Chương 125: Chapter 125: Reincarnation Jutsu
Orochimaru didn't waste time debating with the Uchiha clan members. Once he gave the order, the matter was settled.
Despite their notorious pride and occasional friction with the village, the Uchiha clan wasn't so rebellious that they'd dare defy a direct order, especially not on the battlefield.
Frustrated but obedient, Uchiha Fugaku led by example. He began disassembling the rifle meticulously, just as Orochimaru had instructed. The rest of the Uchiha followed suit, albeit grudgingly. They wiped the weapons clean, applied the protective oil Orochimaru had provided, and packed the disassembled parts back into their respective cases.
"And don't forget the headphones and remaining bullets," Orochimaru added. "I gave each of you fifty rounds. Judging by the action these past few days, you should have plenty left."
The Uchiha members exchanged glances, all thinking the same thing: "Why is Orochimaru so stingy?"
But they kept their thoughts to themselves, packed up the equipment, and handed everything back. Orochimaru took the rifles and left for the command tent without another word.
---
Later that evening, Hatake Sakumo arrived at the tent. He, too, was carrying a few cases.
"Orochimaru, I have to say, this thing you created is impressive. Really impressive!" Sakumo said, his voice full of admiration.
The past few days had been an eye-opener for him. Sniping the enemy from long range without even being detected had significantly altered the battlefield dynamics.
With a casual smile, Orochimaru replied, "It sounds like you've had it easy on this mission, Sakumo."
Sakumo chuckled, "Not just easy, almost boring! And by the way, stop calling me 'sir.' It's weird hearing that from you."
Despite Orochimaru's rank being technically higher in this military setup, Sakumo wasn't one for formalities. Orochimaru shrugged off the comment, more focused on the task at hand.
"Alright, back to business. Based on the intel from the past few days, it seems the Sand Ninja have temporarily retreated. But don't let your guard down. There are still the Iwa Ninja to deal with."
"Of course," Sakumo replied. "Oh, and here are the rifles I borrowed from you."
Sakumo pulled out a scroll, summoning four gun cases and other equipment, laying them neatly on the table.
"I followed your instructions and cleaned and protected them as needed," he added.
"Thank you," Orochimaru said, nodding as he took them back. He then reached for a large scroll he had placed in the corner of the tent earlier and summoned a small iron box.
Sakumo chuckled when he saw the box appear. He'd been amused at first when Orochimaru had stored something so small in such a large scroll. But after spending more time with Orochimaru, he quickly understood.
The iron box contained all of Orochimaru's space scrolls, used to store various items. And since one space scroll couldn't be stored within another, Orochimaru had no choice but to carry the large scroll that housed all the smaller ones.
Clearly, Orochimaru had many other tools and gadgets stored in that scroll, though Sakumo could only guess what they might be.
---
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat in his office, reading over the latest battle report.
"A specialized weapon? Capable of killing enemies from over a thousand meters away?"
He blinked in disbelief, initially thinking it was some sort of joke. But the detailed descriptions and tactical breakdown made it clear—this was real.
His first reaction wasn't one of excitement over Orochimaru's ingenuity. Instead, his mind quickly went to a more cautious place: "Why did Orochimaru develop such a weapon without informing me? What is he really up to?"
However, as he continued reading and saw Tsunade's explanation detailing how Orochimaru had stumbled across this technology and refined it during the mission, Hiruzen's concern lessened.
Hiruzen had seen a lot in his years, and he knew Orochimaru had an insatiable curiosity for all things, especially new technologies or techniques. He could understand how Orochimaru might have encountered such a weapon in his travels and become fascinated enough to develop it further.
Still, as the Hokage and Orochimaru's teacher, the Third Hokage couldn't help but feel uneasy. Creating weapons in secret, even if for the village's benefit, was a slippery slope. He didn't want Orochimaru to go down a path that might lead him astray.
"I can't deny your contributions," Hiruzen muttered to himself, "but I hope you aren't walking down a dangerous road…"
Across the village, Danzo had a different reaction upon receiving news of the weapon. Where Hiruzen saw potential danger, Danzo saw opportunity. He didn't care about Orochimaru's motivations; all he knew was that a weapon capable of killing from such long distances could be incredibly useful, especially for his own secret operations.
---
While the higher-ups in Konoha pondered the implications of Orochimaru's weapon, the situation on the battlefield remained tense. Though the Sand Ninja had retreated for now, the Iwa Ninja were still in play, and the war was far from over.
On the front lines, things had quieted down, and Orochimaru found himself with a rare moment of peace. Sitting beneath a large tree outside the camp, he gazed up at the night sky, lost in thought.
It was peaceful out here. The stars twinkled brightly, unaffected by the noise and chaos of the world below. The air was clean, untainted by pollution, exhaust fumes, or industrial smog. The clarity of the stars was a stark contrast to his own world, where such beauty was often obscured.
"If only I had more time… more power," Orochimaru thought to himself, sighing quietly. "It would be perfect if I could move freely, without restraint."
The truth was, Orochimaru had grand ambitions—far beyond the scope of this current war. His ultimate goals were power, knowledge, and something more elusive: eternal life.
He wasn't ashamed to admit it, even to himself. Why wouldn't he want to live forever?
To Orochimaru, there were two main paths to achieving immortality.
The first was the method he already knew well, the Reincarnation Jutsu, which allowed him to transfer his soul into another body. But this technique had its drawbacks. The most significant issue was the rejection his soul faced when occupying a mismatched body, which would force him to switch bodies frequently. Over time, this would weaken his mental energy and potentially disrupt his progress.
The second option, and the one Orochimaru was more interested in, was gene fusion, specifically fusing his genes with those of Otsutsuki Kaguya, the progenitor of chakra in the ninja world. If he could somehow merge his body with Kaguya's genetic material, he believed he could achieve true immortality without any of the drawbacks of the Reincarnation Jutsu.
***
Bonus Chapter for 500PS
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực