Naruto: I'm really not an evil scientist!

Chapter 129 Selling One's Body

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smug smile as he said, "This is the latest creation. It has no consciousness, but it can maintain the vitality of the body; it is a pure soul vessel."

"With this guy, I have absolutely no worries about my future."

Hiruko examined the area carefully, then looked at the area next to it containing more than a dozen identical containers, and asked, "Orochimaru, have you begun your soul transfer experiment?"

Orochimaru said, "We've failed five times already."

Orochimaru continued, "The first case was a mistake during the soul transfer process. Mori also died because of a problem I made during my first attempt."

"The remaining cases involved souls entering the bodies of White Zetsu, only to detach themselves shortly afterward, leading to death."

"There is currently no way to prevent the soul from leaving the White Zetsu's body."

"There are very few records about the secret techniques of the soul. It's probably because I haven't solved the problem of the White Zetsu's body rejecting it yet."

After staring at White Zetsu for a long time, Hiruko suddenly said, "Is it that we don't understand enough about the issue of death?"

Orochimaru was taken aback by these words. They sounded strange. What was there to understand about death?

After a person dies, isn't everything gone?

What he has been pursuing all this time is escaping death.

After a moment's thought, Hiruko said, "Orochimaru, do you know him?"

"I've seen records of the Grim Reaper in the ancient texts of the Uzumaki clan."

"Since souls and death exist, is it possible that there are some kind of rules that govern what happens after a person dies?"

Orochimaru seemed to be deep in thought after hearing this.

Hiruko's words made him understand some things. Both Kato Dan's spiritification technique and the Yamanaka family's spiritual secrets involved the soul leaving the body.

However, if they are separated for too long, exceeding the time limit, there is a risk of death.

His experiments failed because the soul had been separated from its original body for too long.

But why can't the soul stay in a new body for long?

What rules govern the connection between the soul and the body?

What else is there that he doesn't yet understand?

Hiruko knew very well that Orochimaru was still missing one crucial thing before the Cursed Seal could be fully successful, and that was, after all, the Cursed Seal that originated from Jugo.

If we consider the physical body as a container and the soul as water, then the curse mark is the lid of that container.

Thinking of this, Hiruko had a sudden thought: Jugo was born with the ability to absorb natural energy.

If I find him, perhaps my power can be further enhanced.

However, at this point in time, Jugo is probably only a few years old, and it's not yet at the point where Orochimaru's research on the Cursed Seal hindered Jugo's exploration of natural energy and his attempts to absorb it.

The risks that Jugo has to take when absorbing natural energy are not like those that Naruto has, with Fukasaku and the toads protecting him.

Perhaps I could try to find Jugo and imitate his ability to absorb natural energy.

Hiruko kept his eyes fixed on the White Zetsu inside the container. He glanced at Orochimaru beside him and saw that Orochimaru's eyes were flickering, and he didn't know what Orochimaru was thinking.

Orochimaru suddenly spoke up, saying, "The more one knows, the more one realizes one's own ignorance."

Hiruko nodded and said, "Exploration is endless, and exploring the unknown is definitely the most wonderful thing in life."

Orochimaru chuckled softly, then silently changed the subject, saying, "I heard you want to get married?"

Hiruko nodded and said, "Once things settle down in Konoha, Tsunade and I will probably get married."

Orochimaru added, "Congratulations. I'll definitely bring Jiraiya with me then."

Hiruko also smiled and nodded.

the other side.

Yugito remained unsettled. Although the three of them could move freely in Konoha, each of them wore a collar specially made by Hiruko.

If any problems arise, Hiruko will arrive immediately.

Aside from occasionally asking others questions due to doubts, the wooden figures generally don't need to handle anything else.

None of these three people are easy to deal with, so there's no need to treat them like ordinary prisoners.

However, Hiruko has not come to see them since that day, which is a real headache for Yukito.

Her previous plan to use her beauty as a weapon was now thwarted.

"I think it's fine as it is now," Mabui said weakly.

The three of them initially suffered imprisonment, but now the situation in Konoha is not bad, and the people here do not know their identities.

They were very warm to them because they were women from the Beiliuhu.

This atmosphere is completely different from that of the Hidden Cloud Village.

Mabui felt that the chances of rescuing her father were slim, and it was even more impossible for her to return to Kumogakure alone, so she could only accept the status quo.

Sometimes she felt that staying in Konoha wouldn't be so bad.

The food and drinks in Konoha are excellent, there are plenty of fun things to do, and all sorts of movies and TV shows to watch.

She felt that if she could leave the past behind and start a new life, she would be willing to accept the opportunity if Konoha was willing to give her one.

But Yugito retorted, "Have you forgotten that you are from Kumogakure?"

Her thoughts were completely opposite to Mabuya's; she was consumed by revenge and believed that only by killing Hiruko could she clear her name.

In her opinion, if Hiruko was interested in her, it wouldn't hurt for her to submit to him.

She simply felt that Samui was prettier and had more advantages than herself, which is why she chose to let Samui approach Birukhu.

However, to Yukito's surprise, Hiruko hadn't come over for so long.

She felt a little disappointed.

Of course, Hiruko only had time to visit them because Tsunade had been throwing a tantrum lately and he had to comfort her.

According to Yukito's idea, Hiruko would never forget Samui after meeting him.

She then tried to get Samui to get his hands on Biruhu, or to go to him on her own initiative.

As Yukito walked along the road, he pondered for a moment and said, "You two should think of something too."

Upon hearing this, Mabui merely glanced at Samui beside him, his expression indifferent.

Samui said, "The more proactive you are, the less the other person will take you seriously."

Yukito then asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

Samui replied, "Even if we do nothing, we'll always have a chance to meet."

"Because of my outstanding appearance, I had many suitors in the village, and I knew very well what boys my age were thinking."

The more proactive a person is, the less valuable they become. This is a very true principle in male-female relationships; whoever takes the initiative loses.

Although Samui strongly disagreed with what Yugito had done before, there was really no other way at the moment.

Moreover, if these prisoners could get close to Hiruko, it would definitely be beneficial, even if they ultimately failed to escape Konoha.

Selling one's body?

For them, who have already become prisoners, is innocence really that important compared to survival?

As ninjas, they knew all too well what would happen to enemy ninjas if they fell into their hands.

The best option is to find a way to control Hiruko; if that's not possible, becoming his woman is also a good choice.

Inside the Hokage Building, Nara Shikaku was assisting Namikaze Minato with some tedious and uninteresting tasks, and was also providing some general directions for the implementation of Minato's specific policies.

The usually lazy and carefree Nara Shikaku is forced to take on heavy work due to the Hokage's high trust and the pressure of the mission.

He went from being a salted fish to becoming the most diligent person in Konoha Village.

Unlike his future son, Minato Namikaze, who would do everything himself, learned from historical experience and knew how to delegate appropriately.

They are also good at absorbing the opinions of others, and generally only give their own opinions on the general direction.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there won't be a situation where an outsider instructs an expert. Therefore, Nara Shikaku has been extremely busy in the hall lately.

In the Hokage's office, Minato Namikaze was reviewing files while further practicing his Rasengan, and even had a video call with his wife when he had a spare moment.

With Nara Shikaku supporting him, even if he occasionally runs away and disappears for a few days, it doesn't have a big impact.

Thanks to Hiruko's mediation, Konoha is now thriving.

"Minato, is there any news from Jiraiya?"

Hiruko asked Minato Namikaze in the Hokage's office.

"Nagato and Konan, these two are Jiraiya's disciples, right? They're still alive, so you naturally know that."

"Besides, Jiraiya will have more protection going to Amegakure."

Jiraiya was practically the pinnacle of combat power in the early stages of Naruto. If it weren't for a lack of information, no one would know if he could have defeated Nagato.

But at least he can protect himself; if he wants to leave, no one can stop him.

However, Konan's strength should not be underestimated. She can bring the power and artistry of paper magic to the extreme, integrating it into various battle scenarios.

Toad oil can counter Konan's Paper Release technique, reducing some of her abilities.

If combined with Wood Release, the effect might be even better.

Just the fact that he could control Konan was enough reason for Jiraiya to recruit the Akatsuki organization.

Furthermore, the master-disciple relationship might increase the chances of successfully persuading Nagato and Konan.

Although in the Naruto world, the master-disciple relationship—killing one's master is an old tradition!

Hiruko paused for a moment, then calmly said, "Right now, I want to deal with Danzo's matter first."

However, finding fault with Danzo is extremely difficult. He acts with great secrecy, and it is unlikely that he will succeed in taking revenge in secret.

What are your plans?

Hiruko chuckled and said, "Danzo's Root has developed to this extent that everyone in Miyo has become aware of it."

"But training so many people is far from enough with the village's regular funding, after all, the Root and the Dark Division are different."

"Danzo has been using Root to amass wealth, which he then uses to fund the training of Root ninjas."

Mikoto Uchiha, who was standing to the side, was immediately shocked. She hadn't expected that Danzo would dare to amass wealth so blatantly.

It's important to understand that the current Hokage isn't the old Third Hokage of the past, but Minato Namikaze. Whether Minato Namikaze will show mercy to this old guy is still uncertain.

Training ninjas quickly is actually very expensive, requiring a lot of money for everything from ninja tools and secret manuals to medical supplies.

The training methods of Root and regular ninjas are completely different. If they want to quickly train weapons that can be used on the battlefield...

The cost is naturally enormous.

Konoha Village has many expenses, so it's impossible for them to allocate that much money to Root. Danzo often has to raise the funds himself.

Hiruko nodded and looked at Mikoto, saying, "Lady Mikoto, if the Uchiha clan is willing to help me, I will take the lead in this matter."

During the Warring States period, other clans would show deference to the Uchiha clan when they came to visit, but once they entered the village, some people rode on the heads of the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha clan is not one to be bullied, and this time it's about combating crime and preventing espionage, which is also the responsibility of the Security Department.

Mikoto said, "I understand, Lord Hiruko."

The Uchiha clan is too low-key now, to the point that most of the clan members have forgotten how powerful the Uchiha clan used to be.

During the Warring States period, if someone hired the Uchiha clan, the other party would inevitably have to hire the Senju clan, otherwise they would be unable to cope.

Although the Uchiha clan was defeated in the battle against the Senju clan, they are not small clans that can be trampled on at will.

If a small family like Shimura Danzo dared to provoke them, they would be wiped out the very next day.

Hiruko smiled and said, "Thank you, Lady Mikoto."

Finally, Mrs. Mikoto walked out gracefully.

Hiruko could only marvel at her swaying figure.

It has to be said that Fugaku Uchiha was a ruthless man, using his wife as bait, especially since Hiruko was a womanizer.

As a Jonin, Uchiha Mikoto was naturally able to sense Hiruko's gaze.

Her face was flushed, and then she walked out gracefully.

Hiruko immediately ordered his subordinates and the Uchiha group to head towards the two large warehouses of the Shimura family.

There are three caravans here: one is the Shimura caravan, one is a medical supplies reseller, and the other is a technology supplies reseller from Hiruko.

Uchiha Tetsuka personally led the Uchiha Guard Team on this mission, a group of twenty people.

The Uchiha ninjas are all quite powerful, and all of them have awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan.

The group arrived at a remote place, just in time to see the family's caravan unloading boxes of goods from the carts.

Uchiha Tetsuka's gaze sharpened, and he walked straight toward the caravan.

At first, the caravan members didn't notice, but as Uchiha Tetsuka and the others got closer, an invisible sense of oppression spread out.

Someone in the caravan noticed something amiss and shouted, "What are you Uchiha ninjas doing here?"

Before Uchiha Chiaki could speak, Uchiha Tetsuka interrupted him sharply, saying, "Stop everything you're doing immediately!"

"You've mistaken us for someone else! This is the Shimura family's caravan!!"

"Now that we suspect you of colluding with Iwagakure and selling them contraband, you'd better tell us the truth!" Tetsuka said expressionlessly.

"How could that be? We've always been law-abiding citizens since we came home!" Upon hearing this, the caravan manager flew into a rage and began to curse angrily.

"You Uchiha people have some serious nerve, daring to—"

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of cold light appeared, and the Thunder Blade drew a sharp line of light in the air.

Immediately afterwards, a bloodied arm fell to the ground with a thud.

The caravan manager turned deathly pale instantly, clutching his severed arm and wailing in agony, "My arm! My arm! You bastards— Waaaaah—"

Before he could finish his rant, Uchiha Tekka's eyes turned cold, and he swung his lightning blade again.

He sliced ​​off his tongue in an instant and said coldly, "If you can't speak, then you don't need to speak anymore."

"Go, call everyone out. If they're discovered to be spies from Iwagakure, kill them on the spot!"

A Shimura clan ninja standing nearby turned pale with fright, nodded hurriedly, and then ran off in a panic to call for help.

Uchiha Tetsuka's ruthless appearance terrified even those around him.

Uchiha Tetsuka had previously taken the pills given to him by Hiruko. Although he had not yet broken through to the Mangekyou Sharingan, his strength had risen to the threshold of Kage level after a period of hard training.

Even if his strength isn't top-tier among Kage-level ninjas, it's still Kage-level power, something that no other level of ninja can contend with.

"Tetsuka, won't there be any problems with doing this?" an Uchiha ninja asked worriedly.

"No! Senior Hiruko has long said that there is no need to show mercy to spies who collude with Iwagakure."

"The Shimura family has to accept this loss today, whether they like it or not!" Uchiha Tetsuka's gaze was firm, and then he took out a scroll from his pocket.

"This is the intelligence that Lord Hiruko gathered from Iwagakure. It details the locations where our family and Iwagakure established a base on the border, as well as the multiple transportation channels that Iwagakure opened up."

"Lord Hiruko privately instructed me to bring this thing here. Even if that old scoundrel Danzo has a thousand mouths, he won't be able to explain himself later."

Uchiha Tatora took the scroll, glanced at it, and smiled slightly, saying, "Since you're so confident, I won't try to dissuade you."

After everyone was called out, Uchiha Tetsuka ordered, "Load up all the goods and send them to the Security Department. Also, bring everyone to the Security Department for questioning."

"Anyone who dares to escape will be killed on the spot!"

These goods are quite valuable, worth at least 300 million taels in total, enough to make Danzo feel bad for quite some time.

Hiruko intends to destroy all the strongholds outside the village that are connected to the Shimura family.

If anyone in the village asks, just say it was done by a wandering ninja.

Although Konoha Village is not large, I, Uchiha Tetsuhiro, have always acted with integrity and have no fear of the news getting out.

The team consisted of a dozen or so people, plus twenty members of the security department, and a dozen boxes filled with medical and technological supplies.

Such an operation within Konoha Village is quite a large undertaking, and coordinating it would be extremely difficult.

Wherever Uchiha Tetsuka went, he attracted the attention of many villagers.

"Senior, this is the first time I've ever made such a big move in the village," a young ninja said, following behind Uchiha Tetsuka.

This team isn't just made up of people from our Uchiha clan; the Hyuga clan and several other smaller clans have also sent people to help.

Just then, there was a "whoosh".