Ninja World: I, Kisame Hoshigaki, am no longer human!

"Wait. With Yahiko and Konan in my hands, even if Nagato learns Sage Mode, he'll still have to obey me. Otherwise... hmph."

Obito said coldly.

After escaping from Ryuchi Cave, he immediately subdued Yahiko and Konan, imprisoning them in the Kamui Dimension.

In Nagato's heart, his comrades were more important than anything else, a trait he shared with Obito in the past. Therefore, Obito was confident that he could use the two hostages he held to continue controlling Nagato.

……

Inside Longdi Cave.

Orochimaru had clearly been here many times and was very familiar with the layout of the building. He led Nagato through the courtyard and corridors, and easily arrived at the door of a guest room.

crunch.

Orochimaru pushed open the door, gestured for Nagato to enter, and said with a smile, "This is your room. I live next door. If you have any complaints, feel free to come to me anytime."

"……Thanks."

Nagato paused for a moment before speaking. Although he disliked Orochimaru, the latter had brought him all the way to Ryuchi Cave and had even spoken highly of him to the White Snake Sage.

However, Nagato understood the principle that "unsolicited favors are either for ulterior motives or theft."

Therefore, he was always wary of Orochimaru.

Orochimaru saw through Nagato's thoughts at a glance, so he pretended to breathe a sigh of relief and said to Nagato:

"I should be thanking you. The White Snake Immortal must be very happy to have taken you as his successor. It seems I've escaped a calamity and won't be held responsible by him for the death of the Ten Thousand Snakes. Alright, I won't disturb your rest any longer."

After saying these words, he escorted Nagato into the room and closed the door for her.

Outside the door, Orochimaru's lips curled into a meaningful, silent smile before he turned and went into the next room.

Night fell, and all was quiet.

Nagato tossed and turned in bed, worried about Yahiko and Konan's safety, and also anxious about the sage training that was about to begin the next day.

It wasn't until late at night that he finally managed to gather his thoughts and regain his composure. As drowsiness washed over him, he drifted into a deep sleep.

At a certain moment after Nagato fell asleep.

"Hiss."

Suddenly, the sound of a venomous snake flicking its tongue came from outside the room.

It was a gray snake that slipped in through the crack in the door and moved silently across the cold floor, quickly reaching the bedside of the long-time serpent.

The snake coiled itself up, aimed at Nagato's arm, and pounced with a whoosh. It opened its mouth wide, plunging its fangs into Nagato's skin and injecting venom that would put him into a deep sleep.

Then, with a creak, the door was pushed open, and Orochimaru, his face deathly pale, floated into the room like a ghost.

He looked down at Nagato lying on the bed, licked his lips, and a greedy glint appeared in his snake-like eyes.

Tonight, he's finally going to succeed.

Orochimaru's plan was simple: to use the Reanimation Jutsu to possess Nagato's body, gaining his young and powerful physique, as well as the Rinnegan. Then, he would remain in Ryuchi Cave as Nagato to inherit the Sage Mode of the White Snake.

At that time, he will become a top-tier ninja, reaching the same level as Kisame Hoshigaki, or even surpassing him.

Thinking of this, even the shrewd Orochimaru could not suppress his excitement and slowly reached out a hand towards Nagato.

However, at that moment...

Nagato, who should have fallen into a coma, suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze meeting Orochimaru's.

The next second, Nagato coldly uttered four words: "Shinra Tensei!"

boom.

Caught off guard, Orochimaru was sent flying out of the room, crashing through the door and slamming into a large tree in the yard.

"Ugh." He fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, then looked up in horror at the long door that led out of the room.

"Orochimaru, your intentions are too obvious. Do you really think I won't notice?"

Nagato said this, his Rinnegan seemingly able to see through everything. Although he didn't know exactly what Orochimaru wanted to do to him, it certainly wasn't anything good.

Therefore, Nagato decided to play along, pretending to be fast asleep to lure Orochimaru into a trap.

"Nagato, I underestimated you."

Orochimaru wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and stood up with a smile. At this moment, he made no attempt to hide his true feelings, staring intently at Nagato. "However, I'm taking your body. After tonight, it will belong to me forever!"

Before he finished speaking, Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals, and his body suddenly changed drastically, twisting and expanding until it transformed into a white phosphorus snake over ten meters long.

This giant snake's body was composed of countless tiny white snakes, and its enormous head was incredibly ugly, with a gaping maw large enough to swallow an adult human whole.

This is the form Orochimaru takes after performing the Reanimation Jutsu. He can complete the ritual and take over Nagato's body by swallowing him.

Nagato was startled to see Orochimaru transformed into a giant white phosphorus snake, but quickly calmed down.

"So your purpose was to take over my body? Yahiko was right, you are the most dangerous person, insidious, ruthless, and unscrupulous."

Nagato sighed, slowly raising his hands. The power of his Rinnegan surged violently, preparing for a great battle.

"Nagato, I've arrived!"

Without wasting any words, Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and charged towards Nagato.

He had originally planned to quietly seize Nagato's body, but he had made a scene. Time was of the essence; he had to act quickly and complete the reincarnation ritual before attracting the attention of the White Snake Sage or the Snake Princess.

"Humph."

Nagato snorted coldly, naturally not allowing Orochimaru to get close, and once again unleashed Shinra Tensei, releasing a powerful repulsive force.

"Oh!"

Orochimaru took another solid hit from Shinra Tensei. His massive serpentine body could no longer maintain its shape and exploded instantly, scattering into hundreds of small white snakes that landed in the courtyard.

Under his control, these white snakes flicked their tongues and pounced on Nagato one after another.

Faced with the relentless attacks of swarms of snakes, Nagato's Shinra Tensei was not very effective, given its five-second "cooldown".

Then, a sharp-tipped black chakra rod emerged from his sleeve, which he used as a weapon to slay the oncoming snakes as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

If they can stall for just a little longer, once the White Snake Sage arrives, Orochimaru's plot will completely fail.

However, despite killing many white snakes without being bitten by a single one, Nagato's body became increasingly numb for some unknown reason.

His movements became increasingly sluggish, and he was eventually overwhelmed by the swarm of snakes and collapsed to the ground.

Orochimaru's enormous snake head looked down at Nagato from close range.

"The bodily fluids of the white snakes you killed will turn into an anesthetic once they come into contact with air. This time, you probably won't be able to defend against it."

As Orochimaru spoke, he opened his mouth and said, "Nagato, I'll take your body!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he swallowed Nagato whole.

This was a dark space, with crimson clumps of flesh writhing on the ground. Nagato was encased within one of these clumps of flesh, with only his face visible.

To Nagato's horrified gaze, a fleshy mass taller than a person rose from the ground, and Orochimaru emerged from it.

"Welcome to the illusionary space I created. This is the place where the resurrection of the undead is performed."

Orochimaru opened his arms and smiled at Nagato. He only needed to devour Nagato's soul to usurp his body and transfer his consciousness into the body he so desperately desired.

Although the process was somewhat bumpy, Orochimaru seems to be getting his wish in the end.

"Orochimaru, the White Snake Sage just decided to take me as his successor, and you've already taken over my body. Aren't you afraid of being discovered? Do you really think you can get away with this?"

Nagato questioned coldly, attempting to struggle.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru suddenly put his hand to his forehead and burst into wild laughter, his body shaking with ecstasy.

"What are you laughing at?" Nagato asked.

Orochimaru stopped laughing maniacally, shook his head, and said to Nagato:

"I laugh at you for not understanding the White Snake Sage at all. All it wants is a successor with the Rinnegan. As for who that person is, it doesn't really matter. You might not believe it, but I am more favored by the White Snake Sage than you. If it knew what I did, it might not only not be angry, but would praise me for doing a good job. This is the natural law advocated by Ryuchi Cave—survival of the fittest."

"I see."

Nagato murmured, seemingly resigned to his fate.

"Nagato, your defeat is inevitable now. Why not give up and grant my wish? I promise you that I will take Yahiko and Konan back from Obito and guarantee their safety and freedom so that they can survive in this chaotic world."

Orochimaru approached Nagato and tried to entice him with words.

The best-case scenario for the Reanimation Jutsu is that the person being resurrected willingly offers their body to become Orochimaru's vessel.

In that way, Orochimaru wouldn't experience rejection from his new body, thus achieving a perfect reincarnation.

If Nagato resists stubbornly with his willpower, although he will eventually be devoured by Orochimaru, it will definitely have a negative impact on the reincarnation effect.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Nagato remained silent for a few seconds before asking a question.

"Of course, because for me at that time, it was just a piece of cake, why would I lie to you?"

Seeing that Nagato's mental defenses were beginning to crumble, Orochimaru continued to patiently deceive him.

"One last question: what do you intend to do after you take over my body? If you tarnish Akatsuki's reputation and bring disaster and chaos to the ninja world in my name, I will absolutely not allow it."

Nagato stared directly at Orochimaru, knowing that if the latter's next words showed any sign of lying, he would not be able to get past him.

Faced with Nagato's probing questions, Orochimaru did not lie this time.

He stared back at Nagato, his gaze unwavering, and answered, word by word:

“Nagato, you possess the physique of the Uzumaki clan and the Rinnegan, making you the most perfect vessel in the world. If I obtain your body, I will have the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong wish—immortality! At that time, I will learn all the ninjutsu in the world, answer all the questions of the world, become an omniscient and omnipotent being, and lead the ninja world into a peaceful and beautiful new era! Isn't this the future you want to see? Isn't this the purpose of the Akatsuki? The so-called child of prophecy is your body combined with my wisdom.”

After Orochimaru finished speaking, his expression gradually became fanatical.

He firmly believed that he would become the child of prophecy, and that by using his knowledge to control Nagato's body, he would surely become the second Sage of Six Paths.

A snake, destined to crawl on the ground, has a dream of soaring through the sky, and so it sets its sights on the fledgling eagle in the nest that has not yet spread its wings.

This is Orochimaru's way of defying fate.

He will use knowledge and methods to fight against bloodline and destiny.

174. Orochimaru's Defeat