Chapter 53: Men Silently Cry, and Women Cry
"Orochimaru-sensei, you summoned me?"
Uchiha Gen entered the main command tent of the Konoha frontline base and bowed slightly, maintaining the respectful demeanor expected of a subordinate, though he was far from ordinary.
"Sit down," Orochimaru replied, his voice smooth and calm, head lifting slightly. His usual serpentine smile curved across his pale face, revealing a flicker of amusement behind those cold golden eyes.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sensei."
Gen took a seat across from the legendary Sannin, posture casual but respectful eyes sharp, demeanor steady.
"Did you get enough rest these past two days?"
"I did. If you need anything done, Sensei, please give the order."
Gen's answer came with clarity, confidence, and without hesitation.
"Mm... Tell me then" Orochimaru's voice dropped an octave, almost silky. "Would you rather help manage logistical affairs for the camp... or assist me in my research?"
Hearing this, a distinct glint lit up in Gen's Sharingan-less eyes.
"If it's related to your research, I would be honored to help with the experiments."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Compared to the pursuit of immortality and unlocking the secrets of chakra-based life evolution, mundane logistics are meaningless."
Orochimaru's smile deepened, pleased.
He had long known that Gen wasn't just another promising Uchiha. He shared that same rare hunger the hunger not for recognition or medals, but for knowledge... for power beyond mortality.
"Come to my personal laboratory tent at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sensei."
"You're dismissed."
"Please rest early, Sensei."
"…Hmm."
---
Back in his personal tent, Gen found himself with spare time. With many of his former companions having rotated back to Konoha or been reassigned to support infrastructure efforts, the camp felt quieter.
He unfurled a chakra-inscribed scroll, sat cross-legged, and began refining two experimental jutsu he'd been developing in secret.
The first was the Wind-Flame Sword (風炎剣, Fūenken) his vision for a Muji (no hand seal) sword-style technique. Ideally, it would channel a fusion of Fire and Wind chakra nature transformations directly through a blade. The aim: a searing, slicing strike that could extend or burst with precision mid-swing, giving it both close and mid-range versatility.
Though still incomplete, the principle was solid. He'd taken inspiration from jutsu like Asuma Sarutobi's Chakra Blades, the Chidori Katana used by Sasuke Uchiha in the future, and even the style of Hiramekarei of the Mist.
Muji Ninjutsu was the standard of elite combat. From Rasengan to Chidori, the ability to skip seals and execute instantly was a game-changer in fast-paced shinobi battles.
Only amateurs wasted time flashing hand seals under pressure.
His second project was more destructive: the Exploding Flame Shell (爆炎弾, Bakuen-dan).
Fire Release techniques were usually flashy but predictable. Great Fireballs were powerful but slow and easy to evade. Gen wanted to correct that flaw. His vision: a compressed fireball, shaped like a high-speed cannon shell, which would detonate on contact, dispersing flames and concussive chakra shrapnel in all directions.
The detonation mechanism borrowed from the principles of Paper Bombs and enhanced with a secondary Wind chakra burst to emulate the spread of true explosive force.
Ideally, the jutsu would scale if more chakra was added, it could become a mobile, humanoid artillery technique, capable of bombarding enemy formations. The speed and area coverage would make it far more effective in real combat scenarios than most traditional Fire Release moves.
Even if it didn't land a killing blow, it would force the enemy into defensive maneuvers, giving the upper hand.
Gen grinned slightly.
If I perfect this… it might become a new Uchiha signature, right beside the Great Fireball Technique.
The pride of the clan was intertwined with its jutsu legacy. If Gen could contribute to that legacy, he would raise not just his status but his leverage within the clan's power structure.
And more than that it was fun.
Gen had never known power in his past life. No chakra, no strength. So now, every jutsu he created, every improvement he made, was sacred.
Most shinobi grow numb to power, he thought. They chase it out of habit, but not with hunger. I chase it because I know what it means to live without it.
He understood Orochimaru a bit more every day.
---
Time flew during focused research, and soon it was dinner.
With many shinobi now returning home, and the front stabilizing, the mess hall meals had improved. Tonight, the rice was warm and fluffy, the miso soup seasoned just right, and the grilled river fish wasn't overcooked for once.
Konoha was diverting many of its remaining camp forces to construct defensive bunkers along its extended border structures reinforced with barrier seals and chakra lattice networks, capable of both resisting large-scale jutsu and housing scouting squads.
Not just here, but across all frontline theaters, Konoha had begun preemptively building "defensive nests" positions that could delay enemy infiltration and buy time for reinforcements.
Of course, these barriers could only prevent large units from sneaking across. Small squads, especially skilled ones like Kiri's Hunter-nin or Iwa's underground scouts, could still bypass them. Konoha's territory was vast border-to-border defense was a pipe dream.
Still, it was better than nothing.
After his walk and meal, Gen returned to his tent, did some light chakra meditation, washed up, and turned in for the night.
---
The next morning was routine: light physical training, chakra control drills, and another couple hours refining the jutsu scrolls. There were no real distractions in the camp anymore no entertainment centers, no gambling dens like back in Konoha.
Time passed quickly. Before he realized it, it was nearly 2:00 p.m.
Gen tidied himself up and hurried toward Orochimaru's personal research tent, located near the central command tower but heavily guarded two masked shinobi in Root-style cloaks flanking the entrance.
Just as he arrived, the tent flap stirred.
Orochimaru stepped out exactly on time.
Uchiha Gen bowed again.
"Orochimaru-sensei."
"Let's go," Orochimaru said with a nod, and without further word, the two walked together into the unknown, the air already thick with the scent of chakra chemicals and unspoken ambitions.
The Konoha shinobi stationed in the camp all respectfully greeted Orochimaru as he passed. Among them, several younger or more impressionable ninja glanced curiously at Uchiha Gen, their gazes carrying a hint of reverence and in some cases, open envy. His recent accomplishments had begun circulating, and whispers of his growing talents under the tutelage of a Sannin were spreading fast.
After exiting the main camp, Orochimaru subtly increased his pace. Gen followed in step, maintaining distance and alertness, as they moved swiftly northeast toward a rarely used part of the surrounding woods.
They stopped before a large, seemingly ordinary tree.
Without a word, Orochimaru pressed his palm against a knot of bark that bore a faint spiral-shaped seal reminiscent of the Four Symbol Seal used in high-level containment.
He stepped forward a dozen paces as a section of forest floor creaked open behind the tree. From beneath the mossy underbrush, a concealed stone stairwell emerged, spiraling downward into a cavernous black void.
The two entered without hesitation.
As the hidden entrance sealed shut behind them, Orochimaru casually blew out two thin streams of flame from his mouth. The twin jets split and raced along the walls, igniting a series of suspended chakra-fueled oil lamps.
The firelight flickered a pale greenish-gold casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls like phantoms.
Bang… bang… bang…
Their footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor, the rhythmic pounding of boots on stone growing deeper with each descent. The acoustics magnified every sound, creating an effect unsettling enough to rattle even trained shinobi.
Gen kept his breathing calm. This wasn't his first time in a place that reeked of secrecy, but the depth and weight of what lay ahead still pressed down on him.
After several long minutes, the tunnel opened into a broad underground hall.
By the dim light of the lamps, Gen could now clearly make out rows of cylindrical storage tanks lining the chamber walls. The glass surfaces glistened faintly, condensation trailing down like sweat.
Inside, floating in chakra-suspension fluid, were dozens of biological specimens.
More than half appeared to be animal-based some common forest species, others clearly exotic. The remaining tanks contained humanoid figures some intact, others grotesquely mutated, with scales, fangs, or tails. Many were hybrids, most disturbingly, with serpentine features.
"Human experimentation?" Gen asked, brows tightening.
"Surprised?" Orochimaru's tone remained casual, but a smirk curled at the edge of his mouth.
"I thought it was prohibited by the Third Hokage himself…" Gen muttered.
Orochimaru gave a low chuckle. "Ho ho... If the village doesn't officially prohibit it, does that mean they encourage it?"
He turned and faced one of the tanks, placing his hand on the glass.
"The truth, Gen, is that not only Konoha, but also Iwagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure all conduct such research. Even minor villages like Takigakure and Kusagakure have hidden facilities."
He stepped forward slowly.
"On the surface, yes human experimentation is forbidden. But beneath the mask of morality, the studies never truly stop. They're merely... redirected."
"…So everything is done in secret."
"Exactly. You find it hard to believe, don't you?" Orochimaru turned to him, that snake-like smile glinting beneath the lamplight.
"…I do. I once thought Konoha was... brighter. More righteous."
"I thought the same when I was your age."
Orochimaru's voice dropped in pitch, almost reflective.
"But Konoha is just like the rest. It wears the mask of light to conceal its rot. Where there is light there is shadow."
He gestured around the lab. "And in a world drenched in chaos and war... is it really strange that such monsters are born?"
Gen hesitated. His mind raced morality clashing with reason, doctrine battling ambition.
Then, slowly, he exhaled. "Haaah… Orochimaru-sensei. You're right."
"This… this darkness it isn't separate from the village, is it?"
"No," Orochimaru replied, turning once more toward the lab's heart.
"This specific base is focused on genetic grafting between humans and animals. Especially serpents."
He continued walking, leading Gen deeper in. "You see, many reptiles possess remarkable longevity. Snakes, in particular, hold regenerative potential and cellular resilience far beyond humans."
"Additionally, I've been expanding the study to include long-lived summoning beasts. My research is centered on snake-based contracts for now, but to progress, I'll eventually require other summoning creatures—toads, slugs, hawks, and perhaps even the ape clan of Enma."
"Do you think the village would approve of that?"
His laugh was dry. "Of course not."
"This entire facility was created using funds Konoha gave me for 'biological weapon research' during the Third Shinobi War."
"Konoha's official research centers are all located near the village itself. Setting up something like this, so far away deep in forested neutral ground was... not sanctioned."
Gen absorbed it all in silence.
A question formed. "…Wouldn't it be hard to return to Konoha with everything stored down here?"
Orochimaru gave a lazy shrug. "Not at all. With a single hand seal, I can summon hundreds of snakes from the Ryūchi Cave. They serve as laborers, guards, messengers and yes, even experimental material."
Gen blinked. "You use your summoning contract partners for everything?"
"Of course." Orochimaru's voice was matter-of-fact. "Loyalty, labor, and leverage all in one."
Gen's jaw tightened.
The snakes of Ryūchi Cave… summoned to protect him, fight for him, die for him… and now also used as test subjects and transport workers.
"…These snakes are even more overworked than shinobi under the Daimyō's war tax policies," Gen muttered, half to himself. "That's not a summoning contract, it's a life sentence…"
It's more brutal than a capitalist empire.
If snakes could file labor grievances, he thought grimly, the Ryūchi Cave would revolt.
This truly is a world… where men silently cry, and women cry outright.
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