At night, Orochimaru slithered out of the laboratory as usual.
Ever since that mysterious masked man had visited, he had further upgraded the laboratory's security level. That eerie space-time ability made him deeply wary.
But at the same time, he also wished to meet that masked man again.
As the saying goes, risk and opportunity coexist. If he wanted to achieve immortality, some risks had to be taken.
At that moment, the space around him twisted, and the masked man appeared once again.
Orochimaru sneered coldly, "I thought you wouldn't come. So, have you prepared what I asked for?"
The masked man didn't waste words and decisively tossed a sealed scroll over.
Orochimaru caught it, "Interesting. You trust that I won't break our agreement just like that?"
The masked man spread his hands, "Breaking a contract comes with consequences, doesn't it? You should understand that the benefits I can offer you go beyond just this."
Orochimaru's vertical pupils flickered, "I'm becoming more and more curious about your goal. Can you tell me? What exactly does an old man hiding in the shadows want to do?"
The masked man let out an aged chuckle, "If I said I wanted to save the world, would you believe me?"
Orochimaru murmured, "Save the world…? People as selfish as you and me can never save the world."
The masked man paused for a moment before replying slowly, "Perhaps you're right. I am just as selfish as you."
Orochimaru also threw a scroll, which the masked man caught.
"Inside is all my research data on the Wood Release experiments. Aside from this, is there anything else you need? Hehehe, perhaps we can exchange something else as well."
The masked man pondered for a moment, "Experiment data on bloodline transplantation and fusion, not limited to Wood Release. You should try focusing more research in that direction. If you achieve results, I won't hesitate to reward you."
"Oh? Is that so?", Orochimaru's mind raced, 'What is the significance of the masked man's request?'
The masked man continued, "If you lack capable experimental assistants, I can introduce a talented individual to you. You should be quite familiar with him, his name is Hiruko."
"Hiruko? That's a nostalgic name," Orochimaru paused for a moment before recalling the person.
The masked man said, "His ninja talent may not compare to yours, but his research abilities are noteworthy. You should know why he defected, right?"
Orochimaru chuckled, "Forbidden experiments, huh?"
Orochimaru knew that the experiments he conducted now were even more taboo than Hiruko's. He wondered if one day he would follow the same path as him.
"I will investigate his whereabouts. If he truly has the skills you claim, I don't mind bringing him in for experiments. After all, I have a deep curiosity about the power of bloodlines."
Orochimaru paused and looked at the masked man, "But what benefits can you offer me in return?"
The masked man's aged voice sounded, "When one lives long enough, they tend to learn many secrets. I know too many secrets, perhaps I know the ones you're most interested in."
Orochimaru froze for a moment, 'This old man… does he really dare to say such things so openly?'
He chuckled, "The more I study Hashirama's cells, the more I realize the power hidden within them. Senju Hashirama's strength was definitely beyond the level of my teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, wasn't it?"
"Now, I'm very curious, how does one reach that level?"
The masked man thought for a moment, "I can give you this information in advance, but don't forget to share your experiences with me after you succeed."
Orochimaru sneered, "Heh, fine."
The masked man spoke slowly, "The Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave."
A trace of surprise appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, "You really do know a lot. But Sage Mode isn't something that's easy to learn."
The masked man continued, "If you can't learn it, perhaps it's because your bloodline isn't strong enough. Find ways to transplant special bloodlines, like the Uzumaki clan, the Kaguya clan, or even the legendary Jūgo clan that naturally possesses Sage Body."
Orochimaru seemed to be in deep thought, "I see… If I follow your suggestion, I'll have no choice but to conduct the experiments you're interested in. But… does learning Sage Mode really require a specific bloodline? That's quite fascinating."
The masked man reminded him indifferently, "Oh, and if you want to learn Sage Mode, make sure to keep your soul intact. It'd be a shame if you split your soul into pieces before even succeeding."
Orochimaru was startled. He had recently started considering splitting his soul to develop a reincarnation-based forbidden jutsu. Could this masked man have predicted even that?
"Heh, leave me a contact method, then. It wouldn't be efficient if you were always the one coming to find me," Orochimaru licked his lips.
The masked man responded, "Then give me the Summoning White Snake contract scroll you use to transmit information. If we find anything, we'll use the white snake to communicate."
Orochimaru stared at the masked man for a moment before tossing over a scroll.
The masked man caught it and said calmly, "Alright, I won't disturb your rest any longer. Goodbye."
With that, his figure once again vanished into thin air.
Orochimaru watched as the masked man disappeared abruptly and muttered, "I still can't understand this jutsu… Just how many secrets do the old men of the ninja world hold…?"
———
On the other side, Obito returned to his residence. After erasing all traces, he opened Orochimaru's experiment data and began studying it bit by bit.
It wasn't until he started researching that he realized the required knowledge exceeded his expectations.
It seemed that if he wanted to transplant Hashirama's cells, he still needed to supplement his understanding.
Days passed as he studied while carrying out missions, spending time with Rin, and mentoring Shisui.
In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
On this day, it was said that in Konoha, a secret ramen master named Teuchi had opened a new shop, Ichiraku Ramen.
The shop was brightly decorated, and a long line had already formed, drawn by the half-price opening promotion and Teuchi's delicious ramen.
Rin dragged Kakashi and Obito along to try it. In the crowd, they spotted many of their peers, Might Guy, Shizune, Asuma, and others.
Kakashi didn't seem too interested. He couldn't understand why waiting so long for a bowl of ramen was worth it.
At that moment, he suddenly noticed their teacher Minato in the distance, seemingly looking for them.
Kakashi immediately warned, "Obito, Rin, stop focusing on food. We might have a mission."
Obito and Rin followed Kakashi's gaze and saw Minato being dragged away by a white-haired uncle.
"Eh? Isn't that Jiraiya-sama? What's he doing with Minato-sensei?", Rin asked curiously.
Obito shook his head, "I don't know, but I heard Jiraiya-sama has been practicing Minato-sensei's Rasengan recently. Maybe he finally succeeded and wants to show off to his student."
Kakashi scoffed, "The Three Sannin wouldn't do something so childish."
Rin giggled, "Maybe Obito is right. Jiraiya-sama is a lot like Obito when he was younger, always carefree and reckless."
Kakashi muttered, "So Jiraiya-sama was a fool too, huh?"
Obito was immediately annoyed, "Hey, Kakashi! Who are you calling a fool?"
Kakashi shrugged, "Who knows?"
As the two bickered, Minato seemed to have finally escaped from Jiraiya and quickly approached them, "Let's go. The Third Hokage has given us a mission."
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