Chapter 128 126: Forbidden Jutsu: Body Activation Technique
"That's right."
Orochimaru turned his head slightly, signaling Uchiha Gen to follow.
It was the same familiar suite of rooms.
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This time, Orochimaru led Uchiha Gen into another basement.
Compared to the laboratories above, this place was somewhat crude, clearly having been set up only recently.
However, it was even more eerie and terrifying, fitting Orochimaru's persona as a mad scientist from the original work.
In several cages, Sunagakure Ninjas captured alive by Orochimaru on the battlefield were shackled, branded with sealing formulas. Their presence was weak, but they were alive.
The only exception was a Sunagakure Ninja currently lying on an operating table in the center, chest and abdomen sliced open, thoroughly dead.
"Orochimaru-sensei, these are all survivors who weren't reported, right? It must have taken quite some effort to transport them back to the Village and arrange them here."
Orochimaru chuckled again and said, "Heh heh, it was quite troublesome, but these people have already been reported—just as Sunagakure Ninjas who have already died."
"6"
"Fake death?"
"Exactly."
Orochimaru explained, "There is a species called the Silver-ringed Golden Snake in Ryūchi Cave. Its venom is not lethal; it even takes half an hour to take effect, so it isn't very useful in actual combat.
The hunting method of this snake is very peculiar. As long as the prey is poisoned, they will not continue to fight it head-on but will let it go.
They just need to wait half an hour and follow the scent to find a prey whose heartbeat and pulse are almost non-existent, muscles relaxed, breathing faint, limbs cold, and skin pale—yet it remains very fresh, just in a coma."
It really was a fake death.
However, Orochimaru's words also served as a reminder to himself.
After Ketsuhan and Wujia, he hadn't had much chance to go to Ryūchi Cave to contract any more summoning snakes due to time constraints.
But the types of snakes in Ryūchi Cave were myriad and strange. Just like the kind Orochimaru mentioned this time, their abilities might come in handy somewhere.
Moreover, the two large snakes he contracted back then were powerful helpers during his time as a Genin and Jonin, but as he progressed, the role they could play became very limited.
Even now, Uchiha Gen rarely summoned them anymore.
In battles at the Elite Jonin level, snakes of that caliber were purely tools with a very high probability of death.
They were, after all, large snakes that had followed him for a while, possessed a fair amount of intelligence, and had some potential; Uchiha Gen didn't plan on wasting them.
In the future, outside of his cultivation, he could go to Ryūchi Cave to look for some suitable 'tool snakes.'
It would be even better if he could encounter a large snake with strong combat power.
With his current strength, except for the four Snake Sages and top-tier snakes like Manda, he could basically establish a contract with any of them after beating them down.
While this wouldn't directly elevate his strength to a new dimension, it would be a significant reinforcement. "Do you remember the death poem you recited on the day Lady Mito passed away?"
Orochimaru looked at the corpse of the Sunagakure Ninja on the operating table. After asking, he didn't wait for Uchiha Gen's answer and spoke leisurely: "A man's life of fifty years, when compared to the long span of heaven and earth, is but a fleeting dream, an illusion. In all the world, is there anything that lives forever?
This poem is truly excellent. A person's life, a mere few decades, is nothing more than a dreamlike bubble. Even the First Hokage, who suppressed an entire era with his might, was no more than this.
He wanted to establish a peaceful world, yet it only lasted for a brief few years. As soon as he died, the flames of war reignited in the Ninja World.
From this, it can be seen that any grand ideals or great ambitions will only come to nothing after death."
Orochimaru turned back, looking into Uchiha Gen's eyes and said, "But I don't want it to be like that.
What I seek is to master all truths, but knowledge is infinite while human life is limited. Only by attaining eternal life can one have the qualification to pursue everything!
Living is always the true victory!"
"I quite agree with Orochimaru-sensei's view. In fact, I too cannot resist the temptation of a long life."
Uchiha Gen naturally followed Orochimaru's point of view.
If one could live forever, who would want to die?
"To explore the path of longevity, one should indeed make good use of the Village's achievements in Medical Ninjutsu.
On the path of medicine, exploring the essence of life is an unavoidable topic. Many things would indeed be much easier with the assistance of a high-level medical Ninja."
In the original timeline, there was a reason why Yakushi Kabuto could be so heavily relied upon by Orochimaru.
His first-rate Medical Ninjutsu was indispensable to Orochimaru.
"Exactly. I need people to improve their understanding of life through Medical Ninjutsu, which will play a significant role in my goals. Furthermore, I really need a trusted high-level medical Ninja to assist me.
Agreeing to Tsunade's request at the beginning was for these two purposes. It's just that, to my surprise, your talent in Medical Ninjutsu is so high; I was already prepared to wait another two years."
"Orochimaru-sensei..."
Uchiha Gen somewhat helplessly covered his forehead.
Tsunade's side was also demanding his free time, and he had a whole pile of cultivation to complete himself. If Orochimaru took up more time, he really wouldn't have a single moment for himself.
"I know it's difficult for you, but I only need you to come over for an hour every night after the Jounin Council Meeting. I will finish all the other work, leaving only the experiments that require high-level Medical Ninjutsu to perform.
And I'm not Tsunade; I won't let you work for nothing."
A python crawled out of Orochimaru's sleeve and spat out a damp Ninjutsu scroll.
Uchiha Gen was already very familiar with this scene.
It seemed that Orochimaru always had an endless supply of benefits to offer.
No matter the time, he could pull out a Ninjutsu that you really wanted, making it impossible to refuse.
"This is a trophy I obtained two years ago when the Sandaime and I together conquered the Sky Ninja Village. I think you will definitely be interested in this technique. You can open it and take a look before making a decision."
Uchiha Gen took out bandages from his Ninja tool pouch to act as a rag, wiped the slime off the scroll, and spread it out.
After just a few simple glances, he couldn't look away.
He admitted, this technique indeed attracted him.
"Forbidden Jutsu: Body Activation Technique."
By using Chakra over a long period to nourish one's own physical cells, the physical strength is gradually increased. One can also release this Chakra all at once to stimulate the cells, improving physical fitness in all aspects.
This technique overlaps to some extent with Snake Body Modification, but the effects can also stack. It mainly relies on years of accumulation to achieve certain results.