"Yo, sharp eyes you've got there."
"Since you recognized the Totsuka Blade, then you should also know—no matter how many tricks you have up your sleeve, if I want to, I can seal you away forever."
Naruto spoke slowly.
Orochimaru didn't argue. At this moment, with his body riddled with sealing techniques and the Totsuka Blade at his throat, he truly had no means to resist.
But deep in his heart, he still had one last trump card—the Cursed Seal of Heaven he had previously implanted in Anko and the others.
Hidden within the Cursed Seal of Heaven was a fragment of Orochimaru's soul, through which he could resurrect.
But Naruto's next words sent chills straight to his soul.
"By the way, don't even think about coming back through the Cursed Seal. I'll scour the entire ninja world and erase every single one you've implanted."
"I remember... Konoha's Anko Mitarashi is one of them, isn't she?"
Naruto's calm words sounded like the whisper of a Shinigami to Orochimaru's ears.
"Impossible! How do you know these things?!"
Orochimaru could no longer remain composed, his expression nearly deranged.
All these years, he had been chasing the meaning of life.
And immortality—that was the ultimate answer he sought.
But Naruto's words just now sounded like a death sentence.
Death—a concept he had long pushed far from himself—once again wrapped itself around his heart, plunging him into deep fear.
He could accept defeat, no matter how many times—as long as he was alive.
"What do you want?" Orochimaru finally forced himself to calm down and asked with difficulty.
As long as he could survive, he was willing to do anything.
"Simple. Just one condition—from now on, you work for me."
"You'll not only keep your life, but you'll achieve your dream of immortality even faster."
Hearing this, Orochimaru breathed a long sigh of relief and agreed without hesitation.
"No problem."
Naruto calmly issued his first command.
"Then, let out your soul."
Orochimaru blinked. "My soul? Why? What exactly are you trying to do…?"
In this moment, Orochimaru—who had been twisted and manipulated like dough—felt like he was talking to a demon.
Naruto didn't answer. He simply gave the Totsuka Blade in his hand a little shake.
The aura emanating from the blade made Orochimaru momentarily forget how to breathe.
He swallowed hard. Facing the completely unreasonable Naruto, he could only relent.
Off to the side, Kabuto Yakushi was sweating just watching Orochimaru's situation.
The key issue was that Naruto didn't even glance at him. And he didn't dare move a muscle.
He was terrified Naruto would just kill him on the spot.
One of Naruto's Shadow Clones released part of the seal on Orochimaru, allowing him to access a small amount of chakra.
Faced with several Narutos watching him like hawks, any thought Orochimaru had of escaping flashed by in an instant.
"Spirit Separation Technique!"
Orochimaru activated the forbidden technique, causing his soul to rise from the top of his head.
The Spirit Separation Technique was a forbidden jutsu, but Orochimaru had long mastered it.
In fact, his Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique was derived from it.
By separating his soul from his body, he could invade others' spiritual worlds and devour their souls.
It was essentially a form of possession.
After leaving his body, Orochimaru glanced at Naruto, pondering whether he should abandon his body and flee.
But when their eyes met—Naruto's gaze calm and unshaken—Orochimaru abandoned the idea completely.
The soul is invisible to the naked eye.
Yet Naruto's eyes remained fixed directly on Orochimaru.
He waved him over with a finger.
Orochimaru sighed internally and floated over.
Naruto placed a hand on his soul.
One after another, he etched black, tadpole-shaped seals into it.
One of them was the Flying Thunder God formula.
With these marks inscribed on his soul, Orochimaru's fate was now entirely in Naruto's hands.
No matter how many times he changed bodies with Living Corpse Reincarnation, those seals would remain branded on his soul.
"Don't even think about removing them. The moment you try, I'll know. And I won't hesitate to detonate your soul," Naruto warned.
Orochimaru was utterly defeated.
With some bitterness, he asked, "I never messed with you… so why are you doing this to me?"
Naruto patted his soul's shoulder—but of course, his hand passed right through. He shrugged.
"Because you're into science. Of course, I'll pick you."
Orochimaru returned his soul to his body, gritting his teeth internally.
'Screw you…'
But, true to his title as the greatest survivor, he quickly accepted his fate.
With the soul branding complete, Naruto's mission was more than halfway done.
He released all the seals on Orochimaru's body.
"I need the blood of ten kekkei genkai users. How fast can you get it for me?" Naruto asked, turning to Orochimaru.
"Ten different kekkei genkai… you need that many?" For someone as invested in research as Orochimaru, the instinct to ask questions was immediate.
But Naruto cut him off before he could finish.
Ten minutes later, Orochimaru presented Naruto with ten vials of blood.
Each blood sample had a distinct color.
Naruto was quite satisfied with Orochimaru's efficiency.
He took the vials and communicated with the system in his mind.
"Recycle!"
The ten vials vanished from Naruto's hand without a trace.
Orochimaru and Kabuto, watching from the side, weren't even surprised at this point.
Given the level of power Naruto had just shown, even stranger things would've felt normal.
[Bloodline Collection Progress: 12/12 – Complete.][Congratulations, Host. You've earned one High-Level Lottery Draw.][Would you like to draw now?]
Naruto didn't choose to draw immediately. Instead, he looked at Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, get me a room. I need to rest."
"Understood." Orochimaru had already come to terms with his new life as Naruto's subordinate.
Though it was still difficult for someone used to being in charge, he saw no way out.
'Survival first. No shame in that.'
Orochimaru comforted himself with that thought as he led Naruto to a room.
There were dozens of rooms in the underground corridor.
They were typically used to house the "vessels" Orochimaru had picked up and raised from childhood.
As he opened the door, the room's interior came into view.
Naruto's first impression?
Pink. Very pink.
The entire room was lined with pink crystal—from walls to furniture, even the bed.
And lying on that pink crystal bed was a female ninja, completely encased in shimmering crystal.
But the moment the door opened…
Her eyes snapped open inside the crystal—and locked onto Naruto.