Chapter 51

Orochimaru hid in the shadows, watching as Kakashi sealed the curse mark on him.

"Lord Orochimaru, why don't you come out and stop Kakashi?" Kabuto stepped out of the darkness, looking at Orochimaru with confusion.

Orochimaru turned to examine Kabuto, a curious expression on his face. "You're injured? That's unusual."

Kabuto's face darkened, his already pale complexion becoming even more ashen.

"I was careless."

"Careless? Haha. That's quite a surprise. You've never been careless in all the countries you've infiltrated. I didn't expect you to run into trouble in Konoha, your base of operations." Orochimaru said with a hint of amusement.

Kabuto's round glasses flashed, but he did not refute the statement.

Seeing that Kabuto was not going to say more, Orochimaru stopped pressing and said calmly, "Don't let it affect the plan."

Seeing that the sealing ritual for Sasuke was complete, Orochimaru turned and disappeared into the darkness.

"Kabuto, I could have stopped Kakashi from sealing the curse mark, but could I stop all of Konoha? Sasuke's desire for power is too strong. The seal is only temporary; he will eventually come to me." Orochimaru's hoarse, confident voice echoed from the darkness, providing the answer to the earlier question before vanishing.

Kabuto stood there, deep in thought, a strange smile on his face. "Sasuke does indeed crave power, but he has a very powerful person in his family. Will he really be unable to resist the temptation?"

With that, he walked into the shadows and disappeared.

Kakashi finished setting the seal and left with Sasuke.

While walking casually, he was actually being very cautious, carefully observing the surroundings.

"It seems that person really left. That cold, powerful presence must have been Orochimaru." Kakashi thought to himself.

He had already noticed someone watching when he started the sealing ritual.

He remained vigilant, but to his surprise, the other party had no intention of stopping him. After he completed the seal, Orochimaru left.

"Who was the other person?" Kakashi thought of the unfamiliar chakra he had sensed.

"This Chuunin Exam will definitely have problems. Orochimaru infiltrated Konoha; is his target Sasuke?" He looked at his student with a complex expression.

He recognized the curse mark; Anko had one. As an elite of Konoha, Kakashi was well-versed in the relevant information.

"I don't know if the seal will be effective. The curse mark is said to grant immense power. Can Sasuke resist the temptation?" Kakashi pondered, feeling that his concern was not unfounded. "I need to keep a close eye on Sasuke."

Kakashi thought to himself, "In the next month, I need to arrange sufficient training for Sasuke to ensure that most of his time is within my sight."

...

In the Uchiha compound, by the artificial lake.

Su Zhong was once again encased in ice. This time, the surface of the clear ice block was crisscrossed with black lines, like a large net enveloping the entire ice block.

This was Su Zhong's new training method. He applied a sealing technique to the outer layer of the ice block to enhance its sealing ability, providing greater pressure to temper his body.

White formed hand seals and stood at a distance, maintaining the jutsu with a steady output of chakra, causing him to sweat profusely.

By using Ice Release every day, White had unknowingly improved his skills. The ice block was now more pure and transparent, like crystal.

Through the ice, Su Zhong's figure was clearly visible. He was constantly twisting his body, trying to break free from the ice.

His muscles bulged, and his body swelled, transforming him into a two-meter-tall giant.

After breaking through the Hard Qi technique, this ability to transform using qi and blood had become even more powerful.

Su Zhong's body grew larger, and his strength increased, but the ice block did not break.

The sealing technique on the outside gave the ice block great resilience.

Whenever Su Zhong's strength exceeded the ice's restraining power, it became extremely resilient, like a bouncy ball.

No matter how he struggled, the ice only bulged and deformed, but he could not break free.

Su Zhong shrank his body again, forming his fingers into a blade, and channeled all his strength into his clasped hands.

Double Crane Hands!

The high speed and powerful piercing force instantly broke through the elastic ice block. He pushed with both hands.

Bang!

The sealing technique and Ice Release jutsu were torn apart by Su Zhong.

Emerging from the seal, Su Zhong looked disheveled, staggering to the shore and sitting on the pier, breathing heavily.

Feeling the surge of strength amidst his fatigue, Su Zhong's eyes brightened. "The ice seal enhanced by the sealing technique has increased the pressure significantly. Struggling to break free in the traditional sense is no longer meaningful. It's good for practicing combat techniques."

Recalling the feeling of using Double Crane Hands in the ice, Su Zhong knew he had found a new training method.

Using combat techniques while restrained is like practicing swordsmanship under a waterfall.

Training in a high-resistance environment improves technique and enhances physical strength.

"White, has Sasuke returned?" Su Zhong recovered quickly, taking a few deep breaths. His body was now so powerful that he regained his energy in just a few breaths, though his stomach felt a bit empty.

White, sitting not far behind Su Zhong, looked pale from chakra depletion. "He has returned and is resting in his room. However, there seems to be a problem with Sasuke's body."

Su Zhong understood. A few days ago, when he severely injured Kabuto, he already knew about Orochimaru's arrival.

Now that Sasuke's body had a problem, combined with the original story, Su Zhong knew that Sasuke had been marked with a curse seal.

"Sasuke's body seems to have been eroded by some substance, causing severe damage. He needs to rest for a while. I have prepared some appropriate medications, but they have had little effect." White said, recalling his diagnosis.

Su Zhong nodded, understanding. "The curse seal is indeed not a good thing. It's more about breaking and then rebuilding. But the rebuilt body deviates from the original, becoming more compatible with Orochimaru's soul!"

The curse seal was developed by Orochimaru for his own reincarnation. The ultimate goal was to transform the body of the marked individual. The more frequently the seal is used, the deeper the transformation. Eventually, the body might start rejecting the original soul!

"This is probably what is meant by body-to-soul transformation. When Orochimaru takes over the body, he will then transform the soul. The two processes combined will ultimately control the entire body, achieving the goal of reincarnation." Su Zhong thought to himself.

He then laughed coldly. "Whether it's body-to-soul transformation or soul-to-body transformation, a price must be paid. Orochimaru's soul is already damaged, making him vulnerable to genjutsu!"

Thinking about this, Su Zhong suddenly felt a chill. He had come to this world, reincarnated, and now his spirit was fully integrated into his body, giving him complete control. However, this likely came at the cost of some soul power.

The complete disappearance of his sword intent might be related to this change.

In his previous life, he had mastered the life-threatening sword intent, which was incredibly powerful. But here, the sword intent, once integrated into his body, only enhanced his senses and gave him the Insight Eye ability.

Although the Insight Eye was detailed and became more acute as his body grew stronger, it was far inferior to the sword intent.

The sword intent is a manifestation of the purification and enhancement of the soul. It seems that the sword intent or soul power was used to transform his body.

"Indeed, there is a price for every gain. The sword intent was partially absorbed by the Boundary-Breaking Pearl, and the rest was used to transform the body. Although there was a loss, being able to fully control the body is a good outcome." Su Zhong felt relieved.

"The Boundary-Breaking Pearl must have played a role. Otherwise, even with the sword intent, the transformation and integration would not have been possible. Soul power, after all, is just energy, and the transformation requires a method." Su Zhong deduced.

"Even after fusing with the White Phosphorus Snake, Orochimaru's soul remained damaged. I can be so carefree because the Boundary-Breaking Pearl protected my soul's essence."

Su Zhong thought about it and put the matter aside. Although his body was still unable to produce chakra, the continuous evolution and improvement of his body showed a path for enhancement. He hoped not to encounter another bottleneck.

"You don't need to worry about Sasuke. Focus on training your sealing techniques. I will need your sealing skills for a long time." Su Zhong instructed. "Also, try to improve your Body Flicker technique. For non-combatants, the first priority is to learn how to run."

White nodded respectfully.

Su Zhong waved his hand, dismissing White to rest. He sat by the lake, deep in thought.

Soon, he heard a voice behind him. Turning, he saw Sasuke, his face pale. "Sasuke, what's the matter?"

"Is the method you mentioned the curse seal?" Sasuke sat down on the pier with difficulty.

Su Zhong smiled. "Did you guess?"

Sasuke nodded, remaining silent. He had many questions but didn't know how to ask.

"There is a consciousness within the curse seal. Try to avoid it when speaking or acting." Su Zhong said casually, not caring if Orochimaru knew.

Sasuke's body trembled. "Orochimaru's?"

"Who else?"

Sasuke fell even more silent. Being targeted by one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, was not easy to escape.

"Wanting to gain something inevitably requires a price. That's a rule." Su Zhong looked at the calm lake, speaking coldly.

Sasuke was taken aback, feeling helpless, worried, and at a loss, all of which turned into silence.

Su Zhong never believed in windfall gains, especially after experiencing three lifetimes.

Gaining the Boundary-Breaking Pearl seemed very lucky, but without his relentless efforts and desperate struggle, he would have died in the Yu Canghai's extermination of his clan in his previous life.

Moreover, even after breaking through, he could not return to his original world. Wandering in an unknown world, rootless and sourceless, was also a form of payment.

Windfall gains? More like bird droppings falling from the sky.

"What should I do?" Sasuke wanted some advice from Su Zhong.

Su Zhong smiled. "The path is one you must walk yourself. However, it's better to delay this matter."

Seeing the thoughtful look in Sasuke's eyes, Su Zhong said meaningfully, "The curse seal, no matter how powerful, is just a tool to enhance chakra. The eyes are the key!"