Chakra can connect the hearts of people.
In that final moment, they both understood each other's thoughts.
They knew what Jokichi intended to do next.
He was going to stand against Konoha—no, against the entire Shinobi World.
As parents, they were also shinobi of Konoha. The education and ideals instilled in them throughout their lives taught them that Konoha was their home.
They knew that if they were still alive in this world, they would inevitably try to persuade and stop Jokichi, forcing him into a painful dilemma.
Rather than that, it was better to remain slumbering in the Pure Land.
And Jokichi, having felt his parents' thoughts in that last moment, couldn't help but shed a tear.
They hadn't experienced the long, mundane everyday life of other families, nor did they have many heart-to-heart talks.
But they had fulfilled their duties as parents, no less than anyone else.
Jokichi stood there silently for a long time before finally pulling himself out of his grief.
He glanced behind him at the soul floating in a cross-legged position, which had appeared at some unknown point. His expression returned to its usual indifference.
"Sage of Six Paths, are other people's family dramas really that entertaining to watch?"
"This old man meant no offense. I merely noticed someone breaking the rules between the Pure Land and the living world, and followed the clues to investigate."
"And what great insights do you have?"
Jokichi turned around and glared at him coldly.
He had never liked this old man, so his tone was exceedingly blunt.
The Sage of Six Paths didn't mind. He stroked his beard with a smile. "It's only been a few months since we last met, yet you have become as powerful as my mother. This is simply unheard of."
"So?"
"Is that all you wanted to say?"
The Sage of Six Paths narrowed his eyes, observing Jokichi with a hint of hesitation.
But in the end, he spoke frankly, "...Blatantly ignoring the rules of the Pure Land and the living world by forcefully abducting souls will cause fundamental damage to the world."
After saying that, he quickly added, "If you wish to resurrect your deceased parents, you can use methods that abide by the rules. Tearing through the spatial barrier to drag souls back to the living world like you just did inflicts irreparable harm on the world. Over time, the world's condition will deteriorate. I'm sure you don't want the environment you live in to turn into a barren wasteland of magma, do you?"
Jokichi had been about to lose his temper, but upon hearing the Sage of Six Paths' addendum, he immediately calmed down.
Indeed, even without using such forceful methods, he could still resurrect his parents. It would just be a little more troublesome.
If he forcefully tore through the rules every single time, the core foundation of this world would certainly be damaged.
If the core was damaged too severely, this world would gradually become uninhabitable for living creatures.
"I got it!" Jokichi said, somewhat annoyed.
Although the Sage of Six Paths was right, he couldn't bring himself to openly admit his mistake in front of the old man he disliked.
The Sage of Six Paths saw through him but didn't point it out, merely nodding with a smile.
"I know everything you have done, and I do not know what kind of future your actions will bring to this world."
"However, if one never tries, nothing will ever change."
"Perhaps, you truly are the savior prophesied by Gamamaru."
Savior?
Wasn't it the Child of Prophecy?
Jokichi felt a bit puzzled.
But he didn't dwell on it too much.
Fate and destiny were always fickle to begin with. His existence as a butterfly had long since churned the future into an unrecognizable direction.
"I'm just doing what interests me. It's nothing special."
"Is that so!"
The Sage of Six Paths paused slightly, then chuckled softly. "I hope you will always remember the feelings in your heart right now throughout the long years ahead. If you do, you will forever be the savior of mankind."
After saying that, he vanished abruptly, as if he had never been there in the first place.
Staring at the spot where the Sage of Six Paths had disappeared, Jokichi fell into deep thought.
He had no interest in being a so-called savior, nor was he acting out of a desire to save others or find self-satisfaction. He was merely too bored and wanted to find something challenging to do.
In the long years to come, if he found something new that caught his interest, he might very well abandon his current tasks and chase after the novelty.
But for now—
"Before I lose interest, I'd better finish what I set out to do!"
Jokichi took out the Snake Cave and released Orochimaru.
At this moment, Orochimaru was in a half-human, half-snake state.
But in a matter of seconds, the long, snake-like tail shifted and morphed like mud, eventually transforming back into human legs.
"That is a truly miraculous place!"
After fully reverting to his human form, Orochimaru did not try to flee. Instead, he stared at Jokichi with intense interest.
Seemingly seeing through Jokichi's thoughts, he took the initiative to explain. "You are the master of that alternate dimension. You can control the life and death of any creature inside with a single thought."
"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. There would be absolutely no need to release me."
"Conversely, the fact that you released me means you have something you want me to do."
Orochimaru maintained a confident smile as he spoke. "You are far too powerful. There shouldn't be anything that can stop you. Yet you still came to me. That proves this is something only I can accomplish."
"Don't be so full of yourself!"
Jokichi snorted coldly. "You are indeed a rare talent, but it's not like there is no one who can replace you. That Yakushi Kabuto possesses potential that even surpasses yours."
"Is that so? It seems we both have an excellent eye for talent."
"Let's skip the irrelevant chatter." Jokichi looked at Orochimaru with a serious expression and asked, "Orochimaru, what is the ultimate goal you've been pursuing your entire life?"
In the anime, Orochimaru constantly sought Sasuke's body, thirsting for the power of the Uchiha Clan.
At the same time, he wanted to learn every ninjutsu in the world, which led to his desire for eternal youth and immortality.
However, Jokichi felt that none of these were what Orochimaru truly sought. His true pursuit had to be something far more profound.
Faced with Jokichi's question, Orochimaru paused for a moment, then began to think seriously.
What exactly am I pursuing?
I established it when I was very young...
But during the long years of chasing my goals, I gradually lost my way.
Learning every ninjutsu in the world.
Achieving immortality.
Obtaining a young body with limitless potential.
No, none of these are it.
Although he was actively pursuing these things, they were ultimately nothing more than stepping stones to help him reach his true goal.
"What I am truly pursuing is—"
Orochimaru seemed to realize something, staring at Jokichi with burning intensity. "My goal is to unravel the truth of the world and obtain all the ultimate truths."
"So that's what it was, huh?"
Jokichi muttered to himself, then looked at Orochimaru. "I don't know what the truth of the world is either, nor can I tell it to you. But I can bring you much closer to that goal."
As expected!
Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue, licking his lips excitedly in a full circle.
"What do I have to give in return?"
"Dedicate yourself entirely to research, and share all the fruits of your labor with me and this world."
"I'm planning to build a gate connecting to other dimensions. I won't be able to do that without an advanced, systematic logistics and equipment foundation."