Danzo listened to Orochimaru's explanation, his expression somewhat gloomy: "Orochimaru, you were the one who leaked the news about Ryou, weren't you? How could you let something like this become common knowledge?"
Orochimaru shook his head: "It wasn't me. I wouldn't be that stupid. If I had known immediately that he and Hiruko were researching the Art of Immortality, I would have definitely captured them."
Both Danzo and Orochimaru were puzzled. Who could be so malicious? Why were they so eager to report everything to the Village Committee?
Having finished his business with Orochimaru, Danzo was about to leave.
Orochimaru stopped him: "Danzo, send me another batch of experimental subjects. The last batch has already been used up."
Danzo snorted, thinking of Hiruzen's previous shouting at him.
Without hesitation, he took his revenge out on his favorite disciple: "Orochimaru, do you really think human lives are like leeks? That if you cut one crop, another will just grow back?"
Orochimaru sneered without looking back: "Isn't it? The Ninja World is in chaos, and wars never end. In a place like the Land of Rain, a bowl of porridge can buy a human life."
Danzo was silent for a moment before asking: "Orochimaru, you've been using a lot of consumables lately. What exactly are you doing?"
Orochimaru said: "Nothing much, just trying to deduce Ryou's forbidden jutsu. Danzo, you want to live forever too, don't you?"
Danzo's breathing suddenly became a bit heavy. He said: "Fine, I'll have someone send you another batch, but use them sparingly."
"Before long, Root will be cooperating with Hanzou. At that time, it won't be as easy to capture refugees from the Land of Rain."
Orochimaru nodded: "I know!"
Danzo left after leaving one final remark: "Hiruzen is already wary of you, Orochimaru. You'd better be more careful!"
After Danzo left, Orochimaru snorted: "Old geezer, you think someone like you can achieve eternal youth?"
Once the members of Root delivered a batch of refugees from the Land of Rain, Orochimaru selected a few strong ones and had his giant snake swallow them. Then, several figures left the Root base.
"Follow them. Lord Danzo wants to know what Orochimaru needs so many people for."
The Root members followed, but in the blink of an eye, Orochimaru had slipped away and vanished.
Orochimaru arrived at the base he had established outside the Village and meticulously prepared the Edo Tensei ritual. He then summoned a living person, paralyzed by snake venom, from the belly of his giant snake.
Once the curse marks and ritual seals were all drawn out, Orochimaru placed the living person and the white skin fragments found earlier—believed to be Ryou's body tissue—into the ritual circle. He suddenly bit his finger, drawing blood.
Tiger-Serpent-Dog-Dragon...
"Edo Tensei!"
"Aaaahhhh—"
The living person cried out in intense pain, as if their soul and body were being forcibly possessed.
The Edo Tensei ritual marks glowed with white Chakra, seemingly the light of the Pure Land from the underworld.
Orochimaru's eyes were filled with surprise.
Revive! My Ryou!
But then, the light abruptly dissipated, and the living person in the ritual circle crumbled into scraps of paper.
Orochimaru's eyes widened: "No, impossible. It clearly succeeded."
"Could it be—"
Orochimaru took back the white body tissue to examine it closely. If his jutsu hadn't failed, there was only one possibility: this wasn't Ryou's DNA tissue.
"Hmph! Fortunately, I was prepared!"
Orochimaru took out a pile of biological samples found in Ryou's house: his scalp, utensils he had used, and even used toilet paper.
The Edo Tensei requires a certain amount of the target's DNA tissue; naturally, the more, the better.
Orochimaru placed Ryou's various relics into the ritual circle and then summoned another living person.
"Edo Tensei!"
At the same time, Tsunade found Ryou's stolen goods in the Uchiha clan grounds, the Exploding Tags he had drawn.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She had a very good memory, and she clearly remembered the exploding tag Ryou had swallowed that day.
It was the same style as the Exploding Tags he had drawn.
One could still distinguish between these counterfeit Exploding Tags and the official ones.
No one expected Ryou to be so crafty, even using Exploding Tags he drew himself.
In that case...
"Ryou isn't dead!"
"This kid isn't dead—"
Orochimaru laughed gloomily, thinking it was the biggest joke, that a Chunin actually managed to trick the Sannin and the yellow flash?
Well done! Well done, Ryou!
Orochimaru had the mindset of a scientist and felt he shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly.
This was also his first time using Edo Tensei. If he hadn't mastered the jutsu, then all his deductions would be wrong.
There had to be a control group!
Orochimaru then took out Hiruko's body, which he had stolen from the Konoha morgue.
Anyone who has killed knows that killing is easy, but disposing of the body is hard.
Ryou had dumped Hiruko in the toilet, but the Inuzuka dogs still found him and picked up Ryou's scent, leading to Ryou's conviction for murdering a fellow villager.
The smell was a bit strong, so Orochimaru stuffed paper into his nose while preparing the ritual.
But there was no other way. To get what one wants, one must endure hardships that ordinary people cannot bear.
To endure what others cannot, that is what it means to be a Ninja.
Although Orochimaru scoffed at Jiraiya's ways, he still silently bore everything alone in the shadows.
While Jiraiya was indulging himself in brothels, he was in a dark laboratory accompanied by rotting corpses.
While Tsunade was losing big at the casinos, he was diligently stealing Konoha's forbidden jutsu.
In terms of endurance, he was more patient than any other Ninja in the Village.
Because Orochimaru, like Madara, was someone who had transcended vulgar interests.
In their eyes, there was only success.
"Edo Tensei!"
This time, it succeeded!
Orochimaru showed a look of joy. Although he failed to revive Ryou, by mastering the Edo Tensei, Orochimaru now had a formidable trump card.
As soon as Hiruko's consciousness cleared, he immediately turned and gave a loud, "friendly" greeting.
"Ryou, fuck you!"
"Orochimaru?!"
"What is this?"
Hiruko looked at his body, which seemed to be pieced together like porcelain fragments. He felt that this body was as stiff as a puppet.
Hiruko looked at Orochimaru, who had paper stuffed in his nose.
"Orochimaru, what exactly did you do to me?"
Orochimaru sneered: "Hiruko, isn't it obvious? I revived you using the Nidaime's forbidden jutsu. From now on, you are my puppet."
"A puppet? Dammit!"
Hiruko's stiff face couldn't form a proper scowl, but his tone made it clear his mood was terrible.
Hiruko was envious of the Sannin's achievements. He was from the same generation as them, but he could only sit at the kids' table.
This was why he wanted to research the Chimera Technique to surpass the Sannin.
Just like Ryou, he was narrow-minded and couldn't stand seeing a classmate driving a Land Rover!
However, Hiruko felt that Orochimaru's control over him wasn't that strong; he could move freely.
"Ninpo—"
Just as Hiruko was about to perform a jutsu, Orochimaru suddenly grabbed him by the neck.
"Hiruko, don't play tricks in front of me!"
Hiruko was different from Ryou. Although his talent wasn't equal to the Sannin, it didn't mean he was less talented than others.
He was a Jonin, a very hardworking and ambitious Jonin.
Being backstabbed by a weak Ninja like Ryou was the greatest humiliation of his life.
That kid always liked standing behind people. Those who didn't know better thought he just didn't like the spotlight, but he was actually just looking for an angle.
Although Hiruko was a Jonin, the Ninja before him was someone beyond a Jonin or an Elite Jonin—he was one of the Sannin, among the strongest in the Ninja World: Orochimaru.
Hiruko had no ability to resist in Orochimaru's hands. He stared at Orochimaru, his teeth gnashing in anger: "Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru looked at Hiruko with a cold smile, thinking that while Edo Tensei was good, the reincarnated body wouldn't necessarily obey the summoner once brought back.
He would have to prepare a Puppet Talisman beforehand!
"Hiruko, you are already dead. I pulled you out of the Pure Land. You must listen to me."
"Orochimaru, give up on that idea. I will never cooperate with you."
Hiruko looked at Orochimaru with eyes full of hatred.
Hiruko could cooperate with Ryou because Ryou wasn't doing as well as he was.
But Hiruko was jealous of Orochimaru and Jiraiya. If he had a teacher like the Sandaime, his achievements wouldn't be lower than theirs.
Orochimaru suddenly smiled: "Hiruko, it was Ryou who killed you. Don't you want to get revenge on him?"
"Ryou!!"
Hiruko growled Ryou's name, his hatred for him even greater than his hatred for Orochimaru.
"Where is that kid? He stole my Chimera Technique and must have defected by now, right?"
"Hehe..."
Orochimaru sneered. He was also tempted by a secret technique like the Chimera Technique that could steal others' Kekkei Genkai.
But compared to Ryou's Secret Method of Immortality, which was derived from the Chimera Technique, the original was somewhat not worth mentioning.
Stealing others' Kekkei Genkai wasn't unheard of in the Ninja World; Orochimaru could even replicate it using technology.
Ryou's Secret Method of Immortality was clearly more stunning than Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation; it was a forbidden jutsu he had to obtain.