The Boundary Between Illusion and Reality

Xuanye closed his eyes, sensing the Natural Energy through the power of the Cursed Seal and attempting to tame it.

Orochimaru watched this scene and suddenly asked with some curiosity:

"Lord Hokage, aren't you worried that I might tamper with the Cursed Seal?"

Orochimaru had originally developed the Cursed Seal to find himself a replacement body and absorb Natural Energy to increase his strength. Its current effect had merely been an unintended side effect.

Yet Xuanye wanted precisely that side effect and had no interest whatsoever in the secret technique for replacing bodies.

Although this Cursed Seal was safe, the Cursed Seals he had developed before—including the one previously used on Hong Dou—had all contained fragments of his soul.

That was so that, in case of an emergency, he could use those soul fragments he had scattered in advance to resurrect himself.

He had originally assumed that this Cursed Seal would be used on Hong Dou, or, at worst, that an Anbu member would be found to test its exact effects.

Did Xuanye really trust him that much? He had not even inspected the Cursed Seal he had created before using it directly on himself.

Was his strength what gave him the confidence to be so arrogant?

When Xuanye heard Orochimaru's words, he opened his eyes and glanced at him, unable to stop a smile from appearing on his face.

It was not the contemptuous kind of smile that mocked Orochimaru's foolishness. It was genuinely a warm, brilliant-looking smile.

"Orochimaru, do you really think that what you're seeing right now is reality?"

"Let me tell you this: your eyes will deceive you."

Orochimaru's slit pupils suddenly contracted, and he abruptly developed a bad feeling.

Dead memories resurfaced in his mind. The pain he never wanted to experience a second time