Chapter 115: The Jutsu Stronger Than Immortality
The last remaining ruffian, seeing Orochimaru's nonchalant method of killing and the pool of blood and corpses on the floor, immediately realized he had messed with the wrong people—ninja. Stumbling and staggering, he bolted toward the back of the inn, hoping to find a back door and save his life.
Orochimaru retracted the poisonous python and calmly instructed Sakumo: "Go and kill that man."
A look of internal conflict flashed in Sakumo's eyes, but he leaped away to obey.
Orochimaru himself was serene. He walked past the corpses with a calm, unbothered expression, took out a pouch of money, and tossed it to the innkeeper. He said indifferently: "A table of food, two rooms. The remaining money is for the labor of cleaning up the bodies."
The old man tremblingly accepted the generous money pouch. Being a seasoned veteran of the world, he knew Orochimaru was a ninja, and likely a powerful one. Without saying anything more, he comforted his granddaughter and went to prepare Orochimaru's food and rooms.
Orochimaru, under the gaze of the innkeeper's lively granddaughter—a gaze mixed with fear and a touch of curiosity—sat down composedly at a worn wooden dining table, waiting for Sakumo's return.
Testing the Resolve
After about five minutes, Sakumo returned, looking dazed. Orochimaru was not surprised; he knew this was likely Sakumo's first kill and that he had probably struggled internally for a while.
Sakumo sat down, looking distracted. The food had been served, but he clearly had no intention of eating. Orochimaru ate a few bites before speaking: "If you hadn't gone to kill that thug just now, I would send you back to Konoha immediately. Since you did kill him, I'll only add one thing: those people deserved to die."
Sakumo nodded. He looked at the food, picked up his chopsticks, and hesitated. The heavy smell of blood still lingered, and the scene of the killing seemed to flash in his mind. He finally put the chopsticks down.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, had no aversion to eating amidst the corpses and the pervasive smell of blood. He continued eating. Only after finishing his meal did he put down his chopsticks and say coolly: "If, after killing a person, you can't even eat a meal, you are simply unfit to be a ninja, and even more unfit to be an heir of the Hatake clan."
Orochimaru's words directly struck Sakumo's pride. Without a word, Sakumo forced himself to eat, but it wasn't long before he vomited onto the floor.
Orochimaru didn't mind. Only after Sakumo finished throwing up did he continue: "Keep eating. Eat until you can do it without vomiting."
Sakumo didn't complain at all, carrying out Orochimaru's command to the letter.
It took over an hour. The innkeeper diligently cleaned up the corpses and the bloodstains, and the young granddaughter's fear had dissipated, replaced by intense surprise and curiosity. Only then did Sakumo, with great difficulty, finally fill his stomach.
Orochimaru sat beside him, watching Sakumo vomit three times and restart his meal three times until he finished. He then subtly licked his lips and smiled wickedly. As expected of the White Fang. He truly is a talent that can be molded!
Sakumo looked at Orochimaru: "Now, can I be sure that I won't be sent back to Konoha halfway through the trip?"
A look of curious amusement appeared in Orochimaru's dark-golden eyes. He smiled noncommittally: "For the days ahead, listen more, observe more, think more, and do more. Just talk less. Of course, if you break down, don't come crying and begging me then!"
Sakumo did not speak. Unlike the first time he met Orochimaru, he now held an unyielding gaze as sharp as a blade, even without the White Light Blade in his hand.
Orochimaru knew Sakumo was an obsessive person. He smiled again, realizing he was much the same. And how many people who earn the right to stand at the world's peak are without an obsessive side?
He stopped dwelling on it. Orochimaru and Sakumo followed the innkeeper to their respective rooms.
Researching the Ultimate Jutsu
Once inside his room, despite the typical backward and poor condition of the small country—meaning there were no electric lights—the simple, tidy, and clean bed and furnishings were satisfactory to Orochimaru, who was not demanding in this regard.
Taking off his large black hooded coat, Orochimaru lit a candle. He took out the scroll given to him by Hatake Gen from his hip pouch and sat down at the old, worn desk, beginning to study it carefully. Occasionally, he would weave a few hand signs to observe the flow of his own chakra, verifying the scroll's contents against his own theories.
When Hatake Gen accepted Orochimaru as his disciple and gave him this scroll, he stated that it only contained some of the Hatake clan's Taijutsu secrets and the basic framework and essence of the Supreme Blade Style and the Deceptive Blade Style.
Although it did not involve the absolute core secrets and techniques of the Hatake clan's Taijutsu and Kenjutsu, Orochimaru was very satisfied. With his vast knowledge of Ninjutsu and secret techniques, cross-referencing and verifying the information provided immense benefit.
It helped not only with the progress of his Lifeform Evolution Project but also with Orochimaru's own Kenjutsu.
Furthermore, he didn't actually need the core secrets of the Deceptive Blade Style and the Supreme Blade Style. The basic frameworks were enough. Knowing the absolute core secrets might limit his thinking and growth potential, and Orochimaru disliked such a penny-wise, pound-foolish approach.
So, Orochimaru was happy with Gen's decision; it was a win-win for both parties. Orochimaru could now incorporate his own understanding into the Hatake frameworks, potentially forming a unique Kenjutsu style of his own.
After two hours of studying the Hatake Taijutsu and Kenjutsu scroll, Orochimaru took out a series of other items sealed in a separate scroll from his hip pouch.
A stack of snow-white talismans, a bottle of black ink, a small inkstone, and several delicate, precious calligraphy brushes.
After setting everything down, Orochimaru began to sketch and draw esoteric and complex sealing formulas on a piece of scratch paper. He then connected these obscure formulas into intricate chains of secret jutsu sequences.
Looking at these individual formulas and chains of secret techniques—and being able to clearly decipher all their meanings and effects—Orochimaru slowly closed his eyes. He rapidly simulated the techniques in his mind. Occasionally, he would open his eyes, pick up his brush, and sketch a few lines.
Over and over, time after time, Orochimaru was constantly comparing, simulating, and verifying the powerful Ninjutsu deep within his memory—the one he carried from his two lives. The forbidden jutsu he had spent all his effort creating in his previous life—the one even stronger and more perfect than Immortality.
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