After it was over, Orochimaru glanced sideways at Naruto, who showed no reaction at all, and a question mark rose in his mind.
"You recognize this thing?"
Naruto twisted his mouth.
"Isn't it just Sage Mode?"
Jiraiya had not even signed a summoning contract as a child before he was directly reverse-summoned to Mount Myoboku.
Naruto had always thought there was something fishy about that. Either that old toad had been behind it, or the Sage of Six Paths had pulled strings from the shadows.
Either way, he absolutely refused to believe it was because Jiraiya's character had been so outstanding, especially if Gamamaru really could see the future.
But there was no denying that Jiraiya, once a complete loser, had become superhuman overnight thanks to Senjutsu Chakra.
A man like Orochimaru, obsessed with ninjutsu, could not possibly remain unmoved by such miraculous power.
Unfortunately, forbidden techniques had hollowed out his body, leaving him completely incompatible with senjutsu.
But heaven had not cut off every path. Jugo appeared and let Orochimaru see the light again.
He threw himself into researching the Curse Mark. Through Living Corpse Reincarnation, he carved his own soul into Curse Marks and planted them in ninja he had taken a liking to.
Once those ninja craved power badly enough, the Curse Marks would activate on their own, helping them absorb natural energy from the air. The effect was not far from the symbiotic state Jiraiya and the husband-and-wife toads, Fukasaku and Shima, used.
But this imitation senjutsu had a vicious downside.
At Mount Myoboku, the consequence was petrification. For Jugo's branch of Sage Mode, the side effect was an ignited killing intent. Once their minds clouded over, the hosts became madmen who knew only slaughter.
That was where Clear-Mind Pill got its name.
It existed solely