SWDnovel Chapter 302 As Lord Orochimaru's most trusted and capable assistant
Chapter 302 As Lord Orochimaru's most trusted and capable assistant
Chapter 302 As Lord Orochimaru's most trusted and capable assistant
The laboratory door closed behind Orochimaru.
Click.
Kabuto stood there somewhat dazed, holding the file board in his hand.
He seemed to be pondering Orochimaru's words, or perhaps he had thought of something.
Kabuto slowly turned around, his gaze passing over the experimental equipment and landing once again on the nine White Zetsu immersed in the nutrient solution.
The nine samples were divided into nine cylindrical containers, with tubes inserted from their chests to the sides of their necks, and their skin was pale, like freshly dug roots.
Over the past few days, he and Lord Orochimaru have been working tirelessly, experimenting on and recording data from these samples.
He can recite every set of data backwards.
Kabuto lowered his head, flipped through the file in his hand, and after reviewing it, closed the file folder and muttered, "Based on all the experimental data we have obtained so far, the probability of curing Kimimaro is at least sixty percent."
For Kimimaro, who was terminally ill and essentially sentenced to death, this was a rare opportunity.
There is a 60% chance that you can revive him and regain a completely loyal high-level subordinate, or even a potential vessel.
Unexpectedly, Lord Orochimaru refused.
Why?
Kabuto looked puzzled, recalling how Orochimaru had indeed shown interest when he suggested using Kimimaro as a test subject.
That's a scientist's instinctive reaction to a valuable proposal.
But Orochimaru asked instead how long Kimimaro could hold on.
The question itself is very strange.
Could it be that...?
An idea popped into my head uncontrollably.
Is Lord Orochimaru worried that a failed surgery could lead to Kimimaro's death?
The moment the idea popped into his head, Kabuto shook his head and dismissed it.
Lord Orochimaru's tolerance for experimental failures and material losses is far higher than most people imagine.
He pursues breakthroughs in the boundaries of knowledge and power, and he considers the necessary losses in the process to be an acceptable price to pay.
Adults are never hesitant to take risks as long as the expected returns are large enough.
Given the potential value of Kimimaro as a special vessel, even a 10% success rate would be absolutely worth the gamble under Lord Orochimaru's standards.
Unless—unless Lord Orochimaru has a longer-term plan for Kimimaro.
Dou pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, the lenses reflecting the laboratory lights, and squinted.
However, Kimimaro only has six months left to live.
What other plans could Lord Orochimaru possibly have?
I understand it less and less.
He recalled the recent period.
Ever since Lord Orochimaru came into contact with that magical dream world, he has become increasingly unable to fathom Lord Orochimaru's thoughts.
Sometimes, Orochimaru would suddenly stop in the heat of his research, which made Kabuto very uncomfortable.
As Orochimaru's most trusted assistant, he is accustomed to and adept at understanding and perfectly executing every intention of the master.
He was the most intricate cog in the adult's plan.
However, now, adults are beginning to exhibit logic that he cannot fully comprehend.
Kabuto looked down at the medical records about Kimimaro in his hand.
An absurd idea suddenly popped into my head.
If things continue like this, will my value as an assistant be greatly diminished?
Dou took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent thoughts in his heart, and his face regained its refined and easygoing expression.
He began to organize the lab bench, file the records, wipe the instruments and various utensils, and put them back in their place according to their numbers.
The outer edge of the leaf.
Deep in the forest.
Uchiha Itachi sat quietly with his back against the rough tree bark, his posture still appearing as if he were resting with his eyes closed.
A moment later, Itachi slowly opened his eyes, his face indifferent.
He turned his head slightly to look at Kisame Hoshigaki, who was sitting opposite him taking care of his Samehada skin, and calmly said, "There hasn't been anything unusual happening in Konoha today."
Concise and concise.
After saying that, he took out some dry rations from his ninja tool bag, tore off a small piece, and put it in his mouth expressionlessly.
However, Kisame did not start muttering to himself as usual.
Itachi paused in his chewing as he felt a probing gaze upon him.
Even someone as composed as Itachi felt uncomfortable being stared at like that.
He swallowed the food in his mouth, raised his head, met Kisame's gaze, and calmly asked, "What's wrong, Kisame?"
"Ugh————"
Kisame scratched his head, put down Samehada, and asked with concern, "Ichishichi-san, you seem to be lacking in energy lately. Has your old illness flared up again?"
"Oh?" Itachi's voice remained completely expressionless. "What do you mean?"
"Well, how should I put it?" Kisame tilted his head. "Back when you were monitoring Konoha, you could stare at it for an entire day without even opening your eyes."
"But lately, it seems like you only look at it for a short while before looking away."
"I feel a bit... powerless."
Kisame's keen observation sent a slight chill through Itachi.
This seemingly rough partner possesses a keen sense of detail that rivals any sensory ninja.
However, Itachi's expression remained unchanged, still the same calm demeanor he always had, and he replied as usual, "Yes, I've been feeling a bit lacking in energy lately, probably because my old ailment has relapsed, so I need to conserve my chakra a little."
"?" Kisame's eyes showed even greater worry. "Is everything alright, Oichi-san? Should we inform the adults?"
"Or, we can find a slightly more comfortable place for you to rest and recuperate for a few days. I'll write the mission report."
Despite the complex relationships among the members of Akatsuki.
However, their long partnership led Kisame to develop a special kind of recognition and affection for Itachi.
Faced with Kisame's genuine concern, Itachi felt a pang of guilt.
The claim of lack of energy is false; the real reason is that Ototo is no longer in Konoha.
Therefore, he naturally could no longer tirelessly use his public office for personal gain as before.
But naturally, he couldn't tell Kisame about this.
"----Need not."
Itachi waved his hand, interrupting Kisame's suggestion.
"There's no need to disturb him."
He stuffed the last bit of dry food into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed it, regaining his calm and collected demeanor.
Kisame looked at him with suspicion.
Having been partners for many years, he could sense that Itachi seemed to be hiding something.
But her calm and composed expression and impeccable reasoning left him unable to find any flaws in her story.
Kisame opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.
Just then.
hum.
The rings worn by the two, representing core members of the Akatsuki organization, simultaneously emitted a surge of chakra.
From within the ring, Pain's distinctive voice rang out: "Return to Amegakure immediately."
The command consists of only one sentence, with no explanation or additional information.
Itachi's eyes didn't change, but his expression became serious, and Kisame also put away his usual relaxed expression.
"Break time is over, Daiichi-san."
Kisame grinned, revealing his sharp, shark-like teeth.
He grabbed the sharkskin from the ground and easily hoisted it onto his shoulder.
"It seems that's indeed the case."
Itachi gave a simple reply and quickly got up as well.
The two exchanged a glance, needing no further words.
Their years of working together and their tacit understanding allowed them to instantly grasp the next course of action.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two figures, one after the other, sped off towards Amegakure Village and soon disappeared into the vast forest.
time flies.
Night fell quickly.
Inside an unassuming house.
Shi Yu looked at the system panel.
Today, the [Dream Fulfillment Experience Ticket] and [Unstable Secondary Dungeon] have completed their cooldown period.
The two icons, which were originally a dull gray, have now lit up again.
"Okay."
"Finally, we can come up with something new."
Underground in Otohime Village.
The Pharmacist Kabuto's lounge.
The room was so clean it was almost rigid.
There was only a hard bed, a bookshelf full of scrolls, and a detailed diagram of human meridians on the wall.
Yakushi Kabuto lay on the bed, his brows slightly furrowed.
Even though the body has entered a resting state.
But his mind wasn't completely relaxed; it was still thinking about what had happened during the day.
Orochimaru's unpredictable attitude, Kimimaro's illness, and his anxieties about his own situation.
If Lord Orochimaru only wants to delay and wait for a more suitable opportunity, then what is that opportunity?
Or is there another plan?
Can I predict this in advance and provide timely assistance?
With a jumble of thoughts swirling in my mind, Dou fell asleep.
However, when I opened my eyes again, the first thing I heard was the sound of rummaging around.
Interspersed among them was a young male voice muttering to himself, "What to do—what to do—"
"How could it not work?"
"Master clearly said this dosage was appropriate—why isn't it working?"
The owner of the voice seemed to be completely panicked, followed by an undeniable sense of unease.
A violent, unfamiliar chakra raged wildly in his right arm.
The pain grew clearer with each wave, spreading from his arm all the way to his shoulder. Years of ninja training and composure allowed Kabuto to forcefully suppress his initial confusion and discomfort upon sensing the abnormality.
He suddenly opened his eyes wide, enduring the discomfort of the bright light, and quickly scanned his surroundings, finding himself lying on his back on a metal laboratory bed.
The hands, feet, and torso were firmly fixed in place, preventing free movement.
The overhead light was blinding, and the room was a somewhat messy and rudimentary laboratory.
It was different from the style of the underground base in Otogakure that he was familiar with.
Various medicine bottles and experimental records were scattered on the lab table.
Some of the papers even had black marks from being burned on the edges.
Kabuto's gaze quickly locked onto his own body.
After seeing your own body clearly.
The pharmacist was startled.
He discovered that his body had shrunk.
The frame is narrower, and the shoulders are much narrower.
He was shirtless at that moment.
Several semi-transparent sensor patches were attached to the skin, with thin lines extending from the patches to the adjacent instrument, and irregular waveforms jumping on the screen.
His right arm was writhing violently.
That wasn't a normal muscle twitch; it felt like something was growing under the skin, arching, trying to break free of its restraints.
Strands of chakra, brimming with dangerous vitality, were seeping out and dissipating uncontrollably from the pores of the skin.
The moment those chakra came into contact with the air, they spread along the skin like seeds with roots, creating fine lines that brought an even stronger stinging sensation.
"This is----"
Dou's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Typical characteristics of interstitial cell rampage!
"It's all over—it's going to be too late!"
"My master isn't here, what should I do!"
The panicked young voice rang out again.
Dou looked in the direction of the sound.
Beside the lab table, a young man in a white uniform stood with his back to him.
The cuffs of his white uniform were stained with several light-colored marks from the medicine, and his back was soaked with sweat.
He frantically searched through the cluttered table like a headless fly.
The drawer was pulled open and pushed back in, the bottle was picked up and thrown down, and papers flew everywhere.
Dou's gaze lingered on the person's back, and a judgment flashed through his mind.
Has he entered a dream world?
From body size to environmental style, nothing here matches reality.
No, to be more precise, this was unlike any base he was familiar with.
Dou wanted to observe further and find more clues about whose laboratory this was.
Who is his master? Why was he tied to the bed? Was this rampage a deliberate accident, or part of an experiment?
But the increasingly intense pain in his right arm and the sense of crisis from his chakra going berserk left him no time to investigate further.
As a top-tier medical ninja, the current situation is very clear to him: crisis management and elimination of safety hazards are imperative.
Dou quickly and calmly scanned the entire laboratory again, assessing the available resources and the best solutions.
He quickly found a solution.
Kabuto took a deep breath and said calmly and clearly, "Hey, stop flipping it over."
The moment the words left his mouth, the young man who was searching froze.
"At this level of rampage, conventional inhibitors are no longer effective."
He paused for a moment, as if giving the other person time to process what was happening, before continuing, "We need to use a sealing talisman. There's one right under your feet."