As Jiraiya and the others departed, most of the people in the Konoha Camp began to stir, silently praying that they or their relatives would be among the next group to return to the Village.
Although the war on their side had ended, the front lines were ultimately not as safe as the Village, and returning early would bring them peace of mind sooner.
Days passed, and the number of people remaining in the Konoha Camp grew smaller and smaller.
On that familiar rock, Ren sat cross-legged, watching the departing convoy, and muttered,
"Well, another one sent off."
Three days had passed since Jiraiya returned to the Village. During this time, hundreds of people formed convoys to return every day.
On the second day, Nara Choumei and Nara Shikaku led the team back.
On the third day, Yusuke Uchiha led the team, accompanied by Ryufeng.
As for today's convoy, it was basically all doctors, led by Tsunade herself.
Fortunately, Kurenai hadn't left yet, so he at least still had a companion.
Seeing the convoy disappear at the end of the road, Ren stood up and jumped off the rock, then turned and walked into the Konoha Camp. Before long, he arrived in front of Orochimaru's tent.
"Orochimaru-sama, may I come in?"
After Ren finished speaking, he stood at the entrance, waiting quietly. It wasn't long before Orochimaru's hoarse voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Ren lifted the curtain. As soon as he entered, he saw Orochimaru wearing a white Wu Chen suit, his back to him, standing in front of a small experimental table in the corner, tinkering with something.
Noticing the movement behind him, he turned sideways, his gaze falling on Ren, and chuckled lightly.
"Ren-kun, you're here very early today."
With the end of the war, Orochimaru's pressure as the Commander drastically reduced. The daily documents were revised in less than an hour, making it incredibly easy.
After finishing the documents early each day, the remaining time was free, which was incredibly delightful for a research fanatic like Orochimaru.
The same went for Ren. Since he had no missions, he spent most of his time in Orochimaru's laboratory, except for accompanying Kurenai.
He was quite interested in some of the Tailed Beast data and Orochimaru's experiments.
After all, the power of science is endless, and there's no harm in learning more by following this scientist.
"Hahaha, I'm just bored and idle. I came to see if you need any help here."
Ren skillfully took a Wu Chen suit from a nearby hanger and put it on, smiling at Orochimaru.
"Hehehe, I do need some help."
Orochimaru smiled, then turned and took a bottle from the experimental table, handing it to Ren.
"Hmm?"
After Ren took it, he examined it carefully for a long time but couldn't find anything special about the bottle. If anything, it looked a bit sturdier than an ordinary bottle.
Seeing Ren's confused gaze, Orochimaru explained.
"Please inject some Tailed Beast Chakra into it, Ren-kun."
"Okay."
Though a bit puzzled, Ren still drew a trace of Three-Tails Chakra from his body and injected it into the bottle.
Under their gaze, deep blue Chakra emerged from Ren's fingertip at a visible speed and entered the bottle, swirling and fluctuating continuously inside.
"A material that blocks Chakra…"
Ren glanced at the bottle before looking at Orochimaru, then handed the bottle back. He stood aside, quietly observing Orochimaru, curious to see what he was up to.
"Ren-kun, please wait a moment."
Orochimaru took the bottle and went to a nearby experimental table to tinker. Soon, he straightened up again, looking at the Chakra mass with a strange light in his eyes, murmuring.
"It's as I thought."
Meanwhile, Ren was baffled. He only saw that Orochimaru was analyzing the Tailed Beast Chakra, then wrote something on a paper from an angle he couldn't see, acting all mysterious.
Just then, Orochimaru picked up the paper he had been writing on for a long time from the table and handed it to Ren, smiling.
"Take a look, Ren-kun."
"Huh?"
Ren was startled at first, then came to his senses and took the paper, lowering his head to read it.
Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face, and he murmured.
"Attachment?"
"Exactly."
Hearing Ren's murmur, Orochimaru picked up the bottle and said in a deep voice.
"Through extensive experimentation, I've discovered that Tailed Beast cells and Chakra have several unique characteristics compared to human Chakra.
First, Tailed Beast cells. I once obtained Eight-Tails cells, and after experimenting, I found their activity to be extremely high. Even after detaching from the Tailed Beast, they can survive for a very long time, far exceeding human cells.
Second, Tailed Beast Chakra. Through experimentation, I found that they not only possess the characteristics of Tailed Beast cells but also have a strong affinity for attachment."
At this point, Orochimaru paused, then raised the bottle in his hand, speaking with some excitement.
"Which means, if Chakra separated from a Tailed Beast, like this, can be injected into other organisms or even humans…"
Orochimaru didn't finish, but Ren already understood his meaning.
Looking at the constantly pulsating Chakra and the paper in his hand, Ren was utterly convinced.
In just over ten minutes, Orochimaru had roughly figured out the characteristics of Tailed Beast Chakra. Although Ren also knew these characteristics of Chakra, it was from his past life's memories. If he had to figure them out from scratch, he probably wouldn't have any results even after half a month.
Orochimaru truly deserved the title of "Ninja World's Foremost Scientist." If he were given more time, Ren would believe he could even clone the Nine Tailed Beasts and even the Ten-Tails exactly!
Ren put the document back in its original place, looking at Orochimaru with approval, and said.
"Although it hasn't undergone more specific experiments, I feel, Orochimaru-sama, that this method is completely feasible."
He was just an assistant; to truly tinker with these inventions that transcended the era, it had to be Orochimaru.
For him to cheer from the sidelines, and then be the first to experience and use it after the experiment succeeded, would be absolutely perfect.
"Thank you."
Orochimaru turned back to the table, his hoarse voice slowly echoing in the tent.
"We're returning to the Village tomorrow, Ren-kun. It's best if you go and pack first."
Upon hearing this, Ren's eyes immediately lit up. He turned and walked out, his voice drifting back.
"I'm leaving for now! Call me if you need anything, Orochimaru-sama!"
Orochimaru's hand movements paused. He glanced at the dropped curtain, then shifted his gaze back to the desk, continuing his experiment, but a subtle smile played on his lips.