"Put away that look in your eyes, Chizan-kun. These things are still in the experimental stage."
"For example, that potion over there—its side effects are terrifying. Some might even cause the user to self-destruct."
Orochimaru knew Gekko Chizan too well and quickly spoke up to dispel any dangerous thoughts he might have.
Gekko Chizan immediately averted his gaze.
Damn, self-destruction? Yeah, no thanks. But… if we gave that stuff to an enemy, would it work?
Use it as a bomb or something... might be worth trying. I'll swipe some later.
"Chizan-kun, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I'm quite curious, you know."
Orochimaru slowly leaned against the wall, his eyes glinting as he looked at Gekko Chizan.
Chizan didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point:
"Sensei... is it really a good idea to work with Danzo?"
Hearing that, Orochimaru's pupils contracted for a moment before he let out a soft chuckle.
"As expected of an intelligence expert. I knew I couldn't keep it from you."
"But when did you find out?"
Seeing Orochimaru admit it directly, Chizan frowned slightly.
"Sensei, surely you know Danzo's nickname in the shinobi world."
"The Darkness of the Shinobi World. Back in the Anbu, I heard a lot about him."
"Everything he does is about personal gain. Working with him won't bring you any real benefit."
"Yamato was probably one of his projects too, right? Even though Yamato is still on your side now, if Danzo ever gets investigated by the Hokage, you'll be the scapegoat, Sensei."
Seeing Chizan's concern, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a bit touched.
He knew full well that working with Danzo was risky. But what he pursued was taboo to begin with.
If he wanted to truly understand life, what was the harm in taking risks?
Besides, Danzo was using him, but wasn't he using Danzo too?
Before Orochimaru could speak, Chizan continued his questioning.
"Sensei, I don't know exactly what's on your mind."
"But if you get too entangled with Danzo, the Third Hokage's attitude toward you is going to shift dramatically."
"When that time comes, what will you do? Keep up the research and you'll almost certainly be put under surveillance—or worse, purged. But if you give up your research, I don't think you could bear it."
"In other words, it's either the village, or your research."
"Sensei, you're backing yourself into a dead end."
Feeling the worry in Chizan's words, Orochimaru laughed.
He laughed sincerely—from the heart. A student worrying about his teacher... wasn't that the sign of a close bond?
"You're laughing? What the hell are you laughing at?!"
Seeing Orochimaru laugh, Chizan was speechless. Did this guy even hear a word he said?
"Hehehehe, can't I laugh if I feel like it?"
"Chizan-kun, do you think life is fragile?"
It was a serious question, and Chizan understood why Orochimaru asked it.
Having witnessed too much death, Orochimaru's outlook had already shifted.
His heart was filled with longing—for immortality.
"Sensei, there's nothing wrong with researching immortality. There's nothing wrong with exploring life either."
"But the problem is, if you do it in Konoha, it's only a matter of time before you're held accountable."
"When that time comes, are you going to betray the village? Or betray the village? Or betray the village?"
He said it three times—just to make the point. The word "betray" drilled into Orochimaru's mind.
For a moment, Orochimaru fell silent.
At this stage, Orochimaru hadn't yet thought of leaving Konoha. Even though he was obsessed with his research, he still had deep feelings for the village that raised him.
"Hesitating, Sensei?"
"Well, of course. One side is the village that nurtured you, and the other is your personal pursuit."
"But everything I've said is true. And if you keep going down this road, it won't be long before it all becomes real."
For a while, the laboratory fell into silence. Neither Orochimaru nor Gekko Chizan said a word.
After a long pause, Orochimaru finally spoke again, but this time with a trace of resolve in his voice.
"Chizan-kun, since you brought it up, then I'll tell you."
"My goal is to pursue immortality—to reach the pinnacle of ninjutsu."
Chizan had guessed as much. After all, he had read the original story. Even though his presence as a butterfly had stirred some changes...
"Then Sensei, be prepared. If the truth ever comes to light, you might have to flee."
Now that Orochimaru had given him an answer, Chizan relaxed a bit. He'd said all he needed to—there was no point pushing further.
"And what about you, Chizan-kun?"
"If that day really comes, will you leave with me? Or stay in the village?"
Chizan grinned without hesitation.
"I'll definitely stay."
"Of course, if the day comes when I really can't stay in the village anymore, then I'll definitely come looking for you, Sensei."
Faced with Chizan's lighthearted tone, Orochimaru chuckled softly.
He didn't feel even the slightest disappointment or dissatisfaction that Chizan chose not to follow him.
"That's the right choice. Staying in the village is definitely the better path."
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't leave the village either."
"Chizan-kun, you've already been to Ryūchi Cave. What are your thoughts on Sage Arts?"
What? That's it?
Chizan had braced himself for Orochimaru to drop some huge bombshell.
But to his surprise, the question was just about Sage Arts. That was... kind of a letdown.
"The Sage Arts of Ryūchi Cave?"
"To be honest, I've only just scratched the surface. The trials at Ryūchi Cave are extremely difficult."
"I barely passed—honestly, I was just lucky. Even now, I can only sense natural energy. I can't actually use it yet."
"According to the three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave, it'll take me at least a few more years to truly master Sage Arts."
Orochimaru nodded slightly. He had been to Ryūchi Cave before—though he hadn't taken the trial, he understood the situation.
But what he didn't expect was that Gekko Chizan had actually passed the trial and become a Sage Arts practitioner.
"Hehehe, looks like I was right to entrust you with the Ryūchi Cave contract scroll."
"But Ryūchi Cave isn't the only source of Sage Arts. I've already found other ways to learn them."
"Progress is slow, but it's a start."
Oh? He found something else? That shouldn't be possible...
In Chizan's memory, aside from the three great holy lands, the only known Sage Mode was the Curse Mark's origin—Jūgo.
But Jūgo shouldn't even be born yet, right?
Who knows what Orochimaru discovered... Not gonna lie, Chizan was pretty curious.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru had no intention of elaborating. After a few pleasantries, he politely showed Chizan out.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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