c140: Abnormal
"Ah, Orochimaru-sensei, you haven't learned Sage Mode yet?"
Gen Uchiha was genuinely surprised. With how clearly Orochimaru explained its workings, he assumed his teacher had already mastered it.
Orochimaru's lips curved faintly. "No… I've never had the time. War consumes me, and so do my experiments. And even if I had gone to Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage is not so generous. To learn Sage Mode requires years of training, even for those with outstanding chakra control."
He tapped the table with pale fingers. "The weaker the constitution, the longer the training… and the higher the risk. Push too far, and there is only death."
Gen's heart stirred. So that's it. In the original flow of history, Orochimaru never completed Sage Mode. Instead, he turned to Jūgo's natural energy mutation to craft the Curse Seal a shortcut. Was it simply because time ran out?
Age steals more than strength. The body weakens, the soul dulls. It wasn't that Jiraiya was uniquely gifted; it was that his path at Mount Myōboku gave him allies in the Two Great Sages to balance natural energy. Orochimaru, trapped in his own crumbling vessel, had no such aid.
If I press him early, could Orochimaru truly master Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode? A stronger Orochimaru means a stronger master-disciple front… and more benefits for me.
Gen leaned forward. "Sensei, research will never end. But Sage Mode may even inspire new insights into your true goal immortality."
Orochimaru's golden eyes glinted.
"Human life is too short compared to nature," Gen continued. "But natural energy… it is eternal, woven into the world itself. If a soul could anchor itself to natural energy, wouldn't that be another kind of immortality?"
Orochimaru's smile widened, snake-like. "Heh… your idea has merit. Perhaps I've found a new subject worth pursuing."
Gen sipped sake. "The Reincarnation Jutsu is brilliant, but its flaw is obvious. Even if you use your own clone, your soul still wears down. Eventually, it collapses. Immortality without true eternity is just… an extended death."
His gaze sharpened. "But if body and soul could undergo a qualitative leap, transcending humanity itself… that would be true immortality. The Ōtsutsuki clan prove this. Their lifespans are millennia. They reincarnate through karmic seals — 'wedges.' Your Curse Seal is a crude version of that, sensei, but proof enough of your genius."
Orochimaru chuckled, but his eyes narrowed in thought. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes. A leap in life's very level… that would be best. You're right: Living forever is not enough. One must transcend."
The two clinked sake cups.
"Everything is possible while alive," Gen said lightly.
"Wise words," Orochimaru agreed, and they drank deeply.
The heat of the pot, the bite of sake, and the winter snow outside created a strange warmth between master and disciple. For an hour, they traded philosophies and experiences, forgetting for a moment the shadow of war.
…
But happiness never lasts. New Year's Day passed quickly. As expected, Kirigakure returned to the battlefield with a new strategy.
They did not strike with overwhelming force. Instead, as Orochimaru had predicted, they began a war of attrition.
With Gen Uchiha now serving as deputy commander, Konoha's leadership no longer exposed themselves recklessly. Both Orochimaru and Gen stayed in camp to command, leaving the lower-rank shinobi to clash and bleed.
For Kirigakure, this was preferable. Few wanted to face Uchiha Gen directly. His illusions had left scars on the battlefield Watermelon Mountain Fugu, who had nearly lost his life under Gen's genjutsu, still shuddered at the memory. Among Kiri's jōnin, rumors spread: If caught alone, even an elite might die screaming before his soul was torn away.
…
In the frozen forests, a Kirigakure chūnin squad moved cautiously. Their snow-white cloaks blended into the blizzard as they searched for signs of Konoha patrols.
Suddenly
Swish!
A faint streak of light slashed across the wind. The captain froze, body trembling.
"Captain? Did you sense hostility?" one genin asked, landing beside him.
The chūnin's lips stretched into a grin. Slowly, kunai appeared in both his hands.
Before the genin could react, the left kunai plunged into his chest. The right hand flicked two blades outward each burying into the hearts of his other subordinates.
Blood sprayed across the snow.
"C-Captain… why…?" one choked, disbelief in his eyes as he collapsed.
The chūnin's grin widened, baring sharp teeth. "Heh… it's been so long since I've tasted my comrades' flesh. I can't hold back anymore…"
Horror froze the dying genin's face. The truth struck them like ice: their captain was no shinobi at all, but a predator wearing human skin.
A pale mist rose. The souls of the three youths were wrenched from their bodies, drawn screaming into the chūnin's frame. Their corpses tumbled from the branches with dull thuds, splattering red into white snow.
The possessed chūnin then formed a seal.
A shadow clone appeared, took the kunai, and without hesitation stabbed it straight through the captain's heart.
As the blade pierced flesh, a translucent soul burst from his crown streaking across the stormy sky like lightning, vanishing into the distance.
The lifeless body slumped against the tree, crimson soaking into frost. The clone dispersed into smoke.
The forest fell silent, save for the sound of snow falling.
Somewhere, far away, Uchiha Gen's eyes snapped open.
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