manynovel Chapter 246 Edo Tensei Madara: You... have seen me in my prime?
Chapter 246 Edo Tensei Madara: You... have seen me in my prime?
Chapter 246 Edo Tensei Madara: You... have seen me in my prime?
The Land of Fields, the Village of Sound.
In the cold, dark underground laboratory, the light shone on the experimental table in the center.
Lying on the platform was a pale, emaciated body with indistinct outlines and no obvious features. The only distinguishable features were its human-like limbs and head.
Upon closer inspection, the skin had a pale, ashen color, like that of a bloodless corpse.
Orochimaru, dressed in a white robe and wearing latex gloves, was intently cutting a White Zetsu on the lab table with a scalpel.
His vertical pupils never blinked, and he would occasionally report a string of data.
Beside him, the pharmacist adjusted his glasses and focused intently on rapidly recording various parameters in his notebook.
A moment later, after the last tissue sample was examined, Kabuto closed his notebook and said regretfully, "Lord Orochimaru, based on the current test results—"
"While White Zetsu's biological tissues possess extremely strong compatibility, the amount of basic chakra contained within them is disappointing, and they are probably not of much value to ordinary people."
"Hmm—" Orochimaru responded calmly upon hearing this.
He used tweezers to pick up a piece of the cut-off white Zeus tissue and examined it for a moment.
Under the microscope, the cells of that pale tissue were still stubbornly dividing and wriggling, showing an astonishing activity far beyond that of ordinary people.
However, Orochimaru frowned slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.
"The unique cellular activity is truly remarkable."
"Unfortunately, both the quality and quantity of chakra are too low."
Such a level of chakra is far from sufficient to serve as a vessel for the Reanimation Jutsu.
But the research is not without significance.
Even if we follow the old path and target the Uchiha clan as the main objective, fusing with White Zetsu would greatly reduce the consumption of the Sharingan.
Orochimaru placed the tissue back into the petri dish and calmly said, "It's interesting, but its practicality is not high at the moment."
Sensing the disappointment in Orochimaru's words, Kabuto Yakushi stood aside with his head down, not responding.
He understood that this White Zetsu had originally been the object of great hope.
But now it seems that even the strongest vitality of this White Zetsu cannot make up for its essential shortcomings, so Lord Orochimaru is inevitably losing interest.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue, and the burning curiosity in his golden snake eyes gradually dimmed.
He took off his cap and casually ordered, "Organize the experiment records, Dou."
Having said that, he turned around and was about to leave the experimental table, but just as Orochimaru finished speaking...
In a corner of the laboratory, a large patch of shadowy ground suddenly seemed to come alive, silently wriggling!
The dark floor slowly bulged up, and a strange figure, half black and half white, silently emerged from the ground.
Immediately afterwards, the entire figure emerged from the shadows, its pitch-black half clinging tightly to its pale half, appearing as if black and white had been forcibly spliced together.
Orochimaru noticed Zetsu's appearance immediately. He stopped abruptly, slowly turned around, and his handsome face revealed no emotion.
At this moment, the white figure following Jue was quite eye-catching.
That was another White Zetsu.
However, unlike the one on the experimental table, this White Zetsu presented a bizarre form with the left half humanoid and the right half tree-like.
The left half of its body is no different from the common white monsters, with pale skin, smooth skin, and a barely human-like outline.
However, the right half of his body was completely twisted and twisted, like a deformed and wildly growing tree trunk, as if it were a product of a person and a plant being brutally grafted together.
Jue slowly emerged fully from the shadows.
As soon as he appeared, he let out a sinister laugh and said bluntly, "I've brought Orochimaru—the vessel for the Impure World Reincarnation."
As he spoke, Black Zetsu kept his eyes on Orochimaru, observing the latter's reaction.
"Oh?"
Orochimaru's golden snake eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze instantly drawn to the special white Zetsu beside Black Zetsu.
My spirits, which had been somewhat dampened by disappointment, seemed to be reignited at this moment.
He let out a low, enigmatic laugh and walked up to the white Zetsu.
"This sample—it seems a bit different from the previous one?"
Orochimaru looked at the half-tree-transformed White Zetsu before him with great interest, narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly.
His gaze swept back and forth along the twisted tree-like structure of the right half of White Zetsu's body, as if he wanted to see through every inch of it.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu didn't keep them in suspense any longer and chuckled, "Of course, this is a custom-made version that I prepared specially."
Orochimaru's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
The words "customized version" completely piqued his interest.
He raised his hand and pinched Bai Jue's twisted right arm twice.
It feels tough and cold to the touch, like dead wood or petrified skin.
However, just as he exerted his strength, a familiar aura of chakra suddenly emanated from him.
"!!"
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply, and his body trembled almost imperceptibly.
The life force emanating from that wisp of chakra was too pure and powerful!
Orochimaru slowly withdrew his trembling hand, and his gaze toward Black Zetsu suddenly turned fiery and greedy.
"This is—such pure, such boundless vitality—there's no mistake!"
"These are interstitial cells?! And—their purity isn't low either!!"
Upon hearing this, Kabuto, who was standing to the side, gasped and his expression changed drastically.
He could no longer remain calm.
Hashirama cells—this is one of the forbidden topics that Lord Orochimaru has been researching for many years.
If this White Zetsu truly contains high-purity Hashirama cells, its value is simply immeasurable.
Orochimaru's breathing quickened slightly. He looked up at Black Zetsu again and said fervently, "This specially made White Zetsu—it can probably even use Wood Release, right?"
Black Zetsu chuckled and nodded, saying, "As expected of Lord Orochimaru, who has dedicated his life to pursuing the truth, you can't hide anything from you."
Upon hearing Black Zetsu's affirmative answer, Orochimaru's fervor intensified.
He gently stuck out his tongue and excitedly licked his lips, as if he couldn't wait to uncover all the secrets of this White Zetsu.
However, being a shrewd and calculating man, he quickly suppressed his curiosity and asked with a forced smile, "Let me guess—".
"You've gone to such great lengths, providing such a superior vessel, perhaps hoping to resurrect the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju himself?"
Upon hearing this, Kabuto gasped in shock, staring at Black Zetsu with a look of utter astonishment. This guy wanted to revive the First Hokage?!
Even Orochimaru couldn't help but reveal an exaggerated smile, his golden snake eyes filled with both mockery and disbelief.
Zetsu merely let out a low, eerie laugh: "Heh heh—Sen no Hashirama? Of course not."
He paused briefly, then uttered something astonishing.
"The one I want to summon back is the Asura of the Ninja World—Uchiha Madara!"
"What?!" Yakushi Kabuto exclaimed in shock.
Orochimaru's smile froze for a moment, his pupils contracting slightly in surprise.
The air in the laboratory seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Immediately afterwards, a suppressed laugh escaped Orochimaru's throat: "Heh—heh heh heh—"
"Interesting! Absolutely fascinating!"
really--
Seeing Orochimaru's reaction, Black Zetsu felt a surge of smugness.
How could an ambitious man like Orochimaru, who would stop at nothing for power and truth, possibly resist the almost insane temptation of reviving Madara Uchiha?
Perhaps no one in the world desires such forbidden things more than him.
Seeing that Orochimaru had taken the bait, Black Zetsu pressed his advantage, whispering seductively like a devil, "Since we share the same goal, what are we waiting for? Let's begin now, Orochimaru."
Upon hearing this, Kabuto felt a chill run down his spine.
He glanced warily at Zetsu, then turned to Orochimaru: "Orochimaru—"
Dou couldn't help but whisper a reminder, full of wariness and admonition.
However, Orochimaru merely raised his hand slightly, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more. His golden vertical pupils remained fixed on Black Zetsu, but the smile on his lips slowly faded.
Orochimaru's laughter stopped abruptly.
The excitement on his face receded as quickly as the tide, replaced by his usual shrewdness and composure.
"Start? Of course."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, slowly shook his head, and revealed a cunning look.
"However—before we begin this grand Edo Tensei—we'll probably have to renegotiate the price."
As he spoke the last few words, Orochimaru gave a meaningful smile.
====
Time passed, and night fell.
In a secluded dwelling in Konoha Village, Shigure was half-lying on the bed, looking at the semi-transparent light screen panel in front of him.
This is his daily habit.
Check the system status before entering a dream.
As he browsed the list of information on the panel, an unfamiliar name suddenly caught his eye, causing him to pause slightly.
An unexpected name appeared on the list of candidates for fulfilling their dreams: Uchiha Madara.
"Uchiha Madara?!"
Shi Yu's eyes widened in surprise, almost thinking she was seeing things.
How did this guy suddenly appear on the candidate list?
Shigure paused for two seconds, then quickly realized: "Orochimaru, Impure World Reincarnation!"
Orochimaru actually managed to resurrect Madara Uchiha so quickly!
Shi Yu couldn't help but smile with excitement.
He stared at the name Uchiha Madara on the panel and muttered, "As expected, the super-increase in dream intensity last time wasn't just about the nine tailed beasts—now they can even pull reanimated characters into the dream? That's pretty impressive."
Shiyu suddenly remembered something and looked annoyed: "Tsk, what a pity!"
He sighed regretfully, "The dream-fulfilling experience ticket was just used by Uchiha Ryo yesterday, so it can't be used for the time being. Otherwise, I would definitely let Uchiha Madara experience what the real Infinite Tsukuyomi is like!"
But then, Shigure smiled easily.
It's okay if I can't be the main character; I can still enjoy being a spectator.
There are exactly 7 audience members right now.
...
So that night, Madara Uchiha's temporarily sealed consciousness came to a clearer state from the boundless chaos ahead of schedule.
When I came to my senses, I was greeted by a dimly lit, strangely structured enclosed space.
A strange and enormous theater.
There was dead silence all around.
The dimly lit theater was completely deserted, with only rows of benches stretching silently into the dark distance.
Ban found himself in the front row of the audience, surrounded by empty space.
He looked around warily and saw that the dome above the theater was hidden in darkness, and a huge curtain stood in the distance, but it was completely black and there were no images on it.
A strange sense of oppression permeated the cold air, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"here it is--?"
Madara Uchiha frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping across the theater, his heart filled with doubt and vigilance: "Where is this? What happened?"
While wondering, he subconsciously looked down and examined his own body.
In the dim light, one could only vaguely see that he was still wearing the battle robes and armor he wore in life, with his hands intact and clasped at his sides.
"The body—is intact."
Madara's mind raced, and he began to mobilize the chakra within his body.
However, in the next instant, his expression suddenly changed.
His body was completely empty; not only could he not sense the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan, but he couldn't even detect a trace of chakra fluctuation.
Even with his vast experience, Madara Uchiha was somewhat bewildered at this moment.
"What's going on?!"
Ban's pupils contracted sharply, and an indescribable sense of dread rose in his heart.
Even though his soul had returned to its place, he couldn't feel any power at all, as if he had become an ordinary civilian.
"What?! What on earth happened?"
This sense of powerlessness made Madara Uchiha gasp for breath, and a strange anger and disbelief surged in his chest!
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Madara have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
Just as Madara was shocked by his own strange condition and became extremely vigilant.
An excited and respectful voice suddenly came from not far beside him: "Lord Madara?! You have actually descended to the mortal world?!"
Upon hearing the sound, Ban turned around abruptly, his sharp gaze fixed on the source of the sound.
Suddenly, a strange, dark mass appeared in the shadows beside the chair where he had just stood up.
The dark mass writhed along the ground, slowly twisting its shape like melting asphalt. On its shape, a pair of small eyes emitting a ghostly light were staring intently at him.
Upon seeing that familiar black, mud-like form, Madara Uchiha was initially taken aback, then murmured in a deep voice, "Black Zetsu?"
"It's me, Lord Madara."
The black substance writhed violently a few times.
"I didn't expect you to wake up so quickly."
"Oh, wait, since we're here, it means we haven't been awakened by that guy yet—"
Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha, his expression still grave, asked, "Black Zetsu, what's going on? Where is this place? Why can't I sense any chakra?"
He posed three questions in a row, his tone cold and sharp, clearly indicating his extreme dissatisfaction with the current situation.
Before he finished speaking, Madara had already raised one hand and reached out towards Black Zetsu.
The dark, murky substance seemed to receive some silent command, and instantly slid swiftly along the shadow between the seats, like a nimble black snake crawling up Ban's arm, before disappearing into his sleeve in the blink of an eye.
In the silence, Madara Uchiha felt a slight chill on his arm. With a thought, a thought rich in information surged into Madara's mind through the mental connection.
A jumble of messages flashed rapidly through Madara Uchiha's mind like a revolving lantern.
The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan has been thwarted?!
A dream world that is extremely similar to Infinite Tsukuyomi has appeared?
Is he so obsessed with his dreams that he's neglecting his studies?!
Madara was instantly enraged!
Unexpectedly, his agent, on whom he had placed high hopes, abandoned the plan and became addicted to it after coming into contact with that mysterious dream, completely failing to act according to the original plan!
Black Zetsu had no choice but to have someone resurrect him using Edo Tensei?!
Finally, Black Zetsu informed him of his resurrection.
Since Obito was unreliable, Black Zetsu had to seek outside help in order to salvage the situation. He approached Orochimaru and used the Impure World Reincarnation technique to recall his soul back to the present world ahead of schedule!
Each piece of information was earth-shattering, and even Madara Uchiha, with his composure, couldn't help but change color at this moment.
[Ding! Madara Uchiha's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to clear his mind in a very short time.
When he opened his eyes again, the anger in those deep eyes could no longer be concealed.
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi plan—has encountered so many setbacks?!"
In a short while, he had figured out the whole story.
Immediately afterwards, Madara Uchiha's Flood God suddenly turned cold, and his body seemed to exude a terrifying pressure.
He squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.
"Obito, that piece of trash—!"
If that brat were standing in front of Hong right now, he would really want to slap him into a pulp!
Black Zetsu sensed Madara's rage and quickly reassured him via their mental link, "Now that you have personally descended, this plan can definitely get back on track!"
"Hmph—" Madara Uchiha snorted coldly, forcibly suppressing his anger, and continued to ask, "And—you said I was resurrected using the Impure World Reincarnation technique?"
"Why am I completely unaware of this?"
A cold glint flashed in Ban's eyes.
As the person who was resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation, it was extremely strange that he had no sense of being summoned and reborn.
Black Zetsu sensed the skepticism in Madara's tone and immediately began to explain telepathically from within Madara's sleeve: "Lord Madara, according to Orochimaru, he possesses a unique method that can ensure your strength, after being resurrected in Edo Tensei form, will not only be fully restored, but may even—possibly surpass your peak strength in life!"
"However, he also said that it will take some time to complete the preparations."
"Furthermore, judging from the current situation, your soul has indeed established a connection with the present world in some way, but your consciousness does not seem to have fully awakened in the vessel of reincarnation."
"snort--"
After hearing the message from Black Zetsu, Madara Uchiha gave a cold laugh of utter disdain.
In the darkness, a mocking expression appeared on his handsome face, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.
Madara Uchiha chuckled and arrogantly asked, "These brats now—have they ever seen me in my prime?"
P.S.: I highly recommend my friend's book, "From Nightmare Liver to the Unspeakable" (currently #1 on the science fiction new release list, #26 on the list of unreleased books) ↓