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After the outbreak of the "Curse Mark," Midorima became increasingly desperate to find a way to break it.
However, without any knowledge of sealing techniques, even suppressing the curse mark—let alone breaking it—was extremely difficult.
Fortunately, thanks to the existence of the [Cell Laboratory], the pain brought by the "Curse Mark" dissipated quickly. By the next day, he was already back to normal.
When Orochimaru learned of this, he grew even more interested in Midorima.
Once his reincarnation technique succeeded, he would need a vessel—and without a doubt, the higher the quality of the vessel, the better his post-reincarnation life would be.
From this perspective, he was very satisfied with Midorima.
As for ocular techniques…
The Byakugan had to be from the Hyūga main family. The eyes of branch family members would be destroyed upon death.
There was only one Byakugan left outside the clan, which was likely in Pain's possession. Hmm… the Rinnegan was also in Pain's hands.
Thinking back, it seemed fate had truly favored Pain.
If Orochimaru had possessed even one of those eyes, his reincarnation technique might have been completed long ago.
However, once the technique succeeded, choosing between Midorima and Kimimaro would be a dilemma.
Midorima possessed nearly all chakra natures, while Kimimaro had the "Shikotsumyaku" bone manipulation ability—both were excellent choices.
If only he could merge the two together…
This was Orochimaru's "happy problem."
Soon, Midorima made two requests.
First, he wanted to learn more jutsu, which meant he needed access to a large number of scrolls. Second, he asked for a training ground to practice these techniques.
Orochimaru agreed almost without hesitation.
The stronger Midorima became, the more powerful Orochimaru would be after reincarnation.
Kimimaro, however, voiced his concerns.
No matter what, Midorima had defected from Kirigakure after surviving their assassination attempt—his strength was undeniable. If he further improved through training, there was a risk he might become uncontrollable.
"You don't actually think the 'Curse Mark' is just for show, do you? You've seen its power firsthand. Even Midorima can't withstand it."
There was another reason Orochimaru didn't mention.
The more experiments he conducted, the more he realized how much "luck" played a role in their success.
At Midorima's current level, if he died during the reincarnation process, Orochimaru would also suffer, possibly becoming a wandering spirit.
The more critical the experiment, the more luck mattered.
Seeing Orochimaru's confidence, Kimimaro had no choice but to obey. He led Midorima to a room filled with jutsu scrolls.
Three of the room's walls were lined with large bookshelves, all packed with scrolls.
This was Midorima's first time seeing so many jutsu scrolls in one place, and for a moment, he was stunned.
Kirigakure also had a storage room for techniques, but Midorima had never been allowed inside. The jutsu he knew were either learned in school, acquired through the [Analysis Laboratory], or picked up from Suigetsu and the others.
He had never systematically studied other elemental releases.
Even though the [Conversion Chamber] allowed him to transform his chakra into other natures, his grasp of Fire, Wind, Earth, and Lightning Release was still rudimentary. He needed proper training.
Upon entering the room, Midorima was immediately drawn to the scrolls.
Some of these techniques were from Konoha.
Not that he was familiar with the village, but he recognized them from the manga—such as the Body Freezing Technique, the Body Flicker Technique, the Shadow Clone Technique, the Great Fireball Technique, the Earth-Style Wall, and the Earth Dragon Flame Projectile.
Seeing these jutsu, he was instantly wide awake. The only slight disappointment was the absence of Wood Release.
Even if there had been a Wood Release scroll, he wouldn't have been able to use it. Still, given how prominently Wood Release had featured in the manga, it was a shame he couldn't see it in person.
Aside from these, there were also techniques Orochimaru specialized in, like the Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and the Soft Physique Modification.
Midorima recalled Orochimaru using these moves, then thought about Kabuto's transformation after inheriting Orochimaru's legacy—and immediately dismissed the idea.
It wasn't that these techniques weren't powerful, but they were far too sinister. He couldn't handle them.
There were also some curse mark techniques.
Midorima quickly skimmed through them but found no trace of the "Curse Mark."
With these scrolls in hand, Midorima's life became "enriched" once again.
Aside from meals, his days were now entirely devoted to studying jutsu.
The [Analysis Laboratory]'s progress was still stuck at 10%, but Midorima understood that this was something beyond his control. Since he couldn't force it to advance, he might as well focus on training.
Still, Midorima knew the "Curse Mark" was a sword hanging over his head. Until it was removed, he could never truly relax.
After some thought, his only hope remained the [Cell Laboratory].
In fact, an idea had already formed in his mind.
Every time a new function in the [Cell Laboratory] unlocked, it was because he had discovered an additional feature of the previous one.
For example:
- The [Catalysis Chamber]'s [Last Line of Defense],
- The [Power Chamber]'s [Activation],
- The [Conversion Chamber]'s [Overload].
To unlock the final function, he would have to uncover the hidden feature of the [Analysis Laboratory]. He hoped this hidden ability could break the "Curse Mark."
This was his only lifeline—his last hope. But for now, he had no leads.
Sometimes, fully unlocking a cheat ability required "luck" and "timing."
And right now… it wasn't the right moment.
D-rank and C-rank jutsu weren't too complicated, but things got tricky with clone techniques.
The Shadow Clone Technique was a B-rank jutsu, already quite advanced. Other B-rank Fire and Wind Release techniques were no less challenging, not to mention the numerous A-rank jutsu.
Mastering so many techniques would take an enormous amount of time—something Midorima was sorely lacking.
To compensate, he cut back on sleep. Even while eating or using the bathroom, he practiced hand seals. The training grounds became his second home.
At this point, even if Orochimaru tried to force him out at swordpoint, he would resist fiercely.
Humans truly were the most fickle creatures.
Seeing Midorima's rapid progress, Kimimaro grew anxious.
It was clear that Midorima was learning new jutsu every day, and at a speed far beyond ordinary people's.
As Orochimaru's most loyal subordinate, Kimimaro would never question his master's decisions. However, Orochimaru was currently overwhelmed with perfecting the reincarnation technique and had no time to monitor Midorima.
As Orochimaru's most trusted follower, Kimimaro felt it was his duty to keep an eye on Midorima.
When Midorima successfully performed the "Shadow Shuriken Technique," Kimimaro could no longer hold back. He stepped into the training grounds.