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Konoha?
At this moment, Orochimaru revealed a strange smile, and even Uchiha Yoru felt a chill run down his spine. Only then did Orochimaru retract his eerie gaze.
"They are merely a bunch of decaying beings. Power requires corresponding strength to wield, and sufficient lifespan. If Sensei Sarutobi were ten years younger, would your concerns still exist?"
Orochimaru's first half of the statement was clear to Uchiha Yoru, but the second half made him frown in confusion, inwardly shocked. It seemed that at this point, Orochimaru had already recognized the fragility of life.
The fragility of life on the battlefield, combined with the Third Hokage's increasing focus on political machinations as he aged, further reinforced Orochimaru's sense of life's frailty.
No wonder Orochimaru later became virtually indestructible, with various jutsu specifically targeting the frailty of life.
Although he was aware of this, Uchiha Yoru could only pretend not to understand, speaking solemnly, "Teacher Orochimaru, the clan elders say the Sarutobi clan seems to be preparing to nominate Ape Fly Shinno as the Fifth Hokage."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's pupils visibly constricted, though his face remained calm. He maintained his composure, revealing a smirk of disdain.
"Ape Fly Shinno is not a concern."
At this moment, Orochimaru exuded an unprecedented confidence. This confidence was not blind; as one of the Sannin, he had earned numerous battle honors during the Second and Third Great Shinobi Wars, and was not someone who could be easily outshone.
Moreover, Orochimaru had already formed a new faction in Konoha. Following the Fourth Hokage's death, those who had been wavering had largely aligned with Orochimaru, while the Hokage's lineage was merely a cluster of families fearful of losing their interests.
"Since the news of Teacher Orochimaru's return from the border leaked, the recently stabilized border situation seems to be becoming unstable again."
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Uchiha Yoru mentioned the current border situation. Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled, saying, "The Ninja World is never short of conflict."
"But everything will stabilize in time."
At this moment, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed with confidence. To him, they were merely a bunch of decaying beings. In his plan, he would let them jump around for a while, giving him the opportunity to research and pursue immortality.
In reality, Orochimaru was a very approachable person; he only wanted to research quietly. Perhaps becoming Hokage would allow him to research better.
Looking at Orochimaru's confident and sinister smile, Uchiha Yoru's eyes revealed a strange expression. He inwardly muttered, perhaps your confidence is not misplaced, but it is precisely because of your overconfidence that you do not realize that others can ultimately abandon you.
Orochimaru probably never expected Konoha's upper echelons to be so ruthless. To maintain Konoha's stability and prevent political turmoil, they directly forced one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, into rebellion.
Perhaps the Third Hokage never anticipated that things would spiral out of control to this extent. His intention was merely to undermine Orochimaru's prestige, but once things started, they were no longer under his control.
Orochimaru had decided to remain unchanged in the face of political changes. The final outcome might be unknown to others, but Uchiha Yoru was very clear: Orochimaru would ultimately defect.
The situation that led Konoha's upper echelons to make such a decision was probably due to the extensive and deeply rooted influence of Orochimaru's faction. Only a swift and decisive action could resolve the issue.
"Teacher Orochimaru, the prison under the Village's Police Force can provide experimental subjects in secret. When the time comes, you just need to say the word."
Understanding Orochimaru's political direction, Uchiha Yoru nodded with a smile. Since Orochimaru did not object, it meant he approved of his approach to building relationships with various clans through the Seventh Police Division. He then mentioned the issue that truly concerned Orochimaru.
Sure enough, upon hearing about the research, Orochimaru's face immediately showed a sinister smile. "Hehe, thank you, Yoru."
Human experimentation required ninja subjects. While it was easier to capture them in border regions, where there were many small villages and rogue ninjas from other countries, it was more complicated now that they were back in the village.
But now it seemed the problem was solved. After all, the Police Force was responsible for all of Konoha's prisons. Wasn't it normal for prisoners to die in prison?
"Lord Orochimaru!"
At that moment, a figure slowly entered the research room, bowing respectfully to Orochimaru. However, when Uchiha Yoru saw the newcomer, he was inwardly startled. This was Root?
Wearing a mask resembling a cat, with green and red patterns around it, Uchiha Yoru secretly observed the individual. At this moment, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a sickly greed as he looked at the newcomer.
"Hehe, it's Agent Alpha. You came just in time. Lie down on the bed."
The words seemed inappropriate, but the Root ninja lay down on the bed numbly. Uchiha Yoru's eyes widened as he watched Orochimaru gaze at the young Root member with a sickly greedy expression, as if examining a rare treasure.
If Uchiha Yoru did not know Orochimaru's character, this scene could easily be misunderstood.
Seeming to notice Uchiha Yoru's shock, Orochimaru let out a hoarse laugh filled with excitement. "Yoru, this is the unexpectedly successful Wood Release experimental subject, Agent Alpha. Assist me and take notes."
"Yes!" Uchiha Yoru nodded respectfully. He was not like Kiba, who had agreed to let others use his body but then acted arrogantly and ultimately reneged.
Reneging or not was not the issue; after all, it was normal to have second thoughts between life and death. But if you voluntarily asked someone to do what they wanted with your body in exchange for power, at least show some respect.
In the absence of conflicting interests, he still held great respect for Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was already familiar with the process, placing various instruments on Agent Alpha's body and beginning a series of twisted experiments. Drawing blood was a routine procedure.
"The blood contains..."
A barrage of technical terms left Uchiha Yoru's knowledge base sorely lacking. Fortunately, he only needed to record. Orochimaru, on the other hand, gazed at the various data and the precious blood samples with a sickly infatuation.
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(End of Chapter)