This was a small, terrifyingly simple room, with only a small bed and a toilet. Cold, black, thick walls surrounded it on all sides, with no windows or any gaps to let in light. The only exit was the door. If not for Orochimaru's tall frame blocking most of the light, Nanako would have needed a moment to adjust her eyes.
Facing death, the girl seemed to have no concept of fear.
Orochimaru remained silent. He suddenly realized he had underestimated Nanako. According to the information he had, Nanako and Ye Zi hadn't had much interaction. So how could she go this far for him? When death and another person's safety are weighed against each other, which is more important?
He didn't understand the deeper reasons. When someone sacrifices so much for another, it surpasses mere friendship. For a moment, his cold heart let out a faint warmth, almost like charity. He decided to give Nanako a chance to survive.
The experiment would still go on — this was the process of verifying Nanako's research results. Originally, it would have been a 100% fatal outcome. But now, after giving her a chance, survival was no longer completely out of the question.
"I don't know why you'd go to such lengths for him. You'll never see him again."
Orochimaru turned to leave, the heavy iron door slowly closing behind him, pushing the light out of the small room. In the last sliver of light, Nanako's hopeless, dull eyes reflected.
Born in darkness, died in darkness — that was the fate of most Root members.
Konoha divided its operatives into two groups: the Anbu directly under the Third Hokage, and the Root, under Danzo. Both moved in darkness, but Root was more ruthless. They followed the strict doctrine that orders were absolute.
Nanako was well-liked in Root. Many people were fond of her. However, when the orders were given, the Root members assigned to escort her suppressed their emotions and efficiently delivered her to Orochimaru's lab. They coldly turned and left.
Many Root members who Nanako had once saved heard the news, but they only responded with indifference. They had no feelings of sadness, as they were used to death. Once they had taken on this identity, they walked the path paved with blood and bones.
If someone died, disappeared, or vanished, it made no difference to them. There was always someone to fill the void.
Nanako, dressed in a loose white robe, was strapped to the operating table. Her lifeless eyes stared at the light above her. She knew the process and outcome would be painful. Looking back on her life, it truly was pitiful.
War was like a meat grinder, swallowing countless lives, including those of the Shimura clan. Since she could remember, people had disappeared one after another, until only she and her uncle were left. Their vast estate became an empty, windy place. The wind howled through the rooms like ghostly wails.
If talent and effort had to be compared, Nanako's efforts far exceeded her talents.
It wasn't by choice, but forced upon her.
The relative she respected so much had demanded strict training from her since childhood. Her entire youth had been buried under books. Like a sponge thrown into the ocean, she was forced to absorb enormous amounts of knowledge. Even when she was of age to attend the ninja academy, Danzo didn't allow her to go. Instead, she was homeschooled by a tutor in one-on-one sessions. Her days were consumed with non-stop studying and training. She never went out to explore the village, taste its food, buy pretty clothes, or meet people her age. This life continued for more than ten years, and eventually, she became the person Danzo had wanted.
From as early as she could remember, she had devoted everything to Danzo and to Root. Now, staring at the light, she could almost see the tears that had fallen onto the pages of her books. She saw a young girl, biting her lip, stubbornly holding back tears.
Why had she gone to such lengths for Ye Zi?
In truth, she wanted to know the answer too.
The first time they met on the operating table, in just a few seconds, she had gone from extreme fear to a frightening calm. She remembered him deeply from that moment. Was that the beginning? Was that the answer?
Nanako slowly closed her eyes. The resentment in her heart began to fade as the images from her life flashed through her mind.
Everything was ready.
Orochimaru didn't give Nanako any anesthetics. One reason was that anesthesia would cut off her vital signs. Another was that anesthesia would affect the experiment, creating differences in results. So, as the two powerful cells trembled inside a not-so-strong body, the body would inevitably endure immense pain. This was an unavoidable part of human experimentation and one of its most cruel aspects.
The starting point was her arm.
Orochimaru injected the two types of cells and a specially formulated serum into Nanako's delicate, pale right arm. In an environment suitable for cell growth and division, the cells of Hashirama and Ye Zi quickly absorbed nutrients and began to divide rapidly. In just two seconds, her once delicate arm bulged with thick veins. Beneath her skin, something was writhing as if it were about to burst out.
The intense pain, like being torn apart, shot through her mind. Nanako couldn't help but scream in agony, her body convulsing violently. Her head thrashed from side to side due to the pain, but the ropes held her tightly to the table.
Her anguished screams echoed throughout the laboratory.
Orochimaru watched coldly, observing every change in her arm.
"Still too much strain?" he muttered as the bulging veins in her arm grew even larger. He stepped back.
With a loud bang, Nanako's arm exploded into a mess of blood and flesh. Her shrill screams abruptly stopped as she lost consciousness.
Orochimaru paid no attention to her bleeding, severed arm. He picked up another set of cells and injected them into her intact left arm. Soon, the left arm also exploded in blood and flesh, and Nanako fell into a deep coma.
"Even though Ye Zi's cells can devour Hashirama's, if the host's body is too weak, the success rate is practically zero." Orochimaru said coldly as he looked at Nanako, now armless.
"Now, you'll have to rely on your own luck."
He injected Hashirama's cells into Nanako's abdomen, along with a serum to enhance compatibility, to which he had added something extra.
After finishing, Orochimaru didn't wait for the results. He turned and left.
Nanako, still in a deep coma, lay on the operating table. Her breathing grew weaker, and blood from her two severed arms soaked the floor. If this continued, it wouldn't take long for her to die from blood loss.
A short while after Orochimaru left, the door to the lab opened again.
Two Root members wearing masks entered and approached the operating table.
"Breathing confirmed stopped. Heartbeat confirmed stopped. The target is dead. Proceed with the disposal of the body," said a man coldly, wearing a short-eared fox mask.
The two packed Nanako's body into a bag and carried her out.
Check the patreon and get 49 chapters in advance
Currently on Chapter 175 - Plans to Disrupt the Five Nations