Chapter 416: Orochimaru: Gradually Understanding Everything

Chapter 416: Orochimaru: Gradually Understanding Everything

As the two figures in black cloaks with red clouds appeared, the bone-chilling killing intent seemed to dim the forest’s sunlight.

Kakashi stared at their attire, gripping the white short sword in his hand, beads of sweat slowly trickling down his forehead, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

With his current position as the head of the Anbu, most of Konoha’s intelligence was no longer a secret to him, and he had heard of the Akatsuki organization.

However, this organization was particularly mysterious, and Konoha’s spies could only gather information from the periphery, never venturing into its core. The files only mentioned that it was a group of powerful rogue ninjas...

But who could have thought that his first encounter with Akatsuki members would be with "Sasori of the Red Sand" and "Orochimaru"?

Sasori of the Red Sand was a genius puppeteer who had gained fame early on, known for single-handedly destroying a country and being an expert in poisons. Without a medical ninja of Tsunade’s caliber, he was a formidable opponent.

Orochimaru, one of the "Three Great Sages", was a prodigy in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Even as a child, Kakashi had witnessed his brilliance during the Great Shinobi Wars, breaking through one defense line after another.

Facing either of these two alone, Kakashi had no confidence in victory or even escape, let alone facing both at the same time.

Kakashi felt his senses magnify several times, as if he could hear the steady breathing and heartbeat behind him, a clear reminder that there was someone he needed to protect.

He focused all his attention, the three tomoe of his Sharingan spinning, reflecting the deepening twilight. His voice was hoarse.

"Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to hold them off. If things get desperate, you can pretend to surrender..."

Pretending to surrender was just giving Roku a legitimate reason to surrender, allowing him to save his life without guilt.

Roku’s eyes flickered, his heart warming.

In this timeline, Kakashi was slightly stronger than his counterpart in the original story, without the prolonged depression but also without the significant improvement. He was still a ways from the level of a Kage, yet he was still thinking of someone else’s safety in the face of such formidable enemies.

Although the previous generation of Konoha’s leaders were all ruthless, a true friend was indeed valuable!

Thinking about Kakashi’s early investments, Roku pondered how he could upgrade him properly. Not to the extent of punching Hashirama or kicking Madara, but at least to the level where he could dominate Konoha.

"Actually, we don’t need to run..."

At that moment, the hunched-up puppet, Hiruko, tore open its outer layer, and its freely extending tail suddenly stabbed toward Kakashi. The blade’s edge glinted blue, clearly coated with poison.

Ding!

The Sharingan precisely captured the ambush. Kakashi swung the White Fang Shortsword, the blade shimmering with lightning, and with a fierce strike, he cleanly severed the tail and the approaching Shadow Snake Hand.

"Water Release!!"

Kakashi clasped his hands together, summoning a massive wave of water that swirled around him, blocking Hiruko’s approach. The water then surged outward, the rushing torrent displacing the air and creating a mist.

Rip—

In the mist, two Kakashi clones emerged, each wielding a lightning-enchanted short sword, slashing at Sasori and Orochimaru. Roku, who had been behind him, had vanished.

Ding, ding, ding!

Hiruko swung its iron tail, clashing with the White Fang Shortsword, sparks flying. Despite being suppressed, it showed no signs of panic, a mocking tone in its voice.

"Just some cheap tricks..."

Sasori flicked his fingers, invisible chakra threads moving, and figures emerged from the mist, surrounding the battlefield.

The greatest advantage of a puppeteer was not having to engage personally, allowing for overwhelming numbers.

Even the strongest ninja was still human, and while chakra could do many things, even top-tier medical ninjas struggled to counter poisons without specific antidotes during battle.

Seeing the overwhelming numbers, Kakashi’s brow furrowed.

Like Orochimaru, Kakashi was well-rounded in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, making him difficult to target but also lacking a strong specialty to break through.

Especially with the Sharingan.

Lacking Uchiha blood, using the Sharingan was a significant burden, making Kakashi’s already limited chakra even more precarious. Now, with a Shadow Clone, he had to act quickly.

Kakashi took a deep breath, his body moving like a blur, the White Fang in his hand becoming a deadly weapon, slashing with fierce strikes, reducing the puppets to fragments.

Plop!

The "Kakashi" charging at Orochimaru was suddenly shredded by a cluster of snakes, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Orochimaru looked at a spot, his snake-like eyes narrowing, and a prominent heat signature quickly moved away.

His figure vanished, about to pursue, but was intercepted by a lightning-enchanted figure.

Orochimaru wasn’t angry, looking at Sasori, who was still in Hiruko’s shell, and smiled mockingly.

"Sasori, if you can’t stop Kakashi, I can help."

"I don’t need help from a defeat!"

"Heh, you know I let you win that time."

"Hmph!"

Seemingly irritated by Orochimaru’s words, Sasori finally took it seriously. Chakra threads extended from his fingers, and dozens, then hundreds of puppets emerged, surrounding Kakashi, coming to life.

Simultaneously, the puppet parts that weren’t completely shattered were reassembled by the chakra threads.

Orochimaru vanished again, but Kakashi was blocked by a mass of seemingly living sand, the scorching lightning melting the sand and revealing molten iron.

"Move!"

Kakashi held the White Fang Shortsword in front of his chest, his voice cold.

"Don’t rush to your death. I still want to see you struggle before I get bored..."

Sasori replied coldly, looking at Kakashi, who was surrounded by puppets, like a bug trapped in amber.

Kakashi said nothing, a storm brewing in his eyes. The three tomoe of his Sharingan spun rapidly, and a brilliant, yet restrained, lightning glow burst from his hand.

Chidori!

...

The wind howled, and the trees and shadows flew by rapidly.

The Shadow Clone silently carried Roku, leaping from tree to tree, moving away from the battlefield.

Initially planning to find a reason to eliminate the enemy, Roku was speechless as he was carried away. He patted the Shadow Clone’s shoulder.

"They seem pretty strong. Is it a good idea to split a Shadow Clone to carry me?"

"Don’t worry, I can get away."

The Shadow Clone maintained Kakashi’s concise manner, implying that without someone carrying Roku, he would have no chance of escaping the two enemies.

"Worst case, I’ll send you to safety and dispel the clone."

Roku looked at the next tree branch, shrugging.

"I think you won’t make it to a safe place..."

As if sensing something, the Shadow Clone threw a shuriken connected by a wire into the tree, pulling and changing its trajectory in mid-air.

The next tree branch suddenly transformed into a twisted snake mouth.

"As a ninja, shouldn’t you kill a research talent to prevent him from falling into enemy hands?"

Orochimaru, in his black cloak with red clouds, appeared before them, his eyes filled with amusement, looking at the wary Kakashi.

Boom!

A terrifying explosion echoed in the distance, iron fragments flying, forming deadly iron flowers, followed by blinding lightning.

Orochimaru chuckled, "Seems like things are heating up over there. Stand down, Kakashi, I’m not interested in you."

As he spoke, a bone-chilling killing intent enveloped the area.

The kind of aura forged in blood and death, a lesser ninja would be paralyzed by it, but Kakashi, though feeling the pressure, especially as a Shadow Clone, was not among them.

"Is this your choice?"

After a few seconds, seeing the Shadow Clone still not backing down, Orochimaru opened his mouth, a brown snake slithering out, which then opened its mouth and spat out a gleaming, non-ordinary sword.

The Kusanagi Sword, a divine weapon based on the Ame-no-Murakumo, was incredibly sharp, even the mighty Enma could not withstand it!

Orochimaru gripped the Kusanagi Sword, his body vanishing like a phantom.

Ding—

The White Fang Shortsword barely blocked the Kusanagi Sword, the Shadow Clone showing clear signs of strain. The gap was too large, and he didn’t even have a chance to use tactics.

"The Sharingan’s dynamic vision, a very useful ability. Unfortunately, even if you can see it, your body can’t keep up... and yours is just a half-finished product."

Orochimaru’s body seemed boneless, the Kusanagi Sword as flexible as a snake, striking at the Shadow Clone from a tricky angle.

Plop!

Unable to dodge, the Shadow Clone dissipated into a puff of smoke.

In the now quiet forest, Orochimaru looked at Roku, who had remained calm and composed throughout, feeling a bit surprised.

"Facing this situation, you’re not afraid?"

Roku shrugged, nonchalant.

"Because there’s nothing worth being afraid of."

"You have a good attitude. That’s a nice quality."

Orochimaru seemed pleased with Roku’s demeanor, finding the young man strangely endearing, his tone softening.

"Don’t worry, I’m here to extend an invitation from Akatsuki. I’m interested in your scientific ninja tools and won’t harm you."

Roku raised an eyebrow. "What benefits can I get by joining this Akatsuki?"

"Research funds and access to some documents and literature."

Orochimaru shook his head. "Actually, these conditions won’t help you much. You’ve already earned vast wealth in the Land of Steel and are blazing a new trail, without any reference materials."

"True."

Roku nodded honestly. Not just research funds and documents, but almost everything in the ninja world was of little use to him.

"Then, I can offer you a second option."

Orochimaru’s smile grew wider, extending his hand to Roku.

"You can choose not to join Akatsuki but to become my subordinate, and together, we can explore the secrets of Immortality."

"Immortality?"

Good grief, child abductors are now targeting young adults?

"Yes, Immortality!"

Orochimaru’s usually emotionless snake eyes burned with fervent ambition.

"Most things in this world have no meaning, only the path to Immortality holds true value."

"Your scientific ninja tools may not directly contribute to Immortality, but arming my subordinates, forming a powerful force, plundering resources, and expanding influence can indirectly support it."

"Once I find the path to Immortality, I will grant you eternal life."

"An infinite life means infinite possibilities, infinite attempts, and exploration. This offer is far more valuable than mundane material benefits."

Orochimaru’s eyes gleamed, seeming to eagerly await a like-minded ally.

"What do you say, will you join me in pursuing Immortality, exploring infinite possibilities, and tasting the ‘Ultimate’ knowledge?"

Orochimaru’s eloquence was impressive. If Roku hadn’t already achieved Immortality, he might have been tempted.

He looked at the fading lightning in the distance, resting his chin on his hand, and after a few seconds, smiled at Orochimaru.

"Do you want to see the ‘Ultimate’ now?"

What does he mean...

Orochimaru froze, suddenly sensing an overwhelming aura from the seemingly harmless, amiable young man.

A chill ran down his spine, cold sweat drenching his body, and a faint metallic smell filled his nose. The fear of being preyed upon by a top predator, with life hanging by a thread, overwhelmed his entire being.

His body stiffened, unable to move, his breathing halted as Roku appeared before him, calm and composed, his movements completely indiscernible.

This experience, claimed by the Fourth Raikage and the Yellow Flash Minato, was unprecedented for Orochimaru!

Roku flicked his finger, sending Orochimaru staggering back. Seeing his body collapse, Orochimaru looked at himself, noticing the abnormality in his soul, which seemed fragmented and corrupted from repeated body transfers, with remnants of other souls piling up, causing mutations.

But Orochimaru couldn’t focus on these issues as grayish-white mist enveloped everything, transporting him through the flow of history, giving him a new perspective on the world. The entire planet seemed in his palm, every inch of land visible.

He saw the countless battles of the Warring States period, the repeated clashes of two young men, the sage in a feathered robe founding the ninja clans, the enormous divine tree reaching the heavens, and two white-skinned, humanoid yet distinct lifeforms descending.

His perspective rose again, seeing the planet’s creation and destruction, the movements of countless celestial bodies, from star systems to the entire universe, and then, like a kaleidoscope, reflecting countless different universes.

Infinite knowledge overwhelmed him, and the ninja world was just a tiny part, with all the techniques he had pursued in his life being even more insignificant.

Suddenly, Orochimaru returned to his cramped body, an indescribable pain engulfing him, like a towering giant trapped in dust.

He fell to his knees before Roku, his voice trembling with excitement and fear.

"Please, send me back..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end