Next up, Uchiha Hikari demonstrated Commandment: Black Sun.
As she swung her long blade, a pitch-black sun wheel materialized behind her, generating a powerful gravitational field. Everything around was pulled toward it, and even Orochimaru had to dig his heels into the ground to resist being dragged in.
"A technique that manipulates gravity? So this is the power of Commandment?" he mused.
Then came the Capsule Corp capsule.
When Hikari casually tossed out a finger-sized capsule that transformed into a full-blown private airplane, Orochimaru's usually composed face finally showed a flicker of shock.
"No sealing jutsu or summoning technique, and yet you can store something that massive in a capsule the size of a finger? Is this thing a ninja tool for flying?"
Hikari glanced up slightly. "Well? What do you think?"
"…"
After a brief silence, Orochimaru licked his lips, his gaze locking onto her. "These things are… intriguing, I'll admit. But not enough to make me abandon my current identity and plans to join you. Also, I'm curious about something…" He paused. "Those two you let go earlier—they're probably halfway out of the Sound Village by now. You sure it's fine not to restrain them with genjutsu?"
"Heh."
Hikari's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Since when did you get the idea I wasn't using genjutsu?"
"What?!"
Orochimaru froze, then snapped to attention, looking around as if realizing something. "Could it be…?"
"Release!"
Orochimaru formed hand signs, and the world around them began to shift dramatically.
But… it wasn't the kind of shift that breaks a genjutsu.
Instead, Eri, the Uzumaki mother and daughter, and even Guren vanished from their spots in an instant. The scene around them morphed from the Sound Village into the snow-swept Black Swan Port.
The Daki siblings, who had been fleeing for a while, were suddenly back here, trapped in place by an invisible force, like prisoners in a drawn circle.
—They weren't mere illusions but mental projections pulled into Tsukuyomi: Imprint.
At that moment, the Daki siblings stared at Hikari like they'd seen a ghost.
And Orochimaru wasn't faring much better.
This version of him hadn't yet been humbled by Itachi or witnessed the true power of the Mangekyo Sharingan. To him, Uchiha Itachi was still just "that Uchiha kid with great dynamic vision." But Hikari's Tsukuyomi was even stronger than Itachi's in the original story, and it shook Orochimaru to his core. "Impossible… when did you…?"
"The moment I laid eyes on you," Hikari said lightly. "This is my Tsukuyomi world. In this space, I control everything. No matter how much time passes here, it's only a fleeting moment in the real world. So don't worry about what's happening outside.
As for the things I showed you, they weren't conjured by genjutsu—they're real. You've got some decent scientific chops, and since you're not just killing for the sake of killing, I'm willing to give you a choice."
"To become your subordinate?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "And if I refuse?"
"You won't."
"?"
Under Orochimaru's puzzled stare, Hikari gave a small smile. "I'm offering you a choice, but I can just as easily take it away."
"…"
Orochimaru's mind raced. He didn't know about Yasaka Magatama or Kotoamatsukami, but he could sense something ominous in Hikari's words.
"…Lady Hikari, you know I'm a rogue ninja. If I wanted to serve someone, I wouldn't have left the Leaf in the first place."
"Oh, please. You only fled because your human experiments on Leaf villagers got exposed."
Hikari scoffed. "I could kill you right here, body and soul. Or I could erase your will and turn you into an obedient dog, just like you did to those Leaf villagers and ninja.
But despite that, I'm still generous enough to give you a chance to pledge loyalty to me willingly.
Obey or die—it's your call.
Don't bother with petty tricks. In front of these eyes, you have no secrets. I know about your soul-transfer jutsu, and I know you're scouting for a new vessel. Need me to spell it out in more detail?"
"What?!"
Immortality Jutsu was Orochimaru's deepest secret.
Having it exposed so casually hit him harder than being caught in her genjutsu.
After a long silence, Orochimaru hissed, "What… exactly do you want me to do?"
"Simple. Keep doing your scientific research, but with a few ground rules. Like informed consent, ethical purposes, and prioritizing the well-being of your subjects."
These were basic principles of modern medical ethics.
Even in a world without supernatural powers, human experimentation is a necessary part of scientific progress. In the Naruto world, it's even more critical. Studying ninja, especially those with kekkei genkai, is the only way to unlock the secrets of their extraordinary abilities.
Hikari understood this well.
She knew Orochimaru was no saint—his hands were stained with countless sins. But if he could follow her ethical boundaries and avoid reckless abuse, coercion, kidnapping, or killing, she was willing to overlook his past.
—In a messed-up place like the ninja world, having a moral high ground would probably just lead to wiping everything out.
On the flip side…
If Orochimaru didn't want to play ball, Hikari would just have to use some "unconventional" methods to make him "voluntarily" comply.
After all, it'd be a taste of his own medicine.
"Got any other questions? Speak now while I'm in a good mood, and I'll answer."
"…"
After a brief pause, Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed as he looked at Hikari. "I want to know… do those experimental materials you mentioned include your own blood and cell samples?"