Underground research lab.
The pale shadowless lamp cast a cold halo over the operating table, the air thick with the scent of disinfectant and a particular nutrient solution.
In giant cultivation tanks in the corner, several unfinished humanoid silhouettes drifted slowly in pale green nutrient fluid, cables entwined like vines.
On the operating bed, a black-haired woman slowly propped herself up with her elbows, her movements carrying a sluggishness like that of a newborn.
Long hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, the tips touching the cold metal edge of the operating table.
She lowered her head, her gaze sweeping over her newborn body—a masterpiece sculpted together by her and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, using cellular and Cloning Technology.
The skin was smooth, the muscle texture symmetrical, and it brimmed with vibrant vitality—a stark contrast to the previous vessel, which had become somewhat decayed due to the effects of Living Corpse Reincarnation.
"How does it feel?"
A deep and steady voice rang out.
The voice came from a chair in the shadows on the other side of the room.
A Shadow Clone left in the research lab by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, sat there quietly.
He wore his signature dark blue layered armor, the white fur collar framing his stern jawline.
He observed every subtle movement Orochimaru made, from the trembling of her fingertips to the rhythm of her breathing, not missing any sign that might indicate instability or rejection.
Orochimaru did not answer immediately.
She raised a hand, her five fingers slowly spreading and clenching under the light, feeling the strange yet familiar force as muscles and tendons worked in coordination.
The beating in her chest was steady and powerful, the sound of blood rushing clearly audible in her ears. She took a soft breath, air flooding into her lungs, bringing a cool stimulation.
"There are some minor, harmless issues."
She finally spoke, her voice slightly raspier than before, yet strangely blended with a smoother tone.
She paused, the corners of her mouth curling into a cold, snake-like arc.
"But that's not important."
What mattered was the body itself.
It was young, strong, and had immense potential; aside from a very short lifespan due to its imperfections, it was already almost the most perfect vessel for Orochimaru.
More importantly, it proved that the path to the "ultimate" was not an illusion.
She could feel that some "vessel limit" which had long bound her Soul had been broken, and her horizon seemed to broaden along with it.
She turned slightly, a movement that made certain curves more prominent.
Yes, this body was a "she" rather than a "he." Among the latest cloning results of hers and Tobirama's, there were several other bodies, but the male body intended for Orochimaru... its developmental progress had lagged behind.
There was an unexplainable difference in the speed of cell division and organ formation; at this moment, it still lay quietly in a cultivation tank next door, waiting for the catalysis of time.
Thus, she could only continue to make do with a female body.
She had long since transcended the narrow perceptions brought by gender; a physical shell was merely a tool, a raft for crossing a river, a carrier for the existence and will known as "Orochimaru."
The body she had chosen when using Living Corpse Reincarnation previously was also female, so she was quite used to it.
"This proves that our line of thinking is correct."
Tobirama's Shadow Clone stepped out of the shadows and came to the side of the brightly lit operating table.
His gaze swept over the monitoring lines connected to Orochimaru that had not yet been fully removed; the pulsing waveforms on them had begun to stabilize.
"Cloning Technology combined with the forbidden technique of Soul reincarnation... we are indeed creating a brand-new kind of 'continuation.'"
There wasn't much joy in his tone; instead, it was weighted with a deeper solemnity. "However, I am still puzzled—are life and death really so easily broken?"
Tobirama had experienced true death and wandered the living world in an Edo Tensei body; he understood the strictness and eeriness of that boundary better than anyone.
The deeper he delved into these forbidden realms, the more he felt a certain cold gaze originating from the very essence of the world.
Immortality sounds wonderful, but the price for breaking the iron laws of nature is often hidden in the blind spots of perception.
Compared to the Second Hokage's vigilance, Orochimaru's reaction was much calmer, even somewhat languid.
She slowly sat up straight, reached for the prepared black kimono on the nearby tray, and dressed unhurriedly.
"Isn't this a good thing? We must always progress."
She tied the sash, her fingertips moving nimbly.
"Stagnation is the prelude to death. As for life and death..."
She raised her eyes, her golden vertical pupils staring directly at Tobirama. "I am not worried that I will die. That is merely another transformation of form."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, as flat as if she were stating that it would rain tomorrow.
"In any case, after I die, the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Anko's neck can also allow me to be resurrected; it's a pre-planted 'Snake Molt.'
After dying completely..."
She tilted her head slightly, her smile deepening with a hint of satisfaction at the subsequent arrangements.
"Kabuto can also bring me back using Edo Tensei. That child remembers my data even better than his own. You see, I have an adequate margin for error."
From Cursed Seal resurrection to Edo Tensei, and now to this nearly "perfect" cloned body, she had turned "death" into a game where one could save, load, and even change servers.
Margin for error?
She was practically constructing an immortal closed loop.
Tobirama looked at her silently for a few seconds.
Not much expression could be seen on the Shadow Clone's face, but those slightly knitted brows showed he was not entirely convinced.
Orochimaru's logic was clear and her preparations thorough, but it was precisely this overly thorough "immortality" that made him scent an unusual risk.
When a person believes they have completely escaped the ultimate threat, they often head toward madness or destruction in another sense.
"Hmm... you're right."
Finally, he nodded slowly, choosing not to argue at this moment.
Orochimaru's will was as firm as a rock; her path had long been chosen.
As a collaborator, what he could do was ensure the experimental data was precise, the technology had no flaws, and when necessary... provide warnings.
"Still, it's better to be careful. The closer one gets to the core of the forbidden, the more the power of the backlash might exceed calculations. This new body needs more thorough testing."
"Of course."
Orochimaru was already dressed, the black kimono making her complexion look even paler.
She slid gracefully off the operating table, her bare feet stepping on the cold floor as she walked toward a full-length mirror on one side of the room.
Tobirama's Shadow Clone said no more.
He turned, his gaze falling upon another vacant operating bed in the center of the room.
On it lay a white body, and the nearby instruments showed that it was not dead.
Beside this bed were more precision instruments and scrolls covered in complex runes.
The next experiment, the next Breakthrough, might be in the near future. The road to immortality is long, and they had only just taken a landmark step.
In the mirror, the reflections of the black-haired woman and the white-haired man were quietly cast.
One gazed at a new life, the other contemplated the cost.