At the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan's ancestral grounds,
a blinding flash of electric light pierced through the air. In an instant, Chiga stood silently before a crumbling shrine, the stones cracked with age and neglect.
Surveying the dilapidated surroundings, Chiga exhaled slowly and muttered to himself,
"I never thought the Uzumaki Clan would fall this far."
Once hailed as one of the strongest bloodlines in the Ninja World, the Uzumaki Clan had possessed vast Chakra reserves from birth and were masters of advanced sealing techniques. Yet, despite their strength, they were not spared from annihilation.
Such was the cruel irony of the ninja world—the more powerful a clan, the more tragic their fate.
The Uchiha Clan's massacre had been infamous, but the Senju Clan fared little better. Hashirama had been its cornerstone, a towering figure. Though his brother Tobirama was also formidable, his strength paled in comparison. After Tobirama fell, Nawaki died young, and the remaining bloodline thinned over generations as descendants blended into Konoha. Today, only Tsunade bore the name openly.
By comparison, the Uchiha had done well—Obito, Itachi, Sasuke, and even Madara had left indelible marks in history. And now, there was Chiga.
He stood at the pinnacle. Even if the entire Ninja World stood united, it would not be enough to stop him. If he so desired, he could rebuild the Uchiha Clan in an instant.
A small white snake peeked out from around Chiga's waist and hissed in a raspy voice,
"Chiga-sama, the Shinigami mask should be inside this shrine. Let's head in."
Chiga gave a small nod, grabbing the snake and tossing it to the ground with little concern.
"Turn into your human form. It'll save us trouble later."
The snake writhed and twisted, and in moments, it transformed into Orochimaru, drenched and unsettlingly serpentine. He extended his tongue, licking his lips as if savoring the taste of the air.
Chiga frowned, his voice flat.
"Try acting a little more like a human."
With that, he turned and walked into the shrine. Orochimaru blinked, then quickly withdrew his tongue and followed, trailing behind silently.
Inside the shrine, Orochimaru began searching immediately. His intuition proved correct—a hidden door gave way to a secret chamber. Upon entering, Chiga's eyes immediately locked onto the object mounted on the wall: the Shinigami mask.
With a look from Chiga, Orochimaru stepped forward and carefully lifted the mask from the wall. Without hesitation, he placed it upon his face.
Orochimaru's body began to move in eerie, ritualistic motions—a shamanistic dance not unlike ancient spiritual ceremonies. As his feet traced patterns along the stone floor, a ghostly white apparition began to manifest above him.
It was the Shinigami of the Naruto World.
As tradition dictated, Orochimaru sliced open his own abdomen, expecting the Shinigami to mirror his actions. But the entity didn't. Instead, it ignored Orochimaru completely and fixed its gaze solely on Chiga.
Orochimaru froze in disbelief. Blood poured from his abdomen, but the Shinigami remained still, unbothered. His expression shifted from confusion to horror—he had tampered with the spirit world countless times, but this time something had gone terribly wrong.
Chiga locked eyes with the Shinigami. A heavy silence engulfed the chamber.
Suddenly, Orochimaru gasped and opened his mouth wide. From within, a massive snake with a human face slithered out and landed beside Chiga.
The snake coiled on the floor and bowed its head in confusion and regret.
"I'm terribly sorry, Chiga-sama. Something has gone wrong. I cannot extract the soul of the Fourth Hokage."
Chiga gave a curt nod.
"It's fine. You've done your part."
He stepped forward, eyes still locked on the floating Shinigami.
"You're being rather ungrateful."
Orochimaru blinked.
Is he talking to the Shinigami...? Does it have a will?
Before he could make sense of it, the Shinigami broke into a chilling laugh.
"Hehehe... human, your soul is exquisite. So rich... it surpasses every soul I've ever consumed!"
A flicker of darkness spread across Chiga's eyes. Rippling black rings activated—his Rinnegan flaring with unmatched intensity.
The immense pressure of the Rinnegan weighed down on the spirit. The Shinigami's form began to distort, losing clarity under the strain. Panic etched itself into its spectral face.
"Impossible...! How do you possess those eyes?!"
The spirit turned to flee, but Chiga was faster.
A wave of chilling, cursed energy erupted from Chiga's body—Yomi Chill. The energy twisted into the shape of a serpentine shadow and coiled around the Shinigami, freezing it solid in a prison of black ice.
Even in its frozen state, fear was etched into the Shinigami's expression. Orochimaru, trembling nearby, was paralyzed with shock.
He had spent his life manipulating death from the shadows... and now stood before someone who outright robbed it.
Chiga raised a hand and drew the frozen figure toward him. With precision, he struck its abdomen and pulled out a glowing orb of blue energy.
Orochimaru's eyes widened.
"Chiga-sama! My arms... they're inside too. Could you...?"
His voice dripped with humility. Chiga paused briefly, then pulled out a second soul fragment—Orochimaru's 'arms.'
Orochimaru eagerly snatched them, immediately stabilizing his form.
Though he had been using the Reincarnation technique, his fragmented soul had severely hindered his abilities. Now, with his arms restored, he could perform forbidden jutsu again—like Edo Tensei.
A flash of violet light pulsed from Chiga's Rinnegan, and the frozen Shinigami shattered into glittering dust, vanishing into the air.
"Is it... gone?" Orochimaru asked, voice low.
Chiga shook his head.
"No. It's not dead—just heavily damaged. It won't be appearing again anytime soon."
Orochimaru almost let the words slip:
"Then... I can't use the Impure World Reincarnation?"
Chiga's gaze narrowed.
"Hm? Why do you need it?"
Orochimaru immediately deflected.
"Ah, no reason. Just... a shame, that's all."
Chiga stared at him. The pressure of the Rinnegan was too much—Orochimaru dropped to his knees, trembling beneath its gaze.
Finally, Chiga withdrew his power and said quietly,
"Compared to the Rinnegan, the Impure World Reincarnation is a mere parlor trick."
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