signingbooks Chapter 207 Rope Tree: Master would never treat human life lightly!
Chapter 207 Rope Tree: Master would never treat human life lightly!
Chapter 207 Rope Tree: Master would never treat human life lightly!
Orochimaru frowned slightly, his golden snake eyes fixed on the data in the file, deep in thought.
Just then, a cry of "Ouch!" was heard as the ward door was pushed open.
A medical ninja wearing a mask and a white coat pushed a cart of medical equipment in.
Upon seeing the figure inside the room, he quickly bowed respectfully and greeted, "Lord Orochimaru! I've come to change your medicine!"
Orochimaru didn't even look up when he heard this; he simply nodded slightly in response.
As one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, and also responsible for the research on Hashirama cells personally ordered by the Third Hokage, his status in this secret base was extraordinary.
It was only natural that the medical ninja treated him with respect and caution.
After Orochimaru finished flipping through the file in his hand, he casually put the folder back on the bedside table.
He then walked to another bed, picked up a folder from the bedside table, and began to flip through it.
After browsing for a while, the doubt in his eyes grew even stronger.
The interstitial cell inoculation dose recorded in this file is even lower than the previous one.
Orochimaru's brow twitched slightly at such a small dose. Unconvinced, he reached out and grabbed the file folders from the next few beds, quickly flipping through them.
However, the vaccination data recorded in every file was exactly the same, all of them lower than he expected!
"How could this happen?"
Orochimaru was secretly puzzled.
He was always meticulous in his approach to scientific research, and every parameter of every experimental plan was carefully considered before being decided, and he never allowed any unauthorized alterations.
But the dosage is clearly wrong right now.
Who on earth dared to tamper with his experimental data without authorization?!
And it wasn't just in one or two places; all the data was lowered!
Anger surged from the depths of his heart.
Orochimaru slammed the file folder shut and strode toward the medical ninja who was bending down to change the IV drip.
With a gloomy face, he slammed the file folder onto the equipment cart in front of the other person.
The medical ninja was startled and looked up to meet Orochimaru's cold gaze.
"Who changed the vaccination numbers?!"
Orochimaru stared at the medical ninja, speaking each word with an icy tone.
His voice was already hoarse, and now that he was deliberately lowering it, it sounded even more dangerous.
"Don't they know that arbitrarily changing the dosage like this will lead to the complete failure of the experiment?"
Orochimaru is usually very reserved and doesn't show his emotions, but scientific research is his Achilles' heel.
"This—modification? Impossible!" The medical ninja was stunned by his barrage of questions and stood there, covered in cold sweat.
He hurriedly picked up the folder and quickly flipped through the records, afraid that he might have made a mistake somewhere.
A few seconds later, the medical ninja looked up, offering a cautious, ingratiating smile as he explained, "Lord Orochimaru, you see—no one changed anything. These vaccination numbers—were determined by you personally! Who would dare to alter your plan!"
"What?" Orochimaru's pupils contracted upon hearing this, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.
"I ordered it?" He wondered if he had misheard.
How is that possible!
How could he have devised such a ridiculous experimental dosage?!
[Ding! Orochimaru's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Just then, the door to the laboratory ward was pushed open from the outside again.
Orochimaru looked up at the sound and saw a man and a woman, both wearing white researcher's lab coats, walking in side by side.
Leading the way was a young female ninja with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her chestnut pupils held a hint of dissatisfaction. Before she even stopped, she complained loudly, "Orochimaru! The experiment is progressing way too slowly! That old bastard Danzo is pressuring the old man to hurry it up again!"
Upon hearing this voice, Orochimaru was suddenly jolted, and a rare look of astonishment appeared on his face.
Tsunade?!
Indeed, the newcomer was Tsunade, who was wearing a slightly oversized white lab coat over a casual ninja outfit for ease of movement.
She stood at the door with her arms crossed, her eyebrows furrowed, clearly extremely dissatisfied with the progress of the experiment.
Beside Tsunade stood a tall boy.
The boy looked to be in his early teens, with features somewhat resembling Tsunade's. His eyes shone with youthful vigor as he curiously surveyed the room.
He was also wearing a white lab coat, clearly indicating that he was also assisting with the experiment.
The boy's gaze quickly locked onto Orochimaru, and a bright smile spread across his face: "Sensei!"
He excitedly raised his hand to greet Orochimaru, his expression revealing undisguised admiration and affection.
in the audience.
Today, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Kabuto Yakushi are in the audience.
The environment remained dim, with the rows of seats behind me stretching into the endless darkness.
Upon arriving, Kabuto silently walked to a corner and sat down alone.
His expression was obscured in the dim light, but a faint glimmer of light was visible reflected from his glasses.
Dou's gaze was fixed on the two figures appearing on the screen. He subtly pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses shifting unpredictably.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi sat together.
Tsunade stared intently at the screen.
The moment Tsunade in her dream, dressed in a white lab coat, appeared on the screen alongside Nawaki, tears welled up in her eyes.
Even through the screen, Tsunade could clearly see that Nawaki in her dream had grown much taller than when she last saw him, his figure was more upright, and his still-childish face exuded the same spiritedness as before he died in battle!
He's grown up—.
"I really saw Nawaki again!" Tsunade said excitedly to Jiraiya beside her, her voice choked with emotion.
She had longed to see her brother again for a long time.
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
In fact, Tsunade had a vague sense of anticipation as soon as Orochimaru's figure appeared on the screen.
The last time, she saw Nawaki again after many years in Orochimaru's dream.
And now that her younger brother has indeed appeared as she wished, how could she not be moved to tears?
Tsunade forcefully wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her gaze fixed on the spirited young man on the screen.
I was afraid that this precious moment would disappear in the blink of an eye.
Jiraiya, who was standing nearby, saw this and gently comforted him, "Alright, alright, I see that Nawaki has grown quite a bit taller."
Jiraiya smiled, happy for Tsunade.
However, his eyes flickered, and he was already planning something else.
He realized this was a good opportunity!
Jiraiya stared at Orochimaru, who still looked dazed on the screen, and said in a deep voice, "Tsunade, you can still see Nawaki because of Orochimaru's dreams, but if he dies—you may never see Nawaki in your dreams again!"
Upon hearing this, Tsunade's previously excited expression suddenly relaxed, and her brows furrowed tightly.
She turned her head to look at Jiraiya's serious expression, and she immediately understood his intention.
This guy is trying to take this opportunity to convince himself to send someone to rescue Orochimaru!
"Jiraiya, you—" Tsunade looked at him with a complicated expression and remained silent for a moment.
Of course she wanted to see Nawaki again, but to make Jiraiya and even the ninjas of Konoha risk their lives to rescue that rogue ninja who was trying to destroy Konoha?
Although Tsunade misses Nawaki, she is not such a clueless person.
This is outrageous!
The rope tree is long gone from this world; what I see in my dream now is nothing but a beautiful illusion.
How could she gamble with her companion's life for this illusory hope?
After a brief silence, Tsunade closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly calmed her surging emotions.
She slowly shook her head, regaining the composure and resolve befitting a Hokage: "No. I disagree!"
Tsunade said it with absolute certainty, as if it were a final judgment, leaving no room for discussion.
Jiraiya was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Tsunade to refuse so decisively.
He panicked and hurriedly assured her, "Tsunade, we don't need Konoha to send anyone, I only need Kakashi, and I promise..."
"We absolutely will not let anything happen to Kakashi!!"
"Huh?" Kakashi, who had been sitting quietly to the side, almost spat out his water when he heard this.
His single, exposed eye widened instantly, and he froze completely.
[Ding! Kakashi's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
Kakashi, caught in the crossfire, was completely bewildered.
Hearing that Jiraiya was going to rescue Orochimaru, who had invaded Konoha, was already outrageous enough.
Why did you have to drag him into this?!
He scratched his head, somewhat amused and exasperated, his gaze shifting between Tsunade and Jiraiya, wondering if he had misheard.
The audience fell silent for a moment.
In the dimly lit corner, Kabuto pushed up his glasses, his eyes reflecting an inscrutable glint in the lenses.
The dream on the screen continues.
Tsunade was clearly extremely dissatisfied with the current progress. "We agreed to see results as soon as possible, how long has it been?"
Orochimaru snapped out of his daze, trying his best to suppress the shock and complex emotions in his heart, and pulled his thoughts back to the situation at hand.
He took a deep breath, trying to sound calm, but his voice still involuntarily became a little hoarse: "Tsunade, what are you doing here?"
"Hmph, that's an interesting question."
Tsunade rolled her eyes at his words. "Why can't I be here?"
Orochimaru opened his mouth, then was momentarily speechless.
Yes, if Nawaki hadn't died, Tsunade naturally wouldn't have left Miba.
Given Tsunade's medical skills and status, if she stayed in the village, as Konoha's strongest medical ninja, she would naturally join this Hashirama cell experiment project.
After all, the mortality rate of this human experiment is extremely high, and having another top-notch medical ninja on board would greatly increase the success rate.
In reality, Tsunade had already left the village before the experiment even began; otherwise, with her participation, the situation might have been completely different.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
He was momentarily distracted, but then he understood his current situation in the dream: he and Tsunade were both among the Legendary Sannin, and they were currently participating in the research at the same time, so their status in the base should be equal.
Since Tsunade intervened, given her cautious and life-loving nature, it's highly likely that she influenced the experimental plan and coerced her into setting such a conservative dosage.
No wonder the experimental data was different from what I remembered!
Orochimaru slowly narrowed his eyes, glancing thoughtfully at Tsunade, who was standing nearby.
But what did Tsunade mean by what she just said?
Orochimaru didn't think much of it and went straight to the point, asking, "What happened to Danzo?"
Tsunade snorted and shrugged, saying, "What else could it mean? The same old thing."
She curled her lip dismissively and explained sarcastically, "Danzo thinks you're progressing too slowly and wants his Root to get involved. Those guys don't care about anything else; if they take over, they'll mess up the experiment sooner or later."
However, Tsunade quickly changed the subject, giving Orochimaru a sharp look and frowning, "But Orochimaru, Danzo's words this time aren't entirely without merit. The progress is indeed too slow; you're being too conservative!"
Tsunade walked to a nearby table, sat down, crossed her legs, and complained, "I've been here for a whole month, and there hasn't been a single case of someone going berserk. It's like I'm not even involved! Are you planning to drag this experiment out for a hundred years with all this hesitation?"
Orochimaru's brows, which had just relaxed slightly, furrowed again.
He listened to Tsunade's scathing rebuke and felt a mix of emotions.
It wasn't Tsunade who was conservative, but him?
How is that possible!
In reality, he never hesitates to pay any price in pursuit of forbidden arts and truth. When did he become such a hesitant and indecisive pushover?
Orochimaru pursed his lips, about to explain something.
However, before he could speak, Nawaki, who had been listening silently, suddenly couldn't hold back any longer.
Nawaki frowned slightly, looking at Tsunade with displeasure: "Sister, how could you say that about Master?"
"Master has long said that life is fragile! Such a dangerous study, if we don't select volunteers with strong tolerance first, and then inject large doses right away, will only cause a lot of casualties!"
Rope Tree's eyes were sincere and stubborn. When he got excited, he clenched his fists, as if he was afraid that others would misunderstand his master.
Tsunade, speechless at her younger brother's blunt retort, said, "Hey, Nawaki, whose side are you on? I'm your older sister!"
She pointed at herself, then at Orochimaru, "You're actually siding with outsiders and criticizing your sister?"
Nawaki met Tsunade's gaze without flinching, declaring confidently, "Of course I'm on Master's side! Master acts with discretion and wouldn't recklessly take lives!"
He walked up to Orochimaru, raised his head, and solemnly stated his position.
With that, Nawaki grabbed Orochimaru's arm and turned to give him a bright, cheerful smile: "Right, Master!"
The boy's eyes crinkled into crescents, his face radiating trust and admiration for his teacher.
When his disciple suddenly hugged his arm so intimately, Orochimaru stiffened and felt extremely uncomfortable.
The unexpected closeness left him momentarily at a loss.
He had never experienced such a scene before.
However, feeling the completely trusting gaze from Nawaki, Orochimaru's heart softened slightly in a certain corner.
Looking at Rope Tree's expectant expression as he looked up, he remained silent for a moment, and then a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
"Of course." Orochimaru reached out and slowly patted Nawaki's head, chuckling in a hoarse voice, "How could I possibly joke around with everyone's lives?"
He spoke with an unusually gentle and indulgent tone, without even realizing it himself.
"snort!"
Tsunade snorted and turned her head away from them, no longer looking at her younger brother. It turned out that his idol was not his older sister, but the gloomy, smelly snake beside him!
Seeing her older sister eat, Rope Tree scratched her cheek and stuck out her tongue, looking both embarrassed and amused.
Orochimaru smiled as he released the rope tree, but a serious look flashed deep in his snake-like eyes—he couldn't bring himself to smile.
Does this sound like a word?
It's utterly absurd that I, in my dream, would be so careful with the dosage out of fear of injury or death!
Is this still Orochimaru?
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed he could do such a thing.
While caution can reduce sacrifices, excessive caution means inefficiency.
Such a conservative experiment is doomed to fail no matter what!
Interstitial cells are domineering and very prone to going berserk.
However, no matter what it is, the dosage is crucial for it to be effective.
Based on his experience studying interstitial cells.
This dose of interstitial cells would have virtually no effect on an adult.
Orochimaru shook his head; this experiment was a complete waste of time.
When Tsunade saw Orochimaru shaking his head, she assumed he was still concerned about the safety of the experimental subjects.
She sighed and said, "I'm not as professional as you when it comes to human experimentation, but sometimes, being a bit radical isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"No, sister!" Before Tsunade could finish speaking, Nawaki quickly shook his head to interrupt her.
The boy eagerly stepped forward, blocking Tsunade and Orochimaru's path, and said loudly and earnestly, "Who says Master's experiments are useless!"
Orochimaru chuckled upon hearing this: "Oh? Nawaki, what do you mean by that?"
Nawaki puffed out his chest confidently and excitedly declared, "I saw with my own eyes today that someone can already use Wood Release!"
"What?!" Tsunade was shocked and jumped up from her chair. "Nawaki, you said someone successfully used Wood Release? Why didn't you say so sooner?!"
"Who is it? Where are they? What's the situation?!"
Orochimaru stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning, his expression instantly frozen.
This is impossible!
He glanced at the volunteers still unconscious on the hospital beds, and a storm raged in his heart.
In his view, there was absolutely no chance of this experiment succeeding!
[Ding! Orochimaru's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]