After successfully reaching a cooperation agreement with Orochimaru, Allen and Karin took up residence in Otogakure.
Aside from daily discussions regarding Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai, and Nen, Allen spent the rest of his time dedicated to study and research.
It had to be said, putting aside his dark personality and his somewhat irritating way of speaking, Orochimaru was truly an excellent teacher. In just a few short months, he had transformed Allen from an ignorant novice into a qualified researcher.
Armed with Allen's ability to copy and powerful Medical Ninjutsu, the two spent most of their time dissecting various corpses. Naturally, these bodies were produced via the copying ability, most of them being shinobi with Kekkei Genkai.
Sometimes, Allen truly struggled to understand whether the people of the Naruto world all suffered from Stockholm Syndrome or if their brain circuits were simply miswired. Orochimaru treated his subordinates with cold-blooded cruelty, even openly declaring that they were merely his tools and not even human. Yet, despite this, a mob of fanatics still fervently supported him, even considering it an honor to die for him or become a vessel for his reincarnation.
Human servility and the weak's worship of the strong were embodied to the extreme in the Hidden Sound Village.
"Well, Allen-kun, have you discovered anything different about this corpse?" Orochimaru stared at the eviscerated cadaver on the dissection table, a playful smile on his face.
"Yes. I noticed it. His meridians seem to have suffered slight ruptures. Is this a side effect caused by forcibly converting Chakra into Nen?" Allen asked in an uncertain tone.
Orochimaru nodded slightly. "Exactly! This subject was the closest to success among recent test subjects. Most people do not possess a special constitution like yours. Therefore, the moment they attempt to convert violent Chakra into Nen, their meridians are the first to suffer the impact. This means that if one wishes for both energies to coexist in one body, they must first possess a powerful physique. To my knowledge, in the entire shinobi world, only the Senju and Uzumaki clans possess such a lineage."
"You want me to use Karin for the experiment?" Allen looked up, a dangerous glint flickering in his eyes.
He was a fiercely protective person and would never risk the life of a team member for a dangerous experiment.
Orochimaru, noticing this, explained patiently: "It is not an experiment. It is allowing her to obtain greater power. Moreover, with the two of us watching over her, combined with the Uzumaki clan's staggering recovery rate, you have absolutely no reason to worry."
"Allen-sama! I am willing!"
Karin, who had been standing to the side of the laboratory, stepped forward without hesitation.
"Are you sure? You've seen the risks of trying to obtain both energies simultaneously. Although I have ways to heal you, the pain itself will not be lessened," Allen turned and stared at the red-haired girl.
"It's just a little pain; it doesn't matter. Compared to being bitten all over by those disgusting bastards back in the Hidden Grass, it is my honor to be of use to you. Besides, I will also gain greater power," Karin responded with a firm tone.
"Fine! But if you can't hold on, you can choose to withdraw at any time. Because you are one of mine, I am responsible for your life and your future."
Having said that, Allen immediately activated his Nen, forcibly opening the girl's aura nodes throughout her body.
Instantly!
The Chakra flowing through her meridians surged out wildly, as if it had found a vent. In just a few seconds, a large amount of muscle and blood vessels were torn apart. The intense agony caused Karin to let out a muffled groan.
However, she immediately suppressed the urge to scream. She rapidly concentrated her mind, attempting to calm the turbulent Chakra while trying to retain the life energy that was being converted into Aura through the surface of her body, thereby forming the state known as Ten.
Admiring the sight of Karin drenched in sweat and gritting her teeth, Orochimaru couldn't help but tease with a smile, "This child truly admires you. For your sake, she would even throw away her life."
"Isn't Kimimaro the same for you? At least following me is much luckier than following you. At the very least, I don't treat my subordinates as tools or pawns to be discarded and sacrificed at will," Allen replied with a cold sneer.
"No. You don't understand. Life is such a fragile thing; it can vanish at any moment. Rather than wasting time feeling sentimental over inconsequential people, it is better to discard such emotions and view them as consumables. This isn't cold-bloodedness; it is a sign of evolution toward a higher form of life," Orochimaru took the opportunity to preach his philosophy.
In truth, during his youth, Orochimaru possessed considerable charismatic appeal and took great care of his subordinates; otherwise, he wouldn't have been a top candidate for the Fourth Hokage. Unfortunately, frequent wars had exposed him to too much death, gradually causing him to lose his reverence for life.
But Allen sneered in rebuttal, "I admit, life is indeed a fragile thing, but it is also the most resilient thing in this world. Whether in harsh mountains or scorching deserts, no matter how hostile the environment, you can always find life existing. And what do you think gave humans both complex emotions and the selfish gene at the same time? It is because these traits better facilitate communication, leading to the formation of large groups and the eventual development of a brilliant civilization. Empathy is the prerequisite for communication between people. If you discard even that, are you even fit to be called human?"
"Hehe, I didn't expect Allen-kun to have his own understanding of life. But you are still young; you haven't seen how cheap life is in a real war. Once you have, perhaps you will have the exact same thoughts as I do."
Orochimaru clearly didn't want to argue about this topic and quickly focused his attention on Karin's body.
As he had predicted, the special constitution of the Uzumaki clan allowed the girl to endure the most difficult period. She gradually began to restrain the rampaging Chakra within her meridians, while the life energy surrounding her body stopped leaking, forming a protective film like a suit of clothes.
Feeling that slightly weak Aura, a surprised expression appeared on Allen's face. "She succeeded just like that?"
"Succeeded? No. This is only the beginning. If I'm not mistaken, Karin is exhausting all her strength just to maintain her current state, let alone using this power for combat. Next, we must train her to master the tricks little by little while observing the changes in her internal meridians. If I'm right, her internal structure will surely undergo some kind of change to adapt to the collision of the two energies."
When it came to human experimentation, if Orochimaru claimed to be second in this world, no one would dare claim to be first.
Especially in this professional field, Allen did not yet have the right to speak, so he decisively followed the other's suggestions. Meanwhile, he had his Red Dragon keep a constant eye on Karin's physical condition. If any accident occurred, he would immediately pour a healing potion down her throat to keep her alive first.
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