Chapter 253: Orochimaru's Change
In a laboratory deep within the Root headquarters, Danzo, Orochimaru, and Kyosuke were discussing something.
"The result was not unexpected, Lord Danzo," Orochimaru said, his voice low as he fiddled with the experimental equipment before him.
Danzo's single eye narrowed. He sized up Orochimaru for a long moment before replying, "Hiruzen's petty schemes cannot deceive me. He chose Minato Namikaze for one reason and one reason only: he is easy to control."
Easy to control... and you, who pushed so hard for me to take the seat, what were your intentions? Orochimaru thought with a cold, inward sneer. But the fact remained that he had been passed over, and it had taken a toll on his psyche. Kyosuke suspected that this was one of the reasons he had begun his descent into his obsessive human experimentation.
Sensing the tension between the two, Kyosuke wisely remained silent.
But Danzo was not about to let him off the hook.
"Orochimaru's failure to secure the position will undoubtedly affect your own future path. What are your thoughts on the matter, Kyosuke?" he asked, his gaze fixed on him.
"...I haven't thought that far ahead, Lord Danzo," Kyosuke replied, his expression calm.
Haven't thought that far ahead? Danzo thought, remembering Kyosuke's recent machinations within the Uchiha clan. I think you've thought farther ahead than any of us.
The three of them, each lost in their own thoughts, continued with the crucial experiment in a strange, tense silence.
Kyosuke looked at the unknown shinobi on the operating table, a frown on his face. Perhaps because of the values of his past life, he had always been repulsed by human experimentation, which was why he had gone to such great lengths to cultivate cloned animals for his own research.
But he had to admit that the data obtained from human subjects was far superior. To achieve his ultimate goals, he knew he would eventually have to cross this line.
But he was prepared. If using a living human filled him with a sense of guilt, then "capturing" a being with the same, or even superior, biological structure would be no problem at all.
That "being," of course, was the currently at-large White Zetsu. He was confident that once he captured it, he would have an inexhaustible supply of experimental material.
Forcing the thought from his mind, he refocused on the experiment at hand. While it was an important one, he had already mastered the transplant procedure. This was all just for show, a way to appease Danzo.
After being passed over for Hokage, Danzo's patience had worn thin. Orochimaru had taken the initiative, claiming to have "perfected" the Hashirama cell transplant, and was now preparing to demonstrate the results.
As time went on, the shinobi on the table began to change. The arm that had been injected with the cells was slowly turning a pale, chalky white. It was a sign of the Hashirama cells spreading.
Kyosuke's own method involved a specially cultivated, less aggressive strain of the cells, which lowered the risk of rejection but also resulted in a much lower fusion rate. He was curious to see how Orochimaru would solve the rejection problem.
Just as the shinobi's body began to convulse from the massive cell die-off, Orochimaru did something completely unexpected.
His neck elongated, and sharp fangs protruded from his mouth. He bit down on the shinobi's arm, right where the cells had been injected.
The convulsions slowly stopped. The shinobi's breathing stabilized. On the monitor, they could see that the introduction of a variant of natural energy had forced the Hashirama cells to begin a preliminary fusion with the native cells in the arm.
With the crucial step complete, Orochimaru's expression relaxed, and a triumphant smile spread across his face. The transplant was a success. Even Danzo couldn't hide his delight.
Kyosuke waited for the subject's condition to stabilize, then walked over and placed a hand on the shinobi's body, using his chakra to sense the changes within.
"The condition of the arm is good, but it still requires the suppression of his own chakra. Otherwise, the Hashirama cells could still go rampant," he muttered.
"You are correct," Orochimaru's raspy voice echoed in the sterile laboratory. "The fusion rate is not particularly high, but it is enough to satisfy Lord Danzo's most basic requirements."
He was right. Though the shinobi's Sage Body was only at level 2 or 3, he himself was only a Chunin. Orochimaru, through his unique method, had managed to significantly lower the threshold for the transplant. He assumed that Danzo's goal was simply to mass-produce powerful subordinates, and for that, this was more than sufficient.
He had no idea of Danzo's true intentions.
With the experiment a success, Kyosuke's frequent trips to the Root headquarters were now over. The repetitive work of replicating the procedure could be left to Root's own researchers.
It also marked the end of his "honeymoon" period with Danzo. From now on, he would have to be wary of his machinations against the Uchiha clan.
The two of them walked out of the Root headquarters in silence.
Just as they were about to part ways, Orochimaru spoke, his voice distant and filled with a strange, blank emotion. "Kyosuke... what does the village, or the clan, truly mean to you?"
"...Why do you ask, Sensei?" Kyosuke replied, sensing the change in his teacher's demeanor.
"Heh," Orochimaru let out a strange, humorless laugh. He turned and stared into Kyosuke's eyes for a long moment. "In your current state, you will not be able to protect the things you hold dear in the storm that is to come. How about it? Will you join me?"
"Join you?" Kyosuke smiled. "In what capacity, Sensei?"
"...Forget it. When you finally see the truth, we will discuss this again," Orochimaru said, turning and walking away.
"Take care, Sensei," Kyosuke said, his usual, unreadable smile on his face.
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