Although Orochimaru's expression didn't change visibly, there was a faint trace of regret—almost pity—in his gaze.
He slowly approached the glass container, raised a pale hand, and gently stroked the surface. His voice, low and calm, began to reveal the information he had withheld until now.
"Hikaru… you helped me reconstruct my body. Because of that, I've developed some sensitivity to natural chakra."
"But even so… this tiny fragment fills me with instinctive disgust. It's utterly repulsive."
"I haven't fully identified what it is, but one thing is clear—this thing does not belong in the shinobi world. I've studied countless chakra samples over the years, and none of them compare. Its chakra is voracious… it constantly devours the surrounding natural energy."
Orochimaru finally withdrew his hand from the glass tube. His amber eyes, cold and focused, locked onto Uchiha Hikaru.
"This fragment was discovered by Hiruko during a mission at Kannabi Bridge."
"He later developed a secret technique called the Chimera Technique. It allowed him to devour the kekkei genkai of others and transplant them into his own body."
"Through repeated human experiments—on himself—he transformed his physiology into something highly receptive to chakra."
"The moment he touched this fragment, it began to fuse into his palm. By the time he returned to me, only this small shard was left. I had to surgically extract it."
"At the same time, his mind started to deteriorate. First, he became erratic—moody, irritable. Before long, he defected from Konoha entirely."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, searching Hikaru's expression.
"Fugaku mentioned his name earlier. Judging by the look on your face, you know something, don't you?"
While Orochimaru spoke, he studied Uchiha Hikaru's reactions closely. And sure enough—there was a flicker of recognition in Hikaru's eyes.
When Hikaru learned that Hiruko had discovered a fragment of the Outer Path Golem beneath Kannabi Bridge… everything suddenly made sense.
That debris—he was certain—had been left behind by Madara during one of his many secret experiments on the Gedo Statue.
After all, Madara had conducted countless trials with that monstrous vessel. Using its chakra in combination with Hashirama's cells, he had created the White Zetsu army.
Among all those clones, only one—Tobi, also known as Obito's doppelgänger—seemed to possess a genuine personality and will.
Hikaru lowered his gaze, thinking in silence for a long time. Eventually, he decided Orochimaru deserved to hear the full truth.
After all, Orochimaru was no fool—not like Jiraiya. And judging from his demeanor, he already suspected something deeper. If they were to work together going forward, transparency was necessary.
"Orochimaru," Hikaru began, his voice steady. "Do you remember what I once told you about the so-called Mother of Chakra—the Rabbit Goddess—Kaguya?"
A sudden gleam of anticipation lit up Orochimaru's eyes.
"Hagoromo's mother… the Sage of Six Paths," he murmured. "Of course I remember."
As Hikaru spoke, a wild theory began to form in Orochimaru's mind.
Could this alien fragment—this unnatural chakra—actually be connected to the mythical Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and her children?
"Kaguya's full name is Kaguya Ōtsutsuki," Hikaru continued. "Her sons were Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura."
"They didn't originate from this world. They came from beyond the stars—from another world in the vast cosmos."
"…Outside the ninja world?" Orochimaru repeated slowly. "The universe… another planet?"
Hikaru nodded solemnly.
"Yes. The land we stand on is a sphere. I assume you're aware of that."
Orochimaru was stunned—but quickly shifted into analytical mode, his rational mind overtaking his shock.
"A sphere…" he muttered. "Now that you mention it… I've always noticed on long sea voyages: the sails of distant ships appear first before the hulls come into view. A curvature…"
"You're saying the shinobi world is just one planet among many—and out there lies a much greater cosmos!?"
Hikaru gave a small nod.
Orochimaru's breath quickened. His thirst for forbidden knowledge surged, bursting past the limits he'd once placed on his own ambition. His hands rose toward the ceiling, as if trying to grasp the stars themselves. A feverish glint danced in his snake-like eyes.
"The moon…" he whispered. "Hamura lives on the moon…"
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki is sealed inside the moon…"
"She came from beyond this world…!"
"Ahahaha!"
"I see it now! I understand! Everything makes sense!"
He threw his head back in manic laughter. The floodgates in his mind burst open, tearing down the boundaries of everything he thought he knew.
He turned to Hikaru again, eyes burning with anticipation.
"If what you're saying is true…"
"Then that fragment—its original owner—must've been brought here by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
"That thing… that parasite of pure greed… is it devouring this world's natural chakra as a means of siphoning energy back to her!?"
Fueled by his long years of biological research, Orochimaru began connecting the dots at lightning speed.
Hikaru stared at him, and for a brief moment, it was like seeing the old Orochimaru again—the one who fled Konoha in pursuit of immortality and power.
But this version… he seemed more grounded. More human.
"You're right," Hikaru said. "That fragment came from the Outer Path Golem."
"As for the Golem itself—it was originally the husk of the Ten-Tails. The tailed beasts were all split from it."
"When all nine are reunited, they become the Ten-Tails again."
"Kaguya's power—her chakra—came from a fruit born of the Ten-Tails after it absorbed this world's natural energy. She consumed it. That's the source of her divine strength."
"But later, her son—Hagoromo—divided that chakra and shared it with humanity."
As Hikaru laid everything out, Orochimaru saw the full tapestry for the first time.
The outsider Kaguya had consumed the chakra fruit, birthed two sons, and was eventually overthrown by them. It was only after her defeat that chakra was disseminated throughout the world.
No wonder the fragment had no effect on Hikaru—it was because his own chakra had already been transformed, refined from nature itself, just like Kaguya's.
But Hiruko…
Hiruko's Chimera Technique might've absorbed natural chakra by accident, making him vulnerable to the Golem's corruption.
Orochimaru remembered something else. Hiruko had once theorized that when a shinobi mastered five elemental natures through bloodline absorption, a bizarre reaction with nature itself would occur—an event he believed would allow him to complete his technique.
If his theory required a convergence with nature, it made sense that it might trigger a response from the Golem's fragment—something not of this world.
Something very dangerous…
(End of chapter)
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