Chapter 43 – Orochimaru's Path to Immortality
After hesitating for quite some time, Orochimaru finally gave in.
He knew he couldn't avoid this confrontation any longer.
With a resigned sigh, he formed a hand seal and activated one of his signature techniques—the Snake Transformation Jutsu.
His body twisted and shifted, morphing into a thick, reddish-green serpent the width of a large bowl. With a slow, sinuous motion, the snake slithered out from the narrow crack in the cave wall.
In front of Hatake Kyūjō, the massive serpent rose up, coiling several meters tall as it flicked its forked tongue toward him—threatening, as if ready to devour anything in its path.
Kyūjō didn't even flinch.
Instead, he shook his head, his expression filled with visible boredom.
'Seriously... this stubborn snake never learns.'
Without saying a word, Kyūjō stepped forward.
A spark of lightning flashed in his Thunder Eyes.
In that instant, he activated one of the Kurama Clan's forbidden genjutsu: the Sensory Deprivation Technique.
And just like that—Orochimaru's pupils lost their focus.
— — —
When he came to, Orochimaru found himself back in his human form… but now standing in a space that defied all logic, all natural law.
It didn't take him long to realize it—he'd been dragged into that boy's genjutsu again.
Hatake Kyūjō.
Not the first time. Definitely not the last.
This was exactly why Orochimaru always approached Kyūjō with extreme caution.
"Orochimaru, you really haven't learned a thing, have you?"
Kyūjō's voice boomed like thunder across the boundless void.
Orochimaru spun around, scanning the space, trying to locate the source—but Kyūjō's form was nowhere to be found.
Face contorted in irritation, he shouted into the empty air.
"Hatake Kyūjō! Stop playing games and show yourself! Just tell me what you want already!"
"Games? Heh. Compared to you, calling myself a god wouldn't be an exaggeration."
The voice echoed from every direction—calm, mocking, absolute.
Before Orochimaru could retort, Kyūjō continued speaking:
"I already know everything you've been up to. But listen—so long as you don't kill innocent people or use living humans in your experiments, I have no intention of interfering."
"I'm here for only two reasons."
"First, my older brother lost his arm. You're going to fix it."
"Second, I want your full support in making Hatake Sakumo the Fourth Hokage."
"If you agree to those two things… I won't just let you continue your research into immortality—I'll even help you get your hands on materials you could never acquire on your own."
"…Such as cells and tissue fragments from the First Hokage himself."
Orochimaru froze.
He… knew.
He knew everything.
Every secret, every experiment.
But even before Orochimaru could formulate a response, the moment Kyūjō mentioned cells from the First Hokage, the crazed glint of obsession lit up in his eyes.
This was no longer just a negotiation—it was a temptation.
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru looked straight ahead and spoke softly:
"…Why should I trust you? If you can really offer me something like that, then give it to me first. Then maybe—"
"Orochimaru," Kyūjō cut him off coldly, "you don't have a choice."
"I could easily use genjutsu to rewrite your mind and force you to do it."
"But your value isn't in your body, or even your strength."
"It's in that brilliant mind of yours."
"And believe me… you really don't want to break that yourself. If you think I'm bluffing, then go ahead—test me."
"The flow of time here is different. We've got all the time in the world before anyone in the village realizes what's happening."
"So why don't we take it slow… and see just how deep my genjutsu really goes?"
As his voice faded, the scenery shifted around Orochimaru—again.
Now, he was strapped to an execution table in an underground chamber of Konoha's ANBU torture facility. The air was thick, damp, and smelled of rusted iron and death.
— — —
So, what did Orochimaru do?
He took the gamble.
And he lost.
Because when Kyūjō said they had time, he meant it.
In the mental world, an entire month passed.
A full month of unrelenting, systematic torture.
Kyūjō unleashed upon him every known psychological torment—ten of the most vicious mental breaking techniques in shinobi history.
Each pain pierced not the body, but the soul.
And when Orochimaru's consciousness was on the brink of collapse, when his very ego was shattering…
Only then did Kyūjō finally stop.
— — —
"Haa… haa… haa…"
Orochimaru gasped for breath, slumped across the torture rack. His body trembled. His breath was ragged. His eyes filled with both rage… and terror.
He screamed.
"Hatake Kyūjō!! I've agreed to your demands dozens of times already! Why didn't you stop?!"
Finally, Kyūjō appeared.
For the first time in a month, his image manifested before Orochimaru—calm, smiling.
"Ah, my bad. I got carried away."
"It's just… this was the first time I got to use genjutsu this freely. Besides, you're not just any shinobi. You're one of the Legendary Sannin. You think I believed you'd give in that easily, Orochimaru?"
Kyūjō clapped him on the shoulder with a strangely gentle smile.
"As long as you honor our deal, I'll make sure your path to immortality goes smoother than ever before."
For a moment, Orochimaru remained silent.
Then, he lowered his head and muttered bitterly:
"…Hatake Kyūjō… You better keep your word."
Seeing the scientist finally submit, Kyūjō pulled him out of the illusion.
Orochimaru's soul returned to his transformed snake body.
And strangely… his chakra remained almost untouched.
Even in Snake Transformation Jutsu, his energy hadn't dropped.
"This… This can't be…"
He turned to Kyūjō, astonished.
"How much time passed just now? That technique… how long can you maintain it?"
Kyūjō rubbed his chin in thought.
"Hmm… In the real world? Maybe… fifty-seven seconds."
"As for how long I can keep you trapped?"
"Well, that depends on the target."
"The stronger the mind, the more energy it takes."
"But for someone like you, Orochimaru…"
"I could hold you for a full year in the real world."
"…You'd starve to death," Orochimaru scoffed. "No one can survive a year without food."
But Kyūjō simply smiled.
"Who said I have to stay inside the illusion with you the entire time?"
"Didn't you notice my body shifted position while you were still trapped?"
"Oh, and by the way… I don't need to eat, Orochimaru."
"…!"
Orochimaru went silent.
A year?
If a single year passed in the real world… how long could time flow in that mental dimension?
He quickly did the math.
And within seconds, his face went pale.
525,600 months.
43,800 years.
Longer than the entire history of the shinobi world.
And in that moment of realization, Orochimaru saw it.
A gate.
A gateway to a new world—a new possibility.
His eyes lit up with fervor as he stared at Kyūjō, awe burning behind his gaze.
Hatake Kyūjō… had just opened a new path to true immortality.
And from that instant on…
Orochimaru found his answer.
"The body may perish. But the soul… can live forever."
If Kyūjō knew what Orochimaru was thinking right now, he'd probably just sigh and mutter—
'What a freakin' genius.'
Because anyone else—after suffering through a month of genjutsu torture—would've been reduced to a broken husk.
But Orochimaru?
He reached enlightenment.
Because that's how true monsters are born.
The strong… never blame their environment.
And behind every impossible risk…
Lurks an unimaginable opportunity.
Who's to say Orochimaru… was wrong?
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