The Nine-Headed Snake Sage, after forging the Rinnegan summoning contract, vanished in a swirl of white smoke.
The mission in the Realm of Reincarnation was a complete success.
"Every summoning beast I could find in the Realm of Reincarnation is now mine..."
Yet, a sense of unease lingered in Naruto's chest.
"What is the true origin of this mist shrouding the Forbidden Zone of Reincarnation?"
"Is what we've explored really all there is to the Realm of Reincarnation?"
"Come to think of it, every summoning beast we've met so far was born on our own land…"
"The Ōtsutsuki clan—there are plenty who possess the Rinnegan."
"I have every reason to believe the Realm of Reincarnation isn't exclusive to us!"
Just imagining that this mist might hide a gateway to an even vaster world made Naruto's heart race with excitement.
"One step at a time—let's leave it at that for now…"
Uzumaki Naruto closed his eyes.
Drip. Drip.
The patter of rain. A familiar room.
Sitting together on the same bed, the three exchanged a knowing glance.
Naruto grinned. "Hinata, how was the adventure?"
Hinata smiled shyly. "It was… really fun."
Konan slid off the bed. "Guess my work here is done. I'll leave you lovebirds to get some rest."
Naruto said, "Konan-nee, if you don't mind, stay and sleep here tonight…"
"Eh?!" Hinata froze in shock.
Thud!
Konan's frog slippers toppled to the floor.
"Are you serious?"
Her amber eyes fixed on Naruto, unblinking.
Naruto stretched lazily. "Of course I'm serious. I need to head out for a bit…"
Konan's eyes immediately lost their sparkle.
She sighed, but her tone was indulgent. "You're impossible. Go on, then. I'll keep Hinata company."
Hinata clutched her chest, thinking, Whew, that scared me…
…
Half an hour later, Naruto and Orochimaru stood in a desolate clearing in the southern Land of Rain.
—Summoning Jutsu!
With a billow of smoke, the Nine-Headed Snake Sage descended upon the earth!
Unlike before, each of its nine heads now bore a Six Paths Black Rod, its eyes glowing with a projection of Naruto's own Rinnegan.
Orochimaru was awestruck. "So this is the legendary Nine-Headed Snake Sage—the Ryūchi Cave serpent that rivaled the White Snake Sage a thousand years ago. Seeing it now, the legends hardly do it justice!"
Naruto chuckled. "Back then, the White Snake Sage wasn't even a hundred years old—by human standards, still a kid."
"When I was wrestling for control with the Nine-Headed Snake Sage, I saw its memories—including its battle with Indra…"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Oh? So that blood on the cliff—Indra's blood—how did it get there?"
Naruto raised two fingers.
The tail head of the Nine-Headed Snake Sage slithered close, jaws opening wide to reveal its fangs.
Naruto pulled off his glove, the Rinnegan in his palm spinning.
—Asura Path!
CLANK CLANK! From Naruto's left shoulder, the mechanical arm of the Asura Path extended, its end refitted into a massive iron clamp.
CLACK! CLACK! The jaws of the clamp snapped open and shut as Naruto walked forward, addressing Orochimaru behind him. "It was this tail head that bit through Indra's Susanoo, landing a direct hit on Indra himself. I saw the wound—just centimeters from his heart. Brutal, really…"
As he spoke, the iron clamp locked onto the left fang of the tail head.
He pulled hard, but the fang wouldn't budge.
"Ugh… tough as ever. Orochimaru, give me a hand!"
—Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!
WHOOSH! Dozens of snake hands shot from Orochimaru's sleeve, coiling around Naruto's mechanical arm. As they struggled, Orochimaru asked, "Are you sure there's still Indra's blood on this fang after all these years? Forgive me, but it seems unlikely…"
Naruto grunted as he pulled. "The Realm of Reincarnation preserves the summoning beasts' state as they were in life. A thousand years may have passed for us, but for them, it's only been a few hours. I'm sure there's still a trace…"
Orochimaru nodded. "I see…"
Together, they managed to loosen the fang—a little.
Naruto switched tactics, rocking the clamp back and forth, twisting it irregularly, working the tooth loose until the root was halfway out.
"One last push!"
He and Orochimaru heaved with all their might.
His right hand flashed into a two-finger seal.
The eight heads at the front of the Nine-Headed Snake Sage all lunged forward, stretching the tail taut—so much so it looked like the whole body might tear apart!
CRACK…!
The fang finally came free of the gum, but at its base, black nerve fibers still clung stubbornly, refusing to snap.
Naruto gasped, "What are these nerves made of?!"
"Kurama, help out here!"
A surge of Kurama's chakra—giant golden hands gripped the clamp.
Naruto summoned every last ounce of strength. "Aaaagh! If I'd known it'd be this much trouble, I'd have had Obito use Kamui to just twist it off!"
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
The nerve fibers tore one by one, and at last, the stubborn fang came free—born into the world at last.
Crash! Both men tumbled backward.
Naruto wiped sweat from his brow, glancing at the tail head now left with only one fang. "Sorry about that. I'll get you a gold replacement later—we're flush with cash, and Kakuzu would love it…"
The mechanical arm retracted.
Naruto pulled his glove back on.
POOF! The Nine-Headed Snake Sage vanished in a swirl of white smoke.
Naruto cradled the nearly man-sized fang in both hands, presenting it to Orochimaru. "The rest is up to you, Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru accepted the fang with both hands, a knowing smile on his lips. "Purifying the blood is a simple matter. Once you unlock the Rinnegan, Naruto-kun, would you grant me a slightly selfish wish?"
For the first time, Orochimaru was making a request.
Naruto's expression grew serious. "Name it. If it's possible, I promise I'll do it."
Orochimaru said, shocking him, "I want you to use Futsunomitama to completely remake my soul—to transform me into a woman, down to the very core."
…
Elsewhere, in the hidden darkness—
Indra listened as Black Zetsu recounted a thousand years of karma and fate.
When he heard that his descendants had almost vanished, a cold light flashed in Indra's eyes.
Those eyes—untainted by blindness or transplantation—were the natural Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha progenitor.
Black Zetsu coaxed, "What do you say? Once Infinite Tsukuyomi is cast, you can end the mistaken cycle your father and Asura created…"
Indra replied, "It all sounds tempting. But with this body, I can't do what you ask."
Black Zetsu smirked. "No problem. Your two most recent reincarnations are both alive right now. They've even awakened the Rinnegan you once coveted. Find either one, use Rinne Rebirth, and you'll be truly resurrected in an instant!"
Indra gazed deeply at Black Zetsu. "Two reincarnations existing at once… You've been scheming for a long time. I really underestimated you…"
Black Zetsu just smiled. "So, have you decided? Madara, or Sasuke?"
After a moment's silent contemplation, Indra opened his eyes and looked toward a certain direction.
"Let's go with the closer one."
That was—the direction of the Land of Lightning!
Black Zetsu grinned. "Hahaha… Sasuke, huh."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds