Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb
If I separate Ōtsutsuki Kaguya from the Gedo Statue… will they come to Earth to kill us?
Orochimaru stood silently beneath the night sky, his golden eyes reflecting faint moonlight as the question lingered in his mind.
If that happened, even the so-called peace-loving Main House of Hamura's descendants on the moon would probably descend upon Earth in force.
…Right?
Wait.
If they truly observe Earth regularly, and yet never noticed even the troublesome Black Zetsu, then what exactly have they been doing all this time? From the Warring States Period to the First, Second, and Third Shinobi World Wars—have they simply been watching?
Are they nothing more than dark voyeurs living on the moon?
The Gedo Statue had disappeared long ago. No one came searching for it. Did they just casually scan Earth a few times and assume everything was fine?
It seemed they knew very little about what truly happened in the Ninja World.
Orochimaru had briefly worried that if he rashly separated Ōtsutsuki Kaguya from the Gedo Statue, the main branch of Hamura's descendants on the moon might come knocking on his door.
But after reconsidering their apparent inaction throughout history, he dismissed the concern.
Forget it.
If they were truly capable and attentive, history would not have unfolded the way it did.
He calmed himself and slowly raised both hands.
It was time.
Time to attempt something he had pursued for years.
A Truth-Seeking Orb.
Using Yin Release for shaping, Yang Release for balance, and the five elemental Chakra nature transformations condensed within Yin–Yang chakra, Orochimaru pushed both the nature transformation and shape transformation of chakra to their very limits.
In his palm, a tiny sphere—no larger than the size of his little fingernail—began to float.
Seven chakra attributes emerged one by one: Yin, Yang, and the five elements—Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. Their colors flickered briefly before gradually merging into a deep, profound black.
It was complete.
Or was it?
Orochimaru stared at the small black orb hovering above his hand. His usually calm face twisted into an expression of almost manic joy.
For years, he had never once stopped training his chakra nature transformations. Countless experiments had ended in failure. The earliest prototypes were smaller than a table tennis ball. Over time, through refinement and endless repetition, he had compressed it further—until now.
Now it was as small as a fingernail.
That reduction in size represented years of failure.
Years of obsession.
Did I… succeed?
Did I truly create a Truth-Seeking Orb?
A white serpent tail flicked behind him. The serpent's sharp fangs suddenly bit into his finger, drawing bright red blood.
Pain shot through him.
Good.
That meant he wasn't dreaming.
Even if it was small—even if it was imperfect—it was a Truth-Seeking Orb.
Without any bloodline.
Without Six Paths chakra.
Relying solely on his talent and relentless training.
No one in the Ninja World could surpass this achievement.
After the initial surge of exhilaration faded, Orochimaru forced himself to calm down.
Something felt strange.
He realized that he could now create this orb at will. It was as though his body had memorized the process instinctively.
Was this what a Bloodline Limit felt like?
He understood why Kekkei Genkai such as Ice Release or Explosion Release could be inherited. When a technique is mastered completely, the user's cells adapt. Over time, that adaptation becomes encoded within genetic information and passed down to descendants.
If he had children—and if they possessed all chakra nature transformations—they might have a high probability of awakening this technique naturally.
In that sense, it would become a Bloodline Limit.
But children?
Orochimaru thought of Tsunade, whom he had practically raised. Of the century-old loli Uchiha Hikari. Of the clingy Uzumaki Chigusa far away in the Land of Waves.
Among them, only Hyuga Mio seemed truly independent and reliable, her maturity forged by losing her parents at a young age.
Raising children was troublesome.
Extremely troublesome.
Then another realization struck him.
Why does this Truth-Seeking Orb contain Natural Energy?
He immediately identified the reason.
He had used Sage Chakra.
That meant the Yin–Yang and five-element nature transformations were all executed with Sage Chakra as the base.
This was no ordinary Truth-Seeking Orb.
This was Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb.
In the original records, the Truth-Seeking Orb had two primary modes.
The first was its destructive mode—similar in effect to Dust Release.
The second was its Yin–Yang Release mode, capable of neutralizing ordinary ninjutsu.
However, while the Yin–Yang Release mode could nullify regular ninjutsu, it could not nullify Sage Art techniques.
But what about a Truth-Seeking Orb created with Sage Chakra from the start?
Could Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb neutralize Sage Art?
That question excited him.
He would need to visit Ryūchi Cave and ask Ichikishimahime to test it.
If it worked…
That would be extraordinary.
The orb could also function as a weapon.
He recalled how Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Madara wielded Truth-Seeking Orbs after becoming Ten-Tails Jinchūriki—using them for both offense and defense.
His orb was small.
But perhaps it could still transform.
He focused.
The black sphere in his palm melted like viscous liquid, flattening into thin metal-like sheets. It shifted into miniature shuriken, then into tiny kunai, swords, spears, and scythes.
His control improved with each transformation.
It felt like an extension of his own limb.
Excellent.
That rusty old Kusanagi sword was officially obsolete.
In the future, this would be his weapon.
He almost laughed remembering how Ichikishimahime once proudly handed him the Kusanagi, as if granting him an unparalleled treasure.
One day, he would return to Ryūchi Cave.
Let's see whether that rusted relic can compare to this.
His serpent tail twitched.
He sensed movement.
From the forest emerged Tsunade, followed by Uchiha Hikari and Hyuga Mio. All three stared curiously at the dark, mud-like substance shifting in Orochimaru's palm.
After dinner, he had mentioned training.
Instead, they found him standing by the lake, apparently playing with black sludge.
"Is that your latest research?" Tsunade asked, glancing at Mio.
"I don't know," Mio admitted. Even with her Byakugan, she couldn't decipher it.
"You're here," Orochimaru said calmly.
The Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb dissolved back into Sage Chakra and vanished.
Hikari grabbed his hand.
"It disappeared… What was that?"
Tsunade crossed her arms and smirked.
"You said you were training. Instead, you're standing here playing with mud."
Mud?
Orochimaru's golden eyes widened in outrage.
He pinched her cheek sharply.
"This is not mud! It is the product of combining Yin, Yang, and the five elemental chakra nature transformations with shape transformation!"
Tsunade blinked.
To her, it still looked like black sludge.
Hyuga Mio tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Nature transformation combined with shape transformation… Is it a Bloodline Limit?"
"No," Tsunade muttered. "Bloodline Limits combine two nature transformations. Bloodline Expansions combine three…"
She struggled to comprehend how seven transformations could merge into something that looked like wet clay.
"This isn't mud," Orochimaru repeated.
Black liquid condensed once more, forming an eye-sized Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb.
This time, it manifested instantly—as if it were innate.
"Let's test it."
He wanted to confirm whether it could neutralize ninjutsu.
"Orochimaru… are you sure?" Hikari hesitated.
"Hikari. Use your strongest Fire Release technique. Don't worry about me. If necessary, I'll use Flying Thunder God."
He pointed to a kunai inscribed with the Flying Thunder God formula beside her.
Hikari nodded seriously.
She formed hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive fireball over ten meters wide burst from her mouth, evaporating the lake's surface into white mist.
Boom!
The flames engulfed Orochimaru completely.
"Orochimaru!"
Hikari nearly ran forward, but Tsunade and Mio held her back.
"He's fine," Tsunade said calmly.
Within the raging flames, Orochimaru stood unharmed.
The Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb had formed a defensive barrier around him.
As the flames dissipated, he frowned.
It worked as a shield.
But something was missing.
His orb lacked the Yin–Yang Release neutralization mode.
It could not nullify ninjutsu.
This was not merely a matter of chakra mastery.
It was bloodline.
The original Truth-Seeking Orbs were inherited from Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Hagoromo and Hamura possessed them because of their lineage.
Unless Orochimaru transplanted Kaguya's cells into himself and gained her bloodline, his orb would never reach that level.
It could not neutralize ninjutsu.
Its destructive power depended purely on chakra density.
The only advantage it possessed over the original version was its inclusion of Natural Energy.
But compared to Kaguya's Expansive Truth-Seeking Orb…
His creation was like a child kneeling before its mother.
Orochimaru sighed softly.
Years of effort.
And yet, bloodline still stood above him.
If he truly wished, he could simply transplant Kaguya's cells.
Acquire her bloodline.
Perfect the orb effortlessly.
He glanced at the fading embers around him.
"…How troublesome."
For now, this was enough.
The Sage Art: Truth-Seeking Orb might not be perfect.
But it was his.
And that, perhaps, mattered more.
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