Orochimaru, noticing everyone's gaze on him, suddenly felt annoyed!
"What's the meaning of those looks? Do they think I'm someone like Danzo?"
It was clear that the members of Root still had deep misunderstandings about him. Orochimaru could only clear his throat and continue:
"As far as I know, there isn't anyone who outperforms Danzo in those particular aspects. Yet, even with Root working under Danzo's ideology for so many years, their achievements have been negligible.
"What does that tell us? It shows that approach is fundamentally wrong! In the ninja world as it stands now, relying on scheming and vicious methods to bring benefits to the village no longer works.
"We need technology! Technology is the real deal. Everyone, follow me to the research area, and I'll let you experience the power of science."
Orochimaru had taken over Root so that Root would support his experimental research—not so that Root would engage in sinister operations and take the blame. Besides, taking the blame was hardly pleasant; the previous scapegoat from Root ended up thrown into Konoha's prison.
So, as Orochimaru walked toward the research zone in Root's base, all the Root members looked at each other in dismay. After Orochimaru took charge, he'd spent most of his time building up the research facilities. Although the Root members had participated in constructing that research area, they still had no idea what Orochimaru's various precision instruments or colorful reagents were for.
Once he led them into the research zone, Orochimaru entered his own laboratory, took out the "T-7 Eternal Chakra Elixer," and handed it out to everyone. He then said:
"This is the same Eternal Chakra Elixer that was discussed during the Five Kage Summit some time ago. You may all try it and see its effects."
Some of the Root members felt hesitation, but it didn't last long. Gradually, one after another, they started drinking the potion. Orochimaru's lengthy brainwashing efforts on them weren't for nothing, after all. And upon seeing that their comrades who drank it first were showing no adverse reactions, the rest quickly followed suit.
Then, including Aburame Ryōma, every member of Root began showing remarkable expressions. Their cellular activity had clearly risen. In that moment, everyone felt light as a feather, all fatigue vanished, and their bodies moved more flexibly than ever.
Amid the members' amazement, Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle and said:
"This is still in the experimental phase of the Eternal Chakra Elixer. At present, it can restore graying hair to black, enhance cell vitality, and improve physical condition.
"If one day the Eternal Chakra Elixer is fully perfected, then every shinobi in Konoha could escape that continual loss of strength caused by aging. Whoever ingests a perfected Eternal Chakra Elixer, regardless of age, would be able to maintain peak condition until the end of their natural life."
All the Root members: (O_O)???
They had possessed some intel about the Eternal Chakra Elixer before, but they never realized that once fully developed, it could have such a terrifying effect. For a moment, Aburame Ryōma and the rest were lost in thought.
Even its current version already had impressive benefits. If completed, the potion would definitely push Konoha's overall capabilities up another big notch. The Root members were deeply shocked, and Orochimaru was very satisfied to see their reactions.
But the demonstration of his "firepower" was only beginning. He planned to use this opportunity to thoroughly re-brainwash everyone in Root, ensuring they'd all help with his research from now on.
Orochimaru quickly left and returned from his laboratory, wheeling out a device connected to a transparent glass cylinder. The entire Root group watched him curiously: in that glass cylinder was a lab mouse and a simple injector. For now, Aburame Ryōma and the others had no clue what Orochimaru was about to do.
Before their eyes, Orochimaru injected the blacklight virus into the mouse. The next instant, they saw the mouse's fur turn bright red, as though it were on fire. The once-weak lab mouse suddenly became extremely fierce, acquiring strength it had never had before, looking nothing like its former self!
"This…"
Seeing this scene rendered everyone in Root speechless. After Orochimaru used the blacklight virus on the mouse, it instantly turned an ordinary white mouse into something akin to a summoning beast that could use chakra. Combined with the earlier demonstration of the Eternal Chakra Elixer, the Root members were now truly stupefied.
At that moment, the entire research lab fell into a deathly silence. After a good while, Aburame Ryōma finally spoke, his voice brimming with disbelief:
"Orochimaru-sama, what…what technology is this?"
"It's still unnamed, not fully finalized. For now, let's temporarily call it the 'Infinite Evolution Technology.'"
"Using it, we can transform an ordinary lab mouse into a higher-level creature akin to a summoning beast capable of chakra. Once the tech matures, even someone without any ninja talent could become a fine shinobi. By then, we'll see an era of 'ninja for all' in Konoha!"
Once Orochimaru said that, all of Root's members—Ryōma included—gazed at him with utter astonishment, their eyes revealing a kind of fervor. Indeed, no amount of cunning or cruelty could ever bring about a scenario where Konoha turned every ordinary villager into a ninja who remained in peak condition, unaffected by old age, all the way to death.
That meant Root, led by Danzo, had taken how many detours? But that no longer mattered—Root was now under Orochimaru-sama, who'd apparently found the correct path.
Watching everyone quake in shock, Orochimaru was deeply pleased. None of them had had access to such advanced technology before, so they hadn't known how miraculous these ideas were. However, this "showcase" was still not over. He wanted to use it to thoroughly convert Root's mindset so they'd fully support his experimental research from now on.
At that, Orochimaru stretched out his arms, giving a sinister grin as he addressed the group:
"As of yesterday, Root is essentially dead. Today's Root, under my leadership, will be truly reborn from the ashes!
"From now on, we'll harness technology to give every ordinary person in Konoha the chance to become a ninja. We'll use technology to let every Konoha shinobi ignore the ravages of aging, keeping their power at its peak right up to the final breath.
"I have a dream: to lead Root along the path of science and make Konoha great again! All—for the sake of Konoha!"
When Orochimaru finished, many members of Root were stirred up, excitement blazing in their eyes.
"That's right—everything for Konoha, and science is the way forward!"
Some younger, hot-blooded members of Root were so fired up that their blood was practically boiling:
"For the sake of Konoha! Hail Hydra—uh, I mean, hail Yamata no Orochi serpent!"
"Yes indeed, for the sake of Konoha! Long live Lord Orochimaru the Yamata no Orochi!"
"Let's make the Yamata no Orochi emblem our new Root insignia!"
"Yes, good idea. We, the New Root, need not remain stuck in darkness or follow old routines. We'll walk the road of scientific development under Lord Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru looked upon these feverish Root members with great satisfaction. Through a combination of his stirring words and partial scientific achievements, he had at last thoroughly brainwashed them.
But the cry of "Hail Lord Orochimaru!" took it a bit too far. If the Old Man got wind of it, how would Orochimaru happily continue his operations in Konoha?
So Orochimaru swiftly said, "Alright, that's enough! Everything for Konoha, yes—but I don't want to hear any more chanting 'Long live Orochimaru!' For now, let's proceed with the three tasks I gave you."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" the Root members responded in unison, wholeheartedly obeying him now. They no longer had any doubt about Orochimaru guiding Root. After all, with Orochimaru at the helm, Root's future was bright, and Konoha stood to profit far more. Clearly, their old path under Danzo had been one long detour!
Watching them leave, Orochimaru's lips curved into a sinister grin. With this deep-level training session, Danzo's hold on them was basically neutralized.
After everyone left, Orochimaru turned to Kabuto:
"Go tally our funds. We've made quite a lot recently. Time to place another order from Senshi."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto replied respectfully, heading off to the mini-vault in the lab to count the money. He was musing inwardly, "Given how smoothly Orochimaru-sama's operations are running, we've accumulated a huge reserve. Next time we see Senshi-sama, we can buy some more of Sukuna's fingers."
Yes—Kabuto had tasted the power of Sukuna's fingers and found them irresistible. Now he craved more, hoping for even greater strength from Sukuna.
As Kabuto went to count the money, Orochimaru considered which items to request from Senshi.
In fact, it wasn't purchasing so much as "stocking merchandise," since right now Orochimaru had plenty of funds and could afford to be quite extravagant. Based on past successes, he wanted to acquire items both personally useful and also "marketable" to others. For instance, while the Eternal Chakra Elixer might greatly help him once perfected, its intermediate prototypes could be sold off to unsuspecting buyers. The blacklight virus, however, was still too dangerous, needing more research time before they could market it.
He also wanted to adopt some strategy reminiscent of Senshi's approach:
Senshi provided his mercenary team with scratch-off tickets, which were basically modified sealing scrolls. Orochimaru figured he could replicate that concept, placing items purchased from Senshi into "improved sealing scrolls"—like draw-lot cards—and then sell them. Customers would pay for a chance to "draw" the card for random prizes. He guessed it'd earn massive profits, letting him buy yet more goods from Senshi—provided Senshi agreed to partner up.
Meanwhile, Senshi's Wood Clone at the Konoha Mission Center wasn't aware Orochimaru was planning to foray into the lottery business. Senshi was simply checking assignment boards. Then Kakashi came with a bag of money in hand.
Spotting Senshi's Wood Clone, Kakashi greeted him respectfully: "Lord Senshi, the Hokage has approved my investigation into Obito. I'd like to hire you for one hundred million ryō to help me locate him."
The Wood Clone nodded. At the same time, Senshi's true form, off in another location, sensed it through the link and opened a space-time portal, stepping out in front of Kakashi.
Senshi had already received the system prompt about this new contract:
[Commission accepted!]
[Client: Hatake Kakashi]
[Goal: Help Kakashi find Obito]
[Reward: 100 million ryō]
[Mission Rank: S]
[Mission Bonus: 100,000 Employment Points!]
He'd already earned loads of money and Employment Points, but each time an "over 100 million" commission came his way, he was still delighted. After all, 100 million contracts weren't lying around everywhere.
Kakashi, worried about how difficult tracking Obito might be, asked, "Lord Senshi, do you have any idea how long it will take us to find him?"
Earlier, Senshi had explained that Obito would be tough to find, given Kamui. Kakashi assumed it might take months. But Senshi just smiled and said, "Right now!"
Soon, while Kakashi was still reeling from his surprise, Senshi used the "Kāma" space-time ability, whisking them both away to Obito's current location.
During the time Kakashi had spent getting the Hokage's approval and paying for Senshi's help, Madara and Obito had already completed their "business transformation." Formerly they'd excelled in "zero-yen appropriation," but due to "ill luck," they were forced to shift to mercenary work.
Once in the black market, their talents gave them huge advantages, causing enormous competition. With White Zetsu's intelligence, Obito's teleportation, and Madara's devastating force, they breezed through missions.
At the Land of Earth's black-market entrance, Madara and Obito had just finished a job and were busily counting their money. Though Madara kept complaining about mercenary work, every time he sat down to count his profits, he couldn't help feeling it was "pretty sweet."
Sure, taking mercenary jobs was more bother than robbing, but business was thriving, so the money kept piling up.
Meanwhile, the other mercenaries at the black market were nearly in tears. When Senshi and his team had been here, it was hard enough to get assignments. Now Senshi and his group were gone, yet they still couldn't get many missions because Madara and Obito were too formidable.
As some mercenaries muttered complaints, Madara and Obito finished counting up their earnings. Madara asked, "So how much do we have now?"
Obito answered dutifully, "Close to a billion ryō in total. Of course, most was from our earlier robberies. Mercenary jobs alone aren't slow, but still can't match robbery. If we continue at this pace, we'd need maybe four more months to afford all the Tailed Beasts we want to buy."
"Four months, huh? Not too long," Madara said casually. He'd waited this long, so a few more months was no big deal. Attempting to capture the Tailed Beasts on their own would take at least as long—plus they couldn't steal them from Senshi anyway.
Just as they were reflecting on this, a familiar swirling vortex of deep-red color opened near them. Seeing it, both Madara and Obito froze.
"Again? Why is Senshi here?" they wondered. "We haven't been looting since he told us to stop. Did we overdo the mission sweeping?"
But behind Senshi stood Hatake Kakashi, who stared in disbelief:
Kakashi: (O_O)???
He'd been fully expecting to spend who-knew-how-long chasing Obito around. Yet barely had he handed Senshi the money and accepted the mission, and Senshi—who claimed "Obito is tricky to find"—instantly located Obito. Meanwhile, Obito also saw Kakashi and was just as flabbergasted:
Obito: (⊙_⊙)???
Encountering Kakashi was the last thing he wanted. He was only focusing on raising cash, uninterested in any ties to his past. However, it seemed Senshi was indeed adding to his troubles.
He could only sigh, "Senshi, what did you bring that guy here for?"
Senshi was displeased. "Hey now, show some respect. This is my esteemed client!"
Hearing that, Obito was furious. I'M your client too, with a far bigger collaboration potential than Kakashi. So why side with him? Yet he didn't dare flare up openly, so he swallowed his anger and asked, "Fine. What do you want from me?"
Senshi winked conspiratorially: "You know the deal. Have a nice chat with Kakashi."
Obito, thoroughly vexed, groaned inside about how from the moment Senshi captured Three-Tails behind his back, he'd been jinxed. This time again, Senshi forced him to "transform business modes," and now had brought Kakashi over. Truly the worst. Nonetheless, he could only force a smile and address Kakashi:
"All right, all right. Let's talk."
Kakashi, looking equally conflicted, spoke first: "Obito…what on earth is going on?"
Obito replied calmly, "Kakashi. There's no point discussing this. You should go back."
Kakashi frowned. "Why do you say that? Why is there 'no point?' Tell me what's really going on. I can't believe you truly intended to be an enemy of the village."
Shaking his head, Obito answered, "So many things in the past can't be undone. Many irreparable events don't need rehashing. All you need to know is that everlasting peace and happiness will soon descend on everyone. By then, there will be no more war, no more killing, no more suffering—a world of eternal peace."
Kakashi: (O_O)???
He felt a deep sense of incongruity. Jiraiya had once taught Naruto about guiding the world to peace. Peace was certainly good, but somehow Obito's version sounded…off. As if it wasn't quite the same "peace" Kakashi imagined. After a moment, Kakashi asked softly, "After the Kannabi Bridge operation ended, what really happened?"
Obito again shook his head: "It's pointless, Kakashi. You only need to know I'm alive, doing something truly meaningful."
"But kidnapping the village's jinchūriki is meaningful?"
Obito rolled his eyes. "He's safely back, isn't he? Why get hung up on it?"
Which topics he could discuss, which he couldn't—Obito was well aware. He was happy to mention "a future of goodness," but not how he intended to achieve it.
Kakashi was unsatisfied, so he pressed, "I need to know your real motive behind abducting Naruto. And I want to know exactly what you're doing now."
Obito replied matter-of-factly, "Isn't it obvious? I'm an excellent mercenary at the moment. As for why I took Naruto, you don't need to know."
"Obito!" Kakashi raised his voice, sounding angry. He really wasn't happy with the evasiveness.
Obito merely patted his ear, complaining that Kakashi was too loud, and said, "Go back. You must have things to do, and so do I."
From a short distance away, Madara shouted, "Obito, time to accept our next assignment." Hearing that, Obito told Kakashi,
"Okay, conversation over. Farewell."
With that, Obito didn't give Kakashi any chance to object, striding after Madara. He saw no need to waste time explaining anything to Kakashi.
But Kakashi didn't give chase or leave immediately. He certainly didn't plan to give up investigating Obito.
In fact, this conversation only heightened his conviction that Obito was involved in something extremely dangerous. Since direct questioning got nowhere, Kakashi would have to find other ways to uncover the truth.
~~~
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