get-shopping Chapter 303 The outside world is freer, and there's tons of material to draw from.
Chapter 303 The outside world is freer, and there's tons of material to draw from.
Chapter 303 The outside world is freer, and there's tons of material to draw from.
Hearing Dou's calm reminder.
The panicked young researcher shuddered, as if a drowning person had suddenly grabbed a floating plank. He immediately stopped frantically flipping through the planks and looked down at his feet. Sure enough, there was a talisman.
The talisman was covered with densely drawn sealing patterns, and there were traces of shoes stomping on the edges.
The young man hurriedly picked up the talisman and rushed towards the experimental bed.
The moment his face came into full view, Kabuto's pupils contracted slightly, and he instantly recognized the other person's identity.
Rope tree.
He is the grandson of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the younger brother of Tsunade, and also Orochimaru's eldest disciple.
Upon seeing the rope tree, the scene he had witnessed in the audience earlier flashed through his mind.
It seems I have indeed been dragged into a dream world, a dream that Lord Orochimaru himself once experienced.
The moment he realized this, Dou's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly calmed down; now was not the time to be distracted.
Rope Tree had already rushed to the experimental bed.
The strange feeling of growth under the skin of my right arm is still there, like countless tiny roots burrowing into my flesh, and each twitch is accompanied by a tearing pain.
"Place it on the outside of your right arm, two finger-widths below your elbow, close to your skin."
"Okay!" Rope Tree nodded vigorously, only realizing when he got closer that the eyes behind the glasses were excessively calm, as if the berserk state wasn't happening to him.
Rope Tree swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and carefully pressed the talisman onto Dou's right arm.
"Chakra".
Dou reminded him.
"Huh?" Nawaki paused, then said, "Oh, right!"
Chakra surged from his palm, seeping through the talisman paper.
The next second, the yellow talisman glowed with a soft light.
Complex black patterns spread rapidly from the edge of the talisman, forming a small sealing array on Dou's skin.
The lines intertwined and wrapped tightly around that raging arm that was about to explode.
The moment the seal was activated, Kabuto could clearly feel that the chakra raging through his flesh and blood had crashed into a high wall and was forcibly stopped.
The faint green light that had been escaping was gradually absorbed back into the seal and compressed back into the right arm.
The swollen, twisted lines of the arm smoothed out at a visible speed, and the disgusting writhing under the skin also subsided quickly.
"It's a success!"
Rope Tree's eyes widened.
"It's really stabilized!"
He let out a long breath, plopped down on the swivel chair next to him, and slumped down, revealing a smile of relief, as if he was the one who was about to go berserk.
"That's amazing, Kabuto!"
Rope Tree turned to look at the pocket on the experimental bed, his eyes filled with genuine amazement.
"Master was right after all. You are really talented and super calm. You are a natural researcher. In that situation just now, I was completely panicked and my mind went blank, but you were still able to see the key to the problem at a glance."
"
In the end, his self-reproach and admiration were palpable.
Dou did not respond immediately.
The excruciating pain and loss of control in my right arm are subsiding, replaced by a tingling, sore, and tired feeling.
He lay quietly on the experimental bed, his gaze calmly fixed on Rope Tree's face.
As Orochimaru's disciple, Nawaki is impulsive and easily flustered. He can even become completely disoriented due to a minor experimental accident, forgetting all about emergency procedures.
How could someone like that become Lord Orochimaru's most valued disciple?
Could someone like that stand beside Lord Orochimaru and explore the boundaries of science together?
A difficult-to-describe emotion quietly rose up.
It's not anger.
More like ————
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
"Now—" she said calmly, moving her hands and feet, still restrained by the straps, "can you untie me now?"
"what!"
Rope Tree was stunned for a moment, then immediately felt annoyed and apologetic, and hurriedly began to untie himself, as if he had just remembered this.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"
"I was in such a rush that I forgot, I'll untie it for you right away!"
The restraints loosened one by one, and as he raised his wrist, feeling the blood flow smoothly again, his body finally returned to his control.
auditorium.
Orochimaru rested his chin on his hand and let out a meaningful laugh.
"Heh heh, I never expected that it would be Kabuto who was dragged into this dream today, and his partner would be Nawaki."
"It's really interesting; this dream always likes to explore the possibilities in various situations."
Not far to Orochimaru's right, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi sat in a row.
On the other side, a little distance away, were Nagato, Konan, and Obito.
In the darkness, the gazes of all parties converge in front of the light screen, yet do not interfere with each other.
Tsunade, who was to Orochimaru's right, was also looking at the screen.
Her gaze was much softer than when she first entered.
Seeing Nawaki frantically untying his belt while apologizing and explaining, Tsunade couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"That kid, he's always so reckless—"
[Ding! Tsunade's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
"Hey, Orochimaru."
Just then, Jiraiya rubbed his hands together and came over, grinning, "We meet again."
Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye and asked impatiently, "What is it?"
Jiraiya chuckled twice and said, "Look, you've been away from Konoha for so many years, hiding and traveling around, uh, I mean, for quite a while now. Have you ever considered going back to the village?"
"Now that Tsunade is the Hokage, the situation is different."
Orochimaru finally shifted some of his attention away from the screen, slowly turned his head, and looked at him directly for a moment.
He stuck out his tongue and slowly licked his somewhat pale lips.
"Back to Konoha?" he repeated, then said slowly and with a hint of amusement, "Sure."
Jiraiya's eyes lit up: "Really?"
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
He clearly ignored the mockery in Orochimaru's tone, taking it as a sign that his old friend had finally come to his senses after many years.
Unfortunately, his joy didn't last long.
Orochimaru's next calm remark froze Orochimaru's smile.
"However, I happen to be short of a few high-quality test subjects recently. There should be quite a few suitable materials in Konoha's prison or among the reserve talents of the Anbu. If you could provide me with a few people—"
"You're dreaming."
A low shout suddenly cut in.
"The ninjas of Konoha are not your experimental subjects," Tsunade said coldly, arms crossed. "Don't even think about it."
O
Her refusal was decisive and left no room for negotiation.
When it comes to matters of principle, she will not back down an inch.
Orochimaru shrugged, his expression calm and indifferent, as if he had expected this answer.
"Well, there's nothing I can do about that then." He turned his gaze back to the screen. "Looks like I'm better off outside."
"Hehehe, the outside world is freer, and the sources of materials are much more abundant."
Seeing that Orochimaru had clearly lost interest in the conversation, and then glancing at Tsunade's ashen face, Jiraiya could only awkwardly scratch the back of his head and sheepishly retreat to his seat.
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
"well----"
He sighed inwardly.
To Orochimaru's left, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the Konoha members, Nagato and Obito sat quietly.
The two of them heard the entire conversation clearly.
Their eyes met briefly in the air, and a sense of anticipation appeared in both of their gazes.
on the screen.
The restraints had all been removed, and Dou slowly sat up from the experimental bed.
He didn't speak immediately, nor did he show any excessive panic or curiosity; he simply sat quietly by the bed.
His silver hair fell down, obscuring half of his face. He lowered his head slightly and gently kneaded the muscles of his right arm with his left hand, as if checking for any other reactions.
At the same time, he took the opportunity to organize the large amount of information he had just acquired.
First, you need to confirm your current situation and identity, and try to get as much information about the world as possible from others.
Asking too many follow-up questions will seem unusual.
But the rope tree in front of me is clearly a simple-minded and emotional person who has a certain degree of closeness and trust towards me.
The best strategy is to get the other person to speak.
So, Kabuto chose to remain silent.
He maintained a weak and tired demeanor, but tried his best to remain calm.
I just went through that dangerous situation.
This silence can subtly encourage the other person to speak and explain.
really.
Faced with this silence, the usually talkative Rope Tree watched as Kabuto silently rubbed his arm, and his guilt only deepened.
"It's all my fault, Kabuto—I'm sorry."
He hurriedly continued, "My master clearly told me that the fusion test you requested this time was very risky, and that I must pay close attention to your reaction and use inhibitors in time."
"But I still messed it up."
Rope Tree scratched his hair in frustration, making it even more messy.
He began to meticulously review every detail of the mistakes he might have made, from adjusting the dosage testing equipment to his mental state, saying self-reproachfully, "I had prepared everything beforehand, but when things went wrong, I panicked even before you, the volunteer—"
Dou didn't interrupt him, but just listened quietly.
As Rope Tree was talking, he suddenly remembered something.
"However, Master also said that he greatly admires your courage and determination in taking the initiative to participate in the adaptation experiment of the first generation of cells."
At this point, he looked up at Dou, his gaze filled with genuine admiration, but also with some puzzlement.
"To be honest, Kabuto, I still don't quite understand why you're so obsessed with obtaining the power of Wood Release?"
"With your talent for medical ninjutsu and your intelligence, as long as you obediently follow your master's research, you can become very powerful even if you choose a different path."
"If you hadn't discovered the problem in time today—the consequences would have been really bad."
Kabuto memorized every word Rope Tree said, quickly piecing together several key pieces of information.
Kabuto Yakushi in this world is a ninja who voluntarily applied to become the First Hokage's Wood Release experimental subject, motivated by the desire to become stronger. This is similar to his real-life counterpart, but the way he expresses it is different.
Orochimaru's appreciation for this indicates that Orochimaru recognizes Kabuto's potential in this world.
In this experiment, Rope Tree is merely an assistant. He is uneasy about the high-risk plan, and he doesn't quite understand Kabuto's behavior, yet he genuinely cares about his safety.
The outburst just now was an accident, caused by Nawaki's mistake, and it just so happened to happen when Orochimaru was away.
This information quickly spread through Dou's mind.
One thing puzzled him.
Lord Orochimaru did not hesitate to list himself as a test subject.
Why?
Perhaps Dou forgot.
In reality, he also injected Orochimaru's research findings into his own body without hesitation.
Compared to his dream self, the real-life Yakushi Kabuto is far superior.
When Rope Tree's self-reproach and lamentations finally subsided and the laboratory quieted down again, Kabuto finally looked up.
A gentle and tolerant smile slowly appeared on his face, as calm and polite as ever, exuding a reassuring composure.
Kabuto raised his hand and pushed up his round-framed glasses on the bridge of his nose, saying softly, "Nawaki, don't worry too much. Experiments are bound to have unexpected problems. The important thing is that we solved the problem in the end. This experience will be an important reference for us to adjust the plan next time."
He effortlessly transformed the responsibility that originally belonged to Rope Tree into our shared experience.
This both soothed Nawaki's guilt and brought them closer together.
As Dou expected, the latter breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and once again revealed that straightforward and bright smile.
"You're so thoughtful, Dou."
"It's always the same. I'm frantically trying to get through to you, but you're always the calmest."
"This time, we really have to thank you. Otherwise, when Master came back and saw the lab in this state, something bad would have happened to you too—"
"I'm sure they're going to give me a good scolding again."
As he spoke, he patted his chest, looking as if he still had lingering fear.
Immediately afterwards, as if he had just thought of something, Rope Tree's eyes lit up.
"By the way!" He leaned closer and carefully examined Dou's face. "How are you feeling now?"
Can I still go out?
These words quickly caught Dou's attention; this was an opportunity to learn more about this dream world.
Moreover, this opportunity also allows one to observe what makes Orochimaru's disciple so special that he has earned Orochimaru's favor.
Dou reached out and took his coat from the bedside. As he put it on, he said casually, "I feel much better, but my right arm is still a little weak. I should be able to go out. Where are we going?"
Upon hearing this, Rope Tree's face immediately broke into a smile again.
"You forgot?"
"Didn't we agree that we were going to deliver this month's supplies to the orphanage this afternoon?"
"I've prepared everything. I was planning to wait until you finished the test and rested before we set off."
He scratched his face, a little embarrassed, and said, "As a result—this whole mess has happened, wasting so much time. But you seem to be in good spirits now, so let's go and come back as soon as possible."
Rope Tree patted Kabuto's shoulder cheerfully.
"Our master wants to hear our report tonight!"
Orphanage?
Dou's eyelids twitched violently.
[Ding! Kabuto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
A past that Dou thought he had long since stopped touching gradually became clearer in his mind.
Just as Rope Tree was speaking enthusiastically, he heard a slight tearing sound beside him.
Stab it!
Rope Tree paused for a moment, then turned to look and saw that Kabuto's right hand was tightly gripping the sleeve of his left arm.
He accidentally used too much force, and the left sleeve of his jacket was roughly torn open, leaving a long rip from his shoulder to his elbow.
Dou froze on the spot, his body tense, his head lowered, his bangs and reflective glasses obscuring most of his face.
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