Naruto's Strongest Force

After concluding his discussion with Orochimaru, Natsuki realized he had been in the Hidden Sound Village for a while but hadn’t seen some key people yet. Specifically, he wondered where Kabuto, Orochimaru’s loyal assistant, was.

“Where’s Kabuto gone?” Natsuki asked.

Orochimaru responded, “I’ve left everything in the village to him. It’s been several days since I last saw him. I only call him back when I need help with certain experiments.”

Natsuki nodded, “Oh, did I ever mention to you that Kabuto has great potential for learning senjutsu?”

“Potential? How much potential?” Orochimaru hadn’t expected that Kabuto would have a talent for ninjutsu.

The more Orochimaru researched Jugo, the more he realized how difficult it was to master ninjutsu.

Natsuki pondered for a moment. Senjutsu required purity—purity of heart and soul. In the original timeline, Kabuto had lost himself, grafted parts of Orochimaru onto his body, and turned himself into a patchwork of different genes and soul fragments, yet he still learned ninjutsu. This demonstrated just how immense Kabuto’s talent indeed was.

“Second only to Hashirama,” Natsuki replied casually.

This statement shocked Orochimaru. As someone who understood Hashirama’s mastery of senjutsu better than most, he was stunned to think that Kabuto could have such talent.

He realized that perhaps having Kabuto handle village affairs was indeed a bit of a waste.

“How many other things have you kept from me, Natsuki-kun?” Orochimaru licked his lips with a serpentine grin, finding Natsuki an endless source of surprising information.

Natsuki shrugged, indicating that he had pretty much-shared everything. “Oh, by the way, the boy I brought back, Haku, aside from having the Ice Release bloodline, is also a promising candidate for senjutsu training.”

Orochimaru nodded in agreement. It seemed all the people Natsuki brought with him were exceptionally talented.

He quickly summoned Kabuto. When Kabuto arrived, the system’s notification rang in Natsuki’s mind, just as expected.

?Ding! You have successfully recruited Kabuto Yakushi.?

Congratulations! You have obtained Serpent Senjutsu Compatibility.

Natsuki furrowed his brow slightly. So Kabuto’s talent wasn’t for general senjutsu but specifically for the Dragon Sage’s Serpent Senjutsu. However, this skill wasn’t handy for Natsuki.

“Lord Orochimaru,” Kabuto greeted respectfully, “and Natsuki-sama.”

Kabuto was well aware of Natsuki’s importance. Since the Uchiha clan had moved to the Hidden Sound Village and brought tremendous growth, Natsuki had become somewhat of a legend despite not residing there.

In recent times, Kabuto has matured significantly, shouldering many responsibilities. This considerably developed his character, making him more composed and focused than his previous, more playful demeanor.

“Hidden Sound has grown considerably. Would you like to take on the title of Sound Shadow?” Orochimaru asked Kabuto.

Kabuto replied, “Lord Orochimaru, I have no interest in becoming the Sound Shadow. I want to continue serving you.” Handling the village’s affairs had left Kabuto exhausted. Though it had helped him mature, he didn’t particularly enjoy it. He much preferred working closely with Orochimaru on experiments and other matters.

Orochimaru smiled. “In that case, choose some capable people and gradually delegate your responsibilities. Select someone to lead the village, and then follow me.”

Kabuto was thrilled. “Thank you, Lord Orochimaru!”

Natsuki, meanwhile, turned his attention to his talent system. It seemed like the quickest way to identify individuals with specific talents and ensure that everyone was assigned tasks suited to their strengths.

After whispering something to Orochimaru, the latter raised an eyebrow. “Kabuto, come with me.”

Excited by the prospect of being needed for something important, Kabuto replied, “Yes, Lord Orochimaru.”

As they walked, Orochimaru explained, “You have a unique physique, Kabuto—one well-suited for learning senjutsu. I’m taking you to Ryuchi Cave to train in it.”

“Unique physique? Senjutsu?!” Kabuto was surprised. Although he was a skilled medical ninja, he had never considered that he might have a natural talent for ninjutsu. Despite its remote nature, he was aware of the immense power of ninjutsu.

The revelation that he had the potential for ninjutsu training excited him greatly.

Orochimaru led Kabuto and Natsuki through several rooms, finally arriving at an empty chamber, save for a large ritual circle on the floor, covered in dust.

Orochimaru quickly made a series of hand seals and blew a gentle wind from his mouth, clearing the dust from the circle and sweeping it into a corner without stirring it into the air.

Natsuki watched, amazed by the precision of Orochimaru’s wind release—such delicate control was far more complicated than using wind blades in battle.

Orochimaru stepped into the center of the ritual circle while instructing Kabuto and Natsuki to remain where they were. He bit his finger, drawing blood, and made a mark on the circle. The symbols on the floor began to glow.

“Summoning Jutsu!” Orochimaru exclaimed, slamming his hand down onto the center of the circle.

With a puff of smoke, a young girl appeared in the circle’s center. She had long dark blue hair, wore a golden crown adorned with orbs, and had elongated golden eyes with red eye shadow extending to her nose. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with the vivid green magatama ornament on her chest, and she had sharp teeth and a pink tongue.

She spoke in a cute but commanding voice, “Orochimaru, for you to summon me with this ritual circle, it better be something important.”

Natsuki squinted slightly. Was this girl from Ryuchi Cave? From the moment she appeared, Natsuki could sense the natural energy in the air growing denser. It seemed Ryuchi Cave was indeed a place rich in natural energy.

Though the girl had an innocent appearance, Orochimaru showed apparent deference. He beckoned Kabuto forward.

“Hime, this is an excellent candidate for Ryuchi Cave’s teachings,” Orochimaru said.

“Is that so?” The girl, known as Ichikishima-hime, floated closer to Kabuto, her attire giving her an ethereal, celestial appearance.

Kabuto, ever observant, sensed that this person was dangerous, and he stood still, quietly awaiting her evaluation.

Ichikishima-hime elegantly floated around Kabuto, inspecting him. Her eyes began to glow with interest.

“Incredible, absolutely incredible,” she murmured as her forked tongue flicked out and snake-like patterns appeared on her face.

Her gaze toward Kabuto became pure admiration, as if she had just found a rare treasure.

Kabuto’s skin crawled with fear as if he were prey being scrutinized by a predator. Despite the instinctual terror, he remained motionless, allowing the inspection.

Ichikishima-hime conjured a glowing orb in her hand and placed it on Kabuto’s body. Kabuto shivered as a wave of energy surged into him, filling him with an overwhelming sensation of vitality. His cells seemed to rejoice and dance with the influx of natural energy.

Seeing Kabuto effortlessly absorb the natural energy without any adverse reaction, Ichikishima-he was astonished. His body was seemingly made for Serpent Senjutsu.

She quickly grabbed Kabuto by the shoulder, declaring, “He’s a perfect candidate. I must take him to Ryuchi Cave immediately. Orochimaru, what do you want in return?”

Orochimaru smiled. “It is Kabuto’s fortune to learn senjutsu. How could I ask for anything in return?”

“Go, Kabuto. Study senjutsu well and don’t embarrass me.”

Kabuto immediately understood Orochimaru’s intent and bowed respectfully. “Don’t worry, Lord Orochimaru. I will study diligently.”

Ichikishima-hime gave Orochimaru a deep, knowing look before she and Kabuto vanished in a puff of smoke.

Orochimaru turned to Natsuki and remarked, “You really have an eye for talent, Natsuki-kun.”

Natsuki chuckled, surprised at how eagerly the Ryuchi Cave emissary had taken Kabuto away. With Kabuto gone from the village, someone else would need to handle things.

Fortunately, Kabuto had been away often enough that people were used to his absence.

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