In the Land of the Sky, Sound Village.
Inside the underground research base, Orochimaru's golden serpentine eyes greedily gazed at Uchiha Yoru.
"Yoru, your body is truly the most perfect existence in the ninja world."
Faced with Orochimaru's intense and abnormal gaze, Uchiha Yoru shrugged lightly and smiled.
"Teacher, there must have been more perfect beings in the history of the ninja world."
Hearing this, Orochimaru, unusually, showed a serious expression, furrowing his brows and saying solemnly, "Based on the Uchiha clan history provided by you, Yoru, I suspect that the Sage of the Six Paths really existed in the legends of the ninja world."
As if fearing Uchiha Yoru wouldn't believe him, Orochimaru even presented several strong pieces of evidence.
"I've investigated the most detailed historical records of various Daimyo's estates in the ninja world, and almost all of them point out one issue, that before the Sage of the Six Paths appeared, there was no chakra in the ninja world!"
Orochimaru, excited as if discovering a new world, couldn't help but lick his lips, as if someone could understand his outpouring.
Uchiha Yoru nodded in agreement, also smiling.
"Teacher, I thought I was the only one in the ninja world who had such doubts."
"You, Yoru?" Orochimaru showed an excited look, as if he had found a kindred spirit who spoke his language.
Uchiha Yoru nodded with a smile, "Others might think it's madness, but from the historical records of the Uchiha clan and those I've plundered, I've noticed this point and even speculated about it."
"Before the Sage of the Six Paths, the ninja world was dominated by warriors and the rare, mysterious Onmyoji. But according to records, it seems that the warriors and Onmyoji who stood at the top of the pyramid all wielded a mysterious and powerful force, much like Senjutsu."
Uchiha Yoru became even more excited, "The training records of Senjutsu at the Fire Temple mentioned that once powerful warriors, monks, and Onmyoji all wielded this power known as Senjutsu, and some were even referred to as the 'Senju Clan'."
"Ha ha." The terrifying laboratory echoed with Orochimaru's excited and thrilled laughter, his eyes even moist with tears.
In Orochimaru's eyes, he knew he was an outlier, especially in his thinking, which not even Jiraiya, Tsunade, or his teacher could understand.
But today, he finally found a kindred spirit.
"Yoru, you truly are a being who can stir the future of the ninja world."
At this moment, Orochimaru exhibited an unusually excited emotion, "Indeed, I also found these materials, even the Summoning Beasts of the past were referred to as 'Demon Beasts.' At that time, there was no chakra, yet these powerful Demon Beasts also wielded the power of Senjutsu, like the Ryuchi Caves."
"After the Sage of the Six Paths, the world underwent a drastic change. Chakra suddenly appeared, leading to the emergence of ninjas. And compared to Senjutsu, chakra was easier to learn, and even teenagers mastering chakra were more powerful than adult warriors."
"It was like a wave of the era. In historical records, ninjas spread like a virus across the entire world, even the continents were named after the ninja lands."
"Chakra was brought by the Sage of the Six Paths? Then how did the Sage of the Six Paths master chakra? And what exactly is chakra, this power that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere?"
Uchiha Yoru looked at Orochimaru, who was gradually becoming crazed, with a look of admiration.
He was standing on the shoulders of giants, and Orochimaru was merely digging up everything based on some information he provided.
This painstaking and tedious process of excavating historical truths and tracing origins, in the eyes of Orochimaru, is like discovering a treasure. He excitedly unravels the mystery layer by layer, gradually uncovering the world's true nature.
This thirst for knowledge gives him an addictive feeling of fascination.
Looking at the replicated version of the Outer Path: Gedo Statue cultivated before him, Uchiha Yoru reveals a smile.
Orochimaru truly deserves to be the only scientist in the ninja world. He is indeed formidable, almost having found a breakthrough. If he continues his research, the once-concealed history will probably all be revealed to him.
After all, Orochimaru possesses the forbidden jutsu of Reanimation and has access to the long-standing Daimyo's domain, along with various historical ruins where the true history is buried.
With the Reanimation jutsu, Orochimaru can summon someone just from a bone or a pinch of cremains discovered in the ruins.
"Yoru, do you know what interesting thing I've found?"
At this moment, Orochimaru's face shows a very interesting smile, looking at the monster in the huge cultivation vessel, his golden snake pupils revealing excitement and fervor.
"I've discovered that nearly everyone in the ninja world has this monster's genetic material in their DNA. No! It should be said that the biology of the ninja world is incomplete."
"More importantly, the Uchiha clan! And in some of the powerful bloodline families in the ninja world, you have inherited more of this monster's genetic material in your bodies, and it seems the more you inherit, the stronger the power."
"That is to say, the origin of the ninja world might be related to this monster."
Goodness, Uchiha Yoru is shocked looking at Orochimaru, who has already deduced this far. He can't help but acknowledge Orochimaru as the scientist of the ninja world.
Impressive!
"Also, this strange creature, it's like a shell, and the chakra of the Tailed Beasts is like nutrients. This means the Tailed Beasts are also closely related to the origin of chakra, and you, Uchiha Yoru!"
Orochimaru, with an excited and frenzied look, licks his lips, taking out a test tube and a stack of sealed documents.
"Yoru, take a good look. With your possession of Wood Release, your genes have become even more perfect. If we compare this strange creature to the Tailed Beasts, then your body would be the most perfect vessel for a Jinchuriki."
Terrifying! At this moment, Uchiha Yoru can't help but feel a chill down his spine, looking at the frenzied Orochimaru and the documents in his hands, knowing that Orochimaru occasionally requests some of his flesh for research.
But he never imagined it would come to this.
"Yoru, it seems you know something!" With a keen intuition, Orochimaru suddenly turns around, his snake pupils showing greed.
But Uchiha Yoru, unfazed, nods and admits directly, "Teacher, there are indeed some secrets I know, but these are also my recent deductions from the documents."
"The secrets of the ninja world, I have some guesses. After all, Teacher, as you know, the Daimyo's domains of the Water and Fire countries are under my surveillance, so it's easier to know some ancient documents."
Uchiha Yoru, with a meaningful smile, makes Orochimaru laugh even louder.
"Ha ha, I really didn't misjudge you, Yoru. You and I are the same, we are kindred spirits."
No! I am fake, you are real.
Uchiha Yoru murmurs in his heart. The current Orochimaru is somewhat mad, but it's clear that he's on the right track.
Originally, Orochimaru in the timeline was obsessed with the Sharingan and went astray. Now, he has skipped ahead and is on the right track, seeking his original dream – the truth of life, immortality! The secret of chakra, the origin of ninjas, the secret of the world.
"Yoru, although we are alike, I can see your obsession with power in your eyes. You need power, and I need the world's secrets."
At this moment, Orochimaru is extremely excited, just like in the later stages of his life, starting to research the power of the Otsutsuki. Now, Uchiha Yoru is leading Orochimaru in this direction.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru's obsession with the Sharingan was also due to his desire to explore the origin of Uchiha's power.
Now, Orochimaru stood atop the Sharingan, seeing a farther and broader sky.
And Uchiha Yoru also showed a smile. He, too, stood on the shoulders of giants, seeing further. The Ninja World was just his target, for the future enemy was the Ōtsutsuki clan.
Orochimaru's power was indispensable.
"Teacher, it's a pleasure working with you."
"Yoru, it's a pleasure working with you."
As the two shook hands, Uchiha Yoru's face was full of sunny smiles, while Orochimaru licked his lips, showing an evil grin. The two of them seemed like a perfect combination of good and evil at this moment.
"Teacher, I have some speculations about the secrets of the Ninja World from the information, but so far, I only have a few clues."
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru's face was solemn as he said, "Teacher, have you ever heard of the myth about the Sage of Six Paths fighting monsters?"
With a puzzled look from Orochimaru, Uchiha Yoru continued solemnly, "Maybe this myth is true, or maybe not. But I found from all the information that at that time, almost all origins were in the once-existing Land of Ancestors."
The Land of Ancestors! Hearing about a nation long lost in the dust of history, Orochimaru showed an excited smile.
"Hehe, having a target is good. Leave this to me."
However, seeing Orochimaru's excited look, Uchiha Yoru shook his head solemnly.
"Teacher, perhaps the Sage of Six Paths is not dead! If you investigate the Land of Ancestors!"
Boom! Orochimaru's pupils shrank. Does the Sage of Six Paths really exist? Wasn't dead? Then!
"The Death Mask of the Uzumaki Clan recorded in the materials seems to have found traces of the existence of the Sage of Six Paths in the Pure Land, but the later materials were erased, as if deliberately."
"And so many things have happened in the Ninja World over the years. So, Teacher, please don't investigate dangerous places lightly without power."
Orochimaru took Uchiha Yoru's warning very seriously, and these secrets also aroused his strong desire for knowledge.
"Yoru, I have some intelligence here that you might be interested in."
At this moment, Orochimaru showed a sinister smile, "Half a year ago, I found through the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu that the Second Hokage was summoned for a secret investigation. Originally, the Root had this forbidden jutsu and even studied it, …"
As Orochimaru slowly finished the intelligence, a chill appeared on Uchiha Yoru's gentle smiling face.
"It seems our Third Hokage is restless and hasn't given up, thinking it's better for Konoha to fall into Tsunade's hands than into the Uchiha's."
"So, Teacher, what are your plans for this upcoming Chunin Exam?"
Facing Uchiha Yoru's gentle smile, Orochimaru revealed a hoarse and evil grin.
"The decaying windmill has already stopped turning. A grand century funeral coming to an end is also a good thing. And!"
Saying this, Orochimaru looked at Uchiha Yoru meaningfully, "Isn't it just the right opportunity to deter the Ninja World and fulfill your ambitions? Like formally announcing the end of the era of great names to the Ninja World."
"Hehe, Teacher, this is an invitation to the Chunin Exam. Please lead my Sound Village to officially return."
After placing a delicate invitation, Uchiha Yoru and Orochimaru both showed smiles in the sinister and terrifying research lab.
…
Land of Waves.
As the dense fog dispersed, a figure appeared, cloaked in black and embroidered with red clouds.
"It turns out to be Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja from Konoha, and the demon of the Mist, Momochi Zabuza, along with Konoha's strongest female illusionist, Kurenai Yuhi!"
As the mist cleared, Kakuzu hid his Akatsuki organization clothes, as the organization had ordered to keep a low profile, especially to avoid detection by Konoha ninjas.
When Kakuzu appeared, Hatake Kakashi's expression grew more serious.
"It seems we came at the right time for this mission. Originally, upon hearing that Team 7's mission was upgraded, I wanted to bring these kids to gain some experience."
Momochi Zabuza eyed the distant figures bloodthirsty, while Kurenai Yuhi held her forehead with a sigh of headache.
"I didn't want to come, it's purely because this mission involved taking Karin out with us, and she sensed your chakra, Kakashi."
Kurenai Yuhi shrugged her shoulders, and behind her, Karin smiled, "Teacher, I just wanted to come and see the strength of Team 7."
Karin, not part of the regular team division due to being the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and practicing the control of the Nine-Tails power from a young age under the direct control of Uchiha Yoru. She occasionally joins ninja squads for missions.
Watching the commotion among the ninjas, Kakuzu hesitated, his bounty book clearly marking the prices on these ninjas' heads.
Hatake Kakashi, an elite Jonin of Konoha, possessing a Mangekyo Sharingan, with a bounty price of 50 million ryō.
This was 15 million more than the son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Asuma. The major reason for the spike in price was because of the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Kakashi, keeping a complete Mangekyo Sharingan would fetch a bounty of 50 million. Kurenai Yuhi, rumors in the ninja world say you are the Night God's woman, worth 35 million. And you, Momochi Zabuza!"
As he flipped through the bounty book, Kakuzu's expression suddenly turned disdainful.
"Momochi Zabuza of the Mist, with a bounty price of 5 million ryō!"
Disdainfully announcing the black market price, Momochi Zabuza immediately showed anger.
"Teacher, so lame!"
Inuzuka Kiba couldn't help but complain, only to be met with his teacher's deadly glare.
"Hehe, Kiba! Your teacher will take good care of you when we get back!"
Under Zabuza's cruel smile, Kiba's face turned pale as he shook his head, while Aburame Shino silently adjusted his sunglasses, thinking that being unnoticed for once might be a good thing.
As for Kitohime, she snorted coldly, "The bounty on Teacher Kakashi is high partly because of the Mangekyo Sharingan and also because he is the right-hand man of Lord Yoru, thus the 50 million bounty."
"And what about Teacher Kurenai?" Naruto Uzumaki from Team 7 asked curiously.
Everyone looked at him like he was an idiot, and Kurenai Yuhi herself felt embarrassed and annoyed.
Even Kakashi fell silent, as it wouldn't be appropriate to say that Kurenai's price rose due to her being the Night God's woman.
~~~
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