Once again defeated by Guren's Crystal Release, Uzumaki Naruto slumped in frustration.
"Guren-san is seriously strong... I've been working so hard lately, so why does it feel like it's all for nothing?"
"Naruto-kun, what's with you?" A voice suddenly spoke from behind, sly and mocking.
"This gloomy, sulky attitude doesn't suit you at all. Don't tell me you've given up just because Guren beat you?"
Without making a sound, Orochimaru had appeared right behind him.
The moment Naruto heard his voice, he sprang to his feet like a startled cat, pointing and shouting,
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! Like hell I'd ever give up! Just wait—I'm not only going to surpass Guren-san, I'm gonna surpass you one day too!"
"Tch tch tch... You, surpass me, Orochimaru?" Orochimaru sneered, letting out a cold, drawn-out chuckle.
But as he laughed, the smile gradually disappeared from his face.
Something felt... off.
His expression twisted, as if he'd just eaten something utterly disgusting. Without another word, he turned and walked back toward his lab, ignoring Naruto's yelling.
Orochimaru had recently absorbed Indra's chakra from a mysterious figure. As expected of the Sage of Six Paths' son, that chakra was still potent after centuries, brimming with a fierce, stubborn will.
The impact was more than he'd anticipated. Orochimaru found himself acting like an immature child—arguing with Naruto over the dumbest things, completely out of character.
Thankfully, he'd fused with Indra's chakra while already being a fully-developed adult with solid values. His mental defenses were strong. The moment he sensed something was wrong, he was able to snap out of it.
I have to find a way to eliminate Indra's will, Orochimaru thought firmly. If I don't, it'll slowly twist me into something else.
...
"Hey, Orochimaru! What's with you just walking off like that?" Naruto, seeing him leave without a word, followed him to the lab entrance on a whim.
Without answering, Orochimaru slammed the door shut with a thud.
Naruto immediately got pissed, pounding on the door with his fists.
"Hey! Orochimaru! Open up already! Don't go hiding in there and ignoring me!"
Inside, Orochimaru felt like he was being torn in two—one part of him wanted to fling the door open and scream at Naruto until the lab collapsed, while the other half restrained him, whispering that such behavior was beneath him.
He wanted nothing more than to slice Uzumaki Naruto into little pieces. And yet, he coveted Asura's chakra too much to act on it.
Many inside the base had begun to notice Orochimaru's strange behavior.
"Eh? Don't you guys ever wonder what the heck is going on between Orochimaru and that little blond brat?" Suigetsu asked, nosing around with a face full of gossip.
"If you're so curious, why don't you go ask him yourself?" Guren snapped irritably.
"Orochimaru-sama must have his reasons." Kabuto adjusted his glasses, a faint smile on his face as the lenses glinted coldly.
"Hmm…" Suigetsu fell into thought.
...
From then on, Orochimaru spent most of his time buried in the lab, continuously experimenting with ways to fuse his chakra with Naruto's. He was determined to find the perfect method to combine them.
It was no easy feat, but if he kept testing long enough, sooner or later, something miraculous was bound to happen.
And it did.
Orochimaru became visibly obsessed, bordering on manic. He was brushing up against the threshold of a higher power—the force that governs all creation. A form of chakra far beyond the elemental Five Natures. Ordinary chakra didn't even come close.
"Oi, Orochimaru, what weird stuff are you working on in here again?" Naruto suddenly barged in, snapping Orochimaru out of his trance.
Orochimaru's face darkened. "Naruto. How many times have I told you? Knock before entering the lab."
"Oops. Sorry, heh heh." Naruto scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
Because of the attraction between their chakra, there was a strange connection between Naruto and Orochimaru. Orochimaru could suppress his reactions, keeping things in check. But Naruto? He was just a kid. Instinctively drawn to Orochimaru, he kept approaching him—even if it meant awkward small talk every single day.
Orochimaru took a deep breath, forcing down the complicated mess of emotions swirling inside him.
...
Time passed. The Shinobi World grew more turbulent. Although Orochimaru's fusion experiment still had many flaws, he could wait no longer.
"Orochimaru-sama, isn't this a bit rushed?" Kabuto asked with a polite smile, though his tone carried a trace of concern. His glasses caught the light, flashing ominously.
"No. We can't afford to delay any further," Orochimaru said with a shake of his head.
Whether it was for the sake of his ideals or to face the looming threat, Orochimaru had no choice but to act now. He'd prepared several contingencies—so even if things went south, the losses would be minimal.
"What about Naruto?" Guren suddenly asked. "He's not going to be in any danger, right?" Her recent interactions with Naruto had clearly changed her. She actually sounded... worried.
Orochimaru ignored her. Sentimentality was a distraction he couldn't afford.
...
The operation began swiftly.
Kabuto drugged Naruto's food. When the boy fell asleep, he wrapped him up like a dumpling.
But thanks to Naruto's sturdy body, the drug didn't last long. Before long, he was awake—and furious.
"Damn you, Orochimaru! What the hell are you trying to do?! Let me go right now!"
"Naruto, I need your help with something," Orochimaru said gently, his tone almost... pleading. "It might hurt a little. But I know you'll forgive me. Right?"
Naruto was stunned. Or maybe it was Asura who couldn't bring himself to resist Indra's plea.
Orochimaru had figured out how these two brothers operated.
Seizing the opportunity, he moved quickly. Stuffing a gag into Naruto's mouth, he laid him flat on the lab table, stripped off his shirt, and placed a hand over the seal on his stomach.
Naruto could only stare in confusion, his expression twisted as he struggled to understand what was going on.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru released the Eight Trigrams Seal.
Dark red chakra, radiating violent, feral energy, erupted from Naruto's belly.
"HAHAHA! I'M FINALLY FREE! I'M FINALLY OUT OF THAT DAMNED CAGE!" The Nine-Tails roared, overwhelmed with joy.
"Guren, he's yours!"
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama!"
With that, Orochimaru and Kabuto took Naruto and left the base. Guren, meanwhile, activated Crystal Release. A massive pink dragon formed from shimmering crystals lunged at the Nine-Tails, drawing its attention.
Provoked, the Nine-Tails attacked her.
There was no way Guren could win, of course. But as long as she bought enough time for Orochimaru to escape, her mission would be complete.
Orochimaru wanted to extract the Asura chakra from Naruto's body, and the Nine-Tails was a huge liability. Leaving it inside Naruto would greatly increase the chances of failure—so he had to get rid of it first.
But Orochimaru had neither the means nor the desire to reseal the Nine-Tails.
So he simply let it go.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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