Chapter 53: The Sage of Six Paths, Master of Harvesting

The Pure Land—the last time Orochimaru had heard this term from the Lamp Spirit was on the night of the Nine-Tails’ Rampage.

The Lamp Spirit, guided by the Shinigami, had openly strolled through the Pure Land. According to him, the Pure Land was not a realm for the dead or a resting place for souls, but rather a space one could reach after mastering certain methods.

Yet Orochimaru knew nothing about the Pure Land beyond a few vague impressions. After some thought, he asked, “So how does one reach the Pure Land?”

The Lamp Spirit smiled. “Death is the simplest way.”

Orochimaru’s face darkened, and his look toward the Lamp Spirit grew unfriendly. He wanted to lash out, but remembering the Lamp Spirit’s peculiar existence, he could only swallow his frustration.

“I’m not joking with you,” the Lamp Spirit shrugged. “The Pure Land is more like a spiritual domain. Only when a ninja dies and their chakra transforms into a soul form can they enter. Forcing your physical body in isn’t impossible, but it goes against the Pure Land’s order and would alert its master.”

Orochimaru was startled. “The Pure Land has a master?”

“Of course it does. It was created by the Sage of Six Paths.”

The Lamp Spirit, not keeping secrets this time, gave a rough account of the Otsutsuki clan’s abilities. When their lifeforce reached the level of Bloodline Web, they could carve out their own dimensions. Princess Kaguya Otsutsuki possessed her own “Heavenly Imperial Center,” where she reigned as a god over all things.

Although the Sage of Six Paths never fully attained the Bloodline Web or awakened his own Eye of the Moon, he far surpassed his less capable brother. With extraordinary spiritual power, he forged the Pure Land.

“The Pure Land is where the Sage of Six Paths enjoyed his twilight years and continued his cultivation,” the Lamp Spirit said, his tone casual. “When I took a quick tour last time, I found the concentration of soul energy there far exceeded even the Soul Society of my previous world. It’s truly an unrivaled place for souls to grow.”

Orochimaru frowned. “But by your account, there should be many powerful souls within. Yet in the shinobi world, aside from the Shinigami, there’s not a whisper of their presence.”

“Many powerful souls? I never said that.” The Lamp Spirit cast him a sidelong glance, his expression full of amusement. “Few souls in the Pure Land retain their own awareness. Even powerhouses like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, or the mentally formidable Madara Uchiha, fall into a dreamlike slumber within.”

The Lamp Spirit looked at Orochimaru and smiled. “Surely you’ve heard of the legend of the Sword of Totsuka.”

Orochimaru’s expression grew solemn and he nodded slightly. “The Sword of Totsuka takes the form of a gourd, and the sake it pours out becomes a blade that seals struck ninjas within a drunken dream, dissolving them with the power of time…”

“You’re not wrong. The Pure Land is much like a supersized Sword of Totsuka,” the Lamp Spirit said with a chuckle. “Cultivation? Ordinary ninja souls aren’t even qualified for that. On the contrary, they’re the resources used for cultivation.”

“Don’t naively imagine the Pure Land as some blessed realm. Even the mighty Shinigami has to moonlight in the mortal world—you can guess what survival there is like.”

At this, Orochimaru’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He drew a deep breath and spoke slowly, “So, there truly is no haven of peace in the shinobi world.”

Though he had long since set it aside, Orochimaru had once fought for Konoha, for peace in the shinobi world, hoping to create an era without war. When the Lamp Spirit first mentioned that the legendary Sage of Six Paths had achieved a form of immortality in the Pure Land, Orochimaru had a faint suspicion:

With the power of the Sage of Six Paths, could he not have restored peace to the ninja world—or at least maintained a surface tranquility?

Orochimaru’s answer was surely that he could have.

But then, why had something so easily achieved never been done?

Now, at last, he understood. Peace brings happiness and calm, but it also destroys the very soil in which ninja strength grows. Through endless physical trials and the crucible of life-and-death struggles, Orochimaru knew all too well the gap between a ninja raised in peace and one forged in war.

From the Sage of Six Paths’ perspective, it was likely the latter he favored.

“Enough with the sentimental thoughts. Save those for another time,” the Lamp Spirit interrupted mercilessly. “What you really should be considering is how to steal vegetables from the Sage of Six Paths’ garden. If you think he’s so unscrupulous, just wait for your chance to teach him a lesson.”

Orochimaru’s face stiffened, annoyance flickering in his heart. Yet, he had to admit the Lamp Spirit was right—melancholy wasn’t his nature.

As for teaching the Sage of Six Paths a lesson, Orochimaru truly had such ambitions. Not out of indignation, but practicality: this small patch of land called the shinobi world was essentially monopolized by the Sage. If the newcomers couldn’t expand the source, their only option was to cut back—and that inevitably meant confronting the Sage, just as Root could not coexist with a second power in Konoha.

Clearing his mind of distractions, Orochimaru quickly regained his composure and clarity, soon formulating an idea for entering the Pure Land.

“The Spiritization Technique—if I could use it to transmute my chakra into a soul form, I should have a chance to enter the Pure Land.”

“But there’s a problem…” Orochimaru looked up at the Lamp Spirit. “I can’t learn the Spiritization Technique.”

In all the decades since Konoha was founded, only a handful of ninja had mastered it—the latest being Dan Kato.

Orochimaru and Dan had been friends, and he had studied the Spiritization Technique, but after days of effort, he was forced to accept that he simply could not master it.

Of course, he hadn’t come away empty-handed. The curse mark for separating chakra, the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique—Orochimaru had drawn much inspiration from studying the Spiritization Technique.

“Well, that complicates things,” the Lamp Spirit mused, stroking his chin. After a moment’s hesitation, he sighed, “Are you planning to make a second wish? Tsk, tsk… You haven’t even repaid the last one, and now you want to add another debt.”

Orochimaru’s expression was calm; if he had any other option, he would never turn to the Lamp Spirit. The Lamp Spirit was shrewd—never at a loss.

But Orochimaru knew his limits; he had made little progress in soul research. His ability to split his soul, so unfathomable to the Lamp Spirit, was not based on knowledge but on innate traits.

To devise from scratch a low-risk, systematic soul ninjutsu was a monumental task. The more he studied, the more he revered knowledge—success aside, the time required was unfathomable.

So for this matter, Orochimaru chose to seek the Lamp Spirit’s help.

And since he already owed a debt, what was one more? With that in mind, Orochimaru looked at the Lamp Spirit, awaiting his answer.

At that moment, a ninja stepped in front of Orochimaru.