The Devil of Konoha: Starting as a Medical Ninja

What exactly is the plan that someone of such strength would have to lie low for? And what are the myriad phenomena recorded on that stone tablet?

These are all questions. If they could get answers, they might be able to solve them directly. But if they couldn't get answers, they wouldn't even know what the mysterious person's purpose was.

"Hopefully, we can figure something out!"

Tsunade looked in the direction of Konoha Hospital and muttered to herself. It was definitely impossible to get information from the Uchiha clan, since Itachi Uchiha wouldn't reveal any more information. So she could only hope to get some clues from the cells.

Hopefully, Hiroji isn't just spacing out in the lab!

With that in mind, Tsunade had the Anbu dispose of the abandoned coffin, and then had Kakashi deliver the collected scrolls to the Konoha Hospital laboratory.

Chapter 311 You don't look too well

In the dimly lit room, a series of coughs could be heard. The faint candlelight flickered slightly with the sound, illuminating Orochimaru's pale face.

His once venomous eyes had lost their sharpness, and the once spirited Orochimaru was now filled with a look of utter disarray.

Originally, with Kabuto's help, he could easily get through the most vulnerable periods during his last year. However, Kabuto has been missing ever since his last mission.

This frustrated Orochimaru, as there were only Sasuke Uchiha and himself in the base, and Sasuke Uchiha was hoping that he would become even weaker.

Over the course of two years, Orochimaru came to realize that there are differences even among geniuses. Although Sasuke Uchiha's genius could not compare to Itachi Uchiha, who became famous at a young age, he was still a despairing figure for ordinary people.

Even Orochimaru had to admit that Sasuke Uchiha's strength had undergone a dramatic transformation in just two years, going from an insect that he could easily crush to a relatively troublesome opponent.

As his body weakens, the gap between him and Uchiha Sasuke is gradually narrowing. When the balance of power shifts between them, that's when Sasuke will make his move.

However, Orochimaru was not in a hurry. Some of Sasuke Uchiha's strength came from the Cursed Seal, and the Cursed Seal contained his will and chakra. As long as the Cursed Seal was still there, Sasuke Uchiha had no chance of successfully killing it.

Although he might be suppressed, it would be a wonderful thing. Although Sasuke's strength has improved by leaps and bounds, it is impossible for him to contend with Itachi.

wait until……

"You don't look well; you need to get some sun."

While Orochimaru was still daydreaming, a hoarse voice came from the side, and Orochimaru's previously gloomy face showed obvious panic.

He turned his head and spat out the Kusanagi sword, intending to catch Orochimaru off guard. However, what happened next left Orochimaru stunned.

His Kusanagi sword and he himself pierced through the enemy in front of him without even the slightest obstruction.

"I never expected that you, in such a weak state, would still have the ability to fight back."

The hoarse voice came again, and Orochimaru slowly stood up from the ground. Although he was weak, he was not so weak that he could not stand up.

"As far as I can remember, apart from Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha, no other Uchiha clan members are still alive."

After Orochimaru stood up, he looked at the three-tomoe Sharingan under the vortex mask and felt somewhat shocked.

These eyes are far more terrifying than Itachi Uchiha's eyes. No, they're not even in the same league. Itachi's eyes were already unimaginably beautiful, but these three-tomoe Sharingan would draw anyone who saw them in, causing them to fall headlong into an abyss.

"You can call me Uchiha Obito or Uchiha Madara. A name is just a code. It's your business what you want to call me."

As Hongzhi spoke casually, he was relieved to know that Orochimaru was still alive despite his disheveled state. The location of Ryuchi Cave was still very important, and the Sage Mode in Shikkotsu Forest was more focused on recovery.

A cultivation model based on this foundation can never achieve perfection; otherwise, Hongzhi wouldn't have been so fixated on the remaining two sacred sites.

"Then you must be Obito Uchiha."

Orochimaru spoke casually, slowly recalling information about Obito Uchiha: Kakashi's close friend, the Fourth Hokage's student. Apart from that, there was no other valuable information.

He is said to have died in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, but now it seems that this is not the case.

Moreover, those eyes were probably not transplanted from someone else, which means that the guy who stole Kakashi's eyes most likely knew this person.

“You are very smart, which is why I came to find you.”

Hongzhi said casually, anyway, neither Uchiha Madara nor Uchiha Obito were his original identities.

"Oh...it seems that Kabuto Yakushi must have fallen into your hands, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to come here directly."

Orochimaru understood many things. Although Kabuto Yakushi's strength wasn't particularly bad, he simply wouldn't be able to resist the Uchiha clan members who had clearly awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

It's unclear whether Kabuto Yakushi is dead or not. After all, he failed during the Impure World Reincarnation ritual, which means he might still be alive, or his soul might have been sealed away.

"Kabuto Yakushi is dead. We can skip this boring topic and join my side. I can give you unprecedented power, such as Wood Release comparable to Hashirama Senju."

Hongzhi casually glanced at Orochimaru. He still had potential; at least he was the only one who had successfully fooled the Grim Reaper.

If one wants to further resolve issues of the soul, death is an inescapable topic. With Orochimaru around, there are many opportunities to toy with death.

"That sounds interesting, but I'm about to get my hands on Sasuke Uchiha's alluring body. Wouldn't it be a shame to give up now?"

Orochimaru didn't think he had the right to negotiate, but he still wanted to test the waters. As for the Wood Release that this guy mentioned, he wasn't particularly concerned about it.

He already had many Hashirama cells transplanted into his body. Although he didn't obtain Wood Release, it was the result of his special treatment, since Wood Release is quite corrosive.

"You will never be able to obtain Sasuke Uchiha's body. I can guarantee that. After all, I promised Itachi Uchiha that I would watch Sasuke Uchiha grow up."

Hongzhi casually remarked that Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto were crucial materials, so how could Orochimaru possibly ruin them? If Orochimaru had actually succeeded, who knew what kind of monsters and demons would have been attracted?

Putting aside everything else, Indra's chakra and a portion of his will definitely not agree. If Indra's chakra awakens ahead of time, Orochimaru's fate will probably be that not even ashes will be left.

Furthermore, if Sasuke Uchiha's Indra chakra awakens ahead of time, Naruto Uzumaki's Ashura chakra will definitely catch up immediately. At that time, wouldn't the great battle of gods start ahead of time?

At that time, although Hongzhi felt that he could live a peaceful life, he knew that his plans were doomed to fail.

After all, the strength of the Six Paths level is overwhelming for most people. As for Ashura and Indra after their chakra awakening, whether Naruto Uzumaki and the Uchiha clan have the Six Paths level...

Even the Sage of Six Paths probably doesn't know much about this, but even if he doesn't, he will still be elevated from the status of an ant.

Chapter 312 is something to look forward to, isn't it?

"It seems I'm not in a position to negotiate."

Orochimaru shook his head helplessly. He had no way to deal with the person in front of him, after all, the strength of the Uchiha clan was still terrifying.

This person's strength is probably much greater than Itachi Uchiha's. As for what the purpose of keeping this person alive is, Orochimaru is not entirely sure, but it probably isn't anything good.

"Don't worry, I guarantee what you get will be far more terrifying than what you have now."

Hongzhi placed his hands directly on Orochimaru's body, then used natural energy to guide the chakra within Orochimaru's body to operate in a special way.

Having Hashirama's cells, he should also be able to perform the so-called secret techniques. As for whether they will work, that's what Hiroji wants to verify first.

As the secret technique began to operate, black blood started to seep from Orochimaru's body, flowing out along his skin. If Hiroji hadn't been able to sense the changes within Orochimaru's body, he probably would have suspected that the guy had simply died.

After one ten minutes, Hongzhi slowly stopped. The originally burly Orochimaru underwent a change that Hongzhi couldn't understand.

In other words, Orochimaru has become much thinner, and his skin also seems to have become somewhat fairer.

This must be the effect of Hashirama's cells. If Orochimaru were to be compared to Tsunade now, his Senju bloodline would probably be slightly stronger than Tsunade's.

"What did you do!"

Orochimaru, recovering from the pain, felt his new body. Although it felt somewhat out of place and he needed to readjust, the Hashirama cells that had been injected into his body were no longer consuming his chakra.

That alone is a huge improvement, not to mention the improvement in vitality and chakra.

"This is a small favor for you. I don't want you to die before the research is even finished."

Hiroji casually explained that through this experiment, he could confirm that this secret technique was effective for people who had received Hashirama cells.

Correspondingly, ninjas who originally possessed branch bloodlines would also be able to use it, but Hongzhi would not directly share the secret technique.

As for whether or not to train a few capable henchmen, that's something worth considering.

"So what exactly are we supposed to be researching?!"

Orochimaru, who had fallen silent, looked at Hiroji, who was dressed in black, with some astonishment. This guy's every move was beyond his comprehension. What exactly did he want to study?

"The soul, more precisely, is the method of devouring a person's soul without producing any side effects."

Hongzhi spoke casually, knowing that Orochimaru must have done some research on this. The forbidden technique of Reanimation Jutsu was being gradually improved, otherwise Orochimaru wouldn't have been so concerned about it.

After all, the initial side effects were ridiculously severe. This time, they've set their sights on Uchiha Sasuke's body, probably because they're planning to use a secret technique that has been improved many times. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in such a hurry to take over such a good body.

What Hongzhi received from Orochimaru was only the initial version, and Orochimaru himself probably never even used that version.

"Your idea is truly insane, but I don't quite understand it. With your strength, do you really need to devour other people's souls?"

Orochimaru asked in confusion. Even though his strength had increased to a higher level, Orochimaru still felt that Uchiha Obito, who should have been younger than him, was unfathomable.

After all, the scariest thing is when someone looks terrifying but you can't sense their chakra.

"You don't need to know this. You can try injecting Hashirama cells containing Wood Release. Your body definitely won't reject it now, but you must remember: it's not Wood Release that's strong, it's Hashirama Senju."

Hongzhi casually remarked that Orochimaru, with such a physique, was unlikely to be interested in Sasuke Uchiha's body, since the Uchiha clan's strength lay in their eyes, not their bodies.

If Orochimaru develops this body properly, he might eventually rival Hashirama Senju, but he could certainly reach half of Hashirama's level.

That level of strength is practically invincible in the entire ninja world. If one were to learn the Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode, that potential could be further increased.

"Helping me is also helping yourself. The body you were reincarnated in before should also have some special abilities. If you combine them, you might be able to reach an unprecedented level, and you won't have to waste chakra to suppress those souls."

Hongzhi looked at Orochimaru and spoke calmly, noting that Orochimaru had a wealth of talented subordinates.

Being chosen by Orochimaru as a vessel must possess some special abilities. Even if they aren't all bloodline limits, their combined power would still be formidable.

"That's true."

Orochimaru remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. With Sasuke's body completely beyond repair, the current body was undoubtedly the most perfect.

His body can last for at least another fifty years, and that's fifty years while maintaining his strength.

"I'll wait for your good news. As for Uchiha Sasuke, let him go and take revenge on Uchiha Itachi."

Hongzhi casually said that he was about to leave. As for Uchiha Sasuke, how could he know that a Kage-level expert was not so easy to mess with without experiencing a good beating?

In the original story, after suppressing Orochimaru, whose strength had declined, Sasuke Uchiha became extremely arrogant, and then he was brutally beaten. If Deidara hadn't lost his mind because he thought of Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's record would have been practically zero wins.

They were either being beaten or on their way to be beaten, which was extremely miserable.

Hongzhi planned to make him understand what the truly cruel ninja world was like. Once he understood, he would have Itachi Uchiha appear and teach him a lesson.

By then, the position of Konoha Elder will be pretty much off the table, since Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan will still need to be taken back by Obito Uchiha.

As for Konoha, their strength shouldn't be a problem, since their status as medical ninjas means they can still produce items that can boost the overall strength of Konoha.

"That guy was determined to kill me, how could he leave so easily?"

Orochimaru's lips curled up slightly. He was no longer afraid of the so-called Uchiha Sasuke. Even without using the cursed seal he had left behind, winning with this body would be relatively easy.

"You can just leave. Anyway, you have so many bases. Once that guy sees you leave, he might embark on a path of revenge."