radiothebook Orochimaru in the later stages of Chapter 383
Orochimaru in the later stages of Chapter 383
Kotoamatsukami
It is hailed as the "strongest illusion" and has the terrifying effect of fundamentally altering an individual's will.
This power originated from Uchiha Shisui. Before he transplanted Uchiha Itachi's... or rather, "Yuzu's" eyes, these Mangekyou Sharingan containing the power of Kotoamatsukami had been kept by "Menma".
Now, thanks to the ability of the "Star Eyes," Menma has successfully extracted and fused "Kotoamatsukami" from the pair of well-preserved kaleidoscopes. Menma is finally able to drive this power, which is capable of rewriting reality, to a limited extent in his own way.
...although the cost is that this operation will have a "cooling-off period" of up to ten years.
Inside the prison, Orochimaru has been imprisoned for nearly three years. The Eight Trigrams Sealing Technique not only deprived him of his ability to manipulate chakra, but also formed a dense energy cocoon, firmly imprisoning most of his body, leaving only his head and a small number of arms free to move for the basic needs of sustaining life.
To prevent him from secretly forming hand seals, he was even assigned a specially selected person to be responsible for feeding and basic cleaning.
"You're here again... 'Fourth Hokage'."
Inside the energy cocoon, Orochimaru's face turned towards Menma, who was walking into the prison. Although Menma had repeatedly denied that he was the same person as Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru remained skeptical and continued to use the name to test him.
"So, this time, you've finally told me your true purpose in imprisoning me, yet delaying my execution?"
"You locked me up here, but didn't kill me... There must be something about me that you value, right?"
"With you here, I completely gave up on the idea of hitting on Naruto long ago, you should know that very well. So, what are you waiting for, or rather... what do you want from me...?!"
Menma did not respond to Orochimaru's probing, too lazy to offer any verbal rebuttal.
He indifferently raised his hand, and deep within his right eye, the [Star Eye], beneath the mask, the newly fused, icy Yin Release chakra was suddenly activated!
Kotoamatsukami, activate!
Pre-set instructions were imprinted into Orochimaru's core understanding.
"Knowing everything from the past, but the only true way to seek the truth of the world is to coexist with it and witness its natural evolution and possibilities."
"Any act of causing irreparable and irreversible damage to the world itself in order to satisfy one's thirst for knowledge or personal ambition—regardless of the reason—will lead you astray from true 'truth.'"
"!!!!!!!!!"
Orochimaru's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and his body convulsed violently within the energy cocoon.
Immediately afterwards, the color of the snake's eyes began to change strangely—on a scarlet background, complex and unique black patterns spun rapidly, transforming into a pair of slowly rotating Mangekyou Sharingan patterns!
This is precisely the outward manifestation of Kotoamatsukami's successful activation, which is covering and rewriting the underlying will of the target!
Menma stared intently at the changes in Orochimaru's eyes... Had he succeeded?
If even Kotoamatsukami cannot fundamentally change Orochimaru's obsessive and dangerous way of seeking knowledge and his code of conduct...
Perhaps Mianma really had no other choice but to imprison this guy forever in this dark and sunless sealed cocoon.
In the outside world, only a few seconds had passed.
However, within Orochimaru's consciousness, which was completely invaded by the power of Kotoamatsukami, the scale of time was stretched infinitely.
"Huff... Hah... Huff..."
Orochimaru finally came to his senses, breathing heavily, with a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
After the initial confusion and turmoil, his gaze quickly settled, becoming calmer than ever before, devoid of any restlessness or calculation. He raised his head and looked again at Menma, who stood before the sealed cocoon.
"...That's really...unexpected."
Orochimaru's voice rang out, still with that slightly hoarse tone, but his tone was completely different from before.
His tone used to carry a slippery probing, a playful calculation, but now his words are straightforward and clear, like stating objective facts, revealing a "clear" rationality.
"The 'truth' that I sought and longed to discover has been revealed to me in this way."
He spoke slowly, his snake eyes reflecting the numb and blurry figure, "It seems I should... thank you."
A tremendous sense of emptiness, a mixture of sudden enlightenment and cognitive upheaval, and an indescribable "empty satisfaction," filled Orochimaru's heart.
His once proud research into forbidden techniques, his greed for bloodline limits, his obsession with immortality, and his covetousness for the power of tailed beasts... all seemed so insignificant, so... like a "frog in a well," in the face of that long, seemingly eternal "consciousness experience" and the forcibly instilled "truth of the world."
It turns out that the source of all the extraordinary powers in the ninja world—the bloodline limits, the tailed beasts, and even chakra itself—all point to the race called "Otsutsuki" on the other side of the starry sky.
Looking back now, his intense desire for Naruto's body seems like such a ridiculous and dangerous thought. If he had actually succeeded back then, he would never have gained the Tailed Beasts' approval, and his final fate would likely have been a miserable end due to the rampage and backlash of power.
After learning the "root truth" of all this, Orochimaru felt a long-lost sense of "peace".
When was the last time his mind was so free of distractions, devoid of all prejudice and fanaticism? He couldn't even remember.
Even if you placed a pair of living Mangekyou Sharingan eyes or a subdued wild tailed beast in front of him for him to study, Orochimaru probably wouldn't even glance at them.
Because he is a scientist, a researcher who pursues truth. And a qualified scientist would never waste time on repeating research on topics with already clear conclusions and results.
Those "treasures" that once fascinated him are now, in his eyes, "outdated" and "known."
"Ugh... no, Menma-kun."
Orochimaru adjusted his posture. Although he was still bound by the sealing cocoon, his demeanor appeared much more composed. "I want to witness the future."
He clearly stated his new goal.
"To thank you for allowing me a glimpse into the mysteries of the 'past,' and to give me the opportunity to observe the 'future' filled with unknown possibilities... what do I need to do for you in exchange for this qualification? Or rather, what do you need me to do?"
His thinking shifts incredibly quickly. Once an old obsession is "resolved," a new pursuit immediately fills the void.
With his near-infinite lifespan, he now turned his gaze to the only truly unknown and eternally changing realm—the flow of time and the future of the world.
Beneath the mask, a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead… Did he know a little too much?
The moment Orochimaru finished speaking, a notification sound that only he could "hear" rang out deep within his mind.
【Ding! 】
[Congratulations, host! You have established a level 5 bond with the original character "Orochimaru"!]
Points earned: 1100!
...Kotoamatsukami must have succeeded, right? Judging from Orochimaru's appearance, his will and direction of seeking knowledge have indeed been completely reversed.
But judging from Orochimaru's words just now, it seems that he was not only instilled with "information related to the Otsutsuki" and the order "no destructive research"... he seems to have... seen more?
Orochimaru had just reviewed almost the entire Naruto manga and Naruto's hazy memories. He knew everything from the past... so it seems we can't be so absolute in our statements.
"...The sins you have committed cannot be wiped clean."
Mianma composed himself and responded, steer the conversation back on track.
"Words alone cannot undo the damage you have caused in the past. I need to see concrete actions, to see the constructive results that your new 'way of seeking knowledge' can bring. Use your actions to prove your qualifications as a 'witness to the future'."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru was not disappointed at all; on the contrary, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and even a smile appeared on his face.
"I see... As expected of someone who inherited the chakra of 'tolerance' and 'understanding' from the Sage of Six Paths, I understand now."
He nodded, finding the "test" quite reasonable.
"Then please give me two months. You will see results that will absolutely satisfy you."