After roughly negotiating with Orochimaru, Natsuki had a better grasp of the situation.
He first opened a portal for Orochimaru and sent him back to the battlefield.
Then he used Flying Thunder God to go see Naruto.
But what Natsuki did not know was that Orochimaru had already formed a new theory about his abilities.
In this world, it could be said that Orochimaru was the one who understood Natsuki's abilities best.
Natsuki had told Orochimaru long ago that changing certain people's fates allowed him to use one of their abilities once.
Though he had put it vaguely, Orochimaru understood it all.
Before Natsuki had the Rinnegan or power at the level of Kekkei Mōra, he had already been able to use the Reanimation Jutsu.
Energy was conserved. It could not appear out of thin air.
Something must have paid the corresponding price in Natsuki's place.
Such things were rare, but not without precedent.
For instance, some people worshipped Jashin, and he could pay for their lives, granting them vitality from nothing.
But accordingly, they also had to do things for Jashin.
To Orochimaru, who revered science, gods were merely higher life forms that he could not yet comprehend.
It was perfectly normal for such higher life forms to have peculiar preferences.
If there were evil gods who liked harvesting souls, then naturally there were also righteous gods who revered peace and life.
Orochimaru had begun to suspect that Natsuki was favored by some god.
Natsuki did things for that god, while the god paid the price for matters that required a cost.
By accomplishing things the god liked, or completing its tasks, he could receive the god's favor.
Natsuki had his own set of principles for everything he did.
Over the years, whether through information received from Natsuki or