In the giant cultivation tank, a piece of flesh cultivated from Zero-Tails Cells wriggled. It didn't take long for the cells to grow into a mass of flesh, absorbing nutrients and Natural Energy from the culture solution, and growing to this extent in a very short time.
Hyuga Mio observed the flesh grown from Zero-Tails Cells with her Byakugan, exclaiming in surprise, "Zero-Tails Cells are incredible; they can grow to such an extent and are still growing. Can Zero-Tails Cells divide indefinitely, without any division limit?"
Orochimaru looked at the growing flesh in the cultivation tank and inexplicably thought of Senju Hashirama's Hashirama cells; that guy truly was a treasure even after death.
The fact that Zero-Tails Cells could grow indefinitely reminded her of cancer cells. However, Zero-Tails Cells were different from cancer cells; she had conducted experiments on animals by transplanting Zero-Tails Cells not long ago.
Zero-Tails Cells would alter the host's body but would not take away the host's life.
Animals transplanted with Zero-Tails Cells would eventually transform into beings extremely similar to the Zero-Tails.
This made Orochimaru very curious about what kind of modifications Shinno had made to the Nine-Tailed's partial creation of the Zero-Tails, giving its cells such powerful invasive and assimilative properties.
No wonder Shinno wanted the Zero-Tails to devour the Nine-Tailed. If the Zero-Tails hadn't been so weak, Orochimaru would have truly believed it had the ability to devour the Nine-Tailed. She just didn't know if the devoured Nine-Tailed would still have a chance to revive.
Once I'm done with my current tasks, I also need to visit Hidden Sand Village.
Orochimaru thought of Bunbuku, who was imprisoned in Sunagakure. She was looking for Bunbuku to conduct another study: the survival of a Jinchuriki after their Tailed Beast is extracted.
If it's because the Chakra was extracted along with the Tailed Beast, it would be easy to handle... If not, Orochimaru would only be able to find other methods.
Given the growth rate of Zero-Tails Cells, perhaps the product of Zero-Tails Cells' growth could be sealed into the body of a Jinchuriki from whom a Tailed Beast had been extracted, thereby extending the Jinchuriki's life.
"Mio, take out the flesh cultivated from the Zero-Tails Cells. I need to conduct an experiment."
Orochimaru took out a scroll from her 懷裡. The scroll was covered with dense Sealing Technique formulas. She had studied the Uzumaki Clan's Forbidden Technique, Cursed Seal Blood Imprint.
The Cursed Seal Blood Imprint is a Forbidden Technique that sacrifices the caster's life force to imbue the sealing formula with life, forming a cursed formula to kill enemies.
Her idea was to combine the Forbidden Technique: Flesh Transformation and the Cursed Seal Blood Imprint to develop the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint, making the sealing formula absorb the enemy's life force to replenish the caster's own life force. It is a more malicious Forbidden Technique that benefits oneself at the expense of others.
The goal was to absorb the life force from the powerfully vital flesh cultivated from Zero-Tails Cells, using it to replenish the life force Uzumaki Nano expended when casting Forbidden Techniques.
However, although the flesh cultivated from Zero-Tails Cells had no self-awareness and was merely living flesh, forcibly extracting its life force required even stronger Sage Chakra.
Orochimaru would attempt to complete the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint using Sage Chakra.
In the empty room, Hyuga Mio, wearing protective gloves, placed the wriggling flesh on the platform in the center of the room.
"Orochimaru, are you starting the experiment?"
Hyuga Mio looked at Orochimaru, who was meditating cross-legged on the floor.
"Mm."
Orochimaru responded. Ceramic-white horns grew from the sides of her head, and a white snake tail grew from her spine. Her entire appearance matured from 16 to 18 years old.
"It's important to be cautious when conducting such a significant experiment."
Orochimaru stood up. Under the enhancement of Sage Mode, she could perceive the life force within the Zero-Tails Cells cultivated flesh even more clearly.
A tail had grown... Hyuga Mio's gaze lingered on the white snake tail behind Orochimaru.
"Stop staring at my tail. The experiment is about to begin."
Orochimaru took out the prepared scroll, bit her finger, and smeared blood on the scroll. The Sealing Technique formulas on the scroll absorbed her blood, as if coming alive, flying out of the scroll and towards the flesh on the platform.
"Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint!"
Orochimaru bit the scroll, made hand seals, and powerful Sage Chakra erupted from her body. Her long, dark hair floated seamlessly, the hard ground beneath her feet shattered, and the sealing formulas covering the flesh emitted a bright red glow.
"Byakugan!"
Hyuga Mio's veins bulged around her eyes as she observed the flesh and the sealing formulas.
The sealing formulas were actually absorbing the life force of the flesh!
A hint of horror flashed in Hyuga Mio's eyes. If she hadn't known what Orochimaru intended to use the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint for, she would never have believed that such a malicious technique could be used to save someone.
The flesh, which had consumed a lot of nutrient solution during its cultivation, quickly shriveled under the absorption of the sealing formulas, turning into powder and dissipating. The sealing formulas, having absorbed the life force of the flesh, returned to the scroll, their color changing from black to bright red.
"It seems my idea was correct: the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint, combining the Cursed Seal Blood Imprint with the Forbidden Technique: Flesh Transformation, absorbs the life force from the flesh cultivated from Zero-Tails Cells to replenish the life force consumed by casting Forbidden Techniques."
Orochimaru tied a string around the scroll and looked at it with a satisfied smile.
"The Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint is also the key to making the Regeneration Technique no longer consume life. By using the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint to absorb the life force of the flesh cultivated from Zero-Tails Cells to activate Flesh Transformation, the number of cell divisions becomes unlimited for a short period. Regeneration can occur without limit before the life force absorbed by the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint is exhausted."
Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Mio, who was full of questions, and patiently explained, "This Regeneration Technique obviously cannot increase lifespan, but it also won't consume lifespan when activated. Simply put, it's a transfer of cost; the cost of activating the Regeneration Technique is borne by the life force extracted from the flesh cultivated from Zero-Tails Cells."
"It's a bit of a shame that it needs to be prepared in advance to activate the Regeneration Technique with the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint."
Orochimaru placed the scroll in Hyuga Mio's hand. "Mio, this is for you. You know the Regeneration Technique I researched. If you ever need it, tear open the scroll, and the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint formula will spread throughout your body. The life force absorbed by the formula will become the power for you to activate the Regeneration Technique."
Hyuga Mio had assisted her in research for quite some time, and Orochimaru had long considered her one of her own, even allowing her to use her research results.
"Orochimaru, aren't you going to use this for...?"
Hyuga Mio looked at the scroll in her hand. It was false to say she wasn't moved, but she knew even more clearly why Orochimaru was conducting these researches. It wasn't just to complete the Regeneration Technique, but also for Uzumaki Nano, who was far away in the Land of Waves.
"The first casting of the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint isn't perfect yet, but it's enough to activate the Regeneration Technique..."
Orochimaru wanted to perfect the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint before using this Forbidden Technique to replenish Uzumaki Nano's life force.
"The Zero-Tails is in our hands, and we have as much Zero-Tails Cells cultivated flesh as we need. I will prepare more scrolls for the Reverse Cursed Seal Blood Imprint to activate the Regeneration Technique."
"Orochimaru, thank you."
Hyuga Mio carefully put away the scroll. This was a scroll that could make her immortal at a critical moment.
"I should be the one saying thank you, Mio. With your assistance, I've saved a lot of time and avoided many detours."
Orochimaru said with a smile. Hyuga Mio's help to her was not just a Byakugan. The Eye Sealing Curse Mark could be researched to this day thanks to her willingness to cooperate with experiments.
"Besides, you gave up your Ninja career to assist me, didn't you?"
"I just grew tired of the Ninja life."
Hyuga Mio said somewhat disingenuously, her gaze a little unfocused.
You don't even believe that yourself, do you?
Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Mio, whose gaze was almost drifting to the sky, but didn't expose her lie.
Laboratory Base
Is this the limit of Sage Art Explosives to contain Sage Chakra?
Mitsu held a palm-sized Sage Art Explosives. The power of this small piece of Sage Art Explosives was enough to blow a huge deep pit into the peninsula where Uchiha Madara was hiding.
At first, she thought that explosives capable of containing Chakra might not be able to contain Sage Chakra, but the reality was quite the opposite. Explosives clearly had a higher affinity for Sage Chakra than for Chakra.
Mitsu believed that this situation might be due to Natural Energy, which is ubiquitous on this planet and can be understood as the origin of all things.
The materials used to make the explosives were all naturally occurring materials synthesized together, which meant that in terms of affinity, Natural Energy was higher than Chakra.
If only I could recruit the Three Snake Princesses of Ryūchi Cave to manufacture Sage Art Explosives for me.
The thought of having to rely on herself to manufacture Sage Art Explosives made Mitsu's head ache. People without Sage Chakra couldn't help with such a task at all, and En no Gyoja of the Tsuchigumo Clan hadn't yet developed Rappa Ten, so he couldn't be relied upon either.
Let's go find Jugo's clan. The original story never mentioned where that clan lived, so she had no way of finding them.
Thinking that there's strength in numbers, the bounties on the black market have been up for several years now, but there's been no news at all. Or rather, there have been some idiots trying to swindle the bounty money, and without exception, they were all killed by Kakuzu.
No one who has dared to trick Kakuzu is still alive.
The last person who used Wood Release Wood Clones to toy with him was named Senju Hashirama, and he's been dead for almost twenty years.
Land of Waves
A black car flew through the air. The busy people at the port heard the whooshing sound and looked up to see the black car flying by. It had the Amegakure symbol on its body, clearly indicating it came from the Land of Rain.
When will the company start selling to the public?
The merchants, seeing the stylish black car, really wanted to buy one to show off, but White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company was stubbornly set on not selling to the public.
Even the Daimyo of the Five Great Nations couldn't buy cars produced by White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, let alone them.
White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, President's Office.
"President Aokawa, long time no see."
Hanzō had a warm smile on his face. The Land of Rain owed its current prosperity to the company's help.
As long as the company didn't betray the Land of Rain, no matter what happened, the Land of Rain would stand with the company. This was not only his thought but also the thought of the people of the Land of Rain.
The changes White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company brought to the Land of Rain were visible. Even the perpetually rainy climate could be solved by the company, though it would require blowing up a mountain range to get rid of the constant rain.
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