Chương 187: The Man Who Sought Immortality

Orochimaru fled. Or rather, his clone dispersed. The information he'd gleaned from Dongye zhen had to reach the original body as quickly as possible so preparations could be made. His dream was to master true immortality and unravel the endless truths of the world. To achieve that, he could not die—and right now, he was at his most vulnerable. His research had finally yielded results, but far too recently. The Living Corpse Reincarnation technique remained incomplete. At present, Anko was his only backup.

If Dongye zhen hadn't been bluffing—if he truly could erase the Heaven Curse Mark left on Anko—and something happened to Orochimaru's original body, then every sacrifice, every experiment, every step he'd taken toward eternity would collapse into dust. How was he supposed to continue playing this game? Using shadow clones, Dongye zhen conducted a quick sweep of the laboratory. Nothing of significance surfaced. This place was merely an insignificant snake den.

Afterward, he activated Flying Thunder God and carried the unconscious Anko back to the surface. Space-time ninjutsu really was absurdly useful. Once mastered, surviving became remarkably easy—as long as one didn't court disaster. The ninja world wasn't some high-tier cultivation realm. Sealing barriers and similar methods simply couldn't contain space-time techniques. Above ground, everything remained peaceful. Even Konoha in the distance appeared unchanged.

Yet beneath that calm exterior, nearly every ANBU operative in the village had mobilized under the Third Hokage's orders. Hiruzen Sarutobi led the remnants of his personal ANBU force toward Orochimaru's primary laboratory. Meanwhile, Tsukikage Kumo gathered the newly established ANBU division and assigned teams to investigate the remaining underground facilities. Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Sannin. Powerful. Dangerous. Unpredictable. No ordinary shinobi could stand against him.

Every team received the same instruction: avoid direct confrontation at all costs. If Orochimaru was encountered, signal for reinforcements immediately. A lone squad challenging him head-on was little different from volunteering for a funeral. Based on current evidence, Orochimaru no longer viewed Konoha's shinobi as comrades. If forced to fight, he would show no mercy. After issuing all necessary orders, Tsukikage Kumo departed with Hayate's team to rendezvous with Dongye zhen.

Yamato had already reported everything. In terms of raw strength, Kumo suspected even Orochimaru might not be able to defeat his disciple. Still, worry came naturally. Ninja battles weren't determined by strength alone. Schemes and dirty tricks were often deadlier than any jutsu. He feared Dongye zhen's youth might leave him vulnerable to the snake's manipulations. Then, without warning, Dongye zhen appeared beside them with the unconscious Anko in his arms.

As soon as he'd approached Konoha, he'd sensed the massive ANBU deployment and used Flying Thunder God to arrive immediately. Kumo spoke at once.

"Where's Orochimaru?"

"That wasn't his real body. Just a clone."

"I see. And Anko?"

"Orochimaru branded her with some kind of curse mark. She's survived the dangerous phase and isn't in mortal danger. But beyond that..." Dongye zhen paused.

"Part of her memory seems to have been sealed away." Kumo sighed.

"So he's truly crossed that line." Even his own student hadn't been spared. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Sensei, what's all this?" Kumo unfolded a mission map.

"Orders from the Third Hokage. We're searching these laboratory sites." Entrusting the new ANBU with laboratory raids? Afraid they might uncover something inconvenient? Dongye zhen immediately understood Hiruzen's intentions. He pointed toward one location.

"What about this one?"

"The Hokage is handling it personally." Instantly, Dongye zhen understood. That was probably where Orochimaru's real body was hiding. For all their differences, some bond still remained between master and student. The fact that Orochimaru had allowed his teacher to locate him might even have been intentional. Dongye zhen formed several shadow clones. One accompanied Kumo's group back to the laboratory he'd just visited for a more thorough search. The others scattered to assist teams elsewhere.

As for his original body— After dropping Anko off at the hospital, he had something more important to do. Inside the laboratory to the southwest. Orochimaru had already incapacitated two ANBU shinobi who attempted to ambush him. After a brief clash with his teacher, he appeared in the tunnel behind Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen didn't move. Enma, the Monkey King he had summoned, grew anxious.

"Sarutobi! What are you doing? Why aren't you attacking?" Still, Hiruzen remained silent. Behind him, Orochimaru smiled faintly and accelerated toward the exit. Even someone as rational and self-preserving as him wasn't entirely devoid of emotion. By risking his true body, he'd confirmed something important: His teacher couldn't bring himself to kill him. How troublesome. How precious. Such was the bond between master and disciple. In that hesitation, Orochimaru saw his teacher's lingering affection.

He also saw the weakness that had deepened with age—the growing inability to sever old ties. The same weakness Hiruzen showed toward him. The same weakness he showed toward Danzo. Humans were fragile. Their bodies were fragile. Their emotions even more so. As he fled, Orochimaru became more certain than ever of the path he'd chosen. Physically, he'd already modified himself beyond ordinary limits. Injury alone would no longer kill him easily.

Now he needed only to discard the unnecessary remnants of human sentiment. Then Orochimaru would become something approaching perfection. From that point onward, he required only one thing: The perfect vessel. A hidden ANBU squad emerged from the side, attempting an interception. Orochimaru swiftly defeated them. He summoned a giant snake, intending to feed the three fallen shinobi to it. The serpent's jaws opened— And exploded. The sudden blast caught him completely off guard, leaving him wounded.

It was the same snake he'd used during his battle with Hiruzen. Apparently, sometime during the fight, the old Hokage had slipped an explosive tag into its mouth.

"Honestly..." Orochimaru muttered while clutching his wound.

"The old man still insists on teaching lessons, even now." He didn't bother finishing off the fallen ANBU. Reinforcements would arrive soon. Escaping Konoha's sphere of influence took priority. After running for some time, Orochimaru suddenly smiled and came to a halt. Leaning against a tree, he sat down. Ahead of him, Dongye zhen drifted down from the sky like a feather. Gravity seemed unable to touch him. He hovered effortlessly in midair. Using Wind Release to achieve flight was impressive enough.

More astonishing was the total absence of chakra leakage. The trees and grass surrounding him remained perfectly still. Not a single blade stirred. Such flawless chakra control was enough to make even Orochimaru envious. Dongye zhen had never hidden the techniques he'd developed. Records existed within Konoha's archives. Orochimaru had studied them. His conclusion? They weren't techniques humans should be capable of performing. His judgment matched Danzo's. No one could replicate them.

"Your talent truly defies comprehension, Zhen." Dongye zhen smiled.

"A compliment from the genius the Third Hokage once called a once-in-decades prodigy. Should I feel honored?"

"Of course I envy talent." Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed.

"No matter what others say, I'm merely human. I wasn't born with the gifts bloodline clans possess by default." He spread his hands slightly.

"Ordinary shinobi have limits." Then his gaze sharpened.

"But you... you've shattered everything I thought I knew."

"I've investigated your history. Your parents were ordinary people. So were their ancestors." His voice lowered.

"Tell me, Zhen... are you truly their child?"

"Or perhaps a more fundamental question."

"Are you really human?"

"I am." Dongye zhen answered without hesitation.

"You needn't doubt that."

"Is that so?" Orochimaru tilted his head.

"Then tell me, someone blessed with a talent beyond my understanding..."

"How do you view the problem of human lifespan?"

"Don't you think our few short decades are terribly fragile?" Dongye zhen looked at him.

"So you've solved it."

"As I suspected."

"By continuously replacing your body?"

"More or less."

"And the cost?"

"The cost?" Orochimaru chuckled.

"Compared to eternal life, what cost could possibly matter?"

"Fair enough." Dongye zhen nodded.

"Unfortunately, Orochimaru-senpai, I've already found my own path."

"Your version of immortality doesn't tempt me." A spark flashed through Orochimaru's eyes.

"As expected."

"Someone like you must have contemplated mortality as well." His smile widened.

"Would you tell me about your path?"

"I see no reason to." Dongye zhen shrugged.

"But I can offer a hint."

"As far as I know, the sages of the Three Great Sage Regions have lived for over a thousand years."

"Have you never wondered why?" Then he smiled faintly.

"Or perhaps I should ask it another way."

"For someone pursuing immortality through body replacement..."

"Wouldn't those sages make the ultimate vessels?"

"Heh." Orochimaru's tongue flicked out as he slowly licked across his face.

"Interesting."

"It seems you've chosen the path of a human sage." Then he added:"And, Zhen... the sages of the Three Great Sage Regions aren't opponents I can handle."

"Besides, they merely live long lives."

"Their existence isn't truly eternal."

"Perhaps." Dongye zhen gazed into the distance.

"But until I reach the end of my own road and see its limits with my own eyes..."

"I'll never be interested in your method." Orochimaru laughed softly.

"Then I hope you never reach that end." His golden eyes gleamed with fascination.

"Because I'd like to witness it as well."

"A second path to immortality."

"One that doesn't rely on replacing vessels."

"What an exciting prospect that would be."