Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 290 Otsutsuki Orochimaru

The massacre of Amegakure and the horrific destruction drew the attention and vigilance of various forces, especially the Four Villages Alliance.

We were already at a critical juncture when the Ninja World War broke out, and this incident has put our already tense nerves on even tighter, with war mobilization already underway.

In particular, after survivors from Amegakure fled to Kumogakure for help and it was confirmed that Konoha was behind it, the Four Villages Alliance immediately initiated the Four Kage Summit to formally prepare for war.

Upon receiving this intelligence, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was stationed in Konoha, was in a terrible predicament, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

"Having gone through so much, why is Danzo still so radical in his actions?"

Xiaochun, who had switched dorms, was also feeling a headache. Now that the evidence was conclusive, she couldn't shake him off no matter what.

"Why did Danzo suddenly destroy Amegakure? It wasn't just to kill Hanzo, was it?"

Mitokado Homura felt that his old friend's elaborate efforts to destroy Amegakure were not simple; there must be some hidden story behind it.

"We don't know for now, but his trip to Kumogakure at this time is definitely to avoid us and prevent us from knowing his plans there."

Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his cigarette, wondering what his old friend was up to.

The fact that Danzo launched his attack while I was away with Minato and the others suggests something: the other side is hiding something big from me.

Moreover, the operation in the Land of Wind also failed. Although it is unknown whether the Hidden Cloud Village can obtain the Dragon Vein, it is not a good thing for them.

"Lord Hokage, this is the detailed mission report!"

Just then, a figure walked in; it was Orochimaru, who had just returned.

Orochimaru submitted the prepared mission report. Although he had already sent the information back using a summoning jutsu, he still had to complete the mission report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't say anything, but took the mission report and read it carefully. When he saw the words "Senju Nawaki seeks revenge" written on it, his expression darkened.

As expected, what was bound to happen has finally happened.

When was the last time you contacted Danzo Shimura?

After reading the mission report, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru.

Since the last Shinobi World War, his old buddy had broken ties with him. In recent years, he had only nominally retained the title of Hokage's assistant, keeping Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga in check and helping him maintain balance in the village.

He was unaware of the specifics, and had received no information whatsoever about the sudden attack that destroyed Amegakure.

By the time they realized something was wrong and sent someone over, it was already too late.

"That was too long ago. The last time we met was five years ago. Root had completely mastered the limb transplantation surgery for bloodline ninjas, and they were even better at it than I was. I was no longer of any use to them, and they didn't have anything new to attract me, so we never contacted each other again."

Orochimaru appeared quite frank. Since that body swap, Danzo Shimura had not contacted him again and had kept a low profile. He was also quite surprised by this sudden attack on Amegakure.

If I hadn't been careful and kept an eye on things with another body, I would have missed the whole show.

I was initially puzzled by the sudden appearance of the Rinnegan, but after seeing Madara Uchiha descend, I understood that it must be the awakened Rinnegan that was somehow placed on that Uzumaki boy.

In other words, Madara Uchiha returned not only to fight the First Hokage during the Valley of the End, but also to seize the First Hokage's power, thereby awakening the Rinnegan.

His research direction was indeed correct; only by combining the power of the Senju and Uchiha clans could he construct a perfect body, infinitely close to the legendary Sage of Six Paths.

Of course, he wouldn't say any of this.

Upon hearing that it was five years ago, Hiruzen Sarutobi lost interest in asking further. Moreover, Orochimaru's trip to the Land of Wind proved that he was not only unrelated to the Amegakure incident, but his old friend might also want to avoid Orochimaru.

My old friend has been keeping a lot of things from people.

When will Jiraiya recover?

He inquired about the injury of another disciple, who was currently the only person he could trust to use, and also a key figure indirectly binding Minato Namikaze.

"I have the heart of the first generation of cells in stock, but the arm of the Steel Release bloodline limit needs a month to cultivate. However, we can transplant some cells into him first to help him adapt."

Orochimaru stated that one month was the limit for limb training; any faster and it would easily leave hidden dangers.

"Get Jiraiya back to health as soon as possible."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, signaling Orochimaru to hurry up and take action.

Orochimaru didn't say anything more, turned around and left the Hokage's office.

Orochimaru is becoming increasingly indifferent to you.

Mitokado Yan was somewhat worried; the increasingly cold relationship between the master and disciple was not a good thing.

"As long as he chooses to stay in the village, he is a member of the village."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't force anything. He could still use the master-disciple bond to keep Jiraiya, but he really couldn't do anything about Orochimaru. He just wanted Orochimaru to stay in the village.

This is also a key factor in maintaining a balance between Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga. Konoha is like a carriage that could disintegrate at any moment; the loss of either of them could cause it to collapse, making it very difficult to maintain this balance.

Prepare for war!

With a sigh, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that the war was about to begin, and this time it would definitely be more difficult than the last.

Leaving aside the gloomy Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru went to the hospital and reviewed Jiraiya and the others' test reports. Although he had examined them on the way, these professional instruments were still more accurate.

"Has something happened?"

Sitting on the hospital bed, Jiraiya sensed something was off about the atmosphere in the village; something must have happened.

"Shimura Danzo led his men to annihilate Amegakure, with only one survivor who escaped to Kumogakure. War is about to begin."

Orochimaru casually replied while looking at the various test reports, causing the expressions of the people in the ward to change drastically.

"Is there anything special about Amegakure?"

While taking care of his friend Yamanaka Inoichi from the other hospital bed, Nara Shikaku inquired and keenly sensed that things were definitely not that simple.

"I don't know, but a large-scale battle took place there, and much of the ground was shattered."

Orochimaru answered casually as always, showing little interest in what had already happened.

"Lord Orochimaru, I want to become stronger, and our Yamanaka clan also needs to become stronger."

At this moment, Yamanaka Inoichi, whose face was pale, suddenly spoke up. This mission made him realize the gap between himself and those super strong people. He couldn't even interfere. He was almost killed by the backlash.

Moreover, Dingza died; he couldn't even withstand a ripple in that kind of battle.

"And me, Lord Orochimaru, please help us become stronger. Our Nara clan is willing to give everything."

Nara Shikaku clenched his fists. He, too, craved strength. If he could be stronger, perhaps Choza wouldn't have died.

"Your foundation is limited, but strengthening to the Kage level is still no problem. However, I need the secret techniques of your two races for reference in order to choose the most perfect bloodline combination."

Orochimaru glanced at the two and did not refuse; he was somewhat interested in the secret techniques of the two clans.

As for performing bloodline transplants on people of both races, that's nothing. We have plenty of materials, and now we can even clone and cultivate Sharingan eyes.

Jiraiya, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

After all, he had already undergone a transplant, so there was no point in saying anything. Moreover, the war was about to begin, and many people would definitely die. Strengthening his own strength would also help him survive.

After reviewing numerous medical reports, Orochimaru returned to his residence. In the basement, a large python opened its mouth and swallowed him whole, then vanished in a puff of mist.

When they left Shekou, they arrived at a hidden underground base, where another body was studying the arm it had taken.

As they drew closer, the thoughts of the two Orochimarus gradually merged, and Orochimaru also learned of the preliminary research results on this arm.

"It has a perfect ability to absorb, even devour, the chakra of the tailed beasts. Could this be the mother of the nine tailed beasts?"

Orochimaru pondered as he examined the enormous arm.

This thing must be closely related to the Tailed Beasts, and could even be said to be the source of the Tailed Beasts.

"Let me see what you really are."

After some deliberation, Orochimaru manipulated the many giant pythons guarding the area to move, and they quickly swam over with nine huge nutrient tanks.

Those nutrient tanks contain tissues he cultivated using the flesh and blood of the nine tailed beasts. After years of careful nurturing, they have grown many times larger.

Unfortunately, no matter what method is used, it can only be strengthened, but cannot form a complete tailed beast individual. It's almost at its limit now, so it's a good time to bring it over and give it a try.

Following the order of the tailed beasts, Orochimaru first removed the flesh and blood tissue of the One-Tailed Beast and placed it near the arm.

As the flesh of the One-Tailed Beast approached, the instincts of the Gedo Mazo's arm were activated, extending tendrils that enveloped and devoured the flesh.

Having devoured the four tails for several years, the Gedo Mazo has regained some of its instincts and is much more vibrant than its initial lifeless state, which is why it can devour things on its own.

Of course, it can only devour this kind of flesh and blood; it is powerless against the real tailed beasts, and only the main body can go and devour them.

The rate of absorption was not fast at first, but as it continued to absorb, the activity and instinct of the arm continued to improve, and the rate of absorption became faster and faster.

It took more than an hour to finally devour that large chunk of flesh, and the withered arm had changed a lot.

Orochimaru was very excited to see this, and immediately attached the flesh and blood of the Two-Tails to it. This time, it only took half an hour to complete the absorption.

He continued to attach the flesh and blood of the tailed beasts he had cultivated to the arm. After devouring the flesh and blood of the Nine-Tails, the arm finally underwent a complete transformation, turning into a grayish-white color and even growing a head, hands, and feet.

"roar!"

With a roar, the monster instinctively attacked Orochimaru, but was immediately bound tightly by the Nine Vajra Seals.

Even so, it was still impossible to completely contain it. The monster opened its mouth wide, chakra surged, and a purplish-black sphere quickly took shape.

"Tailed Beast Ball!"

Upon seeing the purplish-black sphere, Orochimaru became even more excited and immediately manipulated the Adamantine Sealing Barrier to tightly bind the monster's mouth, interrupting the formation of the Tailed Beast Ball.

"Even the Adamantine Sealing Chains couldn't restrict your chakra; it's definitely far superior to the Tailed Beasts."

Orochimaru looked at the still struggling monster with increasing satisfaction.

The Adamantine Lock is capable of sealing and restricting even tailed beasts. This body of mine can condense nine Adamantine Locks, which would suppress even the strongest Nine-Tails in front of me.

However, this monster was unaffected by the Adamantine Sealing Barrier. Despite being entangled so much, it was still able to mobilize chakra to condense a Tailed Beast Ball, clearly indicating that it was far more advanced than a Tailed Beast.

"Perhaps it can help you obtain a higher level of Yin-Yang Release power."

With a guess in mind, Orochimaru raised his hand to form a seal and manipulated the Adamantine Sealing Chains to slowly pull the monster into his body.

He discovered the power of Yin-Yang Release in Fugaku Uchiha and Kyuubi Uzumaki. It was a very magical power, a power that was transformed from the fusion of Sage bloodlines.

He had always wanted to master that power, but unfortunately he lacked the key tailed beasts, and the flesh and blood of those tailed beasts alone were not enough.

They had been planning to target the three tailed beasts still in Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, but now they have a better option.

Furthermore, the whirlpool boy from the Land of Rain sealed the monster's main body into his own, causing a change in his body and a significant increase in his strength. Clearly, this could be sealed into the body like a tailed beast.

As the monster entered his body, its chakra was sealed and transmitted into his body. Orochimaru could clearly feel the strong resonance of this body's bloodline, and even a certain transformation began to occur within it.

The transplanted first-generation cells and the Mangekyou Sharingan in the eye sockets integrated more closely with the body. The original blood-red hair turned white, and the skin became exceptionally fair, even pale.

That wasn't all; bony horns then sprouted from his head, seemingly a symbol of his bloodline essence.

"As expected, my guess was right."

Feeling the transformation in his body, Orochimaru was even more excited. After researching for so long, he had finally crossed that threshold.

Raising her fair hand, a black rod extended out, created using Yin-Yang Escape.

Although it is only the most basic Yin-Yang Release, it is much more powerful and stable than the little bit that Fugaku Uchiha and Kyuuhou Uzumaki combined.

That wasn't all; ten gleaming white chains extended out and danced behind him.

"It's evolved!"

Looking at the stark white chains, Orochimaru could sense their immense power. It wasn't just an extra chain; there was a fundamental improvement. The sealing power on them was far greater than that of the Adamantine Lock, and their strength was also much higher.

Then a branch grew from my palm and transformed into a living sapling, instead of the simple wood-based creation it had been before.

This is also a qualitative improvement, reaching the level of the profound Wood Release techniques of the First Hokage.

Clearly, the monster's power could also enhance Wood Release, or rather, cause the power of Wood Release to revert to its ancestral form; this is the true source of Wood Release.

"They really do share the same origin, but they've mutated. Is it because of the influence of this monster?"

After examining his own changes and looking at his other self with equally white hair beside him, Orochimaru became even more certain of his guess.

By studying the deeper genetic levels, he discovered that the underlying genes of the two major bloodline systems are the same, and that the bloodline genes of the Otsutsuki, Hyuga, and Kaguya lineages are even more stable.

The bloodline genes of Senju Uchiha and Uzumaki seem to have mutated, merging with external forces.

It was previously speculated that the external force might be related to the tailed beasts, after all, both Mito Uzumaki and Kyuuban Uzumaki had their bloodline power greatly enhanced by the power of the Nine-Tails, and Mito Uzumaki even developed the Adamantine Sealing Chains to an unprecedented nine strands.

And now, the Vajra Lockdown has evolved due to the monster's power, further confirming my suspicions.

The change in this bloodline system is due to this monster, or rather, the Sage of Six Paths sealed that monster, allowing its power to corrupt him, which caused the bloodline power to change and give birth to the Sharingan, Wood Release, and Adamantine Sealing Barrier.

Although it's just speculation at the moment, Orochimaru believes it's very close to the truth, since these powers can't be faked.

"Lord Danzo, what have you found this time?"

Thinking of the other arm that Shimura Danzo had taken away, Orochimaru was filled with anticipation.

Meanwhile, at a distant overseas base, Shimura Danzo watched as the Black Lotus devoured the arm. His previous plan was to bring the entire Gedo Mazo to devour.

However, the previous battle situation did not allow it, as too many powerful individuals had emerged.

Madara Uchiha and the Otsutsuki relic alone would be difficult to deal with, and the mysterious powerful figure who took away the lower half of the Gedo Mazo also seemed quite strong.

Finally, Nagato Uzumaki evolved by sealing the Gedo Mazo, and his power was terrifying, forcing Nagato to retreat.

The Dark Phoenix alone is far from enough to support that level of combat; we need to acquire even greater power.

The Black Lotus of Annihilation successfully devoured the arm of the Outer Path Demon Statue and also evolved itself, becoming even larger.

"Your turn!"

Seeing that the Black Lotus of Annihilation had indeed evolved, Danzo Shimura raised his hand, formed a hand seal, and released the Dark Phoenix sealed inside.

As soon as it emerged, before the Dark Phoenix could even take flight, it was entangled by countless tree roots, which then pierced into its body and began to devour it.

"Damn it!"

Sensing that its power and life were being rapidly devoured, Zero-Tail roared angrily and struggled desperately, but to no avail.

The evolved Black Lotus of Annihilation has an overwhelming advantage over him, and he cannot resist it.

Danzo Shimura ignored all of this. He was in a very bad state. Releasing the Dark Phoenix after being unsealed had put him in a near-death state. If this body hadn't been cloned from Hashirama's cells, he would have died long ago.

"Lord Danzo, everything is ready."

Yakushi Nonou quickly came over and helped the weak Shimura Danzo to his feet, then walked towards the fusion altar that had been prepared not far away.

There are already five of the most perfect materials there, which have been carefully selected.

Did he resist?

Arriving at the center of the altar, Danzo Shimura looked at the red-haired boy covered in wounds.

This is the whirlpool boy who pledged allegiance to him and brought him information about the Ninja Clan. He was chosen by him back then to be the vessel for the Oni-Garra Technique.

"As expected, nothing went wrong."

Yakushi Nonou replied calmly, then hesitated for a moment before deciding to try to persuade him.

"Lord Danzo, the Oni-Garra Technique still has many shortcomings. Performing it now would be quite risky. Even though these bloodlines are of the same origin, the difficulty of fusion is still very high."

The Ghost Sprout Technique was initially only a semi-finished product. The Root has been researching and improving it over the past few years, but it still has many flaws and imperfections.

"There is no perfect technique in the world, nor is it possible to achieve perfection. I have a way to solve the remaining problems."

Looking at the world-destroying black lotus that was devouring the dark phoenix, Shimura Danzo was well aware of the shortcomings of the Oni-Garra Technique, but he was confident that he could make up for them.

With the help of external forces, those bloodlines are guided to merge perfectly.

(End of this chapter)