Chapter 904

Even at this moment, Orochimaru was brewing coffee in a beaker—a skill universal among all scientists and medical researchers across the universe! But in reality, Orochimaru was extremely busy; as someone who considered herself a rigorous researcher, she had never taken a single holiday.

If not for Sarutobi Hiruzen constantly telling him, "If you don't show yourself in public again, those kids at the orphanage will tear down the Hokage Tower,"

She wouldn't even bother going to train with Jiraiya lately, and the result left her deeply dissatisfied—Jiraiya's Sage Mode differed drastically from her own Sage Arts when she transformed into the White Snake Sword Maiden; the intelligence was wrong, and naturally, she was caught off guard and got the worse of it from Jiraiya.

"Heh, to be honest, you're already evenly matched with Tsunade…" That line Jiraiya had suddenly said after defeating her had confused her at first, but later, upon reflection, she found it utterly infuriating. Orochimaru considered herself extremely vengeful—she never forgot such things. She narrowed her slit eyes, her meticulously painted pale purple eyeliner making her unmasked, alluring face even more seductive.

"Hmph, next time you meet Tsunade, go ahead and repeat that if you dare." Thinking of how Jiraiya might one day have his spine shattered by Tsunade's Heaven's Kick, Orochimaru began considering whether she should pre-select a conspicuously visible grave plot near the Memorial Stone for him.

Of course, this research institute wasn't populated by Orochimaru alone; in her own words, "In my institute, I care less about how smart you are than how much you can carry—because in truth, you won't be using your brain anyway."

"Assistant," Orochimaru liked that word, because it meant she gained another pair of hands. Though for Orochimaru, growing extra limbs herself was no problem, since becoming female, she seemed to prefer appearing more aligned with human aesthetics.

"L-Lightning Clan Lord Kimimaro's bloodline illness… it seems to have suddenly worsened." The chubby boy spoke nervously; after all, Orochimaru was the one who had taken them in and given these orphans meaning in life—whether fear or admiration dominated, approaching her was always especially difficult.

The child taken from the Kaguya clan—Orochimaru's snake eyes flickered with a glimmer of light as she recalled the scene of their first meeting.