Chương 94

The cemetery laid in silence beneath a gray afternoon sky, where the wind carried the scent of damp earth and old incense through rows of weathered gravestones. A very young boy who was exceptionally pale with eyes stretched a bi unnaturally. His unusual golden eyes fixed upon the carved letters as though they might suddenly answer the countless questions buried within his heart. There were others beside him in the graveyard too as the First Shinobi War had just ended, so he wasn't alone in this grief.

The whole village was mourning, especially the loss of the Second Hokage, but for that little boy his parents were his world and it just vanished. Death had stolen the only people who had loved him without conditions, leaving behind an emptiness so vast that it swallowed every innocent dream he had once possessed. He knelt before the graves with trembling hands, placing fresh flowers at their base before lowering his head in silence.

"Why?" he whispered into the stillness, his voice barely audible.

"You protected this village... so why couldn't anyone protect you?" No answer came. All he could hear were the sobs of people around, but none of their voices matched his parents, which he so desperately wanted. This angered him more than it should. Just as he prepared to leave, a soft rustling drew his attention. Emerging from the tall grass beside the gravestones was a slender white snake, its pristine scales gleaming like polished ivory beneath the fading sunlight. It neither hissed nor fled.

Instead, it calmly slithered around the graves before lifting its head to stare directly into the boy's eyes. For reasons he could not explain, he felt no fear. The creature seemed ancient, almost wise, as though it carried secrets hidden beyond the reach of ordinary men. He had read somewhere, that white snake was often regarded as a symbol of rebirth, fortune, and the endless cycle of life shedding its old skin to emerge anew.

Then he would see something that would get imprinted in his mind for the rest of his life. The snake would effortlessly discard its old skin against a stone before continuing onward, renewed and untouched by what it had left behind. His gaze lingered upon the translucent husk resting on the ground. A creature could abandon its old body and continue living. Nature itself possessed a means of renewal that mankind did not.

Humans cried, aged, weakened, and ultimately died while a lesser creature simply cast aside what had become obsolete. As the snake disappeared into the forest, something subtle shifted within the boy's heart. Grief remained, but it was no longer alone. That evening itself the boy, stepped into the village library not to study ninjutsu for missions or examinations, but to search for everything written about longevity, forbidden techniques, ancient rituals, and the elusive possibility of conquering death itself.

Years passed, and the seed continued to grow quietly beneath the surface as the boy matured into one of Konoha's greatest prodigies. His brilliance earned admiration from allies and respect from enemies, yet every accomplishment only strengthened his belief that genius alone could not triumph over mortality. Then came the mission that shattered whatever fragile restraint remained. The battlefield reeked of blood, smoke, and freshly overturned soil when Nawaki's lifeless body was brought before them.

The young shinobi had been smiling only hours earlier, speaking excitedly about becoming Hokage and wearing the necklace Tsunade had entrusted to him as a symbol of her faith. Now that same necklace rested upon a corpse so mutilated that even seasoned veterans turned away in horror. The boy turned man stood frozen as medics confirmed there was nothing left to save. One misplaced step onto an explosive tag, one instant of carelessness, and years of dreams, talent, and ambition vanished forever.

Nawaki had not died because he lacked determination or strength. He had simply encountered something stronger than life itself. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"How fragile..." he murmured, his voice almost devoid of emotion.

"Everything we build... everything we promise... everything we become... it can all disappear in a single heartbeat." The words were not spoken in anger toward the enemy but toward existence itself. He had trained tirelessly, mastered countless techniques, and surpassed expectations, yet none of it had granted him the power to preserve even one precious life. He promised himself at that moment, that this sinking feel of despair that had clutched onto his heart.

He got more obsessed as he saw more people die around him, and thus decided to take fate into his own hands, and proceed to do everything possible to live long and achieve immortality. But that despair remained. And today that despair had been given fuel like never before. Orochimaru felt his life experience flash by when the spurts of blood fell on his face after that chest of Sakon was slashed up by Rei. The despair returned with more vigor because he couldn't understand what was going on.

He had never felt so exhilarated and despair at the same time in a single moment. He was bursting with happiness seeing such a man existed which had both Uchiha and the Uzumaki bloodline, but the despair was for the fact that the man seemed to way too powerful. Even he felt chill under his spine looking at how easily he was cutting down his subordinates. Maybe even the Edo Tensei would fail in front of him since this man had the Kryptonite for edo tensei, the adamantine chains.

While this was going through the mind of the snake man, Rei wasn't done. He twisted, drove his elbow into Sakon's jaw with enough force to break bone and immediately followed with another slash that severed Ukon's arm as he tried separating from his brother. Their screams echoed together. His physique exploded forward once again and his fist crashed directly into Sakon's stomach, folding his body around the impact before launching both brothers through three frozen trees.

The instant they landed, several Adamantine Chains shot forward like golden serpents, pierced through both of them and nailed them against a gigantic pillar of ice. Neither brother even had time to scream before Rei appeared before them. His blade flashed once. And then again. Both heads rolled onto the frozen ground. Kidomaru's breathing became ragged. Tayuya's fingers trembled so violently that she almost dropped her flute. Neither of them had ever imagined the Sound Four could be dismantled so effortlessly.

"Run! I will hold him off!" Kidomaru shouted. He was now cursing his luck and blaming Jirobo for making the first move against this man who they didn't even understand. One couldn't blame them as when Rei had appeared he was wearing an armor/clothes that had never been seen before. The piece of clothing looked like something that had never existed and unknown, this made them sure that the boy was an enemy. Now they weren't sure that this man was even a boy, because the way he battled was like a man.

He seemed to have counter for every attack of theirs and none of their moves seemed to surprise him at all. It was as if he had known their moves and techniques from long ago and had answer to every one of their moves. It was subtle but it was there and Orochimaru could see it too. Rei didn't attack but instant stopped and said.

"Run where? To Kimimaro? You think that half dead man can save you? You are more delusional than I expected you to be if you think you can run away from me and save yourself." This made Tayuya who was close to Orochimaru and was about to take him on her shoulder and run off to stop. Even Kidomaru couldn't believe his ears when he heard Rei. Kimimaro was their trump card and even that was somehow known by this man.

Both Kidomaru and Tayuya didn't know what to say and just looked at Orochimaru for further instructions. He gave a wide smile, which looked more like a sadness than a smile.

"We surrender.. What do you want from us? We can work for you. Be your spies and accomplish anything that you want. Just tell us what you want from us." Orochimaru finally said. It was useless to fight this person now. He needed to find a solution and then bite this enigmatic man. Hadn't he done the same before? So he would do the same.

"You think too highly of yourself if you think I will cooperate with you, or want anything from you. You betrayed Konoha. Betrayed Akatsuki and now you are even less of a man with those useless hands of yours." Rei said.

"That is true.. But we have years of research which I am sure you will be interested. Which could make you stronger and more feared." Orochimaru didn't give up. His breathing was getting heavier with every passing second and needed a solution as he could feel that the current body was rejecting him.

"Research? Of what? Immortality? Using cells of the First Hokage?" Rei replied and the words of Rei made Orochimaru's eyes narrow.