As a scientist, Orochimaru's expertise was beyond doubt. In just one night, he had analyzed the characteristics of the sample Uchiha Nagi had given him. Theoretically, it could indeed grant longevity—true, genuine eternal life…
"Unbelievable. What he said was actually true."
Orochimaru was profoundly shocked. For so many years, he had been researching the First Hokage's cells, wondering why even the Sage Body, so powerful it could regenerate almost instantly without hand seals, would still succumb to death.
The answer was that although the First Hokage's cells were plant-like, the First Hokage was ultimately a human, not a plant. Therefore… he died. From childhood, he had engaged in constant battle. Although the Sage Body's recovery speed was astonishing, his cells had already divided far beyond the normal limit for a human. Thus, after his battle with Madara, despite being seemingly invincible, he still died within a few years.
But the cells before him now—not animal, not plant, but from a 'human' body—could truly achieve eternal life in a real sense.
However, Orochimaru wasn't completely swept away by elation. He muttered to himself, "Perhaps it's not unlimited. Maybe it can only divide a hundred, or two hundred times before reaching its limit? This bit of blood is too little. I need more material to analyze it in detail."
Lifting his head, Orochimaru's eyes flickered with uncertainty. He wasn't losing out on the Sage Art transaction. Among the three great sage regions, Ryuchi Cave had the highest mortality rate for Sage Art training. To exchange a technique that involved directly injecting snake venom for Sage Art cultivation, with a staggering ninety-nine point nine percent death rate, for this was not a bad deal. However, Uchiha Nagi's additional request for the Edo Tensei made Orochimaru suspicious.
"What does he want this jutsu for? The forbidden jutsu created by the Second Hokage is practically useless. Even the Second Hokage himself never considered using it on the battlefield…" Orochimaru mused.
Before he had improved it, the Edo Tensei was utterly impractical. Not only did it often summon the wrong souls, but if the reincarnated person's willpower was too strong, they could even break free from the caster's control. For example, when he had just defected from Akatsuki, Sasori and Deidara were sent to hunt him down. He had used Edo Tensei to summon the Third Kazekage's soul. However, Sasori was using the Third Kazekage's actual corpse as a puppet, forcing the Third Kazekage to fight himself. The Kazekage, infuriated at the thought of a once-mighty leader like himself being so desecrated after death—soul and body alike—became enraged. Ultimately, his soul, relying on its powerful willpower, broke free from Orochimaru's control.
If he couldn't figure out the other party's intentions, then so be it. Orochimaru planned to give Uchiha Nagi the Second Hokage's 1.0 version of Edo Tensei. Only a fool would give away his own improved 2.0 version.
The next day, just as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Orochimaru's serpentine spies informed him of Uchiha Nagi's location. A sleepless night was nothing to someone like Orochimaru. Right now, he only wanted to complete the transaction quickly and obtain the experimental material Uchiha Nagi possessed—the material that could potentially lead to the gateway of eternal life.
Uchiha Nagi poked the campfire, using its warmth to heat some water and dry rations. When he saw a small snake appear nearby in the morning, he knew Orochimaru had definitely found him. Regardless of whether those snakes were summons or had chakra, associating them with Orochimaru was a safe bet.
Sure enough, two hours later, just as Kimimaro was rubbing his eyes and getting up, Orochimaru appeared.
"Good morning, Nagi-kun." Orochimaru's voice was still as husky and magnetic as ever. Soon enough, that magnetic voice will probably become a female one.
Uchiha Nagi smiled and got straight to the point. "You're here, Orochimaru. It seems you've confirmed the authenticity of the goods. Where's the stuff for the trade?"
"Hehe, you certainly are impatient, aren't you? Please wait a moment—" As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru opened his large mouth and spat out a scroll containing the Ryuchi Cave Sage Art and the Edo Tensei.
"Nagi-kun, don't say I didn't warn you. Sage Art isn't easy to cultivate. The mortality rate is extremely high, and you must go to Ryuchi Cave to train, as the natural energy there is most abundant. What are your plans? If you want to go to Ryuchi Cave, I can help you," Orochimaru said with a chuckle. The so-called help naturally referred to a summoning contract. Without one, it was impossible to reach any of the three great sage regions.
"No need. I have my own ways." Uchiha Nagi opened the scroll and checked its authenticity. Only a lunatic would go to Ryuchi Cave. I'll cultivate it in the Demon Slayer world.
"Orochimaru, this Edo Tensei… it's the original version, isn't it? The chances of accurately reincarnating someone with this are pitifully low. What I want is your improved version." Just because Uchiha Nagi hadn't seen the original didn't mean he couldn't try to bluff. He knew Orochimaru had already perfected the 2.0 version by now.
Orochimaru didn't get angry; instead, he sounded intrigued. "Oh? And where did you hear that I was improving the Edo Tensei?"
Uchiha Nagi had already prepared an excuse. "You and Uchiha Itachi were part of the same mysterious organization, right? Later, you defected, and they sent people to hunt you down. You used the Edo Tensei-summoned Kazekage to fight them…"
Orochimaru let out a sound of admiration, still not angered. "I didn't expect your intelligence network to be so strong." Then, he tossed another scroll to Uchiha Nagi and said, "The Second Hokage's Edo Tensei has two problems. First, it cannot accurately locate the soul of the deceased. Second, if the deceased was too powerful in life, they can break free from the caster's control. Currently, I've only perfected its reincarnation accuracy. As for controlling the deceased, I'm still working on improvements. Because the reincarnated dead can only exert their full former strength when they are fully conscious, and in a conscious state, they are prone to breaking free. If their consciousness is erased, they might not even display ten percent of their original strength. So, I'm trying to improve how to control them while their consciousness is erased, without rendering them powerless. If I've solved the second problem by our next meeting, I'll give you the complete Edo Tensei. How about it?"
Uchiha Nagi believed Orochimaru's explanation. It meant Orochimaru was currently developing something close to the 2.0 version. The final problem—how to keep the deceased conscious while maintaining control so they could exert their maximum power—was something Kabuto would eventually solve. Ultimately, Orochimaru had settled for an intermediate version, erasing the consciousness of the First and Second Hokages for easier control. As a result, the First's Wood Style, which could cover an entire city, only managed to cover a rooftop, and the Second's Water Style became a rooftop swimming pool…
Uchiha Nagi thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, I agree. But I'd like to inspect the goods on the spot, if that's okay."
Orochimaru smiled. "Of course, you may—" With that, he summoned a snake, which spat out two living people…