"..."
Orochimaru's golden serpent-like pupils stared directly at Natsuro. No matter how many scenarios he had imagined, he never expected him to say something like this.
Was the other party… trying to recruit him?
In that moment, Orochimaru found the whole thing a little absurd. He had once attacked Konoha and nearly been killed by Natsuro, yet now, he was inviting him to join?
"May I know your reason?" Orochimaru licked his lips and asked in an eerie tone, not rejecting the offer, but clearly curious.
"Of course." After thinking for a moment, Natsuro proceeded to explain his goal. Since he wanted to recruit Orochimaru, there was no point in hiding it.
"Tsk tsk… Hahahahaha!" Orochimaru burst out laughing.
Natsuro casually sat on a nearby coffin, watching him with calm indifference.
"Natsuro-kun~ I knew I wasn't wrong about you. You're not like that stubborn old man." Orochimaru said with a hint of excitement.
If it were that rigid old Third Hokage, there's no way he'd attempt something like this. He'd just drone on about lofty ideals like the "Will of Fire." To Orochimaru, such things were laughable.
Compared to the Third Hokage, Orochimaru clearly favored him. In fact, he was already looking forward to seeing the Third's face when he found out Natsuro's true objective. Would the old man die of anger right then and there?
"So, your answer?" Natsuro looked at Orochimaru, not the least bit fazed by his comments, because he too believed the Third Hokage would never approve of his plans.
"Then… may I ask one more question, Natsuro-kun?" Orochimaru suddenly said.
"Go ahead."
"Do I have the option to refuse?" Orochimaru asked flatly.
After all, if he did say no… would Natsuro really let him walk away alive, knowing such a dangerous secret?
From the moment he heard Natsuro's objective, Orochimaru knew he had to make a choice.
"What do you think?" Natsuro replied with a smile.
That smile made even Orochimaru's skin crawl a little. Though he hadn't answered directly, Orochimaru understood clearly.
"Tsk… so I don't really have a choice after all." Orochimaru chuckled.
"Or," Natsuro suggested, "you could pretend to agree now and betray me after I leave."
"That's a fun proposal, but I'll have to decline," Orochimaru said, licking his lips again.
"Why?" Natsuro asked.
"Because from what I know, Natsuro-kun… you're not the kind of person who acts without confidence." Orochimaru said."Even if I exposed your goal right now, you'd probably still be able to pull it off. And even if I escaped today, I'd definitely end up on your kill list sooner or later. Am I right?"
"Maybe." Natsuro answered nonchalantly." But if I can avoid unnecessary trouble, I'd prefer to save my energy."
"So then, how can I help you?" Orochimaru asked.
"Research," Natsuro replied without hesitation. Orochimaru's eyes lit up immediately, this was his area of expertise.
"And…"
Natsuro continued, giving Orochimaru a glance."You should know, Orochimaru, no country can be established without shadow forces operating in the dark."
Orochimaru paused for a moment. Then a smile crept onto his face as he said a single name: "Danzo?"
Natsuro nodded… then shook his head.
"Tsk, Natsuro-kun… Danzo was killed by your own hand," Orochimaru said mockingly."Yet now, you're planning to rebuild a group like Root?"
"Dark? Are you joking?" Natsuro shot back, "Which of the Five Kage didn't know Root was part of Konoha? Who didn't recognize Danzo?"
Orochimaru's smile faltered. He had a point.
"Once Root became public knowledge, once Danzo became known to the world, he was no longer suitable to lead a force in the shadows," Natsuro said.
"So that's why you killed him?" Orochimaru asked.
"Not exactly. I killed him simply out of disgust, and because he did many things he shouldn't have," Natsuro replied casually. "A blade you can't control is best broken."
Natsuro had no faith in being able to rein in someone like Danzo. Even if he could suppress him with sheer power, Danzo would always be scheming in the shadows.
So from both a personal and village standpoint, Danzo had to die.
But shadow operatives were still necessary. The ANBU might be called "dark," but by now, they were a very visible force. Sure, they could do some dirty work, but their affiliation with the Hokage meant their actions affected the Hokage's image.
What Natsuro wanted was a truly hidden faction, one to handle all the dirty, unseemly operations.
Originally, he had considered giving this role to Sasuke. But on further thought, he realized Sasuke wouldn't be a good fit. Though trustworthy, Sasuke would undoubtedly object to this kind of work, even if he suppressed his own instincts for Natsuro's sake, it wasn't something he wanted to force on him.
So, if not Sasuke, then who better than Orochimaru?
Perhaps there were others more suited, but he didn't know them, and therefore couldn't trust them.
"Tsk tsk…" Orochimaru grinned wider. Natsuro was nothing like the previous Hokage.
He had to admit, even he himself had underestimated him.
Orochimaru had always paid close attention to Natsuro because of his strength. He was powerful despite lacking a kekkei genkai. But in terms of personality, Orochimaru had assumed Natsuro wouldn't stray from the "Will of Fire."
Clearly… he had been wrong.
"And what do I get in return for helping you?" Orochimaru asked.
Natsuro looked straight at him, and uttered a word:
"Immortality."
Orochimaru's pupils immediately shrank. He stared at him. Once he confirmed the offer wasn't a joke, he let out another bout of excited laughter.
"Natsuro-kun, I was right about you. You're bringing me the greatest surprise yet!"
After all, this had always been Orochimaru's pursuit. While his ultimate goal was to master all ninjutsu, he believed that if he could do so, he'd become truly invincible.
But the sheer number of jutsu in the world meant he needed more time, he needed a longer lifespan. So naturally, immortality was the key.
And now, Natsuro had just said he could offer it.
As for whether Natsuro was lying? Orochimaru believed he wasn't. There was no need to lie, especially when he clearly had the upper hand.
"So… your answer?" Natsuro asked once more.
"Natsuro-kun, you want me to help you after the Fourth Great Ninja War, correct?" Orochimaru clarified.
"Yes." Natsuro raised an eyebrow and looked at the surrounding coffins, suddenly realizing something.
"Then I agree. But before that, there's something I want to do," Orochimaru said, narrowing his eyes.
"You want to assist that fake Madara Uchiha?" Natsuro asked directly.
Orochimaru froze. Then he gave him a long, piercing look. He didn't understand how Natsuro had guessed, but there was no point hiding it now.
He nodded. "Natsuro-kun, you won't object… will you?"
"And if I did?" Natsuro countered.
"Then I might start doubting whether your earlier promises were true," Orochimaru replied with a smirk.
—Referring, of course, to Natsuro's claim that even if his secrets were exposed, he could still achieve world unification.
"Fair enough. Do what you want, though it's a shame about all these corpses you've collected," Natsuro said.
"They're not wasted. While I don't care for his Moon's Eye Plan, it is a path toward a higher form of jutsu. The legendary progenitor of chakra, Kaguya Otsutsuki, may have also followed this path. So I want to see it with my own eyes." Orochimaru's eyes shone with fiery resolve, the kind that came from his unyielding pursuit of the pinnacle of jutsu.
Edo Tensei, in Orochimaru's view, was just borrowing power from others. What he wanted was his own strength. And if he had to sacrifice every one of these bodies he'd gathered, he would do so without hesitation—if it made him stronger.
Natsuro looked at Orochimaru and nodded. What he said was true, this was the only chakra path that led to transcendence.
But the problem was… even if Orochimaru knew that, he could never walk it.
That path was only open to the Otsutsuki clan and their descendants.
Everyone else? They didn't even qualify to begin.
Suddenly, Natsuro paused, remembering something from the original series.
Orochimaru had always coveted Sasuke's body.
If Orochimaru had succeeded in taking over Sasuke's body… would he have gained access to that forbidden path?
He looked at Orochimaru with renewed curiosity.
Maybe it had just been a coincidence. But that kind of coincidence… might also be a form of luck.
And in this world, luck was power.
He wondered to himself:
If Orochimaru had actually gotten Sasuke's body in the original timeline… what kind of monster would he have become?
First, of course, Orochimaru would have to get past Itachi. But given Orochimaru's personality, he would never go head-to-head with Itachi. He would definitely gather intelligence and, once he knew about Itachi's physical condition, wait patiently for Itachi to die on his own.
So, for Orochimaru, Itachi wouldn't be the hardest obstacle, his biggest challenge would be lack of information. Without enough intel, walking that path would still be extremely difficult.
But this lead to another question...
Why did this version of Orochimaru no longer seem obsessed with Sasuke like in the original timeline?
Natsuro pondered. What he didn't know was that Orochimaru had, in fact, shifted some of his fixation with Sasuke onto him. Orochimaru wanted to see just how far someone like Natsuro, born an ordinary person—could go.
If he ultimately failed, then Orochimaru would conclude that bloodline limits were indeed indispensable in this world. If even a talent like himself failed, Orochimaru certainly wouldn't believe he could succeed. And at that point, he might turn his gaze back to Sasuke.
"Well then, good luck. Just know I won't go easy on you." Natsuro said casually.
"Hehe… I'd love to see how strong you've become, Natsuro-kun." Orochimaru responded. Even though he now possessed more hidden cards than before, he still felt completely outmatched when facing him.
His own sensing abilities were utterly useless against him. That, in itself, made Orochimaru even more cautious, there was only one explanation... Natsuro's power far surpassed his own.
"You won't be disappointed." Natsuro jumped down from the coffin, glancing around at the others. He couldn't help but sigh.
Originally, Natsuro thought this world's version of the Fourth Great Ninja War wouldn't involve a large army of Edo Tenseis. But now it seemed inevitable. Still, it didn't matter, perhaps this would be a perfect opportunity to "farm some battle achievements."
But it would be tough for the Allied Shinobi Forces. While these reanimated enemies posed no threat to himself, they were deadly to ordinary ninja.
"Orochimaru, add one more condition to the reanimation commands," Natsuro said after thinking for a moment. "Make sure they don't kill too many Allied Shinobi."
It wasn't that he had gone soft. The reason was more… tactical.
After all, who was universally acknowledged as the best medical-nin in the world?
Tsunade, of course. And with Tsunade in Konoha, not only did they have the most medical-nin, but also the highest quality.
So, if shinobi from other villages were gravely wounded, but then rescued by Konoha's medical-nin, what would the political impact be?
He realized he might be scheming a little too much, but in his eyes, this was a win-win. Those who would have died now lived, and he got what he wanted. If that wasn't a win-win, what was?
Orochimaru gave him a strange look but soon grasped Natsuro's meaning. He blinked once, then said,
"In that case, Natsuro-kun, do you want me to go ahead and eliminate some of the old fogeys who might get in your way during this war?"
Natsuro froze, silent for a moment. He had to admit… he was tempted.
This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate dissidents under a legitimate pretense.
"Hehe, I'm not asking for your permission," Orochimaru chuckled. "Consider it a tribute toward my bright future. Whether you accept or not, I won't show any mercy."
Natsuro gave him a look and said nothing, which was as good as permission.
"One more thing." Natsuro suddenly said.
"What is it?"
"Since you'll be working with Akatsuki for now… there's a shinobi I'd like you to try and recruit for me."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, frowning. "That won't be easy. Most of Akatsuki are stubborn types. Who do you have in mind?"
"Kisame Hoshigaki. Remember, he owes me a favor." Natsuro said.
Orochimaru smirked. So he wasn't just recruiting him, he'd already decided on his monitor.And if it was Kisame, he was indeed someone reliable.
Orochimaru thought about Kisame's personality. If it was that guy, he'd indeed be a trustworthy weapon.
He looked at Natsuro and wondered, When did he start planning all this?
This didn't feel like a spur-of-the-moment idea.
In truth, it was… and it wasn't.
Natsuro had considered the possibility before, but his natural tendency to avoid unnecessary trouble had kept him from making a final decision.
Still, even if he hadn't committed, he'd kept certain individuals on his radar, like Kisame, or the Nine-Tails chakra extracted from that young boy...
And now, since everything was set and all roads were open, he had no more reason to hesitate.
He told Orochimaru more about Kisame, how he was a bit like Kimimaro before meeting Orochimaru, and how he'd only joined Akatsuki after hearing about the Moon's Eye Plan and being curious about that kind of world.
This was their opportunity.
After all, how could an illusion compare to reality?Especially when Natsuro had ways to show Kisame what that "ideal world" would really look like.
After all, Sasuke's Tsukuyomi could do just that.
So with all this ammunition, it was up to Orochimaru to convince him.
Natsuro thought to himself, Kisame was a blade: sharp, loyal, and without his own ambitions. He wanted to be the one holding that blade.
It was just a shame that Kisame wasn't suited to leading an organization. If he were, he might've chosen him over Orochimaru.
"Leave it to me," Orochimaru said, licking his cheek with his long tongue. With this intel, he was confident he could win Kisame over.
He also suspected Natsuro wanted to use Kisame to watch him, but he didn't mind.
As long as Natsuro's promise of immortality was real, there was no reason to betray him.
And if a unified world was created, he could operate under its protection. His research required resources anyway.
So instead of rebelling, why not conduct official research in the open, and shady experiments in secret?
The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.
And if he didn't betray Natsuro?
Then Kisame would simply be a useful tool.
"By the way, do you know where that fake Madara is hiding?" Natsuro suddenly asked.
"More or less." Orochimaru replied.
So Natsuro told him the location. Orochimaru blinked, how did he know?!
Then why were the Five Great Nations still searching for him?
Orochimaru looked at Natsuro again, then shook his head. Whatever—it's none of my business anymore.
"Well then, good luck." Natsuro said before vanishing from Orochimaru's lair.
And how did he know Obito's location?
It was actually quite simple...
Because Obito still carried the Flying Thunder God seal that the Fourth Hokage had left on him!
Orochimaru stared at the spot where Natsuro disappeared, and after a long silence…
A grin slowly stretched across his face.
"Fascinating… absolutely fascinating."
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Currently on Chapter 390 - The Pinnacle of Sage Mode