A Late-Night Talk with Orochimaru

Deep within the Sound Village Base's laboratory, it was nearly night. The eerie green glow of the culture tanks was the only source of light, casting strange shadows on the metal walls. White Zetsu's body trembled slightly in the nutrient solution, as if having an unsettling dream.

Orochimaru stood before the central laboratory table, holding a newly completed analysis report. His golden snake eyes gleamed with focused attention in the dim light, his fingertips tracing the data curves on the report, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"Interesting... very interesting," he muttered to himself. "The White Zetsu cell sample shows an astonishing 100% fusion rate with the First Hokage Cells. It's no surprise that the White Zetsu completely inherited the Wood Release abilities. Not bad, not bad..."

The laboratory door slid open silently. Neji walked in, having removed his human skin mask and special lenses, revealing a slightly tired face. The light from the culture tank was reflected in his Byakugan, like the moon immersed in a deep pool.

"You're back?" Orochimaru asked without looking up. "How did the Five Great Shinobi Villages react?"

"As we expected." Neji walked to the other side of the lab bench, picked up a glass of water, and drank it all in one gulp. "Iwagakure is stubborn, Cloud Village is furious, Konoha is somber, Sand Village is rational, Mist Village ... is shrewd."

He recounted in detail to Obito the process of declaring war on the Five Great Shinobi Villages, as well as Orochimaru burning Mei Terumi's scroll.

Orochimaru finally raised his head and looked at Neji. He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips—his signature move when he was excited.

"So, what was Obito's reaction? Was he satisfied with this order?"

"Satisfied." Neji put down his water glass. "Before I left, Obito verbally praised me for doing a good job..."

"Well done..." Orochimaru chuckled softly. "What a dramatic statement. That kid Obito is getting more and more immersed in the role of 'Madara Uchiha'."

"Obito's strength has increased again," Neji said softly. "The fusion between the Rinnegan and his body is increasing. When I left, his Chakra fluctuations were more than twice as stable as before."

"That's normal." Orochimaru said dismissively, "The Rinnegan is the eye of the Sage of Six Paths, it takes time to adapt. But Obito has the First Hokage Cells, so his adaptation speed will be much faster. Or perhaps he... could really reach the level of 'Pseudo-Six Paths' right now."

Pseudo-Six Paths. That's a term Orochimaru created, referring to a state where one possesses some of the power of the Sage of Six Paths, but hasn't fully reached the Six Paths Tier.

Neji was silent for a moment, then asked:

"How are the preparations for the Impure World Reincarnation?"

"It's done." Orochimaru walked to the refrigerated area deep inside the laboratory, opened a specially made refrigerator, where Neji had collected Nagato's hair and a small piece of his body tissue.

"Where is the vessel for Nagato's Impure World Reincarnation?" he asked the most crucial question.

Orochimaru's smile deepened. He walked to another refrigerated display case, entered a triple password, and the door opened with a "whoosh." Cold air rushed out, revealing only one container inside—but that container was ten times the size of the others.

Inside the container was a complete White Zetsu body. However, embedded in the chest of this White Zetsu was a dark red piece of flesh. This was tissue cultivated from Hashirama Cells, perfectly fused with the White Zetsu's body.

"Nagato's cell sample has completely fused with the White Zetsu enhanced by the First Hokage Cells." Orochimaru's voice was full of pride. "I improved the Impure World Reincarnation technique, allowing the sacrifice to 'actively accept' the will of the resurrected. Nagato reborn in this way will not only retain all his strength, but may also... retain some of his own consciousness."

Neji's pupils contracted slightly. "Retain independent consciousness? Won't that lead to loss of control?"

"No," Orochimaru said confidently. "I added 'double insurance' to the technique: first, my control over my Chakra; second..."

He paused, his smile turning sinister:

"Nagato's hatred for Obito is a more effective means of control than any seal—as long as we stand against Obito, Nagato will be our most loyal 'ally'."

Neji fell silent. He was weighing the risks. The Edo Tensei Nagato could indeed provide immense combat power, but Nagato's will was too strong, and the power of the Rinnegan was too dangerous—what if it went out of control...?

"Do we have a better option?" Orochimaru saw his hesitation. "Against the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, ordinary Kage Level fighters are just cannon fodder. We need power that can confront them head-on—or at least power that can buy us time."

"Nagato is the only known being capable of using the Rinnegan Six Paths powers. Even in his Reanimated Body, even with only a portion of his power, he's enough to hold off Black Zetsu, whom you're worried about, for a while."

A period of time is enough. What Neji needs is "a period of time"—before he completes the evolution of the Tenseigan, Naruto and Sasuke can effectively hold off Obito. The Impure World Reincarnation Nagato serve as a backup to hold off Black Zetsu.

"So, what about Sasuke?" He changed the subject. "Is he still training like crazy?"

Orochimaru's expression became subtle. "Sasuke Uchiha... is an interesting research subject. After you refused his request to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique, he even asked me about it, and I gave him relevant information..."

"But the problem is," Orochimaru paused, "That he truly lacks the talent for spatial perception. Furthermore, deep down, he is still consumed by obsession, which prevents him from achieving inner peace and thus hinders his progress."

Neji nodded, unsurprised. Sasuke's personality destined him to have a difficult time learning Space-Time Ninjutsu through normal training—not a matter of ability, but a matter of talent and mindset.

He looked into the depths of the laboratory, where a passageway led to Sasuke's training ground.

"Obsession can make a person stronger, but it can also make them blind. Sasuke needs to see a wider world, he needs to understand... Some battles are not for destruction, but for rebirth and creation."

Orochimaru was silent for a moment, then smiled:

"You're becoming more and more like a mentor, Neji- kun. But... you're right. Sasuke, that kid, really needs to awaken on his own."

He walked to the lab bench and continued the experiment he hadn't finished.

Neji glanced at it and said nothing more. He walked to the window—if it could be called a window, it was just a slit inlaid with a glowing crystal. Through the slit, he could see the outside of the Sound Village Base: a desolate valley, sparse vegetation, and... in the distance, the moon gradually becoming full.

Fifteen days. For me, it was neither long nor short. I took the opportunity to try Dust Release again. Through the Byakugan, I had observed the flow of Chakra, but the fusion of Chakra properties was the most difficult.

"Lord Orochimaru," Neji suddenly spoke, "If the plan fails, if I die... will you regret cooperating with me?"

Orochimaru stopped what he was doing. He turned to look at Neji, and for the first time, a complex expression, almost human, appeared on his pale face.

"Regret?" He repeated the word, as if savoring its meaning. "Neji- kun, after living all these years, conducting so many experiments, and pursuing so much knowledge... the only thing I've learned is that 'regret' is the most useless emotion."

He walked over to Neji and looked out the window at the moon as well:

"The meaning of life lies not in its length, but in its depth. I have seen too many people who have lived for many years, yet it feels like they have only lived one day; I have also seen some people who have only lived for twenty years, yet it feels like they have lived several lifetimes."

"Your current plan, your current choice, your current battle... regardless of success or failure, have already brought your life to an unprecedented 'depth'."

Orochimaru paused, his voice becoming distant:

"So, no regrets. Even in failure, even in death, there are no regrets. Because at least... you and I both tried to change the world, instead of passively accepting it."

Neji remained silent for Neji, then nodded slightly.

"Understood. Then, continue with the preparations."

He turned and walked deeper into the laboratory, toward the secret room where he rested.

Orochimaru watched his retreating figure, a complex light flashing in his golden snake eyes.

Then, he lowered his head and continued mixing the medicine.

The laboratory fell silent again. The only sounds were the bubbling of bubbles rising in the culture tank and the faint rumble of thunder from the training ground in the distance— Sasuke practicing Lightning Release.

Inside the secret room, Neji sat at a table with a huge map spread out in front of him. The map depicted the entire Shinobi World, marking all known power distributions, all possible battlefields, and all... variables.

His finger moved across the map, finally stopping at the location of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire.

There, a huge "X" was marked in red pen.

"Obito..." Neji muttered to himself, "Where exactly is your battle with the Child of Prophecy taking place?"

Outside the window, the moon had grown a little fuller.

The countdown has ended in 15 days, with 14 days remaining.

The fate of the Shinobi World is like a drop of water suspended on a thread, ready to fall and shatter at any moment, unleashing a monstrous wave.

Neji, Orochimaru, Sasuke, and all the ninjas who chose to resist or attempt neutrality were like tiny beings trying to catch that drop of water, trying to change the trajectory of their fall...

But being small does not mean being powerless.

Sometimes, the smallest things can bring about the biggest changes.

Neji clenched his fist. The next stage of the Byakugan's evolution— the Tenseigan. That legendary eye, on par with the Rinnegan. This was a secret even Orochimaru didn't know, and it was his only path to break the Caged Bird Seal and escape his shackles. But Obito's power, the chaotic plot—how could he ensure his plan would succeed? Although he had many backup plans, without absolute control, he couldn't feel at ease.

He closed his eyes and began to meditate.

Time passed silently.

War is approaching in the midst of calm.

The final outcome remains to be seen.

Everything is still in the player's hands.

Everything can still change.

Outside the window, the moon was high in the sky.

A new day has begun.