After Uchiha Hikaru finished speaking, he stepped aside, giving Orochimaru enough room to perform the technique.
After all, Hikaru remembered that Orochimaru's white snake form was massive—easily more than ten meters long.
If that slime splashed on him… even though he wasn't a clean freak, it would still be disgusting.
Orochimaru stared at his former body, and his expression began to shift.
For years, he had lived in fear of death, haunted by the idea that one day it would come for him.
He would often jolt awake in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat because of it.
He turned his head slightly to glance at Hikaru, his eyes filled with unspoken gratitude and acknowledgment.
The process had been unpleasant—but the result was everything he had hoped for.
With newfound conviction, Orochimaru began forming hand seals, preparing the forbidden jutsu he had created himself.
"Living Corpse Reincarnation!"
Hikaru watched as Orochimaru's mouth opened wide, producing a grotesque crackling sound.
A massive white snake covered in countless smaller snakes erupted from his mouth, smashing through the giant glass tube and plunging into his original body.
The husk of Orochimaru collapsed limply to the floor.
Several minutes passed.
Then, Orochimaru slowly rose to his feet.
He casually tore off the electrodes still attached to his body and raised his arms, clenching his fists, feeling his original body once more.
His snake-like pupils trembled with excitement.
This power... this chakra… it was greater than anything he had ever known—even beyond his prime.
The senjutsu chakra that had once corrupted his body, a gift from the White Snake Sage, hadn't disappeared. Instead, Hikaru had rewritten it into normal chakra using Izanagi.
With such vast chakra now nourishing his body, Orochimaru underwent a miraculous reversal—a regression.
His body had reverted to that of a man in his early thirties.
His chakra reserves had increased by at least four or five times.
Even the gnawing ache in his soul, the toll of countless reincarnations, had begun to fade. He could feel his soul healing—slowly but surely—being nourished by the stability of his original body.
If things continued like this, his soul would fully recover in half a year, returning to its state before he had begun using the Reincarnation Technique.
Just as Orochimaru was still basking in the joy of rebirth, Hikaru interrupted.
He turned his head to the side and raised a hand to cover his eyes.
"How about you put some clothes on first?"
"I get that you're thrilled, but I'm not into watching naked men."
"But Jiraiya… he might be."
For a second, Orochimaru froze, then hastily grabbed a surgical gown from the nearby table and put it on.
Immortality no longer haunted him. It was now only a matter of time. His mood had lightened considerably.
And so, his curiosity shifted to the forbidden technique Hikaru had just used.
His tongue flicked out unconsciously from the corner of his mouth—a sign of the greed that once again stirred within him. He wanted to test it. To understand it. To possess it.
"Whoosh!"
An immense pressure exploded from Hikaru's body, wrapped in killing intent and cold fury.
The dark blue combat robe he wore flared in the wind, chakra swirling around him like a storm.
"Orochimaru," Hikaru said coldly, "don't let your thoughts stray where they shouldn't."
"If I can heal your body…"
"...then I can destroy it just as easily."
Hikaru stood tall, his gaze sharp and condescending as he looked down at Orochimaru beside the operating table.
In an instant, the fire of greed in Orochimaru's heart was snuffed out by the suffocating pressure.
So this was Uchiha power… but there was something else mixed in. Another chakra signature. Could it be… Hashirama's cells?
Orochimaru quickly composed himself, his expression returning to one of calm and submission.
"I merely wanted to ask," he said smoothly, "what was the forbidden jutsu you used just now?"
Hikaru withdrew the chakra pressure and let the killing intent fade, then walked slowly toward Orochimaru with a faint smile on his lips.
"Good. Keep it that way."
"But if you want to study the Sharingan," Hikaru added, "I won't stop you."
Orochimaru's pupils constricted slightly.
"What do you want in return?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. Only a fool believes in gifts falling from the sky."
Hikaru nodded with satisfaction. Orochimaru, at least, was someone who understood how the world worked.
"I need you to continue researching Hashirama's cells and the Impure World Reincarnation."
"You'll have unrestricted access to the prisoners in Konoha Prison as experimental material."
"And one more thing—stay in Konoha."
"Immortality is no longer your shackle. It's just a matter of time."
"These two conditions shouldn't be hard for you."
Orochimaru was surprised. "That's all?" he asked, genuinely curious.
He had assumed Hikaru would demand far more. But these were all things he would've done anyway.
Staying in Konoha—now that his name was cleared—was the logical choice. He would much rather conduct his research in the village's labs than wander the world like a fugitive.
"I'm sure," Hikaru said with a grin. "You can't beat me anyway."
"In this village, I'm the Hokage's right hand. And Tsunade is mine."
"If you ever need something, I can just assign you the mission myself."
For a moment, Orochimaru felt like he'd been swindled. Everything had been orchestrated with precision, and now the net had closed around him.
But he considered the two most important facts: first, he couldn't beat Hikaru. And second, Konoha had excellent research facilities.
He swallowed his frustration.
"Fine, fine. Just don't be stingy in the future," Orochimaru muttered. "Once I dive into research, my expenses are terrifying."
Hikaru waved a hand. "As long as it's not wasteful and you're making results, spend all you like."
Orochimaru laughed.
Was this real? Did he really just get a blank check?
Who was he? Orochimaru!
In the shinobi world, if he claimed to be second-best at scientific research, no one dared claim to be first.
This was perfect.
Wait—what was that catchphrase again?
Oh, right—
"Don't worry," he grinned, "It's easy. I can definitely do it, bro~"
Hikaru watched him copy his words and expression, and felt the whole atmosphere take a weird turn.
You bastard. You've given up trying to fight me, haven't you?
And why wouldn't he?
From Orochimaru's perspective, once he attained immortality, he could tap into the village's resources and achieve all his lifelong ambitions.
He had clearance, access to endless test subjects, and now Konoha's full support.
Why leave?
This version of Konoha… it was a paradise tailor-made for Orochimaru.
And from now on, if anyone dared suggest destroying Konoha?
Orochimaru might be the first one to stand in their way.
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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