Half a day earlier.
Fifty kilometers beyond the Three-Village Alliance's temporary encampment, toward the direction of the Land of Grass, a narrow mountain ravine lay silent.
Two thousand Konoha shinobi moved through it like ghosts.
Under the command of Orochimaru, they had slipped past enemy patrol lines and successfully infiltrated the rear of the allied forces without a single alarm raised.
"Pass the order down. Full unit rest in place. Maintain concealment."
Orochimaru lifted a hand lazily.
"Deploy all reconnaissance teams. Not just toward Orange Blossom Mountain—keep watch on the border as well."
Messengers dispersed immediately.
Within minutes, the two thousand shinobi melted into the terrain.
No tents.
No campfires.
No loud movements.
They simply leaned against rocks, crouched beneath trees, or rested along the slopes, quietly eating ration bars and drinking water.
Since departing the village the night before last, they had been marching at forced pace. Multiple times they had used Shadow Clones to create the illusion of splitting forces.
They had not stopped once.
Fatigue weighed heavily on them.
After issuing his orders, Orochimaru turned toward the young man beside him.
"Itachi. How are you feeling? Can you still endure it?"
The mission had come abruptly. At the time, Orochimaru had been in the middle of conducting Hashirama-cell integration experiments on Itachi Uchiha.
He hadn't been prepared.
Yet he couldn't refuse the village's command.
After considerable deliberation, he chose to bring Itachi along—continuing both the experiment and the mission simultaneously.
Fortunately, the procedure had already entered its final stage. Most of the heavy work was complete. What remained was observation.
Itachi's complexion was rosy, his breathing steady. No signs of fatigue.
"I feel fine so far," he replied calmly. "No discomfort."
Orochimaru's golden eyes lit up.
"Let me see."
He crouched and began examining Itachi's body with unsettling enthusiasm.
After several moments, he straightened, visibly pleased.
"The effects of Formula Seven are excellent. No rejection response whatsoever. Your body has already been strengthened considerably—and the enhancement is ongoing."
He sighed lightly.
"It's a pity we don't have proper instruments here. Real-time physiological data would be invaluable."
Even as he lamented, he withdrew a small syringe.
Itachi wordlessly rolled up his sleeve.
Since being entrusted to Orochimaru by Uchiha Jin, he had long grown accustomed to blood draws, tissue samples, strands of hair, saliva, sweat—countless collections.
He no longer reacted.
Besides, he could clearly feel the changes within himself.
His physical resilience had improved.
His mental clarity had sharpened.
He also knew the results of these experiments would eventually benefit Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Jin, and other talented members of the clan.
So he did not resist being a test subject.
Orochimaru carefully sealed the vial of blood.
Given that Itachi's body was still evolving, Orochimaru dared not draw too much. Introducing new variables at this stage could ruin everything.
After a brief silence, Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"Itachi… aside from the Sharingan, have you ever considered obtaining a new kekkei genkai?"
Itachi blinked.
"A new kekkei genkai?"
Orochimaru nodded.
"Based on Jin-kun's intelligence and our experimental data, once your transformation completes, you will most likely awaken the First Hokage's unique bloodline—Wood Release."
Wood Release.
The words carried weight.
Itachi's eyes flickered.
Orochimaru continued, unbothered by the reaction.
"My research shows that the Uchiha and Senju bloodlines possess remarkable complementarity."
"Uchiha blood tends toward Yin, Fire, Lightning."
"Senju blood toward Yang, Water, Earth, Wind."
"If one individual possesses both bloodlines… then in theory, they may naturally hold all seven elemental transformations—Yin, Yang, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Wind."
"Wood Release is merely one manifestation of that balance."
He leaned closer, tongue flicking across his lips almost unconsciously.
"You, Itachi, now carry both Uchiha and Senju blood. You may very well awaken all seven affinities."
"That is fundamentally different from someone like my former teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who learned all five elements through training."
"You would not be a practitioner of chakra."
"You would resemble its origin."
"A primordial form."
"With limitless potential."
His voice lowered, almost reverent.
"If you wished… I could research methods for you to awaken Storm Release, Blaze Release, Lava Release, Explosion Release… perhaps more."
There was genuine longing in his eyes.
This body—
It was exquisite.
Perfect.
Tempting beyond measure.
Though his Immortality Reincarnation Technique was still incomplete, the framework already existed. Orochimaru had long coveted superior vessels.
If not for having discovered a path even more suitable for himself—
He would not have resisted claiming Itachi outright.
Even Itachi, accustomed to Orochimaru's gaze, felt a chill crawl up his spine.
He shook his head.
"No need."
"More abilities do not necessarily mean greater strength."
"Too many would only divide my focus."
Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully.
"True. Human attention is finite. Excess variety risks mediocrity."
He paused.
Then smiled again.
"But… what if I could grant you eternal life?"
His golden pupils gleamed.
"With infinite lifespan comes infinite time."
"You could master every ability without fear of dilution."
"No more trade-offs. No more limits."
Itachi looked at him, genuinely surprised.
"So… that is the meaning of your existence?"
The wind passed quietly through the ravine.
For a brief moment—
Orochimaru did not answer.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/warewolvesTL(replace@ with a)