Orochimaru's pupils narrowed sharply at Naruto's words. Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips.
"Heh… I didn't expect Naruto-kun to know about the Hashirama Cells."
Naruto only smiled, offering no reply.
After a moment of contemplation, Orochimaru's expression turned serious.
"No problem," he said slowly.
"As long as Naruto-kun can truly solve my condition, I'll hand over the Hashirama Cells myself — with both hands."
Naruto's smile deepened at that. The irony wasn't lost on him.
Orochimaru emphasizing both hands was almost comical, given how precious they were to him — the very symbol of his ability to create, dissect, and uncover truth.
"However," Naruto warned, his tone shifting to one of quiet authority, "retrieving your hands from the Shinigami won't be easy. You'd better be prepared."
Orochimaru's face darkened slightly. The mere mention of the Shinigami brought back a visceral memory — that overwhelming, suffocating pressure he had felt when the Third Hokage invoked the Reaper Death Seal. The thought of facing it again made his jaw tighten.
Seeing his reaction, Naruto's gaze softened slightly, though amusement flickered in his eyes.
"You don't have to worry too much," Naruto said casually.
"To reclaim your soul from the Shinigami, you'll likely need to trade a life for a life. But for someone like you, Orochimaru — that's hardly a problem, is it?"
He ended with a soft chuckle.
Orochimaru blinked, caught off guard for a moment before his mind caught up. Only one of his techniques could make Naruto speak so confidently.
"You mean…" His tongue flicked against his lips. "The Living Corpse Reincarnation, don't you?"
Naruto nodded.
"That's right. To deal with the Shinigami, all you need to do is wear the Shinigami Mask and slice open your own stomach. Wearing it establishes a connection — a contract — between you and the Shinigami. He'll mirror your actions. At that moment, all you need to do is perform the Living Corpse Reincarnation into another body. Once you transfer your soul, the Shinigami will no longer be able to lock onto you."
Orochimaru's golden eyes glimmered with sudden clarity.
The method was bold — reckless even — but feasible.
Even if it failed, he could still reincarnate into a new vessel to escape his current, crippled form. His soul would remain damaged, but at least he'd have a functioning body again.
In truth, after Tsunade had refused to heal him, Orochimaru had been forced to rely on reincarnation to survive. His previous body had deteriorated beyond saving, partly due to the Reaper Death Seal's lingering effects. That incident had cost him a highly compatible host — and much of his strength.
Later, in desperation, he would possess Guren, but even that had not been ideal. The Living Corpse Reincarnation required precise timing and a minimum interval of three years between uses — though it didn't necessarily need to be used every three years. Compatibility between body and soul was the true deciding factor.
"When do we act, then?" Orochimaru asked, his tone raspy but resolute.
"I can move whenever you're ready," Naruto replied.
"How about tomorrow? Prepare your sacrifice first — you'll need it for the reincarnation ritual. I'll observe from the side. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
Naruto's casual wave belied the authority behind his words. A faint glint flashed through Orochimaru's eyes — having Naruto present meant stability. If something went wrong, at least there'd be someone powerful enough to intervene.
"No problem," Orochimaru agreed at once.
The next day, as dawn broke, the group gathered in a secluded forest clearing. Mist hung low, coiling between the trees like ghosts from the underworld.
Naruto turned his gaze toward Orochimaru's pale, sickly face.
"Orochimaru," he said evenly, "you should already understand the Reaper Death Seal, correct? If not, we might have to postpone. A single mistake could cost you your life."
Orochimaru's expression tightened. Then, with calm confidence, he replied,
"Of course, Naruto-kun. I know that the Reaper Death Seal: Release must be performed at the exact moment of death — during the brief window when the body hasn't fully expired. I've already considered how to synchronize the ritual."
He spoke with certainty.
In the past day, Orochimaru had practiced the hand seals repeatedly, ensuring there would be no error. As long as he didn't channel chakra, the rehearsals carried no risk.
Together, they moved deeper into the forest until they reached a wide clearing. The air was cold, the ground damp. Kabuto and Kimimaro stood on either side of Orochimaru, vigilant and ready. In front of them knelt a man — the chosen sacrifice — his eyes wild with fanatic devotion.
Naruto's expression hardened.
"Begin, Orochimaru."
Orochimaru's gaze turned solemn. Gripping the Kusanagi Sword between his teeth, he nodded once.
Kabuto stepped forward and began forming the necessary hand seals on Orochimaru's behalf — just as he had done once before, when Orochimaru faced Tsunade and Jiraiya.
The ritual had begun.
This wasn't the era of the Fourth Great Ninja War yet. Back then, Orochimaru had already been resurrected and regained the full use of his hands.
But at this point in time, that resurrection hadn't occurred. His soul was still damaged, leaving him unable to form hand seals — forcing him to use his mouth to slice open his own abdomen.
With Kabuto's assistance, however, Orochimaru managed to complete the sequence of hand seals.
Naruto instantly entered Sage Mode — natural energy gathered around his eyes, and the familiar orange pigmentation appeared at his temples. The scene from before replayed once again.
Kabuto and Kimimaro felt an unnatural chill sweep through the air. Naruto, on the other hand, saw it clearly — a pale figure draped in white robes, its face green and fanged, its body radiating a power unlike any Chakra they knew.
As Orochimaru's hands moved, the Death God mirrored him.
Pfft!
Blood splattered across Orochimaru's abdomen. Several glowing clusters of souls burst free from within him. Thanks to the ambient Chakra, Kabuto and Kimimaro could see it too — several soul clusters infused with powerful Chakra tore themselves out of one point in space.
Before his body could completely perish, Orochimaru activated the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, transferring himself into a new vessel. His hands followed shortly after, reforming along with his new body.
The souls of the First Hokage, the Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, and even half of the Nine-Tails' Chakra floated in midair, trembling faintly — as if being summoned by an unseen force.
Naruto, with his immense mental strength, seized the Fourth Hokage's soul along with the remaining half of Kurama's chakra, sealing them within himself using a Sealing Technique.
When the process was complete, Naruto let out a small breath of satisfaction.
It was a complete success.
Orochimaru opened his eyes within his new body, the corners of his lips curling into that familiar, serpentine grin. His gaze drifted to Naruto.
"It seems Naruto-kun's harvest was quite bountiful," Orochimaru said softly, amused.
He knew exactly what Naruto had done — but he too had achieved what he desired.
Naruto felt the presence of the souls sealed within his body. The Death God was fading away, its form dissolving into the air… yet Naruto could sense it — a deep, malicious intent.
That malice came from the Shinigami itself.
"Shinigami, huh?" Naruto muttered, his expression darkening. "Some unknown spirit dares to call itself the God of Death… Next time, you won't have to find me. I'll come for you myself."
He stared at the fading figure as it vanished completely.
He was certain now — this 'Shinigami' wasn't a true deity of death. It felt more like an eldritch being, something akin to an evil god from beyond their world.
Just like Mōryō, the demon of the Land of Demons.
With the complete Nine-Tails now within him, Naruto's power surged dramatically. The difference between the Kage and Super Kage levels was greater than he'd imagined. Even with his foundation, reaching the peak of the Super Kage tier and glimpsing the realm of the Six Paths would take time and refinement.
Senju Hashirama had relied on his Wood Release, his Sage Body, and the blessings of Sage Mode — almost like cheats in themselves. Uchiha Madara, meanwhile, used his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo to ascend swiftly to the Super Kage peak, even beginning to comprehend Yin–Yang Release.
If Naruto wanted to stand among them — or surpass them — he would have to grow stronger still.
Even if he was confident in his future power, he knew one thing: when the final battle came, he couldn't rely solely on himself. The people around him would need to be ready as well.
...
TN:
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