[Orochimaru's Laboratory]
After listening to Orochimaru's plan, Rengoku honestly felt it was both simple and brutal.
But since Orochimaru said this way he could also extract plenty of experimental data, Rengoku just let him be.
Orochimaru called in Yakushi Kabuto and Nono to serve as assistants.
He also summoned Kasui (Karin's mother), who was a very crucial person.
Seeing Orochimaru carving out a formation on the ground, Rengoku asked curiously, "Isn't this supposed to be treatment? What's this formation?"
While carving, Orochimaru answered, "This is a byproduct of the Impure World Reincarnation seal."
"This formation can imprison the soul inside the body for a period of time."
"To prevent Nagato from truly dying."
"Didn't expect you to think things through this well," Rengoku was somewhat surprised.
After all, Orochimaru was supposed to be a cold-blooded man.
At those words, Orochimaru only stuck out his tongue and gave it a spin, without saying anything.
After all, Nagato's eyes were the Rinnegan. If Nagato died, there would be so many experiments that could no longer be done.
And once Nagato was dead, who could even use the Rinnegan was uncertain.
So no matter how you looked at it, Orochimaru would not allow Nagato to die.
While Orochimaru drew the formation, Kabuto brought out two bottles of water.
One he handed to Kasui, the other to Nagato.
These two bottles were, of course, the Elixir of Life.
Following Kabuto's instructions, Kasui drank about one-third of it at once.
After drinking the Elixir of Life, Kasui's body immediately underwent a major change.
When Kasui had arrived at the Uchiha's place, she had been half-dead.
After coming here, she had relied on the vitality of the Uzumaki bloodline to cling to life, but her body had still been left weakened from the years of depletion.
A person lacking blood and energy looked like someone who hadn't eaten or slept properly.
Now, after downing one-third of the Elixir of Life, Kasui's face quickly regained color, and her skin swiftly recovered its elasticity.
Especially her hair, which changed from its former pale red to a deeper crimson.
Kasui touched her own face in disbelief, seeing in the nearby machine's reflection a beautiful, youthful face.
"Ah… I-I've become younger?", The feeling of weakness in her body was instantly swept away, her whole being brimming with vigorous life force.
Kabuto recorded Kasui's physical changes as he said, "You haven't become younger. This is your true form."
Kasui stroked her smooth skin in a daze. The bite marks that had once marred it had all vanished.
In Grass Village, being sucked every day, her body had aged terribly. Even after arriving at the Uchiha, she had only managed to stabilize her condition.
She had even forgotten, when she gave birth to Karin, she had been only nineteen. Now Karin was ten, so she herself was only twenty-nine.
Kasui's eyes turned red, tears instantly flowing down.
But these were tears of joy.
"Thank you… thank you, clan head," Kasui stammered, incoherent in her gratitude toward Rengoku.
Since Karin was Rengoku's disciple, Rengoku had always treated Kasui kindly as well.
"We're all family, no need for thanks."
"Later, we'll need your ability to save this man. He is your clansman as well," Rengoku pointed at Nagato.
Kasui nodded. Kabuto had already explained it to her beforehand. She glanced at the bottle in her hand.
Two-thirds of the liquid remained inside. She didn't know exactly what was in it.
But it was obvious Rengoku had given it to her to restore her body.
After all, the man before her had so many black rods stuck in his body, the treatment required would be immense.
When they had come for her that day, she had only intended to repay Rengoku for years of shelter.
She hadn't expected Rengoku to restore her first, before asking her to heal.
"Leave it to me, clan head. With me here, he won't be in danger."
Rengoku nodded slightly. After all, Nagato had the Rinnegan. His body couldn't afford to fail. Not only had Orochimaru made preparations, even Rengoku had prepared contingencies.
By this time Orochimaru had finished drawing the formation. Once it was activated, he had Kasui, Kabuto, and Nono step forward.
Orochimaru pointed at the Elixir of Life in Nagato's hand, "I'll drip this into your body gradually."
"Since this surgery is special, anesthesia cannot be used. You must endure all the pain."
"Kasui, place your hand near Nagato's mouth. When I give the order, Nagato, you must immediately use Kasui's ability to heal yourself. Understood?"
Nagato already knew of Kasui's ability, and he nodded.
"I understand."
Beside him, Nono set up an IV for Nagato. The bottle contained diluted Elixir of Life.
At this moment Orochimaru had changed into surgical robes. Kabuto and Nono stood ready on either side to assist.
"Orochimaru-sama, the Elixir of Life has already taken effect."
"Mm…", Orochimaru glanced at the instrument readings, then steadily disinfected Nagato.
Afterwards, he picked up a scalpel and sliced straight down.
Nagato grunted in pain. Orochimaru wasn't one to pity. Soon Nagato's face was covered in sweat.
Scalpel in hand, Orochimaru cut through the skin, then the muscle.
He excised the body tissue clinging to the embedded black rods.
With the Elixir of Life working, Nagato's body rapidly regenerated.
So Orochimaru moved quickly. Within only half a minute, one black rod had already been pried out.
Shhh!
When Orochimaru tossed the rod aside, a gush of blood instantly spurted out.
Orochimaru, calm-faced, signaled with his eyes to Nono.
Nono's glowing hands pressed to Nagato, healing him.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, repeatedly cut open the regenerating flesh and removed rod after rod.
After about ten minutes, all the rods were extracted.
Standing at the outer edge, Konan watched Nagato in worry.
Her heart was in turmoil, but she couldn't help, only stand by.
Once Orochimaru had removed the rods from Nagato's back, he cut into Nagato's legs.
These were the burns Nagato had received back when Hanzo's explosive tag flame array had struck.
They hadn't been treated back then, and with Nagato's weakened vitality, the inner meridians had all twisted together.
Orochimaru roughly severed and straightened them all, all the while calling out, "Kasui, heal."
At once, Kasui shoved her hand into Nagato's mouth.
A surge of healing power flowed to his legs.
Nagato was already drenched in cold sweat from the pain, but after such a long surgery, his sense of pain had dulled.
And now, with sensation returning to his legs, Nagato's heart trembled slightly.
"Alright, Kasui, stop for now."
Orochimaru gave Rengoku a look, "Rengoku, get ready."
"Mm," Rengoku stood beside Nagato, runic seals already glowing on his hands.
He needed to strip away Madara's curse mark within the window when Nagato was "dead."
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