Naruto: Starting from the Reincarnation of the Otsutsuki

slap... slap...

The candlelight flickered gently in the bronze cup, and sparks danced intermittently in the tent.

Inside the vast tent, only Orochimaru and Hyuga Aoran remained.

The two looked at each other, each seemingly having many questions to ask, yet both waiting for the other to speak first.

The snake's eyes narrowed slightly, as if it wanted to completely devour Hyuga Seiran's reflection in them.

Orochimaru didn't rush to speak, but silently sensed the aura emanating from Hyuga Seiran.

The curse mark on the caged bird is still there...

The chakra fluctuations were similar to those of the last time we met.

But what was that vague sense of oppression just now?

"Qinglan-kun..."

In the end, Orochimaru could not hide his curiosity and asked the question first.

"Could it be that you've already made some progress in developing the Tenseigan...? Why has your aura become so unfathomable that even I can't see through it?"

The conversation was unusually calm, as if scholars were discussing a problem with great curiosity.

"..." Hyuga Aoran raised an eyebrow, looking at Orochimaru with some surprise. "Lord Orochimaru, what are you talking about? Shouldn't researching evolution be your job? I know absolutely nothing about scientific research..."

He paused, then added, "Besides, is it really appropriate for me to ask you about this? I'm just a tool in your hand..."

"A knife doesn't need to think, you just need to swing it, right?"

Orochimaru's expression remained almost unchanged despite Hyuga Seiran's almost joking response.

It seemed as if she had anticipated his words, and also as if she truly believed them.

A moment later, Hinata Seiran suddenly changed the subject.

"However, there's something I'm curious about. Shouldn't Lord Orochimaru be researching the white monster in the village?"

"Why would you...?"

"Why are you here, right?"

Orochimaru finished the sentence for him.

"Hehehe..."

The next moment, he suddenly chuckled softly.

Although she was smiling, Hinata Seiran could clearly sense that there wasn't much genuine joy in that smile.

On the contrary, there was more disappointment and indifference in the atmosphere.

"Because Kikyo Mountain needs me. After all, as the commander of Konoha, I have to be mindful of the defenses at all times."

"Even in a border area that seems to be free of problems, there will always be some things that make people uneasy."

...

He was exiled to the frontier...

Of course, he didn't actually say those words.

After all, the Orochimaru in front of him was somewhat different from the mad scientist he remembered who was "ready to betray the village at any time".

The timeline is now completely messed up.

The relationship between Sunagakure and Konoha became ambiguous due to a series of unexpected events.

With Kumogakure defeated by Orochimaru, the Battle of Kikyo Mountain, which was originally supposed to be one of the key moments of the Third Shinobi World War, almost lost its potential to erupt.

On the contrary, Iwagakure, which withdrew from the battle early in the original work and whose presence rapidly diminished in the later stages, suffered heavy losses in this life, and the situation became particularly awkward.

Many things are no longer developing according to their original trajectory.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Hinata Seiran will likely have to remain at the Kikyōyama defense line for quite some time.

"Hehe, Qinglan-jun, don't think that you can rest peacefully just because you've arrived here."

Orochimaru suddenly spoke calmly, interrupting his thoughts.

He glanced at Hinata Seiran's slightly relaxed brow, as if he had already guessed what he was thinking.

"The Sand Village isn't behaving itself these days... Rasa has even threatened to go to war with Konoha!"

Is the Sand Village going to war?

Hinata Seiran gave Orochimaru a strange look.

The timeline has changed, and Orochimaru has changed too.

The person before me is no longer just Orochimaru, who is solely focused on his duties as a commander and human experimentation.

Instead, he is Orochimaru, who is constantly navigating power struggles, ideals, experiments, battlefields, and the village's upper echelons, and is currently vying for the position of the Fourth Hokage.

Orochimaru is more complex and more dangerous than I remember.

The Battle of Kikyo Mountain, which should have taken place, should have gradually faded from the ninja world stage after many changes.

But now it seems...

Will it be provoked again?

"Lord Orochimaru, then I wish you all the best."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hinata Seiran got up to leave, but he suddenly stopped after taking only two steps.

He seemed to suddenly remember something and turned to look at Orochimaru.

"However, Lord Orochimaru, may I ask a question? How did you persuade Sunagakure to assist Konoha?" After a pause, seeing that Orochimaru did not answer, Hyuga Seiran added, "Of course, if it's inconvenient, just pretend I didn't ask."

"After all, I was just a little curious and wanted to know how the future 'Fourth Hokage' managed to persuade Sunagakure with his silver tongue."

Orochimaru did not answer immediately.

The silence lasted for a long time, so long that even the wind outside the tent seemed to become quieter.

Seeing this, Hinata Seiran shrugged and didn't press the matter further before turning and leaving the tent.

When the curtain was lifted, the summer breeze rushed in, causing the candlelight to flicker violently, as if it were about to go out at any moment.

"hehe……"

After a long while, Orochimaru suddenly let out a cold laugh.

That's because he accepted a series of unequal treaties.

Sunagakure is not a benevolent ally.

Luo Sha is not some fool who would be swayed by a few words.

To get Sunagakure to cooperate with Konoha at a crucial moment, and to get them to temporarily suppress their hatred and greed, the price to pay would naturally be high.

Resources, interests, border concessions, post-war distribution, and even some promises that cannot be made public.

but……

Orochimaru's lips slowly curled upwards.

What is the connection between the promise made by Konoha Jonin Orochimaru and his Sage Orochimaru, as well as the future Fourth Hokage?

Agreements can be interpreted.

Promises can also be rewritten by identity.

He never believed that he needed to be forever bound by his position at a certain point in the past.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru slowly raised his right hand, feeling the surging life force within his body.

This neutralized version of Hashirama cells not only stabilized his physical condition like never before, but also gave him a glimpse of the possibility of further advancement.

Can I finally learn the Sage Mode in Ryuchi Cave?

Thinking of this, Orochimaru chuckled softly.

Ha ha ha ha...

But in the very next instant...

boom!

A muffled thud.

White smoke suddenly burst forth.

Orochimaru's figure vanished from the tent in an instant.

Only a lingering chill remained, along with the faint, flickering light of a candle.

Hyuga Seiran, who left the main tent alone, had no idea where Orochimaru had gone.

However, he could clearly sense that Orochimaru's aura was different from before.

Unlike before, when he was covered in slime and had a disgusting, fishy smell, Orochimaru now clearly possessed a new life force.

"The White Zetsu cells have already been transplanted into him..." Hinata Seiran returned to his tent and pondered silently.

Unlike Hashirama cells, White Zetsu cells are much gentler and, if used properly, can even allow a ninja to unleash the power of Wood Release.

Even so, if Orochimaru truly wanted to use these cells to achieve a large-scale, systematic level of Wood Release, it would still be far from enough.

Moreover, he also possesses his own unique snake-style ninjutsu system.

Unless they encounter some extraordinary event that can change everything, they will not easily give up the path they have cultivated for many years.

Thinking about this, Hinata Seiran felt a pang of emotion.

"Me too..." Hinata Seiran slowly opened his palm.

The originally faint rhomboid marks now appear unusually full, as if they contain some long-dormant power.

As the purple chakra began to surge, black lines rapidly spread along his palm, covering half of his body in an instant.

Surprisingly, after the patterns spread to half of his body, they did not stop but continued to intensify, and the chakra fluctuations they emitted became even stronger.

Even more remarkably, a horn was faintly growing on his forehead.

At that moment, his eyes also transformed into the deep blue Tenseigan.

At this moment, if you removed the black lines that had crept up his face, his appearance would be almost identical to that of his previous life.

"Sacrificing for alchemy..."

He murmured softly, his gaze deep and complex.

"I've truly rediscovered... the power that belonged to the Otsutsuki."