Deep inside the prison cell, Anya savored the rare moment of peace. Nocturne had been at the top of his hit list, and now that he was dead, the remaining targets included Danzo, Kumogakure, the Seven Pursuers, and anyone else connected to his teacher's death. Even villagers who spread malicious gossip about the incident were on Anya's revenge list—he had always been a petty person.
In the dim light of the dungeon, sudden tremors broke out. Soon, the ground beneath his cell cracked open, revealing a large hole from which a mud-yellow serpent's enormous head emerged.
Seeing it, Anya wasn't surprised at all. Instead, he remarked, "You arrived quickly; your efficiency is truly impressive."
Without minding the foul odor coming from the snake's mouth, Anya climbed straight inside. Thus, on his very first day in prison, he successfully escaped without a sound.
After a short time crawling through underground tunnels, the mud-yellow serpent soon brought Anya to a secret base deep underground. A familiar figure had already been waiting there.
As he stepped out, Anya smiled and gave his thanks. "Lord Orochimaru's arrival was indeed swift. You easily broke through the prison's most intricate barriers, without leaving a trace."
The one who rescued Anya was, of course, Orochimaru. At this moment, he also wore a smiling expression, speaking with his distinctive magnetic yet raspy voice, "You seem quite certain I would come for you."
"That's because we're alike," replied Anya, mirroring Orochimaru's smile. "We both will pursue any dark power necessary to achieve our goals."
Orochimaru's smile faded slightly as he added with regret, "Back in the ninja academy, I should have accepted you as my student back then."
Anya sighed lightly. "It's a shame I wasn't accepted back then, but thankfully, it's not too late. We still have plenty of time to work together on your research. Truth be told, I'm kind of excited about it."
Deep down, Anya briefly contemplated—if he hadn't met his teacher back then, he likely would've become Orochimaru's disciple under The Third's manipulation, resulting in an entirely different cultivation path. Of course, if Orochimaru later turned into 'the Snake Lady,' he probably would've killed his teacher anyway.
"Come along," said Orochimaru while leading the way, forming hand seals before easily lifting the seal placed upon Anya. He then guided him into his hidden research laboratory.
This was merely one of Orochimaru's many bases, conveniently located directly beneath the prison. Even before deciding to kill Nocturne, Anya had already made thorough preparations, contacting Orochimaru using [Spirit Transformation Technique] beforehand. Even the appearances of Danzo and Nocturne had been orchestrated thanks to Orochimaru's assistance.
A single casual remark from Orochimaru—"cut out the root if you want to weed properly"—was enough to hook Danzo.
However, to gain Orochimaru's help, Anya had to pay several years of his youth as the price. Not knowing how long he'd actually stay locked up, he could only get involved with Orochimaru's research during this time. However, he felt no strong resistance toward this arrangement in his heart, since after awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, his current power level had improved drastically. Now he no longer needed to treat Orochimaru as cautiously as he did before.
The stone beds inside the lab were littered with cold corpses. Some had already been dissected, some still had tubes inserted into their bodies in a state between life and death, and others were simply dismembered—making for an extremely unsettling scene. Orochimaru pointed to these "masterpieces" of his and said, "In my opinion, what defines a ninja is whether they can fully express all the jutsu in this world. Someday, I will master every ninjutsu and uncover the ultimate truth, becoming the perfect individual."
Anya shook his head. "One's energy is limited. Even a genius cannot possibly learn every single jutsu."
Orochimaru was not angered by Anya's rebuttal—in fact, he was delighted. What he needed were companions who could think independently, not mere subordinates. He smiled. "Indeed, life itself is short and fleeting, just like tangible things destined to perish. But intangible power can achieve eternity—for instance, your soul. It really excites me."
"Oh, you mean the Spirit Transformation Technique? Are you interested in it too, Lord Orochimaru? I can teach it to you if you'd like." Anya actually didn't mind teaching it at all. He believed with Orochimaru's wisdom, the technique's potential could be further developed.
"There's no rush. We have three years," Orochimaru clearly already knew the news. "Your punishment has been decided—it's three years. During this time, you belong to me."
Only three years? Looks like The Third showed mercy after all. Originally, Anya had expected at least five years.
Anya wore his familiar smile as he said, "Naturally, I'm more than happy to serve."
Time flew by like the wind. Before long, over half a year had passed since Anya entered prison. During this period, he and Orochimaru successfully created a clone to take his place undetected during regular patrols. In fact, he himself had hardly ever left the laboratory. To be honest, Anya had let the first few episodes of some anime warp his view too much. So he'd always had a bias against Orochimaru. Only after getting to know him personally did he realize that Orochimaru was actually a good person.
At the very least, their teamwork surpassed his cooperation with Tsunade. If there was something you didn't understand, Orochimaru would patiently explain it; if you made a mistake, he wouldn't get angry but instead tell you where you went wrong. Could there be anyone more patient than that? If this were Tsunade? She'd have already knocked you flat on your back with one punch.
Therefore, That's when Anya handed Orochimaru the copied Scroll of Seals without hesitation. Probably even Orochimaru hadn't expected that this young man would dare to make a copy directly. Since then, he's become obsessed with studying it, especially the [Eight Branches Technique] contained within—it became his absolute favorite.
During his research, Orochimaru would often discuss techniques with Anya. He even specially prepared a Summoning Scroll of the Rashōmon for him. From that point on, Anya finally gained his first truly defensive ninjutsu.
During this time, Anya's way of addressing Orochimaru had also changed. From initially calling him "Lord," she now affectionately called him "Uncle," growing more natural with each time she said it. Orochimaru was quite pleased with Anya—she usually grasped experiments on the first explanation, worked without hesitation, and her Medical Ninjutsu significantly sped up the progress. Their relationship could only be described as sweet and close—like two peas in a pod.
After more than half a year of rest, her old internal injuries had mostly healed thanks to Orochimaru's help. Her Sword Art had also shown noticeable improvement after the battle with the Seven Pursuers. Everything was heading in a positive direction.
At times, Anya even thought: Man, if Orochimaru were really a woman—with a hotter, sexier figure—I'd definitely play the Bai Suzhen's Xu Xian for once and give it my all for her!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>