146-150

*Chapter 146: The Sand Hidden Two-Piece Set*

As the attack on the Hidden Sand Village and the abduction of Shukaku continued to escalate, the international reputation of the Land of Wind deteriorated significantly.

Many nations began stirring restlessly, eager to test whether the Land of Wind had truly fallen into decline.

Of course, those major nations interested in testing the Land of Wind wouldn’t act directly; such actions could spiral out of control. Instead, they used smaller nations as proxies.

Thus, against this international backdrop, a localized battle erupted.

At the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, Sand Hidden ninjas observed the distant battlefield coldly.

"Are these rebels from the Land of Rivers insane? How dare they launch an attack against us?" sneered one Sand ninja disdainfully.

As ninjas from a major nation, they were used to being the aggressors, not the ones being attacked—especially not by a small country like the Land of Rivers, let alone a rebellion within it! This was nothing short of an insult to the Land of Wind and the Hidden Sand Village.

Leading this battle was a Jonin from the Hidden Sand Village named Hara Kamijiro.

Hearing his subordinate’s question, Hara Kamijiro pointed toward the disciplined enemy forces on the battlefield and sneered, "You call these guys rogue ninjas?"

Although their teamwork wasn’t as flawless as the ninjas of major nations, it was clear they had been trained. Ordinary rogue ninjas could never fight with such coordination.

To make matters worse, among the enemy forces was a Jonin whose strength rivaled his own. Were these truly just rogue ninjas?

With Hara Kamijiro’s reminder, his subordinates began to understand the situation.

"Boss, you’re saying these enemies were specially trained by another village to target us?"

Hara Kamijiro glanced at him and replied bluntly, "Obviously. But if they think they can deal with us using these forces, they’re gravely underestimating us and whoever’s pulling the strings behind them. At best, this is just a probe."

The subordinate scratched his head and suggested, "If that’s the case, shouldn’t we go all out and teach them a lesson?"

Hara Kamijiro nodded slightly, his gaze turning dangerous. "Fine. The Land of Rivers has already become the Fire Nation’s lapdog. Let’s use this opportunity to remind them that next to the Fire Nation, there’s also the Land of Wind!"

After the chaos caused by the Cult of Jashin, most of the ninjas the Land of Rivers had cultivated for years were wiped out. In such desperate times, they naturally sought protection from a powerful force.

Both the Hidden Sand Village and the Hidden Leaf Village were viable options. However, since the Land of Rivers first sought aid from the Hidden Leaf and Konoha promptly agreed, sending elite forces, it was only natural that the Land of Rivers aligned with them.

Later, in a show of their “Will of Fire,” Konoha accepted refugees from the Land of Rivers and even deployed forces to protect the region.

Despite this, the Land of Rivers remained in chaos for some time, with rebellions erupting across the country.

The forces attacking the Land of Wind’s border a few days prior were one of the strongest rebel factions within the Land of Rivers.

"According to Kazekage-sama’s orders, let’s use this battle to showcase our village’s new secret techniques," said Hara Kamijiro with a look of anticipation.

A subordinate immediately asked, "Boss, are we going to use the Scorpion Jade?"

Hara Kamijiro nodded. "Yes. If they want to test our strength, let them experience it for themselves."

He issued his command: "Everyone, you are permitted to use the Scorpion Jade secret technique and the Special Military Rations Pill. Show them the power of the Hidden Sand Village!"

"Yes, sir!"

With that, the Sand Hidden ninjas roared in unison, their fighting spirit ignited.

After all, they were ninjas from one of the strongest forces in the ninja world.

Yet, despite their strength, the Hidden Sand Village had been mocked and belittled on the international stage over the past couple of months. This was a chance to release their pent-up frustration and prove themselves—how could they not be excited?

Following their orders, the Sand ninjas quickly activated their specially developed chakra, awakening the Scorpion Jade. The rebel ninjas watched in shock as sharp, spiny limbs sprouted from their opponents’ bodies, along with flexible and deadly scorpion tails.

Close combat quickly became a nightmare for the rebels.

After all, they were used to fighting opponents with two arms. Against enemies with two arms, eight spiny legs, and a venomous tail, they were completely overwhelmed.

Just when they thought they had the upper hand, a scorpion tail would pierce straight through them.

The tide of the battle turned rapidly.

By this stage, the battle had entered its final moments. Both sides had exhausted most of their chakra, and the fight had shifted to physical combat.

However, the sudden appearance of these strange transformations caused devastating losses for the rebels.

"What the hell are those things? They look a bit like kagune," said one rebel Jonin, who had been identified by Hara Kamijiro as a skilled opponent.

He carefully observed the battlefield.

He couldn’t deny that the Sand Village’s new powers looked similar to kagune—the organ-like weapons used by ghouls. But there was something fundamentally different about them.

"Regardless, this intel must be reported to Danzo-sama," muttered the Root Jonin.

Just then, a Sand ninja charged at him from behind.

"Feel the might of the Hidden Sand Village, you bastard!"

The ninja swung his sharp tail like a spear, aiming to skewer his opponent.

However, ambushes were the specialty of the Root organization. Using underhanded tactics to kill was their bread and butter. Before the Sand ninja could strike, he was ensnared by an almost invisible thread.

In the next instant, a flash of steel pierced the Sand ninja’s shoulder, spreading a paralyzing sensation from the blade.

The Root Jonin didn’t finish him off. Instead, he planned to take the ninja back for study.

But things didn’t go as he expected.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, the Sand ninja bit down on a Special Military Rations Pill hidden in his mouth.

A surge of Yang Release chakra exploded from his body, healing his injuries and granting him renewed strength.

It was the power of nature—Sage-like energy!

Though far weaker than true Sage power, it was enough to send the Sand ninja into a berserk state, transforming him into a more ferocious force.

With a roar, he launched a terrifying counterattack against the Root Jonin.

(End of Chapter)  

Chapter 147: Competition is the Best Driver of Progress  

Although unexpected, this Jonin, who had grown up surviving the brutal battles within the Root, was not about to fail so miserably. 

Even when faced with an enemy in a berserk state, whose strength had multiplied several times over, he merely needed a little more time to subdue them. 

After restraining the enemy, the Root Jonin carefully inspected their body and discovered that the wounds were healing at a frightening speed. 

Rather than the immediate threat to himself, he was more concerned about the new secret techniques the Sand Ninja had displayed in this battle, as well as some kind of secret medicine capable of rapidly healing injuries and boosting strength in a short amount of time. 

If these secret techniques and medicines became widespread, they could pose a severe threat to the Leaf Village. 

He needed to deliver this information to Danzo-sama as soon as possible!  

With this thought, the Root Jonin knocked the enemy unconscious, placed them into a specially designed bag, and immediately signaled a full retreat.  

While these rebels retreated as soon as they received the signal, the Sand Village ninjas were not about to let them escape so easily.  

Moreover, since the Root ninjas did not care about the rebels' lives, they provided no cover during the retreat. As a result, it was no surprise that the Sand Ninja pursued and inflicted heavy losses on the rebels.  

However, few cared about the lives of these rogue ninjas.  

After scattering the rebels, the Sand Village ninjas went on to destroy several strongholds within the Land of Rivers and stationed some of their own ninjas there.  

Following this, the Kazekage officially announced that a special ninja force would be deployed to the Land of Rivers to aid in eliminating the rebels.  

The Land of Rivers could only meekly accept this, unable to protest under the combined pressure of the Lands of Fire and Wind. 

Meanwhile, intelligence regarding this border conflict and the captured Sand Ninja was quickly funneled through the Root's underground channels and delivered to the Leaf Village at top speed.  

Thus, the Third Hokage and the other three senior advisors convened in the Hokage's office.  

“Hiruzen, the Root has already conducted an in-depth interrogation of the captured Sand Ninja. It’s been confirmed that the Sand Village has begun mass equipping its ninja forces with a device called ‘Scorpion Orb’, as well as mastering the secret techniques to use it.”  

“Furthermore, the Higanbana Merchant Guild of the Sand Village has developed a special military ration pill. This pill contains a large amount of Yang Release chakra. When consumed near death, it can rapidly heal injuries and push the body into a berserk state, greatly enhancing combat abilities.”  

The raspy voice belonged to Danzo Shimura, a Leaf elder known as the Darkness of the Shinobi. 

After hearing Danzo's report, the expressions of the two other advisors turned grave.  

As senior members of the Leaf leadership and veterans who had survived the First Great Ninja War, they understood how significant these developments could be for the Sand Village and other nations.  

According to the intelligence from the Root, the Scorpion Orb could greatly enhance a ninja’s close-combat capabilities, putting them almost in an invincible state against opponents of the same level.  

Meanwhile, the military ration pill improved Sand Ninjas' survivability and provided them with a burst of strength during critical moments.  

“Danzo, is this information accurate?” Homura Mitokado asked sternly.  

Danzo closed his eyes and replied hoarsely, “One hundred percent accurate. I had a Yamanaka Clan ninja from the Root probe the enemy’s mind.”  

The Yamanaka Clan, one of the Leaf Village's veteran ninja clans, specialized in reconnaissance techniques and could use secret methods to read memories—an invaluable tool for extracting enemy intelligence. 

“If the Yamanaka Clan handled it, then the information must be reliable,” commented Koharu Utatane, the other advisor.  

After confirming the accuracy of the intelligence, she pressed on, “What about the usage limitations for these two items?”  

This was the critical issue. No matter how impressive a tool or technique was, if it had too many restrictions, it wouldn’t significantly impact the battlefield.  

“Unfortunately, Koharu, you’ll be disappointed on that front.”  

Danzo's raspy voice broke the silence again.  

“According to the captured Sand Ninja, after the Sand Village was attacked by the Jashin Cult and lost their Tailed Beast, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, began implementing the Scorpion Orb secret techniques on a large scale among the ninjas. He has also been purchasing military ration pills in bulk from the Higanbana Merchant Guild.”  

Koharu instantly fell silent. She understood the implications of this news.  

Both the secret techniques and the military ration pills likely had no real usage barriers for ninjas and were innovations developed internally by the Sand Village.  

Only under those circumstances would the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, dare to promote them on such a large scale.  

“Tap tap.”  

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly knocked his pipe lightly on the desk, his aged gaze sweeping across the room. “Given the situation, withdraw our forces in the Land of Rivers and cease any probing actions toward the Wind Country. Dispatch more spies to the Sand Village and uncover the origins of these secret techniques as soon as possible.”  

“Also, we need to clarify the origins of the Higanbana Merchant Guild and verify the truth of the Shukaku incident.”  

Hiruzen’s eyes rested on Danzo as he spoke, clearly assigning the task to him—and by extension, the Root under his control.  

Having worked alongside Hiruzen for so many years, Danzo immediately understood and accepted the task. “I understand, but many of our agents in the Sand Village were purged by Rasa...”  

In short, the Root was facing a shortage of personnel.  

The Third Hokage glanced at Danzo knowingly, as if he had anticipated this, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said calmly, “The Root's recruitment quota can be expanded.”  

Danzo, satisfied with the answer he had been hoping for, promptly withdrew to prepare for his mission of infiltrating the Sand Village.  

After Danzo left, Homura Mitokado voiced his concerns with a heavy heart. “Hiruzen, although the Sand Village lost Shukaku, if we let them continue developing like this, the Wind Country’s power might expand uncontrollably.”  

Koharu Utatane echoed the concern. “Homura is right. We must be wary of the Wind Country’s rise.”  

An overly powerful neighboring nation was not a favorable situation for the Leaf Village.  

To this, Sarutobi Hiruzen simply smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. While the Sand Village is busy researching new technologies, we in the Leaf Village have not been standing still.”  

Hearing this, the two advisors, who knew Sarutobi Hiruzen very well, felt reassured.  

Clearly, the Leaf Village had developed some new technique or strategy that could impact the battlefield.  

Without sufficient confidence, their old friend would never make such a straightforward statement.  

(End of Chapter) 

Chapter 148: New Members of the Akatsuki – X2

"Red-haired brat, do you believe I'll kill you?"

As soon as they entered the borders of the Land of Rain, Hidan started arguing with Sasori because Sasori had eaten the last piece of fried pork cutlet.

Faced with Hidan's threat, Sasori merely squinted his eyes and gave a faint smile, looking entirely unbothered.

"If Senior Hidan wants to kill me, you’ll have to defeat my puppets first," Sasori replied calmly.

Hearing this, Hidan couldn’t hold back anymore. He immediately unleashed his three-bladed scythe, ready for a life-and-death battle with Sasori.

This red-haired brat! In the first few days after joining the Jashin cult, he was obedient and compliant, doing whatever Hidan said. But as time passed, this guy started cozying up to Kaneki and even seemed to be vying for a higher position!

How could Hidan tolerate that?

The main issue was Sasori's puppet, which could manipulate iron sand using Magnet Release. Every time Hidan tried to attack, the iron sand would block his path. And if the iron sand or any other puppet managed to entangle him, he’d essentially lose all combat capability. It was infuriating.

But even though Hidan hadn’t yet figured out a way to deal with Sasori’s puppets, it didn’t stop him from initiating a fight.

After all, he couldn’t die. And with Kaneki around, Sasori couldn’t truly seal him away either.

Hearing the heated argument between Hidan and Sasori, Kaneki let out a long sigh.

At first, Sasori had been honest and humble, sticking to his role as a newcomer and not daring to provoke Hidan.

But over time, after enduring Hidan's bullying, Sasori began to reveal his cunning side. Occasionally, he’d infuriate Hidan with a harmless-looking expression paired with biting remarks.

When Hidan took the bait and attacked, Sasori would instantly use his Third Kazekage puppet to trap him with iron sand.

The fights were always initiated by Hidan, so he had no choice but to suffer in silence.

It had to be said—Hidan truly lacked brains.

With their arrival at the Akatsuki headquarters imminent, Kaneki didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble. He finally spoke up, his tone filled with exasperation.

“Knock it off.”

Hearing Kaneki’s command, Sasori immediately wiped the smile off his face and replied seriously, “Understood, Senior Kaneki.”

But Hidan, like a stubborn husky, wasn’t one to stop just because Kaneki told him to.

“Kaneki, don’t stop me! I’m going to chop up this red-haired brat!”

And then, Kaneki chopped off Hidan's head.

“You bastard, Kaneki! Mmmph, mmph!”

Hidan’s mouth was quickly stuffed with a block of wood by Kaneki, leaving him unable to speak.

As Kaneki channeled chakra into the ring on his hand, a strange chakra wave emanated from it. The cliffside in front of them rippled like water, revealing a deep cave.

“We’re here,” Kaneki said succinctly.

Sasori nodded in acknowledgment. This must be the infamous Akatsuki headquarters.

Before coming here, Senior Kaneki had already given him a brief explanation.

The Akatsuki and the Jashin cult were currently in a cooperative relationship. As such, Sasori, in addition to being a follower of Jashin, would also take on the identity of an Akatsuki member.

Sasori didn’t mind. As long as he could learn new puppet techniques from Senior Kaneki, it didn’t matter which organization he joined.

Kaneki carried Hidan’s head and body, while Sasori carried Gaara as they entered the cave.

The space quickly opened up before them, revealing a vast underground world.

What shocked Sasori the most was the massive statue towering before them—the Gedo Statue.

“Oi, we’ve got new members, huh?”

As expected, Tobi’s voice rang out. Wearing his mask, he suddenly appeared in front of Kaneki and the others.

He scrutinized Sasori for a moment before enthusiastically introducing himself.

“Hello! I’m Tobi, an Akatsuki intern!”

Faced with Tobi’s enthusiasm, Sasori seemed much colder in comparison, replying flatly, “I’m Sasori of the Red Sand.”

Apart from Kaneki, Sasori appeared indifferent toward everyone.

Hearing this cold response, Tobi sighed dejectedly, disappointed.

“What a shame. Another boring new member like Senior Kaneki.”

“After all, Hidan-senpai is much more lively. I like Hidan-senpai more…”

Halfway through his sentence, Tobi suddenly paused and looked around. “Hmm? Where’s Hidan-senpai?”

Kaneki raised Hidan’s head and presented it to Tobi.

Seeing Hidan’s decapitated head, Tobi exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, “Huh? Hidan-senpai’s been decapitated again?”

Hidan struggled in vain but to no avail.

Meanwhile, Kaneki glanced at Tobi with interest. “Tobi, why did you change your mask?”

The tiger-striped mask had practically become synonymous with the Jashin cult’s enforcers in the ninja world.

Now, however, Tobi had abandoned his old mask in favor of a spiral-patterned orange one.

Hearing Kaneki’s question, Tobi’s tone immediately became gloomy.

“It’s because Senior Kaneki kept using my mask to…”

Halfway through his sentence, Tobi caught Kaneki’s gaze and quickly corrected himself. “To bring justice and peace!”

Satisfied, Kaneki smiled faintly.

Before they could say more, Pain’s voice echoed through the hall.

“Since you’re all here, come in.”

In the darkness, a pair of pale purple eyes, rippled with concentric circles, gazed at them with an overwhelming sense of authority.

“So, those are the legendary Sage Eyes?”

Sasori couldn’t help but think this as the thought crossed his mind instantly.

“You must be Sasori of the Red Sand. Welcome,” Pain said calmly. “Orochimaru, why don’t you greet them as well?”

As Pain finished speaking, a figure standing on the fingers of the Gedo Statue opened its eyes.

With pale yellow serpent-like pupils gleaming in the darkness, a chilling aura filled the air.

Kaneki adjusted his glasses, his expression unperturbed. He had already learned of this development through his insects before returning to the Land of Rain.

The leader of the Akatsuki had personally recruited a high-profile member.

One of the legendary Sannin—Orochimaru.

“Greetings, everyone. I’m the newest member of the Akatsuki, codename ‘Empty.’”

With that, Orochimaru licked his lips with his tongue, flashing a sinister smile and revealing the ring on his finger engraved with the kanji for "Empty."

“Even Orochimaru has joined? This organization’s strength runs deeper than I expected,” Sasori thought silently, his gaze lingering on Orochimaru.

If he could turn Orochimaru into a human puppet, it might rival the power of his Third Kazekage puppet.

Orochimaru ignored Sasori’s gaze, instantly teleporting to Kaneki’s side and extending a hand.

“Kaneki-kun, we meet again.”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 149: Orochimaru's Fear*

Orochimaru looked at Kaneki with undisguised greed in his eyes—the kind of greed that yearned to possess Kaneki's body.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Orochimaru."

Kaneki smiled faintly and extended his hand to shake Orochimaru's.

The moment their palms touched, Kaneki immediately felt a surge of chakra flooding into his body.

As the chakra entered, the surrounding world changed drastically in an instant.

He found himself standing on a barren wasteland. In front of him, a giant purple snake opened its cavernous, bloodthirsty mouth, and a foul, fishy wind blasted toward him.

"Is this genjutsu?"

Kaneki's face showed no trace of fear or worry.

The essence of genjutsu lies in using various methods to inject one's chakra into the enemy's body, thereby invading the target's mental world. By disturbing their perception and spirit, the target is plunged into an illusion.

The key to successful genjutsu is twofold: how to inject chakra into the enemy and how to use that chakra to interfere with their perception and mind.

Generally speaking, there are two ways to break free from genjutsu.

First, disrupt the chakra within one's own body, thereby disturbing the opponent's chakra as well.

Second, use external stimuli to regain true perception and break the illusion.

However, the key here was that Kaneki's current presence was just a clone. The portion of his consciousness and soul that resided in this clone was minimal.

As a result, the second step of the genjutsu became invalid.

Orochimaru's chakra couldn't possibly disrupt Kaneki's entire perception. Kaneki's perception wasn't rooted in one source but was spread across dozens of clones. Merely deceiving a single clone was far from enough to trap him in the illusion.

On the contrary, as soon as he realized someone had cast genjutsu on his clone, all he needed was for another clone to channel chakra into the affected one to easily dispel the illusion.

With the influx of external chakra, the grotesque giant snake and desolate world before Kaneki vanished in an instant.

A hint of surprise flashed across Orochimaru's face. He hadn't expected his carefully executed genjutsu to be broken so quickly.

Not only that, but Kaneki wore a faint smile. Immediately after, a golden light flickered in his eyes.

A surge of uncontrollable fear arose in Orochimaru's heart. Everyone around him vanished in an instant, leaving only himself, frozen and unable to move.

Time seemed to stretch indefinitely. Under the relentless passage of time, Orochimaru's body began to wither, cracks appearing all over him. Eventually, as time eroded him, he disintegrated like sand carried off by the wind.

At that moment, a giant blood-red eye emerged in the sky, and a voice, deep as an abyss, reverberated in Orochimaru's ears:

"Praise my master. My master is eternal—the ruler of time!"

In the next second, the scene fractured into countless lines, and Orochimaru returned to reality.

He had seemingly experienced hundreds of years, watching his life decay under the erosion of time. Yet in reality, less than a second had passed.

Orochimaru lifted his head to meet Kaneki's gentle smile once again.

"It's a pleasure to become colleagues with you, Mr. Orochimaru."

With that, Kaneki let go of his hand and returned to his place on his designated finger.

To be honest, Kaneki was quite pleased with Orochimaru's arrival.

After all, as one of the long-standing powerhouses of the ninja world, one of the Legendary Sannin, and an enthusiast of biological technology, Orochimaru must have plenty of valuable materials at his disposal.

Kaneki looked forward to the kind of sparks that might fly between him and Orochimaru.

As for Orochimaru, he finally set aside his underestimation of Kaneki, replacing it with deep wariness and curiosity.

The wariness came from realizing that Kaneki's strength was on par with his own, making him a formidable opponent. The curiosity arose from his insatiable desire to uncover Kaneki's secrets.

Regardless, they were now part of the same organization. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly and returned to his position as well.

From above, Pain had silently observed the subtle clash between Kaneki and Orochimaru.

He said nothing, merely turning to Sasori and asking, "Sasori of the Red Sand, here is your uniform. You may choose your codename and ring."

Pain tossed a black cloak embroidered with red clouds toward Sasori.

Sasori examined it briefly before putting it on. As a genius and artist, he refused to wear anything ugly.

Along with the uniform, four rings flew toward him. They represented the following codenames: Suzaku (Vermilion Bird) with the symbol [朱], Nantou (Southern Star) with the symbol [南], Seiryuu (Azure Dragon) with the symbol [青], and Yunv (Jade Maiden) with the symbol [玉].

"I choose this—Jade Maiden."

Without hesitation, Sasori picked up the ring bearing the Yunv symbol.

Pain nodded slightly. "In that case, Sasori, you are now an official member of the Akatsuki. Kaneki should have already told you about the organization's rules, so I won't repeat them."

"Mhm."

Even when facing Pain, the leader with Rinnegan eyes, Sasori remained indifferent.

"Choose a spot for yourself."

With that, Pain withdrew his gaze.

Sasori, without much thought, moved to stand next to Kaneki.

"Uh, Sasori, that's Hidan's spot," Konan reminded him suddenly.

"Oh."

Upon hearing Konan's reminder, Sasori reluctantly moved to the other side of Kaneki.

"Oh dear, how unfortunate! With Sasori joining, my status as an intern in the organization just dropped another rank!"

Out of nowhere, Tobi appeared in Hidan's place, complaining loudly. "Leader, when are you going to let me become a full member too?"

Pain glanced at Tobi expressionlessly. "When you can defeat anyone in the organization, you will be promoted."

Hearing this, Tobi laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. "On second thought, never mind. All the seniors here are as strong as monsters. I wouldn't dare challenge them."

"Enough with the idle chatter," Konan interrupted coldly. "Let's focus on the task at hand."

The task?

Orochimaru's cold gaze shifted slightly.

He was well aware of the Akatsuki's purpose: to capture the nine Tailed Beasts. Naturally, the "task" Konan mentioned referred to their plans involving the Tailed Beasts.

"Kaneki, you brought the One-Tail Jinchuriki with you, didn't you?" Konan turned to Kaneki and asked.

"Yes, Sasori has him."

Kaneki adjusted his glasses slightly as Sasori lifted Gaara with one hand.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 150: Only My Lord Is Eternal*

Before Kaneki and the others officially entered the base, Pain had already sensed the immense chakra of the Tailed Beast within Gaara.

"So, this is the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail?"

As Pain extended his hand, a gravitational force descended upon Gaara, lifting him into the air effortlessly.

Although he noticed that the chakra of the One-Tail seemed somewhat diminished, Pain was unfazed.

After all, this was something he and Kaneki had agreed upon before their collaboration began—Kaneki had the right to extract a portion of the Tailed Beast's chakra for his research and experiments.

What Pain hadn’t anticipated was that even part of the One-Tail's soul had been taken.

Of course, this wouldn't hinder Pain’s ultimate goal.

After conducting a brief examination of the One-Tail within Gaara, Pain said, "Now that the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail has been captured, we must act quickly to avoid any complications. Let’s begin sealing the Tailed Beast in seven days."

"This is the sealing technique we will need in seven days. I will require everyone's assistance when the time comes."

After speaking, Konan distributed pre-prepared scrolls to the group, including the intern, Tobi.

"I get one too, Leader?" Tobi asked gleefully.

Pain was at a loss for words but, unwilling to reveal Tobi's true identity, played along. "The sealing technique requires ten individuals of 'Akatsuki-level' strength to initiate. For now, you’ll fill the numbers."

"So, in the leader's eyes, I’m just here to make up the numbers?" Tobi exclaimed, feigning heartbreak.

Pain ignored him and coldly said, "Disperse," before vanishing from sight.

After the meeting ended, Kaneki naturally prepared to return to his lab at his headquarters.

Although he had a room at the Akatsuki base—spacious, even—Kaneki had never stayed there.

Whenever he was at headquarters, he practically lived in his lab, eating and sleeping there.

If he ever wanted to experience the outside world or observe the simple lives of the Rain Country’s people, he could simply switch his perspective to the insects under his control.

Not just the daily lives of the people—even their most private activities were accessible to him.

However, just as Kaneki was about to return to his lab with Sasori and Hidan, a chilling voice called out to him.

It was Orochimaru.

"I heard Kaneki-kun has a lab here. Mind showing me around?"

Orochimaru made no attempt to hide his covetous curiosity toward Kaneki’s research.

Kaneki, however, was not stingy. Since he had previously benefited from Orochimaru’s labs, showing him around wasn’t a big deal.

Besides, there was no way Kaneki would keep any critical experiments at a lab under Nagato's watchful eye.

"You’re most welcome. If I could gain your insight, Orochimaru-san, it might greatly enhance my experiments," Kaneki replied, pushing his glasses up.

Kaneki wasn’t merely being polite—he was genuinely intrigued by Orochimaru’s knowledge of soul transference.

If he could master similar techniques, he might no longer be limited to a single physical body. Each of his clones could potentially become a primary vessel.

"Then I’ll take you up on your offer, Kaneki-kun."

Sasori cast a wary glance at Orochimaru, disliking the aura emanating from him. However, since Kaneki had agreed, Sasori said nothing and followed them to the lab.

As they entered, a strong scent of blood hit Orochimaru, overwhelming even someone as seasoned in experimentation as himself.

Just how many people has this guy killed for his experiments? Orochimaru thought, staring at Kaneki’s back.

Soon, his gaze fell upon a massive blood pool filled with countless experimental subjects suspended within it.

In addition to the blood pool, both sides of the lab were lined with large test tubes, each containing unique specimens.

There were oversized insects, grotesquely stitched creatures, dog-headed beings with bat wings, three-headed serpents, and harpy-like entities with human torsos and eagle wings.

Even Orochimaru, an expert in biological experimentation, was momentarily stunned.

Unbelievable. His level of bioengineering surpasses mine. These new lifeforms—many of which I’ve never seen before—are astounding.  

Though most were failed experiments, Orochimaru’s sharp eye as a fellow scientist discerned that several were successful prototypes, with potentially formidable combat capabilities.

If these breakthroughs could be applied to human physiology, they might significantly enhance human potential.

Thinking of this, a fervent light appeared in Orochimaru’s eyes.

Kaneki’s expertise in biotechnology truly exceeded his expectations.

Narrowing his gaze, Orochimaru asked, "I’m curious, Kaneki-kun. What is your perspective on life?"

"My perspective on life?" Kaneki seemed slightly surprised by the question but didn’t hesitate to answer.

Pushing his glasses up, he replied truthfully, "To me, the meaning of life lies in the pursuit of truth. Only by relentlessly seeking truth does life have value."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru followed up, "But don’t you think the path to truth is excessively difficult for humanity?"

Spreading his hands, he continued, "The road to truth is littered with temptations that divert attention. A moment’s distraction can plunge one into a pit of indulgence and pleasure."

"Even for those who remain steadfast, time inevitably takes its toll. How many have spent their lives in pursuit of truth, only to die without ever reaching it?"

Kaneki chuckled, his earlier skirmish with Orochimaru providing him with newfound insight into Orochimaru’s fears.

Time.

Yes, for someone like Orochimaru, who single-mindedly pursued truth, time was the most formidable adversary.

No matter how resolute one’s will, it could not withstand the erosion of time, leaving them submerged in the vast river of history, unable to grasp the truth they so desired.

"So, that’s why Orochimaru-san developed the Immortality Reincarnation Technique?" Kaneki asked.

Orochimaru didn’t deny it, nodding in acknowledgment of Kaneki’s observation.

Kaneki responded with a faint smile. "I’ve always believed that humanity has great limitations. To escape these constraints, the best solution is to abandon our humanity."

"Only by transcending the human condition can we gain the time and freedom to explore the world and uncover the universe’s truths."

At this, Kaneki removed his glasses and locked eyes with Orochimaru.

"As the saying goes..."

"Only my Lord is eternal."

(End of Chapter)