From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 5 The Enlightened Are Always Happy
As night approached, most people in the vast village of Konoha were fast asleep.

Of course, there are also a very small number of people who do not intend to waste their precious time on the same things as ordinary people.

For Orochimaru, time is the most precious 'treasure' in the world.

Even though it was already late at night, and even the diligent Third Hokage had already gone home to rest, Orochimaru was still in the lab.

As a disciple of the Third Hokage and a member of the 'Legendary Sannin', Orochimaru, with his status and power, was absolutely entitled to own an independent research and office building, fully equipped with facilities, sufficient staff, and even equipped with relatively valuable 'electrical equipment'.

Inside the laboratory, which was as bright as day, Orochimaru, dressed in a white kimono, was quietly observing his 'experiment results'.

"Lord Orochimaru." The experimental member in charge of recording the research results looked extremely nervous, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and swallowing hard. "The experiment failed. The experimental subject simply couldn't withstand that energy."

Inside that isolated room, through the glass, one could see a person struggling and screaming in agony, before their body gradually turned to wood.

Almost in the blink of an eye, a living person was completely devoured by wood, turning into a lifelike wooden sculpture with tender green branches and leaves growing from all over its body, which looked quite eerie.

Orochimaru's narrow eyes flickered slightly, and his cold yet sharp gaze fell on the recorder.

"Lord Orochimaru." The recorder trembled, feeling as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake. A deep-seated fear erupted, causing him to instinctively take a few steps back.

After a moment of silence, Orochimaru did not make things difficult for him. His hoarse voice, like the hiss of a viper, vibrated in the air: "Go back and report the results to the Third Hokage."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

The recorder breathed a sigh of relief and then fled in panic.

That's terrifying, absolutely horrible!

Just being stared at by those pale golden vertical pupils gave him the illusion that he was about to be swallowed by a python.

Orochimaru remained unmoved as he watched the recorder flee for his life.

Rather, he didn't care about other people's opinions, and he was too lazy to care how those people viewed him. The only thing he cared about was the true meaning of life.

"Another failure." Orochimaru snapped out of his reverie, a cold glint flashing in his narrow eyes. He sneered, "The power of the First Hokage is indeed not so easy to control. It seems I'm going to disappoint my teacher again. Hmm... the number of test subjects isn't quite enough either."

As he spoke, he sat down at his desk, took out a scroll, and began to record the experiments he had conducted over the past period.

At the end of the scroll, after a moment's thought, Orochimaru wrote: "The research on Wood Release is progressing slowly; at least one hundred more test subjects are needed."

After doing all this, even Orochimaru, who was close to Kage level, couldn't help but feel a little tired.

After days of sleepless thinking, a sudden rest transformed into a deep sleepiness, slowly dragging him into dreamland.

"Okay, I'll rest for a bit."

Orochimaru thought to himself, then slowly relaxed, his narrow eyes closing gently.

Just as he was thinking this, a thick, black fog swept in, carrying a low murmur, as if millions of people were whispering, and instantly swallowed him up.

"I've been attacked?!"

This was Orochimaru's last thought.

Immediately afterwards, he felt his consciousness being swept away by some force and falling into infinite darkness.

The instant he regained consciousness, Orochimaru swiftly assumed a fighting stance and rapidly surveyed his surroundings.

The magnificent Church of Bones, with its dome made of countless bones of different creatures, and its empty eyes that seem to be scrutinizing the tiny people in the hall below.

eerie and sacred
Two completely different atmospheres, yet they blend perfectly within this church.

"It seems that someone else has been chosen by the Lord."

The hazy figure standing beneath the massive white bone cross calmly said, "Don't be nervous. At least here, no one can threaten your life." "When did that person appear?" Orochimaru looked in the direction of the voice, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "I didn't even notice him!"

Although he is not a sensory-type ninja, since he has become a Kage-level ninja, he naturally does not have any obvious weaknesses.

And this mysterious person in front of him was able to escape his perception!

"Who exactly are you? Invading Konoha without permission, are you planning to start a war?" Orochimaru's mind raced, but his expression remained calm. He licked his dry lips and said in a threatening tone, "A mere genjutsu, do you think you can trap me?"

Church of Bones, mysterious figures, darkness after sleep.
Combining all these factors, there is only one answer—he has fallen into some kind of 'illusion'!
Orochimaru formed hand seals, his chakra exploding: "Genjutsu, release!"

boom!
A gust of air rose up in the church hall.

As the shockwave dissipated, Orochimaru found himself still inside the church, with nothing changing around him. His expression darkened: "Such powerful genjutsu. Who are you?"

“I am the Lord’s agent, the king of angels under his command. You may call me Adam.”

Uchiha Muneki descended the steps, his voice calm yet filled with majesty, echoing in the hall like a hymn: "This is neither illusion nor dream, but the divine kingdom of my lord, and you, Orochimaru, are the messenger chosen by my lord. Our meeting is destiny, and everything is for the purpose of awakening the sleeping 'First Creator'."

who I am? where am I? What am I going to do?
Orochimaru was filled with questions. He was certain he could understand what the other person was saying, but he couldn't make sense of it when put together.

"Do you believe in fate?"

Uchiha Muneki said calmly.

Orochimaru frowned, suddenly having a bad feeling: "What do you mean?"

“My point is simple,” Uchiha Munetsuki said softly, “If you knew everything you would experience in the future, would you feel happy in the present?”

"Utterly ridiculous!" Orochimaru sneered, crossed his arms, and scoffed, "You mean you can see my future?"

"If one knows one's future fate and all the suffering one will experience on the path to that fate, then can it be called 'enlightenment'?" Uchiha Muneki asked himself, slowly walking towards Orochimaru, tracing a circle around him: "That is, the so-called enlightened are always happy, what do you think, Orochimaru?"

"An interesting question."

This strange question piqued Orochimaru's interest. He licked his lips and chuckled wickedly, "How can one be considered happy if one knows one's fate but cannot change it?"

"Everyone is a slave to fate. You can fight against fate, but you will never succeed."

Uchiha Muneki said calmly, "Since that's the case, why not accept it peacefully? As long as you have the resolve, even if you already know your future fate, you can surely face it calmly. Isn't that a kind of happiness?"

"It seems we can't agree on the interpretation of fate."

Orochimaru snorted coldly, his pale purple eyeshadow half-closed: "If there's nothing else, you'd better let me leave quickly, otherwise..."

He secretly formed a hand seal, and from within the wide sleeves of his kimono, several venomous snakes emerged, their tongues flicking.

"Stop, Orochimaru."

In an instant, a figure appeared behind Orochimaru like a ghost.

Clang!
A chilling, white light flashed by.

Orochimaru felt a slight coolness on his neck, and looked down slightly to see a short sword pressed against his neck.

The dagger's sharp blade left him no doubt that if he made the slightest movement, his head would be severed from his body.

"This knife!" Orochimaru stared at the short sword held to his neck, his pupils suddenly contracting as if he had seen something terrifying. He turned to look at the person holding him hostage.

He had long, silvery-white hair tied in a ponytail, and his face was middle-aged, making him look like an ordinary middle-aged man.

That familiar face made Orochimaru's breath catch in his throat, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning: "You are... Sakumo Hatake?! You're not dead?!"

(End of this chapter)