Chapter 92: Creating a Jinchuriki

Everyone below the stage was equally astonished. In such a short time, to turn an ordinary commoner child into someone with the Rinnegan was an inconceivably mighty feat.

And it seemed that the black-haired child was quite formidable as well.

They had once believed that the three gifts Orochimaru spoke of were all fabrications, merely convenient pretexts. In their hearts, they had already prepared to spend vast resources in order to buy all of Orochimaru’s supposed false gifts.

They had taken it for the cost of protection.

Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that Orochimaru had not been lying!

If that was so, then these were truly gifts, gifts that could shake the world. Even calling them gifts seemed almost disrespectful; they were more like a blessing to the world.

The whole world would, under Orochimaru’s leadership, enter the next age—the age of the ninja for all...

Itachi Uchiha was also hidden among the crowd, but unlike the other members of the Akatsuki, he had not used a White Zetsu disguise. Instead, he was concealed within another dimension.

He could see everyone else, but no one could see him.

After witnessing Orochimaru’s display, his eyes lowered. Though his face remained expressionless, a clear ripple had stirred within him.

“Brother...” Sasuke said behind him, a trace of worry in his voice.

Itachi turned to look at Sasuke and smiled faintly. “In a moment, you should not join in. Just run.”

If Orochimaru could grant someone the Rinnegan in such a short time, then how powerful was Orochimaru? How deeply had he studied the Rinnegan?

No one knew except Orochimaru himself. Itachi could not see through him. Even now, though he was unimaginably powerful, he still had no certainty of victory.

And like Black Zetsu, Itachi knew he had only this one chance to strike. Once ninja became widespread, Orochimaru, as the “Father of Ninja,” would likely become an existence beyond fathoming at once.

More than two hundred million people around the world were helping Orochimaru cultivate his power. Itachi could not imagine how strong Orochimaru would become, nor did he believe he could stand against the entire world alone.

Sasuke shook his head, his gaze unwavering. “No! It took so much for me to clear up the misunderstanding with you, Brother. I am not running away!”

“And I am not weak, either!” Sasuke activated the first form of his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Itachi affectionately tapped Sasuke between the brows and sighed helplessly. “Very well. Then when the time comes, fight beside me.”

He found himself wondering: if he were to transplant the eyes of his friend Shisui, eyes that had already evolved into the ultimate super Sharingan, into his younger brother, what would happen then?

...

On the stage, Orochimaru continued his demonstration. The black-haired child was undoubtedly a successful example, but because the process was so rapid, there were many flaws. In terms of combat ability and other aspects, there would certainly be major deficiencies, all of which he explained.

Orochimaru went on, “Also, this kind of accelerated serum consumes an enormous amount of resources, and it is not conducive to growth. I do not recommend that you produce or use it.

Generally speaking, to take the serum normally and eventually succeed in acquiring the Rinnegan takes between ten and twenty years.”

After offering a few more explanations, Orochimaru said, “Next, it is time to present the second gift.”

The crowd below instantly grew rapt, afraid of missing a single word.

The Rinnegan was certainly powerful, but they knew little about it. What they understood best was still the jinchuriki.

The phrase they heard most often was: “Only those who possess a jinchuriki have the qualifications to become a great ninja village.”

Among them, countless tragic and beautiful tales about jinchuriki circulated, and so their eagerness only deepened.

Orochimaru clapped his hands, and Guren, who had already left, once again strode up the stage in high heels, her appearance exceedingly beautiful.

In her hands she held a large hollow glass tube, about as thick as a thigh and as long as a forearm.

Inside the glass tube, a pool of black venom writhed violently, forming tentacles and feelers as it sought to escape the tube. It looked extremely terrifying.

Orochimaru raised the tube so the crowd below could see it clearly.

“I call this thing... Venom.”

Orochimaru said, “Venom is an artificially created parasitic organism. It possesses the ability to copy tailed beasts. For example, if it devours a portion of the One-Tails’ body, it will gradually transform into the One-Tails.

Venom can survive only by parasitism, and the target must be a human, because through its parasitism, humans become jinchuriki.”

This was easy to understand; everyone could follow it. It was just that the thing called Venom looked truly terrifying.

Orochimaru continued, “This is a specimen that has not yet devoured a tailed beast’s chakra. Since I am showing it to you and making you take it seriously, I shall use the Nine-Tails as the example.”

He pointed down at one person and said, “You. Come up.”

Everyone looked toward the country lord Orochimaru pointed at. He was the ruler of a small nation, and many people could not even remember his name. They did not understand why Orochimaru had called him up.

But many others felt a sudden chill in their hearts.

For instance, Black Zetsu. For instance, White Zetsu. For instance, Itachi and Sasuke, hidden in another dimension.

Because the person Orochimaru pointed at was no ordinary man, but Naruto in White Zetsu disguise!

“I... I...” Naruto pretended to panic, though he was indeed a little flustered inside. “Lord Orochimaru, I haven’t offended you... I...”

Orochimaru smiled. “Naruto, come up.”

Naruto was shocked. So he had really been recognized!

At that very moment, Itachi’s voice rang in everyone’s ears.

“Move!”

Itachi was the first to step out of the other dimension. A flash of red light flickered in his Sharingan as he unleashed an upgraded super-Masked Tsukuyomi, instantly trapping ninety-nine percent of those present in genjutsu.

This illusion was even stronger than the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Orochimaru merely blinked lightly, without any extra movement. His ocular power directly shattered Itachi’s genjutsu, and the ninety-nine percent of those present immediately returned to normal.

“Everyone, don’t panic...”

At that moment, Kabuto stepped forward to calm the crowd. “Please remain still for a moment.”

Then he made his move as well, facing Kisame, who was carrying Samehada.

Hashirama Senju, revived through the Edo Tensei, emerged proactively from the shadows and confronted Naruto. He especially wanted to test Naruto’s Wood Release techniques.

As expected, Orochimaru faced off against the two Uchiha brothers.

What was interesting was that when Itachi shouted “Move!”, Black Zetsu immediately called out to the other Akatsuki members, “Retreat”...

Black Zetsu had realized that they could not defeat Orochimaru, and his plan to rescue his mother no longer needed to be carried out. All he had to do was find a place and wait, so he decisively burrowed into the ground and fled.

...

The jinchuriki demonstration was interrupted, but no one objected. Perhaps being able to witness a ninja battle at close range would be even more thrilling.

Everyone intentionally avoided fighting inside the War Fortress. Hashirama Senju and Naruto, for instance, ran straight outside. So did Might Guy and Rock Lee.

Rock Lee had already joined the Akatsuki, and at this moment he too launched an attack on Orochimaru. The one responsible for intercepting him on Orochimaru’s side was Might Guy.

Kabuto also took to the air. He activated the bloodline fusion within his body and transformed directly into a Ten-Tails-style form, a Rinnegan already present on his brow.

Kisame did not take things lightly and fought Kabuto all the way outside the War Fortress as well.

The most direct confrontation, however, was between Orochimaru and the Uchiha brothers. Since both Orochimaru and Itachi possessed space-time techniques, the three of them were immediately drawn into another dimension to fight.