Injecting anesthetic before the experiment was just basic protocol for Orochimaru. Once the subject was under, the next step was to administer the genetic repair fluid to restore his body to an optimal condition. The fact that the prisoner was unconscious and couldn't swallow wasn't a concern chakra could easily be used to guide the fluid down his throat. In this world, chakra had many applications, and this was just one of them.
After the gene repair fluid had taken effect, Orochimaru followed it up with a dose of the genuine basic genetic enhancement fluid. Within ten minutes, the young man's body began responding to the enhancements. Orochimaru calmly pushed the operating table over to the drainage area of his lab and, with a quick hand sign, summoned a stream of water using Water Release to clean the man thoroughly. Once the procedure was complete, he moved the subject into a secret chamber he had painstakingly built over the past six months.
The chamber was hidden deep within the lab, so deep that not even Danzo knew about it. Orochimaru had used Earth Release techniques to carve it out himself. It wasn't a particularly large space, but it was well-equipped and outfitted with three glass experimental capsules. These capsules were key to Orochimaru's cloning process, allowing him to grow and develop three clones at once.
Konoha's current level of technology wasn't advanced enough for such an operation, but Orochimaru didn't rely on Konoha's technology. He had access to advanced, black-market tech through his system, which provided everything from specialized equipment to silent power generators that ensured the lab stayed off the radar.
Now came the crucial steps: wiping the subject's memory, implanting new memories, and adding the necessary skills. Orochimaru had already worked out a rough framework for the clone's abilities. He didn't want the clone to be too strong, as that could lead to potential issues with control.
The plan was simple: the clone would have basic genetic enhancements, a diluted version of the First Hokage's cells, and a pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan. These abilities, combined with the clone's natural capacity to absorb chakra, would be sufficient for now. The diluted First Hokage cells weren't powerful enough to grant the clone access to Wood Release or the rapid regenerative abilities that came with the original, but they would accelerate the clone's growth and enhance its physical durability. This, in conjunction with the genetic enhancement, would be more than enough to handle the Sharingan's strain.
For Orochimaru, the process of creating clones wasn't just about replication, it was about control. He needed soldiers, but not ones so powerful that they could challenge him. The clone's skillset was designed to ensure it was competent, but never superior to Orochimaru himself.
***
While Orochimaru was deep in his experiments, Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy scouring the land for the two rare medicinal herbs that Orochimaru had mentioned for the strengthening fluid. Unfortunately for Hiruzen, these ingredients didn't exist outside the system Orochimaru had access to. After nearly a year of fruitless searching, Hiruzen's efforts returned nothing.
Time passed.
At the beginning of Konoha Year 25, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were all promoted to Jonin. But in Orochimaru's lab, the first batch of clones failed miserably. The problem lay in controlling the power of the First Hokage's cells, which still proved too volatile for stable cloning.
By the start of Konoha Year 26, Jiraiya had received a prophecy from the Great Toad Sage, prompting him to leave the village in search of the "Child of Prophecy." Orochimaru, however, remained focused on his research. Though his next round of cloning experiments succeeded in creating viable clones, the memory implantation process failed twice in a row, rendering the subjects useless.
In Konoha Year 27, Orochimaru finally achieved successful cloning and memory implantation, but ran into another hurdle fusing Uchiha genes into the clone failed, and the Sharingan wouldn't awaken. The experiments dragged on for four years.
At the start of Konoha Year 28, Orochimaru finally achieved his goal. He successfully created a perfect clone. Out of three subjects, only one survived the entire process. The others were ruthlessly discarded and buried, no longer of any use to him.
This was the year Orochimaru turned 18.
"Master!" The young man kneeled before him, his voice full of reverence.
Inside the secret room of his hidden laboratory, Orochimaru looked down at the clone, finally allowing himself a breath of relief. While the actual cloning process itself wasn't too difficult most of the work involved monitoring the subject and periodically replacing the nutrient solution, the constant failures had worn him down. But now, after years of effort, his creation knelt before him, a testament to his genius.
"No need to call me Master," Orochimaru said coolly. "You can just call me Lord."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" the young man replied humbly.
The clone stood at around 175cm, with pale skin, black hair, and black eyes. His body was well-built, with no signs of the physical trauma from the original subject. If one didn't look too closely, he could easily pass for a member of the Uchiha clan.
"System, run a full diagnostic on him," Orochimaru ordered mentally.
"Analyzing… Please wait…"
"Physical condition: Normal."
"Emotional state: Stable."
"Heart rate: Normal."
"Memory implantation: Successful."
"Gene fusion: Successful."
"Loyalty: 100%."
A smile crept across Orochimaru's face. "Good… 100% loyalty. No matter how far you go, no matter what happens, you will never betray me, right?"
"Of course, Lord Orochimaru. I will always serve you."
Pleased, Orochimaru retrieved a scroll, unfurled it, and summoned a box of money. "Here. Take this 10 million ryo."
The young man accepted the money without hesitation, bowing his head in respect.
"Your code name will be Yoru—Night Shadow. It suits you perfectly," Orochimaru said, already thinking about the tasks he would give his new creation.
"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru," Yoru replied, his voice calm and obedient.
"Take the money and head to the location I've marked in the Land of Sound. I want you to build a laboratory there. I'll inspect it in three months."
Without a word, Yoru bowed and left the lab, fully prepared to carry out his orders.
As Orochimaru watched him go, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Yoru wasn't just a clone; he was a perfect soldier, obedient to the core and armed with skills that would make him formidable but not threatening. Orochimaru had created him with enough intelligence to carry out tasks independently, though his thinking wasn't quite as flexible as a normal human's. That was intentional, Orochimaru didn't want him too independent.
Satisfied with his success, Orochimaru turned his attention to the next step. His current technology was the advanced genetic enhancement fluid, but the system had already revealed the next technology he could unlock: artificial human technology. The creation of artificial humans would be far more complex than simple cloning, but Orochimaru wasn't in a rush. As soon as Yoru's lab was complete, his research would progress much faster.
Looking up at the full moon outside his lab window, Orochimaru allowed himself a moment of reflection.
After that first experiment with the rogue ninja years ago, he had staged a failed experiment in front of Danzo, ensuring that Danzo believed the First Hokage's cells were too powerful for anyone to withstand. The subject had died, just as Orochimaru had planned, leaving Danzo none the wiser about his true progress.
"It seems I've become the very type of person I used to despise," Orochimaru muttered to himself, chuckling softly.
But guilt? No, there was none. He had long since shed any qualms about morality. After all, they were just a few rogue ninjas nothing more. In Orochimaru's eyes, a swift death was preferable to a life of endless suffering.
With that thought, he tucked his hands into his pockets and began making his way back to Konoha.