038 Toying With Your Viscera

"Genie, your thought process truly is unique, unlike that of ordinary people..." Though he put it this way, Orochimaru had to admit that the Genie's speculation was not without merit.

Setting aside the example of Kakashi, from the collected physical data on the Uchiha clan, it was apparent that their constitution would deteriorate to varying degrees after awakening the Sharingan. This was especially true for those Uchiha who specialized in illusions—the stronger their ocular power, the heavier the strain on their bodies. This manifested in their combat style: swift and decisive, compensating for their lack of endurance in prolonged fights.

It seemed the plan to acquire the Sharingan needed to be accelerated. Orochimaru was eager to see what form the fully matured Sharingan, as a bloodline limit, would take.

On the other hand, the Genie took pride in Orochimaru's remarks, far from feeling any shame. In his line of work, it was all about thinking outside the box. He couldn’t help but laugh and say, "If my guess is correct, you needn’t worry about the Uchihas rejecting the transplantation of the First Hokage’s cells. The Uchiha clan, after all, have a deep admiration for strength. On the contrary, they’ll likely beg you for your help."

A single sentence awakened the person lost in thought. Orochimaru paused, rubbing his chin, a cunning glint flashing in his eyes from time to time.

Truthfully, he had lost all interest in the war itself. At this point, he was impatient to find a few Uchiha shinobi to experiment on.

After a moment’s thought, Orochimaru spoke. "Genie, I want to end this war as quickly as possible. Do you have any good ideas?" He then recounted the arrangement between himself and the Third Hokage.

Merely repelling the Cloud shinobi wasn’t enough; weakening the Uchiha clan’s strength was also a necessary objective in this war.

"The old Third is truly ruthless, to have you do such a thing," the Genie mused as he stroked his chin in contemplation. "Drive back the Cloud, and at the same time cause the Uchiha heavy losses... I have a way."

Orochimaru looked at the Genie, waiting for him to continue.

"After all, what loss could compare to a Mangekyō Sharingan? Offering the Uchiha clan’s forbidden eyes as a sacrifice would surely satisfy the Third. Moreover, the Mangekyō Sharingan could serve as a weapon to repel the Cloud as well..."

Orochimaru frowned slightly, not entirely agreeing with the Genie’s approach, for he too coveted Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan. The Genie’s suggestion clearly intended to squeeze every last drop of value from that pair of eyes at once.

"You can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the lamb," the Genie said, tilting his chin with a deliberately disdainful air. "If your research on the First’s cells proves fruitful, you might even try to restore him. This is a ready-made experimental subject."

A light sparked in Orochimaru’s eyes.

At that moment, a Konoha shinobi entered to report, "Lord Orochimaru, Shisui and Kakashi’s squad have returned. They’re waiting outside for your summons."

Orochimaru snapped out of his reverie and nodded slightly. "Let them in."

Soon, Shisui and Kakashi entered the control room, both wearing looks of guilt. In a sense, neither had completed their mission nor lived up to Orochimaru’s trust—especially Kakashi, who besides failing the mission, had committed other errors as well.

Orochimaru gazed at the two of them and said, "Tell me what happened."

Shisui and Kakashi exchanged a glance, and Kakashi recounted the specifics of their ordeal, focusing on the attack by the Two-Tails Jinchūriki and the mysterious enemy who appeared afterward.

Orochimaru listened in silence, taking Kakashi’s information very seriously. Although the Genie had described Uchiha Obito’s identity and abilities, his perspective was ultimately different from that of a shinobi, and could only serve as supplementary reference.

The Genie had also warned him multiple times that relying too much on him would lead to death.

After some time, Orochimaru spoke in a soft voice, "Go and rest." Seeing the guilt still on their faces, he added, "Though you failed your mission, you held off both the Two-Tails Jinchūriki and a mysterious enemy. Your merits and faults balance out. Go rest now; there will be more battles soon."

Only then did Shisui and Kakashi bow and take their leave.

Watching them go, Orochimaru let out a cold chuckle. In his view, their guilt was unnecessary. Although their mission was crucial to the battle between the two armies, it was precisely because of its importance that a true commander would never pin all hope on a single group. Even if they had failed to seize the stronghold, Orochimaru’s pride would never allow him to blame them.

Having sent Shisui and Kakashi away, Orochimaru and the Genie chatted idly, and by four in the morning, the barrier was finally completed.

Once it was activated, Orochimaru didn’t pause for a moment and proceeded to the temporary medical ward.

As this was a large-scale war operation, Konoha’s shinobi forces naturally brought a medical team, and the Third Hokage, wishing to show his commitment and remove any possible stains from his name, had sent the very best.

Yet, the injured Uchiha, accustomed to the efficiency and results of Doctor Orochimaru, found the medical team’s treatment somewhat unimpressive.

The standard... left much to be desired.

So, when Orochimaru appeared in the medical ward, the seriously wounded Uchiha, without needing to be told, lined up their beds in a long row, awaiting Orochimaru’s... clinical treatment.

On the other hand, if not for the importance of the fortress’s defensive barrier, Orochimaru would have liked nothing more than to treat the Uchiha patients immediately.

After several simulated battles with the tailed beasts, the Uchiha had become quite cooperative with his medical methods. At first, it was treating wounds and removing lesions; now, they were used to him reaching into their chest and abdomen, manipulating their organs with ease.

And this, without a doubt, provided him with even more data.

"Tsk, tsk..." Peeking out from behind Orochimaru, the Genie clicked his tongue in amazement at the bizarrely harmonious doctor-patient relationship unfolding before his eyes. He hadn’t slept long, and already Orochimaru was playing such new tricks—the style was indeed a little off.

However, from another perspective, Orochimaru’s performance was certainly worthy of further investment.

Thinking of the newly conceived power from their earlier discussion, the Genie frowned slightly. The help he intended to grant Orochimaru next would not be as simple as a few words—it would come at a cost to himself. He’d have to devise a way to compensate for that, and so the Genie fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, after gathering the usual data, Orochimaru completed his treatment of the Uchiha. The severely wounded became lightly injured, with no hindrance to subsequent battles.

Once everything was done, Orochimaru returned to the control room to rest.

In the blink of an eye, dusk arrived. Having fully recovered, Orochimaru gathered the squad leaders and had Shisui and Kakashi recount their encounters with the enemy.

Upon learning of the enemy’s bizarre and formidable strength, the group fell silent. The elation of last night’s victory was swept away, leaving the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

Orochimaru wasted no words and said bluntly, "I intend to crush the Cloud in a single battle and launch a surprise attack on their fortress. Do you have any suggestions?"