For a shinobi like Orochimaru, the pursuit of immortality could not truly be blamed on fanatical obsession with life itself. If there was any fundamental difference between him and other ninja, it lay in two things.
First—his thirst for knowledge.
Second—his extraordinary capacity for experimentation and development.
Relying on these two qualities, Orochimaru had always walked the path of self-evolution. If given enough time, evolving to the level of the Ōtsutsuki would not even be particularly difficult for him—it would be more accurate to call it inevitable.
For such an upgrade, Orochimaru didn't need to grind minor enemies or defeat bosses.
All he needed was time.
Need dictated behavior, and behavior produced results. Everything Orochimaru did stemmed from his own will.
He was a man with ideas—someone who possessed an exceptionally high tolerance for speculative possibilities.
"An interesting idea…"
That was Orochimaru's response to Hagoromo's proposal.
"But it would be very difficult to realize."
To be more precise, it was wildly imaginative—its chances of success close to zero. Orochimaru genuinely found Hagoromo's concept fascinating, but with the knowledge he currently possessed, turning it into reality would be extraordinarily difficult.
Even finding a feasible path would be challenging.
Anything involving evolution or genetics, if it were to succeed at all, had to be treated as engineering—vast, complex, and built atop thousands upon thousands of failures.
This was entirely different from Hagoromo's earlier idea of gradually stimulating infants with weak Lightning Release to enhance physical ability. That had merely been modification.
What Hagoromo was proposing now was closer to bloodline awakening.
The difficulty was not even on the same level.
On the surface, Orochimaru seemed merely intrigued—interested, but no more than that. Yet in truth, the idea would only grow more appealing to him over time.
Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths and founder of Ninshū, had always been a figure of legend—his power vague, almost illusory.
But the hypothesis proposed by this Hagoromo appeared to be a possible route toward understanding that power.
Even if the likelihood was infinitesimal.
And for someone like Orochimaru—extreme in thought, obsessive in pursuit—there would come a day when he would inevitably attempt such a path.
The more indifferent he appeared now, the more impatient he would become later.
…
As for the origins of the Uchiha, Hyūga, Senju, and Uzumaki clans, Orochimaru had every reason to know them.
Even if such information were unavailable in Konoha, Ryūchi Cave housed a White Snake Sage who had lived for an unfathomable length of time.
Unlike the increasingly senile toads of Mount Myōboku, the White Snake Sage's mind remained sharp.
Snakes possessed a natural affinity for longevity—living long enough to witness millennia cycle past. It was entirely possible that the White Snake Sage had once seen the Sage of Six Paths himself.
At the very least, when it came to the Ōtsutsuki lineage, the White Snake Sage would know far more than most.
Thus, Orochimaru—researcher to his core—would eventually begin investigating the topic Hagoromo had raised.
Especially since his Living Corpse Reincarnation technique had already reached a critical stage—nearing completion.
In fact, he had already set his sights on a suitable vessel.
A body from the Uchiha Clan.
Which happened to dovetail perfectly with Hagoromo's proposal.
"Not difficult," Hagoromo corrected calmly.
"Challenging."
If it were easy, he would have done it himself.
Truth be told, Hagoromo didn't believe the odds were high either—but there was a simple principle at work.
Trying wouldn't cause a pregnancy.
If it succeeded, those two children would effectively be buffed straight from their ancestors onward.
"You're offering this line of thought…" Orochimaru said slowly, understanding dawning on him.
"For the 'legacy' of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina?"
"But instead of gambling on something so unrealistic, wouldn't it be better to let those two children undergo First Hokage cell experiments? The Uzumaki and Senju are related clans—their affinity and compatibility with Wood Release cells should far exceed that of ordinary ninja. If it succeeded…"
The power of the Ōtsutsuki was distant and uncertain.
But Wood Release was right there.
Orochimaru's argument was sound.
Both the Uzumaki and Senju possessed powerful physiques and immense chakra reserves. They were inheritors of the Sage's body.
However—
"Orochimaru."
Hagoromo spoke his name directly, his expression unchanged, as though stating a simple fact.
"Even if the goal is to strengthen the two children, what I need is a reliable method—not a high-risk experiment."
"Some things should never be used."
Agreeing to graft cells onto those children?
Impossible.
"Heh… just a joke."
Was that a warning? Or advice?
Orochimaru didn't take offense. In truth, Kushina's children would have been ideal test subjects for his First Hokage cell experiments.
But he couldn't touch them.
Not merely because Hagoromo guarded them relentlessly—but because the Third Hokage, and the entire Konoha leadership, were watching closely.
Even indulgence had limits.
Even Danzō did not want anything to go wrong with the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
Acting too blatantly would invite consequences even Orochimaru could not withstand.
Not to mention—at this age, the Third Hokage still surpassed Orochimaru in raw strength.
And Hagoromo?
To be honest, Orochimaru no longer had absolute confidence in defeating him.
Before the Nine-Tails Incident, Orochimaru had regarded Hagoromo as a promising upstart.
Afterward, he viewed him as an equal.
Being ganged up on was not a situation Orochimaru wished to find himself in. Researchers sometimes flirted with danger—but outright suicide was best avoided.
"Speaking of which," Orochimaru said, changing the subject smoothly,
"There's something else I'm very interested in. The Rinnegan—what kind of eye is it, exactly?"
He cared deeply about this.
By now, Orochimaru had grown obsessed with the Sharingan and the Uchiha, and by extension, his curiosity toward dōjutsu had only intensified.
Especially the legendary Eye of the Six Paths.
"The Rinnegan?" Hagoromo replied.
"It's probably the kind of dōjutsu that simply cannot be defeated."
Had he defeated the Rinnegan that day?
No.
He had only defeated Pain—and Pain was, in the end, nothing more than a puppet.
He had never beaten Nagato, nor the Rinnegan itself.
Hagoromo then disclosed part of the Deva Path's and Preta Path's abilities—more specifically, Shinra Tensei, Banshō Ten'in, and Chakra Absorption.
Hagoromo was the only shinobi to have fought against the Rinnegan. Yet even now, the intelligence he provided to Orochimaru had never been fully disclosed to Konoha.
Whether what he said was true or not was something Orochimaru would have to judge for himself.
As for what Hagoromo still withheld—Orochimaru could easily guess.
He also understood why Hagoromo refused to share the Rinnegan's secrets with Konoha.
In short, through this conversation deep underground, Hagoromo hoped Orochimaru would initiate genetic engineering and achieve tangible results—results Hagoromo could later acquire.
Whether Orochimaru chose to pursue such research, and when, was not something Hagoromo could force.
And as for the First Hokage cell experiments Orochimaru was secretly conducting—
Hagoromo would help conceal them, as much as he reasonably could.
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