Land of Rice Fields, Hidden Sound Village Underground Base.
The air was perpetually thick with the stinging scent of disinfectant and chemical reagents, mixed with a chilling dampness. Pale lights illuminated cold metal instruments and massive glass cultivation tanks, where distorted biological tissues rose and fell slowly in eerie green nutrient solutions. On the walls, large display screens flowed with waterfalls of data, emitting a low, constant hum.
Orochimaru stood before a massive lab bench, his back to the entrance. Complex instruments and several tissue samples of bizarre colors were laid out before him. Dressed in a plain white, loose-fitting kimono with a black undershirt and a thick purple shimenawa tied around his waist, his golden snake pupils flickered with an inhuman cold light in the dimness. His pale fingers gently brushed the rim of a petri dish.
Space distorted silently. Orochimaru's movements didn't pause for a second, as if he had long expected this.
"You've come." A hoarse voice with a unique, feminine magnetic quality rang out. He turned slowly, his narrow golden vertical pupils locking precisely onto the figure that had abruptly appeared in the center of the room.
Orochimaru sized up the black Oshinpō: "Tsk tsk, this robe suits you quite well."
Menma didn't respond to the pleasantries. His gaze behind the white, three-eyed fox mask swept over the unsettling environment before finally settling on Orochimaru. He raised his hand, and a fist-sized glass container sealed with special runes was tossed casually toward the Sannin.
The container traced an arc through the air, holding a few small pieces of cellular tissue soaking in a pale blue liquid. Orochimaru's golden pupils constricted the moment the container flew his way—like a venomous snake before a strike!
His pale, slender right hand shot out with lightning speed, transforming into a long snake that caught it steadily. The cold sensation through his fingertips and the faint, powerful, and chilling life force unique to the Uchiha clan within the container caused a thrill to surge through the very depths of his soul.
"Mmm..." A satisfied, almost moaning low sigh escaped Orochimaru's throat. He cradled the container delicately, lifting it to his eyes. His golden pupils were nearly pressed against the glass as he stared greedily at the precious tissues within, as if admiring the world's most perfect work of art.
The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled upward uncontrollably into a demonic, fanatical arc. Joy! This was the pure joy of discovering an invaluable treasure! The power of the Uchiha, the secrets of the Sharingan—he was now one step closer!
While he could already clone single-tomoe Sharingan, those eyes always felt as though they lacked a soul. Only the pure, natural cellular tissue of a true Uchiha possessed this level of raw power.
However, this euphoria lasted less than two seconds.
"I need the files on Yakushi Kabuto. And Danzo's 'Root' infiltration plans for the Land of Stars."
Menma's icy voice was like quenched ice water, instantly dousing Orochimaru's fanaticism. The smile on the snake's face froze and then slowly receded until it vanished. He looked up from the container toward Menma's mask, his golden pupils narrowing into thin slits.
The joy was replaced by a cold, simmering irritation—the feeling of a viper being disturbed mid-meal.
Yakushi Kabuto. The child who had shown such startling talent at the Konoha orphanage, whom Orochimaru viewed as his most capable future assistant... had been snatched away by this "Shura" first?
Again! Someone he had set his sights on had been intercepted!
A strong sense of frustration, mixed with bruised possessiveness, quietly took root. His carefully selected "seedling" was like a rare specimen in his lab; he did not tolerate others laying hands on it.
What sent a chill through him even more was that Shura had specifically named Kabuto and demanded Danzo's secrets. What did this imply? It meant this "Shinobi from the future" definitely knew of Kabuto's future achievements!
How high can that seemingly frail boy reach? To be so highly valued by Shura...
This realization made Orochimaru even more displeased, as if someone had pre-appraised and bought out a priceless treasure from his private collection.
"Hehehe..." Orochimaru let out a low, ambiguous laugh that echoed through the cold lab. His fingers tightened slightly around the Uchiha cell container, his knuckles turning white.
"I truly have excellent taste," Orochimaru's tone dropped to a freezing point. "Kabuto-kun... is indeed an interesting child. As for that old dog Danzo in the gutter..."
He shifted gears, forcibly suppressing his surging emotions. His golden eyes flickered with calculated light. "I will compile a detailed record of his little schemes for you."
For the sake of the Uchiha cells and the greater benefits to come, he could temporarily endure this loss. He carefully placed the container in the safest spot on his bench before continuing leisurely:
"Speaking of experiments... you took Kimimaro last time. I presume you've noticed his condition?"
Orochimaru licked his thin lips, the fanaticism for the unknown reigniting in his eyes. "That 'illness' rooted in his bloodline is truly fascinating—and a pity. I collected a few other Kaguya children recently, but sadly, they couldn't withstand the initial fusion stimulus. They all failed."
He spread his pale hands in a gesture of feigned regret, but his eyes were locked onto the fox mask. "The joint laboratory Guren established in the City of Stars should have quite sophisticated equipment by now."
"I wish to go there to conduct deeper observations and research on Kimimaro. Perhaps, together, we can find a way to suppress or even reverse his tragic fate?" His voice carried a seductive, persuasive lilt. "After all, such a precious Bloodline Limit and physique... it would be a shame for it to simply perish, wouldn't it?"
Menma listened silently. Orochimaru's joy, irritation, greed, and calculation were like an open book to him.
He did need Orochimaru's scientific prowess for Kimimaro. Although the transplanted Byakugan had temporarily stabilized the Yang Release imbalance, Orochimaru's participation would undoubtedly refine their research direction. Furthermore, having obtained the Kimera Technique, Menma wanted to see the results of its application alongside White Zetsu and Hashirama cells. Orochimaru's inclusion would make the research twice as effective.
"Fine," Menma's voice remained flat.
A sharp glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
"However," the white mask turned slightly toward the Sannin, "my shadow clone will be involved throughout the entire process. Orochimaru, put away any 'inappropriate' thoughts. Kimimaro belongs to me now."
The cold warning swept through the laboratory like a winter draft. Orochimaru's smile solidified, and his golden pupils constricted into dangerous needles, clashing silently with the invisible eyes behind the mask. The shadows of the two figures stretched long against the cold, white walls.