It's been almost a month since I swallowed the apple that fell from the sky without hesitation.
Orochimaru was quite surprised at how adept I was at using his lab equipment and assigned me the task of observing his experiments and compiling reports.
Although S-level agricultural knowledge comes with laboratory knowledge, as you might expect, Orochimaru is not exactly a nature lover.
He taught me some of the differences between human cells and plant cells, which I already knew enough about from my previous life.
Like any high school graduate, I had a basic understanding of biology, so it was easy to adapt to Orochimaru's perspective. Of course, in Orochimaru's eyes, this was due to my ability to learn quickly.
What was even better was that Orochimaru was part of the Akatsuki organization at the time, so he was rarely around.
Orochimaru kept this laboratory, and indeed the entire village of Otogakure no Sato, hidden from Akatsuki. This made it very difficult for him to visit.
Over the past month, Orochimaru only made two brief visits, reviewing my reports and initiating new experiments using some poor souls.
Fortunately, Orochimaru was a smart man and understood the importance of trade, so he sourced his victims from distant places, not nearby villages. This allowed agriculture and livestock farming to continue in the region.
The first time I've been unable to leave the lab since I was first brought here was during Orochimaru's last visit.
About 10 days ago.
He had finally started to trust me. No, I'm just kidding. I finally gathered the courage to ask him.
Since we both knew that someone ordinary and closely watched like me couldn't escape, he said I could wander around as much as I wanted without him even turning his head.
His last visit here was special for him because this time he had brought something special with him. A ninja with a bloodline.
The Hidden Mist Village has changed rapidly since I left them. Ninjas with bloodlines started being treated like aliens. Well, they're not entirely wrong.
Anyway, just before this change became official, my trade branch there left the village. Even Orochimaru congratulated me on my foresight. Of course, it wasn't because of my high intelligence, but because I watched the anime before I died, but I can't say my chest didn't swell a little.
The owner of the dead body inside the capsule I'm standing in front of now is one of the first victims of the disaster that occurred in the Hidden Mist Village.
The Kaguya clan couldn't withstand the pressure exerted on them, and unlike the Uchiha clan, they weren't destroyed by one of their own, but they retaliated against the village.
The white-haired young beauty lying inside the capsule is one of the first victims of this war.
Shortly after her death, her body was stolen by Orochimaru, and here we are.
*door opening sound*
The moment I heard the sound, I snapped out of my thoughts and started marking things on the list in my hand.
Luckily, I didn't have much work today. All I had to do was check on the test subjects lying in the capsules and see if their appearance resembled Orochimaru's.
After finishing marking, I turned my head to look at the person who had arrived. Thankfully, I was being controlled by Kabuto, not soulless ninjas.
He's my escape plan.
"It's time to eat. Do you want to eat now or after you finish your work?"
[You received a hint from Reigen Arataka: Here's your chance. He's standing there waiting for you to take it. You've become close enough with that kid. Tell him you saw he had indigestion after eating and that you know a massage that could help him with that. If you give him a good enough massage, you can gain his trust and ask him to release you.]
System! Please switch back to silent mode. But before that, show my profile.
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Template similarity: 70%
Level: 1
Strength: 4
Durability: 4
Soul: 5
Intelligence: 4
Chakra: 15
Physical Skills: [Firearms: D]
Physical skill cards you have:
Soul Skills: []
Soul skill cards you have:
Godly Skills: []
Divine skill cards you have:
Expertness: [Farming: S]
Expertise cards you have: [Traps: B]
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If I hadn't ignored all the tasks so far, I probably would have gotten rid of this template long ago. Unfortunately, I'm not usually free enough to do the tasks.
Besides, Arataka Reigen is definitely an idiot. While I'm trying to survive here, he wants me to go and trick someone into thinking they're possessed by an evil spirit.
"Hey. I'm still waiting for an answer."
"I know, I know... I'm done with my work, but I don't really enjoy eating in the middle of that pack of wolves. It ruins the taste of the food. Why don't you bring me some food so we can eat together here?"
"No. Orochimaru-sama specifically warned me about this offer. You're knowledgeable about plants. You could mix something into my food."
I guess it's time to continue with my escape plan. Don't blame me for putting psychological pressure on you because you didn't accept my sincerity.
As I said the following words, I spoke quickly and with a voice that came out between my teeth, as if I were slightly annoyed.
"First, Kabuto, in order to mix something into your food, I would need to have something to mix in the first place. Second, no, I didn't find anything I could use while wandering around the village. Third, my knowledge of making poison is practically zero; I only know how to grow some poisonous plants. After all, I didn't expect a day like this to come. Fourth, as you know, I need a field to grow poisonous or normal plants, and as you can see, this is a damn cave. Now I'll ask you again, Kabuto; would you please bring my food here? You don't have to eat if you don't want to, or you can eat first and then bring it to me. Before you refuse, let me say that tomorrow I plan to have you clean out all the solutions in the capsules under the pretext of teaching you, but I may change my mind at any moment."
....
As expected from someone who had worked under Danzo's command for years, Kabuto stared at me coldly for a while, but the result remained unchanged.
Even though I knew this solution was a nutrient solution that would completely nourish the body from the outside, I was reluctant to touch it because of its sticky nature.
After waiting a while, Kabuto returned, this time holding a food tray. Apparently, he truly believes I am experienced in using poison.
Unfortunately, the skill card I used doesn't give me extensive knowledge about poisons. Of course, when walking in nature, if I encounter a poisonous plant, I can easily recognize it.
As I took the tray from Kabuto, I had a slightly more emotionless expression towards him than before. In the past, I often talked about how we were alike and didn't hesitate to complain to him about things that bothered me, as if he were my confidant. Now, my sudden coldness would be an obvious change in expression.
And if I'm not mistaken from the beginning, he will interpret my change in expression as a surrender.
It was thanks to Arataka Reigen that I had such a plan from the beginning. He didn't exactly tell me to do this, but the hints he tried to give me led me to have such a plan.
The first step is to feign sincerity.
The second step is to change my personality to give the impression of surrender.
The third step is to try to psychologically elevate yourself to a superior position without crossing boundaries.
The fourth step is to hear Azar from Orochimaru as a result of a headache-free experiment and subsequently take on a more hostile personality.
The fifth step is to prevent him from thinking too much with my hostile personality and thus obtain what I want more easily.
The sixth step is to make up an excuse to take him around the village to gather plants.
The seventh and final step is to find a way to kill or knock him out.
Clearly, the entire first and longest part of the plan is to dull the careful personality Kabuto has trained for years.
If I were a true master of manipulation or a good liar, distracting him would have been a matter of minutes.
"I've finished my meal; you can take the dishes. Besides, there's no need to bother me for the rest of the day; my work here is already done."
After watching Kabuto leave, I quickly checked all the systems in the huge lab and left the lab to go to my room.
As I expected, Kabuto had started standing in front of the door after taking the dishes.
Even though I had told him he could leave me alone, I knew that would never happen.
And after a short walk, the reason was right in front of me.
My one and only bedroom, surrounded by thick bars that let in plenty of light at the front and stone cave walls that made the rest of it very secure, had a white bed in the middle that gave the room a truly sophisticated feel.
Instead of waiting behind Kabuto as usual, I stepped forward, opened my own door, and went inside.
Without saying a word, I sat down on the bed, turned my back to the door of my cellar, and waited silently.
After a while, the sound of the door locking, accompanied by Kabuto's sigh, made me smile.
Kabuto finally began to think I had given up, and the tiniest shred of humanity within him was affected by this.
It was my luck that not much time had passed since Kabuto had killed his mother with his own hands. After all, such a tragedy had left him with a very complex emotional structure. Even Danzo's ruthless training wasn't fully effective at this time. If he had caught me and brought me here a year later, he might not have had any trace of emotion left in him.
Speaking of which...
"Hey, Kabuto!"
When I turned around, I saw that Kabuto had also returned to a spot in the corridor where I could see him.
"Orochimaru once said you were the one who kidnapped me."
"Yes, it was me."
"Why? I don't remember ever seeing you in the village before. That means there's no bad blood between us."
"It was a mission."
I need to make him tell me about his past. If he says it himself, he'll think I'm getting close to him in the future. After all, anyone who hears a background like his will feel sorry for him.
"Is that all? If Orochimaru had forced you to kidnap me, he would have talked about it as if he had done it himself. I don't think he would have specifically brought up the fact that you were the one who kidnapped me. You know, a man like him likes to brag as much as possible."
"You're right. This wasn't just any mission—it was a special mission. A test to determine whether I could stay by Orochimaru-sama's side."
"Wait a minute. You're telling me you've only been with Orochimaru as long as I have. If we're both from Konoha, why would he trust you to watch over me? Don't try to tell me he's your idol, Kabuto. Even when Orochimaru was in the village, many people didn't like him, even found him frightening, especially people our age. Our peers admired him until they actually met him."
Kabuto suddenly stopped me from continuing. Judging by his furrowed brow, he genuinely respects Orochimaru for being his savior during that time.
I really can't see anyone else managing to be a double or even triple agent in different countries at the same time like him. Danzo's betrayal really changed him.
"If it weren't for Orochimaru-sama, I wouldn't even be here right now. You know nothing about what happened to me or about Orochimaru-sama."
"Then stop yelling and tell me, Kabuto!"
Come on, Orochimaru's little fan. Dance for me...