Naruto spent the entire afternoon at the orphanage, helping out with the children. By the time he returned to the hotel, exhaustion overtook him, and he collapsed onto the bed.
His chakra was still sealed.
All he had left to rely on was his physical strength.
Jiraiya sat nearby, watching him with a mix of concern and curiosity. After a moment, he finally asked, "What's wrong with you? Did something happen at the orphanage? Are you injured?"
Naruto let out a deep sigh. "Pervy Sage... I realized something today. I'm just... ordinary."
Even as the words left his mouth, he felt how unconvincing they sounded.
The orphans in Sunagakure had nothing—no powerful bloodlines, no prestigious family names—but they fought to survive. They were gritty, determined, and optimistic despite their hardships. And then there was Sunae—stronger than him in almost every way, yet just another orphan.
She had a home, food, a chance to attend the ninja academy.
Then there was another orphan, Rakkan. He couldn't even afford to go to school. He lived in a rundown shack and struggled to find enough to eat. And yet, his skills in combat were on par with Naruto's.
Jiraiya listened patiently as Naruto shared his thoughts. When the boy finished, he leaned forward and gave him an encouraging smile.
"Naruto, it doesn't matter what anyone else says. You are who you are," Jiraiya said. "You have to stick to your ninja way. Those who walk their own path are the ones who truly stand out."
Naruto's eyes flickered with determination. He sat up and clenched his fists. "You're right! I will become Hokage!"
He barely got the words out before sleep overtook him. His body slumped back onto the mattress, and within seconds, he was out cold.
Jiraiya chuckled to himself and shook his head.
Then, his gaze fell onto the two scrolls in his hands. His expression grew serious.
These scrolls could shape the future of Konoha and Sunagakure.
There was no time to waste.
Outside, the sounds of construction echoed through the village. Metal clanged, workers shouted, and machinery rumbled through the streets. Sunagakure was changing—tall, glistening structures rose from the sand, stronger and more advanced than anything Jiraiya had seen before.
That night, he called for a meeting with Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza.
"We need to return to Konoha immediately," Shikaku said, his voice grave.
Jiraiya nodded. "Tsunade has to hear about this. Things are moving fast."
Shikaku hesitated for a moment before adding, "Tell Hokage-sama that we must take this seriously. Under the leadership of Mufasa, Sunagakure is nothing like the village it used to be."
Even Shikaku, one of Konoha's sharpest minds, couldn't fully grasp the scope of what was happening.
"I don't know the full extent of their abilities," he admitted, "but their military strength is already beyond what it was before."
Jiraiya's expression hardened. "Understood. I'll let Tsunade know. You three, stay here for a while longer and keep watch."
With that, Jiraiya bid them farewell.
Early the next morning, Naruto's chakra seal had mysteriously lifted.
Jiraiya stretched and turned to him. "Naruto, we're heading back to the village now."
Naruto sat up and nodded. "Got it."
Arrangements were quickly made for their departure. They left the desert behind and traveled without delay, making their way back to Konoha.
Meanwhile, deep beneath Sunagakure, in the basement of a hidden research facility, Orochimaru and Kabuto stood before rows of glowing tanks. Inside, various sizes of preserved sandworm tissue floated in colorful liquids, illuminated by the laboratory's cold, artificial light.
Seated in the center of the room was Mufasa, his body wired to multiple machines, feeding data to the monitors in front of them.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with fascination. The numbers scrolling across the screen were staggering.
"Incredible..." Kabuto murmured. "Muscle density, cardiovascular endurance, skeletal durability, nerve responsiveness—every single parameter is at least a hundred times beyond that of an average shinobi."
Orochimaru chuckled, his forked tongue flicking out slightly. "Mufasa-sama, you are unlike any shinobi I've ever encountered. Truly, perfection itself."
Mufasa smirked and casually detached the electrodes from his skin. "No, Orochimaru, this body is far from perfect. This is merely the limit of an ordinary human."
He stood up, rolling his shoulders. "And that's why I need you to help me surpass those limits."
The highest level of human ability might be something like what Might Guy achieved with the Eighth Gate—strong enough to nearly kill Uchiha Madara.
But Madara was not the strongest being in existence. Beyond him, there were even greater threats—like the Otsutsuki Clan.
Mufasa's ambitions stretched far beyond what any normal shinobi could dream of.
Orochimaru grinned, eyes glinting with excitement. "In that case, shall we begin with my Cursed Seal of Heaven? Let's see if its effects can push you even further."
Mufasa narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn't naive—he knew exactly what Orochimaru was suggesting.
The cursed seal was derived from Ryuchi Cave's Senjutsu, a twisted form of "immortalization." While it granted the user immense power, it also eroded their body, constantly draining their strength. Orochimaru had used it to mark many of his test subjects, using the technique as a way to tether himself to them—ensuring he could possess their bodies if needed.
Was this snake planning to use the same trick on him?
Orochimaru lowered his head, letting his long hair partially veil his expression. But Mufasa could see the subtle trembling in his shoulders—the excitement he was struggling to contain.
Mufasa chuckled softly.
Living among snakes was dangerous.
One never knew when they would strike.
But should he take the risk?
A moment of silence passed before he made his decision.
"Fine, Orochimaru. Let's see this so-called Cursed Seal of Heaven." His lips curled into a challenging smile. "Don't disappoint me."
Orochimaru's head snapped up, golden eyes gleaming with barely restrained enthusiasm. "Oh, Mufasa-sama, I assure you… you will not be disappointed."
His tongue flicked out, sliding over his lips.
The experiment was about to begin.
Mufasa unbuttoned his collar, rolling his shoulders slightly.
Below him, Orochimaru's neck extended unnaturally from his robes, stretching like rubber. His head rose to Mufasa's shoulder level, eyes gleaming with unsettling hunger.
He stared at Mufasa's broad shoulders, his expression feverish.
A trickle of drool escaped the corner of his mouth.
Mufasa scowled. "Damn, Orochimaru, don't make it so disgusting."
With a swift flick of his tongue, Orochimaru wiped away the saliva. "Yes, my lord."
He tilted his head slightly. "So here I am. It will hurt a little, please be patient."
Orochimaru's mouth opened wide, revealing two sharp, gleaming fangs. Without hesitation, he sank them into Mufasa's shoulder.
A sharp sting shot through Mufasa as the snake's fangs pierced his flesh. He could feel something being injected into his body—thick, burning venom spreading through his veins.
In an instant, the black three-tomoe pattern of the Curse Mark of Heaven emerged on his shoulder.
Orochimaru withdrew, licking his lips. "It is done, my lord. You may now attempt to activate the curse seal."
Mufasa frowned. "How?"
"Anger," Orochimaru replied. "Intense emotions will trigger the transformation."
Mufasa closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He focused on the sensation of anger, allowing it to spread through his body. His breath quickened, his pulse pounded, and his body tensed as his mind grew hot with rising frustration.
His body responded instinctively—adrenaline surged, muscles tightened, and his senses sharpened. It was as if his body were preparing for battle, his alertness heightening beyond its normal limits.
Understanding that anger was simply a chemical reaction, Mufasa took control. He sent an electromagnetic signal directly to his brain.
The brain responded.
A surge of fury ignited within him.
Adrenaline and chakra spiked, his breath became heavy, his heart pounded like a war drum, and his face flushed with heat. His expression twisted into something dark and feral.
He snapped his eyes open.
The whites of his pupils were laced with red veins, swirling like a storm.
He was enraged.
The curse seal reacted instantly. The three black tomoe began to shift—inky tendrils slithering across his skin, spreading like living tattoos. A foreign energy pulsed beneath his flesh.
Mufasa felt something open—a switch flipping in his shoulder. The mark… was breathing.
In an instant, the natural energy within the laboratory surged toward him, drawn into his body through the curse seal.
Outside, Orochimaru and Kabuto's eyes widened in shock as the entire lab trembled. Test tubes rattled, liquid sloshed violently, and the still air suddenly howled with an unnatural wind.
A powerful chakra erupted from Mufasa, sending a forceful shockwave that forced the two of them back.
Orochimaru's brows furrowed. "Since when did the Curse Mark of Heaven cause such a reaction?"
Before they could react further, Orochimaru suddenly clutched his head and howled in pain.
A searing pain lanced through his mind. The fragment of his will embedded within the curse seal was under attack—bombarded by crackling energy.
It felt like he was being electrocuted. His entire body trembled violently.
"Aaaaah!"
He screamed, dropping to his knees.
The crawling black markings on Mufasa's body halted. The tendrils retracted, slithering back into their original three-tomoe form, as if terrified.
Golden lightning crackled around Mufasa's body, illuminating the dark lab in an ethereal glow.
The three black tomoe on his shoulder began to fade, their edges eroding under the golden light.
Orochimaru's agony intensified. He let out another anguished scream before collapsing onto the ground, trembling.
And then… it was over.
The golden lightning dissipated, leaving the room eerily silent.
Mufasa's curse mark had vanished. Completely erased.
Orochimaru, panting, forced himself to stand. His already pale face was now deathly white, drenched in sweat. His golden eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Mufasa.
"What… just happened?" he murmured, voice hoarse. "The Curse Mark of Heaven… failed?!"
Mufasa slowly opened his eyes.
Orochimaru and Kabuto stiffened as they noticed something different.
His sclera—normally white—had turned a luminous gold, interwoven with black.
It was an otherworldly gaze.
A gaze that felt… divine.
And yet, in the blink of an eye, the golden hue disappeared, fading as if it had never been there.
Orochimaru swallowed. He didn't dare ask what had just happened. Instead, he lowered his head and spoke cautiously. "My lord, I had not expected the curse mark to fail. I will find another way to strengthen you."
Mufasa shook his head, still lost in thought, the remnants of natural energy still thrumming in his veins.
"No, you've already helped me more than you know."
Orochimaru frowned. "What do you mean?"
Mufasa smirked slightly. "You've helped me find my path."
"What path?"
"The path to true Sagehood. The key to wielding natural energy itself."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Sage Mode is merely a temporary power-up. It cannot be sustained."
"Perhaps not in the way you understand it," Mufasa mused, his mind racing with possibilities.
"Step back. I need time to think."
The lab fell silent once more.
Mufasa sat alone, watching the tubes of biological experiments in the dim lighting. His thoughts churned like a raging storm.
Sage Mode required years of training—an extensive mastery of nature's balance.
Yet, in just an instant, he had felt it.
That brief, intoxicating power.
That was Sage Mode.
He had never seen it, but he knew.
That was him, transformed.
"Why is it that only a few shinobi can master Sage Mode?"
"Why can toads, snakes, and slugs wield Senjutsu, but humans struggle?"
"Aren't humans supposed to be the pinnacle of all living beings?"
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