Starting with the usurpation of Akatsuki, the ninja world was overthrown.

Chapter 228 A protective charm that can safeguard Orochimaru

Chapter 228 A protective charm that can safeguard Orochimaru

Orochimaru's second project was cloning.

This was also a problem that Hiruko couldn't handle on her own and had to seek Orochimaru's technical support for.

Later, after Orochimaru was recruited by Shiba Kiyokawa, he shared Konoha's cloning technology, but Hiruko's own progress in operating it was relatively slow.

Recently, Orochimaru probably sensed the village's wariness and estrangement from him, so he took the initiative to strengthen ties with the Akatsuki organization. As a result, he personally came to support the research on cloning and gene modification.

As he spoke, Orochimaru raised his hand and summoned a beautifully sculpted little girl.

Looking at the child, Shiba Kiyokawa was very surprised.

"You're already this big?"

Orochimaru smiled. "The embryo was matured using chakra, and then its growth was accelerated many times over in the culture tank. These are all supporting technologies for cloning, which I have already compiled and handed over to Hiruko."

Shiba Kiyokawa turned to look at Hiruko.

Hiruko crossed his arms and said with a frustrated look, "Yes, he's in my hands, but I need some more time to study him."

This shows that Hiruko's scientific research level is still inferior to Orochimaru's.

Shiba Kiyokawa simply smiled gently at this, without blaming him. Instead, he comforted him, saying, "It's alright, take your time. You've already done very well. The Land of Rain's current glory is inseparable from your efforts. You can be more confident, Hiruko."

Orochimaru, no matter how powerful, was only a temporary ally, while Hiruko was a true ally who had completely pledged allegiance to him.

Shiba Kiyokawa knew his place.

Then he looked at the little girl next to Orochimaru—her chubby oval face was very cute, her eyes were big with clean black pupils, and her hair was short, only ear-length, but you could still tell at a glance that she was a woman with gentleness and grace.

The girl had been standing next to Orochimaru for a while, her expression unchanged. She showed no panic or curiosity, and her emotions remained unusually stable.

Shiba Kiyokawa squatted down, looking at the girl's calm face, and was a little curious.

"You are so calm."

The girl tilted her head, looking somewhat bewildered, and said, "I just... don't know what expression to make right now."

Upon hearing this, Shiba Kiyokawa felt pleased, and then suddenly smiled, a smile filled with nostalgia.

He suddenly recalled his memories of his past life and blurted out, "At this moment, all you need to do is smile."

"A smile—?"

The girl responded with a bewildered look, then genuinely tried to force a smile, revealing a very gentle expression.

Hiruko, standing to the side, said, "I really don't understand why you insisted on choosing this girl as your first clone target. What's so special about her? We have so many bloodline ninja materials right now."

With Orochimaru's secret help, the research institute's material library is now richer than ever before.

But Shiba Kiyokawa just smiled mysteriously and said, "You'll understand in time, Orochimaru. Don't forget what I said. Always keep this girl by your side. She can save your life in a critical moment."

Orochimaru smiled and agreed, "Okay."

It's clear that Orochimaru didn't believe what Shiba Kiyokawa said.

He simply felt it wasn't worth ruining the existing cooperation over such a trivial matter.

It's just experimental material, so I brought it along.

Then Shiba Kiyokawa reached out and patted the little girl's head, saying gently, "From now on, your name will be Rinpo Rei."

The cloned girl, Limpoli, nodded obediently.

Although she had only recently stepped out of the culture tank, she seemed to have already grasped many things, showing no resistance or rejection to Shiba Kiyokawa's arrangements.

After showcasing the results of the two projects, Orochimaru casually tossed two scrolls over, and after catching them, walked to the wardrobe next to him, took off his lab coat, and prepared to leave.

"This contains recent developments in Konoha and the latest intelligence from Sunagakure. Kiyokawa-kun, I will definitely move forward with my battle plan by April at the latest."

Upon hearing this news, Shiba Kiyokawa immediately understood.

"Can't drag this out any longer? Heh, it seems those old guys in Konoha are determined not to choose you."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's face remained completely expressionless.

He remained indifferent to it as always.

If Snake once had some sense of responsibility towards the village and a rather pure sense of mission towards his role as a frontline commander, then...

Now, after Shiba Kiyokawa forcibly accelerated his "corruption" process, he is completely indifferent to those bonds and responsibilities.

As the saying goes, there is no greater sorrow than a broken heart.

When you no longer feel disappointed in the face of betrayal, that is the moment when all ties are completely severed.

You'd better contact and make arrangements with that acting Kazekage as soon as possible. I won't specifically inform her when I launch the campaign.

You promised you wouldn't stop me from ending this war, Qinghe-kun. I hope you won't break your promise.

At that moment, Orochimaru's glance back was exceptionally cold and resolute.

Shiba Kiyokawa nodded: "Of course, you can rest assured that I, Shiba Kiyokawa, will always keep my promises."

"That would be perfect."

After saying that, Orochimaru had already changed his clothes, put on his Konoha ninja vest again, and left without looking back with the clone girl.

Although he had made up his mind to leave the village, Orochimaru still wanted to go back and give his former subordinates an explanation—he wanted to personally end the war with Sunagakure, a promise he had made to all his followers!

At that moment, even Hiruko, whose relationship with Orochimaru had long been irreconcilable, couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"He could have simply defected."

In the original story, Orochimaru still needed the village's resources, equipment, facilities, and funds after the war ended, but now, the Akatsuki organization can provide all of these to him.

Orochimaru still chose to go back first, to complete his final mission as a frontline commander.

Then Hiruko looked at his boss with a strange expression.

"You really just let him go back like that? That cloned girl, could she be a secret weapon to silence him?"

Shiba Kiyokawa: "Do I look like the kind of person who has absolutely no integrity or moral bottom line?"

Hiruko squinted at him, his expression clearly asking: Aren't you?

Shiba Kiyokawa rolled his eyes at Hiruko, annoyed. "That girl wasn't some weapon to silence him; she was actually a talisman to protect Orochimaru's life."

Hiruko asked in bewilderment, "A four or five-year-old girl, could she really save Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin? Is that true?"

Shiba Kiyokawa smiled but didn't explain, only saying, "You'll know the answer soon enough."

It didn't last long, in fact, it didn't last long at all.

Just two days later, Uchiha Obito, who had turned to the dark side and was determined to seek revenge, arrived at the front line of the Land of Rivers.

He had previously obtained two suspects from that special Jonin of Konoha: Root and Orochimaru.

Unfortunately, he had never heard of the Root before.

There's nothing we can do about it; before he turned to the dark side, he was just an insignificant nobody with very little knowledge of the dark side of Konoha.

But he definitely knows Orochimaru!

One of the legendary Sannin, a frontline commander, whose name is renowned and widely known.

So he chose to go find Orochimaru first.

Now that Obito has completely fallen into darkness, he will no longer show mercy to anyone, not even the frontline commander of Konoha. He will never show mercy if he has the chance!

However, the moment he actually approached Orochimaru's front-line residence, his intense emotions immediately erupted!

In that instant, Obito's Sharingan spun wildly, his heart pounded faster than ever before, and he felt as if he had fallen into a terrifying illusion. In the blink of an eye, his back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

"Lin—"

He stared at the cloned girl next to Orochimaru, lost in thought for a long time.

That's right, the clone Rei Rin's prototype is none other than Rin Nohara!

This is a miracle created by using the small vial of Rin's blood that Shiba Kiyokawa extracted on the battlefield of Kirigakure!