Zombie Sage in Naruto

Chapter 230 Looking Up at the Moon, Ancient External Force

For Orochimaru, everything in this world can be measured by value, and this is especially true of human beings.

"You've really worked hard, Mizuki-kun."

Orochimaru was soaking wet, covered in a large amount of unidentified viscous liquid, but neither Orochimaru himself nor the young Mizuki paid any attention to this detail.

"You flatter me, Lord Orochimaru. It is my honor to serve you."

Shui Mu's face showed excitement.

In Konoha Village, he was just an insignificant nobody, lacking both qualifications and talent, destined to remain a Chunin for his entire life.

However, Mizuki harbored ambitions to become a strongman and desired more power and authority. Thus, he secretly allied himself with Orochimaru and was treated so politely by Orochimaru, which greatly satisfied Mizuki's vanity.

"Ah, but no one has realized you're my subordinate, right? Otherwise, we'd be in a really bad situation, and we might be surrounded by a lot of Konoha ninja in the next second."

Orochimaru gave a wicked smile, wiped his face, and shook off a lot of sticky liquid: "You know, I don't have a very good reputation in this village, and with the widespread use of the Musou Tsukuyomi, it gets in the way of many things."

Mizuki's eyes burned with fervor: "You are one of the legendary Sannin, having made indelible contributions to this village. If you were willing, you would surely have many opportunities for resurrection and life extension, unlike me..."

"I see. It seems you're worried about your future in this village."

Orochimaru chuckled softly. He knew Mizuki's eyes all too well; to put it simply, they were both bad at the game and loved to play around.

Despite lacking the corresponding ability and potential, they insist on pursuing things that are beyond their reach. As ambition erodes their perception of reality day by day, their understanding of reality undergoes a dangerous transformation.

"Yes, I have come to terms with reality. There is no place for me in Konoha!"

Mizuki was extremely agitated: "This village only appears full of hope; in reality, it's hell for people like me, with absolutely no hope of getting ahead. Resurrection? Life extension? Whether in the real world or the illusionary world, I desperately complete tasks, but I can't accumulate enough points to get a hundred. The chance to get one seems like an eternity!"

"Oh? You can also exchange for powerful ninjutsu that suit you. If you keep improving your strength, you'll eventually accumulate enough points."

"It's useless! Learning new ninjutsu means I'll have to take on even more dangerous missions to get more contribution points... and I'll die even more easily. If I die, I'll have no points, no clan, no trustworthy comrades, and no one will pay a huge price to revive me." Mizuki became more and more agitated as he spoke, his sinister face turning bright red.

They want the benefits of having the help of many geniuses, strong people, and families, but are unwilling to take any risks.

"Hehehe, that guy Kaedeji's village management isn't perfect either. He's shown us a lot of previously unheard-of power and opportunities..." Orochimaru chuckled in a low voice.

The more idiots like this, the better, because that means he'll have more pieces to use.

"In return, I will teach you the Rashomon Summoning Contract. This is a technique used by the First Hokage and is an S-rank summoning jutsu."

Orochimaru pressed down on the ground and took out a contract scroll, instructing Mizuki to write his name on it: "You possess my cursed seal, which can greatly enhance your body. You will then be able to summon a Rashomon, which will be enough to save your life against most enemies."

Mizuki didn't seem very satisfied. Rashomon? It was indeed a top-tier summoning technique, on par with the Impure World Reincarnation technique, an S-rank summoning technique. However, it wasn't the kind of power that could change the course of a battle with a single blow, be quickly mastered, and come at a low cost.

The Musou Tsukuyomi has broadened people's horizons. Many people who would never see, hear, or understand such secret arts in their entire lives have the opportunity to witness their splendor in the Musou Tsukuyomi.

This also significantly raises people's thresholds; those who lack self-control and blindly crave higher levels of power will be swallowed up by harsh reality.

Mizuki was somewhat dissatisfied. He had taken a huge risk, committing a de facto act of betrayal against the village, using his own body as a vessel to resurrect Orochimaru! He had saved Orochimaru's life, and this was all he was supposed to get in return?

In the original timeline, he planned to use Naruto to obtain the entire Book of Seals, which shows how greedy he was. Of course, he wouldn't be satisfied with just that.

Just as he was about to say something.

Crunch!

The front door opened, and Iruka walked in, speaking as he went: "Mitsuki, the battle within the Musou Tsukuyomi is going badly. The strong warriors on the front lines were ambushed by the Six Paths of Pain, who are confined to the Tsukuyomi world. It's said that the casualties were extremely heavy, and many suffered severe mental trauma, forcing them to withdraw from genjutsu and recuperate for a long time—"

Iruka quickly fell silent, staring blankly at Orochimaru in front of him.

"...Orochimaru? Haven't you been away from the village for a long time? Mizuki, how could you associate with someone like that!"

"What does it matter? The Hokage didn't list Orochimaru as a rogue ninja, did he? His situation is different from Jiraiya's!"

“Not becoming a rogue ninja doesn’t mean he’s still an ally. Many of the toads of Mount Myōboku have already made it clear that he followed a strange guy who destroyed Mount Myōboku, and in reality, he’s on the opposite side of the village!” Iruka slowly retreated, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Mizuki, his heart filled with murderous intent, approached step by step: "How do you know this isn't the Hokage's intention? Destroy Mount Myōboku, make all the toads serve only the village, and even equip each excellent ninja with one. If they die in battle, they can simply be resurrected!"

"That's absurd. The Hokage and Nagato also went to Mount Myōboku. Orochimaru was eventually killed by Nagato, and many surviving toads witnessed it."

A strange symbol appeared on Iruka's forehead: "Judging from your expressions, he was able to revive thanks to you, right? Mizuki, don't even think about attacking me. Once I die, my account in the genjutsu world will also disappear, and the Hokage will find out!"

Mizuki cursed inwardly, knowing that what Iruka said was very likely true.

If we don't kill Iruka, it won't be long before Kaedeji finds out, right?

"Let's go, Shuimu."

Orochimaru suddenly said, "Don't bother with such insignificant characters. You need to broaden your horizons... Leave this village where there is no future for you, join the Kara organization with me, and you will have the opportunity to become a member of the 'Outer Formation'."

"The Shell Organization?" Mizuki's first reaction was hesitation! He was angry that the village hadn't offered him any benefits, and he resented those who had gained huge profits from illusions and reality. Staying in Konoha at least gave him the chance to obtain various powers and the opportunity to be resurrected and have his life extended. But he quickly realized that whether he killed Iruka or not, he would be exposed, and he had no other choice.

Orochimaru said hoarsely, "That's an organization established by the strongest man in the world, countless times more terrifying than the Akatsuki organization founded by Nagato. Even Kaede Tsukasa had to back down in front of that person... The Musou Tsukuyomi is very likely the technique that Kaede Tsukasa used to gather chakra to deal with that person."

"Oh?"

Shui Mu's eyes lit up as he thought of the various high-stakes battles that had taken place in recent years. Each battle was capable of shaking the earth's crust and triggering a series of natural disasters. This matter had been widely discussed, with many people speculating about who was fighting whom.

Iruka had already retreated to the doorway: "The Ten-Tails belongs to that person too, right?"

"Oh? You actually know about the Ten-Tails?" Orochimaru looked at this nobody in front of him in astonishment. He was clearly a nobody with no talent or master, yet he knew such valuable information about the Ten-Tails.
"The Hokage Building has released the latest information, mentioning the Ten-Tails of the Land of Rice Fields. Everyone knows that it is a monster that is much stronger than the nine tailed beasts, and that it has already been captured."

Iruka cautiously said, "Even if you didn't see this announcement with your own eyes, you should have seen it in the Musou Tsukuyomi, or at the very least, you should have heard about it in other people's chats."

The existence of the Ten-Tails was an extremely sensational event. Everyone thought that all tailed beasts were born from nature in this way, just like the Ten-Tails, and were born from nothing.

Moreover, such a powerful tailed beast, capable of causing global tremors and drastic changes, far exceeds imagination. It's as if the Ten-Tails is the very will of this planet. Most importantly, Kaede Tsukasa didn't capture the tailed beast! Was it because he didn't want to? More likely, it was because he couldn't. This is what truly shocks people.

This might be a monster that even the Hokage couldn't defeat.

"Really? This actually happened. Mizuki is busy reviving me and has no time to deal with these things."

Orochimaru put a hand on Mizuki's shoulder: "We'd better leave as soon as possible. Who knows if he took the opportunity to pass on information through genjutsu."

Mizuki said bitterly, "Iruka, it's all because of you that I had to defect. Otherwise, I could have joined Kara and become that person's subordinate while staying in Konoha! I'll remember this debt, and I'll kill you sooner or later!!"

Orochimaru chuckled, first summoning a venomous snake, then dispelling the summoning jutsu and causing the snake to vanish into smoke. He then grabbed Mizuki and forcibly activated the cursed seal on Mizuki's neck. The eerie patterns immediately spread from Mizuki's body to Orochimaru's, connecting their chakra.

"You can't escape. There are many strong people in the village, any one of them can stop you!"

"Who says you have to use two legs to escape? Although I don't know advanced space-time magic, I can still use reverse spirit communication techniques."

Spiritual communication is the most accessible and easiest space-time magic technique for ordinary people to master.

With a bang, Orochimaru and Mizuki vanished into smoke, leaving only Iruka standing there dumbfounded. He was too young. Even though he had indeed witnessed many powerful techniques through the Musou Tsukuyomi, it was impossible for him to make various tactical plans in reality.

Iruka wasn't particularly good at fighting to begin with.

"Two people have actually returned, Lord Orochimaru. Who is this person?" Tenzo asked, the venomous snake that had just left Orochimaru's place perched on his shoulder, flicking its tongue.

“Mitsuki, an outer member of the Kara organization… Lord Jigen, am I also qualified to recruit suitable personnel?” Orochimaru looked at the man sitting on the stone seat.

Cixian propped his head up with one hand, completely ignoring Shuimu's presence: "As for the outer formation, it's up to you. After all, it's just a tool for the organization. But you have to make sure this person won't betray you."

"Heh, no, I'm confident. I was able to revive successfully thanks to Mizuki-kun."

Orochimaru lied. He actually left many backup plans. Even without Mizuki, he could have been resurrected with the help of others in no time. It's just that Mizuki was more proactive and acted quickly after learning of his death through the many toads.

Mizuki's body trembled slightly. Even if Jigen did nothing, he would feel an instinctive shiver. This was the instinct of a weak individual facing a higher life form. But then again, he would also tremble when he looked at Kaedeji from afar.

What made Shui Mu even more speechless were the two figures lying on the ground, disheveled and covered in blood.

"How strange, I didn't expect to run into old friends here... Jiraiya, Onoki, it's rare to see you two still alive." Orochimaru licked his lips, pausing for a moment on Jiraiya, but he didn't care at all about Onoki's life or death.

"Orochimaru, you really betrayed Kaede Tsukasa..." Jiraiya said with difficulty.

Onoki leaned against the wall and said with difficulty, "Isn't this normal? You can become a Konoha rogue ninja, so isn't it normal for someone like Orochimaru to join someone stronger and even come into contact with the power of a god?"

They all knew of Otsutsuki Shibai's existence, and they couldn't imagine what kind of power could allow him to transcend the existing space-time and reach a higher dimension.

They were even more terrified that Jigen had mastered a portion of Shibayo's power and could transplant it using biotechnology.

The person who performed the transplant surgery was undoubtedly Orochimaru!
"Orochimaru, you know this guy wants to destroy our world, right? That won't just be a fight between villages, it will be a matter of survival for all humanity. Helping him won't end well for you," Jiraiya advised.

He knew that Orochimaru must have a way to escape Jigen's control, and at the very least, he could be resurrected after death. If Orochimaru joined forces with Kaede and the others, they might be able to stop Jigen.

Orochimaru still disappointed him. After experiencing new knowledge and a wider world, he could no longer comfortably follow the old path. This was simply because Orochimaru had more confidence and self-assurance than Mizuki, and was better able to recognize his own position.

"That's not something I should be thinking about, Jiraiya. You still like to lecture me from the standpoint of justice. You're nothing but a rogue ninja, someone abandoned by your own village. Even Mount Myōboku, which sheltered you, was destroyed because of you."

Orochimaru put on an extremely indifferent expression: "I will turn you into a Divine Tree Man. Don't worry, you won't die, but you will sleep forever inside the Ten-Tails."

Just as Jigen and Orochimaru were officially starting to create the Divine Tree Man and preparing to transplant the divine techniques left behind by Shibaju onto suitable personnel.

Back in Kumogakure, the Fourth Raikage finally made a crucial decision. This man, who refused to bow down and admit defeat, stood at the highest point of the village, looking up at the moon in the sky.

"If there really is something there... it might be an external force that can be used."

(End of this chapter)