Chapter 219: Excited Orochimaru
In Naruto's eyes, Satsuki merely pressed her lips together, looking sullen and waiting for his explanation. However, the thoughts surging through her mind were far more intense and... dangerous than her surface appearance suggested.
That bastard who forced Naruto to use this power... absolutely cannot be forgiven! Must find him and tear him to pieces!
A bone-chilling killing intent circled in her heart's depths.
:It's alright, Naruto. I'll become stronger than that monster you currently depend on. Strong enough to sweep away all threats. When that time comes, you'll only need to stay by my side, not allowed to go anywhere, and let me protect you.'
But she bit her lower lip hard, forcibly swallowing back this nearly obsessive declaration. She knew that saying such things would sound extremely abnormal to ordinary people.
She could only bury this surging protective desire deep in her heart, continuing to maintain that seemingly merely "pouty" expression.
After this standoff continued for a moment, she finally squeezed out words through clenched teeth that sounded more like intertwined concern and reproach.
"Don't... abuse your body like this again..."
Naruto completely failed to perceive her intense internal struggle, nor her already-determined resolve to immediately investigate what exactly that power within him was once the exam ended, vowing to obtain power surpassing it.
Naruto simply took it as ordinary worry, responding in a soothing tone: "I understand. I'll be careful from now on."
Thus, Sakura who'd been temporarily sent away returned with a confused expression. "So... what should we do now?" Everything just experienced was far too surreal for her.
Ultimately, since the exam wasn't halted, Naruto's group decided to continue according to original plans toward the tower at the Forest of Death's center.
However, this journey was abnormally quiet. Forget encountering other squads—they didn't even see animals. The straight-line distance from entrance to central tower was merely ten kilometers. Seems that earth-shattering explosion earlier had already scared all examinees and life in nearby areas far away.
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In the Forest of Death's gloomy depths, after repeatedly confirming no Konoha ANBU tracking signs around, Yakushi Kabuto finally carefully extracted a specially-made summoning scroll from his chest.
"Summoning Jutsu."
He unrolled the scroll on the ground, quickly bit his thumb, smearing blood on the technique formula in the scroll's center. Accompanied by dense white smoke, a massive white snake with unhealthy pale coloring and barely alive appeared in the clearing. Its body surface still carried mucus and weakness traces from just shedding skin.
In the next moment, this seemingly half-dead white snake suddenly opened its bloody maw. A figure slowly emerged—precisely Orochimaru who'd just narrowly escaped from Naruto's tailed beast ball.
At this moment he'd removed all disguise, revealing his originally pale features. Moreover, he conspicuously wore a black robe embroidered with red cloud patterns.
"Lord Orochimaru! Are you alright?"
Yakushi Kabuto hurriedly stepped forward to support Orochimaru, whose aura appeared slightly disordered yet expression abnormally excited.
However, Orochimaru completely ignored his subordinate's concern. Though his body carried post-battle exhaustion, those serpentine pupils flickered with nearly maniacal fervent light, as if discovering some rare treasure.
Because in that brief yet shocking exchange just now, one fact had completely overturned his inherent understanding of "tailed beasts" as existences!
I see... I see!! Those things aren't mindless chakra aggregates at all! They... are higher-level existences capable of control and achieving 'cooperation' with hosts!
Orochimaru's heart roared madly. As an explorer who'd nearly touched the threshold of "immortality," his lifelong pursuit had long since turned toward exploring all truths and mysteries in the world.
He'd witnessed tailed beasts' destructive rampaging scenes, even once obtained Eight-Tails cells for deep research. But they were truly difficult to control.
Ultimately, Orochimaru concluded about tailed beasts' existence: boring war tools, utterly lacking beauty and depth, causing him to lose interest in tailed beasts.
But today, he'd witnessed so-called "perfect jinchuriki" firsthand for the first time! Though he'd previously received related intelligence, deep down he'd always harbored doubt—how could power he'd expended countless efforts yet couldn't perfectly control possibly be wielded by a teenage brat?
However, facts triumphed over all eloquence. After that blonde youth transformed into a small Nine-Tails, not only did he not lose reason, but rather precisely controlled that energy, even firmly protecting teammates behind him!
Tailed beasts could actually achieve "harmonious coexistence" relationships with humans!
This was simply... a groundbreaking discovery! Too wonderful!! Want to... so desperately want to deeply research this power! What principles hide behind this secret?!
He forcibly suppressed the excitement and greed nearly overflowing from his face. Seems it was time to activate those connections and resources he originally hadn't planned to easily deploy.
"Kabuto," Orochimaru ordered in his hoarse voice, "immediately end your mission here."
"End?" Yakushi Kabuto froze, pushing up his glasses. "No longer need to continue gathering intelligence?"
"Mm," Orochimaru nodded, mouth corners hooking into a meaningful arc. "I've already discovered something far more interesting and valuable than this intelligence. This boring assessment no longer has meaning. Now, we need to leave here and prepare for the next step of our 'plan.'"
Finished speaking, their two figures merged into shadows, silently disappearing into the Forest of Death's depths.
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