Chapter 87: A Quiet Exchange
Three days later.
Land of Fragrance
Port Town
Inside a quiet inn, Baishi sat at a wooden table, listening attentively to a report from one of his subordinates, Ichiro Kyoraku.
When Kyoraku finally finished speaking, Baishi sat silently, tapping the table rhythmically with his index finger as he mulled over the information.
Seeing his master deep in thought, Kyoraku dared not interrupt and simply stood to the side in silence.
'The bounty postings on the black market are decreasing... Looks like the war is truly winding down.'
Just as Baishi's thoughts wandered, a knock came at the door. Before he could respond, the door swung open on its own.
'Who dares to enter unannounced?'
Kyoraku turned toward the door, his expression sharp, ready to rebuke the intruder. But the moment his eyes fell on the visitor, his defiance crumbled, and his body froze in fear.
"Leave us," Baishi said calmly.
Though Baishi's voice was soft, it hit Kyoraku like a thunderclap, snapping him out of his daze. Keeping his head bowed low, he exited the room without looking at the visitor again.
As he passed, a chill ran down Kyoraku's spine.
Click.
The door closed behind him.
The figure turned to face Baishi, revealing none other than Orochimaru.
"The man's resolve is mediocre," Orochimaru remarked with a sly grin, his serpentine eyes locking onto Baishi.
Today marked the agreed-upon date for their first trade.
Baishi wasn't concerned about Orochimaru taking notice of Kyoraku. At most, Orochimaru might be interested in the "Life Seed" implanted in Kyoraku, which Baishi wouldn't mind offering up if necessary. After all, Orochimaru's involvement could even enhance the Life Seed's development.
But Baishi suspected Orochimaru wouldn't waste his time on it.
"Do you have the goods?" Baishi asked directly.
Without a word, Orochimaru pulled a sealed scroll from his robes and tossed it over.
Catching the scroll, Baishi unrolled it to reveal a standard sealing pattern. Satisfied, he activated the seal.
In an instant, the table was covered with various vials, bottles, and containers.
Baishi picked up a test tube filled with a pale green liquid. A quick inspection confirmed it was a high-purity extract of Hashirama's cells.
Next, he examined several labeled bottles containing rare poisons. Each label detailed the toxin's name, type, potency, and recommended usage.
Placing the bottle back on the table, Baishi nodded approvingly. 'As expected of the Shinobi World's foremost scientist—meticulous and professional.'
"And my side of the deal?" Orochimaru asked, his eagerness thinly veiled.
Baishi knew Orochimaru was desperate to study his cells, given their unique ability to adapt and evolve. Furthermore, the cells used in Orochimaru's amphibious ninja experiments had started to degrade, resulting in declining success rates for new subjects.
If the trend continued, the amphibious unit's replenishment rate wouldn't keep pace with its losses, jeopardizing the progress made on the front lines.
Without hesitation, Baishi rolled up his left sleeve. A flash of steel gleamed, and a chunk of flesh was severed from his arm, flying toward Orochimaru.
Momentarily stunned, Orochimaru quickly caught the sample.
Meanwhile, Baishi's face remained impassive. Channeling his chakra, his Level VI Regeneration kicked in, and his arm healed in seconds.
"Our next exchange will be one month from now, same location," Baishi said as he collected the items on the table.
With that, he vanished using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Orochimaru lingered momentarily, examining the tissue sample with a glint of excitement before departing as well.
---
Moonlit Island
Central Peak
Baishi reappeared inside his training room, his clothes damp from the sea.
Looking down at his soaked attire, he muttered, "Seems like I need to further enhance my Spatial Awareness."
Unfortunately, increasing its level would require considerable time and effort.
Crackle!
A brief surge of electricity coursed over him, instantly drying his clothes.
Baishi sat cross-legged and reopened the sealed scroll. Drawing out a syringe, he extracted a dose of Hashirama's cells and injected it into his arm.
Within moments, the suppression agents in the formula were absorbed, and the Hashirama cells began aggressively invading his body.
"System, display my status."
Fighting through the discomfort, Baishi summoned his system interface.
---
Host: Baishi
Age: 10
Base Attributes:
Strength: 84.2 → 90.4↑
Agility: 85.3 → 91.1↑
Constitution: 86.1 → 91.6↑
Intelligence: 85.6 → 90.7↑
Chakra: 96.1 → 111↑
Special Enhancements:
Spatial Awareness: VII (13.5% → 21.4%)↑
Chakra Affinity: Water VI / Earth VI / Lightning V
Regeneration: VI (4.7% → 19.1%)↑
Mental Resistance: VI (1.2% → 17.5%)↑
Wood Release: VI (0.1%)
Abnormal Status:
Warning: Alien cellular invasion detected (99.9%). Estimated immunity in 7 days, 19 hours, and 35 minutes.
---
"Seven days of resistance, huh?" Baishi murmured, his thoughts swirling.
In the past, he had dreaded losing control to the invasive Hashirama cells. Now, he hoped their effect would last longer to maximize his evolution.
Setting the syringe aside, Baishi picked up a vial of poison. Testing a small amount confirmed it was within his tolerance range, so he downed a larger dose.
Immediately, the system issued another warning:
"Warning: Unknown toxin detected. Duration: 2 days, 14 hours, 52 minutes."
Feeling the intense effects of the poison coursing through him, Baishi chuckled weakly. "As expected from Orochimaru's stash—potent indeed."
His Level V Poison Resistance was still developing, making the toxin's impact all the more challenging.
Closing the interface, Baishi allowed his body a moment to adjust. Then, locking onto a marked location deep within the island's volcanic caves, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique once more.
If he was to evolve, he'd pursue it from every angle—relentlessly and methodically.
(End of Chapter)
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