He looked up at Danzo Shimura and said slowly, "Precautions and surveillance are acceptable. Anything beyond that, do not do it."
"Danzo Shimura, enemies surround us on all sides. The village cannot afford internal chaos. That is my bottom line. Do you understand?"
Hearing this, Danzo Shimura's single eye narrowed, and he sneered inwardly. Those words were not only a warning to him but also to the Uchiha Clan. It meant that whoever caused trouble inside the village would be dealt with.
"Hmph," Danzo Shimura snorted mockingly. "You are becoming more and more indecisive."
Although he disliked Hiruzen Sarutobi's righteous stance, he had at least obtained an answer. With that in mind, he turned to leave, then suddenly seemed to recall something.
"Oh right, Hiruzen."
"Hmm? What else do you want to do…" Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his eyes, then froze when he saw an ugly smile. The rest of his words stuck in his throat, and a chill ran through him.
"What is that expression?" Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back and frowned. "Say what you need to say properly. You are making me uneasy."
The smile on Danzo Shimura's face stiffened, then vanished as he returned to his usual cold tone. "Send Ryuji Hyuga to Root. I will train him into the most…"
"Wait!"
Before he could finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised a hand to stop him, a smile appearing on his face. It was not a happy smile, but one of anger.
"Are you dreaming, Danzo Shimura?" The smile faded, replaced by coldness. "That is a good child. I warn you, do not touch him."
"I know what you did to him in the past. I did not care then, but if I find you laying a hand on him again, do not blame me for ignoring old ties."
His voice was icy, and neither Koharu Utatane nor Danzo Shimura doubted his seriousness. Even the normally fearless Danzo Shimura did not dare argue, his expression shifting uncertainly.
After a long silence, Danzo Shimura spoke again. "Then I want Itachi Uchiha. I know Fugaku Uchiha plans to send him to ANBU."
"Fine," Hiruzen Sarutobi said without hesitation, as if anyone but Ryuji Hyuga was acceptable.
That attitude made Danzo Shimura's face twitch. Itachi Uchiha could at most become a blade he would one day aim at the Uchiha Clan, but Ryuji Hyuga could push him toward the position he dreamed of. The difference was obvious.
"Hmph!"
Danzo Shimura snorted and left without another word.
Amid the swirling smoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked out the window. The offensives of Sunagakure and Kumogakure, the overnight destruction of Kusagakure, the movements of the Uchiha Clan, and news that Hozuki Castle had been breached with its lord taken away by an organization called 'Akatsuki' all weighed on him.
The unending chaos tightened around him like a noose, making it hard to breathe. He felt as if a cold, poisonous snake was moving along the edge of the battlefield, filling him with growing unease.
At the same time, the "good child" Ryuji Hyuga, whom both men had fought over, had quietly arrived in a sealed underground chamber beneath the estate. He looked at the Box of Ultimate Bliss, now reduced to the size of a cube and covered in shadow, his eyes flickering.
"The core of the planned Void Realm is in hand," he thought. "Orochimaru, let me see how far you have progressed."
Do not disappoint me, Orochimaru.
With that thought, Ryuji Hyuga attempted to link with the "Otsutsuki Scroll" in Orochimaru's possession. In the next moment, a hoarse laugh filled his ears, exhausted yet frantic.
"Hahahaha! It worked! It worked! With this technique, my immortality method lacks nothing!"
The underground laboratory was dim, with cold stone walls soaked in a lingering mix of disinfectant and blood. The air felt stale, as if it had not been changed for a long time.
The only light came from a single trembling candle on the workbench, casting Orochimaru's long, thin shadow onto the wall. The shadow twisted and stretched, resembling a distorted snake.
"Devouring souls… an unknown power…"
Orochimaru's fingers repeatedly brushed over the ancient Scroll that recorded forbidden secrets. His vertical pupils were filled with fixation as they locked onto the few lines describing Hollow.
There was no doubt that the new creature called "Hollow" described in the Scroll showed a brutal picture of survival through devouring weaker beings and consuming souls to evolve. This concept opened a new line of thought for him.
It presented an evolutionary path different from the existing rules of the Ninja World. This path relied on devouring the souls of one's own kind to achieve growth at the level of the soul.
"This unique creature called 'Hollow' must possess power different from a Ninja." Orochimaru slowly licked his lips. "What exactly could it be?"
Ryuji Hyuga understood Orochimaru far too well.
For Orochimaru, who thirsted to grasp every truth, such a completely unfamiliar yet feasible path was impossible to resist. Faced with this temptation, even Zetsu could not pull him back from his obsession.
Moreover, this new idea of strengthening the soul through devouring other souls perfectly compensated for the soul damage caused by "Living Corpse Reincarnation." With that flaw addressed, he had no reason to hesitate.
During this period, Orochimaru seemed possessed as he continuously attempted to develop this unprecedented technique framework. Now, he had finally achieved a stage of tangible progress.
Orochimaru carefully put away the Scroll and turned around, twisting his snake-like lower body as he moved deeper into the laboratory. His expression was fervent as he approached the center of the room.
On the restraint platform in the middle of the laboratory, a Ninja was tightly bound by specially made metal shackles. The light shone directly onto the lifeless face.
He was not unconscious but injected with powerful neural inhibitors and muscle relaxants. He remained painfully awake, yet unable to move even a single finger.
Only his eyes trembled and rolled in terror, while meaningless sounds escaped his throat. This was the "material" that Orochimaru had carefully prepared.
He was a rogue ninja skilled in Genjutsu. For Orochimaru, this made him an ideal subject.
First, it had to be made clear that so-called mental energy, when combined with Chakra, became Yin Release Chakra. Yin Release was one of the seven nature transformations of Chakra, drawing on mental energy tied to imagination and possessing the trait of creating tangible forms from nothing.
The Nara Clan's Shadow Secret Technique and the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Secret Technique were, at their core, applications of Yin Release Chakra. They interfered with the physical world by giving form to mental energy.
Therefore, whether one excelled at Genjutsu or had strong resistance often indicated powerful mental energy. This also meant deep mastery of Yin Release and, by extension, a strong soul.
Orochimaru himself was a Ninja with exceptional skill in Genjutsu, so he naturally understood that such souls were the most suitable for devouring. If not for his repeated use of "Living Corpse Reincarnation" and the fragmentation of his soul through Curse Seal, he would not have fallen into Genjutsu at a glance by Itachi Uchiha.
At present, Orochimaru had not yet reincarnated, and his soul remained strong. Because of this, he had confidence in his actions.
"Do not be afraid."
Orochimaru looked down at the restrained Ninja, a sick smile appearing on his face. "You will witness the birth of truth, and you should feel honored."
After speaking, he raised both hands and formed complex hand seals. The foundation of this technique was, without question, Living Corpse Reincarnation.
This technique involved stripping one's soul completely and transferring it into a new physical vessel. Because of this, Orochimaru had an unmatched understanding of soul separation, the connection between soul and body, and how to stabilize a soul within a new container.
This knowledge was the basis that allowed him to perceive and manipulate souls. It was the core of his confidence.
"Come!"
Orochimaru's vast mental energy extended like invisible tentacles, precisely piercing into the Ninja's brain and forcibly establishing a mental link as an anchor. The body on the platform shuddered violently as the fearful gaze instantly lost focus.
Yet within, an even deeper terror took hold. He could clearly feel a cold, slippery, malicious soul invading the deepest part of his mind.
If this were the normal process of "Living Corpse Reincarnation," Orochimaru could already have transferred his soul. However, what he intended to do now was entirely different.
Orochimaru took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn and focused as his hands formed a new set of seals. If Second Hokage or Tobirama Senju were present, they would sense something strongly familiar.
That was because what Orochimaru was using now was "Impure World Reincarnation." This Ninjutsu was developed by Second Hokage and later refined by Orochimaru to prove that souls from the Pure Land could be summoned back and bound within sacrifices.
This provided Orochimaru with the most crucial element. Souls were not untouchable, and the formula of Impure World Reincarnation could forcibly summon, bind, and even command them.
On the basis of summoning, binding, and commanding, shaping Yin Release Chakra into different structures made it possible to strip and absorb souls. This was the key leap he needed.
A low hum filled the air.
In front of Orochimaru's chest, the air within a small area began to twist and rotate. His pure Yin Release Chakra underwent a change in form, and a visible vortex of Chakra gradually appeared.