Ninja Ice House

Chapter 597 Dependence

He used to think the world was too small and human life wasn't worth it. He felt that the ninja world was too confining for him and there was no need to think too much about it. But now, Orochimaru realized that what he had encountered in the past was all superficial. The true mysteries of this world had never been revealed to him.

If you feel that no one toasts you or asks you to say polite words or build relationships in social interactions, it's not that such rules don't exist, but rather that you're not qualified to sit at the table. In fact, you might even be the dish on the table.

Which diner would offer a toast to the food on their plate with polite words?

Orochimaru was in a similar situation before. There were things in the ninja world that he found very interesting and worth studying, but he was too weak and his level was not high enough to even get close to them.

Now, the real world is unfolding in this unexpected way, allowing Orochimaru to see only the tip of the iceberg of a magnificent world. As a result, his deeply hidden "mad scientist" soul is about to be unleashed.

"Yes, for an infinite world, a short and finite life is indeed not enough. This is especially true for humans. For a normal person, living to sixty or seventy years old is considered a long life. A powerful ninja, if well-maintained, can easily live to eighty or ninety, or even over a hundred. But even so, it still seems too short."

"What do you think, Young Commander?"

This politeness, clearly exceeding Orochimaru's usual demeanor, made even the young head of the clan somewhat uncomfortable. However, now was not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. After a moment's thought, Kosugi Bokusui replied:

"I sense your will and your determination. Immortality is a state, while immortality is a curse. Which one do you think suits you better..."

Immortality is essentially the infinite extension of life, not the inability to be injured or killed; while immortality, to some extent, eliminates the attribute of death. Without "death," the meaning of life naturally disappears as well.

Both are alive, but the former has vigorous vitality, while the latter is merely unable to die. Whether they are truly alive or not needs to be properly defined.

For example, the Edo Tensei, which possesses unlimited chakra and an immortal body, is immortal, but not eternal; while the Ten-Tails and Kaguya Otsutsuki possess super vitality with almost inexhaustible life force, and under certain conditions, they are indeed immortal.

"It doesn't make much difference to me. As long as there's no lifespan limit, I'll have enough time and energy to conduct research, and that's enough."

"and then?"

This is a request, but it doesn't specify what conditions are being offered. Therefore, Orochimaru needs to seriously consider it and give an answer quickly, as the time limit given by Furusugi Shōdō is almost up.

"The only thing you value about me is probably my brain, which is quite capable in research and creativity. In Jiraiya's mind, I might be more intelligent than I am in reality, and that's my greatest advantage..."

Indeed, the world is a huge makeshift operation, and every professional has the illusion that they are incompetent and lack confidence until they see the outside world and realize that they are much better than those mediocre people, and that others are not even as boastful as they claim.

However, to laymen, anything with even a slight barrier to entry and technical skill level can be imbued with unparalleled mystery and perceived as incredibly impressive.

Therefore, the Orochimaru in the dream world is far weaker and less knowledgeable than the one in the real world, but there is still a good chance that he is more intelligent.

"You know the Impure World Reincarnation technique, right? How far have you progressed in your research?"

"With high-quality DNA tissue, the success rate is extremely high. It's just that the balance between strength, awareness, and control has not yet been properly handled."

"You can summon spirits, but you're not entirely satisfied with someone who's smart, good at fighting, and obedient—all three conditions must be met, right?"

Orochimaru readily acquiesced to Kosugi Bokusui's question.

In fact, the three requirements that Kosugi Bokusui mentioned are a typical "impossible triangle" for Edo Tensei. If two of them are of high quality, then the third one must be relatively weak. Orochimaru's problem is almost unsolvable.

In the original timeline, Kabuto Yakushi's so-called improvements greatly enhanced mental activity and autonomous action, resulting in a significant increase in his unleashed strength. However, this came at the cost of a substantial weakening of his control.

Therefore, in the later stages, the masters either broke free from their restraints or voluntarily ended their summoning rituals, and their souls returned to the Pure Land. This phenomenon was almost impossible when Orochimaru controlled the reanimated bodies, because Orochimaru didn't need these reanimated bodies to fully unleash their strength from their previous lives, nor did he need to use the wisdom of these dead people to accomplish anything earth-shattering. As long as they were obedient, that would be best.

"If we continue to research this technique, we may face pressure from the Sage of Six Paths. Do you think you have this value? Do I need to invest so much and take such a big risk for you?"

"The Sage of Six Paths?"

Orochimaru's pupils involuntarily contracted, and his slightly frightened face quickly turned into a relieved smile.

"It seems I did make the right bet. This direction is terrifying, but it also means the path is passable; it's just that there are pioneers blocking the way."

After a pause and a moment's thought, Orochimaru casually added:

"The influence of an existence like the Sage of Six Paths is naturally not something I should consider. I'm afraid even Orochimaru in the real ninja world doesn't have the ability to interfere in the conflict between 'gods.' I'll just honestly do the research that interests me. The rest is not my concern."

"I believe you're smarter than Orochimaru in the real world. That guy not only took a few more years of detours, but he was also schemed against without realizing it, and who knows how much more time he'll waste in the future. If he can continue to survive, the cost of trial and error is too high; while you, you're lucky..."

"So, I passed my 'interview'? Is there anything I need to do...?"

"No need, I didn't come here to kill people or 'burn down ant nests'..."

The Truth-Seeking Ball transformed into the Six Paths Weapon, a staff-like scepter, which swept across and destroyed the phantom of the Grim Reaper in the void. Then, it reversed the sealing technique, retracting the runes on Hiruzen Sarutobi's body, and at the last moment, it released the mutual destruction at the soul level.

The power of the Earth-Shattering Star has been increasing, and the ground has been "hollowed out" to reveal a large hole. A large number of houses in the surrounding area have collapsed and crumbled. Fortunately, people have been evacuated and no casualties have been seen.