His expression was blank, his gaze wandering, though he hadn't been caught in any other genjutsu.
Orochimaru's expression hadn't changed after falling under Kotoamatsukami. He still looked just as surprised as when Shinji had exposed his secret.
Only his pupils were rapidly expanding and contracting, revealing his unsettled state of mind.
Meanwhile, Shinji, who had cast Kotoamatsukami, was having a different kind of realization.
Unsure whether Kotoamatsukami cast with a single eye could permanently affect a shinobi of Orochimaru's caliber, Shinji had deliberately said those things earlier, trying to break through Orochimaru's defenses and shake his resolve.
After all, in the original timeline, Danzo's attempt to use Kotoamatsukami on Mifune had gone awry.
And judging by the effect of Danzo's Kotoamatsukami, it had been far from satisfactory, hardly living up to the title of "strongest genjutsu."
But after casting Kotoamatsukami himself, Shinji realized the technique wasn't the problem at all. Danzo was simply a terrible user.
Without needing to say a word, Shinji used Kotoamatsukami's power to directly rewrite Orochimaru's will, making him utterly loyal to Shinji.
After changing Orochimaru's will, Shinji gently covered his eye and thought, So this is the cooldown on Kotoamatsukami.
Kotoamatsukami's cooldown wasn't caused by a lack of ocular power. It was a state in which the eye simply couldn't respond.
It was like how, no matter how much ocular power one had, Shinra Tensei couldn't be used continuously without interruption.
However, after sensing it, Shinji realized Kotoamatsukami's cooldown wasn't as long as a decade or more. At least for him, it didn't take that long. It would take roughly four or five years before he could use it again.
After calmly finishing his assessment, Shinji looked at Orochimaru and asked casually, "Who talked you into coming to Konoha this time?"
Orochimaru smiled, his tone