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"The Seven Star Lamp Array is required to awaken Orochimaru."
When Hashirama uttered the name of that ancient formation, the eyes on Orochimaru's cursed form sharpened instantly.
Kabuto's gaze turned curious. "What is the origin of this technique? I've never heard of it."
Orochimaru's cursed form pondered for a moment. "Let me put it this way… Among all the secrets of the ninja world, my former self scoured every text and found only two things he could never fully clarify. The first was the past of the deity Inari Okami. The second… was the lost Seven Star Lamp Array!"
Kabuto gasped. "To that extent?!"
Orochimaru continued. "This formation originated with the Uzumaki clan. Legend says it was a technique to extend the life of someone on the verge of death. But the principle was deemed too cruel. The texts documenting it were deliberately destroyed."
"The technique requires seven shinobi, each no less than a Kage's level, to perform. Upon activation, it summons seven lamp torches."
"Sounds like just a beefed-up Four Crimson Ray Formation to me. Nothing special~!" Suigetsu, his perspective inflated by recent power, scoffed dismissively.
Orochimaru shut him down instantly. "The fuel those lamps burn… is the very soul of the casters."
Suigetsu paled, making a warding gesture. "Evil spirits begone! My bad, my bad!"
Jūgo asked gravely, "So… does that mean all participants will die?"
"No. The Seven Star Lamp Array automatically disperses if even one lamp is extinguished. No two souls are perfectly equal. One lamp will inevitably burn out first. That person dies. The others… pay a price in lifespan."
Nagato's voice was low. "So cruel. No wonder it was erased from history. Then, Lord First Hokage, renowned for your benevolence… how do you know of this technique? And from your tone, it seems you can use it."
Hashirama's gaze settled on Nagato. "That red hair… You, and that girl who keeps stealing glances at Sasuke over there, are both from the Uzumaki clan, correct?"
Karin squeaked. "Huh?! N-no, I'm not!"
Nagato nodded. "Yes. My mother was a refugee who fled to Amegakure after the fall of Uzushiogakure."
A look of reminiscence crossed Hashirama's face. "My wife was also Uzumaki. That was before the fall."
Orochimaru murmured, "If it was Lady Mito, then it's no surprise you know of it. She was, after all, the daughter of Uzushiogakure's leader, Uzumaki Ashina. The clan's eldest princess."
Hashirama's expression dimmed with sorrow. "I only learned of it from Mito… on my deathbed. It turned out her father, Ashina, had long foreseen the destruction of Uzushiogakure. He believed I, as the Senju clan head, was the one who could protect the Uzumaki in that chaotic age."
"So, before Mito's wedding, Ashina—bearing the karmic backlash—imparted this most forbidden of techniques to her. He entrusted her to use the Seven Star Lamp Array if I ever faced mortal peril."
"…" At his words, Orochimaru's eyes grew shadowed.
Itachi asked softly, "After learning the truth, you stopped Lady Mito from activating it, didn't you?"
Hashirama nodded. "Yes… How could I allow my wife and my brother to pay with their lives, just for my survival?"
Karin blinked. "Wait… Didn't you say only one person dies in the array?"
Nagato pressed, "And why were you so sure it would be your wife and brother?"
It was Orochimaru who lifted his head, the pieces clicking. "Lord Tobirama would have died because he would never allow his young students participating in the array to pay the price. He would have used one of his own forbidden techniques to interfere, ensuring his soul burned out first."
"And Lady Mito would have died… because she wasn't meant to be a participant in the array itself. She was to be the anchor, the one performing the Reaper Death Seal, wasn't she?!"
"Wh-what…?"
The escalating revelations left the listeners reeling.
"What's going on? First the lamp array, now the Reaper Death Seal… Are you saying the Seven Star Lamp Array is connected to the Shinigami itself?!"
Orochimaru, now seeing the high-level picture, explained in a calm, measured tone. "Sacrificing a soul to extend a life sounds impressive, but it's not rare enough to match this technique's legendary status. Even Granny Chiyo's One's Own Life Resurrection in later years could achieve that…"
"Life extension is just the surface effect."
"That technique… touches upon the ultimate secret of the Uzumaki clan's deity."
Hashirama's eyes shone with admiration. "Magnificent… You even know that much!"
Orochimaru's gaze lowered. So… it does exist.
Suigetsu yelled, impatient. "Hey! Stop holding out, Orochimaru!!"
Orochimaru's cursed form took a deep, solemn breath and unveiled the truth.
"The Seven Star Lamp Array… is the other possibility left behind by the Uzumaki ancestor, Uzumaki Jin'nai, before he became the Shinigami."
"Seven like-minded individuals, willing to use love and sacrifice to achieve a greater righteousness for the world… can awaken the other side of the Shinigami!"
"The Shinigami… has another side?"
"Yes. The Shinigami symbolizes death and curse. Its mirror-symmetrical opposite is called the 'Inversion.' It symbolizes love and salvation—the Vitality God."
Hashirama looked at the unconscious true Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, your true self fell into this coma after using the Shinigami's power in battle. It's not due to exhaustion of stamina or chakra. It is the Shinigami's punishment for your deception and exploitation. Therefore, no conventional method can forcibly wake you. Unless… the Shinigami who punished you undergoes a transformation itself. That is the only method I can conceive."
Orochimaru smiled. "Understood. I am prepared."
Hashirama's eyes swept over those present. "Everyone here is strong enough. But Sasuke, and Nagato… you two cannot participate."
Sasuke frowned. "Nagato is an Edo Tensei, I get that. Why can't I?"
"First," Hashirama stated firmly, "You are under the curse of Ayakashi, with less than a year of 'lifespan insurance' left. Second, you are a future savior. This kind of life-burning affair is not for you."
Nagato argued, "I may be an Edo Tensei, but I still possess a soul! I can burn as well!"
Hashirama shook his head. "Those with less than a year of lifespan, and those without a proper concept of lifespan to burn… cannot participate. This is an ironclad rule of the Seven Star Lamp Array!"
Kabuto chimed in, "In that case, Itachi doesn't qualify either. He's also under Ayakashi."
Hashirama's face fell comically. O_O "You… you have it too???"
Itachi confirmed quietly, "My time runs out a month later."
Hashirama calculated. "Orochimaru's true body is already a vessel for the Shinigami's power, so we don't need an extra person to perform the Reaper Death Seal. That leaves… we need six others…"
Just then—the sliding door to the room opened.
A recently awakened Kakashi Hatake stood at the threshold.
"Count me in. That makes seven."
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