Chapter 105:
Half a month later, on a deserted mountaintop outside Konoha, a man with long, black flowing hair stood silently, his gaze fixed on a small sapling before him. Orochimaru observed it carefully, lost in thought.
After a moment, he raised his pale, slender hands, and clapped them together with a decisive snap.
"Wood Release!"
The sapling responded to the chakra flowing from Orochimaru's hands, rapidly growing and expanding until it stood as a small tree. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, extended his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, space seemed to ripple as a gleaming silver sword materialized in his grip, the Kusanagi Sword.
With a swift, precise motion, the sword sliced cleanly through the tree, cutting it in half.
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully, lowering the blade. "Just as I suspected. The quality of the Wood Release is decent, but without proper technique, it's limited. If I want to use true Wood Release ninjutsu, I'll need a Wood Release scroll."
Yes, the man contemplating his own power was none other than Orochimaru. He had been delving deeper into his research over the past few months. Due to the advanced genetic enhancement liquid being an extension of the basic and intermediate versions, he had made quick progress only taking about half a month to achieve this state.
After using the advanced enhancement fluid, his body had reached a peak condition practically perfect. With the genes of the First Hokage successfully fused into his body, Orochimaru now possessed a version of the legendary Sage Body.
The Sage Body gave him chakra reserves on par with the Tailed Beasts and a regenerative ability that was extraordinary. Wood Release, the bloodline ability of the First Hokage, was now part of his arsenal. But Orochimaru had an additional edge, the Sharingan, something the First Hokage never had.