Later that day, Uchiha Hikari and Bulma returned home, where Dr. Brief handed them a stack of analysis reports on Orichalcos, along with a few letters.
"What are these…?"
"They're replies for that scientist named Orochimaru. Please pass them along, Hikari."
Dr. Brief said casually.
Speaking of which…
Orochimaru and Dr. Brief had already exchanged several letters. Using Eriyi's condition as a starting point, the two had delved into medical topics like "hybrid species" and "Uchiha bloodline," with Uchiha Hikari acting as the middleman to relay messages.
This letter-based exchange wasn't an issue in itself, just a bit tedious.
Uchiha Hikari quietly wondered if she should find a chance to gather the scientists from the worlds she'd visited for a "scientific exchange seminar."
With so many top geniuses in one room, surely some brilliant sparks would fly.
"…We could start by setting up a communication channel with Dr. Gero."
Since both were in the same world, it'd be easy to connect. The Red Ribbon Army and Capsule Corporation had some rivalry, but only in tech innovation—not outright enmity. As "Commander Hikari," if she spoke up, Dr. Gero probably wouldn't object.
As for Orochimaru, Dr. Stylish from the Akame ga Kill world, and the like…
Better to play it safe for now.
After all, these guys weren't chat group members and had low morals and big ambitions. Who knew what ideas they'd get if they learned of other worlds? Until they showed enough loyalty, sticking to letters was the safer bet.
With "Shangri-La" for travel, it wouldn't take much time anyway.
The next day, early in the morning, Uchiha Hikari copied the documents and sent one set to Dr. Gero.
Then, with another copy, she headed to the Akame ga Kill world. In the East Sea County, she found Dr. Stylish and Dotoa, handing over the materials.
She also checked in on the East Sea Cloud Dragon, "bonding" a bit.
Finally, she arrived at the Sound Village in the Naruto world.
"…Lady Hikari, you're back."
"…."
In the depths of a cave in the Sound Village, Uchiha Hikari narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the eerie man before her.
It'd been a while since she last saw Orochimaru.
—Her last visit was before the Red Ribbon Army operation, when Orochimaru was away, leaving only a few letters for Karin to pass to her. So, this was their first reunion in months.
How to put it…
Orochimaru looked a little odd right now.
His face was the same—pale to an unsettling degree, as always.
But his eyes were different—
Originally, Orochimaru's eyes were a pale gold with slit pupils, snake-like but still human, lacking traits like pupils shifting with light or reflective irises. But now…
Under the cave's lighting, Uchiha Hikari clearly saw his eyes glinting—a blazing, molten gold, almost like…
"You… injected yourself with Dragon King serum?"
Uchiha Hikari considered the possibility.
Exactly.
She'd seen eyes like this many times in another world—
The golden pupils of hybrids!
When she'd visited the Dragon Clan world, she'd specifically gotten blood samples from Xia Mi and Fenrir for Orochimaru to study. She'd figured even he'd need time to make progress, but now…
He'd gone and used the dragon blood on himself?
"…As expected of Lady Hikari, your eye is as sharp as ever."
Orochimaru licked his lips, his voice raspy and rough. "Indeed. After receiving the Dragon King blood samples from you, I conducted a thorough analysis. The results showed several unique active compounds in dragon blood.
These not only grant dragons unmatched mobility and recovery but also a high affinity for natural elements, letting them wield nature's forces with little effort, creating effects similar to ninja techniques…
I isolated and extracted these compounds, combining them with Jugo's Sage Transformation seal and Uzumaki clan cells to develop a special activation agent. I call it 'Dragon Seal I.' When humans take this agent, their physical abilities improve dramatically, and by activating the seal, they enter a state called 'Dragon Seal Transformation'…"
"But don't worry. I've only tested this drug on a few willing volunteers so far, and nearly all recipients of 'Dragon Seal I' are still alive.
This success is thanks to the two you brought back."
As he spoke, Orochimaru clapped his hands.
Two sets of footsteps approached, and a kimono-clad sibling pair stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
"Lord Orochimaru."
"…Lady Hikari."
This pair was none other than Upper Moon Six from the Demon Slayer world, brought back by Uchiha Hikari nearly a year ago—
Daki and Gyutaro.
She'd heard from Karin that, as Orochimaru's test subjects, the siblings had been given a drug to overcome sunlight and curb their demon urge to eat humans, then taken in as his servants. Judging by their demeanor, Orochimaru had trained them well—their attitude toward him was almost like how they'd been with Muzan.
But…
What stood out more was their appearance.
Originally, as the youngest of the Upper Moons, Daki and Gyutaro looked mostly human, with no special eye traits.
Now, though…
Their eyes, like Orochimaru's, had been transformed into golden pupils.
A pair marked with "Upper Six" glowed with a fierce, dark gold.
Plus, their bodies were covered in iron-blue scales, exactly like the dragon traits Xia Mi and the Genji siblings showed. Even bowed, you could sense the power beneath those scales—capable of splitting stone with a single move.
"They're not your test subjects, are they?"
"They are."
At Orochimaru's admission, Uchiha Hikari understood.
It made sense.
Gyutaro and Daki were demons—Upper Moons with insane regeneration. As long as their heads weren't cut off by a Nichirin Blade, they wouldn't die.
So, whether it was Dragon King serum or the Heaven and Earth Seal, they were perfect test subjects, built for experimentation. It seemed Orochimaru had poured plenty of dragon blood into them. By Kassel Academy standards, Daki and Gyutaro would be at least C-rank hybrids now—maybe even awakened to some kind of Word Spirit.
"This agent…"
"This 'Dragon Seal I' you mentioned—does it affect the user's mind?"
Uchiha Hikari asked, a bit concerned.
The Heaven and Earth Seal already eroded the body, and too much dragon blood in hybrids could turn them into mindless "Deadpool" drones. Combining the two, side effects seemed likely.
She wasn't worried about Orochimaru.
But Karin and her mom, Kimimaro, and others were in the Sound Village. If test subjects turned into Deadpool and ran amok, they'd be in serious danger.
"Of course not."
Orochimaru's tone was firm. "Without solid test data, I wouldn't transplant this seal into others—or myself. When it comes to my life, I'm always extremely cautious."
"…Is that so?"
Uchiha Hikari didn't comment.
Orochimaru valuing his life was true.
Otherwise, he wouldn't bother with soul-transfer jutsu research.
But…
Valuing his life didn't stop him from running risky experiments on his own body.
After all, Orochimaru cared about his soul, not his flesh. If he truly valued his body, he wouldn't have abandoned it in the original timeline for random women, Genyumaru, or even an unachieved Sasuke Uchiha. If 'Dragon Seal I' went wrong, Hikari bet he had a backup to survive.
"Lady Hikari."
Orochimaru coughed lightly. "These experiments and drug production have used up over half the blood samples you brought. Could you get more? If so, I think 'Dragon Seal II' could be developed soon."
"…I'll think about it."
Uchiha Hikari kept her answer vague.
"These blood and tissue samples are from 'demons,' higher-tier than Daki and Gyutaro. Take them and see what you can dig up."
She pulled out a scroll sealing Muzan's blood and tissue samples and handed it to the man.
Orochimaru took it eagerly.
Though dragon blood had lessened his interest in "demons," studying more for broader insights couldn't hurt.
At that moment, Daki and Gyutaro seemed to sense something, staring at the scroll in Orochimaru's hand with uneasy eyes. "This aura, it's like…"
"It's Lord Muzan's blood… Has Lord Muzan been taken out?!"
"Exactly, just as you're thinking."
Uchiha Hikari replied with a cheery smile.
She'd considered bringing Muzan here but decided against it after some thought.
If Orochimaru could clone a new Muzan from his severed limbs, though, that'd be another story.
After their initial shock, Daki and Gyutaro calmed down. "…Fine. Since Lord Muzan's gone, we'll just serve Lord Orochimaru faithfully."
"?"
Uchiha Hikari glanced at Orochimaru, words on the tip of her tongue.
She was genuinely curious…
How did Orochimaru train his subordinates?
From Anko to Guren, Kabuto, and even Kimimaro and the Sound Four in the original story—aside from Sasuke the traitor, almost all his followers were fiercely loyal. Now even Daki and Gyutaro were caught in his web.
This brainwashing skill was downright ridiculous.
Compared to Naruto, this guy might be the true "mouth master."
"…Whatever, handle it yourself."
Uchiha Hikari sighed.
She'd already poached Karin and Kimimaro, so "leaving" Daki and Gyutaro to Orochimaru was a fair trade. As long as he didn't cause a mess, no need to meddle.
If Orochimaru really turned himself into an "S-rank hybrid" or even a "Hybrid Monarch" with Dragon King serum…
That'd be pretty interesting.
After all, part of why Orochimaru dove into these wild power experiments was being denied the Ryuchi Cave's sage techniques. But Ryuchi Cave is "dragon," and the Dragon Clan world's kings are dragons too.
If Orochimaru faced the Ten Thousand Serpents or the White Snake Sage as a "Hybrid Monarch," their reactions would be a sight to see.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru subtly narrowed his eyes, seemingly unbothered by the mention of "Muzan" from Hikari and the siblings.
His gaze shifted upward, landing on Esdeath.
"Lady Hikari, who might this be?"
"My deputy, Little Ai."
Uchiha Hikari replied.
At that moment, Esdeath stood with arms crossed, silent, until Orochimaru mentioned her. She flicked her gaze over him and the siblings, squinting. "You look like a strong one. Want to test your skills against me?"
"…May I?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, looking to Uchiha Hikari.
Esdeath turned to her too.
Uchiha Hikari thought for a moment.
Perfect. She also wanted to see how Orochimaru compared to before the "Dragon Seal" transplant. If Esdeath fought him, she'd likely draw out his full strength—
"Sure, give it a shot."
"But go easy—don't kill each other."
With that, the group moved to an open area on the Sound Village's edge. This was their "training ground"—a rough patch of cleared wilderness, nowhere near the quality of Konoha's fields.
But for a fight, it'd do just fine.