In a remote area on the border of the Land of Fire, several ninjas suddenly emerged from the ground, kneeling on one knee with their heads lowered before Orochimaru.
"Is there anything I should be aware of?" Orochimaru, accompanied by three others including Kagetsu, paused and asked the ninjas who appeared before them.
"Everything is normal," the lead ninja immediately replied.
"Continue with your duties. I'll be staying here for a while," Orochimaru waved his hand, signaling them to leave.
"Where is this, Orochimaru-sensei?" Anko's curiosity was piqued as she watched the ninjas quickly disappear.
"It's just a private base I set up outside," Orochimaru said as he led the group forward, stopping in front of a nearby mountain wall. He quickly made a series of hand signs, finally pressing his palms together. Like a summoning technique, he placed his hands on the wall.
From Orochimaru's palm, dense black runes spread out like a web, covering the mountain wall. Under Anko's focused gaze, the wall trembled and began to move, revealing a dark cave behind it.
"Come inside," Orochimaru stepped into the cave first, with Anko following closely. Once all four of them were inside, the mountain wall slammed shut with a rumble.
As the wall closed, the cave suddenly lit up. Torches ignited one after another, illuminating a path ahead, lighting up every detail of the once dark cave.
It was a base built within the mountain.
They followed the carved stairs down, eventually reaching a spacious area below.
Along the way, there were various rooms, some even equipped with iron-barred cells.
The first floor was filled with different instruments.
The second floor had rooms that seemed to be living quarters.
They briefly glanced at the third floor without going in. But the lingering cold air and the faint sight of more iron bars hinted at what kind of place it was.
"This is where you'll be staying. You can pick any room. We'll be here for a while," Orochimaru said after giving Kagetsu and the others a brief tour of the base. He spoke as they stood in the hallway on the second floor.
"Also, Kagetsu, you'll be my assistant tomorrow. Is that alright?" Orochimaru turned his gaze to Kagetsu.
"Are we researching natural energy? I'm fine with that," Kagetsu nodded. He had become quite proficient in medical ninjutsu and had gained a deeper understanding of the human body. Helping Orochimaru as an assistant wasn't a problem for him.
Given Orochimaru's personality, he wasn't the type to selfishly withhold knowledge. At least from their interactions so far, it seemed Orochimaru was genuinely teaching both Kagetsu and Anko.
Jugo lay on the experiment table as a test subject for an entire day.
Orochimaru's cold, obsessive behavior during his research made Anko, who was observing from the side, feel uneasy.
What shocked her even more was how Kagetsu, younger than her, remained calm during the uncomfortable experiments, even occasionally discussing things with Orochimaru. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel-fire.ɴet
For a moment, Anko felt like Orochimaru and Kagetsu were the only normal ones in the team.
Could it be that her team, led by Orochimaru, was made up of strange people?
Even Jugo, who was the test subject, seemed like a total weirdo to Anko. He could endure being bled, dissected, and studied for a whole day, and after a simple healing with medical ninjutsu, he would just sit up, put on his clothes, and act like nothing had happened.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Anko quietly asked Jugo, who was putting on his clothes. She thought Jugo, when calm, seemed honest and kind, someone she could consider a friend. Watching him go through experiments that she couldn't bear to look at made her feel guilty.
"Pain? Not at all!" Jūgo looked at Anko's concerned face, feeling touched, but he shook his head. "Kagetsu's medicine is really effective. My whole body is numb, and I don't feel any pain, just a little bored."
"Aren't you angry at them for treating you ?" Anko was confused. She thought Jūgo would be furious at Orochimaru and Kagetsu, but his reaction was unexpected.
"I agreed to be a test subject, and before the experiments, Kagetsu explained the entire process to me and got my consent. Kagetsu kept his promise: there's no pain during the procedure, and no scars afterward. So why should I be angry? I feel needed, and being here, studied in peace, means I don't have to go outside and hurt people. I feel calm and reassured." Jūgo shook his head, speaking calmly.
"You're such a strange person!" Anko remarked, giving her opinion of Jūgo.
Meanwhile, in another room...
"Jūgo's body is truly a treasure. Just looking at this data makes me feel an overwhelming urge to explore further." Orochimaru's usually calm face showed a hint of excitement as he reviewed today's experiment results.
These results might be useless in the hands of someone who knows nothing, but to a brilliant researcher like him, their value far exceeded that of an S-rank forbidden jutsu.
They had pointed him toward a new direction!
This data made Orochimaru's desire for research surge like never before. The last time he had felt this excited was when he dealt with the cells of the First Hokage's Wood Release.
But that was partly out of curiosity and partly to secure research funding.
This time, his research on Jūgo involved his quest for immortality and the power of the sages. To put it bluntly, with Jūgo as a research subject, Orochimaru now had a path to follow.
"Orochimaru-sensei, are you trying to master Sage Jutsu?" Kagetsu stood beside Orochimaru, also holding data on Jūgo's body.
"Who wouldn't want to? Those who master Sage Jutsu are called Sages! Take the Three Sage Regions as an example. The sages there have lived for at least a thousand years! If summoning creatures can survive for so long by mastering natural energy, why not humans?"
A fanatical light flickered in Orochimaru's eyes. It was because of Ryūchi Cave and the other two Sage Regions that he dared to dream of and pursue immortality.
"But the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave..." Orochimaru's expression darkened. "Until you have enough power to protect yourself, Kagetsu, it's best not to meet the sages of Ryūchi Cave. They're not the kind to negotiate easily."
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