Resurrection techniques held tremendous appeal for Orochimaru. In truth, it wasn't just him—anyone would find such a concept hard to ignore.
After all, being a shinobi meant living on the edge of death. Facing life-and-death situations at any moment was simply part of the job.
If there were a way to prepare a fallback—a trump card that could save your life at a critical moment—no one would willingly pass it up.
Still, Orochimaru remained cautious.
That caution came from one simple fact—he didn't trust Natsuhiko.
The pressure Natsuhiko exerted on him was simply too overwhelming.
"Commander Natsuhiko, this is no simple matter," Orochimaru said calmly, though his eyes carried a hint of wariness. "Resurrection techniques have never been easy. Even if I'm interested, it doesn't mean I can accomplish it."
"What if the full framework already exists," Natsuhiko replied with a faint smile, "and all you need to do is verify its feasibility?"
As he spoke, he took out a scroll and handed it over.
What Natsuhiko gave him was a copied version of the One's Own Life Reincarnation.
Although he did plan to conduct this research within Konoha, there were too many restrictions there. The Medical Department wasn't under his control either.
That meant he lacked proper research personnel. Even if he trained them himself, it would take time.
And while Natsuhiko did have patience, he still wanted tangible results sooner rather than later.
Work in Konoha would proceed—that was inevitable.
But at the same time, Orochimaru would also conduct his own research.
Only by comparing results from both sides could Natsuhiko truly feel assured.
After taking the scroll, Orochimaru glanced at Natsuhiko before slowly opening it.
The moment he read its contents, his expression changed.
The casual calmness vanished, replaced by seriousness and focus.
Without hesitation, he found a place to sit down. He didn't even spare another glance at the Uchiha test subject inside the container—his full attention was now captured by the scroll.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko let out a quiet chuckle. He didn't disturb him, instead turning his attention to the experiment itself.
The Uchiha inside the container looked to be in terrible condition.
His skin was pale, almost lifeless, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
It was clear he was enduring unimaginable pain.
The sight would have unsettled most people.
But Natsuhiko remained completely calm.
"Looks like the conflict inside him is pretty intense… I wonder if my eyes can see more."
With that thought, he slowly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they had turned a deep, brilliant blue.
Under his gaze, everything became clear.
Inside the Uchiha's body, he could see a strange energy spreading.
That energy felt familiar—it resembled the power of the Senju.
On the other side, there was another force—different, yet originating from within the man himself.
There was no doubt—
That was the power of the Uchiha.
The two forces clashed violently, constantly colliding and resisting each other. For the moment, neither side had the upper hand.
But Natsuhiko could tell—
The Uchiha's power wouldn't last much longer.
"Is the Senju power simply too strong?"
He rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment before shaking his head.
"No… it's not just Senju power. It's Hashirama's power that's too overwhelming. The pressure from Wood Release is simply too great."
With the help of his eyes, Natsuhiko had already found his answer.
There was no doubt—the Sharingan this man possessed was only at the two-tomoe stage.
And most of the power within his body didn't come from anywhere else—
It was unconsciously being released from his eyes.
From the Sharingan itself.
This kind of power was the only thing that could truly contend with Wood Release—something capable of balancing it out.
Unfortunately, the gap between a two-tomoe and a three-tomoe Sharingan was still significant.
Even though the amount of Wood Release power Orochimaru had injected wasn't particularly large, it was still far beyond what a two-tomoe Sharingan could handle.
Natsuhiko remembered this clearly. In the future, Danzo had implanted numerous Sharingan into his body just to suppress the overwhelming power of Wood Release.
Only by doing that was he able to prevent the Wood Release from going out of control—otherwise, he would have turned from Shimura Danzo into something like a walking tree.
And in the end, when Danzo lost his arm and those Sharingan, the moment he tried to activate his power to seal Sasuke and Obito, the result was immediate backlash. The power went out of control, and he ended up sealing an entire bridge along with himself.
"If the ratio is properly adjusted, the result would definitely be much better. Of course, finding that balance requires repeated experimentation…"
But for Natsuhiko, this wasn't as difficult as it sounded.
With his eyes, he could clearly observe whether the balance between different forces was stable.
That meant if he wanted to conduct experiments that required two opposing energies to reach equilibrium, he could easily achieve it with the help of his vision.
"That's… actually incredible. I didn't expect this 'bootleg' Jōgan to have such an ability."
He rubbed his chin, realizing that his eyes were far more useful than he had initially thought.
From combat to daily life, even to research and experimentation—these eyes seemed capable of assisting in everything.
It was almost absurd.
"And what's even more ridiculous is that I've always treated them as a bootleg… honestly, that might not be fair anymore."
Natsuhiko began to reconsider.
Even if the name was borrowed, he vaguely remembered something—
The eye belonging to Boruto had supposedly been named by Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.
Whether that was true or not, he wasn't entirely sure. After all, he hadn't paid much attention to that so-called sequel story (Boruto) in his previous life.
But one thing he did feel—
His eyes might actually surpass that one in terms of ability.
If that was the case, then who could really say which one was the "true" Jōgan?
He could define it himself.
He didn't need anyone else to do it for him.
"The difference between the original and the knock-off isn't as big as people think. Since I obtained it first… then I'm the real deal."
As that thought settled in his mind, the brilliant blue glow in his eyes seemed to grow even brighter.
...
"Incredible… this is truly incredible!"
Orochimaru stared at the scroll in his hands, his expression growing more excited by the second.
A genius-level concept.
A genius-level design.
A genius-level forbidden technique.
Everything about this jutsu was astonishing. And the deeper Orochimaru immersed himself in its structure, the more convinced he became—
This technique had a real chance of success.
For someone like him, determining whether a jutsu was feasible didn't take much. With careful analysis and deduction, he could already arrive at a fairly accurate conclusion.
Of course, knowing it was possible and actually making it work were two very different things. There was still a long road ahead.
But even so, he had to admit—
He was completely captivated by the technique Natsuhiko had given him.
His thirst for forbidden jutsu had long surpassed that of ordinary people. And a technique capable of reviving the dead?
That was irresistible.
Still, he understood one thing very clearly—
He needed to stay calm.
Because the one who had provided this technique…
Was Senju Natsuhiko.
Orochimaru turned his head and looked toward Natsuhiko, only to realize that Natsuhiko was already observing his previous experiment.
Those deep, brilliant blue eyes were radiating a dazzling light. Under that gaze, for some reason, Orochimaru had the illusion that his entire experiment had been completely seen through.
It was as if this man had already grasped the trajectory of his research—and even uncovered things Orochimaru himself had yet to notice.
It was an odd, almost unsettling feeling. Yet Orochimaru trusted his instincts. More often than not, they were correct.
"Commander, do you have any thoughts on my experiment?" Orochimaru asked slowly, licking his lips. "I'm quite looking forward to your guidance."
"Expecting a Senju to tell you the results you're hoping for?" Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly, and those deep blue eyes locked onto Orochimaru.
In that instant, Orochimaru felt a suffocating pressure.
It wasn't the first time he had faced those eyes, but every single time, they made him feel an instinctive chill.
It was unpleasant—but he endured it.
Still, the slight evasiveness in his gaze betrayed him.
Seeing this, Natsuhiko didn't press further. There was no need.
He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the Jōgan had already returned to normal. A faint smile hung on his face, giving him an almost harmless appearance.
But Orochimaru would never be fooled by that expression. He had not forgotten what this man was truly capable of.
"Let's leave that topic for now. There's no need to discuss it further. We should talk about something more valuable instead."
Natsuhiko shifted his posture slightly and smiled as he looked at Orochimaru.
"You've finished reading the technique. So, what do you think, Orochimaru?"
"A genius-level concept and design… truly an unbelievable technique," Orochimaru replied quickly, his mindset already adjusted the moment the pressure lifted.
He understood very clearly—he was valuable.
And as long as he remained valuable, Natsuhiko would not easily dispose of him.
But he also knew just as clearly that he had to continue proving his worth.
Otherwise, Natsuhiko would not hesitate.
"This technique… did you create it, Commander? It's an insane design. And the success rate is extremely high."
"No, I didn't create it," Natsuhiko replied calmly, shaking his head. "I'm not particularly skilled in developing ninjutsu."
He didn't hesitate to admit it. Whether he was good or not, there was no need to pretend.
"This technique came from Chiyo of Sunagakure. I assume you've heard that I once visited the Sand Village."
Orochimaru nodded.
He did know about it.
After all, the name "Konoha Nightingale" had shaken the entire shinobi world after that incident in Sunagakure.
During that operation, Natsuhiko had reportedly taken down over a hundred Sand ninjas alone, including nearly half of an ANBU unit—and even, according to rumors, the entire sealing corps.
It was an achievement that defied imagination.
When Orochimaru first heard of it, even he had been deeply shaken.
But after witnessing Natsuhiko's Wood Release firsthand later, he gradually came to feel that perhaps it wasn't so unbelievable after all.
Even if Natsuhiko hadn't used Wood Release in Sunagakure, at that level of strength, any method used to achieve the result was already within reason.
"It seems, Commander, that there are still quite a few things you kept hidden about your actions in Sunagakure," Orochimaru said with a faint sigh.
He had thought he already understood how terrifying Natsuhiko was.
But now it seemed there were still many unknown depths.
"Is it really so strange to hide a few things?" Natsuhiko replied casually.
Natsuhiko smiled casually, completely unconcerned, his gaze drifting toward the Uchiha shinobi soaking inside the experimental container nearby.
"Isn't it the same for Orochimaru-sama?" he said lightly. "You've hidden quite a few things yourself. If I hadn't gotten lucky and caught this opportunity, I probably wouldn't have learned so much either."
Orochimaru licked his lips, not answering. The question wasn't something he needed—or intended—to respond to.
Instead, he lowered his gaze to the scroll in his hands and began quickly thinking things through.
He didn't care in the slightest how Natsuhiko had obtained this technique from Chiyo in Sunagakure. What mattered to him now was how to give a satisfactory answer—and secure his own position.
And that answer didn't take long to form.
"I understand, Commander," Orochimaru said, his tone sharpening with seriousness.
"Your intention in giving me this technique is to have me verify its authenticity and further develop it.
I will prioritize its research, and I will make sure to give you a result you'll be satisfied with."
"Is that so?" Natsuhiko replied with a satisfied nod. Then he tilted his head slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"Then I appreciate it, Orochimaru-sama. But won't this interfere with your own research progress?"
"Where there is investment, there is return," Orochimaru said with a faint smile of his own. "With your protection, Commander, I believe I am still relatively safe."
His expression was calm and composed.
"Besides… I am also very interested in what this technique can achieve. No one would willingly pass up an opportunity like this."
"I see," Natsuhiko said. "Then I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise."
For a brief moment, both of them smiled in perfect sync.
And then, almost at the same time, their expressions froze.
Because neither of them missed the subtle tension hidden beneath the smiles.
...
"Are you sure it's here?"
Deep within a remote forest path in the Land of Fire, two figures in black cloaks embroidered with red clouds moved forward slowly.
The man leading them suddenly spoke.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, clearly illuminating their features.
The leader had short orange hair and pale purple eyes marked with concentric rings—like a ripple of death itself.
Behind him stood a red-haired boy with a stiff, cold expression.
If Natsuhiko were here, he would instantly recognize them.
Pain—Deva Path—and Sasori.
At that moment, a white figure suddenly emerged from the ground.
It glanced ahead, then replied calmly, "Yes. Approximately five hundred meters ahead, underground."
"What a rat," Sasori said coldly, disdain dripping from his voice. "Hiding underground like that."
It was obvious he held no respect for Orochimaru whatsoever.
After all, Orochimaru had defected from Konoha. Worse, he had once been a shinobi of the village—and even participated in the Second Great Ninja War.
For someone like Sasori, that alone was enough to ensure absolute contempt.
Pain did not stop him. He merely glanced at Sasori indifferently before shifting his attention back to the white figure in front of him.
This white figure was, without a doubt, a White Zetsu.
After Orochimaru's defection, Nagato had begun searching for his whereabouts.
But Nagato was not skilled in tracking, so he thought of the man who had once contacted him—someone who claimed to be Uchiha Madara.
Obito and Black Zetsu had been operating in the Land of Water and could not meet him directly, but after their initial contact, they had left a White Zetsu behind to maintain communication.
This White Zetsu was responsible both for communication and for monitoring how Nagato and the others were performing.
At the same time, it had naturally become the best tool for locating Orochimaru. Nagato understood very well why this creature had been left behind—but he didn't particularly care.
As long as it was useful, leaving it there meant nothing.
Right now, it was time for this thing—or rather, for Obito and the others—to prove its value.
And they didn't disappoint.
Using White Zetsu's scouting abilities, which were widely recognized as exceptional, they quickly pinpointed one of Orochimaru's underground laboratories. That was how the current situation came to be.
"I see," Deva Path said calmly, looking ahead before giving a slight nod. "Understood. You can leave now."
"Just a friendly reminder," White Zetsu said casually. "Orochimaru seems to be with someone very strong. That person is dangerous—I couldn't get close, and I couldn't identify who it was."
"Hmph. Whoever it is, it makes no difference to me," Deva Path replied coldly as he turned slightly toward White Zetsu. "Because I am a god."
Pain—or more accurately, Nagato—held absolute confidence in himself.
He truly believed he was the earthly representative of the Sage of Six Paths.
After all, he was born with the Rinnegan.
This was only his second time personally taking action. The first had been against Kakuzu—his initial real test after awakening the Rinnegan's power.
And this time, it was his second attempt, and also a show of respect toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin, just like his former teacher Jiraiya. For someone like that, if he was to be recruited, Nagato believed it was only proper to show due respect.
Even though he was fully aware that he and Jiraiya had already walked down completely different paths ever since Yahiko's death, that did not change the deep respect he still held for him.
Without Jiraiya, they would never have become shinobi. They would never have had the chance to change the world.
That was why he came in person.
Even though his true body was not suited for movement, he still chose to act.
His real body was currently in a nearby forest, accompanied by Konan. And to demonstrate sincerity, he had even deployed his strongest body—the Deva Path.
This vessel carried the full power of the "Deva" aspect of his Rinnegan.
He did not believe there was anyone who could withstand such power.
It didn't take long before he and Sasori arrived at the location indicated by White Zetsu.
Both of them were elite shinobi. Even though sensory abilities were not their specialty, they could still easily detect subtle irregularities.
"So this is the place," Deva Path said indifferently. "The concealment is decent, but it's still just a trick."
"Indeed," Sasori agreed calmly. "Even the soil here has been altered. Enough to fool ordinary shinobi, at least."
He paused briefly, then continued, "But it seems his luck is poor. So who's going to handle this—me or you? We need to flush the rat out first."
"We'll see after he comes out," Deva Path replied. "For now, I'll handle it."
He glanced at Sasori and, after a moment's thought, decided to accommodate him.
It was obvious Sasori had a personal grudge against Orochimaru—he was probably already itching to make a move.
Nagato saw no reason to oppose that.
He had never intended for the members of the organization to be harmonious in the first place.
To recruit strong individuals, he naturally had to choose those who had already proven themselves.
Those from villages were harder to handle.
The easiest targets were naturally rogue ninja.
And rogue ninja… were all unruly by nature. Expecting them to fully cooperate was simply unrealistic.
As long as they didn't betray him, he couldn't be bothered to deal with them.
He slowly raised his hand, and an immense surge of chakra rippled through his body. It flowed directly into his eyes, forming an indescribable pressure that instantly filled the space.
The moment his chakra reached its peak, a terrifying repulsive force erupted from his palm.
The ground shook violently. Everything in front of him was instantly swept into chaos—rocks, trees, and debris were all violently flung backward as if struck by an invisible catastrophe.
"Shinra Tensei!"
...
Inside the underground laboratory, the entire structure trembled violently as the earth itself seemed to scream in protest.
The smile on Natsuhiko's face had already faded. His expression turned calm and sharp as he stared straight at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, was completely serious. The usual smile on his face had vanished entirely.
Even he had never imagined that his hidden laboratory would be attacked.
There was no doubt in his mind—this was an attack.
What he couldn't understand was why.
This place had been chosen with extreme care. It was far away from any settlements, with no hunters or travelers nearby. Under normal circumstances, it was virtually impossible for anyone to locate it.
He had even spent a considerable amount of time here, thoroughly scouting the entire surrounding area to ensure absolute safety.
And yet, against all expectations, the moment Natsuhiko arrived, his location was exposed.
For a brief moment, Orochimaru even wondered—had Natsuhiko abandoned him?
But if that were the case, why hand him that scroll in the first place?
Was it overconfidence? Or had even that Commander failed to anticipate this situation?
Orochimaru couldn't figure it out.
Natsuhiko, for his part, was equally puzzled.
He had come here to meet Orochimaru—so why the sudden attack?
Had this guy lost his mind?
After thinking it through, Natsuhiko felt that there might have been a misunderstanding.
Orochimaru might be bold, even reckless at times—stealing Sharingan and even daring to covet the Rinnegan—but in the end, he always paid the price for it.
And more importantly, Natsuhiko didn't believe he was the type to act without reading the situation.
So this incident probably had nothing to do with Orochimaru.
With that thought, Natsuhiko sighed softly.
It seemed this trip had truly been a mix of good fortune and bad luck. The moment he had obtained several valuable gains, his luck had apparently started to turn.
From Kimimaro's bone to this sudden, unexplained attack—it was enough to make him slightly annoyed.
All he could hope now was that when he left that place earlier, planting Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan hadn't triggered some kind of bad luck chain.
"It seems Orochimaru-sama, you have quite a few enemies," Natsuhiko said lightly, raising an eyebrow. His tone carried a hint of mockery.
"It would appear so," Orochimaru replied, licking his lips again. "After all, a man accumulates many enemies in his lifetime."
"And they always appear at the most unexpected times, producing equally unexpected results."
"You don't need to test me," Natsuhiko interrupted calmly. "If anything, I should be the one questioning you."
Orochimaru paused for a moment, then quickly understood what he meant. A faint smile returned to his face.
"I see."
Natsuhiko glanced around at the trembling underground structure.
"I think we should leave. This place is about to collapse."
"Yes… we should indeed leave," Orochimaru agreed.
But as he spoke, a cold, sinister edge crept into his expression.
"I'd also like to see exactly who it is… that dares to destroy my laboratory right after I've only just settled here."
As soon as the words fell, Natsuhiko flickered and appeared beside Kabuto.
For someone who had not yet undergone any formal ninja training, the violent shaking of the collapsing underground laboratory was nothing short of a nightmare.
Unlike Danzo, Natsuhiko had never intended to use Konoha's resources to train him. With a capable teacher like Orochimaru already in place, there was no need for the ANBU to take over that role.
So right now, Kabuto was still essentially an ordinary human. If Natsuhiko didn't look after him, it was entirely possible he would simply die here for no reason at all.
In an instant, the Flying Thunder God technique activated.
One moment ago, they were still inside the violently shaking laboratory; the next, Natsuhiko had already teleported out with Kabuto in tow.
However, the moment he landed and saw the figures ahead, his expression immediately turned strange.
"…Why them?"
He truly hadn't expected that the people he ran into here would be members of the Akatsuki.
Even though he hadn't fully seen their faces yet, that distinctive black cloak with red clouds was impossible to mistake.
For Natsuhiko, the Akatsuki were already far too familiar. Not just from the original story, but from personal encounters alone—this was already the second or third time.
First Kakuzu, then Sasori, and then back in Sunagakure he had run into Kakuzu again, along with Sasori and Konan. It felt like these people had been deliberately sticking to him.
And if he added Obito into the mix, then the hostility between them would only deepen further.
"A bunch of persistent ghosts," Natsuhiko muttered with a faint sigh.
At that moment, Orochimaru also emerged from beneath the ground.
He glanced at the two figures in the distance, then at Natsuhiko, and asked with clear curiosity, "Commander, you know them?"
"More or less," Natsuhiko replied calmly. "This isn't the first time I've run into them."
He slowly straightened up, his gaze sweeping over the two newcomers. Then his expression subtly shifted.
"Oh… now this is interesting. It's him, of all people."
"Who?" Orochimaru's curiosity deepened.
"Someone rather interesting," Natsuhiko said with a faint smile. "Someone who, if I meet him, will probably bring me quite a bit of trouble."
However, as he spoke, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a growing seriousness.
Nagato. Or rather, the Deva Path of Pain.
As the smoke and dust slowly cleared, Natsuhiko finally saw their identities clearly.
He really hadn't expected the one who came looking for trouble to be him.
But when he also recognized the other figure beside him, everything suddenly started to make sense.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru had once joined the Akatsuki—and the ones who recruited him were Pain and Sasori.
So what was this? Had he simply come to discuss experimental matters with Orochimaru and accidentally walked right into this interesting little scene?
Thinking of that, Natsuhiko couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.
He knew he would eventually clash with the Akatsuki, especially Pain—there was no way to avoid that.
Of course, he never intended to avoid it in the first place. He simply hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
Still… early wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
After all, the current version of this guy was still far from the peak strength he would eventually reach in the original story.
With that thought, Natsuhiko handed Kabuto over to Orochimaru and stepped forward alone.
In the original timeline, when Orochimaru faced Sasori and Pain, he was essentially defeated in a single move and then went on to join the Akatsuki.
Of course, that also had to do with his growing interest in the Rinnegan.
Natsuhiko didn't deny that he also had similar curiosity. However, what mattered more to him right now was testing the waters.
He had obtained so many different powers, yet he had never truly used them at full strength.
Now, facing Pain, he intended to let the power of "Senju Natsuhiko" erupt completely—and see exactly what it was capable of.