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When Orochimaru heard that Kimimaro had fallen ill, he wasn't overly panicked, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed.
The Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai was incredibly powerful, but it came with severe side effects. Many who wielded it lost their lives as a result. However, not every member of the Kaguya clan who used their "kekkei genkai" suffered such a fate—otherwise, the clan would have long since wiped itself out, leaving no chance for Kirigakure to exterminate them.
Whether the side effects manifested depended on various factors, including genetics, living conditions, and frequency of using the "Shikotsumyaku" (Dead Bone Pulse).
Orochimaru had considered this issue before, but as he often said, experiments and luck shared an inexplicable relationship.
This time, luck was not on his side.
After Sakon and Ukon informed Orochimaru of Kimimaro's condition, he abandoned his experiment and rushed to the training grounds. Upon learning what had happened, he ordered Kimimaro to be taken away to rest, then fixed his gaze on Midorima.
"You shouldn't have fought him."
"Sorry, I didn't know Kimimaro had a serious illness," Midorima replied helplessly.
It wasn't like he had sought out the fight—Kimimaro had challenged him.
"It's not exactly a serious illness…" Orochimaru quickly waved his hand, as if afraid Midorima would ask too many questions. He "corrected" Midorima's phrasing before hesitantly adding, "You're a medical ninja, right?"
Orochimaru had dedicated his life to biological research, but scientific inquiry and medical ninjutsu were two different things. When faced with a truly incurable disease, even he was powerless.
Midorima stared at Orochimaru as if he were an idiot.
Yes, he was a medical ninja, but the side effects of a "kekkei genkai" were beyond the abilities of an ordinary medic.
For something as severe as the "Shikotsumyaku's" backlash, even the blindness caused by prolonged use of the "Mangekyō Sharingan" couldn't be cured by any known medical ninjutsu. In the end, the only solution was obtaining the "Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan."
"I can't cure this kind of illness," Midorima admitted, shaking his head.
Orochimaru sighed, as if he had already expected this answer.
"However, there is a way to alleviate the symptoms. Whether it'll work, though, is another matter." Midorima recalled a secret technique Shimomura had once taught him—the "Aquatic Healing Fang Technique."
This jutsu slowed cellular respiration, thereby mitigating the illness. The benefit was that it could stabilize the condition, but the drawback was that it also affected healthy cells, causing overall physical weakness.
This weakness was reversible—once the technique was discontinued, the body would recover. The only real inconvenience was that the patient had to remain submerged in water throughout the entire process.
Midorima explained the pros and cons of the technique to Orochimaru, who hesitated, unable to make a decision.
He wanted a healthy Kimimaro, not an invalid.
But Midorima had said all he needed to say.
If Orochimaru didn't want to use this technique, Midorima certainly wasn't going to insist.
Carrying two scrolls, Midorima returned to his room and tossed them onto the table before turning his attention to the chakra within his body.
During his fight with Kimimaro, he had noticed that his chakra reserves had increased—not by a huge margin, but roughly by about 5%.
Now, he wanted to figure out why his chakra had grown.
Opening the [Analysis Lab], Midorima immediately noticed that the progress for the "Curse Mark" had risen from 10% to 15%.
He had assumed the [Analysis Lab] was stuck due to a bug and hadn't checked it in a while. If not for sensing the anomaly in his chakra during battle, he might never have noticed the change.
But as soon as this thought crossed his mind, another question arose.
Based on his understanding, the [Analysis Lab] wasn't supposed to increase his chakra.
The [Power Chamber], then?
That function had long since reached 100%. Unless some extraordinary opportunity arose, his chakra should only increase steadily, without sudden jumps.
So, what else could it be?
Midorima stared at his hands, once again sensing the chakra within him.
There was indeed a strange, foreign chakra mixed in with his own.
The reason it felt odd was that it didn't originally belong to him—it had been converted by the [Conversion Chamber] before Midorima could utilize it.
Could it be related to the "Curse Mark"?
Midorima pondered deeply and realized this was a real possibility.
The "Curse Mark" was connected to Jūgo, who possessed the innate ability to absorb natural energy. Thus, his chakra was fundamentally different from that of ordinary shinobi.
Once this energy entered Midorima's body, it merged with the curse mark, forming the "Curse Mark," while the [Conversion Chamber] transformed a portion of it into usable chakra.
However, the amount converted was minimal.
Come to think of it, could the [Cell Laboratory] convert his own chakra into natural energy?
The moment this idea surfaced, Midorima dismissed it.
Leaving aside whether the [Conversion Chamber] could even perform such an operation, even if it could, converting all of his chakra into senjutsu chakra would only allow him to use a handful of sage techniques.
The trade-off wasn't worth it.
Still, the fact that he could convert this foreign chakra at all was surprising, given that it wasn't originally his.
The "Curse Mark" was immensely powerful, granting its host significant enhancements—but the toll it took was equally severe.
At this point, Midorima suddenly had an idea for breaking the curse mark.
The "Curse Mark" was created by Orochimaru processing Jūgo's bodily fluids and injecting them into a shinobi, forcibly awakening their latent power.
This meant the core of the "Curse Mark" lay in Jūgo's bodily fluids.
Could he use this as a starting point to dismantle the curse mark?
It was a plausible approach, but Midorima knew that attempting to undo the "Curse Mark" this way would still be extremely difficult for him.
However, if he succeeded, he could theoretically use the same method to break any curse mark in the future.
The challenge was daunting, but it was worth a try.
Just as Midorima was racking his brain over how to remove the "Curse Mark," Orochimaru received an unexpected "guest."
Dragged out of his lab by Sakon, Orochimaru found Jirōbō, Kidōmaru, and Tayuya surrounding an elderly man.
"Who are you? Drop that pathetic disguise in front of me," Orochimaru hissed.
The old man immediately straightened up, tearing off his disguise to reveal a youthful face.
"Lord Orochimaru, we've met before, haven't we?" the boy said with a smile.
"Yakushi Kabuto? What are you doing outside my lab?" Orochimaru asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Lord Danzō told me where to find you. But your lab is quite hidden—it wasn't easy tracking it down," Kabuto replied smoothly.
"Danzō? What does he want?" Orochimaru frowned. "Couldn't he have just used a summoning animal to contact me?"
Danzō had been in touch with him not long ago.
"The matter is somewhat sensitive. Lord Danzō feared it wouldn't be safe to relay it through conventional means—some things are better said in person," Kabuto said, his eyes glinting behind his glasses.
*
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