Chapter 362 - 360 Uchiha Hikaji couldn't help but speak up

Uchiha Hikaji couldn't help but speak up. This was a very realistic problem.

Why would you think that an Orphanage child, after having a monster sealed inside their body by Konoha, would have any goodwill towards Konoha?

If it were a child from the Uzumaki Clan, with Lord Mito's care, a sense of belonging to Konoha could still be cultivated.

"Indeed."

Homura Mitokado admitted that he had not considered it thoroughly. Without relatives in Konoha, it meant that with the Tailed Beast sealed inside them, Konoha couldn't do anything to them; they could escape Konoha at any time.

"Then what should we do? Select children from the major ninja clans? Would they be willing? Or, like other ninja Villages, choose our direct relatives?"

Utatane Koharu's brows furrowed. This was an urgent matter they had to resolve.

"I will go to the Land of Waves and talk with the Uzumaki Clan head. You have all seen the destructive power of the Nine-Tailed."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was uneasy about sealing the Nine-Tailed in anyone other than a member of the Uzumaki Clan. Without the immense vitality of the Uzumaki Clan, it would be very difficult to suppress the Nine-Tailed.

Given Konoha's current situation, if it were to lose the Nine-Tailed, at a time when other ninja Villages all had Tailed Beasts, it would be extremely disadvantageous for Konoha.

In the brightly lit Laboratory, Orochimaru's lab assistants were busy. In a giant cultivation tank, there was something like a heart, constantly emitting a beating sound. From the outside, its texture was more like wood, and its shape was a giant cocoon.

Inside this wooden cocoon was Void, whose cells had been transplanted with the Gedo Statue cells and Ōtsutsuki cells after fusion.

Crack—!

A crack appeared on the wooden cocoon, and as shattering sounds continuously echoed, the wooden cocoon broke!

Blue-white long hair floated in the culture fluid, and a figure appeared in the cultivation tank. Its appearance bore some resemblance to Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, its skin was a healthy wheat color, and its eyes were not Byakugan but Rinnegan.

"It's the Rinnegan… Strange, why did you turn into a human form? And asexual."

Orochimaru stood in front of the cultivation tank, perplexed by Void's transformation. What she couldn't understand were those Rinnegan. To acquire Rinnegan so easily, wouldn't it infuriate that old man who waited decades to awaken his Rinnegan?

Most importantly, it had no gender; its body had no physiological characteristics, it was completely smooth, with no undulations below, as if a mannequin from a department store, used for displaying clothes, had suddenly come to life.

"I don't know…"

The cultivation tank opened, and Void crawled out of the tank on all fours, seemingly not yet knowing how to stand and walk.

"Lord Orochimaru, I think… I am no longer an artificial Tailed Beast…"

Void reached out its hand to Orochimaru.

"Still can't stand and walk? You need to get used to your body."

Orochimaru bent down and took Void's hand. Instantly, its body, which had previously lacked physiological characteristics, developed female physiological characteristics.

???

Orochimaru looked at Void, who was slowly standing up and straightening its back, with question marks filling his head. The peaks that grew like inflating balloons swayed with its movements.

"This isn't scientific!"

Orochimaru couldn't comprehend what was happening before her eyes; it had surpassed her understanding and couldn't be explained by science.

Why did Void become like this?

Orochimaru observed the changes occurring in Void's body, speculating that it might be some transformation caused by the combination of cells from the Gedo Statue (which is the Divine Tree) and Ōtsutsuki cells within her.

This transformation allowed Void to evolve from a more animalistic form into a human shape, which also indicated that Void was genderless, and only after coming into contact with Orochimaru did its physiological gender become female.

If Void had come into contact with a male, would its physiological gender also become male?

It wasn't hermaphroditic, but rather asexual from the beginning, so it could become a woman, and also a man?

Then, in the original work, the voices of the Nine-Tailed Beasts were both male and female. Was this an issue with the voice actors, or had they already chosen their own genders?

Or perhaps they inherently had no concept of gender?

Orochimaru recalled Shukaku always referring to himself as "this great lord," and Nine-Tailed once calling itself "this old man."

Tailed Beasts are essentially Chakra lifeforms and are genderless; Void is no different in this regard.

Becoming human-shaped should be due to the influence of the cells born from the fusion of the Gedo Statue and Ōtsutsuki cells.

"Orochimaru-sama, my body is mimicking your physiological characteristics."

Void explained why her body was undergoing such changes, and her speech also became more fluent.

"As expected…"

Orochimaru said, enlightened, as Void's words confirmed her suspicions.

"Wow!"

Ichikishimahime suddenly materialized with a gasp, circling Void several times, prying open her eyelids with both hands, and staring at those genuine Rinnegan.

"Orochimaru, you should modify me too!"

Ichikishimahime hugged Orochimaru's neck, rubbing her cheek against her.

After Orochimaru's modifications, she might be able to escape her meager figure and possess alluring curves; most importantly, she also wanted Rinnegan!

Returning to Ryūchi Cave would definitely surprise Tagorihime and Tagitsuhime!

"Void, it's better if you put on some clothes."

Orochimaru ignored Ichikishimahime, who was rubbing against her cheek, took out spare underwear and clothes sealed in her sleeve, and dressed Void.

"Orochimaru, Void…"

Hyuga Mio walked in and witnessed a shocking scene: Ichikishimahime was hanging on Orochimaru, saying something, seemingly pouting, while Orochimaru was undressing a woman with blue-white hair.

Hyuga Mio took a step back and said with a smile, "Did… did I interrupt you?"

"What are you thinking? She is Void."

Orochimaru pointed expressionlessly at the giant cultivation tank, where only unprocessed, bark-like material remained.

"Void?!"

Hyuga Mio then noticed the woman with blue-white hair looking over, who had a pair of unique eyes, and said in surprise, "Are those… Rinnegan? Orochimaru, are these the eyes of the Six Paths Sage you mentioned?"

"It's still unclear whether Void's Rinnegan possess the abilities a Rinnegan should have."

Orochimaru was also unsure if these eyes merely had the appearance of Rinnegan without their abilities.

"Mio, don't you recognize me?"

Void tugged at the corners of her mouth, wanting very much to smile.

Orochimaru pulled up the underwear, let go with a snap, beckoned to Hyuga Mio, pointed at Void, signaling her to dress Void, and then took out a notebook and pen, asking, "Void, do your Rinnegan have any abilities?"

"I don't feel anything different."

Void sensed her eyes but found nothing special about them, tilting her head and saying, "They're a little better than my previous eyes?"

Are they just eyes with the shape of Rinnegan?

Or perhaps, the eyes' abilities have not yet awakened?

Orochimaru believed it was the latter; Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan abilities were also developed gradually, not mastered immediately upon awakening.

"Orochimaru-sama, are you disappointed in me?"

After becoming human-shaped, Void's face showed more expressions, and her gaze was like that of a pet about to be abandoned, looking pitifully at Orochimaru.

"No, I believe your abilities have not yet awakened. Your body needs to adapt slowly. You still have many things to learn. Your current appearance is no different from a human."

Orochimaru gently patted Void's head. If Black Zetsu saw this, wouldn't it explode with rage?

After all, Void's appearance somewhat resembled Ōtsutsuki Kaguya; if one had to say, there was about a forty percent resemblance, and if her skin were pale white, it would be even more similar.

Compared to Otsutsuki Hamura and Otsutsuki Hagoromo, Void was more like Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's child.

If Black Zetsu saw it suddenly, it might blurt out, "Mama!"

"Indeed, I can feel a very powerful ocular power."

Hyuga Mio, who was dressing Void, had veins bulging around her eyes, observing Void's changes with her Byakugan, and a hint of shock and disbelief flashed in her eyes.

Could merely transplanting cells cause such a significant change?

Hyuga Mio recalled Orochimaru once mentioning that she would transplant cells from a woman named Ōtsutsuki Kaguya into her.

It was said that she was the Six Paths Sage's mother, and the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan seemed to be inherited from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

"Main body, we have trouble."

Orochimaru's Shadow Clone appeared in the room, with a hint of impatience on its face, feeling very annoyed at being disturbed during research.

"What is it?"

Orochimaru asked the Shadow Clone.

"An ANBU Ninja informed you to go to the Hokage Building; Sarutobi-sensei wants to see you."

"Orochimaru, the Hokage wants to see you at this time… Could it be…"

Hyuga Mio guessed something.

"Mm."

Orochimaru nodded slightly and said, "Mio, I'm entrusting Void to your care. Xiao Shi, let's go."

"Okay!"

Ichikishimahime was still examining Void's body for any differences, but upon hearing Orochimaru's words, she hugged her neck and turned invisible.

You really want to be my spiritual guardian… Orochimaru gave Ichikishimahime a speechless look and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave the Laboratory.

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