Uchiha En summoned Lightning, letting Lightning carry Asana and Otsutsuki Kyojin to Orochimaru's location, while he himself used the Body Flicker Technique to teleport over with Shisui.
The continuous Space-Time Movement was too much even for someone as strong as Shisui. After arriving at the Sound Village, Shisui nearly threw up.
"Are you alright?" Uchiha En asked.
"I... I'm fine! But Senior En, next time please don't take me with you. I'd rather run here myself."
Uchiha En smiled and didn't say anything more.
Teleportation was, after all, Space-Time Movement, so Uchiha En arrived earlier than Asana.
Asana and Otsutsuki Kyojin arrived half an hour later.
The four of them entered the Sound Village together.
Uchiha En hadn't been to the Sound Village for a while, and the changes there were actually quite significant.
From the number of Ninja to the scale of the Village, there were major differences.
In the Sound Village, Uchiha En also saw two people who had appeared in the original work: one was Jugo, a member of the Taka Squad, and the other was Kimimaro, one of Orochimaru's backup vessels and his most loyal subordinate.
Speaking of which, Orochimaru had undergone quite a few changes compared to the original work. Uchiha En still hadn't seen Anko, Orochimaru's former disciple, and the number of experimental subjects in the Sound Village had been greatly reduced due to Asana's intervention and Orochimaru's shift in goals.
"Lady Asana, you've returned!" Kimimaro immediately went up to greet Asana upon seeing her.
"How has the situation in the Sound Village been recently? There haven't been any disturbances, have there?" Asana asked.
"No, Lady Asana, please rest assured. The Village's situation is excellent."
"What about my clansmen?"
"They are also doing very well. Lord Orochimaru arranged for them to live in the newly constructed area on the east side of the Sound Village. Already, more than half of them have had the Caged Bird Seal removed."
"Then how many people have undergone the same changes as me?" Asana pressed.
"Do you mean changes in hair color and skin color, like yours?"
Asana nodded.
"Eleven people have noticeably whiter skin, and six people have hair color that has turned the same silvery-white as yours."
"Has anyone's Byakugan evolved?"
"No. Lord Orochimaru said that following this procedure, the only ones who might have their Byakugan evolve are you and the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Main Family, Hyuga Hinata."
"Alright, I understand. Please tell Teacher Orochimaru that I've arrived and ask him to come to my office."
Kimimaro nodded and turned to leave.
"Senior Asana, a four or five-year-old child who can communicate normally with you and is familiar with so many details of the Village—this child is extraordinary!" Shisui remarked, looking at Kimimaro's retreating figure.
"He is indeed a very clever child. En, why have you come to see Teacher Orochimaru?" Asana asked, changing the subject.
"On one hand, I want him to check the status of both your bloodlines, and on the other, I want to borrow a technique from him."
"A technique? Which one?"
"The Living Corpse Reincarnation, of course."
"Why do you need that technique?"
"You'll find out later."
Hearing this, Asana didn't ask further but led Uchiha En and the others to her office.
Before long, Orochimaru arrived.
The moment Orochimaru entered the door, Uchiha En's Minds Eye detected some strange changes in Orochimaru's body.
"Lord Orochimaru, was your cloning successful?" Uchiha En asked tentatively.
"That's right."
"In that case, is this body your new vessel?"
"This is only a temporary choice. I am currently cultivating a body that integrates the Uchiha Clan bloodline. I also want to try what it feels like to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan."
Uchiha En smiled and didn't dwell on the topic. He changed the subject and began discussing Asana and Otsutsuki Kyojin with Orochimaru.
When Orochimaru learned that Otsutsuki Kyojin was an Ōtsutsuki Clan member from the Moon, his eyes lit up.
Without Uchiha En needing to say anything, he immediately began his work.
Asana also went to cooperate with his experiment.
A few hours later, Orochimaru returned to Asana's office with a look of regret.
"I regret to inform you, En, that although this Ōtsutsuki Clan member possesses some genes that could compensate for Asana's genetic defects, they are too few. Forget about allowing Asana's Byakugan to evolve further; it can't even promote a greater regression to the ancestral bloodline."
After listening to Orochimaru, Uchiha En pondered for a moment and said, "In other words, his bloodline isn't pure, correct?"
"You could interpret it that way."
"If the bloodline of the Main Family's eldest son isn't pure enough, then we'll have to rely on that guy, Ōtsutsuki Toneri," Uchiha En thought to himself.
"Lord Orochimaru, your Living Corpse Reincarnation should be fully developed by now, right? Could you teach it to me?" Uchiha En asked.
Hearing this, Orochimaru didn't ask Uchiha En why he needed the technique and directly handed over the Living Corpse Reincarnation to Uchiha En.
Having achieved his goal, Uchiha En did not linger in the Sound Village. Early the next morning, everyone departed together and rushed toward the lake where the hidden passage was located.
But when the four of them arrived, they found more than a dozen puppets patrolling near the lake.
"That's strange. Didn't we take care of all the puppets yesterday? Why have new ones appeared?" Shisui asked, looking confused.
"Not only are they new puppets, but their appearance is distinctly different from the previous ones. I feel like something is wrong," Asana said.
"Kyojin, do you have any thoughts?" Uchiha En turned and asked Otsutsuki Kyojin.
Otsutsuki Kyojin shook his head. "I don't know the specifics, but these puppets are clearly more refined than the ones the Branch Family sent to capture me before."
"More refined? Do you mean these puppets are stronger than the ones that tried to capture you?" Uchiha En asked, frowning.
"Yes, that should be the case. The more refined the puppets on the Moon are, the more effort the creator put in, and the stronger they will be."
"Refined or not, Senior En, I'll take care of them!"
"Very well. I also want to know how strong these puppets truly are. Be careful, and don't underestimate them."
"Yes, Senior En, don't worry, I understand." After speaking, Shisui used the Body Flicker Technique and appeared before the puppets.
Asana's eyes lit up at Shisui's Body Flicker Technique.
"En, this junior of yours is impressive! His speed with the short-distance Body Flicker Technique is already very close to your teleportation speed."
"Shisui is naturally skilled in the Body Flicker Technique; he has mastered it completely," Uchiha En said with a smile.
"No wonder he is called Shisui of the Body Flicker. Just based on that speed, he deserves the title."
"You two, this is no time for chatting! Those puppets are not simple!" Otsutsuki Kyojin's words interrupted their conversation.
Hearing this, Uchiha En and Asana both turned their attention toward Shisui.
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