Chapter 111: The Physical Manifestation of Power
BOOM!!
These two words were like two bolts of thunder, exploding directly within Orochimaru's mind, jolting his scalp and making his very Soul tremble.
Orochimaru's pupils instantly contracted to the size of needle points. His entire body stiffened as if under a paralysis jutsu, unable to move even a finger.
DISC... a disc?!
This term was so alien, yet so familiar!
Alien because no such thing existed in the Ninja World. Familiar because, at the very moment of his Stand's Awakening, this concept had indeed inexplicably surfaced in his mind!
That round, flat storage medium shimmering with an eerie luster... it was the materialized manifestation of his Stand's rules, his deepest secret, a concept he himself hadn't even fully digested yet!
Why?
Why did Yahiko know?!
And how could he state it so precisely, uttering a term that existed only within his own mind with flawless accuracy?
At this moment, the information barrier Orochimaru prided himself on was utterly shattered. Before this man, he felt like a clown stripped naked.
"How did you..." Orochimaru's throat was dry, his voice hoarse like a rusty bellows.
Yahiko looked at the Ninja World's foremost scientist, whose psychological defenses had been completely shattered, a flicker of boredom passing through his eyes.
So this was the so-called wise man. When his cognition was crushed by higher-dimensional intelligence, he performed no better than an ordinary Genin.
Yahiko reached out, his hand passing directly through the Void Realm beside Orochimaru.
Tap.
He gently patted the cold, masked cheek of the [White Snake] behind him, as if stroking a disobedient pet dog.
"Put away those little thoughts of trying to sneak a taste of the Scorch Release."
Yahiko withdrew his hand, pointing at the stunned Pakura standing nearby, his tone cold yet leaving no room for doubt. "She is not your test subject. She is the key vessel for the upcoming procedure."
With that, Yahiko turned and pointed towards Nagato, who had been quietly sitting in his wheelchair.
"Now that we have the scalpel, it's time to get to work."
Yahiko looked at the still-stunned Orochimaru, a commanding curve lifting the corner of his mouth.
"Orochimaru, I want you to use that ability to extract something from Nagato's body."
Yahiko's words struck the air like a heavy hammer. Orochimaru's vertical pupils, which had been trembling from having his secret exposed, now completely froze.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine. If Yahiko calling out "DISC" had merely surprised him, this instruction, precise to a terrifying degree, was pure horror.
Just minutes ago, even he himself was still exploring [White Snake]'s abilities, still trembling at the concept of 'extracting memories and Soul'. Yet this man before him not only knew what he could do but had even clearly arranged how to use it and for what purpose.
Is this the Leader?
In the very field of scientific research Orochimaru prided himself on, in the dimensions of intelligence and cognition, Yahiko had achieved an absolute "dimensional reduction strike" against him.
This wasn't cooperation; this was like the First Hokage instructing a Genin on a cat-retrieval mission.
"Since you have already seen the outcome, the process is indeed just superfluous struggle."
Orochimaru took a deep breath. The layer of false smile on his face completely vanished, replaced by a reverence for a master of supreme truth.
He stopped testing and bowed deeply. "As you command, Leader."
"The principle is simple," Yahiko said casually, leaning back in his chair as if discussing what to eat for dinner. "Nagato's Stand, [Crazy Diamond], can repair all things in the world, except its own user. That's the Stand's fundamental logic."
Yahiko pointed at the charred, withered legs on the wheelchair.
"The hardware is broken, and the software lacks the permissions to repair it. What should be done?"
A flash crossed Orochimaru's eyes, his Genius brain instantly grasping the key. "You mean..."
"Uninstall the software, install it on another temporary vessel, then have that vessel repair the broken one."
"It's a loophole in the rules."
Treating the Soul as software, the body as hardware?
Orochimaru looked at Yahiko, the fanaticism in his eyes almost burning. This heretical theory, treating the rules of life as child's play, was perfectly suited to his taste!
"Truly... a Genius conception." Orochimaru extended his crimson, forked tongue to lick his lips. He turned to face Nagato, his Stand [White Snake] silently manifesting behind him like the Shinigami's shadow.
"Proceed."
The reply did not come from Yahiko, but from Nagato in the wheelchair.
That red-haired man possessing power sufficient to destroy the Ninja World slowly closed his rippled Rinnegan. He leaned back, letting his hands hang naturally, completely dispersing the suffocating oppressive aura that surrounded him.
At this moment, Nagato had shed all defenses. He had opened his most fatal, most core Soul, completely and unreservedly, to this untrustworthy "scalpel" that was Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's fingers trembled slightly.
This level of trust... For someone accustomed to deceit and suspicion, who even slept with one eye open, this bond of entrusting one's life completely to Yahiko's will was more shocking than any forbidden jutsu.
"What a bunch of... lunatics."
Orochimaru murmured softly, but his gaze became unprecedentedly focused.
If that's the case, then let's begin. Let me see the internal structure of a god!
"White Snake!"
The pale, executioner-masked Stand slowly stepped forward. It raised its right hand, its five fingers shimmering with a layer of eerie, mucus-like luster, like melting wax.
Squelch.
[White Snake]'s palm plunged into Nagato's chest without hindrance. No blood splattered, no bones broke; there was only a sense of visual dislocation so discordant it was extreme.
"Ugh—!!"
Nagato threw his head back, a muffled groan of pain escaping his throat, every muscle in his body tensing like iron.
Pain.
It was the tearing sensation of a Soul being forcibly ripped from its body, as if countless rusty hooks had latched onto his nerves and were slowly, forcefully pulling them out.
Nearby, Konan clenched the hem of her clothes so tightly her knuckles turned white. Countless paper sheets silently swirled around her, as if ready to erupt into violence at any moment, but she bit her lower lip, not daring to make a sound that might disturb the procedure.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted to pinpoints as he manipulated [White Snake] to slowly withdraw its arm.
In that thick, congealed air, something was being slowly pulled from Nagato's body.
It wasn't an organ, nor a mass of Chakra.
It was a disc.
A strange disc, its entire body emitting a dazzling pink diamond-like radiance, its surface engraved with intricate geometric patterns. It hovered in the air, emanating an intoxicating aura of rules.
Hum—!
As the DISC completely left his body, Nagato seemed to have his spine removed, instantly slumping in his wheelchair, gasping for breath, sweat pouring down like rain. The terrifying oppressive aura that had enveloped the room also vanished without a trace.
Now, Nagato truly was just a disabled person.
"This is... the physical manifestation of power?"
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