I, Konoha’s Sage of Life

Chapter 108 - 108: Hashirama Cells? Not Interested.

Kyoichi hadn't interacted much with Orochimaru. Of the few times they had, quite a number were just Jiraiya setting them up to drink together—and he hadn't even taken a single sip.

In terms of personal connections, they barely counted as acquaintances. In fact, there had even been some scheming and counter-scheming between them.

However...

At moments like this, Orochimaru's presence was undeniably reassuring.

One of the Legendary Sannin.

Just knowing he was here would force Kirigakure to reconsider. Otherwise, with a Sannin, plus Kyoichi, Might Duy, and the Konoha Police Force, they could storm the village and level it to the ground.

When Kyoichi arrived at the camp, Orochimaru was drinking tea with Yamanaka Inoichi, both looking utterly at ease, as if everything was within their grasp.

If Kyoichi hadn't watched the anime, he might have really believed this guy was some infallible genius who had every scenario calculated to perfection.

He chuckled to himself.

Inoichi noticed his return, stood up, and offered his seat, saying, "I still have intelligence matters to handle. You two talk first. If you need anything, just call for me in the command tent."

"Thank you, Inoichi-senpai."

Kyoichi gave a slight bow of appreciation.

Not only was Inoichi tasked with intelligence gathering, but he also had to personally oversee the camp. And considering his status, if not for Hiruzen and Tsunade's influence, there was no way he'd be referring to someone else as 'lord' so casually.

Inoichi simply smiled, gave a polite nod to Orochimaru, and then left the tent.

Kyoichi took a seat.

Orochimaru poured him a small cup of tea before speaking. "You've only been here for less than a month, yet you've already won the respect of those above and below you. Impressive. You're doing better than I did in my time."

"Orochimaru-sama, you're joking. You were the Third Hokage's disciple—who wouldn't show you respect?"

"Status is meaningless. What truly matters is one's own ability."

Orochimaru shook his head lightly.

That was precisely what he admired about Kyoichi.

Even though Kyoichi had Senju blood, aside from knowledge and secret techniques, he had never relied on the clan's reputation. Every step he had taken, every achievement, was earned through his own strength and merit.

That was rare.

Moreover...

What made it even more interesting was that, like himself, Kyoichi had a strong interest in forbidden jutsu. Orochimaru believed they should have a lot to talk about. Yet...

It seemed there were still some misunderstandings between them.

Orochimaru pondered for a moment before deciding not to bring up the more delicate matters right away. Instead, he started with the more pressing issue.

"I had Kirigakure's messenger bird sent off. Yagura should have already received word from their ANBU. Your plan to force their surrender now has a few more chances of success."

"I figured as much. Thank you for your help, Orochimaru-sama."

Kyoichi wasn't slow to catch on.

He immediately understood part of Orochimaru's purpose for coming. And the moment he mentioned the bird, Kyoichi recalled seeing one circling in the sky as they left the island.

Back then, it had seemed odd—why hadn't it flown away when the battle had been so intense?

Now it all made sense.

It had been Kirigakure's messenger bird.

Noted. That could come in handy in the future.

The two of them continued discussing the Eastern Front situation for a while.

Orochimaru fully supported Kyoichi's idea—Kirigakure had to be forced into submission now. Otherwise, if they waited until the war escalated, the situation would only become more complicated.

And their odds of success were high.

He had interrupted his research specifically for this.

Not that Orochimaru was here to claim credit. He simply wanted to extend a gesture of goodwill—

To make it clear that he and Kyoichi were not enemies.

As for what had happened during the Chunin Exams, neither of them mentioned it, tacitly treating it as a misunderstanding.

"Orochimaru-sama, are you the one researching Hozuki Chikage?"

"Yes. And I have you to thank for that, Kyoichi-kun. I've always been curious about the Hozuki clan's physiology, and you've given me an excellent opportunity."

Orochimaru chuckled softly.

The Hydrification Technique...

It wasn't immortality, but it was damn near unkillable. Orochimaru had coveted that ability for some time, but the Hozuki clan had always been slippery.

There were ways to deal with them, of course. But at the end of the day, if a Hozuki truly wanted to escape, they were hard to catch.

Kyoichi had been an exception.

As he spoke, Orochimaru took out a scroll.

It contained research notes and hypotheses about the Hozuki clan's secret techniques and physiology.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

Kyoichi glanced at it briefly, then lost interest.

Just as expected...

This ability only worked well with the right physical traits.

Kabuto had only been able to use the Hydrification Technique because he had transplanted Suigetsu's cells.

But...

A transplant was just a knockoff version.

If it wasn't the real deal, Kyoichi wasn't interested.

Clearly, Orochimaru felt the same way. After finishing his research, he had lost interest in Hozuki Chikage.

"Kyoichi-kun doesn't seem interested in this," Orochimaru observed with a slight smile.

Then he asked, "How about Hashirama cells?"

"...Hashirama cells?"

Kyoichi frowned.

So Orochimaru was being direct now?

This was different from the original timeline.

"Your grandmother was close to the Second Hokage. But at the end of the day, you are still of Senju descent. Based on my research, you should be able to integrate Hashirama cells well, gaining enhanced regeneration and Wood Release techniques."

Orochimaru explained.

"You have access to them?"

Was he trying to trick him into being a test subject?

Kyoichi's mind worked quickly.

"I do. Are you interested, Kyoichi-kun?"

"Nope."

"...Huh?"

Orochimaru was briefly stunned. He hadn't expected that answer.

After a long pause, he composed himself, his expression returning to neutrality.

This guy... is hard to manipulate!

Oh well...

Orochimaru didn't dwell on it. His enthusiasm for Hashirama cells had waned significantly over time. While they were undoubtedly useful, he had realized that he might not be able to utilize them effectively himself.

Trying to rope Kyoichi into it was more out of scientific curiosity than anything else.

Of course...

He still wanted to know...

"Kyoichi-kun, mind sharing your reason?"

"It's simple. I've read records on the subject—not complete ones, but enough to make some educated guesses. I believe the First Hokage's Wood Release and his ability to heal without seals are closely tied to his life force."

Kyoichi explained.

Orochimaru fell into thought.

Wood Release... linked to life force?

That wasn't entirely impossible.

"And? Don't worry, I'm only curious. Besides, I can trade some of my own research for your insights."

Orochimaru spoke seriously.

His interest was genuinely piqued. Wood Release... life force...

He had never considered that angle before.

"To put it simply, the First Hokage's Wood Release integrates life force into the jutsu, which is why it's so powerful. If someone transplants Hashirama cells, unless they're willing to sacrifice their life force, their Wood Release will be mediocre at best. In most cases, it's better to just use a sword instead."

Kyoichi didn't hide his thoughts.

Orochimaru mulled it over.

The theory that unsealing-based healing shortened lifespan—he had considered that before.

His declining interest in Hashirama cells was partly because the First Hokage himself had lived a relatively short life. If the cells were transplanted, there was a risk of uncontrollable regeneration, overgrowth, and ultimately being consumed by one's own body.

As for Wood Release, he hadn't really delved into the mechanics before.

So there was this layer to it as well...

Kyoichi, on the other hand, wasn't actually uninterested in Hashirama cells. He just felt that obtaining them from Orochimaru was too risky. The origins of Orochimaru's research were dubious at best—accepting anything from him would be like handing over leverage against himself.

Tsunade, on the other hand, might have a legitimate way to acquire them. No need to take unnecessary risks.

"Kyoichi-kun, you've never conducted formal research or examined data, yet you deduced so much. I must say, I'm impressed. The more I learn about you, the more I feel we are alike."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with interest.

He was genuinely excited.

For years, he had been searching for like-minded individuals—people who shared his interests and ambitions. Unfortunately, he had never found anyone suitable.

His collaboration with Danzo? That was a joke.

Danzo, in his eyes, was primitive. His methods and mindset were outdated, incapable of truly understanding or keeping up with Orochimaru's vision. They were nothing alike.

But Kanda Kyoichi...

The academy reforms.

The removal of restrictions on forbidden jutsu for Jonin.

Those were things Orochimaru had once considered doing himself—before his focus shifted. But that didn't stop him from admiring Kyoichi's actions.

Kyoichi could sense it.

Orochimaru's presence here wasn't just about Kirigakure. That was just a convenient excuse.

What he really wanted was to rope him in—just like Kabuto. To turn him into an assistant, a protégé.

Too bad.

Kyoichi had his own system.

Researching forbidden jutsu as a side hobby? Sure.

Becoming someone's apprentice? No thanks.

Stretching lazily, he said, "No need for compensation. Since Orochimaru-sama came to assist, we can just call it even."

"That's not the same. I came to the Eastern Front for the village. That has nothing to do with you. What's fair is fair."

Orochimaru took out two scrolls.

He explained them one by one.

The left scroll contained Soft Physique Modification.

As for the right one...

"This one is a creation of mine that isn't exactly 'official'—a special type of Body Replacement Jutsu. It's quite useful, but Kyoichi-kun, you'll likely need to study it further to master it."

Orochimaru's Substitution Jutsu?

Now that was interesting.

However...

While the technique was powerful, it consumed a considerable amount of chakra. And it likely required certain physical modifications.

As for Soft Physique Modification...

Might as well take it. No reason not to.

Kyoichi reached out and took the Soft Physique Modification scroll.

Orochimaru looked a little disappointed.

He had expected Kyoichi to be more interested in the substitution technique. After all, it was a brand-new jutsu. Meanwhile, Soft Physique Modification was something that, given enough time, Kyoichi could likely figure out himself.

"Orochimaru-sama, I think you might have misunderstood me. I only research things that are useful to me. If something isn't practical, I don't waste my time on it."

Kyoichi clarified.

Orochimaru paused briefly before nodding.

"Pragmatic. Not a bad trait."

He didn't linger much longer and went off to find himself a place to stay.

Kyoichi, meanwhile, unrolled the scroll and started reading.

Moments later, he fell into deep thought.

This technique...

He had to admit—he had been biased.

Soft Physique Modification, in Orochimaru's hands, was always associated with serpentine imagery, which made it seem less appealing.

But now that he had studied the scroll himself, he realized—this technique was actually useful.

It had two methods.

The first was a shortcut—genetic modification. Orochimaru's specialty.

The second was a technique akin to yoga training.

The latter was an early-stage experiment that Orochimaru abandoned once he developed genetic modifications. But the scroll still contained records of his findings and notes.

However...

Kyoichi actually preferred the second method.

Training-based modification.

Not just for himself.

The anatomical knowledge within this scroll could even be applied to developing joint-lock techniques.

This could be useful for Kurenai as well.

If she could master this, it would mitigate the damage caused by using Strength Enhancement Techniques.

A great find.

Kyoichi put the scroll away, but his thoughts drifted back to Orochimaru.

His own presence here, combined with Tsunade's return and succession, had nudged Orochimaru onto a different path than in the original timeline.

That was unexpected...

Oh well.

He had a general idea of what Orochimaru wanted. If the timing was right, he wouldn't mind sharing some knowledge with him.

For now, though, Kirigakure was the priority.

With Orochimaru's help, this operation would be much smoother.

However...

Negotiations would still be a pain.

"I'll discuss the terms with Inoichi and Orochimaru later."

Hopefully, Kumogakure and Iwagakure weren't moving too quickly.

At that moment, an idea flashed through Kyoichi's mind—

Kirigakure must be using messenger birds to communicate with Kumogakure and Iwagakure's ANBU.

If they just killed those birds...

Problem solved.

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