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Ryūchi Cave
In Tian Xin-Shenji's nest, Orochimaru busied himself with testing materials. The quiet hum and beeping of strange equipment echoed through the cave.
Tian Xin-Shenji, a white snake, slithered into view and transformed into a graceful woman as she landed. This was Tian Xin-Shenji, the loyal servant of the Immortal White Snake, and this was her domain.
In a far-off corner, the ancient White Snake Sage rested in dormancy, while Orochimaru had taken up residence without the slightest intention of leaving. He didn't just stay—he'd gone as far as to begin conducting experiments.
"Orochimaru, do you even realize whose territory you're on right now?" Tian Xin-Shenji asked coldly. "I only allowed you in because of the ancestral command. And yet, you're pushing your luck, bringing in these filthy instruments and playing around with them. Are you trying me?"
Orochimaru calmly stood inside a petri dish, steadily recording data. His lips curled into a faint smirk. "Let me ask you something in return. Isn't this place part of the ancestral grounds? Even your nest belongs to them, does it not?"
"Then, as I received permission from the ancestor itself, what use do I have for your approval?"
Tian Xin-Shenji was left speechless. Typical. Male snakes, or humans like him, always bypassed the female's authority.
And Orochimaru… with his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, he didn't even bother to choose a male host this time. He picked a woman—probably on purpose.
According to him, it was healthy to live as a man for a while, then as a woman for balance.
That's how Orochimaru became "Aunt Orochimaru."
Worse, the way he flicked his fingers—graceful and poised—it made even Tian Xin-Shenji feel a bit outclassed. She sometimes wondered if she could learn more about being a human woman by watching Orochimaru.
This disturbing contrast often left her feeling like she was a failure of a snake.
Still… Orochimaru was truly unique.
Among the three great sacred lands of the ninja world—Shikkotsu Forest, Ryūchi Cave, and Mount Myōboku—each had its own mysteries.
Shikkotsu Forest was mostly inaccessible due to the immense size of its sole inhabitant, Katsuyu. Few humans could ever make it there.
That left Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku as viable training grounds.
But Mount Myōboku was excessively strict. Most ninja who sought power turned instead to Ryūchi Cave, even knowing the snakes were fond of eating them. As long as the ninja passed the trials, they were allowed to train. If they failed, well, becoming food was a fitting end.
It was survival of the fittest—and thus Ryūchi Cave became the most attractive place for spiritual cultivation.
Yet very few passed the trials. Orochimaru was one of the rare exceptions.
Though, he didn't succeed in Sage Mode training. He stopped midway. But even then, the snakes didn't devour him.
In fact, he was favored by the White Snake Sage.
The ancient being found Orochimaru's behavior to be uncannily snake-like. He was practically a natural-born serpent in human form.
He was allowed to remain and even served as a sort of living advertisement to the outside world.
But now, things had changed. Orochimaru had extracted a trove of knowledge from the ancestors, adapted their Sage Mode into his own Dragon Mode, and had begun developing various spell marks.
These spell marks were essentially a modified, cracked version of Sage Mode.
To the snakes, it was a disgrace.
He didn't pass their trials. Yet, he wanted their power.
He took shortcuts. That was unacceptable.
Still, Orochimaru had set up base in Tian Xin-Shenji's nest and showed no intention of moving. Her patience had run thin.
"If you're causing so much trouble, maybe I should help you leave," she muttered.
Just then, a voice interrupted them.
Both of them froze.
"Orochimaru, you never know when to stop," came a familiar tone as a figure emerged. The head of Black Zetsu slowly phased through the wall.
His expression was unreadable.
Orochimaru's calm mask broke slightly at the sight.
Black Zetsu never traveled alone. With a network of White Zetsu clones spread across the ninja world, tracking someone down was almost too easy.
Once again, he had found Orochimaru's location.
What came next, however, caught Orochimaru's interest.
"I've brought some news," Black Zetsu said with a twisted grin. "Because of your absence, your Sound Ninja Village has been attacked. Terumi Mei of Kirigakure made the first move."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
The situation had changed.
And things were about to get even more interesting.
"So, talking so much… could it be that you're here just to tell me this so-called good news?" Orochimaru said calmly, his expression unchanging.
"Of course not," Black Zetsu replied. "You need to perform another Impure World Reincarnation."
"Last time, Uchiha Madara was defeated by Kitahara Hitoshi. So, we have to try again," Black Zetsu added.
"..." Orochimaru was silent.
"..." Black Zetsu remained still.
Orochimaru hadn't forgotten the fear he experienced last time when he faced Uchiha Madara. He had immediately hidden himself, retreating like a shadow into the ancestral snake cave.
And now, even his revered ancestor... had fallen asleep.
"..." Again, silence.
Orochimaru had once joined a certain mysterious group chat. Though he'd long since left, he was well aware—Kitahara Hitoshi was someone you couldn't afford to provoke.
As a result, not even Uchiha Madara—rival of the First Hokage—could be casually messed with.
"If I help you bring back Uchiha Madara again…" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"Then what's in it for me?"
"What's the benefit?" he asked, lips curled in amusement.
"Don't you want to live forever?" Black Zetsu said. "It's not true immortality, but it should meet your requirements. Your body will remain intact for thousands of years."
"...Orochimaru."
"Orochimaru." He frowned. "Are you lying to me again?"
"You can decide for yourself. But I'm short on time. If you refuse, I'll simply send your location to Kitahara Hitoshi."
"Because…"
"I'm currently in the group chat," Black Zetsu smiled.
"..."
Orochimaru suddenly remembered the collection of Konoha ninjas in the chat, who were just short of burning him alive in anger.
Even if the First Hokage was technically a dead man, Orochimaru still had possession of the First Generation's body.
That made things dangerous.
"I want to inspect the goods first," Orochimaru said, crossing his arms.
"No problem."
"Not now!" Black Zetsu cut him off quickly.
"..." Orochimaru fell silent again.
He understood that if Black Zetsu truly was in that group, he could instantly relay Orochimaru's whereabouts to Kitahara Hitoshi.
And since he still possessed the First Hokage's body, Konoha would mark him as a criminal without hesitation.
Not to mention the Second Hokage wouldn't permit unrestricted use of the Impure World Reincarnation.
In other words, the last time Madara was unearthed, it had been Orochimaru's doing, and to the Second Hokage, that was a sin he wouldn't forget.
"...I agree."
And so, Orochimaru finally fulfilled the wish of Tianxin-Shenji. He followed Black Zetsu out of the dark snake's den.
Soon after—
"Forbidden Technique: Impure World Reincarnation—"
Orochimaru's hands swiftly formed seals.
And where Orochimaru had stood, only a layer of snake skin remained.
Another escape technique. A false shell.
But at that moment, Uchiha Madara's eyes slowly opened.
"I am… huh?"
"This Orochimaru again?"
Madara, now revived in his reanimated form, looked down at the shed skin on the ground with distaste.
"Quickly stabilize the Impure World Reincarnation!" Black Zetsu urged.
He had expected Orochimaru to pull a vanishing act. His will to survive always came before anything else.
He'd rather die than stick around.
This marked the second time Orochimaru had been discovered here. He definitely wouldn't remain a third.
But suddenly—
"Ancestor!"
"Orochimaru, you bastard!"
"Thief!"
From the den he had just left, a girl's panic-stricken scream erupted.
It seemed Orochimaru, in his rebirth, had abducted the dormant White Snake Sage—and chaos had begun anew.
"..." Black Zetsu was speechless.
Truly, Orochimaru was someone not to be underestimated. He could even abduct the White Snake Sage without blinking.
"Hmm?"
Uchiha Madara, still disoriented from his revival, looked confused.
"So that's what's going on."
Madara listened as Black Zetsu explained a few select things.
Like how, following the original plan, they had reached the moon—only to find anomalies.
On the moon lived the descendants of Ōtsutsuki Hamura, the younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths.
After millennia of decline, only one branch member remained—Ōtsutsuki Shiren.
Attempts to persuade Shiren failed, so he had been brought back to the ninja world.
But Shiren had already been defeated by Kitahara Hitoshi.
Currently, Black Zetsu had discovered a massive Tenseigan on the moon and hoped Madara would retrieve it.
"...Black Zetsu, you really are a pain."
"No, wait—what did you just say?"
"Ōtsutsuki Shiren was defeated by Kitahara Hitoshi?"
"So, the one who fought with me before… wasn't Hashirama?"
"..."
Black Zetsu didn't reply.
Madara had a habit—when he was deceived, he filled in the blanks himself, creating justifications that satisfied his pride and curiosity.
As soon as he heard the name Senju Hashirama, his thoughts unraveled.
The two were entangled beyond reason.
Black Zetsu sighed inwardly.
"The current intel is accurate. Senju Hashirama hasn't been unearthed."
"..."
"Then tell me more about this Tenseigan on the moon," Madara demanded.
"...?"
Black Zetsu paused.
Was Madara deliberately changing the subject?
"So I can't beat Kitahara Hitoshi with my current strength?"
"Then I won't fight," Madara said. "I'll retrieve the Tenseigan first."
"I used to think Rinnegan was the pinnacle…"
"But now, the Tenseigan seems even more powerful."
"If I obtain the Tenseigan, maybe I can defeat Kitahara Hitoshi."
"..."
Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes.
He could see it—though Madara still burned with desire to defeat Hashirama, what truly bothered him was the fact he'd lost to Kitahara Hitoshi.
So, he decided to power up first.
It was smart, in a way.
When you can't win, become stronger.
Thus, Madara would now deceive himself, and it would be himself who got caught in the snare.
Black Zetsu smirked.
"Yes. The moon carries the bloodline of the Sage's younger brother, and the chakra of their eyes—Byakugan—has accumulated into the giant Tenseigan."
"There are two in total."
"One lies on the surface of the moon."
"The other is buried deep in its core."
"It's said the full power of Ōtsutsuki Hamura sleeps within the core," Black Zetsu claimed.
The first half was true—the second half was a lie.
What Black Zetsu wanted was to provoke Madara's greed, so that he'd split open the moon and expose everything inside.
"I see…" Madara said, deep in thought.
"Yes," Black Zetsu affirmed.
After all, Shiren had been sealed away inside Kitahara Hitoshi's Planetary Devastation, suspended near the moon.
With Shiren silenced, Black Zetsu could say whatever he pleased.
"Then I must acquire the Tenseigan," Madara said. "Both the one on the surface and the one inside the moon!"
He raised his hand, a greedy glint in his eye.
"But with my current setup—if I keep using Rinnegan while reanimated, my body won't hold."
"Maybe… let Obito go instead," he suggested.
Black Zetsu had approached Madara. Now Madara would go to Obito. And Obito would likely find Nagato.
Nagato was the easiest to manipulate. If told to fetch the Tenseigan, he'd obey.
"..."
"..."
Black Zetsu wasn't impressed.
Why go through Obito? Sure, Obito could be manipulated, but not as easily as Madara.
Black Zetsu trusted Madara more. After all, Madara believed Black Zetsu was his will incarnate, and therefore completely dropped his guard.
It was the same now.
So Black Zetsu's choice was obvious.
To split the moon? Choose Madara.
Time was short, and Black Zetsu needed to prove himself useful immediately.
No time to wait for Madara to find Obito, who'd then find Nagato.
"If you're talking about fighting Kitahara Hitoshi, maybe you can't win," Black Zetsu admitted. "But if it's just flying to the moon, you're fully capable."
"Oh?"
"Should we have Nagato use Rinne Tensei now?" Madara asked.
"I can possess Nagato if needed, and force him to use Rinne Tensei," Black Zetsu said. "But there's an even easier method."
"Oh?" Madara blinked.
"While on the moon, I learned that Ōtsutsuki Hamura was actually killed by his brother, the Sage of Six Paths. Mount Myōboku later provided a spell to revive him."
"A resurrection spell… like Izanagi?" Madara mused. "No, Izanagi resets reality. It's more like a one-time substitute. Not the same."
"So, I suggest we visit Mount Myōboku. It's worth a try," Black Zetsu said.
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