"The Dragon Vein… it's waking up!"
Queen's voice trembled. Hearing this, both Jiraiya and Kazekage Rasa were visibly stunned.
Rasa, having witnessed the destructive might of the dragon vein firsthand, knew that even Orochimaru's earlier eruption was devastating. And yet, when he'd hidden in the underground refuge, it had only produced mild tremors.
As for Jiraiya, he had already entered Sage Mode. With enhanced perception, he could feel the dragon vein stirring deep underground. The pressure it exuded was even greater than that of a tailed beast. And this—this—was it merely waking up?
"Is there anything we can do?" Jiraiya asked, frowning. "If there's a way to calm the dragon vein, tell us. We'll do it—no matter what it takes."
The Queen shook her head weakly. "If it were just a power surge, the ancient Roran lullabies might have helped. But now…"
Her words trailed off. She had seen it—just before her link to the dragon vein was severed. Orochimaru had rushed straight into the depths, colliding with something vast and ancient.
And what could possibly lull two monsters locked in battle?
Before Jiraiya could respond, the ground erupted.
A deafening explosion tore through the earth. Massive rifts split open the terrain, and thousands of pale, glowing tendrils of light burst upward from the crevices.
Rasa and Jiraiya reacted instantly, each grabbing one of the Queen and her daughter, and retreating. Rasa summoned his golden cloud; Jiraiya leapt back with sheer speed.
But the shockwave hit faster than they could retreat.
They were thrown through the air, bodies tumbling.
---
Coughing and drenched in wet soil, Rasa stabilized his platform mid-air and scanned below. He spotted Jiraiya recovering in the distance and exhaled in relief. He descended quickly, carrying Sara, and found Queen already cradling her unconscious daughter.
"We're out of options," Jiraiya muttered, eyes fixed on the whirlwind of sand and light erupting from the ruins of Loulan. "From here on, Orochimaru's on his own."
"Don't lose faith," Rasa said grimly. "I've seen his power firsthand. Even the dragon vein may not be enough to stop him. At the very least… he can escape."
Jiraiya nodded slowly but kept his gaze on the storm. "...I hope so."
---
Underground.
The white snake had spiraled down the stone pillar, reaching the slumbering heart of the dragon vein in moments. It lunged, fangs wide, sinking its teeth deep into the root-like body.
In response, thousands of thorned vines burst from the darkness, impaling the snake from all sides. The needles pierced its scales and dug into its flesh, spreading like roots, growing and forking, twisting through every inch of its body.
The snake screamed, spewing blood.
By any standard, such wounds would be fatal. But the white snake had already been fused with the First Hokage's cells. Its vitality and chakra were immense—its affinity with Wood Release now far surpassing Yamato's.
Driven by instinct or desperation, the white snake commanded the vines within its body to retract. Under its control, they pulled free with violent force.
Its scales dripped red.
But its hunger was unstoppable. It lunged again, sinking its teeth into the root-like core of the dragon vein, devouring it chunk by chunk. The ground quaked with fury.
More vines struck, but the snake had adapted. It ignored the restraints, defending just enough to avoid being impaled again, channeling most of its willpower into eating.
From above, the dragon vein's defense seemed overwhelming. Its natural energy dwarfed even the power of Mount Myōboku or the Tailed Beasts. But the snake didn't stop.
---
In his mindscape, Orochimaru stood calmly, golden light swirling in his eyes.
"…That's really a tree root?" he muttered.
"It looks like it," said the Lamp God. "Buried for ages, petrified… I mistook it before too."
"A sacred tree root… just like the one in Ryūchi Cave." Orochimaru's mind raced. "But this one… even more unlucky. No leylines, no nutrients. Just endless sand."
And now? That ancient, dying root was being devoured by his white snake.
It wasn't ideal. Absorbing the dragon vein slowly might've yielded more. But they didn't have that kind of time anymore.
Orochimaru exhaled deeply. His body—once on the brink—had nearly returned to peak condition.
And it was still improving.
Golden light shimmered behind his half-lidded eyes. Djinn, watching from beside him, grinned.
"Looks like you might awaken a new kekkei genkai," he teased.
To Orochimaru, this was amusing. He'd once yearned obsessively for the Mangekyō Sharingan—a pair of eyes destined to go blind. Now he stood on the threshold of power far beyond that, and all through his own experiments.
Djinn couldn't help but feel proud. Orochimaru, obsessed and self-destructive in the original timeline, was different now. This version had survived, evolved, and was finally on the cusp of something greater.
---
But deep beneath the earth, things took a darker turn.
The white snake's teeth were cracked, ground down from chewing ancient petrified root. Its body was saturated with natural energy—more than it could contain. Yet it kept eating. Not out of need—out of desire.
Orochimaru's mind was now flooded with raw energy.
Suddenly, the entire cavern shook with an enraged roar.
The dragon vein, pushed to its limit, struck back. It poured its full spiritual will into the snake's body, trying to possess it.
"Wait, it can do that?!" Djinn's eyes widened. "It's… trying to seize the body?!"
It made sense.
The tailed beasts were born from the sacred tree's chakra—this thing came from the same origin. Though not shaped by Sage of Six Paths' Yin-Yang Release, its nature was nearly identical. It didn't need to be in its current form.
The snake's hybrid body, formed of Orochimaru, white snake, and First Hokage cells, was the perfect vessel.
And the dragon vein wanted it.
"It's trying to hijack the body!" Djinn yelled, diving into Orochimaru's mindscape.
Orochimaru, pale and sweating, grimaced. "I can feel it—this isn't just chakra overload. It's possession."
"I can help you," Djinn offered, eyes serious. "But it's your call. Intervene now, or wait?"
"...No. Not yet." Orochimaru's eyes sharpened. "This might be the best chance to tame the white snake for good."
If he seized control too early, the bond would weaken. But now, while the snake was under pressure… he could assert dominance permanently.
"You're gambling with your life," Djinn warned. "This energy—it's not something to mess with."
"I've faced death before," Orochimaru whispered, golden light swirling. "But this time—I'm ready."
_____________________
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