Chapter 14: Orochimaru: I Want the Form of the Yamata no Orochi
After composing himself, Orochimaru spoke up. "Mr. Yumesaki, I'm curious. What is your intention in seeking me out this time?"
Orochimaru knew perfectly well that Yumesaki revealing such a massive secret meant he likely intended to borrow his power. If the other party could provide enough benefits, Orochimaru wouldn't mind lending a hand for a while.
However, in the next second, Orochimaru was stunned.
Yumesaki shook his head. "You guessed wrong, Orochimaru. The person looking for you isn't me, but Tsunade."
Orochimaru couldn't help but turn his attention back to Tsunade.
Tsunade nodded. "That's right. The one who needs you this time is me."
She then turned to Yumesaki and asked, "Is it okay if I show Naruto and One Piece to Orochimaru?"
"Hold on a second."
Yumesaki stood up and walked toward the large door of the private room. When he opened it, both Orochimaru and Kabuto were shocked to see that the hallway of the restaurant had vanished.
In its place was a living room.
Specifically, it was Yumesaki's own room.
"Come in."
Tsunade and Shizune walked inside without hesitation.
Orochimaru and Kabuto exchanged a wary glance, then followed.
Once they had crossed the threshold and entered Yumesaki's home, Yumesaki picked up two sets of manga and tossed them to Orochimaru and Kabuto.
"Each of you read one set. Orochimaru, you read Naruto. Kabuto, you take One Piece. Swap once you're finished."
The two didn't refuse. They took their respective sets and began to read.
After finishing Naruto, Orochimaru looked at Kabuto with a strange, complicated expression.
He truly hadn't expected that after his own "death," Kabuto would go on to achieve so much—not only mastering the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave that Orochimaru himself couldn't attain but also orchestrating such a massive upheaval.
Yet, he felt no jealousy. Instead, he felt a sense of pride. It seemed his eye for talent hadn't failed him. Kabuto really was extraordinary.
Orochimaru was surprisingly magnanimous in this regard.
However, what made Orochimaru sigh was the realization that the final act of Naruto was clearly a battle of gods. Figures like Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Obito Uchiha, and Madara Uchiha all possessed power so overwhelming it bordered on the absurd.
Compared to them, his own power was no different from a commoner on the street.
As he suspected, without a Kekkei Genkai, it was impossible to truly stand at the top of the Shinobi World.
This only intensified his longing for something like the Sharingan, which could apparently evolve into the Rinegan. It was simply magnificent.
The only problem was that Itachi Uchiha was too powerful; he couldn't win. As for Sasuke, not only did he carry Indra's chakra, but he was also being watched over by the Sage of the Six Paths. Using Living Corpse Reincarnation on him was out of the question.
Now, it seemed his only option was to use cloning technology to create Uchiha clansmen.
In the past, Orochimaru wouldn't have been able to pull this off, but since receiving the knowledge Tsunade gave him, he had found new inspiration. With Tsunade's help, such a feat was no longer impossible.
By the time Orochimaru finished Naruto, Kabuto had finished One Piece, and the two swapped.
Eventually, they finished both series.
Yumesaki then handed them the Boruto series.
If Naruto had given them a mental shock, then Boruto was pure disbelief and absurdity.
Who would have thought that the final bosses of the world, the Otsutsuki Clan, would appear one after another? Isshiki Otsutsuki, Momoshiki Otsutsuki—any one of them could crush them with ease.
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru... so you really didn't die," Kabuto remarked, pushing up his glasses with deep admiration.
He had initially thought Orochimaru was gone for good in the original series, but seeing him resurface in Boruto proved he was the legendary King of Survival. That level of resilience was something even the Otsutsuki would have to respect.
"I appreciate the compliment," Orochimaru said with a thin smile. In his pursuit of immortality, he had made many preparations, and it was gratifying to see them pay off.
"Kabuto, you were quite impressive yourself. I underestimated you. Taking you with me back then was truly the best decision I've ever made."
"It was all thanks to your guidance, Lord Orochimaru."
"Alright, alright, stop praising each other. It's making my skin crawl," Tsunade interrupted, looking visibly repulsed by their mutual admiration.
Orochimaru and Kabuto glanced at each other, a faint trace of a smile in both their eyes.
Then, Orochimaru turned his gaze back to Yumesaki. "Mr. Yumesaki, you mentioned earlier that you are currently connected to three worlds. Those three would be your world, our world, and the world of One Piece, correct?"
Yumesaki nodded. "Exactly."
Tsunade spoke up. "Now that you know the truth, Orochimaru, I assume you don't want the Otsutsuki Clan to reclaim all the Chakra in this world either."
Orochimaru's expression turned serious. Chakra was his primary tool for seeking immortality; he certainly wouldn't allow the Otsutsuki to take it away.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
Tsunade answered firmly, "Research the Devil Fruits. We need to increase our strength to face the Otsutsuki with a more powerful stance."
"I agree."
Orochimaru consented without hesitation. The power of Devil Fruits seemed wondrous and well worth investigating. If the Shinobi World were to eventually fall to the Otsutsuki, perhaps the power of a Devil Fruit could protect his life and grant him the eternal existence he craved.
The Ope Ope no Mi, for instance, was a perfect example.
"However, in exchange, I want the Hebi Hebi no Mi, Model: Yamata no Orochi," Orochimaru stated.
While the Ope Ope no Mi was incredible, it was clearly more suited for someone like Tsunade. In Orochimaru's eyes, the one that truly belonged to him was the Mythical Zoan: Yamata no Orochi.
Not only would it allow him to transform into the mythological eight-headed serpent, where each head possessed its own independent consciousness for multi-angled attacks, but each head also represented a life—giving him eight lives in total.
With this Devil Fruit, Orochimaru was confident he could finally master the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave.
It was likely a devastatingly powerful fruit. Falling into the hands of Kurozumi Orochi was like tossing a gemstone into the mud. A piece of trash like him hadn't even scratched the surface of the power that Mythical Zoan held.
"Fine. But you'll have to deal with Kaidou yourself," Tsunade warned.
In Tsunade's view, Kurozumi Orochi was no match for Orochimaru. However, the real obstacle wasn't Orochi himself—it was Kaidou. Orochi was Kaidou's ally, and there was no way Kaidou would stand idly by if someone moved against him.
Orochimaru went silent for a moment. He understood this perfectly.
Though he had never met Kaidou, judging by the man's feats in the story, Orochimaru knew he likely wasn't a match for him. The man might be a brute, but his power was truly terrifying.
Looking across the entire Naruto universe, there were very few people who could actually take Kaidou down.
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