"Ahhhhh!"
A pitiful scream echoed through the area. A man with ash-brown skin, lying on the ground, appeared unconscious. His body had transformed, sprouting multiple spider-like limbs.
These limbs, like spider legs, gave him agility and speed as he leaped around the field.
His scythe-shaped arms sliced through the air, leaving deep marks on the surrounding walls.
About fifteen minutes passed before the once ferocious, mutated man suddenly staggered and collapsed.
His scythe-like arms tried to push him up off the ground, but he had no strength left.
Like a dying beast, he struggled desperately on the floor. The light in his eyes and the rise and fall of his chest gradually faded.
Finally, he lay motionless on the ground. His mutated limbs began to fade away, revealing the face and body of an ordinary man.
"Experiment number 03, failed."
Kagetsu drew a line on the document in his hand as he watched the scene on the screen.
"Retrieve it," said Orochimaru, standing beside him. There was no disappointment on Orochimaru's face. To him, this failure was far from enough to shake his confidence.
All he cared about now was analyzing the test subject's body data, identifying the cause of failure, and through repeated trials and corrections, finding the final, correct answer.
As Kagetsu went to the field to bring the body back to the lab, something unexpected happened—the seemingly dead body suddenly mutated again and sprang up.
The man's arm transformed into a scythe again, while the rest of his body remained unchanged. His dull eyes were now filled with hatred and rage.
But in the next moment, his attack froze, with the scythe-like arm stopping just a finger's width away from Kagetsu's forehead.
It seemed as though his next move would pierce Kagetsu's head, but his body was unable to move.
"Still alive? No, you're just at your limit now," Kagetsu said, glancing at the man whose eyes were full of resentment. He briefly looked at the shadow connecting him and the man, and sighed.
With Kagetsu's words, the light in the man's eyes completely vanished, and all signs of mutation disappeared along with it.
Anko Mitarashi watched the scene indifferently. She had seen it so many times that she had grown used to it, even helping when needed—though her role was mostly as muscle.
The corpse was placed on the experiment table, and the surrounding equipment was connected to it.
Orochimaru and Kagetsu immediately dove into data analysis. Anko, feeling bored, looked on.
She wanted to help, but the complex data was like a foreign language to her. Even though Orochimaru had created a shadow clone to teach her, it would still take her time to learn and understand.
How much she could eventually grasp depended on her talent in research.
"Even though the body has been modified to handle a certain amount of natural energy, why did it still fail in the end?" Orochimaru looked at the data in his hands, searching for any overlooked details.
"Was the natural energy taken from Jūgo too wild? Or was there a problem with the sealing technique?"
"Could it be possible that the issue lies with the chakra, Orochimaru-sensei?" Kagetsu looked up at the puzzled Orochimaru.
"Chakra?" Orochimaru lowered his head and looked at Kagetsu.
"You and Lady Tsunade have explained to me that both a person's body and chakra have their own unique characteristics.
Since chakra is the combination of a person's spiritual and physical energy, it means that each person's chakra is different.
By making the experiment subject accept a certain amount of Jūgo's natural chakra through sealing techniques and modification, shouldn't we also consider whether the will (spiritual energy) that comes with Jūgo's natural chakra is affecting the experiment?"
"That's an interesting point, Kagetsu." Orochimaru's eyes lit up. His vision of immortality was to maintain his youth by constantly changing bodies.
The key to this process was transferring his mind and memories, using chakra—a form of energy capable of such things—into a new body to take control of it.
Kagetsu's insight made Orochimaru's vision even clearer and more attainable.
"So, are you suggesting that the conflict between two different wills within one body causes instability in the experiment?" Orochimaru tossed the experimental report aside.
"Yes, that's what I believe," Kagetsu nodded.
"Then, only one will can control the body. But Jūgo's natural chakra is wild and destructive by nature, overwhelming reason.
It seems the sealing technique needs to be adjusted and improved. The new experiment will have to wait. Besides, we're running low on test subjects at the base. Maybe I'll have to visit the bounty station and capture some rogue ninjas," Orochimaru said, licking his lips.
Disguising himself to take on missions, using the information provided to find rogue ninjas, capturing them, and bringing them back to the base for experiments—then, after their deaths, using their corpses for other purposes. He'd even exchange their heads at the bounty station for money.
This was one of Orochimaru's other ways of conducting research while earning funds, aside from his manipulative schemes.
As someone who deeply understood chakra in all its forms, once Orochimaru got inspired, he could immediately think of numerous ways to carry out new experiments.
If his Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique succeeded in the future, how could he weaken the reincarnated body's resistance?
Compared to the deeply ingrained chakra of adult ninjas, wouldn't starting with children—through teaching and brainwashing—make their resistance weaker?
The mental and physical erosion should at least reach a level comparable to the reincarnated body.
Orochimaru began to imagine possibilities, lost in thought.
"So, the next time I go out, should I look for more talented kids from other ninja villages and adopt them? Maybe some with a Kekkei Genkai?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. The thought had taken root in his mind, and he could barely contain his excitement.
****
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