Ninja Ice House

Chapter 619 Test

The Orochimaru who arrived was none other than the Orochimaru from the dream world who had made a cooperative deal with Kosugi Bokusui.

Coincidentally, given that the Third Shinobi World War had just ended and the village was preparing to select the Fourth Hokage, it was a time when Konoha was still focused on resting and recuperating, licking its wounds. Naturally, immature research projects like "Naval Ninja," which were already relatively marginalized and were only hastily launched due to the escalating conflict with the Mist People and the urgent need to replenish their fighting force, were abandoned.

This Orochimaru knows Tenji very well; they haven't been apart for very long.

"Heaven knows, he's really an unexpected person. I originally thought that such a mediocre talent who was neither good enough for high positions nor good enough for low positions was not worth my time. I never expected that he could actually make a name for himself."

"Is it really Orochimaru? No, although I heard that Fuma Arashi successfully turned against Orochimaru, if he were to recover, he definitely wouldn't be like this now. He's ridiculously weak!"

Tenchi, who once followed Orochimaru, naturally understood just how powerful that one of the "Three Legendary Sannin" was. Like a cold wind that brings calamity, just seeing him made one feel uncomfortable, and being close to him made one feel an indescribable sense of threat.

But the Orochimaru in front of me, let's assume it's him, is very similar, but the state I'm feeling is quite different.

"Although... working with you isn't the ideal choice, it's not particularly bad either."

Before Kabuto Yakushi grew up and was won over, Orochimaru didn't have many good helpers. In the early stages, he mainly relied on Danzo Shimura and the Root organization for resources and protection. Over the years, so many people came and went, and Tenchi's performance was actually above average. It's just that because he was a bit of a liability, Orochimaru didn't pay much attention to him after his defection.

"what happened?"

At this moment, Tianzhi also sensed something unusual.

The person in front of him is very likely Orochimaru, but... he may not be the Orochimaru he knows.

There was no reply from the other side; instead, it was Gu Shanbu Shui who spoke up:

"You two handle the adjustment period yourselves. Also, take this..."

As he spoke, Kosugi Bokusui took out a sealing scroll and handed it to Orochimaru.

"what is this?"

"A guy named Kisame Hoshigaki, before he died, had a piece of his living tissue cut off. After being treated with forbidden techniques and growing wildly for quite a long time, it initially possessed the foundation of a normal ninja... well, a very strong one. His body is indescribable, you can imagine for yourself. As for his spirit and soul, his self-awareness is extremely weak. Your Reanimation Jutsu is almost perfected, isn't it?"

"Is he my new body?"

"Yes, and no!"

Gu Shanbu explained,

"The side effects of the Reincarnation Technique are actually quite severe. Constantly discarding your original physical body and mixing it with foreign souls will gradually cause you to lose your original appearance and be influenced by the obsessions of others. Your current Orochi Technique is not yet fully mastered and is insufficient to significantly offset its side effects. Therefore, you need to use it in conjunction with the 'Snake Shedding Technique.' Didn't I show you that case of one person splitting into two?"

Kosugi Bokusui was referring to the fact that Usami was split in two.

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru showed a curious expression, but he suppressed his restless thoughts and nodded in reply:

"Indeed, you mean to do the opposite and pair me with this... Kisame Hoshigaki, right, he wouldn't happen to be one of the new Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, the wielder of Samehada, would he?"

"That's him, the one known as the Tailed Beast without a tail. He's already dead, but I cut off a piece of him and nurtured it. I didn't know how to use it before, but now I'll give it to you."

"It's this person!"

Orochimaru clearly knew this person. The reason is simple: a gifted classmate of Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha was killed during a spy mission when they infiltrated Kirigakure. At that time, the name "Tailless Tailed Beast" also appeared.

Coincidentally, the person who served as the commander-in-chief of the southeastern front was the person in charge of the laboratory responsible for mass-producing naval ninjas.

In Orochimaru's mind, this incident had only happened two or three years ago, not a long time, so he had some recollection of it.

"As for his aptitude, by the standards of top-tier experts, he can only be considered above average. However, his chakra reserves are terrifying, and his physical attributes and endurance are also good. If he is properly trained, it will be difficult for him to reach the 'Five Kage' level, but he is definitely more than capable of handling someone like the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

"I've considered this candidate for a long time. Your basic physical strength is too low. You probably can't even resist the instincts of a spore life form like White Zetsu, which is just a shell. Moreover, your coordination with 'Snake Shedding Technique' is too poor. Searching for a weak, old, sick, or disabled person would be a waste of time and opportunity. A shell like Kisame Hoshigaki's, whose consciousness has been erased and who is left with only biological activity, weak and scattered spiritual power, and no resistance, would be a good transitional body for you."

"can!"

Orochimaru pondered for a while, and reluctantly agreed.

Perhaps Gu Shanbu Shui has a better solution, but... since he has chosen this path, he must bear certain costs.

In a sense, this is also a test from the young master for Orochimaru, who is a clone of himself from the dream world. If he can't even pass this test, it means that his foundation in the real ninja world is not solid, let alone anything else.

If it succeeds, that would be ideal. But if it fails, the opposite is also possible. An artificially cultivated body, like a blank sheet of paper, devours Orochimaru's soul, giving it a higher starting point. With Ameji guiding it, it won't be long before it becomes another outstanding subordinate.

The clever Orochimaru must have thought of this as well.

Kosugi Bokusui's own stance is clear: he doesn't really care who takes the lead after the two are combined—Orochimaru, Kisame Hoshigaki, or anything else. What matters is that the laboratory needs a highly intelligent, creative, and solidly capable "assistant" to work with Tenchi.

Having arrived in the real world and learned a great deal about the "future" under the protection of Kosugi Bokusui, Orochimaru is quite aware that his situation is not safe. In the dream world, he is one of the respected "Sannin" and a strong contender for the Fourth Hokage, but in the real world, a strong adult male could pose a deadly threat to him.

The ninjutsu that he used to be proficient in now seems extremely difficult to use, and even "small things" like refining chakra are a bit beyond his capabilities.

Unexpectedly, the first challenge they encountered was a life-or-death crisis.