Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru
Chapter 395

Kaguya's sudden attack on Orochimaru might have seemed abrupt, but it was entirely reasonable.

Simply put, Orochimaru wasn't surprised.

As the swiftly approaching white hair lashed toward him, his eyes flashed.

In an instant, space distorted, and Orochimaru reappeared ten meters behind Kaguya.

"I resurrected you, and the first thing you do is attack me? How interesting."

Kaguya was visibly stunned for a brief moment upon seeing Orochimaru vanish.

Slowly, she retracted her hair and turned her head.

Fixing her gaze on Orochimaru, she spoke in a cold, detached tone.

"A space-time technique?"

Her eyes narrowed as she observed the Truth-Seeking Orbs floating behind him.

"And you possess Truth-Seeking Orbs as well… Are you Hagoromo? No, that's not right."

As soon as she spoke, veins bulged on her forehead.

Byakugan.

Kaguya's Byakugan was the purest of them all.

Her pupil power far surpassed even that of Hamura.

Not only could she see the chakra pathways of others.

She could discern the very nature of their chakra itself.

And then—she saw Orochimaru's chakra.

Kaguya froze.

"Your chakra… You are…"

For the first time, a hint of surprise flickered in her otherwise cold eyes.

However, she quickly regained her composure.

Her voice turned sharp.

"Where are they?"

Her tone carried an unnatural chill, yet Orochimaru remained unfazed.

Because at that moment.

He too was stunned.

"Them? What do you mean, 'them'?"

Kaguya's expression remained unreadable.

"You… aren't a descendant of those people?"

Coming back to her senses, her tone remained icy.

Orochimaru's brows lifted slightly.

"So that's the misunderstanding here?"

He chuckled softly.

"You thought I was one of your people?"

Kaguya remained silent.

Orochimaru's smirk widened.

"I'm not one of your clan."

Kaguya's veins receded, her Byakugan returning to normal.

"If that's the case, then why does your chakra resemble theirs?"

"If you'd ask nicely and not try to kill me, I wouldn't mind telling you my story."

Orochimaru shrugged, his tone casual.

After all.

He was the main reason Kaguya had been revived.

As long as she wasn't immediately hostile, there was no harm in talking.

Kaguya's gaze darkened, her brows furrowing slightly.

Before she could respond, Black Zetsu's voice interrupted.

"Mother, allow me to explain the situation first…"

Hearing his voice, Kaguya's expression shifted slightly.

For the first time, her previously cold and ruthless face seemed to show a trace of ease.

"Very well. Speak."

And so, Black Zetsu began his explanation.

Originally, his plan had been to stay hidden behind Kaguya and urge her to immediately kill Orochimaru.

But—he didn't dare.

There were two reasons for this.

First, because Orochimaru had played a crucial role in Kaguya's revival.

Second, because Black Zetsu knew Orochimaru was an extremely cautious person.

If he was confident enough to resurrect Kaguya, he must have had a backup plan.

Thus, he chose not to take any risks.

Instead of manipulating the narrative, he relayed the truth exactly as it was.

As she listened, Kaguya's brows furrowed.

She turned to Black Zetsu.

"Not only did he know of your plan, but he also knew about me… and still chose to release me?"

"Yes, Mother."

Kaguya's gaze sharpened.

"For what reason?"

Black Zetsu hesitated.

Because—

Even he didn't know the answer.

Orochimaru, noticing his silence, let out a soft chuckle.

"I simply felt that it was unfair for you to be sealed away. So, I decided to help."

Pausing, he added.

"And of course…"

He smirked.

"I was also curious to see what the legendary goddess truly looked like."

Kaguya's gray eyes flickered slightly.

"…Just for that?"

Orochimaru shrugged again.

"Of course, there's more to it than that, but the details aren't important."

He waved his hand dismissively.

"The only thing that matters is—I have no hostility toward you."

"…No hostility…"

Kaguya murmured, her gray eyes clouding for a moment.

For the first time.

A faint trace of pain surfaced in her usually unreadable expression.

Orochimaru, unable to discern its source, chose to continue.

"If you don't mind, considering the effort I went through to revive you, why don't we talk?"

His calm demeanor made Black Zetsu feel reassured about his earlier decision.

For him, now that Kaguya had been revived, whether she chose to turn against Orochimaru or not was her choice.

Kaguya—

She despised humans.

She had been sealed away by her own sons, how could she not?

And yet—

The unfamiliar yet familiar chakra Orochimaru possessed, along with his collected composure, made it difficult for her to feel hostility toward him.

The night sky was deep and dark, the moon glowing a sinister red.

From a distance, several miles away, no one could see what was happening at the center of the battlefield.

But—

They did not dare get any closer.

They feared they would only hinder Orochimaru.

"Why is it so quiet…?"

"Nothing's happening… Could something have gone wrong?"

"No way, right? Orochimaru has never failed before!"

Mikoto and Nonō exchanged worried glances.

Even Tsunade was uneasy.

After all—

Orochimaru was facing a god.

For the first time, she regretted not stopping him.

She knew she wouldn't have succeeded in stopping him anyway.

But even so, she wished she had at least tried.

Just as their anxiety peaked.

A dark rift split the air.

From the shattered void, a majestic woman stepped forth.

Her silver hair cascaded down her back, and her gray eyes held an overwhelming presence.

The sheer pressure of her aura weighed down on everyone present.

At that moment.

They understood.

"This is… Kaguya?!"

"Did Orochimaru fail?!"

"How… How could that happen?!"

Jiraiya's mind reeled.

Mikoto and Nonō were equally stunned.

Even Tsunade.

Her face turned pale with despair.

Did he… really die?

How could that be possible?!

She hadn't even had his child yet!

Before they could process their thoughts, Kaguya's presence became overwhelming.

Everyone instinctively took a defensive stance.

Kaguya, unaware of their thoughts, coldly surveyed the group.

Her gray-white pupils held the power to pierce into souls.

"Are these the descendants of the Hagoromo?"

A familiar voice answered from behind her.

"Yes."

Emerging from the space-time rift, Orochimaru stepped forward.

(To be continued.)

***

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