Kashin Koji possessed the distinct advantage of genetic modification.
Orochimaru originally relied heavily on genetic modification to create Mitsuki, who could just use Sage Mode in his place.
So, is Orochimaru going about it the wrong way now?
Not at all.
Genetic flaws, or a sheer lack of talent, aren't fatal.
The biggest difference between humans and animals is that we actually use tools to make up for our innate shortcomings.
When winter gets freezing cold, we hunt animals and use their fur to make clothing.
We don't try to gene-splice ourselves to grow our own fur—that would just completely fuck up our natural heat dissipation system.
Especially when there's a universal, all-purpose multi-tool like "chakra" sitting right in front of us.
Originally, Orochimaru didn't research in this direction simply because his energy and physical limitations wouldn't let him.
But now that he's completely free, both physically and mentally, way ahead of schedule? Of course the snake is starting to let loose and go crazy.
"That actually makes sense." Tsunade listened to Makoto's explanation and nodded slightly.
Setting aside the specific twisted methods, the science itself was quite legitimate.
It's just that when thinking about those specific methods...
"Honestly, Jiraiya wanting to murder you isn't unreasonable at all." Tsunade gave Orochimaru a helpless smile.
Slapping this seal on him practically meant the absolute end of Jiraiya's life.
From now on, even the legendary Icha-icha series would be permanently discontinued.
Jiraiya would no longer have any "qualifications" to gather material.
And even without physically gathering material, relying strictly on imagination or past experiences wouldn't work for his creative writing either.
Because whenever Jiraiya wants to write, he first needs relevant dirty text and images to appear in his mind, right?
Once those images appear... it's hard to control his raging booner and it instantly triggers the painful restriction.
Indeed, it's absolutely terrifying!
Just then, Naruto arrived with a couple of Medical Ninjas from the Medical Department.
"H-Hokage-sama?!" The two medics were completely stunned to see Tsunade standing there upon arrival.
If the greatest Medical Ninja in the world is already here, why the hell did they need to come?
"Just take Jiraiya to the Medical Department to rest. He isn't actually injured," Tsunade composed her expression and quickly gave the order.
"Understood." The medics immediately understood the situation.
What she meant by "not injured" clearly meant the highly-skilled Hokage had already flawlessly treated him.
The medics whipped out a stretcher, hauled Jiraiya onto it, and headed back toward the village.
Naruto followed closely behind them, still looking traumatized.
"I need to observe the follow-up situation," Orochimaru noted, slithering after them.
Upholding strict scientific rigor, Orochimaru needed to conduct his "post-operative observations."
"I should go check on them too. I have a bad feeling those two might start fighting again." Tsunade was just about to follow when Makoto firmly pressed a hand on her shoulder.
She turned back in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Perhaps, and I'm just saying perhaps... there might be something even more terrifying that happened quietly while he was out." Makoto genuinely hated his own overly-active brain.
Why did he have to think of such cursed things?
How wonderful it would be to remain utterly ignorant like everyone else, blissfully unaware of the horrors of reality!
Makoto finally understood why, in some worlds, the more one knows and sees, the more one's sanity gets eroded and corrupted.
"What is it? Just tell me!" Tsunade urged with a completely clueless expression.
She still didn't fully comprehend the nightmare that was about to be revealed.
"Think about exactly how Orochimaru used to give people the Cursed Seal back in the day."
"?"
At Makoto's words, Tsunade's brain began to churn.
She hadn't really known the specifics of how Orochimaru administered the Cursed Seal before, having only witnessed it twice back in Amegakure.
Both of those times involved him grotesquely stretching his damn neck and biting someone directly on the skin, it was extremely unhygienic.
'Huh?'
'Wait...'
A highly outrageous, violently cursed image suddenly flashed into Tsunade's mind.
What exactly had Orochimaru done to Jiraiya?
Orochimaru had invited Jiraiya out for a drink, then either waited until Jiraiya was blackout drunk or literally drugged his alcohol until he passed out... and then...
"Help me." Tsunade hugged herself and violently shuddered.
Just imagining it gave her full-body goosebumps!
And if she imagined Orochimaru planting the Cursed Seal right as Jiraiya happened to wake up, the two of them would be making intense... deeply awkward eye contact in the middle of a neck-bite...
"Maybe I shouldn't go back after all..." Tsunade muttered, her face pale.
"Oh right! You're about to start the Limited Tsukuyomi preparations! That sounds super dangerous and definitely requires a top-tier Medical Ninja on standby to prevent any fatal accidents. I should absolutely go back to Amegakure with you guys right now."
As she spoke, Tsunade started walking briskly toward Tobirama Senju entirely on her own.
"Let's go, Granduncle! We're heading back!"
Tobirama, who had been watching this entire circus coldly from the sidelines, couldn't maintain his stoic composure at this scene.
His lips twitched slightly. "Are you really going to desert your post just like this?"
'It's just some messy bonds between friends.'
'How inexperienced,' Tobirama thought.
He seen plenty of this exact bullshit while being stuck acting as the middleman between Uchiha Madara and his idiot elder brother, Hashirama?
To avoid the awkward bonds between her two teammates, Tsunade was actively choosing to flee back to Amegakure right after returning to Konoha.
'Was this the responsibility expected of a Hokage?'
So, Tobirama remained firmly unmoved.
"Sigh... fine."
Without Tobirama Flying Thunder God to instantly escape with, could Tsunade really run away all on her own?
Utterly helpless, she could only trudge dejectedly toward the village gates.
"Don't be so down. What I said was just speculation. Maybe Orochimaru has drastically improved his method and doesn't use the biting thing anymore?"
On the way back to the village, Makoto tried to comfort the traumatized Tsunade.
"If he didn't bite him, then what? Did he use his hands? Because that would be weird as hell, too," Tsunade weakly retorted.
...
Inside the Medical Department
Jiraiya had already woken up.
His earlier fainting was simply due to sheer emotional pain and heartbreak.
Jiraiya now wore an expression of complete, utter despair.
He just tilted his head, gazing blankly at the sky outside the hospital window like a man whose soul had left his body.
Just as Orochimaru had promised, this Cursed Seal wasn't actually harmful.
Even the pain it caused wouldn't deal any real physical damage, so after arriving at the Medical Department, Jiraiya was rigorously examined by the Medical Ninjas, who confirmed there was absolutely zero injury on him.
"Orochimaru... I swear... I'll... kill..." Jiraiya mumbled weakly, completely devoid of energy, the words slurring together.
"Who is 'Cell'? Jiraiya, have you been possessed by someone else using the Living Corpse Reincarnation?"
Upon hearing this weak mumbling, Orochimaru looked dead serious and immediately formed hand signs, fully ready to bite Jiraiya all over again.
"I meant I swear I'll KILL you!!!" Jiraiya wailed miserably, finally finding his voice.
"Oh, that's what you meant. Why use such garbled language?" Orochimaru relaxed and gracefully lowered his hands.
"Jiraiya, I'm genuinely doing this for your own good, and for Naruto's good too. Though, of course, I won't deny there's some personal interest involved as well," Orochimaru began explaining to the sobbing toad sage.
This Cursed Seal served multiple brilliant purposes.
It would allow Orochimaru to successfully complete his scientific experiments, it would enable Jiraiya to finally focus purely on practicing his Sage Arts without any dirty distractions, and it ensured Jiraiya wouldn't have any impure thoughts while teaching Naruto.
So, why go through all this trouble just to help him teach Naruto?
Because after Sasuke—who had basically semi-defected from Konoha—came to Orochimaru, the snake Sannin wanted to see the "rise."
To make Sasuke's "rise," they eventually needed to activate the Rinnegan.
To activate the Rinnegan, they needed Sasuke to drink Naruto's "milk".
Orochimaru forcing Jiraiya to properly teach Naruto and drastically improve the kid's strength was all just a grand scheme to enhance the ultimate quality of that "milk."
Honestly, it made perfect sense!
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