Naruto: Starting from the Reincarnation of the Otsutsuki

"Lord Orochimaru, what's wrong...?"

Suzaku Nara opened his mouth slightly, his face full of disbelief.

At this moment, Orochimaru was almost unrecognizable compared to his usual cold and gloomy appearance, which still retained a human-like outline.

His upper body still barely maintained a human form, but from the waist down, he already showed very obvious snake-like characteristics.

Snake scales were faintly visible beneath his pale skin, and the lines of his back and lower limbs became increasingly twisted and ferocious.

It's as if with just a little more stimulation, the person would completely transform into a real white-scaled serpent.

In the past, one might have described his temperament as "feminine and eerie," but now, Orochimaru gives off an impression of bone-chilling coldness and inhuman oppression.

This serpentine state...

Furthermore, this chaotic state was also mixed with the residual aura of natural energy...

Is it the Sage Mode of Ryuchi-dong?

Hinata Seiran's eyes flashed, and a sense of understanding arose in his heart.

It seems Orochimaru's mind is as cunning as ever.

Judging from its current state...

Most likely, it failed.

"Hmm..."

Orochimaru slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his voice carrying an undeniable weakness, as if he had just escaped from some kind of extreme and intense pain.

"What happened...?"

He raised his head, his gaze first sweeping over the scrolls of military orders and intelligence piled up on the table, before finally settling on the two men in the tent.

"Here's the thing, Lord Orochimaru..."

Nara Suzaku composed himself and reported all the intelligence sent from the front lines to Orochimaru.

From the large-scale chakra reaction that appeared on the border of Sunagakure, to the traces of infiltration by Kirigakure ninja on the south coast, to the current troop deployment and response arrangements within the camp, Suzaku Nara spoke clearly and concisely, without any ambiguity.

Beneath that outward calm, it wasn't hard to detect a hidden expectation.

After all, the great war had only just ended.

For Konoha now, the most precious thing is not another victory, but the hard-won breathing room.

If a peace agreement can be reached with Sunagakure to stop the advance.

Even if they could use this opportunity to achieve some degree of reconciliation, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome for Konoha.

At least……

It can save many people from dying.

"A greedy scoundrel..." Orochimaru sneered. "Report this information to the village."

"The rest, send a message to Luo Sha, and tell him to wait for the peace negotiation team."

Upon hearing this, Nara Suzaku was startled, as if he had been pulled out of a trough, and his spirits instantly lifted.

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"

Soon, only Hyuga Seiran and Orochimaru remained in the tent.

To be precise, it was Orochimaru in his snake form.

"But Lord Orochimaru, are you really alright?"

Hyuga Seiran crossed his arms and asked curiously, "If you keep looking like this, you might not even be able to compete for the Fourth Hokage position, right?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Qinglan-kun," Orochimaru glanced at him sideways and said indifferently, "If you can complete the task I've given you, I might be even more excited."

"Besides, I'm not that weak..."

Orochimaru slightly raised the corners of his lips, his narrow eyes staring directly into Hyuga Seiran's white pupils.

But soon, he looked away and his gaze drifted downwards uncontrollably.

At this moment, his lower body had almost completely transformed into a snake's body.

Cold, pale, and ferocious.

The twisted, coiled body showed almost no trace of being "human".

It was so close.

It was just a little bit away from Sage Mode being fully realized.

But it was precisely this final, narrow gap that caused everything to fall apart.

Not only did he fail to master the power of immortal arts, but his body also suffered such an exaggerated backlash and mutation.

So...

If I successfully learn Sage Mode, what changes will occur to my body?

Will it become even stronger?

How will the White Snake Immortal view himself?

Thinking of this, Orochimaru fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

As for Luo Sha?

He didn't take it to heart at all.

Seeing that Orochimaru suddenly fell silent, Hyuga Seiran did not press the matter further.

He wasn't actually surprised by Orochimaru's current state.

In the original work, Orochimaru attempted to train in Sage Mode, but ultimately failed because his body could not withstand the erosion of natural energy.

According to the original ending, he should have completely transformed into the White Phosphorus Serpent and eventually escaped from the White Serpent Immortal's mouth through some unknown means.

However, the current situation, while not exactly the same as the original work, is not fundamentally different.

He still tries to learn Sage Mode, still fails, and still manages to escape.

This is even after leukemia cells have already been transplanted.

Whether it's physical vitality, cell regeneration ability, or adaptability to external forces, it's more than one level above Orochimaru in the original work.

Even so...

Still failed.

This shows that the immortal mode of the three holy lands is not something that just anyone can touch.

Whether you can learn it is one thing, but even if you are qualified to learn it, whether you can withstand that kind of pressure is another matter entirely.

Hinata Seiran silently made a decision in his heart, and then turned and left the camp without lingering any longer.

The Sand Village's war might be the perfect opportunity to obtain what they desire.

Orochimaru's secret mission...

Do they really think highly of me...?

Or is she testing me?

While Hinata Seiran was leading his team to Sunagakure, a rather subtle atmosphere was taking place in the mountain graveyard on the other side.

Obito Uchiha lay sprawled on the stone bed, fast asleep.

On the other side, Afei and the half-black, half-white Jue stood obediently in place, quietly waiting for the old man beneath the Outer Path Demon Statue to speak.

After a long while, a low, aged laugh slowly broke the silence.

"Hehehe..."

"As expected, I've been silent for too long. Someone actually dares to use my name and run rampant in the ninja world."

Madara Uchiha chuckled lightly, showing none of his usual aged appearance. "Black Zetsu, are you sure it's that Qingqian?"

"Lord Madara, this is information that I and White Zetsu confirmed further while investigating the disappearance of White Zetsu Hachi."

Black Zetsu respectfully replied, "It was Qing who used your name to slaughter a large number of evil god cultists and deliberately spread related information."

White Zetsu quickly chimed in, "That's right, Lord Madara! That Ao is incredibly arrogant! Not only does he use your name to do things, but he even deliberately leaked your information to Konoha. He's practically stirring up trouble!"

One in black, one in white, singing in harmony.

In just a few words, he reported almost all the information he had gathered over this period to Madara Uchiha without reservation.

"Hehehe..."

"His strength... barely meets the standard."

"Not bad in terms of courage."

As he spoke, he slowly stood up.

As he stood up, the pipes connecting him to the Gedo Statue behind him began to wriggle slightly, as if they were alive, creating a bizarre and terrifying scene.

That body, which should have been old and decaying, exuded a sense of oppression that sent shivers down one's spine at this moment.

"I never imagined that, on my deathbed..."

"And I'll get to meet an exciting opponent..."

Madara Uchiha raised his head, and a rare hint of genuine expectation appeared in his eyes.

"This is really exciting..."

He sighed softly, then glanced at Afei and Jue, his expression returning to calm.

"Tobi, take Obito and move to another base. The plan will proceed as scheduled."

"yes...!"

Ah Fei immediately stood up straight and answered loudly, his exaggerated movements resembling those of a comical soldier.

Immediately afterwards, he leaped and attached himself to the still-sleeping Obito, then called to a group of White Zetsu nearby, and they began to move away in a grand procession.

After they left, the cave suddenly felt much more spacious.

Madara then turned his gaze back to Zetsu, or more precisely, to the half of Zetsu's pitch-black body.

"Jue, once Qing reappears, spread the word about me."

"Since he wants to use my name..."

"Then, once he learns that I truly exist, he will definitely come."

"As for the rest..."

Ban lowered his eyes slightly, his voice low.

"I'm entrusting Obito with guidance, and the subsequent plans... to you... my will."

"Lord Madara, this is what I should do..."

Jue bowed her head slightly, unusually compliant.

But in the shadows where no one could see him, Black Zetsu could barely suppress his laughter.

It's a success... It's finally a success.

Hehehe...

May you die a horrible death...

green……

Black Zetsu forcibly suppressed the malice and pleasure surging within him, then slowly sank into the ground and disappeared without a trace.

A moment later, only Madara Uchiha remained in the huge cave.

He sat alone on the stone seat, with a huge and ferocious heretical statue behind him. The surroundings were so quiet that only the faint sound of dripping water could be heard.

An aging body, a frail life, and time drawing to a close...

But all of this could not conceal the genuine expectation in his eyes.

Hashira...

I'll be coming to see you soon.

True peace is just around the corner.