orochimaru's raspy voice and mischievous smile caught Tsunade off guard!
"What are you talking about, you bastard? I just find you pitiable... That's..." Tsunade's face turned an unusual shade of crimson, and she was about to resort to her fists to assert her dominance. However, upon seeing Orochimaru's injuries and recalling how he stood up to the jounin, Tsunade couldn't bring herself to say another word.
Was this Orochimaru an imposter? How could Orochimaru joke around? Did he sustain a brain injury?! Tsunade was left in a state of confusion.
In reality, Orochimaru also felt a sense of duality in his personality. During battles, he resembled a ruthless snake. In moments of danger, he remained calm and terrifying. However, in his day-to-day life, he was rather lanky, akin to his previous self.
"Orochimaru, why are you so powerful? You even killed a jounin. That's quite remarkable!" Jiraiya chimed in, his excitement palpable. "You know, the Anbu mentioned that the Kaguya ninja was named Kaguya Hiro—a notorious murderer from the Mist. After awakening his bloodline, regular jounin stand no chance against him. It's unbelievable that you managed to defeat him!"
As Jiraiya continued to speak, his amazement grew. The Sannin were around the same age, so it was reasonable for them to handle chunin-level opponents. However, Orochimaru had killed an elite jounin at just seven years old!
"That Kaguya ninja traveled all the way here to lobby and form alliances with other small ninja villages. He carried a sealed scroll on his person, filled with numerous ninja tools and materials," Jiraiya explained. "It seems like he was a bit greedy for those supplies."
This was the information gathered by the two Anbu ninjas. Jiraiya also introduced them to Orochimaru.
The two Anbu didn't hide this information from Tsunade, as she had already confirmed that they were part of the Senju family.
When the topic shifted to supplies, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy. As a lower-ranking ninja, his income wasn't substantial. In Naruto world, even a simple barbecue meal could leave a jounin like Asuma in agony. His standard of living wasn't particularly high, so purchasing ninja tools posed a challenge for Orochimaru.
At this moment, the Anbu ninja spoke up, "Boy, your name is Orochimaru, right? You performed remarkably well!"
"No, my name is Orochimaru, and I always perform well!" Orochimaru muttered under his breath.
"We used a secret technique to report the situation to the Second Hokage. He is quite intrigued by you and wishes to meet you!"
*****
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