blogombal Chapter 417 Conspiracy
Chapter 417 Conspiracy
Orochimaru sighed, thinking: Perhaps this is fate! However, he did not feel frustrated or desperate. Instead, he decided to face the current situation in a calmer and more rational way. He knew that as a strong person, one must always maintain a clear mind in order to remain invincible in a brutal battle.
Orochimaru secretly vowed to become stronger to face any future challenges. At the same time, he would strive to protect those around him, especially his close companions. At that moment, Orochimaru's eyes hardened.
Orochimaru concealed his presence and quietly followed the group from Konoha Village to a gathering place. He stood silently in the shadows, waiting patiently. He could sense a powerful force approaching—the aura of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He thought to himself, "This brat seems to possess a very chaotic mix of natural energies."
Orochimaru gazed at Naruto Uzumaki before him, a flicker of curiosity rising within him. He keenly sensed the chaotic, uncontrolled natural energy emanating from Naruto, causing his eyes to narrow slightly. He pondered, and an answer gradually formed in his mind. Years ago, when he fought Jiraiya, he had sensed the same energy fluctuations emanating from him. Therefore, this method of absorbing and utilizing natural energy could very well originate from one of the so-called three sacred lands hidden behind the world—Mount Myōboku. He remembered personally visiting the Earth Dragon Cave and experiencing this unique training method firsthand.
However, with Orochimaru's current strength, he could clearly perceive the crudeness of the so-called Sage Techniques of the Three Sacred Lands, and also keenly sense the immense harm this method would cause to the human body. If one were to absorb natural energy in this way for an extended period, the human body would gradually change, slowly transforming into the beast-like form found in the Three Sacred Lands. Although this transformation was extremely slow, it was indeed subtly altering the body's fundamental genes.
Orochimaru suddenly remembered what Hyuga Kanan had told him years ago: "Don't easily try to alter human genes." At the time, Orochimaru hadn't taken those words to heart, but now he deeply understood their meaning. He discovered that the so-called Sage Techniques passed down from the three sacred lands were essentially achieved by altering the very essence of humanity. This practice not only made people stronger but also drove them to madness and destruction. All of this perfectly matched what Hyuga Kanan had said years ago, making Orochimaru realize that his pursuit of power might have reached its end.
"Hoo..." Orochimaru took a deep breath, a hint of relief and lingering fear in his eyes. He couldn't help but think of his past, reckless and impulsive self. If he had really made changes to his body back then, he might no longer be able to continue his training.
Recalling Hyuga Kanan's terrifying strength, Orochimaru felt a chill run down his spine. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to imagine that a person could possess such power. It was that experience that made him understand the immense potential of the human body and also made him realize the risks of arbitrarily modifying one's body.
"Fortunately, I didn't go down that path." Orochimaru shook his head slightly and said with emotion. He knew that if he had chosen to modify his body, he might have been plunged into endless suffering, or even lost his life.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh. He felt incredibly lucky to have pulled back from the brink in time and avoided going down that path of no return. Now, he still possessed a complete body and could continue to pursue higher levels of cultivation.
However, Orochimaru did not let his guard down. He knew that the path of cultivation was fraught with peril and challenges, and the slightest misstep could lead to ruin. Therefore, he had to remain vigilant at all times and constantly improve his strength in order to remain invincible in this cruel world.
Gazing into the distance, Orochimaru's eyes hardened with determination. He believed that as long as he persevered, one day he would achieve his goal and become a true powerhouse.
Orochimaru was now certain that Naruto Uzumaki, far away, had no chance of defeating Pain, who could unleash such immense power of rules. However, when he realized this, his brow furrowed even more deeply. Because, judging from the situation on the ground, Naruto's victory was undeniable; he had successfully defeated the Six Paths of Pain and saved Konoha. But this result completely contradicted his previous assessment, plunging him into deep doubt.
"It seems I need to thoroughly investigate what exactly happened to cause this situation," Orochimaru muttered to himself. He couldn't understand why Pain had been defeated by Naruto. Based on his perception and observation of Naruto's strength, there was absolutely no hope of him defeating Pain, who unleashed such power of rules. It seemed that something else had happened in the battle in Konoha that he was unaware of, and he could only find the answer by secretly spending time investigating in detail.
With a flash, Orochimaru swiftly left the cheering crowd welcoming Naruto Uzumaki and sped towards the location of the Hyuga clan members in Konoha. He firmly believed that the Hyuga clan members who had observed the entire battle must possess more detailed intelligence. This valuable information would help him conduct an in-depth analysis and make accurate judgments about the entire incident.
Orochimaru arrived quickly at the Hyuga clan's temporary base in Konoha. The Hyuga clan members present showed no surprise at Orochimaru's arrival. They had already received the message from the training grounds, knowing that Orochimaru had been dispatched to Konoha to support the village. Although Orochimaru arrived too late to offer any real assistance, it at least gave them some reassurance. After all, Orochimaru's reputation and strength were immense; he was more than capable of maintaining Konoha's current state.
After listening to the entire battle between Naruto Uzumaki and Pain at the Hyuga clan's temporary base, Orochimaru's brow furrowed even more. He noticed numerous inconsistencies. As for what happened at the end—Naruto's journey to Pain's main body—the Hyuga clan members present were completely unaware of it.
However, members of the Hyuga clan also mentioned a very shocking and bizarre event that occurred in Konoha: those who died during the battle with Pain, as long as their bodies were intact, were all resurrected by a strange energy. They observed with their Byakugan that countless chakra aggregates appeared in the sky and spread throughout Konoha; these chakra aggregates entered the bodies of the fallen, and only then did those people revive.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru already had his answer. The immense power of rules he had sensed along the way must be the strange and bizarre phenomenon they had described. This discovery filled Orochimaru with an indescribable shock, for he had deeply studied the records passed down by Hyuga Kanan and was well aware of their mysteries and power. However, according to the records, this power of rules should belong to the authority of the world, representing an existence beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Now, such power had actually appeared in reality, causing Orochimaru to fall into deep thought.
Even if one comprehends the power of rules within the world's authority, there's no way they could compete with the world's will for its use. Even if one forcibly uses this power of rules, they should be punished by heavenly tribulation from the world's will. However, he didn't sense any fluctuations of heavenly tribulation from the world's will. That proves that the other party hasn't suffered any punishment after using the world's will's authority.
This speculation instantly turned Orochimaru's face ashen, his eyes filled with horror and disbelief. As someone who had personally experienced the Heavenly Tribulation, he knew all too well that the World Will remained highly vigilant against any act that defied the laws of nature or attempted to rewrite fate. Now, for the other side to resurrect the dead on such a large scale was undoubtedly a blatant challenge to the authority of the World Will. Moreover, the World Will itself operated according to established rules; it wouldn't easily tolerate such a serious violation of the natural order.
This reminded Orochimaru of the mysterious and powerful Pain. The power displayed by his Rinnegan was astonishing, seemingly surpassing the limits of mortals. According to the records of the ninja world's history, the Rinnegan was considered a powerful eye technique exclusively belonging to the Sage of Six Paths. So, in this operation against Konoha, was the Sage of Six Paths truly manipulating everything behind the scenes? This thought sent a chill down Orochimaru's spine. If so, the enemy they faced was far stronger than imagined. However, Orochimaru did not give up. He knew that to unravel this mystery, he had to investigate deeply and find the truth. Therefore, he decided to personally go to Naruto Uzumaki to obtain more detailed information and search for more clues about Pain and the Rinnegan. He believed that only by understanding the enemy's true strength and purpose could he find a way to counter it.
Thinking this through, Orochimaru didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately left the Hyuga clan's temporary stronghold and rushed to Tsunade's resting place. He knew that Naruto Uzumaki would arrive there immediately. Even though Tsunade was unconscious, she was still an important figure in Konoha—the Hokage. As a member of the Konoha ninja order, Naruto Uzumaki had the responsibility and obligation to promptly report the latest information to Tsunade and other Konoha leaders. This was not only a duty, but also a demonstration of responsibility for the safety and stability of Konoha. Therefore, Orochimaru firmly believed that Naruto Uzumaki would not delay this important mission, but would go to Tsunade as soon as possible to ensure that Konoha could obtain the most crucial information and take appropriate countermeasures.