136 The Sage of Six Paths Is a Good Man

Chakra soul body, the God of Death, impurities, disintegration...

Orochimaru felt a tremor in his heart. This free lunch was clearly not as easy to swallow as it appeared; it was likely seasoned with poison or tainted with filth. To achieve transformation and obtain an eternal soul relying solely on the Pure Land would likely require a price far greater than he had imagined. The God of Death as it existed now must be considered an entirely different entity from the one that existed in the distant past.

Orochimaru immediately dismissed the thought of trying to enter through the backdoor of the Sage of the Six Paths. Yet, he remained puzzled: why did the Sage create Otsutsuki soldiers but deny these powerful souls their awakening? The difference between proactive and passive states was but a single word, yet the resulting effects were worlds apart. After a moment of contemplation, Orochimaru voiced his doubt.

The Genie shrugged. "Who knows? How could I possibly know what the Sage of the Six Paths is thinking? You should go ask him yourself."

Orochimaru’s mouth twitched. Ask the Sage himself? That would be walking straight into a trap.

"If you can't ask, but you still want to know, then try to guess... ah, no, make an inference." A hint of a smile touched the Genie’s lips. "Do not think you know nothing of the Sage of the Six Paths. You are quite familiar with the natures of his direct descendants, the Senju and Uchiha clans, are you not?"

Orochimaru’s heart skipped a beat. At the mention of these two clans, two figures instantly surfaced in his mind: Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara. These two were arguably the representatives of the Senju and Uchiha clans over the past century. As for clans with such bloodline legacies, the more powerful they were, the more they resembled their ancestors. Through their temperaments, it was indeed possible to catch a glimpse of the Sage of the Six Paths.

Orochimaru mused silently. Senju Hashirama went without saying; the records preserved in Konoha and the battlefield ruins scattered across the ninja world all revealed his immense power, as well as his benevolence. Orochimaru knew less about Uchiha Madara, but he had known many Uchiha clansmen, and the impression they left on him was one of stubbornness, paranoia, and self-satisfaction.

What would such people do once they possessed power that no one could resist?

A sharp glint flashed in Orochimaru’s eyes as he recalled the "Infinite Tsukuyomi"—that absurd, utopian plan the Genie had once mentioned. To eliminate conflict by gifting everyone a fantasy dream.

"What the Sage of the Six Paths is doing is the same as the 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' planned by Uchiha Madara," Orochimaru said, looking at the Genie. "It is only because he possesses a shred of kindness that he did not target the living."

After people die, even if they cannot be reincarnated, finding ultimate bliss in a fantasy dream could be considered a consolation for the pain of their existence. In this light, the spirits qualified to transform into Otsutsuki soldiers were no different from low-level expendable resources; the only difference was the duration of the dream.

The Genie looked surprised. "Seeing this, you still seem to hold some favor for the Sage of the Six Paths."

Orochimaru shook his head. "Favor is not the right word. It is just that, without the Sage’s Pure Land, what would be the fate of these chakra spirits?"

The Genie paused for a moment before replying, "They would likely dissipate directly into the ninja world. Even the spirit of Uchiha Madara, once stripped of a physical body as a vessel, would be nothing more than water without a source or a tree without roots, eventually eroded by the forces of nature."

"You see, then there wouldn't even be a beautiful dream to have."

Orochimaru glanced at the Genie. "Even if it is for the purpose of creating soldiers, keeping them awake to consume and fight each other would be more efficient. Yet, as it stands, this place can still be considered a Pure Land."

Of course, even while saying this, he would show no mercy in absorbing the soul energy here. Although the Sage of the Six Paths harbored a benevolent intent, this Pure Land was far too unfriendly to someone like Orochimaru. He did not covet the bliss of a fantasy dream, and his own constitution was vastly different from the Otsutsuki; for him, the end result would simply be to be ground into dust by the passage of time. The goal he had set previously had to be pursued, and this would undoubtedly affect the order established by the Sage.

Orochimaru licked his lips. "If I were to absorb soul energy here on a large scale, would he not discover it?"

"And if he did? You could explain yourself, beg him a bit—perhaps he would be kind enough to spare you..." The Genie wore a mocking smirk, and after thoroughly ridiculing Orochimaru, he added, "Rest assured, as long as you don't go too far, the Sage of the Six Paths will never discover you."

He pointed toward the upper layers and laughed. "The Sage’s own spirit is currently in slumber, and his consciousness is not in the Pure Land. In other words, he is not home."

"Not in the Pure Land? Then where is he?" Orochimaru felt a jolt of alarm. "Why would the Sage of the Six Paths leave the Pure Land?"

"What is so strange about that?" The Genie spread his hands. "The Pure Land is empty; how monotonous and boring. Before the Sage became a Sage, he was a human. After staying in the Pure Land for so long, he would get lonely too. He isn't some incomplete, dim-witted relic like the God of Death."

If those two sons of his, Indra and Asura, could reincarnate countless times, then the father could do so even more easily. He could even leave his spirit in the Pure Land to absorb soul energy and grow, while his consciousness roamed the ninja world.

The Genie spoke lightly, but Orochimaru was struck with horror. "Then where could he be?"

Although he was not a mindless killer, the number of people, ninjas, and "donors" lying on his experimental tables was not small. The thought that he might have accidentally sent the Sage’s human avatar back to the Pure Land made his heart heavy with unease. The Sage of the Six Paths was not a waste like Indra or Asura, whose consciousnesses were wiped blank upon reincarnation; he possessed unfathomable power.

The Genie placed a finger to his lips. "Shh... keep your voice down. Let alone the Sage of the Six Paths, don't disturb someone else's sweet dream."

Orochimaru caught sight of the Third Kazekage’s trembling eyes and felt a chill. Breaking an illusion was simply a matter of disrupting the flow of chakra, and since they were chakra soul bodies, this was incredibly easy to achieve. Of course, even if broken, under the constant influence of the illusions in this Pure Land, they would likely fall back into them soon enough. Regardless, Orochimaru dared not speak further—not out of fear of the Third Kazekage waking up, but out of dread for the Sage of the Six Paths, even in his slumber.

The Genie shrugged. "Actually, there is nothing to fear. The Pure Land is like home to the Sage; he wouldn't hold something like this against you."

Though Orochimaru felt the Genie’s logic was twisted, he could not discern the Sage’s true methods, so he cast the matter aside and closed his eyes to meditate. Benefiting from the breathing techniques and sage arts he had cultivated, Orochimaru quickly entered a state of meditation, and a stream of clear energy poured into his spirit body like a spring. All his previous injuries began to mend, and his presence grew more solid.

"You continue absorbing here. I am going to go greet your true body."