The scroll Orochimaru had used to seal himself was remarkably simple to unlock—just unroll it, and the seal would break. So, when Lin Xuan opened the scroll, a loud pop echoed, followed by a cloud of white smoke. From within the haze, a figure emerged.
He had long black hair, pale skin, and purple eyeshadow that stretched to the wings of his nose. Dangling from his ears were blue-green magatama earrings, and his entire presence exuded an eerie chill.
There was no mistaking it—this was Orochimaru.
"So, this is another world?" His raspy voice slithered into the ears of those nearby.
Orochimaru's golden, slit-pupiled eyes, like those of a venomous snake, darted around with excitement. When he spotted Jiraiya, Nagato, and Konan, his certainty grew—he had indeed arrived in a new world. His expression brimmed with anticipation.
Finally, his gaze settled on Lin Xuan. With a smile, he greeted him. "You must be Lin Xuan, I presume? I'm Orochimaru. A pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working together."
As he spoke, his eyes scrutinized Lin Xuan closely.
Lin Xuan, in turn, studied him, noting the flicker of wariness and curiosity buried deep in Orochimaru's seemingly calm gaze. After all, someone capable of summoning people across dimensions was, in Orochimaru's mind, a terrifying force.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "Lord Orochimaru? A pleasure to meet you! Welcome to this world as our guest."
Orochimaru's brow twitched slightly. "Please, just call me Orochimaru. I'm not fond of titles like 'Lord.' And if possible, I'd like to stay in this world for a while, not just as a guest."
Lin Xuan chuckled. "Of course, that's no issue at all. Our Ninja Guild is just getting started, and we could use someone with your talents."
"Ninja Guild? Sounds intriguing," Orochimaru said, giving Lin Xuan a probing look before asking, "What exactly can I do for you here?"
"For now, it's mostly research-related work," Lin Xuan replied. "It should align well with your interests. But there's no rush. I'll first summon Yahiko back with Edo Tensei, and then you, Nagato, Jiraiya, and the others can take some time to get acquainted with this world."
"Sounds good," Orochimaru agreed readily.
With that, Lin Xuan performed the Cross-Dimensional Edo Tensei once more, bringing Yahiko back from the Naruto world. Orochimaru watched intently, trying to decipher every detail of the technique, hoping to learn its secrets. Lin Xuan didn't stop him—if Orochimaru could somehow master the Cross-Dimensional Edo Tensei without relying on the system, it would be a monumental achievement.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru gleaned nothing substantial, let alone cracked the technique's mysteries. Lin Xuan wasn't disappointed; if the system were that easy to unravel, it wouldn't be a system at all.
Once Yahiko was revived, the group dispersed temporarily. Yahiko went with Nagato and Konan, while Orochimaru followed Jiraiya. As for the Paper-Paper Fruit Lin Xuan had intended for Konan, he decided to hold off. He wanted Orochimaru to study it first before letting Konan consume it.
Not long after they left, someone else approached Lin Xuan.
Uchiha Obito.
He appeared as he once had in the ninja world, masquerading as Uchiha Madara, wearing a spiral-patterned mask. The moment Lin Xuan saw him, he knew Obito had come to fulfill the promise.
That promise, of course, was to use Edo Tensei to bring back Nohara Rin.
After the war with the World Government ended, Lin Xuan had planned to honor his promise. But when he offered to procure a sacrifice from Kaguya Otsutsuki, Obito had refused.
"No need," Obito had said. "Just give me a White Zetsu spore. I'll cultivate it myself."
Lin Xuan had raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding. Obito still couldn't let go of his resentment over being used as a sacrifice to revive Kaguya. He couldn't defeat her, and with Lin Xuan's presence, he couldn't afford to clash with her either. But he refused to use a White Zetsu cultivated by Kaguya for Rin's revival, wary that she might tamper with it.
Lin Xuan hadn't pressed the issue and simply handed Obito a White Zetsu spore, letting him handle it as he saw fit.
Now, days later, Obito was back. Lin Xuan guessed he had successfully cultivated the sacrifice.
Sure enough, Obito activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, and with a swirl of his Kamui dimension, he produced two White Zetsu.
Lin Xuan examined them briefly and noticed they were different from the ones Kaguya had provided. These were… superior, more refined. If used for Edo Tensei, the results would likely be better. Obito had clearly put in great effort, wanting only the best for Rin.
But something puzzled Lin Xuan. "Why two sacrifices?"
Obito hesitated, almost sheepishly. "I'd like you to redo my Edo Tensei as well… to restore me to how I was when I was seventeen."
Realization dawned on Lin Xuan. Obito, despite his Six Paths-level power, wasn't asking for a small favor. Redoing an Edo Tensei for someone of his caliber was no minor task. But considering Obito's significant contributions and his potential usefulness in the future, Lin Xuan decided to grant the request—with conditions.
"In about a month, there'll be a war," Lin Xuan said plainly. "I expect your full cooperation when the time comes."
Obito didn't hesitate. "Deal."
With his agreement secured, Lin Xuan wasted no time. He dispelled Obito's current Edo Tensei and performed the ritual again, reviving both Obito and Rin. Moments later, two figures stood before him—a teenage Obito and a teenage Nohara Rin.
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T/N:
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