As Orochimaru finished speaking, silence filled the laboratory.
Both the Third Hokage and Danzo remained deep in thought, processing the shocking revelation Orochimaru had just shared.
They had no reason to doubt its authenticity.
The documents in their hands detailed the entire process of Orochimaru's research. Even if they repeated the experiments themselves, the outcome would likely remain the same.
After a long pause, the Third Hokage exhaled slowly and asked with concern,
"So, you're saying that Wood Style is an unknown force—one that only existed for the First Hokage?"
"Even the First Hokage himself was unaware of this force?"
"He believed that Wood Style was merely his own power?"
"Yes," Orochimaru nodded solemnly.
"Then how do we verify the existence of this force?" Danzo questioned, his tone cautious. "I'm not doubting you, but this claim is far too unbelievable. We need solid evidence."
Orochimaru spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.
"This is precisely the issue I've encountered. I've reached this conclusion, but I don't yet know how to take the next step."
Even he had been shocked by his own findings regarding the power of Wood Style.
"There may actually be a way to verify it," a voice suddenly interjected.
All eyes turned toward the speaker—Xu Ming, who had remained unnoticed until now.
"Xu Ming, do you have a method?"
"My nephew, what do you know?"
"As expected of you, Xu Ming—you have a solution."
The three spoke at once.
"There are two possible avenues," Xu Ming said, raising two fingers.
"The first is the Uchiha clan, who have been deeply entangled with the Senju clan throughout history. The second is the tailed beasts, which have existed for thousands of years."
"I believe exploring these two areas could yield answers."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with intrigue.
He hadn't considered that.
Indeed, investigating these two leads might provide valuable insights.
Especially the tailed beasts.
As intelligent beings that had lived for millennia, they likely held knowledge about many of the world's secrets—perhaps even the origins of chakra, the death of gods, and the violent nature of raw energy, as Xu Ming had previously mentioned.
Wait.
A sudden thought struck Orochimaru.
The emergence of the tailed beasts seemed to coincide with the era when the Sage of Six Paths first introduced chakra to humanity!
Realizing this, his mind raced with new theories and possibilities.
However, the Third Hokage shook his head.
"Investigating the tailed beasts is out of the question," he said, his eyes flashing with caution. "But the Uchiha—yes, that might be worth considering."
"We should consider it, but not yet," Danzo added, looking over the research notes with a hungry gaze. "First, we must attempt to harness Wood Style ourselves."
Both men had made up their minds.
They turned to Orochimaru.
"How difficult would it be to use Wood Style?"
Orochimaru shrugged.
"If Wood Style is a power akin to Sage Transformation, then it should be used in a similar manner. Give me three days—I should be able to produce some preliminary results."
"Very well," the Third Hokage agreed.
"I'll remain here for the next three days," Danzo declared.
Meanwhile, Xu Ming remained on the sidelines, seemingly overlooked.
No—not overlooked.
As they departed the base, both the Third Hokage and Danzo glanced at Xu Ming, their gazes meaningful.
Xu Ming blinked in confusion.
Why were they looking at him like that?
Then, suddenly—
"Well done, Xu Ming."
"My nephew, I should never have doubted your judgment."
Both men clapped him on the shoulders before walking away, leaving Xu Ming dumbfounded.
Wait… did they think he was responsible for Orochimaru's success?
What a joke!
He had no talent for scientific research!
—
That night, as Xu Ming lay in bed after washing up, a sudden notification appeared before his eyes.
[Processing feedback for power enhancement…]
Xu Ming sat up abruptly.
"What the hell? A feedback response now?"
He stared at the glowing message in disbelief.
[You have perfectly mastered the special power derived from the Divine Tree—Sage Body! The Divine Tree's power absorbs and refines natural energy into Chakra Fruits. When Ōtsutsuki Kaguya consumed one, she gave birth to Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura. The power from Ten Tails was then inherited by Hagoromo.
Among Hagoromo's descendants, this power manifests as two opposing abilities—Sage Body and Sage Eyes.]
Xu Ming's eyes widened in shock.
Sage Body?!
Orochimaru had been researching Wood Style, so why did his system give him feedback on Sage Body instead?
Before he could process this, an overwhelming surge of vitality flooded his body.
His cells seemed to cheer as his entire being transformed.
Muscles, bones, organs, and meridians all underwent rapid adaptation.
For a brief moment, time seemed to warp—his vision blurred, and suddenly, he was no longer in the present.
A thousand years in the past.
A man stood before him, a white feathered scarf tied to his forehead, with twin white ropes draping down from either side of his temples.
Xu Ming had never seen this man before, yet somehow, he knew his name.
—Ashura.
The moment he realized this, the vision shattered.
Xu Ming was back in the present.
His heart pounded.
Something felt… different.
Reaching up, he touched his eyes, then removed his contact lenses.
Instantly—
A pair of golden-red eyes shimmered in the darkness, the cross-patterned design within them pulsing with an ethereal glow.
As Xu Ming willed it, the glow faded.
The intricate patterns within his pupils slowly closed until they vanished.
Within seconds, his eyes had returned to their ordinary, jet-black color.
No more need for contact lenses.
Xu Ming could now control his Sage Transformation Eyes at will.
"This…" he whispered.
"This is the power of Sage Body?"