Capítulo 23: Immortality through Corpse Replacement
Kimimaro's heart trembled as a sense of unease washed over him.
"Senior Otoha, what does Lord Orochimaru want me to do?"
"Lord Orochimaru wants you to witness his path to immortality."
Witness his path to immortality?
What does that mean?
Could it be that Orochimaru really intends to make me his vessel?
That can't be right.
I haven't fully grown yet. If I were to become the vessel, Orochimaru would still need to train my body to achieve the same level of power as now.
Corpse Replacement only transfers the soul's power; it doesn't bring the physical strength of the original body along with it.
Therefore, the vessel must be strong enough for Orochimaru to gain power equal to or greater than his own.
That's why, after Sasuke joined Orochimaru, he was personally trained by him.
Because Orochimaru needed a stronger body.
If the vessel's own strength didn't matter, Orochimaru could've simply locked Sasuke up and waited three years to possess him, avoiding all the unnecessary trouble.
Why spend three years patiently guiding Sasuke's training?
Orochimaru doesn't do useless things.
Thinking this through, Kimimaro felt that Orochimaru wouldn't choose him as the vessel right now.
It would be too unwise.
After thinking it over for a moment, Kimimaro decided to go anyway.
First of all, he couldn't escape.
This was the Sound Village. The chances of him escaping were nearly zero.
Secondly, since arriving, he hadn't even undergone a medical exam. He didn't believe Orochimaru would act so recklessly as to attempt a possession without checking first.
Lastly, his hereditary illness was already showing signs. If Orochimaru really wanted to use him as a vessel, he could simply mention this, and Orochimaru would abandon the idea.
Of course, Kimimaro also prepared for the worst.
If Orochimaru was truly so foolish, then even though he couldn't resist the Corpse Replacement technique, he could at least severely injure Orochimaru with his own soul during the possession.
With his mind made up, Kimimaro said, "Understood, Senior Otoha. Lead the way."
Before long, Otoha led him into a secret chamber.
Orochimaru lay on a bed, smiling when he saw Kimimaro arrive.
At this moment, Kimimaro also noticed a woman lying on another bed.
That must be the vessel Orochimaru planned to use.
Seeing this, Kimimaro let out a small sigh of relief.
So, I was overthinking things.
"Kimimaro, you're here."
"Lord Orochimaru, Senior Otoha said you called me to witness your path to immortality. Have you already achieved your dream?"
Kimimaro feigned curiosity.
"Immortality isn't so easy. However, I have indeed developed a technique that makes it much harder to die. Some recent changes have required me to use this technique to solve a problem. Since the opportunity has presented itself, I want you to witness it.
You and I both seek the dream of immortality. Perhaps this will give you some new ideas. If this technique can be perfected, immortality may not be out of reach."
"What technique?"
"Corpse Replacement. You've been studying medical ninjutsu lately, haven't you? Then you should know that humans are composed of two parts—body and soul.
The body ages, and the soul withers as well. But the soul withers much slower than the body. People die because their bodies age and break down.
If one could continually replace their body with a stronger one, giving the soul a new home, then immortality wouldn't be difficult to achieve. And if the body could be kept in peak condition, one wouldn't only achieve immortality but eternal youth as well."
Upon hearing this, many thoughts flashed through Kimimaro's mind.
Corpse Replacement is essentially body-snatching.
The body Kimimaro was currently using had, in fact, been snatched.
The difference was that this time, he hadn't volunteered for it; he had been forcibly arranged by a time-travel agency.
"This powerful technique must come with some major side effects, right?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with appreciation.
As expected of someone he valued, Kimimaro had quickly grasped the key issue.
"You're right. Corpse Replacement has significant side effects.
First, there's the strength of the soul. If the soul of the one performing the transfer can't overpower the soul of the vessel, the transfer will fail. Worse, the soul of the vessel could devour the transferor, not only causing them to lose everything but also bringing about their death.
Second, there's the body itself. Not every body is suitable as a vessel for my soul.
Each body resists foreign souls to some degree. Some bodies resist more, some less. If the resistance is too strong, even a successful transfer would leave me unable to exert my full strength, or worse, in a weakened state, marking a failed transfer.
We can perform tests in advance to estimate compatibility, though the results aren't always 100% accurate. It's a risk either way.
The last two side effects aren't as severe by comparison. One is a period of weakness after the transfer, needed to allow the soul and body to fuse.
The second is that the interval between transfers cannot be shorter than three years.
Of course, these so-called side effects are mainly due to the fact that I haven't yet perfected the technique.
Once perfected, these problems will no longer exist."
As Orochimaru spoke of his technique, his eyes shone with excitement.
He was passionate about this.
What surprised Kimimaro was that Orochimaru would reveal the secrets of Corpse Replacement to him.
Does he trust me this much?
Is it out of recognition for a fellow pursuer of immortality?
Kimimaro fell silent, while Orochimaru and Otoha assumed he was simply in awe.
After all, most people would be stunned by such a technique.
If Kimimaro hadn't already known about it, he would have been equally shocked.
"Your Kekkei Genkai illness is starting to show symptoms, isn't it?"
Before Kimimaro could respond, Orochimaru spoke again.
Kimimaro was stunned—he hadn't expected Orochimaru to know about the illness.
"Judging by your reaction, I was right, wasn't I?"
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru. The Kekkei Genkai illness is a curse of the Kaguya clan. Once it strikes, no one has ever lived past twenty. That's why I've been focused on studying medical ninjutsu."
For someone who seeks immortality, contracting such an illness is a true disaster.
"Heh, as I thought. The Kekkei Genkai illness is difficult to cure, and your chances of success are slim. But this Corpse Replacement technique might be your only hope for the future. There's no harm in observing it now."
"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru."
Kimimaro bowed respectfully.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to be so considerate of him.
He couldn't help but feel a bit moved.
"Now, watch closely."
With that, Orochimaru closed his eyes but opened his mouth wide.
His mouth grew larger, far beyond the limits of a human.
Suddenly, a black-haired, golden-eyed snake shot out of Orochimaru's mouth!
(End of Chapter)
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