Chapter 152: Injecting Hashirama Cells

Deep in the dark cave, in Orochimaru's underground laboratory.

Countless scrolls and books were scattered everywhere, and a strange smell mixed with herbs and chemical reagents permeated the air.

On the ground, a complex magic circle emitted a faint blue light. Orochimaru stood before the magic circle, golden snake pupils flashing with anticipation and excitement. He took a deep breath and slowly pressed his palm onto the center of the magic circle.

"Sizzle!"

The magic circle instantly lit up with dazzling blue light, runes flowing and accelerating within the circle like water.

However, just as anticipation appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, the magic circle suddenly emitted a muffled sound, the blue light abruptly extinguished, and a wisp of blue smoke curled upward.

"Failed again?" Orochimaru frowned, turned, and walked toward the laboratory table nearby. He picked up a pen and quickly recorded on a thick notebook:

"Experiment 172, attempting to activate the magic circle with chakra, failed."

He paused for a moment, then continued writing: "Preliminary speculation: although chakra and magic power are both forms of energy, they may have fundamental differences in essence. Perhaps a method needs to be found to transform chakra into a form closer to magic power."

He put down his pen, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"It seems that relying solely on the nature transformation of chakra still cannot fully simulate the properties of magic power. Perhaps some special catalyst needs to be introduced, or the composition of energy needs to be fundamentally changed?"

At this moment, a sudden sound of footsteps came from outside the cave, interrupting Orochimaru's thoughts.

Orochimaru's mouth curled slightly, and without turning back, he said, "I didn't expect you to really dare to come."

"In the current Ninja World, there aren't many people who can stop my footsteps." A low voice sounded behind him.

Orochimaru then slowly turned around, only to see Fugaku standing at the cave entrance, arms crossed, the Sharingan in his eyes flashing slightly.

"Oh?" Orochimaru raised his eyebrows. "It seems you are very confident in your own strength, Fugaku."

Fugaku shook his head, frowning slightly: "But it's not enough. My clansmen told me about the scene of Madara Uchiha's battle. That kind of power simply exceeded imagination."

A glint of interest flashed in Orochimaru's eyes: "Madara's power? Interesting. It seems he is really still alive." He turned and walked toward a cabinet nearby.

"I don't know what the Uchiha Clan thinks of Madara Uchiha now." Fugaku continued, a hint of complexity flashing in his eyes, "Back when he left Konoha, no one followed him, and after his resurrection, he had no intention of contacting the Uchiha Clan."

Fugaku fell silent for a moment, then continued speaking: "I led the clansmen to the Land of Waves. There is a port there, and one can reach it through the sea of the Land of Water. Most importantly, it keeps a certain distance from the Five Great Nations, and the poisonous woman can hide in the sea."

Orochimaru nodded: "Choosing the Land of Waves is indeed wise. However, you must be careful. Recently, the Five Great Nations are all preparing for the possible appearance of Madara Uchiha, and each village is recalling ninjas. I estimate I will have to return as well; this time Konoha should select a new Hokage."

Fugaku raised his eyebrows: "Oh? Are you running for Hokage?"

A smile curved Orochimaru's lips: "If it were me in the past, perhaps I would run. But now I have a higher goal."

He opened the cabinet, inside which were densely packed test tubes. Orochimaru picked up a syringe filled with green liquid, which emitted a strange glow in the dim light.

"This is the result of my previous research: Hashirama Cells. According to my research, the bloodline of the Senju Clan can mutually assist the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan, and can even produce astonishing effects."

Fugaku frowned, staring warily at the syringe: "Transplant Hashirama Cells into me?"

Orochimaru chuckled lightly: "That's right. This might be a shortcut to improve your strength, and with that place there, side effects can almost be ignored."

Fugaku narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice low: "You mean..."

Orochimaru held the syringe up before his eyes, the green liquid emitting a strange glow under the light: "Just transplant it before the next mission starts, and upon entering that place, side effects can be removed through treatment."

His gaze fell on Fugaku: "How about it, interested in trying?"

At this moment, an emotionless mechanical voice suddenly sounded in Fugaku's mind: 【Reincarnation Mission is about to begin, please prepare, Reincarnator】

Fugaku's pupils suddenly contracted, and he abruptly looked at Orochimaru: "My mission is starting."

Orochimaru frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Such a coincidence?" He quickly glanced at the syringe in his hand: "Then there's no time to hesitate. Inject or not?"

Fugaku took a deep breath, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

He quickly walked to the laboratory table, sat down on the chair without hesitation, and extended his right arm: "Come on."

However, Orochimaru did not touch Fugaku's arm; instead, he directly pulled open Fugaku's chest clothing, revealing his sturdy chest.

"What are you doing?!" Fugaku widened his eyes, and the magatama in his Sharingan abruptly froze.

"Arm injection is too slow, there's no time." Orochimaru's golden snake pupils flashed with excitement, "Inject directly into the heart, the effect is best."

"Wait—"

Fugaku's pupils contracted sharply, but before he could struggle, the syringe in Orochimaru's hand had already aimed at his heart.

"Pfft!"

With a light sound, the sharp needle pierced the skin and directly stabbed into the heart.

"Hiss—"

Fugaku sucked in a breath of cold air, only to feel a cold liquid rapidly surging into his body. Instantly, a burning sensation swept over his whole body like a tide, as if countless fine needles were traveling through his blood vessels.

"Ugh—"

Fugaku's pupils contracted violently. He gritted his teeth tightly, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. All the muscles in his body were trembling violently, as if enduring indescribable pain.

【10, 9, 8】

"Fugaku, hold on!" Orochimaru growled lowly, his hand movements not stopping as he pushed the last drop of liquid into Fugaku's body.

A hint of worry flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, but it was soon replaced by the excitement of scientific research. He closely watched Fugaku's reaction, the pen in his hand quickly recording on the notebook.

"Interesting, the reaction is stronger than expected." Orochimaru murmured, "It seems the compatibility between the Uchiha Bloodline and Hashirama Cells is indeed extraordinary."

Excitement flashed in Orochimaru's golden snake pupils; he leaned in to observe Fugaku's changes and said in a low voice, "How do you feel now? Can you describe the changes in your body?"

Fugaku widened his eyes and looked at Orochimaru, the expression on his face distorted to the extreme. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but the intense pain prevented him from uttering a complete syllable.

Orochimaru seemed not to notice Fugaku's pain and continued, "When you get there, if possible, record your..."

【3, 2, 1】

Before his voice fell, Fugaku's body suddenly began to become transparent.

The next second, Fugaku's figure completely disappeared from the laboratory, as if he had never existed.

Orochimaru stood in place, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. He looked down at the unfinished notebook in his hand and sighed lightly: "What a pity, there is still so much data that hasn't been collected."

He turned and walked toward the laboratory table, picking up another syringe: "It seems I'll have to do it myself next time."

(Chapter End)