Naruto carefully tucked away the soul-sealing scroll containing Kisame's essence. His sharp gaze shifted to Nagato.
"Nagato, when you created the Six Paths of Pain, you must have had some method to preserve the corpses, right?"
Nagato instantly understood his intent, a knowing smirk crossing his face. "You mean storing Kisame's body fresh? Preserving it for later?"
Naruto nodded.
Nagato chuckled darkly. "Of course. I'm quite skilled at that. Leave it to me."
Konan sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. "Then, I'll take care of Killer Bee's accommodations and get him properly outfitted."
Naruto smirked. "Yeah, Kisame can wait. Uncle B, follow me. Konan will take good care of you. I have some matters to attend to."
Killer Bee grinned, rapping, "Alright, alright, I'll go with the flow, let's put on a show!"
With everything sorted, Naruto approached Orochimaru, casually slinging an arm over the older man's shoulders. "So, Uncle Snake, what did you manage to scavenge from this little trip of yours?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at Naruto, a wave of nostalgia hitting him. That smirk, that insufferable confidence—it was so much like Jiraiya. He had spent years with Minato, but the resemblance had never been this strong.
Clicking his tongue, Orochimaru brushed Naruto's arm off and turned toward the underground passage. "Follow me."
Naruto's grin widened as he followed, sensing something intriguing ahead.
Nagato hefted Kisame's body over his shoulder and followed them into the depths of the hideout.
They moved down several twisting corridors, descending into Orochimaru's private laboratory. As the heavy doors creaked open, Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
"Damn, Uncle Snake, did you haul all this equipment back yourself?"
Orochimaru rolled his eyes. "Have you forgotten how sealing techniques work?"
Naruto chuckled as he took in the surroundings. It was similar to Orochimaru's previous labs, though some of the tech wasn't as advanced as what he'd seen in his past life. Konoha had been well into the electrical age by the time he became Hokage.
After a quick survey, Naruto nodded in approval. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Nagato moved to the next room. "I'll handle Kisame's preservation."
Naruto waved a hand. "Thanks, Senior Brother."
Meanwhile, Orochimaru was unlocking a safe. With a loud hiss, a wave of cold air seeped out. The scientist donned a pair of gloves, retrieved a sealed cryo-container, and handed it to Naruto.
"What you wanted."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is this?"
Orochimaru smirked. "Itachi's flesh and blood."
Naruto's gaze flicked from the container to Orochimaru. Then, he laughed. "I knew it. No way in hell you'd let that go to waste."
Orochimaru didn't bother denying it. Instead, he leaned against a counter, his expression turning serious. "This trip was productive. I recovered nearly all my key research materials from my old labs. But… I also discovered something concerning."
Naruto stopped examining the vial and met his gaze. "Go on."
Orochimaru's voice dropped slightly. "Kabuto. It seems he's working with Danzo."
Naruto's brows shot up. "Danzo? I thought he was always hunting Kabuto down. Back in my past life, that bastard never trusted him. He had his men tail Kabuto for years, trying to squeeze something useful out of him."
Orochimaru folded his arms. "That was before. Things have changed. With my 'disappearance' and your presence shaking things up, Kabuto has inherited most of my research. And from what I can tell, he's… stronger than I am now."
Naruto frowned. "Wait… are you saying he's surpassed you?"
Orochimaru clicked his tongue. "I wouldn't put it in such absolute terms. But his progress is unsettling. That's why I need to ask you—did you take Danzo's right eye and arm?"
Naruto smirked. "Of course. Shisui's eye and that grotesque arm covered in Sharingan? Yeah, they're in my possession. I have plans for them."
Orochimaru chuckled. "I figured as much. After observing you these past weeks, I've pieced together your objectives. But I must warn you—Danzo, without those assets, is vulnerable. If he truly collaborates with Kabuto, they might resort to something extreme."
Naruto's expression darkened. "Extreme? As in another experiment that'll cost countless lives?"
Orochimaru's smirk faltered slightly. "Well… that's very likely."
Naruto crossed his arms. "You're talking about something specific, aren't you?"
Orochimaru nodded. "A particular experiment I once started but never completed. If Kabuto revives it, it could be Danzo's shortcut to power."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Explain."
Orochimaru's voice took on a clinical detachment. "It's a twisted method of gaining strength. A serum designed to alter human genetics, inducing a primal hunger for power."
Naruto tilted his head. "So, what, it just makes people stronger?"
Orochimaru's lips curled. "Not just that. It allows them to drain the strength of others—sucking out their blood, their chakra, their very essence. If properly refined, it could even let someone surpass bloodline limits by stealing them."
Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "That's insane."
Orochimaru nodded. "But it has a cost. The absorbed power doesn't last indefinitely. A few weeks at most. And to sustain the transformation, one must continually consume the blood and essence of powerful individuals. If they stop, their body deteriorates—until they waste away and die."
Naruto stroked his chin. "So, it's like a temporary chakra battery… but the fuel is human lives."
Orochimaru smirked. "That's one way to put it."
Naruto exhaled. "Damn, Uncle Snake, how the hell did you come up with something so insane?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "It originated from the blood of a mutated beast I discovered deep within an uncharted forest. I refined it over time."
Naruto shook his head. "And people call me the crazy one."
His gaze shifted back to the vial in his hand. An idea sparked in his mind. "Uncle Snake, do you have any of Shisui's DNA?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "No use. Danzo scoured the entire continent searching for Shisui's body. Even I conducted my own search. But I never found a trace."
Naruto frowned. "So, what, he just vanished?"
Orochimaru's smirk deepened. "That's exactly what I'm saying. If you want to know what happened to Shisui's body… there's only one person who might have the answer."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "And who's that?"
Orochimaru's gaze flicked to the large sealed container beside him.
Naruto followed his stare.
Then, he grinned. "Well, well. This just got interesting."
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