Fourth Raikage slammed the table, veins bulging on his forehead. "Has Naruto gone crazy? He's actually experimenting on himself—for Orochimaru's sake?!"
Ohnoki narrowed his eyes. "It's not just Naruto. Even the Uchiha brats are involved in this madness."
Uchiha Sasuke, standing with clenched fists, shouted, "What the hell is going on? I want to get stronger, yes—but I never agreed to be someone's test subject!"
Uchiha Fugaku lowered his gaze thoughtfully. "Could it be that Orochimaru has truly discovered a method for the Uchiha clan to obtain Madara's overwhelming power?"
Senju Hashirama chuckled lightly. "This man named Orochimaru... he's an incredible genius. I can see that now."
Senju Tobirama turned to his brother with a scowl. "Brother! Now is not the time to praise him! Don't you realize the consequences? If Orochimaru successfully deciphers the secrets within your cells, then the entire ninja world could be plunged into chaos! There could be hundreds of copies of you—each wielding your terrifying power!"
Hashirama shook his head slowly. "I don't believe Orochimaru would go that far. What he truly desires is immortality and to uncover the mysteries of power."
A sinister voice echoed in the background.
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Ah… it seems the First Hokage is the only one who truly understands me."
Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger. "Stop your act, Orochimaru. If you were truly as noble as you claim, you wouldn't have turned against Konoha!"
Orochimaru snorted. "Hmph. My attack on Konoha wasn't a result of ambition—it was a response to your betrayal. Everything I did stemmed from your favoritism and ignorance!"
---
Inside a dark underground room, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with obsession as he stared at a large wooden barrel. The focus of his desire was inside.
"Uchiha... Sasuke..." he murmured.
From across the room, Naruto raised a hand toward the barrel. His voice was calm but full of dominance. "Orochimaru, I'm not giving Sasuke to you just yet. I need more than just the Sage Body—I also want the Sage Eyes."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly grin. "Naruto-kun… you never cease to surprise me."
He turned toward the boy, excitement shining in his pale eyes.
"If the Sage Body originates from Hashirama's Wood Style cells, then the Sage Eyes must come from the mysteries of the Uchiha's Sharingan."
He paused for a moment, then revealed something even more shocking.
"The ultimate form of the Sharingan... is something known as the Mystic Eye."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Mystic Eye?"
Orochimaru nodded slowly. "Another name for it… is the Rinnegan."
Naruto's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "So, you do know about the Rinnegan."
Orochimaru didn't deny it. "Of course. I once joined an organization that hunted the Tailed Beasts… They were known as Akatsuki."
He took a deep breath and continued. "Their leader possessed the Rinnegan. That eye… it is said to control life and death itself. The most powerful of all eye techniques—so strong, even Uchiha Madara couldn't fully obtain it in his lifetime."
He wasn't lying. Orochimaru hadn't joined Akatsuki for the Tailed Beasts or even the so-called Moon's Eye Plan. As Hashirama had guessed, he joined purely to uncover deeper truths about the world.
---
He was the only true scientist in the shinobi world.
---
Far away, in another part of the world...
Deidara gritted his teeth. "Orochimaru is a traitor! One day I'll kill him myself!"
Sasori shook his head. "That's easier said than done. He's like a cockroach—he has hideouts all over the place. You kill him in one place, he shows up in another."
Konan turned to Nagato, her expression grim. "He only joined Akatsuki for your eyes."
Nagato replied coldly, "Let him. We're all just mortals playing at power. The true divine force belongs to God."
Back in the underground lab, Uchiha Itachi's voice echoed faintly in Naruto's memory.
"Orochimaru… Sasuke…"
Naruto stood his ground and spoke clearly. "Orochimaru, if you're serious, then test my body. Fuse my cells with those of the Uchiha and the Senju."
Orochimaru tilted his head, examining Naruto carefully.
"You… are you interested in the Rinnegan, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto's expression turned cold. "That's none of your concern."
He took a step forward, voice low and full of menace. "Your only task is to test whether my body can integrate both Hashirama's and the Uchiha's DNA."
Suddenly, the room darkened, and the air grew thick.
The pressure of Nine Tails Chakra burst forth from Naruto's body, suffocating everyone nearby. It was as though a tidal wave of fury and death had descended.
"Orochimaru," Naruto said, "this isn't a request. This is an order."
Kimimaro, who had been watching from the side, trembled with rage. "How dare he speak to Lord Orochimaru like that? I'll kill him myself!"
Kabuto, ever the realist, adjusted his glasses. "You won't survive, Kimimaro. Even if you use your Curse Seal, it'll burn away what little life you have left. Besides, you know that your illness… won't allow you much longer anyway."
Kimimaro clenched his fists, bitter resentment in his heart. "If I weren't sick, Orochimaru-sama would've chosen my body… not Sasuke's."
---
Outside the chamber, the news began to spread.
Haruno Sakura blushed deeply. "That Naruto… he's become so powerful… I can't help but admire him."
Yamanaka Ino puffed out her chest. "Of course! My Naruto is incredible. Even facing one of the Legendary Sannin, he doesn't flinch!"
Tenten sighed dreamily. "I wonder when Naruto will give me orders in such a commanding voice…"
Hyūga Hinata could barely speak, her face red as a tomato. "Naruto-kun… that look… so cool..."
Nara Shikamaru, standing off to the side, shook his head helplessly. "It's over. Every girl in the village has fallen for this guy…"
---
Back in the lab, Orochimaru trembled—not with fear, but with excitement.
"Ah, Naruto-kun," he whispered. "You are truly fascinating. I can't wait to see how well your body handles the fusion of Senju and Uchiha power."
Still weak from his previous battle with Naruto, Orochimaru slowly stood up from the bed, his body clearly in poor condition. This body wouldn't last long—it was just a temporary vessel. But his mind, sharp as ever, was racing with calculations and possibilities.
Sensing Orochimaru's cooperation, Naruto withdrew the Nine Tails Chakra, allowing the pressure to subside.
"To be fair," Naruto said, "I'm not asking you to help for free. I have something you'll like—a scroll containing forbidden techniques, written by the Second Hokage himself."
A beat of silence.
Senju Tobirama: "…"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up like a child seeing a new toy. "The Second Hokage's… Forbidden Techniques Scroll…?"
It was something he had long dreamed of obtaining. That scroll, filled with the secrets of Tobirama's genius, had once been the very reason he lost his chance to become Hokage. Now, it was being handed to him so casually.
It was almost… ironic.
Something he had once desperately sought, now placed in his hands without effort.
Perhaps, Orochimaru thought, this cooperation with Naruto will rewrite my entire destiny.
Suppressing his inner joy, he calmed himself and turned to Naruto.
"Very well, Naruto-kun… Let's begin."
Naruto nodded.
"Mm."
With that, he turned to the large wooden barrel and began unlocking the complex seals that bound it. As the lid slowly creaked open, a figure inside began to stir.
Uchiha Sasuke blinked, disoriented.
"Huh? Wasn't I supposed to meet Orochimaru…? Why is Naruto here…?"
But before he could react further, Naruto flashed him a bright, harmless smile.
"Yo, Erzhuzi. You're finally awake."
He reached out and gently patted Sasuke on the head.
"Don't worry," Naruto said cheerfully. "Just lend me your body for a bit, alright?"
Sasuke: "???"
---
To be continued...