"Kato Shizune—Dan's niece—is Tsunade's weakness!"
Jiraiya's mouth opened slightly at those words, but he didn't deny them.
Despite her outward bravado, Tsunade was the most sensitive and kind-hearted of the three legendary Sannin. She deeply valued human life and emotional bonds. That was why she dedicated herself to mastering medical ninjutsu and worked tirelessly to establish a medical support system within the village.
If Shizune were used as a threat, Tsunade might truly be willing to heal the Raikage.
But that wasn't what worried Jiraiya.
—After losing both her younger brother, Nawaki, and her lover, Kato Dan, Tsunade became disillusioned with Konoha's leadership. Overcome with grief and anger, she abandoned the village. That was the true reason why the village publicly claimed she was away for her own safety.
Aside from Jiraiya and Orochimaru, almost no one in the shinobi world—including most of Konoha—knew the truth: the greatest medical ninja of their time suffered from hemophobia.
It wasn't a problem most days. Even in her current condition, Tsunade wouldn't lose to just anyone.
But if a powerhouse from the Hidden Cloud Village were to capture Shizune and use her as leverage, it could force Tsunade into a confrontation. And in the heat of battle, her blood phobia might reveal itself.
If Orochimaru's prediction came true, Tsunade would be in real danger.
After all, a ninja with hemophobia has too many weaknesses that can be exploited.
Thinking this through, Jiraiya subconsciously tightened his grip on Naruto's hand. He looked up at Orochimaru and said firmly:
"That's reason enough. I'll help convince the old man."
This was no longer just about personal feelings. Even if Tsunade hadn't conquered her trauma, the village couldn't afford to lose her. That was how Jiraiya justified it to himself.
"Then I'll leave it in your hands."
Orochimaru set his teacup down, a faint smile curling at his lips.
---
Konoha Forest – Underground Laboratory
Orochimaru held up a vial of Naruto's blood, pausing as he saw the data on the testing instrument.
Cell activity, chakra reaction—astonishing for a child barely over five months old. These readings were already approaching that of an average genin.
Was this the natural result of being born from Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina? Or was it the Nine-Tails' chakra at play?
Such potential, Orochimaru mused. This child really is special.
It was excellent news for him. Now, he could proceed to the next stage of his experiments.
He extracted a small amount of Naruto's blood, placed it into a petri dish, and began stimulating rapid cell reproduction with a nutrient solution.
Fifteen minutes later, he had cultivated a sufficient amount of tissue.
Orochimaru mixed this tissue with a small quantity of First Hokage cells, then triggered the process of cellular division.
Fueled by the rich nutrient solution, the First Hokage's cells once again displayed incredible regenerative power. As they multiplied, they began to overtake Naruto's cells.
Orochimaru simply watched, unmoved. He observed the process through a microscope and carefully recorded the data.
Ten minutes later, the nutrient solution held only First Hokage cells. Naruto's chakra was completely gone.
Djinn leaned in and asked, "What did you find?"
"No change," Orochimaru replied, slightly disappointed. "Just like any ordinary person's cells. Even with Uzumaki blood, it didn't last any longer."
He exhaled lightly. "It seems creating an immortal body won't be so easy after all."
"You're rushing it," Djinn said, giving him a sideways glance. "Naruto is still young—far from his prime. Even if his cells could help you achieve immortality, so what?"
"The erosion rate from the First Hokage's cells is already terrifying. Now you want to make something even more dangerous? You'll just end up shelving it again, waiting to see if it's even usable."
"That's not necessarily true," Orochimaru said, shaking his head. A glint of fascination shone in his eyes. "It might be like the Sharingan. Maybe the problem with the First's cells isn't that they're too strong, but that they're incomplete—unstable."
That possibility made sense. Ordinary people tend to idolize the First Hokage's strength, but not Djinn and Orochimaru. They were more grounded.
Djinn raised an eyebrow. "Then you should be focusing on Yin Release chakra. Uzumaki blood is Yang Release."
Orochimaru smiled. "Didn't you say that it's not only the balance of Yin and Yang that stabilizes bloodline limits?"
Djinn blinked. "...Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Yes. Ultimate Yin Release could also stabilize the Sharingan. A different kind of equilibrium—one born not from balance, but from extremity. That was the true nature of the Uchiha's path.
But Orochimaru wasn't Uchiha. He didn't need to chase extremes. Balance should be his goal—so why aim for something else?
Noticing the suspicion in Djinn's eyes, Orochimaru calmly continued his work, casually explaining,
"The more I research, the more I realize how difficult developing soul-based ninjutsu really is."
"Even if we find Tsunade and she agrees to help, it will take a long time to make real progress."
He glanced briefly at Djinn, then turned back to his instruments.
"I don't know why you're so confident in me," he said. "But I'm not as all-powerful as you seem to believe."
"So, even if it costs time, I need a backup plan."
"Whether a perfected immortal body can neutralize the erosive effect of the First's cells is still unknown—but it's worth exploring, especially if the spiritualization technique ends in failure."
Silence fell over the lab. Only the soft clinks of Orochimaru handling equipment could be heard.
Spiritualization could fail? Djinn scratched his head, surprised that Orochimaru would admit something like that.
In his mind, Orochimaru was the undisputed top researcher in the ninja world. It should only be a matter of time before he cracked the technique. Once one reached the Pure Land, the soul would naturally be replenished. That should be enough.
But then—was he also looking at Orochimaru through rose-colored glasses?
Could it be... he'd been fooled by Orochimaru's reputation too?
Or maybe... this was just another of Orochimaru's tricks—pushing him to act, to lend his power and solve the issue for him.
Stay sharp, Djinn. Don't be fooled by this sly snake. Know your place!
Warning bells rang in his mind as his eyes flicked around warily before returning to a calm, collected gaze.
He smiled and said, "Maybe enhancing the body to an immortal state could nourish the soul. Since you've already considered it, of course I'll support you."
Orochimaru's eyes briefly flickered with disappointment, but he remained composed. "Support me? In what way?"
Djinn read his subtle expression carefully. He didn't need the Rinnegan's insight to see what Orochimaru was trying to hide—but he had it anyway.
Close one, Djinn muttered internally. Almost fell for it again.
Still smiling, he replied, "If you want to perfect the immortal body, you don't have to rely solely on Naruto. There are still other remnants of the Uzumaki bloodline in the ninja world."
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