Ren stared at the dense formula beneath Orochimaru's pale finger.
The symbols stretched across half the page, combining chakra-flow equations, cellular-response models, and several variables whose meanings had not yet been explained.
"This section contains too many formulas," Ren admitted after a calculated pause. "I can understand the general direction, but I haven't worked out the exact process."
His answer was deliberately vague.
Dealing with someone like Orochimaru required balance.
Pretending to understand nothing would appear unnatural. Tsunade had personally brought Ren into a restricted research archive, and no one would believe she had done so for an idiot.
However, displaying too much insight would be even more dangerous.
Orochimaru did not look at talented people the way an ordinary teacher might. To him, intelligence, rare bloodlines, unusual bodies, and powerful techniques were all valuable research materials.
Ren needed to appear promising without becoming irresistible.
Unfortunately, even after he deliberately concealed part of his understanding, Orochimaru's golden eyes remained fixed on him.
The scrutiny made Ren's scalp prickle.
Orochimaru withdrew his hand from the scroll.
"No matter," he said in his low, raspy voice. "For a genin who graduated only recently, understanding the difference between the two projects is already impressive."
His smile deepened slightly.
"Are you interested in working at my laboratory?"
Ren's expression almost slipped.
Orochimaru continued as if he had merely invited him to an ordinary study group.
"I currently lack several capable assistants. Most researchers can memorize established theories, but very few can look beyond them."
He stepped closer to the table.
"If you came to my laboratory, you could help me explore the mysteries of life. With your comprehension, you may possess considerable potential."
Ren searched for the safest way to refuse.
"Lord Orochimaru, I appreciate—"
A cold snort interrupted him.
Tsunade stepped forward, her expression dark.
"Orochimaru, abandon whatever idea just entered your head."
The temperature in the archive seemed to drop.
"This child is Minato's student and a member of the Advanced Medical Class," she continued. "Between missions, training, and hospital work, he has neither the time nor the interest to become your research assistant."
She placed one hand on the stone table.
"You don't need to concern yourself with his future."
Orochimaru's quiet laughter echoed between the towering bookshelves.
"Hehehe…there's no need to become so defensive, Tsunade."
His eyes briefly shifted toward Ren.
"I merely offered him another path. Expanding one's horizons is hardly a crime. Knowledge, after all, is priceless."
"The price depends on who is offering it."
The amusement in Orochimaru's eyes deepened.
He did not argue.
"Well, I have several experiments awaiting me." Orochimaru turned toward the doorway. "I'll leave you to your reading."
He paused at the threshold and glanced back.
"Perhaps we'll have another opportunity to speak, Ren."
The way he said Ren's name carried no obvious threat.
That made it worse.
Orochimaru stepped into the dark corridor. His pale figure disappeared without a sound, seeming to merge with the shadows themselves.
Only after his chakra signature completely vanished did the tension leave the archive.
Ren slowly exhaled.
His palms were covered in cold sweat.
A direct confrontation had never occurred. Orochimaru had merely entered, offered him a scroll, asked several questions, and left.
Yet the encounter felt more dangerous than many battles.
Tsunade waited several seconds before approaching the table.
She leaned over the dark-green scroll and began reading the pages Orochimaru had shown them. Her expression gradually changed as she moved through the formulas.
"Hmph. That man has invested considerable effort into this project."
As the greatest medical-nin in the shinobi world, Tsunade needed only a brief examination to understand the core ideas behind the research.
"This version is far more advanced than the original project," she admitted. "The researchers are no longer blindly forcing chakra through the nerves. They've begun accounting for cellular tolerance, chakra resonance, and the body's natural protective responses."
Ren looked toward the doorway through which Orochimaru had disappeared.
"Do you think his approach can succeed?"
"Theoretically? Yes."
Tsunade's answer surprised him.
"The nervous system responds to electrical and chemical changes. Chakra can influence both, so controlled stimulation should be possible."
She tapped one of the formulas.
"The problem is precision. A tiny error in frequency or output could cause seizures, destroy nerve tissue, or stop the heart. This isn't a technique anyone should test casually."
Ren nodded.
Tsunade straightened and crossed her arms.
"Read the material carefully. If you encounter anything you don't understand, ask me. I won't accompany you for the next two days, but the guards have been informed. Give them my name, and they'll allow you into the archive."
Her gaze became stern.
"If you meet Orochimaru again, you may ask him questions about the research. His knowledge is valuable, and refusing to learn from him out of fear would be foolish."
She paused.
"But don't listen to anything else he tells you."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"You don't trust him."
Tsunade's expression became complicated.
"His research abilities have never been the problem. In recent years, his motives have become increasingly difficult to understand."
At present, Orochimaru's hidden human experiments had not yet been exposed.
To most people in Konoha, he remained one of the village's greatest heroes. He was the Third Hokage's most brilliant student, one of the Legendary Sannin, and a leading candidate to become the next Hokage.
His personality was eccentric and unsettling, but few people considered that enough reason to question his loyalty.
Tsunade knew him better than most.
They had trained together, fought together, and survived battlefields together since childhood. She understood the depth of Orochimaru's intelligence, but she also understood his obsession.
For Orochimaru, every mystery existed to be solved.
Every boundary existed to be crossed.
Konoha possessed a history of dangerous research. The Second Hokage had created numerous forbidden techniques, some of which carried horrifying risks.
However, Tobirama Senju had operated under strict practical limits. Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki had also been present to restrain his most extreme impulses.
Whether Orochimaru possessed a similar boundary was uncertain.
Unfortunately, Tsunade had no concrete evidence that he had committed a crime. Her unease was built on subtle changes in his behavior, questions he refused to answer, and a growing coldness in the way he discussed human life.
Grief and hemophobia had also caused her to withdraw from Konoha's political affairs. She had little desire to begin investigating an old teammate based only on suspicion.
For now, her priority was ensuring that Ren did not become entangled in Orochimaru's experiments.
"I'll remember your warning," Ren said.
"You had better." Tsunade glanced toward the sealed exit. "If that snake offers you power, immortality, secret techniques, or a tour of his private laboratory, refuse and find me immediately."
"What if he offers all four?"
Tsunade's eyes narrowed.
"Then run faster."
Ren wisely stopped joking.
After Tsunade left, he returned his attention to the two scrolls.
He spent several more hours reading before finishing both from beginning to end. He then closed his eyes and reconstructed the research in his mind.
The original project attempted to overwhelm the nervous system with chakra.
The newer version sought to identify the natural pulse of nerve activity, match that frequency through chakra, and then amplify the signal without destroying the cells carrying it.
One method was force.
The other was resonance.
The difference appeared simple when summarized in a single sentence. Turning that principle into a safe and repeatable technique was another matter entirely.
Ren rolled up both scrolls and returned them to their original shelves.
The next day, he arrived at noon and resumed studying.
He repeated the process on the third day.
Strictly speaking, much of the newer scroll remained beyond his current level.
He could read every word, but understanding the vocabulary did not mean understanding the complete theory.
The sections concerning chakra-frequency resonance were extraordinarily complex. Several formulas depended on unverified assumptions, while others referred to something called the Origin Pattern of Life without providing a clear definition.
Ren even suspected that Orochimaru had deliberately omitted important steps.
The scroll might contain incomplete information because the research itself was unfinished.
Or Orochimaru might have inserted false pathways to prevent unauthorized researchers from reproducing his work.
Either possibility was dangerous.
However, Ren's limited understanding did not prevent him from repeatedly entering the Gala System's white laboratory.
The incomplete Nerve Activation Technique remained suspended inside the life-support chamber.
Her eyes stayed closed. Her body remained unfinished, and the nutrient fluid around her was perfectly still.
Ren approached the chamber.
"Good afternoon. I'm back."
No reaction came from the girl.
[…]
"Can you hear me?"
The same silent response appeared.
[…]
Ren placed a hand against the transparent casing.
"It doesn't matter if you can't understand me yet. I'll continue visiting."
The girl did not move.
Ren began speaking about the research.
"The old project tried to accelerate the nervous system by forcing chakra through it. That caused the neurons to lose sensitivity and damaged the nerve fibers."
[…]
"The new approach attempts to synchronize chakra with the natural frequency of the cells. If the two frequencies enter the same phase, the chakra should strengthen the nerve signal instead of disrupting it."
[…]
Ren studied her pale, motionless face.
"Is that the right direction?"
There was still no response.
He repeated this routine each day.
At first, he only used the dialogue options supplied by the Gala System. When none of them produced results, he began speaking freely.
He explained his understanding of the scrolls, described the parts he could not solve, and questioned the assumptions behind Orochimaru's formulas.
Some conversations occurred entirely within his thoughts.
Others were murmured aloud while he sat beside the scroll in the archive.
"If the resonance matches the nerve's natural pulse, the signal should become stronger," Ren said on the third afternoon. "But amplifying the entire nervous system simultaneously would be too dangerous."
He studied one of the diagrams.
"The technique needs a filter. It should activate only specific pathways connected to movement, perception, or reaction speed."
The system gave no response.
[…]
Ren paused.
Something was different.
Previously, the system had shown a longer, unchanged ellipsis every time he spoke. Now the silence appeared shorter, almost as though the technique had tried and failed to answer.
Ren immediately entered the white laboratory again.
The girl remained inside the life-support chamber.
He stepped closer.
"Can you hear me?"
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then the nutrient fluid rippled.
It was barely visible, like a single raindrop falling into a perfectly still lake.
Ren held his breath.
The girl's eyelashes fluttered.
The movement was so faint that he might have imagined it.
A soft mechanical sound passed through the white laboratory.
The life-support chamber opened.
Cold mist spilled across the floor, carrying a chill that passed through Ren's body. The girl remained motionless, but for the first time, no barrier separated them.
A new set of dialogue options appeared.
[A: You're conscious, aren't you? I know you've been alone for a long time, but I can remain with you.]
[B: Come with me. I'll do everything I can to give you a proper place in this world.]
[C: Say nothing. Gently touch your forehead to hers.]
Ren examined the three choices.
"Is this supposed to be Sleeping Beauty?"
Option A felt overly dramatic.
Option B sounded as though he were adopting a homeless technique.
Ren selected C.
The white laboratory became silent.
He stepped beside the open chamber and leaned forward until his forehead gently touched hers.
There was no physical warmth.
There was no heartbeat.
Her skin felt like an image rather than a living body.
Yet the moment their foreheads met, the system panel flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then a clear notification appeared.
[Ding! Nerve Activation Technique—Incomplete has been added to the Conquest List!]
[Current favorability: 1/25—Stranger]
Ren's eyes widened.
A final message followed.
[Special Condition: Because this conquest target exists in a fragmented state, her favorability cap is locked at 25.]
[To unlock the complete favorability limit, you must reconstruct her missing limbs and incomplete internal organs.]
Ren stared at the notification.
Then he looked at the motionless girl inside the chamber.
Her missing arms represented undeveloped control pathways.
Her absent legs likely represented incomplete transmission to the lower body.
If her internal organs were also incomplete, the technique lacked the protective systems needed to prevent the heart, lungs, and brain from being damaged during activation.
She was not merely injured.
She was an unfinished blueprint.
"Wait…"
Ren slowly rubbed his forehead.
"So after studying two failed projects, surviving Orochimaru's attention, and talking to an unconscious technique for three days…"
He looked at the incomplete girl again.
"I still have to assemble her myself?"