After leaving the orphanage, Uchiha Hikaru headed straight for the cliffs of Hokage Rock.
Following the route stored in his memory, he arrived at what was once the secret base of Root. It now had a new identity:
Konoha Science Academy.
As he descended through the hidden passage, he came upon the iron gates—etched with seven bold characters in powerful strokes. The brushwork was both wild and elegant, like flying dragons and serpents.
It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing. Hikaru had written those words himself.
The moment he stepped into the academy, he noticed that the formerly empty training hall had been converted into Orochimaru's experimental storage facility. Rows of glass containers of all shapes and sizes filled the space, preserving countless strange and grotesque biological samples.
Transparent snake skins, enormous spiders, sharks, and other unfamiliar organs—many Hikaru couldn't even identify.
It left him marveling at the sheer biodiversity of the shinobi world.
He passed through the storage hall and entered the lab deeper inside, opening its reinforced door.
Inside were Orochimaru, Kimimaro lying on the operating table, and a strikingly familiar figure.
"Anko, you're here too."
Hikaru's words reached the ears of the two.
Anko put down the scalpel she was holding, stripped off her rubber gloves, and ran up to Hikaru, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Then, with a smug smile, she turned to Orochimaru and struck a victorious pose.
She said nothing—but said everything.
Orochimaru raised a hand to his forehead in exasperation.
It's over.
Not only had this brat Hikaru spared Tsunade, now even his former disciples were falling for him.
Forget it. Let the young deal with their own entanglements.
He waved a hand.
"Anko, that's enough for today. Hikaru and I have matters to discuss."
Anko touched her cheek with one finger, stuck out her tongue playfully, made a face at Orochimaru, then threw Hikaru a wink and sauntered out of the lab.
Orochimaru turned to Hikaru with a grim expression.
"Do they know about this?"
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, calm and confident.
"Of course."
Orochimaru said nothing. For a moment, he didn't know what to say—he only hoped Hikaru would treat his disciple well.
Then the two turned to the matter Orochimaru cared about most.
"Hikaru, it's time. I've been waiting ever since Itachi told me about it."
"The secret to eternal life—the one I've dreamed of for decades."
His snake-like pupils contracted, and his face twisted with obsession and barely contained madness.
"You've already realized the flaw in your soul, haven't you?" Hikaru said calmly. "Itachi likely pointed it out."
"Constant body-hopping through Living Corpse Reincarnation gradually erodes your soul."
"If you keep going like this, one day your soul will be too weak to survive another transfer."
"And once your soul shatters, you'll lose even the chance to pass on to the Pure Land. Even the Impure World Reincarnation won't bring you back."
Kimimaro, lying on the table, suddenly struggled to sit up. His eyes widened in fear.
"That's impossible! Lord Orochimaru can't die!"
To him, Orochimaru was a god—his entire reason for living. But Hikaru's words shattered that belief like glass. He couldn't accept it.
In a flash, Orochimaru appeared beside Kimimaro, formed a quick seal, and whispered:
"Nirvana Abode Jutsu."
Feathers—soft and white—began to fall around Kimimaro. Sleepiness surged through him like a tidal wave.
"Lord… Orochimaru…"
Thud.
He collapsed onto the operating table, unconscious.
Orochimaru gently stroked his cheek. His golden snake-eyes softened, showing rare affection.
"This child… doesn't have much time left."
He looked at the body he once had such high hopes for. At first, he was thrilled to find a vessel so powerful—until the blood disease shattered that dream.
But even after that, Kimimaro's devotion touched him in a way nothing else could.
Orochimaru turned back to Hikaru.
"After Itachi pointed out the flaw in my Reincarnation Technique, I did some calculations."
"With my current soul integrity, I can perform about five more transfers—fifteen years, at most."
"So tell me, is it too late for the method you promised?"
Orochimaru's expression was conflicted—on the edge of madness from his obsession, yet oddly serene, as if preparing for death.
Hikaru pointed directly at Orochimaru's chest.
"The secret to eternal life lies in the harmony between body and soul."
"The two must adapt, depend on each other, and grow together to achieve true immortality."
"Tell me… do you still have your original body?"
Orochimaru hesitated, then turned to the back of the lab.
"Follow me."
The two walked even deeper underground until they reached a solid rock wall.
Orochimaru formed hand seals.
The wall dissolved into a mass of gray-brown serpents, slithering away to reveal a sealed chamber.
"I never succeeded in mastering the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave," Orochimaru muttered. "But I managed to create something close to it myself."
Beyond the snakes stood a three-meter-tall glass tube filled with thick green fluid.
Inside floated a pale, emaciated Orochimaru—connected to electrodes and life-supporting wires. His skin was like parchment, his eyes closed, face expressionless.
"This is what remains of my original body, after failing to master Sage Mode."
"The natural energy corroded me—my cells stopped regenerating, my motor function deteriorated, and even my soul took on the form of a White Phosphorus Snake."
For a brief moment, Hikaru found himself speechless.
In Boruto, it was never clearly explained how Orochimaru regained his youth—only that it involved cloning. But looking at this broken husk… where would Orochimaru even get intact cells to clone from?
"Wait… do you still have any viable cells from your original body?"
Orochimaru stiffened. His expression began to unravel.
"You… you want me to clone my own body?"
"Then transfer into that clone using the Reincarnation Technique?"
"If I had access to intact cells, don't you think I would've done that already!?"
"All this time—and this is the great secret to immortality you're offering me!?"
"Are you fucking kidding me!?"
His voice cracked with despair, his composure collapsing like a dam breaking.
Ding—Orochimaru's mental defenses have broken.
Successfully copied: Senjutsu Chakra Curse Mark Technique, Snake Ninjutsu, and Impure World Reincarnation.
The system message echoed in Hikaru's mind, but now wasn't the time to gloat. The rewards could wait—he needed to stabilize Orochimaru before he completely lost it.
"Calm down! Orochimaru, listen to me!"
"Trust me! There's another way!"
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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