Chapter 93: Unlikely Allies, A Medical Miracle!
Hearing those words, all the Uchiha fell silent immediately.
They didn't know what the "Heaven's Curse Mark" was, but they certainly understood what "certain death" meant.
Yet with the kid in this condition, wasn't it better to try? At least there'd be some hope, right?
With that thought, all the Uchiha—including Fugaku—showed hints of consideration in their eyes.
Orochimaru noticed the shift in their expressions and, thinking these fools had taken the bait, immediately laughed:
"Of course, this isn't free."
"I can help, but if the kid dies, his body belongs to me."
Then Orochimaru paused, considering, and added: "You can remove his eyes first."
"What did you say?!"
Hearing this, all the Uchiha glared at him furiously.
Fugaku's face turned cold as he shouted, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"We would never hand over the remains of an Uchiha clan member to you."
However, at that moment, a pair of bloodshot eyes suddenly looked up as Seiichiro Uchiha shouted angrily:
"What remains?! That's Tsukasa!"
"He's still alive!"
"Fugaku Uchiha, are you going to stand there and watch him die again?!"
Then he stared coldly at Fugaku and said in an icy voice:
"I'm his teammate, and the decision is mine to make!"
"Seiichiro, you..." Fugaku frowned, clenching his fists. He wanted to argue, but when he heard Seiichiro say those words—"watch him die"—he fell silent.
Seiichiro didn't even look at him. By this point, he was utterly disappointed in Fugaku.
He turned around, staring intently at Orochimaru with his cold, crimson three-tomoe Sharingan. Then, in a frigid voice, he said:
"This is his only chance. Even if it's a losing bet, I'll take it!"
"Orochimaru, save Tsukasa!"
"If he doesn't survive, you can have his body. But if you dare desecrate his remains—"
Seiichiro threatened coldly:
"I will hunt you down until my dying breath!"
As Seiichiro finished speaking, the other seven Uchiha simultaneously activated their Sharingan and turned toward Orochimaru.
The meaning in their gazes was crystal clear:
You can try to save him, but if you fail and still try anything funny, don't blame us for what happens next.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and snorted, completely unconcerned by the threat.
He brushed past the eight Uchiha and walked toward Seiichiro, stopping before Tsukasa's prone form.
At this point, Tsukasa still clung to life by a thread.
This was mainly due to the small presence within his abdomen—the tiny Zero Tail constantly absorbing the extreme emotions generated by Seiichiro's Sharingan awakening, converting them into dark chakra that flowed into Tsukasa's body.
"Ha... ha..."
The exhausted creature flipped open its mask and stuck out its tongue.
Drawing on this chakra, Tsukasa's body intermittently activated the forbidden technique Physical Regeneration, supplementing the slow regeneration from his newly acquired Immortality ability.
This barely kept him alive.
However, the rate of necrosis far exceeded the regeneration.
Orochimaru observed Tsukasa, who despite such catastrophic injuries still held onto life.
His golden eyes gleamed with eagerness.
This boy's body truly held so many secrets, so much potential for research.
Physical Regeneration alone couldn't achieve this level of resilience!
As for the Heaven's Curse Mark that Orochimaru mentioned—he certainly possessed it.
The Heaven's Curse Mark wasn't something Orochimaru would develop only after finding Jūgo.
According to future events, Jūgo would be brought to Orochimaru by Kimimaro, who himself would be rescued from Kirigakure after the Fourth Mizukage reinstated the Blood Mist policy—all of which occurred after the Third Shinobi World War.
However, long before Orochimaru would eventually defect from Konoha, he would implant the Heaven's Curse Mark in Anko Mitarashi within the next few years. Of ten test subjects, only Anko would survive.
At this point in time, Orochimaru had just accepted Anko as his apprentice and hadn't yet experimented on her.
This meant that the current Heaven's Curse Mark was indeed, as Orochimaru claimed, a completely untested procedure with zero success rate.
Therefore, Orochimaru had no real intention of saving Tsukasa!
He simply wanted to deceive the Uchiha before him and claim the body from them.
With this thought, Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely.
He didn't believe the brat could survive. If it weren't for the fact that the number of Uchiha had jumped from five to nine—each wielding three-tomoe Sharingan, which made even him wary—he would have considered simply taking the body by force.
Now, it was just a matter of going through the motions, shedding crocodile tears, and playing the role.
With that plan in mind, Orochimaru took a deep breath and stood before Tsukasa. Suddenly, he extended his neck and bit down fiercely on Tsukasa's charred throat.
As his fangs pierced Tsukasa's body, dark lines gradually spread across the skin.
A three-tomoe pattern blossomed outward, appearing on Tsukasa's neck.
The Heaven's Curse Mark—a modified seal technique Orochimaru created while coveting the Sage Arts of Ryūchi Cave—primarily served to provide chakra to its bearer. Even when the body's chakra was completely depleted, the seal would continue drawing natural energy indefinitely.
Normally, a regular person would be unable to absorb this natural energy, becoming corrupted and transformed into a mindless monster.
But Tsukasa was clearly not a regular person.
As this cold natural energy entered his body, his battle instincts forcibly channeled it into the forbidden technique: Physical Regeneration.
This technique was characterized by its indiscriminate consumption—it could even utilize violent dark chakra, let alone this type of energy.
As this power continued flowing into Tsukasa's body, subtle changes gradually occurred within his charred frame.
Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump!
The charred heart began beating again, gradually shedding its burnt exterior.
Strands of fresh tissue began crawling upward, slowly rebuilding.
The carbonized surface cracked, revealing raw, skinless flesh beneath.
Like a newly born snake struggling to shed its old skin.
"Hmm?"
"What's happening?"
Orochimaru, acting as a makeshift medic, observed the scene with narrowing golden pupils, shock filling his eyes.
"How is this possible?!"
He knew all too well the effects of the Heaven's Curse Mark. Even Danzo, annoyed by the countless deaths it caused, had repeatedly urged him to abandon such fruitless experiments.
Even he had felt frustrated by the constant failures.
And yet it was actually working on this brat?
Watching this medical miracle unfold before his eyes, Orochimaru's expression froze, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
No, it can't succeed now!
What I wanted was a body! A body for research!
Orochimaru didn't know whether he should feel happy, surprised, or disappointed at this moment.
The sneer on his face froze instantly.
The Uchiha watching from the side looked at the scene in amazement, casting respectful glances at Orochimaru.
Who knew you had it in you, Orochimaru! You've quietly mastered such incredible medical ninjutsu!
Look at that—a true miracle cure! Doctor Snake!
We Uchiha won't forget this debt!
At that moment, White Zetsu, who had been observing from underground, also noticed something.
Tsukasa's body seemed to be severely lacking in chakra.
Seeing this opportunity, he quietly shifted through the earth, extended a pale tendril, and attached it to Tsukasa's body, planting the Spore Technique within him.
Through the hidden spores, chakra was continuously injected into Tsukasa's body.
Thus, through the combined—and completely inadvertent—efforts of Seiichiro, the Zero Tail, Orochimaru, and White Zetsu...
A ninja medical miracle was born!
End of Chapter 93
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