Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 175 Having taken my technique, they'll risk their lives to repay me.

Jigen was not actually satisfied with the guy in front of him, even though this was the best work Orochimaru could produce.

This is a fusion at the genetic level, completely different from the experimental products he cultivated using Hashirama cells in the past!

Adding a segment of Hyuga clan genes to this foundation greatly increased the difficulty of cultivation. Even today, with the biological knowledge of the Otsutsuki clan provided by Jigen, Orochimaru still had to sacrifice more than two hundred boys and girls before he could finally cultivate this successful creation.

But at least it was a success. The greatness of science lies in the fact that every groundbreaking experimental result can be replicated and eventually mass-produced, because the technological barriers are there, and once they are broken, they are broken!
"Although it's not very stable yet and there's still some element of chance involved, if we continue down this path of genetic modification, we might see results in a few years and be able to consistently produce a sufficient number of finished products..."

Orochimaru looked at Jigen beside him and thought that this guy probably wouldn't be so easy to talk to.

"No need. Too many containers would be a hassle. I can't put a wedge in everyone."

"Let these containers fight each other, and the one that remains at the end will naturally be the best body, worthy of your enjoyment." Orochimaru licked his lips.

Anyway, he was keen on using this method to select containers; only the strongest could survive to the end, and the one that could survive to the end was the most suitable.

Moreover, this method can be used to continuously test the characteristics of the wedge.

Cixian coldly replied, "No need. Reincarnation containers are only divided into qualified and unqualified. If they can all be qualified, there is no difference between better and worse ones. In the end, they will all be overwritten by my data, and the one that is resurrected in the end will not be affected."

So that's how it is. The Karma technique is far more perfect than simply changing bodies... Orochimaru thought quickly, but he didn't have the ability to create Karma. This should be the core secret technique of the Otsutsuki clan.

"Furthermore, don't assume that this kid in front of you is qualified. The subsequent modifications will be even more difficult. If you're not careful, his body will be damaged and he will lose his qualification to become a vessel. Even if he succeeds, he still has to overcome the difficulty of implanting the wedge."

How did Yahiko succeed?

"He was a defective product from the start. With the Wedge forcibly implanted, he would die after using it a few times at most. A normal vessel would not have this problem. Although each use of the Wedge's power would accelerate my resurrection process, it would not be a problem for me to live for many years."

There was one thing Jigen didn't tell Orochimaru: even after successfully obtaining a suitable vessel for the Karma, it was necessary to continuously decompress the power of the Karma and allow the body to gradually adapt to the power of the Otsutsuki, which was a time-consuming and laborious process.

"I see. You're so thoughtful. Compared to your long lifespan, I'm still far behind. Immortality is truly fascinating; it allows one to acquire so much precious knowledge." Orochimaru genuinely felt envious and jealous.

"After I am resurrected, I will grant you a long lifespan, which is not difficult. The natives of your planet have only scratched the surface of the Ten-Tails' power and have not truly unleashed it." Jigen said indifferently.

Immortality? That's far too low-end. The Ten-Tails in his possession is indeed lacking in the ability to grant immortality. Even if someone absorbs the Ten-Tails and becomes its Jinchūriki, it's still far from enough.

But Kaguya's Ten-Tails was fine; it had devoured most of his body, a true Otsutsuki, and evolved into the Divine Tree form!
"White Zetsu is a manifestation of the Ten-Tails' power, which assimilates ordinary humans into puppets created from the cells of the God Tree..."

Jigen explained to Orochimaru one way to use the Ten-Tails God Tree. As for his collaborator, Jigen didn't mind revealing this so-called information at all; in his eyes, it was worthless.

If Orochimaru lacks sufficient vision and understanding, it would actually be a problem for Jigen.

But his few words deeply shocked Orochimaru, shaking his worldview and overturning his old sense of seriousness.

"So that's how it is. White Zetsu, the guy that advisor appointed by Kaede Tsukasa controlled, was actually modified by the Ten-Tails? The Wood Release bloodline limit contained in Hashirama's cells is essentially derived from the Divine Tree... Hmph, so that's how it is!"

Leukocytes are almost a weakened version of interstitial cells!
The God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, actually awakened such a terrifying bloodline limit, making him closer to the Ten-Tails than anyone else in this world. No wonder even Madara Uchiha was no match for him.

After all, the Sharingan is just a fragment of the Ten-Tails' power, and it seems to be quite incomplete.

The two continued their exchange, or more accurately, Orochimaru kept asking questions, and Jigen answered seriously with a cold face. Surrounded by numerous vessels and corpses, the atmosphere was filled with a good atmosphere of diligence and eagerness to learn.

At the very least, this was in stark contrast to the jubilant ninjas outside.

Suddenly, Cixian stopped speaking: "That guy is here."

"He's here as expected. Where there are corpses, there's always him. He's becoming more and more like the Grim Reaper of this world." Orochimaru wasn't surprised at all. Just a glance at the twisted and deformed failed experimental subjects soaking in the many containers was enough to predict this outcome.

Sure enough, these strange-looking creatures, which should have been dead for a long time, suddenly started twitching and began to move in the liquid.

The dim lighting made it all the more eerie.

As for whether Orochimaru did this intentionally, only he himself knows.

The outside world was already filled with cheers and jubilation.

The people, who were already in high spirits and excited about their crucial victory, became even more enthusiastic, their eyes burning as they stared intently at the man who had suddenly appeared.

"Lord Hokage, I can't be mistaken, it's the Fourth Hokage!!"

"Oh my god, people in front, get out of the way! Let me see him!"

"Lord Hokage, do you still remember me? You personally resurrected me once. I am Kota from the Uchiha clan, and I died in the Second Shinobi World War."

"Wait, didn't you die once in the Third World War, or am I remembering wrong? Being resurrected twice by your family is truly extravagant."

"Hmph, what a joke! I'm the neighbor of Obito-sama's uncle's second son. We're both Uchiha clan members. Do you dare hit me?"

Wherever Kaede passed, he caused an endless sensation, as if the road beneath his feet was blooming with flowers, prompting countless fanatical believers to prostrate themselves in worship. But Kaede ignored these people, even the various clan leaders who took the initiative to come forward to pay their respects, he waved them off and walked straight into a tent.

"That's Lord Orochimaru's tent, teeming with venomous snakes... but it certainly won't stop the Hokage!"

"This is clearly a special trip to the front lines to praise Lord Orochimaru. After all, Lord Orochimaru led us to a decisive victory over Iwagakure. Now all we need to do is proceed step by step into the Land of Earth."

No one knows Kaedeji's true purpose.

Wherever Kaede Tsukasa passed, venomous snakes slithered by, flicking their tongues, but the next second they turned into zombies, viciously tearing at other venomous snakes. In an instant, the forbidden zone, which ordinary ninjas feared, became chaotic, with scenes of venomous snakes devouring each other everywhere.

He opened the curtain and went inside.

"These snakes are physically strong, as expected of Ryuchi Cave's inexpensive products, but they haven't been tainted with enough Sage Chakra."

Of the three sacred lands, Shikkotsu Forest has the fewest slugs in terms of population size alone, as all slugs are essentially split off from the Slug Sage. However, in terms of absolute numbers, Shikkotsu Forest has the most, as the Slug Sage can split off countless smaller slugs.

Furthermore, each of these little slugs possesses the ability to spray strong acid and heal, making them excellent value for money.

Secondly, there's Ryuchi Cave, which has a large number of cheap snakes. In the original timeline, after Orochimaru's hands were sealed by the Third Hokage during the Konoha Collapse Plan, he lost the ability to form hand seals and could only develop hand seal-less ninjutsu. Many of his fighting styles involved using the Orochimaru Style Substitution Technique, the Orochimaru Style Body Modification Technique, and controlling the many snakes in Ryuchi Cave.

Every time they fight, they lose a large number of venomous snakes. Sasuke was no exception. After Deidara blew off one of his wings when he entered Cursed Seal 2, he used a large number of venomous snakes to replace his wings and maintain his ability to fly.

The number of people from Mount Myōboku is the smallest. At the very least, people like Jiraiya and Naruto wouldn't be able to summon dozens of toads to fight at once.

Guoxin Jushi actually summoned a large number of toads through spiritual means to self-destruct, essentially using the toads of Mount Myōboku as self-propelled explosive tags.

When Orochimaru saw Kaedeji again after a long time, his muscles tensed up slightly. Even though he knew that Kaedeji was probably not there to attack him, and that Jigen was also by his side, he still felt nervous subconsciously.

This instinctive reaction annoyed Orochimaru. How could he have such an extreme reaction just because of someone's arrival?
Kaede Tsukasa felt more pressure from him than Jigen!
"Heh, Hokage-sama is giving these ordinary snakes far too much credit. They can't even get into Ryuchi Cave; they're just good for wandering around the outskirts..."

Orochimaru said with a sinister smile, "Of course, among the thousands of venomous snakes, there are a few who are favored by Ryuchi Cave and thus enter Ryuchi Cave to cultivate immortal arts and become a member of a higher level."

But they are still just another kind of snake, only now they've gone from ordinary cannon fodder to high-level cannon fodder. Don't expect the cold-blooded animals in Ryuchi Cave to have any pity for their equally cold-blooded inferior counterparts.

“I have already witnessed the Sage Arts of Ryuchi Cave and Mount Myōboku. I hope to have the opportunity to witness the Sage Arts of Ryuchi Cave through you.” Kaedeji said casually, looking at the many experimental subjects in the tent. Finally, his gaze fell on the only one who was alive and had not shown any obvious deformities.

He knew that Orochimaru would never go deep into Ryuchi Cave to learn any Sage Techniques. The learning process would mean handing his life over to the White Snake Sage. Apart from Kabuto, who couldn't find any meaning in his own existence in the original timeline and was therefore completely willing to go crazy and court death, there were very few cunning people who would seek out the White Snake Sage to learn Sage Techniques.

"Are you interested in this guy? He's the perfect creation I've nurtured, even more perfect than the Hashirama test subject that carried you during your Edo Tensei."

Orochimaru enthusiastically introduced his masterpiece, while Jigen watched indifferently, showing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever. He was not one to react with unusual emotions to such matters.

Kaedeji casually said, "He doesn't have a name yet, does he? From today onwards, he'll be called Tenzo. What do you think, Jigen?"

"Yes, it's just a name. Even if he manages to make it to the end, he will become me."

"That's true. On this planet, only Kaguya can rival your reputation as the Otsutsuki Isshiki. Considering that she has been sealed away, once you succeed, no one on this planet will be able to stop you. Congratulations in advance."

Kaede quickly stopped paying attention to Tenzo. By the time Tenzo had adapted to the data in the Karma and become a qualified vessel, his Mukoro Tsukuyomi would probably have already been deployed. With other methods as well, it would be hard to say who would win when he fought against the fully-formed Otsutsuki Isshiki.

Jigen would not let his guard down in any way because of the flattery—last time he was careless and was betrayed by Kaguya, so that Kaguya was supposed to feed the Ten-Tails, but he ended up being the one eaten by the Ten-Tails, thus fulfilling Kaguya's wish.

"What are you doing here?" Cixian asked.

Orochimaru chuckled dryly: "I don't think you're here to interrogate me. I concealed the fact that I was cultivating the container and used a lot of materials to create this finished product, Tenzo."

"Don't worry, it's not because of that. Even if you work for Cixian, it's a normal choice. I won't easily lay a hand on you, at least not until I'm confident I can kill Cixian. Right now, I'm no match for him. Besides, you've already prepared your escape plan, haven't you?"

Kaede had absolutely no intention of taking the opportunity to violently kill Tenzo; he would consider it a loss if he even glanced at Tenzo.

"Here, this is my perfected Self-Reincarnation Technique, the final version. I promised to give you this forbidden technique, but it's been delayed until now, so please don't be offended." Kaede Tsukasa tossed over a scroll.

Orochimaru took it with suspicion, his expression filled with doubt and uncertainty.

This was something he had always dreamed of, and it wasn't the version that Chiyo had, but the final version that Kaedeji had practiced countless times with countless zombies and had already fine-tuned the spell countless times!
Orochimaru instinctively suspected something, but Kaede Tsukasa didn't seem to be the type to achieve his goals with obviously fake schemes and tricks.

He excitedly raised his head, even though he could obtain a great deal of valuable knowledge from Cixian, accelerate the improvement of his immortality technique, and even gain immortality by relying on the power of the technique after Cixian's resurrection.

But if Orochimaru had the opportunity to achieve immortality on his own, why would he want to rely on someone else? Especially when it comes to the crucial matter of physical immortality!
As for the fact that the Reincarnation Technique requires the sacrifice of the caster... Orochimaru didn't care at all. He could easily cultivate a group of brainwashed fans, and have these subordinates who were willing to sacrifice themselves perform the technique for him.

Kaede Tsukasa spoke again: "If you take my technique, you must repay me with everything you have. Orochimaru, I think you are mentally prepared."

"...This should have been my reward for helping you succeed in the coup and fighting for you, but considering it's a fully perfected technique, I'm not too surprised that you're making higher demands..."

Orochimaru smiled sinisterly.

(End of this chapter)