章 95: Chapter 93: The Tool
Chapter 93: The Tool
A few days later.
It was time for Baishi's regular transaction with Orochimaru again.
Baishi arrived at the familiar inn in the Port of the Land of Fragrance with practiced ease.
This time, however, Orochimaru was already there waiting, which was unusual.
Baishi raised an eyebrow and expanded his sensory range. In an instant, the chakra fluctuations within several miles flooded his perception.
After a moment, he retracted his senses and smiled. "What's this? You came early this time?"
Orochimaru didn't respond verbally, instead tossing a sealing scroll over to Baishi.
Seeing Orochimaru's lack of interest in conversation, Baishi chuckled indifferently and caught the scroll. He released the seal and began examining its contents.
Very quickly, he noticed that the scroll contained far more than expected. Curious, he asked, "What's this about?"
"This is the equivalent of three transactions' worth of goods," Orochimaru explained. "Don't worry, everything has been improved according to your previous requirements. It should meet your needs."
Baishi carefully examined the contents again and found that they were indeed divided into three portions, each progressively more potent.
"Well, aren't you considerate."
Smiling inwardly, Baishi turned his attention back to Orochimaru and asked, "Does this have something to do with them?"
As he spoke, his gaze drifted out the window toward the roof of a distant building.
There, two figures dressed in black robes and masks stood silently, keeping watch.
Sure enough, at Baishi's words, Orochimaru's already grim expression darkened even further.
Baishi smirked. "So I was right."
'Are they Sarutobi Hiruzen's direct ANBU operatives? Or Minato Namikaze's?'
Baishi had already learned from captured Mist and Cloud ninja that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had stepped down, and the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had succeeded him.
It was clear that, as in the past, Orochimaru had failed to compete with Minato for the Hokage seat.
In fact, this time, Orochimaru faced even greater criticism.
The reason was simple: the human experimentation on Oni no Kuni (Land of Demons) had become widely known.
During the war, people had chosen to turn a blind eye, but now that peace had returned, debates about morality naturally arose.
Orochimaru, already disliked for his cold demeanor, became even more unpopular.
As a result, Minato won the Hokage election by a landslide, while Orochimaru was relegated to the sidelines.
'It seems Konoha is planning to discard Orochimaru now that he's outlived his usefulness.'
'As expected, freedom is the way to go.'
With that thought, Baishi sliced off a piece of his own flesh and tossed it to Orochimaru.
To keep Orochimaru as a useful tool, Baishi had already raised his Cellular Adaptability to Level IV. Combined with the other changes in his body, it was enough to keep Orochimaru intrigued and willing to provide resources.
The transaction completed, Baishi was about to leave when Orochimaru suddenly spoke up.
"Is the Watergate Squad situation resolved?"
The unexpected question startled Baishi. 'Did Orochimaru figure something out?'
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
Whether it was Madara Uchiha or Black Zetsu, their actions were deeply hidden. Without prior knowledge, it was impossible to connect the dots, let alone investigate.
'Then why would Orochimaru ask this?'
Unable to discern his intent, Baishi gave a vague response. "Maybe."
"Maybe…" Orochimaru repeated, his golden, snake-like eyes flickering with thought.
Baishi, seeing no need to linger, activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished.
---
Moonlit Island, Central Peak, Training Room.
Baishi appeared silently in his chamber.
'Konoha probably won't move against Orochimaru just yet.
'After all, the higher-ups were well aware of what happened on Oni no Kuni. They wouldn't pin all the blame on Orochimaru alone.
'Besides, while the large-scale wars may have ended, smaller skirmishes continue. Not every ninja village has signed a peace treaty with Konoha.
'Right now, there's an unspoken agreement to avoid escalating conflicts.
'If Konoha mishandles the Orochimaru situation, it could create internal unrest, giving other villages an opportunity to exploit their weakness.
'No, they won't act rashly.'
With these thoughts in mind, Baishi stopped worrying about Orochimaru's predicament. As long as his tool remained functional, he could focus on his own plans.
Unrolling the scroll, Baishi retrieved the newly provided Hashirama cell extract and toxins. He injected both into his body with practiced ease.
At this point, injecting the toxins directly was the only way they could take effect; otherwise, his body would simply metabolize or expel them.
Similarly, the Hashirama cells had become less and less effective at stimulating his body.
To address this, Baishi had asked Orochimaru to increase the concentration of the extract, extending its invasive effects.
Fortunately, Orochimaru had a sufficient stockpile of materials; otherwise, keeping up with Baishi's demands would've been impossible.
That said, Orochimaru had warned him that in about a year, the cultured Hashirama cells would reach a critical level of degradation. Beyond that point, collecting more would come at a steep cost.
This meant that Baishi's Wood Release "acceleration buff" might soon disappear.
"Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
Shaking off the thought, Baishi activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and teleported to the magma cavern beneath Moonlit Island to begin another round of evolution.
---
Time passed, and the seasons changed.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had gone by.
---
Morning, Moonlit Island, Forest Clearing.
Baishi withdrew his hand from the chest of a captured Mist ninja, sensing the faint trace of chakra he had absorbed. He shook his head in disappointment.
"It seems the 3.0 version of the Life Seed isn't very effective on ninja."
Indeed, Baishi had successfully developed the third-generation Life Seed.
Unlike its predecessor, which only took root in the body, the 3.0 version simultaneously anchored itself in both the body and the spirit.
This dual anchoring allowed the Life Seed to strengthen both physical and mental attributes.
Over time, even individuals without ninja talent could develop chakra through the Life Seed's enhancements.
In the ninja world, the so-called "talent" essentially boiled down to the ability to combine physical and spiritual energy to produce chakra.
Most civilians lacked this ability not because it was impossible but due to weak constitutions or ignorance of training methods.
The 3.0 Life Seed solved these problems, effectively granting anyone the potential to become a ninja.
Now, even the pirates on Moonlit Island had become ninjas.
The third-generation Life Seed had significantly narrowed the gap between ordinary people and ninja.
That said, this breakthrough was more of a fortunate accident.
Baishi's original intent wasn't to create more ninjas but to enhance the strength of his captured enemies so they could provide him with more chakra.
After all, maintaining his accelerated growth required an ever-increasing energy supply.
(End of Chapter)
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