Chapter 178: Orochimaru is the Path to Light

The next day, Takigakure suddenly declared war on Konoha, accusing Konoha of being unjust and dishonorable. Takigakure had previously been an ally of Konoha and rarely involved itself in conflicts within the ninja world. But now, out of the blue, they decided to declare war on Konoha.

Following closely behind was Kumogakure. The two villages coordinated their efforts, with Kumogakure's army marching directly to Konoha's borders. They were fully prepared to attack, waiting only for Konoha's decision—whether to surrender or choose another course of action.

Uchiha Raijin hadn’t expected Kaido to stir up the ninja world so effectively. In such a short time, he had managed to muddy the waters of the entire shinobi landscape. The situation was now quite chaotic; Iwagakure, after being stirred up by Charlotte Linlin, had shut its doors, claiming to be avoiding conflict. They were observing the situation in the ninja world, waiting to see what cards Kumogakure had up its sleeve.

“Kakashi, go to Konoha and meet with Marco. He wants to gather information about Konoha and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki,” Raijin instructed, holding a Den-Den Mushi, guiding Kakashi from afar. Kakashi, who had been active along various borders, reconnecting with the legacy of the Fourth Hokage, sighed deeply when he heard the order. He hadn’t expected Uchiha Raijin to summon him back to the village so soon. It seemed Raijin wouldn’t even give him a moment’s rest.

“I understand. Should I also tarnish Konoha’s reputation a bit?” Kakashi asked with a sigh, understanding that smearing Konoha would require some skillful wording.

“Konoha? In need of tarnishing?” Raijin was taken aback for a moment. He hadn’t expected Kakashi to suggest such a thing. Konoha was already in a bad state—there was no need to blacken its reputation further. The village was a cesspool, outwardly pristine but rotten to the core. In such a situation, simply stating the facts was enough to damage its reputation.

“Right... you’re correct,” Kakashi agreed, realizing that Konoha indeed didn’t need any additional smearing. Knowing the current state of the village, his heart had already sunk. He even felt his father’s sacrifice was in vain, giving his life for a village that no longer deserved it. The village had strayed far from the ideal world envisioned by the First Hokage.

“Kakashi, be careful. Danzo is lurking in the shadows, watching everyone. Don’t slip up. If you get caught by Danzo, I might not go out of my way to save you,” Raijin warned. Danzo possessed Kotoamatsukami, and a small slip could lead to disaster. Kakashi was well aware of Kotoamatsukami’s existence, so he would likely stay vigilant.

“There’s no need for concern. With my Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability, I can escape any barrier. Not even the Raikage could catch up to me,” Kakashi responded confidently. He had grown strong and wouldn’t embarrass Raijin, who had such high expectations for him. Raijin briefly chatted with Kakashi before ending the call, then turned his gaze toward the darkness ahead.

A figure was busy working at a desk, the snake-like pupils of his eyes giving off an eerie vibe. Uchiha Raijin felt nothing but indifference as he looked at Orochimaru. “You should be convinced by now that I wasn’t lying. I possess things that can unlock the secrets of the human body, including the cells of Hashirama and even the Uchiha clan. I already have successful experiments using these.”

“Moreover, how do you find the Lunarian lineage factor? You’ve probably become quite engrossed in it by now,” Raijin said with a smirk, watching Orochimaru intently. Orochimaru was currently a member of the Akatsuki, and Raijin had chosen to approach him first. Orochimaru had an obsession with immortality and unmatched scientific expertise. In the past, Raijin hadn’t been able to control Orochimaru, but now, with his mastery over soul-related techniques, Raijin could impose a contract that would leave a mark on Orochimaru’s soul. Even if Orochimaru wanted to escape, he wouldn’t be able to.

Most importantly, Orochimaru’s base was located outside the Land of Rain, so even if things went awry, it wouldn’t cause much trouble—certainly not enough to alert Pain. Raijin was planning to chip away at the Akatsuki, eventually bringing them under his control.

“Fascinating… It’s unbelievable that someone has unraveled the human body’s secrets to this extent! I assume this extends beyond humans to animals as well, perhaps even granting humans terrifying abilities by transplanting these qualities,” Orochimaru said, his snake-like pupils examining Uchiha Raijin closely, particularly focusing on his Sharingan with a flash of greed in his eyes.

This figure had appeared before him silently, and Orochimaru dared not harbor any rebellious thoughts. The aura of this person seemed to exert a pressure on his soul, making Orochimaru’s very spirit tremble in his presence.

“That’s correct! They refer to it as the ‘lineage factor,’ a raw material used to create a special item I’m about to tell you about: Devil Fruits,” Raijin said, holding up a Zoan-type Devil Fruit. Even though he had many mouths to feed, Raijin was willing to offer Orochimaru a taste of the power.

“Devil Fruits?” Orochimaru hadn’t heard of such a thing before. A snake extended from his wrist, coiling around the Devil Fruit and bringing it to his face for closer inspection. After examining it for a few minutes, he found that aside from its peculiar patterns, it appeared normal. Yet, the more ordinary it seemed, the more abnormal it was. Orochimaru could sense that a new world was opening up to him, one that promised true immortality, surpassing all others.

“Devil Fruits are products from another world, divided into three types. One is the Logia, which includes elements like wind, fire, and lightning. Then there’s the Zoan, which you might have guessed, given that the lineage factor is the raw material for creating Zoan Devil Fruits. Lastly, there’s the Paramecia, with abilities so diverse that they defy explanation,” Raijin explained.

“Orochimaru, you’ve probably investigated where I’ve been leading those Uchiha during this time. That’s right, I’ve found another world. We’ve already established a foothold there and are growing stronger by the day,” Raijin continued, smiling at Orochimaru as he explained the Devil Fruits and introduced the concept of the pirate world. Raijin felt no need to hide anything. He had grown powerful enough that there was no longer a reason to stay in the shadows.

Especially when dealing with a small fry like Orochimaru—if the snake refused to cooperate, Raijin would simply force him to. After all, Raijin never cared about the opinions of his recruits; he operated solely according to his own preferences.

As for the Sage of Six Paths, Raijin was still cautious, unsure if the Sage was secretly watching the ninja world. Without strong chakra support, the Sage might have difficulty intervening.

“Hahahaha! I never expected this. The old man is scrambling around the ninja world, searching for your traces! And yet, you weren’t even in the ninja world—you were in another world altogether! The old man must be very disappointed now.”

“But who would’ve thought there really is another world? It’s so intriguing! But you didn’t come here just to show off, did you? You must have a purpose. Speak it plainly!” Orochimaru said, his curiosity piqued.

Orochimaru let out a loud laugh and continued mocking Hiruzen Sarutobi.

This guy had turned the entire Shinobi World upside down but still couldn't find any trace of the Uchiha clan.

He never imagined that the Uchiha clan wasn't even in the Shinobi World anymore—they had gone to another world.

This indirectly meant that Konoha was no longer a place to return to!

It had already become a place where Hiruzen Sarutobi’s word was law.

Orochimaru had already heard the news from the outside. Recently, Konoha had canceled the bounty on his head.

Even the people in the village wanted him to come back and compete for the position of Fifth Hokage.

But Orochimaru had no interest in that whatsoever. Whoever wanted the Hokage position could have it.

In any case, Orochimaru had no interest at all. There was no way he would shamelessly go back to take that position.

He wasn’t as blind as Jiraiya; he saw things very clearly.

Even if he became the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, he would just end up being a puppet in Hiruzen Sarutobi’s hands.

Since that’s the case, why would he go back?

“Of course, there’s a purpose!”

“In our research, we’ve found that people like you are too rare.”

“Shizune alone can barely manage, but my expectations are higher than that.”

“I want a unique Uchiha, someone who can make the Uchiha clan truly powerful again.”

“That’s why I need you, Orochimaru. The people of the Shinobi World look at you with fake kindness and mercy.”

“They always see you as someone who practices forbidden arts, but to me, this is the bright path to true power.”

“Are you willing to abandon everything in the Shinobi World and follow me to another world to achieve your dreams, as well as mine?”

Raijin extended a hand to Orochimaru as he spoke!

Using Orochimaru’s own tactics to recruit him.

Orochimaru was, after all, the number one manipulator in the Shinobi World, with top-notch skills in understanding human nature.

Naturally, his persuasive techniques were also top-tier; otherwise, how could he have gathered so many talented individuals around him?

“Hahaha, of course, there’s no problem. This is my dream!”

“I’m willing to spend some time by your side!”

“But I have one condition.”

Orochimaru said with a bright smile.

He was intrigued by this young man standing before him.

When this young man had brought out finished samples of Hashirama cells and the Lunarian bloodline factor.

Orochimaru was already tempted to join Uchiha Raijin and obtain these advanced technologies from him.

But he knew that begging to join would only make him look weak, so he pretended to be reserved and waited a bit longer.

“What’s your condition?”

Raijin asked.

“I want access to all your research, and I hope to have your full support when the time comes.”

Orochimaru said, looking at Uchiha Raijin.

His full support would definitely involve doing some unethical things.

After all, Orochimaru’s methods were different from others!

He had little regard for life and didn’t care about human lives at all.

“No problem. You can ask Shizune to show you everything later.”

“If you need anything, you can ask Kakashi for it.”

Raijin agreed without hesitation.

To him, this was hardly even an issue.

“In that case, Lord Raijin, what should I do next?”

Orochimaru immediately changed his tone and asked Raijin with a bright smile.

.

What a quick change of attitude.

Orochimaru had clearly played this game many times before.

Otherwise, how could he have so easily said such things?

“You have a companion in the Akatsuki, right? According to my investigation, he’s Sasori of the Red Sand from the Hidden Sand Village.”

“The first task is to recruit him as well. I have some interest in him, too.”

“His abilities are on par with yours; he’s a unique talent. If we can recruit him, our team will be even stronger.”

Raijin thought for a moment and recalled Orochimaru’s partner, Sasori of the Red Sand.

He had obtained many things, but he still didn’t have a real master craftsman.

For example, he had acquired an aircraft carrier from the Sky Ninja Village.

This thing was powered by chakra, but his team simply had no one capable of building it.

So now, he could only hope that Sasori had the ability to do so!

“Sasori of the Red Sand? That guy?!”

Orochimaru showed some interest.

After all, Sasori could already be said to have achieved so-called immortality.

But after learning about Sasori’s method, Orochimaru had lost interest.

After all, it wasn’t the kind of immortality he was seeking!

“No problem. We’re going on a mission tomorrow, and we’ll meet up then.”

“I’ll try to recruit him when the time comes. After all, your offer is quite generous.”

Orochimaru had no problem with this and agreed immediately.

“I’ll be right behind you when the time comes.”

Raijin nodded. The next step was to recruit Sasori.

This puppet master would definitely become one of his valued talents.

“Next, can you tell me more about the Devil Fruits in that world?”

“I’m very interested in them!”

Orochimaru asked, looking at Raijin.

“Sure, but don’t forget to sign this contract.”

Raijin took out a contract related to his Mangekyō Sharingan and handed it to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru glanced at it and saw that it was signed with a certain place.

He figured it was Uchiha Raijin’s way of controlling him.

Orochimaru squinted and looked at Raijin.

A few seconds later, he directly used his chakra and blood to sign his name.

He didn’t choose to cheat!

After all!

Raijin had something that interested him.

(End of Chapter)