261-265

*Chapter 261: Sasuke’s Failed Attempt at Showboating*

"Quiet," Orochimaru commanded, his elongated golden slit pupils glaring at the infant, who immediately fell silent. Kabuto extended a finger, testing the milk's temperature. "Keeping Naruto alive to help us take down a few more members of the Akatsuki... seems like a smart choice."

"Heh." Orochimaru chuckled, a mocking smile forming on his face. "The Akatsuki surely didn't expect to lose two members at once."

As they spoke, Kabuto casually picked up the baby girl, changed her diaper, and began feeding her. Everything seemed oddly serene.

"Tsk," Orochimaru glanced at the child in Kabuto’s arms, frowning slightly. "Kabuto, you seem quite fond of Mitsuki."

The baby's name was Mitsuki, and beyond that, she had another identity: Orochimaru’s daughter, born after Orochimaru drank from the Child-Mother River.

"No, not really. It's only because she’s your daughter, Lord Orochimaru, nothing more," Kabuto replied calmly, unwilling to admit his own background from an orphanage made him so protective over Mitsuki.

Otherwise, even as Orochimaru’s child, he wouldn’t have felt such affection.

"Is that so?" Orochimaru grudgingly accepted his explanation and moved back to the topic. "Speaking of which, the Akatsuki already have the Two-Tails. Now’s the time to strike, to keep weakening them."

Kabuto was taken aback, cold sweat forming on his forehead. "Lord Orochimaru, are you suggesting…?"

"Exactly, the Three-Tails," Orochimaru’s face twisted into a sinister smile, licking his lips.

"But if we do that, Master Aizen—no, Aizen himself—won't let us go so easily," Kabuto said, swallowing hard.

"No matter. The time for rebirth is near, and that twisted man would never make a move until my battle with Sasuke is over," Orochimaru’s eyes gleamed. "By then, Sasuke and I will merge our powers. Whether it’s Aizen or the Akatsuki, I’ll have nothing to fear."

"So, would you mind taking a trip? Send that child," Orochimaru directed.

"But what about Mitsuki?" Kabuto hesitated.

Orochimaru was dismissive. "Just hire a nanny. She’s only an experimental subject, after all."

Suddenly, he clutched his chest, feeling a sharp pain sear through his body.

Orochimaru cursed inwardly. Damn, is it the rejection reaction again? Seems the reaction has worsened since I gave birth.

But it doesn’t matter. Just a bit longer, and Sasuke will be mine.

Meanwhile, he could use this body to produce another child with Sasuke. The thought made Orochimaru, his face pale from the pain of rejection, smile sinisterly again, feeling both pain and pleasure.

Orochimaru intended to have another child with Sasuke, who was unaware of this plan.

If he knew, he would probably pass out from shock.

At that moment, he was already preparing to kill Orochimaru.

After discovering the weakness of Living Corpse Reincarnation from Aizen, he was eager to absorb Orochimaru’s power.

Following Orochimaru’s orders, Kabuto left the base to search for Guren and Yuukimaru to capture the Three-Tails.

Seizing the opportunity, Sasuke attacked Orochimaru during his weakened postnatal period, piercing both of Orochimaru’s arms with Chidori Spear.

"This chakra nature and form manipulation is… Fujimoto Aizen’s?" Orochimaru was startled, then noticed this Chidori Spear was weaker than Aizen’s. "No, you’re not Fujimoto Aizen. Who are you?"

"Not only that insufferable man can use this technique."

A flash of blade light shattered the door, and Sasuke entered, Chidori Spear in his left hand and the Kusanagi sword slung over his right shoulder.

"So, you’ve come to this," Orochimaru said without surprise upon seeing Sasuke, who had come to assassinate him.

"You have nothing left to teach me." The Cursed Seal’s markings spread from his neck to his face as Sasuke activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and glared at Orochimaru. "Now you’re weaker than me, so I see no reason to give you my body."

"So arrogant, little Uchiha. Do you think you’re Uchiha Itachi or Fujimoto Aizen?" Orochimaru spat through gritted teeth.

"I don’t need to be Uchiha Itachi, nor Fujimoto Aizen."

"Just like how you trampled on me back in the Chuunin Exams when I was still a fledgling. Uchiha Itachi, who killed my parents and clan. Fujimoto Aizen, who taunted me time and again. I will kill you both, starting with you."

Sasuke stepped forward, pinning Orochimaru to the wall with Chidori Spear through both arms.

Then, just like the original story, Sasuke berated Orochimaru while praising the Uchiha clan, officially beginning their confrontation.

To escape Sasuke’s Chidori Spear, Orochimaru used his Giant Snake Substitution, shedding his skin to reveal his true form, the White Phosphorus Snake.

But in the face of Sasuke’s Cursed Seal Level 2 Chidori Spear, it was easily cut into pieces.

"Stop pretending to be dead, Orochimaru. I know you won’t die from just this." Sasuke withdrew from the Cursed Seal state, planning to weaken Orochimaru enough to make him initiate Living Corpse Reincarnation, allowing Sasuke to take over his power.

"Oh? Seems you’ve done your homework, Sasuke." A fragment of the White Phosphorus Snake moved, speaking with Orochimaru’s voice. "But still too naive."

Orochimaru’s words ended, and Sasuke suddenly dropped to one knee, supporting himself with his left hand as his body went numb.

"This is the White Snake’s bodily fluids. When exposed to air, it becomes an anesthetic. Sasuke, it seems you’ve lost."

"An anesthetic? Do you think that’ll stop me?" Sasuke remained calm, even smirking, as if his plan was going smoothly.

To him, it didn’t matter whether he was affected by the anesthetic, as long as he could use his ocular power to take Orochimaru’s body.

But before he could feel victorious, a small bell he had never used began to ring, its heat filling him with discomfort and excitement.

"Haha, this isn’t just an anesthetic," the White Phosphorus Snake opened its giant mouth, revealing Orochimaru’s body. "It’s Fujimoto Aizen’s secret medicine, used against the Konoha high council back in the day."

"Secret medicine?" Sasuke froze, feeling a sense of dread. He didn’t know what this secret medicine was, but anything created by Fujimoto Aizen could only mean trouble.

"Oh, you really don’t know?" Orochimaru chuckled in surprise. "Looks like Konoha never told you what Aizen did, but no matter. Over the next ten days, until my belly starts to swell, enjoy the last moments of your life."

"I’m ready." Orochimaru lunged at Sasuke.

Chapter 262: Two-Pillar Rage Opens the Mangekyo

*Ruins of Loulan Ancient City*

“Achoo... achoo, achoo!”

Out of nowhere, Aizen sneezed several times in a row, almost tearing up from the irritation.

“Lord Aizen, are you alright?” asked Pakura, concerned.

“It’s nothing, probably just someone thinking about me,” Aizen replied, rubbing his slightly sore nose as he shifted his gaze to Kakuzu and Sasori across from him. At this point, Kakuzu had put on a mask again and changed into a black robe similar to Sasori’s.

Sasori, meanwhile, had modified his body once more.

Following the concept of a "Spark" from Transformers, he hid his regenerative core within himself. His body now had the ability to transform, a feature sufficient to handle most battles in this era that had yet to spiral into utter chaos.

“Well, Kakuzu, for now, stay by Sasori’s side and assist him with the Dragon Vein research. Avoid showing up publicly for a while,” Aizen instructed.

“I don’t mind, as long as this guy doesn’t get in my way,” Kakuzu replied, arms crossed, facing away from Sasori with a prideful look, resuming his usual inscrutable manner.

“How unfortunate. I don’t care much for brown-nosers, and frankly, I have little respect for a relic who can’t keep up with the times,” Sasori replied with equal disdain.

Relic?  

Kakashi had called him that not long ago, and hearing it again made Kakuzu bristle. He glared at Sasori, his tone sharp, “You bastard... let me show you.”

The two began to argue, throwing barbed words back and forth.

“Lord Aizen, is this really okay?” Pakura sighed, rubbing her temples as she watched the squabbling duo.

“It’s fine; you just need to prescribe the right ‘medicine’ for the situation,” Aizen replied with a smile, pulling out a scroll from his system inventory.

Before he could say anything, Kakuzu’s eyes immediately lit up, gleaming with greed as he noticed the scroll. “Is this...?”

He recognized it immediately as the scroll Aizen had once pilfered from the Sarutobi clan, containing at least a dozen Asumas’ worth of cash.

“Kakuzu, didn’t you want to be in charge of the finances? There’s roughly five hundred million ryō in here,” Aizen said, handing over the scroll, only to pull it back when Kakuzu reached for it. “Not so fast; there are conditions.”

“Name it. With money, I’m open to anything,” Kakuzu replied eagerly.

Satisfied, Aizen tossed him the scroll, and Kakuzu received it like a treasured prize. “From today on, you’ll cooperate with Sasori here, no more acting high and mighty. And the same goes for you, Sasori. Since you both gained new lives, maybe cut out the stubborn attitudes.”

Then, with a sly smile, Aizen asked, “Kakuzu, do you know how much money I have?”

“Ten billion?” Kakuzu paused from opening the scroll, hazarding a guess.

“You really think I’ve only robbed the Sarutobi clan over the years?” Aizen shook his head, raising a finger. “One hundred billion.”

Aizen had looted numerous ruthless millionaires, like Kado and others.

Although he wasn’t exactly a good person, who could say no to more wealth?

“One hundred billion...” Kakuzu swallowed hard, looking at Aizen with newfound admiration. Even as the finance chief for the Akatsuki, he’d never seen such a staggering amount. That was more than enough to keep someone busy counting for months.

“As long as you help Sasori with the Dragon Vein project, I’ll leave all that money in your hands to manage,” Aizen said, turning to Sasori. “And you too, Sasori—I bet you miss your parents.”

Sasori scoffed, turning his head defiantly but not denying it. Aizen continued, “If you help me complete the Dragon Vein project, I’ll reward you with a Senzu Bean so you can revive your parents the same way Chiyo resurrected Gaara.”

“So, it all depends on how you perform. And if you lack funds, just ask your ‘Treasury Minister’ Kakuzu.”

“No problem,” Kakuzu replied eagerly, already dreaming of what it’d be like to lie on piles of cash—one hundred billion.

“Understood.” Sasori nodded, lost in memories of his childhood.

Aizen gave them a few more instructions.

Then, as Sasori brought up Hidan, Aizen caught a brief flicker of sadness in Kakuzu’s expression and thought of their close bond. A mischievous idea crossed his mind.

Hidan’s body had been blown to pieces. Since he wasn’t too bright, perhaps he could be put in a new body... like a pig.

*Elsewhere, in Orochimaru’s base*

The room lay in disarray.

Signs of fighting and experiments marked every surface.

“Hehe, Sasuke-kun truly is impressive; youth really is something,” Orochimaru chuckled, fastening his purple rope belt and glancing at Sasuke, savoring the moment.

He found himself enjoying this feeling more and more.

Sasuke lay on the ground, eyes blank, splayed out in a defeated posture. His body was still under the effect of the sedatives from Shibuki, Viagra, and White Phosphorus Snake.

The memory of everything Orochimaru had just done flashed in his mind, filling him with a rage he’d never felt before.

Driven by this fury, a surge of chakra welled up in his brain, acting on his optic nerves and causing his eyes to change.

First, they turned into ordinary three-tomoe Sharingan. Then, the tomoe began to spin rapidly, ultimately transforming into six-pointed stars.

Yes, in his extreme humiliation, Sasuke activated his Mangekyo Sharingan out of pure anger.

However, unlike the original story, his rage wasn’t directed at Konoha after learning the truth about Itachi; instead, it was focused on Orochimaru.

And also on Aizen—if it hadn’t been for Aizen’s secret drug, Orochimaru wouldn’t have succeeded.

In that moment, Sasuke’s hit list grew by two names.

Activating the Mangekyo drained a huge amount of chakra. Just like when Kakashi had first awakened his alongside Obito and immediately fainted.

Already exhausted from fighting Orochimaru twice, Sasuke’s last remaining chakra quickly depleted, and he passed out.

Orochimaru, unaware that his torment had awakened Sasuke’s Mangekyo, smirked as he watched the unconscious Sasuke.

“Hehe, did he pass out from the sheer humiliation? Sasuke is so proud.”

“But that’s alright. There are still ten days until my rebirth ritual, so I’ll make sure you stay alive until then. And to ensure the Uchiha line doesn’t end, I’ll leave you with an heir. Hahaha…”

Suddenly, Orochimaru’s sinister laugh echoed throughout the large underground base.

*Chapter 263: The Reluctant Pig Hidan*

In the forest owned by the Nara Clan, deer shadows roamed everywhere.

Aizen and Pakura stood before the burial site of Hidan, with a wild boar lying next to them.

Under Aizen’s Earth Release technique, rubble in the pit gradually piled up, and Hidan’s dismembered remains started to emerge: first severed limbs, then the torso, and finally, his decapitated head.

Standing atop the rubble, Hidan’s appearance was particularly eerie.

“Oh, hey, Aizen, and Pakura. Are you here to rescue me?”

Having lost all hope of revival and resigned to waiting for death, Hidan was startled awake by the blinding sunlight and stared unblinkingly at Aizen and Pakura.

Even for the battle-hardened Aizen and Pakura, Hidan’s current state was enough to make them feel a little queasy.

“Hey, don’t ignore me! Get Kakuzu to reattach my head already. This is killing me!” Hidan grumbled, blood vessels bulging from his forehead and eyes bloodshot from the pain he was enduring.

“That’s no way to ask for help, Hidan.” Aizen gave Pakura a signal, and she casually picked up a stone and threw it at him.

Thud!

The rock struck Hidan’s head, spinning it around so that the back of his skull faced them.

“Bastards! You dare throw stones at me?” Hidan roared in anger. “You’ll pay for this! Lord Jashin will smite you! I’ll tear you limb from limb with my teeth!”

“Keep going, Pakura,” Aizen chuckled.

Before Aizen even finished speaking, Pakura was already in motion.

Hidan noticed a shadow looming over him. Seeing Pakura glaring down with murderous intent, he swallowed hard, his voice quivering. “W-what do you want?”

“Making barbecue,” Pakura said, breaking off a tree branch with a wicked grin different from Aizen’s.

“What?” Hidan was alarmed. He thought he was already brutal enough, but this girl was even more ruthless. Was she planning to roast him alive?

“Ha! Pakura, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You’re generous—just spare me!”

Cold sweat dripped down Hidan’s forehead, his earlier hostility gone entirely.

“You should apologize to Lord Aizen instead,” Pakura warned, igniting a dazzling white flame in her right hand—a Scorch Release technique.

“H-hey, what are you planning?” Hidan stammered, dreading what was coming as Pakura's grim expression suggested she might actually roast him.

“Barbecue,” Pakura responded, tossing the flame onto the ground around Hidan. A half-meter ring of fire erupted around him.

“Ow! It’s burning! Okay, I’m sorry, Aizen! It was my fault; forgive me, or I’ll be roasted alive!” Hidan shrieked in pain.

“Call him Lord Aizen,” Pakura said, intensifying the flames.

“Alright, alright, Lord Aizen, please make her stop!” Hidan pleaded desperately.

“If only you’d done that sooner,” Aizen said with a slight smile. “Pakura, ease off, or he’ll burn to ashes.”

Hearing this, Pakura finally withdrew the flames, leaving Hidan charred black.

“Could you please get me off this branch? It’s killing me,” Hidan said, hesitating as he exhaled a plume of white smoke.

“Would you like me to find Kakuzu and maybe sew your body back together for you?” Aizen asked with a devilish smile, making Hidan shudder.

“If you could, that’d be great,” Hidan said, trying to sound agreeable.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be calling Kakuzu,” Aizen replied. “Even if he came, he couldn’t fix you in your current state.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Hidan shouted in a panic before shrinking back under Aizen’s gaze. “Please, Lord Aizen, I heard Kakuzu mention you know all kinds of powerful jutsu. Is there any way to put me back together?”

“I can’t piece together these remains,” Aizen said, “but I can give you a new body.” He and Pakura exchanged a glance, both looking at the wild boar they’d prepared beforehand.

“A new body?” Hidan’s forehead broke out in sweat as he sensed something ominous.

When he noticed the small wild boar under an illusion behind Aizen and Pakura, his bad feeling became a certainty.

In the next moment, through Aizen’s advanced medical ninjutsu, Hidan’s head was successfully attached to the boar’s body.

“Gulp.” Seeing himself actually attached to a boar, Hidan’s bloodshot eyes were filled with terror as he looked at Aizen.

This guy was a demon—there was no other explanation.

Pakura, watching from the side, couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Lord Aizen, will this really work?”

“For anyone else, definitely not,” Aizen chuckled, “but Hidan’s different. With his immortality, a small boar is no big deal.”

Aizen’s smile never faded as he observed Hidan’s head now seamlessly functioning with the boar’s body.

He could clearly sense Hidan’s chakra flowing through the boar’s body, creating a complete circuit.

This ordinary wild boar had just become a ninja boar.

“Amazing,” Pakura gasped, astonished. “Is that even possible?”

Hidan moved his freshly attached neck and felt a wave of despair.

He could already imagine it.

From now on, his future wouldn’t be a life—it’d be a pig’s life.

“Damn it! How dare you turn me into… this?! I’ll kill you all! Lord Jashin will punish you!” Hidan, furious and crazed, charged at them in his new boar form, screaming for vengeance.

Chapter 264: Orochimaru's Second Platform

"Attack!" Hidan controlled the wild boar to charge forward.

Aizen slightly turned his body, and with a loud thump, Hidan's boar crashed head-first into a tree, making a face-plant as if it were braking with its face.

“Ouch! Damn it, that hurts like hell!” Hidan screamed, as his neck, which had only just been reattached, started to show signs of splitting open again. He wailed in pain.

“Hahaha! Hidan, are you trying to make me laugh myself to death so you can inherit my credit card debt?” Aizen clutched his stomach, laughing at the sight of Hidan struggling to get up.

Humans are bipedal creatures, while pigs have four legs.

Given Hidan’s already-not-so-bright mind, it was a miracle he could control the body of a wild boar at all.

“You bastard! I'm going to kill you!” Hidan struggled for ages just to get to his feet, looking helplessly at his own tiny pig hooves. He seemed to envision a tragic life as a pig stretching out before him.

“Alright, alright! You say that every day. Aren't you tired of it yet? Take a good look at your current body—who could even put it back together properly?” Aizen pointed at the rubble scattered around.

Hidan turned to look, as if realizing the truth. “But you didn’t have to put me in a pig’s body!”

“Out here in the wilderness, where was I supposed to find you a new body?” Aizen rolled his eyes. Not that he was a good guy, but he wasn’t about to kill just anyone. “Today was just a test. I'll find you a more suitable body next time.”

“Really?” Hidan’s bloodshot eyes widened, a look of innocence flashing in his pupils.

“Uh…” Aizen was a bit grossed out by Hidan’s expression, but he nodded solemnly, “Of course.”

Upon hearing that, Hidan’s face immediately showed a moved expression—until he saw Aizen take out a rope and loop it around his neck. Instinctively, he asked, “Hey, what’s this for?”

“For walking the dog. Uh, I mean, you're not able to fully control that body yet. I’m tying you up to keep you from falling over,” Aizen explained with a perfectly straight face.

Hidan stared in confusion. Although something felt off, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Not wanting to waste more words, Aizen dragged Hidan along, grabbed Ye Cang, and used the Flying Thunder God technique to return to Loulan Ancient City, where he handed him over to Kakuzu.

Ten days passed in a blur.

During this time, Orochimaru’s plan, in which he sent Kabuto to use Guren and Yuukimaru to control the Three-Tails, failed without a doubt.

In the end, the Three-Tails was captured by Deidara and Tobi working together.

As for Sasuke, he spent these ten days enduring Orochimaru’s relentless torment.

---

At Orochimaru’s base.

“How is it?” Orochimaru sat on a sickbed, watching the doctor across from him examining his body.

“Your condition is quite dire. Your body has started to show severe rejection. If you don’t…” The doctor, sweating profusely, seemed terrified that he might be killed at any moment for saying the wrong thing.

“I was asking about the child’s condition,” Orochimaru’s eyes, bloodshot, focused intently.

“Apologies, Lord Orochimaru, but perhaps due to its small size, I couldn’t detect anything unusual in the child. Only the instruments…”

Before he could finish, Orochimaru extended his long tongue, swiftly slicing the doctor’s head off with a flash of his blade.

“Useless.” Orochimaru retracted his tongue, muttering angrily. “Aizen must have deliberately kept it from me that a male pregnancy follows the same growth cycle as a normal child. He’s trying to delay my rebirth on purpose!”

With that, Orochimaru suddenly threw off the blanket and got up, laughing maniacally. “I won’t fall for it! It’s just a mere Uchiha embryo. I’m determined to have Sasuke’s body! Hahaha!”

In that moment, the huge underground base echoed with Orochimaru’s wild laughter.

If Aizen were there, he would definitely say that Orochimaru was overthinking it. It was never about delaying the rebirth—it was just a random prank, nothing more. Who would’ve thought Orochimaru would actually go through with it?

“Who’s there?” Suddenly, Orochimaru sensed someone outside the door.

“It’s me, Lord Orochimaru.” The door opened, and Kabuto walked in, visibly shaken by Orochimaru’s mad laughter.

“Oh, Kabuto. How’s the situation with the Three-Tails?” Orochimaru, slightly reining in his killing intent, asked calmly.

“My apologies, Lord Orochimaru. It was foiled by Konoha’s team—Naruto’s team, to be specific.” Kabuto stood at attention, bowing respectfully, his voice trembling slightly.

To Kabuto’s surprise, Orochimaru didn’t seem angry. He simply walked past him calmly, patting him on the shoulder. “Go prepare for the rebirth ritual, Kabuto. And clean this up.”

“Yes.” Kabuto froze for a moment, then respectfully acknowledged the order, exhaling in relief. As he walked over to Orochimaru’s desk, he stopped in shock. After a long pause, he muttered to himself, “Is Lord Orochimaru… pregnant again?”

---

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had arrived at Sasuke’s cell.

“It’s about time, Sasuke-kun. Before you die, I have some good news for you. I’m pregnant. Yes, the child is yours. I’m sure Aizen did this as a way to delay my rebirth, hoping I’d be too hesitant to go through with it. But unfortunately, I won’t stop for a mere Uchiha experiment.”

As soon as he opened the door, Orochimaru delivered his speech, bloodshot golden eyes gleaming as he spat out his venomous words.

But alas, Sasuke simply wore his usual lifeless expression. He raised an eyebrow briefly at the mention of Orochimaru’s pregnancy but didn’t say a word.

Misinterpreting Sasuke’s reaction as acceptance of his fate, Orochimaru sneered, “So you’ve resigned yourself, Sasuke-kun? In that case, don’t mind if I help myself.”

“I’m starting now.” Orochimaru said as he extended his tongue, summoning a giant white snake that swallowed Sasuke whole, transporting him into the alternate dimension for the rebirth ritual.

Orochimaru’s pregnant body was left behind.

In the dark, fleshy rebirth dimension, the walls pulsed with red, meaty flesh that slowly encased Sasuke.

Opposite him, a writhing mass of flesh rose, revealing Orochimaru’s face.

With a sinister smile, Orochimaru’s long tongue flicked out, “Heh heh, Sasuke-kun. Now your body and your eyes are mine.”

As he spoke, he controlled the fleshy mass around him, extending two tentacle-like appendages toward Sasuke.

Sasuke remained silent, eyes closed, as if completely disinterested in life.

Just as Orochimaru thought victory was certain, Sasuke’s eyes snapped open. First, the three-tomoe Sharingan appeared, followed by the Mangekyō, and finally, the curse mark.

*Chapter 265: Sasuke's Counterattack—Mangekyō + Cursed Seal + Orochimaru*

Under the influence of Sasuke's cursed seal, the red flesh surrounding him gradually turned black. The curse spread, transforming into eyeless, toothy creatures that turned back to bite Orochimaru.

“What are those eyes…” Orochimaru gasped, his shock unmistakable as he gazed at Sasuke's hexagonal pupils. “It can’t be… Is that the Mangekyō Sharingan? When did this happen?”

Sasuke finally spoke. “Ever since the first day you did something unforgivable to me, the rage I felt toward you awakened this Mangekyō Sharingan.”

He smiled darkly, one of the legendary four "Mad Uchiha Laughter Lords," appearing early. "Haha, Orochimaru, did you really think your little anesthetic could control me for long? I’ve endured, waiting for this very moment.”

He continued, “Now, while you're using the Living Corpse Reincarnation technique, I’ll take your power to strengthen myself. Although your strength is insignificant before my eyes, it still adds to my edge… another step toward defeating Itachi.”

As he spoke, the strange, blood-red space was overwhelmed by Sasuke’s curse, turning black. The entire space dimmed, with only faint light casting silhouettes of the two figures.

In this peculiar space, Sasuke’s Mangekyō Sharingan shone brightly.

"Impossible!" Orochimaru roared, struggling to break free from the black mass, lunging at Sasuke. "I am Orochimaru, immortal! Those eyes are mine! I will use that Mangekyō Sharingan to break Aizen's illusion and defeat him… kill him!"

As he shouted, memories of Aizen flashed through Orochimaru’s mind.

From their first encounter to his failed takeover of Itachi, his defection from the Akatsuki, being threatened, exploited during the Chunin Exams, and finally losing his hands—all these humiliations since meeting Aizen.

Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, had been toyed with by a mere tennager—an agonizing shame he couldn't accept.

But in the face of absolute power, everything was meaningless.

Before Orochimaru could reach Sasuke, the eyeless creatures tore at him again.

"Rest assured, that twisted man is also my target," Sasuke remarked, reading the resentment in Orochimaru’s eyes. "But you misunderstand—Aizen gave you that drug not to delay your rebirth process.”

“From the beginning, he told me the weaknesses of the Living Corpse Reincarnation, so I could retaliate, and take everything from you."

“In other words, all this was Aizen’s plan.”

Orochimaru’s fury was overwhelming, yet he couldn’t respond, his face now fully encased in the black flesh—only one eye remaining.

As Orochimaru was on the brink of being completely consumed, Sasuke’s voice echoed again, “There’s one more thing… I think I know why Aizen gave you that drug.”

Sasuke gently touched his eyes, looking at Orochimaru through his fingers. “Probably so I would awaken this Mangekyō Sharingan.”

The black mass engulfed Orochimaru completely, putting him temporarily out of the picture.

Meanwhile…

Kabuto, having just tidied up the doctor’s body that Orochimaru had killed, also fed Orochimaru’s daughter, Mitsuki. Upon arriving at Sasuke’s cell, he found the chamber door wide open, with Orochimaru’s shed body on the ground.

In the room lay a large, white-scaled snake.

The snake appeared unharmed outwardly, but its lifeless eyes revealed that it was dead.

There was no time for Kabuto to be shocked. Knowing Orochimaru was pregnant, he immediately began medical ninjutsu on the shed body to sustain the embryo’s life.

“Has the reincarnation ritual already started? Who won?” Kabuto wondered as he tended to the body, glancing at the motionless white snake.

Suddenly, with a slash, a pure white blade burst from the snake’s abdomen.

A shadow slipped out and landed on the floor—it was Sasuke.

"Those eyes…” Kabuto was instantly horrified as he noticed Sasuke’s Mangekyō Sharingan. Swallowing hard, he stammered, “M-Mangekyō Sharingan…”

“Oh, it’s just you, Kabuto.” Sasuke sneered, noticing Kabuto’s medical ninjutsu on the shed body. His brows furrowed as he asked, “What are you doing?”

“This body is carrying a child. If left unattended, the fetus will die from lack of nutrients,” Kabuto replied instinctively, trembling, unable to determine if the person before him was Orochimaru or Sasuke.

“Whose child?” Sasuke’s gaze turned cold. If it were his own child, he wouldn’t kill it outright—but anyone who knew of it had to die.

He planned to eliminate everyone in the base who knew of this.

Kabuto might be an exception, having just returned from a mission, and possibly unaware of the child’s origin.

“Just returned from the Land of Water, so I don’t know,” Kabuto said, drenched in sweat.

“I see. Then keep the child alive. If it grows up and seeks revenge, I’ll be waiting.”

With that, Sasuke shut his Mangekyō Sharingan, moving past Kabuto.

"Wait… who are you?" Kabuto asked, realizing Orochimaru had lost, but still unwilling to believe it. How could Lord Orochimaru be dead?

If Orochimaru was gone, who was he? What purpose did he serve?

"Who knows?” Sasuke turned, half his face in shadow, his expression enigmatic. He activated his three-tomoe Sharingan, selectively showing Kabuto snippets of their encounter through genjutsu.