Chapter 216: Fierce Battle (Part 1)
Uchiha Kei walked silently through Orochimaru's underground laboratory, his expression relaxed on the surface.
But the scarlet glow of his Sharingan and the tension in the hand hidden beneath his cloak betrayed his unease.
After all, who could truly believe that Orochimaru's laboratory was free of danger?
He glanced around quietly. The chamber was cloaked in shadow, yet surprisingly dry.
The flickering candlelight gave the place a restless, almost sickly atmosphere.
Worse still, Kei could hear the steady hum and intermittent beeping of strange instruments.
That sharp beep… beep… echoed like the monitors of an intensive care ward.
Except, Kei knew this place was not for saving lives—
it was a place built to take them.
The only redeeming quality here might be the ventilation… and how well it's kept dry, Kei thought to himself.
For all its macabre purpose, the laboratory was still masterfully designed. Truly worthy of Orochimaru's reputation—disgusting as his methods were, his genius was undeniable.
Kei himself maintained an underground laboratory, though it was no longer entirely his alone. Even so, he held a certain fondness for it. Over time, it had been expanded and renovated, with greater capacity and improved facilities.
And yet, compared to what stood before him now, his own laboratory still felt lacking.
Perhaps, when I get the chance, I should pry into Orochimaru's design philosophy, he mused with a faint shake of his head.
But Kei had not forgotten why he was here. His true purpose was to find Orochimaru's test subjects.
There was no rush. He could let Imai Kenta keep Orochimaru occupied a while longer.
Ten minutes—that was the benchmark Kei had set.
A trial by fire to measure Kenta's reaction under pressure.
Kei hadn't expected much at first. Yet Kenta had let something slip: if he still had enough stamina to consider escape after ten minutes of desperate combat, then he wasn't truly at his limit.
Perhaps not even fully warmed up. At the very least, he had entered the state of serious battle.
By Kei's estimate, Kenta should be capable of withstanding Orochimaru for fifteen, even twenty minutes—perhaps more.
That was why Kei wasn't in any hurry. He had ample time to search for what he sought.
And if Kenta couldn't endure? If Orochimaru killed him outright?
That would simply prove his weakness. Kei had already arranged for backup.
If he couldn't even last until reinforcements arrived, then his death was nothing but deserved.
Let's hope you don't embarrass yourself too quickly, Kei thought coldly, as he pressed deeper into the labyrinth.
The deeper he went, the sharper and more grating that beep… beep… became, drilling into his ears.
His Sharingan flickered as he scanned the surroundings, until his gaze locked onto a heavy door.
The sound of the instruments—yes, it was coming from behind there.
With a push, the door creaked open. The noise surged, piercing and invasive.
And what lay beyond made Kei's scalp prickle.
The room wasn't large, but even within such a confined space stood more than a dozen life-support pods.
Kei knew very well how expensive such devices were—
not just in terms of cost, but in how scarce and restricted the supply had become.
And yet here, Orochimaru had packed an entire room with them.
Whether stockpiled from years of collection, or acquired later through… other means, it was a staggering display.
Wealth. Power. Influence.
All laid bare in this grotesque chamber.
Uchiha Kei drew in a deep breath as his eyes swept over the figures sealed within the life-support pods. They were still alive, yet trapped in unconsciousness. Men and women, adults and children alike—every single one of them bore the same expression: faces twisted in pain.
On some of the subjects, small buds of wood even sprouted grotesquely from their bodies.
Kei's mind sharpened instantly. So this is it… Orochimaru's secret laboratory with Danzō—experiments with Hashirama Senju's cells.
A cold smile tugged at his lips.
"Didn't think I'd get this lucky," he murmured. "Stumbling into a place like this…"
Orochimaru's underground lab brimmed with research—complex, wide-ranging, and forbidden. To him, Hashirama's cells were just one of many projects. Countless others were equally unspeakable.
Kei had only intended to uncover something. Any thread would have sufficed.
But this… this was a prize far greater than expected. If he could retrieve the right records, it might change everything.
He wasted no time, rifling through drawers and cabinets, scanning notebooks and reports.
Orochimaru's meticulous notes, his research lists, his data logs—Kei examined them all, setting aside anything of value.
There was no need to rush. With time still on his side, he could be thorough.
But just as he picked up a document labeled "Experiment Index"—
The ground shuddered violently beneath his feet. The whole laboratory trembled as though on the verge of collapse. Kei's face hardened instantly, shadows deepening across his expression.
So… it's begun.
---
Meanwhile, in another chamber—
Orochimaru smiled eerily at Imai Kenta, who stood before him with full concentration.
He hissed with amusement, tongue flicking across his lips. "Teammates are such a hindrance. Especially you and Uchiha Kei—you two are so alike. What a pity. Kei is bound to Konoha now as head of the Police Force, his path already sealed.
But you, Kenta… you still have potential. If you followed me, you could step into an entirely new world."
"I'll pass," Kenta said flatly, shaking his head.
There was no fake smile, no false bravado. Against Orochimaru, he couldn't even pretend.
"I'm satisfied with where I am. And I trust my captain's judgment."
Orochimaru chuckled, serpentine eyes narrowing.
"Right or wrong isn't the point. The point is—" he raised his chin, voice slithering low—"I am the Third Hokage's disciple."
He licked his lips. "But identities can change. Mine certainly will. Perhaps, one day, I'll open a door for you, Kenta-kun. When the time comes, I hope you'll choose wisely."
Kenta's brows knitted. Those words shook him, but he forced himself calm. Orochimaru's meaning was clear—he already knew Kenta's true origins.
The only question was… did Hiruzen and the village know as well?
If they did, life for him and his family would only grow harsher.
But there was no time to dwell. He knew one thing: letting Orochimaru's words rattle him in battle meant courting death.
Drawing a steadying breath, Kenta leveled his blade at Orochimaru. His gaze grew calm, cold, utterly focused, shutting out every distraction.
That composure drew a genuine flicker of admiration from Orochimaru.
"Yes… very good. Since you fight with a blade, allow me to humor you. Don't be rash, though. Before we cross swords, let me share a little secret."
He tilted back his head. From his throat, a gleaming sword slid forth, dripping with foul saliva—the Sword of Kusanagi.
Unfazed by the slime, Orochimaru grasped it lightly, speaking as he strode forward.
"As for your family and its secrets… my teacher remains unaware. And even if he did know, do you truly think he would care?
If he did… would any of you still be alive today?"
Before the words had even faded, Orochimaru blurred forward, blade flashing down with terrifying speed.
Faster. Sharper. Deadlier than before.
The Kusanagi's natural aura of supremacy weighed on Kenta's senses. A blade and a master, both honed to terrifying extremes.
Kenta inhaled deeply, his body steady, his mind sharpened. He knew exactly who—what—stood before him. And he knew only one path remained: fight with everything he had.
Steel clashed. Sparks flew.
A single shift of Kenta's wrist redirected his sword, pressing its spine against Orochimaru's blade as they slid past one another.
Sparks danced.
Orochimaru licked his lips, then shoved forward with monstrous strength.
Kenta felt the impact like a tidal wave—unstoppable, overwhelming. His sword arm buckled, forced wide.
But his reflexes saved him. In an instant, he let Orochimaru's momentum hurl him upward.
"Earth Release: Earth Spear!"
Midair, Kenta clenched the hilt of his sword between his teeth, freeing his hands to weave seals.
Stone spears erupted from the ground, filling Orochimaru's path, forcing him to halt his advance.
Kenta landed lightly, body steady, eyes blazing. In the next instant, he surged forward faster than ever before, blade arcing in a ruthless strike.
Orochimaru smiled faintly and bent his body at an inhuman angle, letting the slash whistle past.
But Kenta didn't relent. He pressed in, strike after strike, blade flashing like lightning.
Each slash faster. Each cut sharper. Each strike more venomous.
Without Kei as dead weight, Kenta fought at his full potential—and his swordsmanship shocked even Orochimaru.
For the first time, the sannin found himself driven onto the defensive.
His sword was powerful. But Kenta's technique—
Kenta's relentless, refined swordplay—forced him back step by step.
For a time, blade and blade met evenly, sparks filling the chamber.
Still, Orochimaru smiled. In his mind, the advantage was his.
Such ferocity could not last forever. In this war of attrition, stamina would decide the victor. And surely, Kenta would break first.
Or so he thought.
Because Kenta's strikes only grew faster. His stamina showed no signs of faltering.
He fought harder, fiercer, stronger.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. A whisper slipped past his lips.
"As expected… you really are one of them."