Chapter 203: The Opportunity to Read the Book of Seals

Chapter 203: Chapter 195 The Opportunity to Read the Book of Seals

Chapter 195: The Opportunity to Read the Scroll of Seals

“You should have already received the news from the village, right?”

Orochimaru raised his hand to pour a cup of tea and pushed it toward Uchiha Gen, who had just entered.

“Hmm, it seems Orochimaru-sensei’s guess about the identity of the enemy who struck this time is the same as mine.”

Looking at Orochimaru’s expression, Uchiha Gen immediately knew that he also knew the inside story.

Only the two of them were in this office, which was also the command center with the strongest defenses in the entire fortress. The master and disciple could speak completely freely.

“Familiar with the Uchiha, possessing powerful stealth and concealment abilities, and targeting the Sharingan—this is exactly the same as the mastermind who attacked you from the shadows back then.”

Orochimaru narrowed his long, thin eyes, and a brown python slithered out of his sleeve.

The snake opened its mouth, using its long tongue to wrap around and spit out a glass jar, inside of which was the sealed finger of White Zetsu that Uchiha Gen had obtained back then.

“It seems he thinks targeting me is no longer feasible, so he changed his target and started implementing another plan.”

Uchiha Gen’s gaze was calm as he lifted the teacup from the table and drank it in one gulp.

“Based on the cell test results from this finger, the unknown creature you mentioned has DNA identical to the First Hokage. Before the Second Shinobi World War began, I participated in the Wood Release Resurrection Project secretly carried out by the Anbu as a researcher, and I came into contact with the First Hokage’s cells.”

“Even though this experiment was banned years ago at the Third Hokage’s request, I could never mistake it.”

“Clearly, they are already ahead of Konoha in this experiment.”

“Although I don’t know why they didn’t clone the First Hokage, but instead gave birth to such a monster, it is certain that the other party must be associated with the First Hokage.”

Orochimaru looked at the jar on the table with a calm expression.

To him, this was both bad news and good news.

The bad news was that the enemy’s research on the First Hokage’s cells was ahead of Konoha, the strongest force in the Shinobi World, which showed that their technical means were unfathomable and their connection to Konoha was deeper than he had previously imagined.

The good news was that since he had already found clues, if he followed this line of investigation, he would definitely gain something.

After all, the total amount of Hashirama cells was only so much, and Konoha’s control over them was extremely strict. Without permission from the higher-ups or the Hokage’s direct order, they were completely inaccessible. The number of people who could contact them was limited. If they still couldn’t find anything, then investigating Hashirama Senju’s deeds during his lifetime based on clues would also be a direction.

For Orochimaru, as long as there was a direction, he believed he would definitely achieve results relying on his own ability.

Seeing this, Uchiha Gen, who already had a deep understanding of his teacher, knew that Orochimaru was lost in thought. He couldn’t help but speak to guide him: “Extremely knowledgeable about the Uchiha, possessing extraordinary means, and connected to the First Hokage… Who do you think is the most likely candidate, Orochimaru-sensei?” “It seems you already have a guess. True, your contact with them is the deepest.”

Orochimaru also had a deep understanding of his disciple and immediately knew that Uchiha Gen was implying something.

“For thousands of years, there have always been many people covetous of the Sharingan’s power, so the clan has always heavily guarded the ancestral shrine where the Sharingan of sacrificed clan members are enshrined.”

“The information inside is not something that can be easily probed just by having means, unless that person also came from the Uchiha and had a high status within the clan.”

“From the Uchiha?”

Orochimaru rested his chin on one hand, thinking deeply, and nodded in agreement.

There was no doubt that the enemy had an extremely deep understanding of the Uchiha.

Aside from the Senju Clan, who were the mortal enemies of the Uchiha clan, others had few channels to understand the Uchiha.

And besides the Senju, there was only the Uchiha themselves. Furthermore, being so familiar with the Uchiha’s ancestral shrine, the possibility of them originating from the Uchiha clan was indeed the highest.

“Uchiha, connected to the First Hokage, having the ability to access the First Hokage’s cells, and possessing extraordinary means—”

As Orochimaru thought, he actually ended up shifting his gaze to Uchiha Gen.

“It seems that in the entire Uchiha clan, the person who looks like the best fit is you.”

Hearing Orochimaru’s words, several black lines couldn’t help but appear on Uchiha Gen’s forehead.

“Orochimaru-sensei, there’s no need to make such a joke. You also know that I have absolutely no channel to access the First Hokage’s cells, let alone the fact that I’ve awakened my Three-Tomoe for less than a year. Although I participated in a large-scale Clan Meeting once, I wasn’t qualified to enter the ancestral shrine back then.”

“Besides, I’ve been on the battlefield for the past six months. How could I have sneaked back to the clan grounds?”

“I know, but you can’t guarantee that others won’t think so.”

Orochimaru pointed at Uchiha Gen.

“Just think about it, among the living people of the entire Uchiha clan, is there anyone who fits the criteria better than you?”

“You are powerful and highly capable. While outsiders certainly don’t know about the First Hokage’s cells, don’t forget that you and Uchiha Gen are the ones who benefited the most from this incident.”

“You don’t know about your clan’s ancestral shrine, but could your Great Elder not know?”

“Uchiha Hisaku has stepped down. Looking at the current situation, aren’t you guys the ones with the best chance of stepping up?”

“You have the capability and the motive. For many people, that is already enough.”

Hearing this, Uchiha Gen couldn’t help but frown, agreeing with what Orochimaru said.

“In that case… is the goal of that group of masterminds behind the scenes still me? Do they want to smear my name, and then force me to defect from the clan and Konoha to join them?”

Logically, this actually made sense.

After all, even a Kage-level expert with illustrious military exploits like Hatake Sakumo could be smeared to the point of suicide. Forcing him to defect was indeed not impossible.

To think he had felt that Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu had quieted down recently because his strength had grown out of their control; he didn’t expect them to still have tricks up their sleeves.

“If it’s just this, it’s still not enough to get to me. Could it be that they have other plans?”

Uchiha Gen couldn’t help but purse his lips.

He really disliked this feeling of being passive.

Moreover, he was currently at the front line, and without a transfer order, he could not return to the village, which made it even more troublesome.

“It’s unclear for now, but if you want to return to the village to handle this matter, there happens to be an opportunity.”

As if seeing Uchiha Gen’s distress, Orochimaru smiled slightly and tossed a scroll to him.

Uchiha Gen reached out, caught the scroll, and spread it open, finding it to be a commendation stamped by the Hokage and a certificate.

“This is the Third Hokage’s reward for the military exploits we achieved in this battle.”

Orochimaru’s voice rang in his ears.

“An opportunity to enter the Hokage Building and read the Scroll of Seals. Within a designated range, we can choose a technique from the Scroll of Seals to learn.”

An opportunity to read the Scroll of Seals?!