chsdbacks Chapter 221 One Bag of Rice Deployed in Konoha Forest
Chapter 221 One Bag of Rice Deployed in Konoha Forest
Chapter 221 A Bag of Rice Deployed in Konoha Forest
Black Zetsu's expression suddenly changed, and he subconsciously took half a step back, revealing a look of alarm and wariness.
However, his shock lasted only a moment. He quickly regained his composure and secretly began to analyze the meaning behind Orochimaru's words.
Body--
Hmph, it probably refers to the body of White Zetsu.
Black Zetsu's mind raced.
His true identity and information were almost unknown in the entire ninja world, but the unique regenerative properties and inhuman structure of White Zetsu were exactly what this research fanatic wanted.
It seems that Orochimaru did not see through his true form; all he wanted were a few White Zetsu individuals to experiment on.
Thinking of this, the panic in Black Zetsu's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by an unfathomable light.
He feigned hesitation and gave a curt "Mmm," then drawled, "White Zetsu - very precious."
Black Zetsu deliberately feigned a conflicted expression, wondering whether to give up his flesh, and slowly added, "However, since it's something Lord Orochimaru is interested in, it's not impossible to discuss it."
"If I could obtain the complete secrets of the 'Impure World Reincarnation' technique, I might consider granting your request."
The instant the words left his lips, a ray of intense light flashed from the depths of Hei Jue's eyes.
The complete "Impure World Reincarnation" technique—this was precisely the true purpose of his trip.
White Zetsu—·
Although they were created by the will of the "Mother", those mass-produced White Zetsu individuals were ultimately nothing more than a group of dispensable consumables.
Trading a few White Zetsu bodies for a key forbidden technique that could revive Madara Uchiha is an incredibly worthwhile deal for Black Zetsu!
Of course, a transaction is a transaction, and the show still needs to be convincing.
Having lived for over a thousand years, the Black Master wouldn't be foolish enough to lay all his cards and desires out in the open.
Orochimaru took in Black Zetsu's feigned "difficult" expression, a knowing glint of mockery flashing in his golden snake eyes.
How could he not see that Black Zetsu was acting?
But this couldn't be better for him.
The more the other party values this transaction, the more it demonstrates how important this forbidden technique is to Jue.
Orochimaru licked his lips, then suddenly let out a low, chilling laugh: "The complete 'Impure World Reincarnation'? Heh, the secrets of such a forbidden technique cannot be obtained through mere bodies."
As he spoke, he held up three fingers and slowly waved them in front of Black Zetsu's eyes, then suddenly hardened his expression. "However—I can perform this technique for you once. In exchange, I want three 'White Zetsu' bodies."
Konoha Forest.
The first light of dawn was breaking.
Uchiha Itachi lay quietly against a thick tree trunk, his eyes slightly closed, seemingly still asleep, or perhaps resting with his eyes closed.
In reality, his consciousness was remotely observing Oh Dou Dou's training in the village's training ground through the vision of a psychic crow.
Through the shared perspective of the crows, Sasuke is sweating profusely as he repeatedly practices taijutsu in the seventh training ground.
Itachi's face remained calm, showing no emotional fluctuation, but the barely perceptible upward curve of his lips betrayed his deep-seated satisfaction and contentment.
Being able to quietly watch his younger brother grow up was an unexpected joy for him.
This mission turned out to be surprisingly good; I wish it could have lasted a few more days.
This scene made Itachi feel as if he had returned to those peaceful mornings of the past.
At that time, he remained by Sasuke's side, able to accompany and care for his younger brother as an older brother—
A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, the soft whisper of leaves mingling with the clear chirping of birds.
In the midst of this tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, Kisame Hoshigaki, who was standing to the side, finally broke the silence.
Kisame, carrying Samehada, paced back and forth several times before finally grinning and complaining, his mouth full of sharp, serrated teeth: "Ichishichi-san, are you just going to sit here like this forever? Has anything happened in Konoha?"
He swung the Samehada slung over his shoulder and clicked his tongue in boredom: "This is incredibly boring! The organization sent us to wander around near Miyano, but they haven't assigned us any missions—I'm practically going moldy! I bet Payne has lost his mind and probably forgot about us already—"
"Why are they all acting so strange lately, one by one? Pressure Massenet—"
Before Kisame could finish speaking, a soft whooshing sound suddenly came from the dense canopy above!
Then, a figure suddenly leaped down from the treetop and landed steadily on the open ground in front of the two.
As soon as this person appeared, the birds in the surrounding forest seemed to be startled and chirped in unison, and the air instantly became still.
The newcomer was wearing a black robe with red clouds, belonging to the Akatsuki organization. He was tall and slender, and his short orange hair stood out against the greenery.
His cold, handsome face was covered with strange piercings made of black metal, but what was most striking were his eerie purple eyes with only concentric ripples.
The sudden appearance of the figure startled both Kisame and Itachi—it was none other than Pain, the nominal leader of the Akatsuki organization!
Kisame's expression froze instantly, a look of disbelief and panic flashing across his shark-like, ferocious face.
Good grief, I just said something bad about the boss and got caught red-handed?!
Kisame felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.
Itachi abruptly opened his eyes and raised his head. When he saw who it was, his pupils contracted sharply: How could Pain suddenly appear here?!
The weasel dared not delay, immediately severing its visual connection with the crow, quickly regaining its composure, and standing up.
Even with his composure and calmness, he couldn't help but momentarily lose his composure at that moment.
Pain's pale purple Rinnegan swept over the two of them, as if he hadn't heard Kisame's complaint and didn't take Kisame's earlier grievances to heart at all.
He said in a flat tone, "Kisame, go and keep watch nearby. There are some things I need to discuss with Itachi alone."
Kisame, feeling as if he'd been granted a pardon, hurriedly nodded and smiled obsequiously, "Yes, Boss!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder and disappeared into the woods in a few leaps.
The open forest clearing was once again quiet.
Uchiha Itachi stood calmly in front of Pain, observing his leader with composure.
Payne's expression remained calm and composed, but the cold, pure, and undisguised killing intent surrounding him seemed to solidify, silently spreading in all directions, making even the air seem heavy.
Such intense killing intent indicates that Pain's sudden arrival in Konoha was by no means a random and aimless act.
"Uchiha Itachi," Pain asked bluntly, his voice devoid of any emotion, "What information do you know about Shimura Danzo?"
A chill ran through him, and he instantly understood Pain's purpose in coming here—Danzo!
Although it's unclear why Pain suddenly brought up the leader of Konoha's "Root" organization, the answer is obvious given Pain's tense stance.
He's about to make a move against Shimura Danzo!
In an instant, a long-forgotten memory surged into Itachi's mind.
"Kill your clansmen and eliminate all ambitions of the Uchiha clan, or Root will carry out its mission, and the Uchiha clan will be wiped out, including your brother Sasuke."
I had absolutely no liking for Danzo.
This ruthless old man holds a high position of power and is cunning; he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
To this day, Danzo Shimura remains the biggest threat to Sasuke's safety.
However, his position was very special, making it difficult for him to personally take action against Danzo.
But now that Pain has spoken up, Itachi feels a surge of indescribable joy and relief.
The thorn that has been weighing on his heart for years may finally be removed.
If the Dark Lord of Konoha can be eliminated, Sasuke will undoubtedly be safer in the village from now on, as a huge threat will be eliminated.
However, he was also well aware that if Payne personally infiltrated Konoha, it could easily cause a huge uproar.
He must find a way to minimize the impact of this operation.
With that in mind, Itachi didn't hesitate and promptly reported all the information he knew to Pain.
Payne was quite satisfied with Itachi's attitude and nodded slightly, saying, "In that case, take me to him tonight."
After speaking, Payne said no more, remained motionless, closed his eyes to rest, and became like a still statue.
He seemed to be secretly conserving his energy, gathering strength for his nighttime operation.
The chilling killing intent emanating from him had not diminished; instead, it made the tranquil forest even more deathly silent and terrifying, like the final silence before a storm.
As the sun sets, the sky gradually darkens.
The laboratory in the underground base of the Sound Village.
After seeing Zetsu off, Orochimaru enthusiastically dragged Kabuto Yakushi into a series of in-depth and meticulous experiments: physical fitness, speed, chakra capacity, ninjutsu power, and almost everything else that could be tested.
During this time, Orochimaru constantly had Kabuto wield kunai to simulate taijutsu and release ninjutsu in order to observe his chakra flow. He also manipulated various instruments to record every aspect of Kabuto's strength and energy in detail.
As the tests progressed, Orochimaru's face clearly revealed a sweet scientific aura.
During the testing process, Kabuto's performance exceeded expectations time and time again.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, Dou slammed his fist into the force-measuring stone pillar, and the thick stone pillar immediately cracked with a fine, spiderweb-like pattern.
The recorder's pointer rapidly rose to the top, eventually settling on an astonishing number!
Orochimaru was thrilled at the sight and let out a strange, cackling laugh as he quickly jotted down the data in the folder.
When all the projects were completed, the data presented to Orochimaru filled him with ecstasy.
He held a thick folder in one hand, his snake-like eyes gleaming with wild joy, and he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Incredible! What a perfect result! Cell activity increased by 275%, chakra levels nearly doubled, and the affinity for natural energy has also been significantly enhanced!"
"Incredible, Kabuto! Your compatibility with that 'achievement' far exceeds my expectations!"
Kabuto Yakushi was breathing heavily, feeling the powerful energy surging continuously within his body.
His hard work over the past few days has finally paid off, and he should be overjoyed.
After completing each test, he could clearly feel a tremendous leap forward in himself compared to the past, and the feeling of power constantly emerging was intoxicating.
However, Orochimaru's pure, obsessive joy sent a chill down his spine.
After all, Orochimaru has not taken any "action" against him until now.
Kabuto was very clear about what it would mean if he were truly chosen by Orochimaru as a vessel for reincarnation.
That was almost equivalent to Orochimaru taking everything away from him and completely erasing his self. Thinking of this, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
"O-Lord Orochimaru—"
He adjusted his round-framed glasses, which had slipped off his nose, and mustered his courage to call out.
However, Orochimaru seemed not to hear, and said with a lingering smile, "Come on, try this one—"
Before he could finish speaking, a clear chime suddenly rang out in the laboratory: "Ding-dong—ding-dong—ding-dong." The melodious chime seemed to possess some strange magic, instantly breaking the originally frenzied and tense atmosphere in the laboratory.
Orochimaru's movements suddenly froze, and the almost manic excitement on his face quickly dissipated like the receding tide.
He tilted his head slightly to listen to the clear sound of the bell, then murmured softly, "Ah—I didn't expect it to be this late already."
Yakushi Kabuto was also stunned for a moment upon hearing the voice.
Of course he knew what the bell meant—it was the clock used by the base to tell time. In the past, when Lord Orochimaru got into research, he would completely forget to eat and sleep.
Forget about telling time, even if the sky were to fall, we'd have to wait until he finishes this current step of the experiment.
This bell sound was always like background noise to Orochimaru.
He was ordered by Orochimaru on several occasions to turn off the timekeeping function.
Kabuto even suspected that if the base hadn't been buried deep underground, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night, and if many sophisticated experiments required accurate time recording, Orochimaru would probably have already removed that annoying wall clock.
What's wrong with me today?
Orochimaru calmly closed the folder, his voice returning to its usual calm, even revealing a hint of casualness and perfunctoriness: "Alright, it's getting late."
"The test has been going on for so long, Kabuto, you should be tired by now."
"Get some rest."
After saying this, he didn't look at Dou again, nor did he give any further instructions. He turned around and left the experimental field without looking back.
Kabuto was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously called out, "M-Orochimaru-sama—" However, the long corridor was already empty, and Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.
In an instant, only Dou remained in the spacious laboratory, with the indicator lights of various instruments that were still running flickering dimly in the corner.
An eerie silence returned to the surroundings. Kabuto could even hear his own rapid heartbeat echoing clearly in the deathly stillness. Kabuto stood frozen in place, still clutching the kunai he had just used for the test, his face filled with immense hatred and disbelief.
They just left like that?!
The experiment was stopped halfway through?!
Faced with my "perfect result," you think I can just leave because it's time to go?
A feeling of extreme absurdity welled up in Dou's heart.
Kabuto was initially worried, wondering if Orochimaru intended to use him as a vessel for possession.
However, what truly terrifies and unsettles him now is the strange and unpredictable behavior of Orochimaru, who just turned and left so decisively. He is far more unfamiliar and dangerous than the cold and ruthless "Lord Orochimaru" he knew in the past, who was focused on the research of forbidden techniques.