Orochimaru's Intuition

Land of Fields, Orochimaru's secret base.

The massive observatory stood deep within the base like a colossal black beast.

At the top of the observatory, Orochimaru stood before a giant observation instrument, his gaze fixed intently on the distant starry sky.

Ever since his last contact with Danzo, a lingering sense of unease had been haunting Orochimaru's mind.

Recalling that meeting, he had vaguely sensed a bizarre aura emanating from Danzo.

That aura was by no means ordinary; it felt as if some power was silently influencing Danzo's consciousness.

As an expert who had long delved into the realms of the soul and spirit, Orochimaru had keenly sensed where the problem lay.

Without a doubt, this had to be the power of the Sharingan.

But the question remained: what kind of powerful Sharingan could silently control or even guide a figure like Danzo without him ever noticing?

Connecting this to many recent events, Orochimaru formed a bold hypothesis.

Although Uchiha Yuan was already dead...

His Sharingan, his chakra consciousness...

Were influencing the entire Shinobi World in a bizarre way, stirring up the situation.

Then, what was his goal?

To destroy the Shinobi World?

Or something else?

Just as he was immersed in his thoughts, a low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded from behind him without warning: "Orochimaru..."

This abrupt voice sounded as if it had crawled out of hell, causing Orochimaru to become alert instantly.

Turning his head, he saw a black figure appear.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the observatory, falling upon that strange mask, making it look exceptionally eerie and cold.

After seeing who it was...

Orochimaru offered a mocking, insincere smile.

"Isn't this Tobi from the Akatsuki organization?"

"Tobi?"

Obito's voice from behind the mask was low and calm as he slowly shook his head.

"I am not Tobi; I am Uchiha Madara."

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's smile faded slightly.

Uchiha Madara?

Who are you trying to fool...

"That is a truly unfunny joke."

Before the words had even left his lips, a dense swarm of venomous snakes surged from Orochimaru's sleeves, rushing toward Obito like a black tide.

At the critical moment, Obito's figure suddenly turned illusory, and all the snakes passed straight through his body.

It was as if he were merely a void phantom, impossible to touch as a physical entity.

The next moment, Obito had already appeared on the other side of Orochimaru, the kunai in his hand aimed precisely at Orochimaru's throat.

Orochimaru turned quickly, intending to counterattack.

Just as he was about to launch his assault, his line of sight unexpectedly locked with Obito's Sharingan.

In that briefest of moments of eye contact, Orochimaru froze in place.

The instant his eyes met Obito's!

A strong and bizarre sense of familiarity surged from the depths of his heart.

This feeling was extremely clear and profound, even causing him to feel a chill run down his spine.

He had personally felt this specific type of mental fluctuation on Danzo before.

At this very moment, Orochimaru finally realized that this mysterious figure claiming to be Uchiha Madara...

Possessed a Sharingan that shared some secret and powerful connection to the power he had sensed from Danzo.

Could it be...

"You..."

For the first time, Orochimaru's voice betrayed undisguised shock and doubt.

"Who exactly are you?"

At this moment, he actually believed that the person before him was the real Uchiha Madara.

Perhaps only Uchiha Madara could control Danzo.

Yet the facts told Orochimaru that, in all likelihood, this person was just like Danzo—deeply mired in it all without even realizing it...

Uchiha Yuan...

How could such a powerful Sharingan possibly exist in this world?

Or was it that his Sharingan had been false intelligence from the very beginning...

Unable to make sense of it all, Orochimaru fell into an eerie silence.

Obito stared at him with cold eyes, his voice low and calm: "I am Uchiha Madara, Orochimaru."

"Is that so... Lord Madara..."

Orochimaru lowered his head: "I am very curious..."

"What kind of ability does your Sharingan possess that allows it to influence a person's mental consciousness without a sound?"

This was a final probe, to see if he was aware of the matter regarding Danzo...

This question was extremely vague...

If he were the one who had truly controlled his consciousness, he would certainly understand what he was asking.

Why would Orochimaru ask this?

Influencing someone else's consciousness?

I am not Shisui...

Hearing this, Obito tilted his head slightly and shifted the topic directly...

"I think you should explore that answer yourself. But for now, I have come to you for something more important."

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

He did not know what it was he had just asked about...

"Cooperation."

Having completely calmed down, Orochimaru quickly countered: "...What do you want to obtain from me?"

Seeing Orochimaru settle down, Obito withdrew his kunai...

"The Impure World Reincarnation, a technique said to be able to resurrect dead ninjas and grant them combat abilities nearly equal to those they had in life."

Upon hearing the words Impure World Reincarnation, Orochimaru's expression shifted instantly, and he began to size up the Obito before him with keen interest.

He knew the power of the Impure World Reincarnation, and he was also clear on the drawbacks of the technique...

"That is correct. The Impure World Reincarnation can indeed summon and control powerful deceased ninjas, but the prerequisite is that one must prepare a sufficiently strong and suitable sacrifice."

"Otherwise, even if they are summoned, the more powerful the ninja, the harder it is for them to display their full strength."

Regarding Obito's cooperation, Orochimaru did not want to refuse; after all, he did not want to stay with the Akatsuki either.

The mysteries behind this strange masked man only made him want to investigate further.

Hearing this, Obito seemed as if he had been prepared for a long time.

He unhurriedly pulled a white humanoid body from his space and tossed it in front of Orochimaru: "Then take a look at this. Does it qualify?"

Orochimaru had initially only glanced at it carelessly, but the next second, a fierce desire for research and excitement erupted in his eyes.

"This is...?"

Orochimaru carefully examined the white body on the ground, the excitement in his eyes growing more intense, to the point where it was difficult to conceal.

"This is a special artificial body called White Zetsu, which possesses powerful life energy and chakra adaptability."

Obito sounded a bit smug as he said this: "It should be able to perfectly meet the requirements of the Impure World Reincarnation, right?"

The number of White Zetsu was not large, but he could still steal a batch...

Black Zetsu must be furious, right?

Orochimaru did not answer immediately, reaching out to lightly touch the body of the White Zetsu.

The delicate, special texture full of vitality instantly ignited a strong interest and desire within him.

"It is indeed very interesting..."

Orochimaru murmured softly: "I have never seen this kind of special artificial body before."

He then raised his head, his expression gradually becoming solemn as he looked at Obito earnestly: "However, I still need some time to carefully study and confirm its feasibility."

Obito nodded faintly, his tone calm and confident: "Study it as you please. I have plenty of these things."

Besides, it was very convenient for him to steal things with Kamui...

At this moment, Obito frowned, for he had sensed a familiar chakra appearing outside Orochimaru's base...

"Uchiha Itachi is here..."

Hearing that Uchiha Itachi had appeared, Orochimaru revealed an extremely intense, greedy gaze.