He has even mastered Haki, and you say this is Naruto?

"Lord Izuna said—that part of history was manipulated. His only request... is the truth."

Under the dim lighting, the old cat and Orochimaru sat across from each other, a heavy tension lingering in the air.

History again.

The history sealed away since the Sage of Six Paths' era, and now, he was being asked to investigate the Warring States period.

"I'll do it. I'll uncover the full, original record of history."

Orochimaru finally accepted the mission—one entrusted to him by Uchiha Izuna.

He was curious himself: just how many secrets had been buried by time? The true history of the ninja world—he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

Maybe even the secret to Dragon Transformation Senjutsu was hidden somewhere in that very history.

After acquiring certain documents, Orochimaru's research focus shifted.

What he learned from the White Snake Sage about the era of the Sage of Six Paths was invaluable to his research. That was part of why he accepted the mission to uncover the truth behind the Warring States period.

Even without Madara's reappearance, Orochimaru would have pursued this path.

Now that he had access to information tied to Madara, many of the once-mysterious powers became clear.

"Observation Haki—a power similar to Kagura's Mind's Eye—is a unique ability formed through a ritual conversion developed by Shanks."

"Its limitation is that it requires sensing natural energy, but the advantage is that it bypasses the restrictions of Kekkei Genkai, giving it universality."

Ritual conversion—this was a technique Orochimaru was an expert in. He could even artificially create Kekkei Genkai, though the price was steep.

"And if Observation Haki is trained to a higher level, it can even allow you to hear the voices of other living beings?"

That fits Jūgo quite well, and his incomplete Sage Mode also meets the core requirements of Observation Haki.

For Orochimaru, Observation Haki was the easiest to master.

Through the cursed seal, he could sense natural energy without entering Sage Mode—and combined with his already terrifying danger sense...

Orochimaru pondered. His direction was absolutely correct.

He couldn't help but marvel internally:

"To think such a formidable powerhouse has suddenly emerged in the ninja world... Is he a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan?"

The heritage of a shinobi clan could be terrifying—especially one like the Uzumaki who once had an entire nation of their own.

Heritage didn't just mean secret techniques—it meant talent.

And based on intel, Shanks couldn't be older than early thirties—contemporary with the Fourth Hokage.

Yet during that time, Kushina was believed to be the last of the Uzumaki in Konoha—an orphan entrusted to the village.

That thought made Orochimaru's expression turn strange.

"Makes sense. Konoha was Uzushiogakure's ally but still watched it fall. Why would the Uzumaki ever trust Konoha again?"

"Kushina was just a smokescreen. The one who truly inherited the Uzumaki legacy... was Shanks."

Orochimaru suddenly felt a headache coming on.

He'd always thought of himself as one of the great schemers of the shinobi world.

He'd even partnered with Danzo—his cunning and schemes were never lacking.

But now, after touching this layer of history, Orochimaru felt exhausted.

What was the destruction of Konoha compared to this? Even if he succeeded, he'd just weaken the village.

But the Uzumaki Clan's plan? They weren't just flipping the table—they were remaking it.

"So you won't include my clan in your game? Fine. We'll make sure no one gets to play anymore."

Compared to that, Orochimaru's schemes—or even Danzo's—were just petty tricks.

And Orochimaru wasn't stupid.

He understood what Shanks' ritual conversion meant.

Breaking through the limitations of bloodline—wasn't that a way to enable more people to gain power?

Orochimaru's plans had always been about weakening others. The Uzumaki's plan was the opposite: strengthening everyone.

If that power went out of control, the entire ninja world would spiral into chaos—no single village could hope to dictate terms anymore.

"Aside from Shanks, there's also Uchiha Izuna. Though his life must be near its end, he's clearly been planning something all these years."

"The more I think about it, the more terrifying it becomes."

"One of the strategic masterminds of the Warring States—someone who could go toe-to-toe with Tobirama."

Compared to Shanks' grand and open plan, Orochimaru found Izuna more dangerous.

The major figures of that era were all dead: Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama...

And now suddenly Izuna appears? That's terrifying.

Most concerning of all—Orochimaru had attempted Edo Tensei.

He could summon the First and Second Hokage—but not Izuna.

History recorded Izuna's death as being stabbed by Tobirama—not sealed or cursed, just killed.

Yet Edo Tensei failed. What, did Tobirama use the Reaper Death Seal on him?

As for Madara, it made sense. His death was unclear, and his soul may have been sealed away.

But Orochimaru was sure now: that mysterious Uchiha—was Izuna.

"How much of history has been falsified? Izuna was killed by Tobirama? What a joke."

"Knowing too much might not be a good thing..."

If history had been covered up by those with an agenda, who knows what else was hidden?

Another powerhouse might just leap out of the river of time one day...

And to be honest—Orochimaru's worries weren't unfounded.

The Sage of Six Paths hadn't even been buried cold yet.

"Forget it. For now, let's find the original version of history."

"Zōbei, Kotarō."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Two seemingly ordinary ninjas entered. Kotarō looked like a weathered old fisherman—not a shinobi at all. Zōbei, dressed like a samurai, carried two swords at his waist.

In truth, they were quite ordinary. Their combat strength barely scraped the bottom of genin level.

Their only strength: luck and survival instinct.

As a "mystic scientist," Orochimaru ran many experiments based on probability—so luck was a serious factor for him.

"The Land of Waves has been unstable lately. You two are to go undercover there and find a way into Konoha."

"Also, find the ruins of the Uchiha Clan compound. Here—your mission scroll."

The scroll bore the Uchiha's sealing formulas—sent directly by "Izuna."

"Understood, Lord Orochimaru."

With their orders, the two left Grass Ninja Village that very day, heading toward the Land of Waves.

Unnoticed by most, the ninja world had started to stir with dark currents.

And the one who caused it all—a certain "ambitious man"—was still busy training.

Shanks was working harder than ever.

He had no choice—because next to him was an old man who refused to be outdone.

That's right.

We're looking at you, Uchiha Izuna.

As his death approached, how could Madara not feel urgency?

At first, he thought it was enough to glimpse the future—he could remain in the shadows and wait for Black Zetsu's plan to succeed.

Even if Orochimaru messed things up, he'd get a second chance at life and could clean up the mess himself.

After all, Madara had lived through the Warring States—he wasn't a fool. He just never needed to use his intellect before.

But as he thought more, Madara realized: the biggest wildcard wasn't Black Zetsu—it was Shanks.

"If only Izuna were still alive…"

Madara was tired—mentally exhausted.

But over time, he came to understand Shanks.

The man was straightforward, proud of his strength, and disdained lying or deceit.

If Madara asked about Shanks' future plans, he'd probably get a truthful answer.

But Madara had his own pride. He would never ask.

"The New World Plan… Shanks is trying to build a new world. And he believes someone in the future will carry on his ideals."

"I should've realized sooner—his plan was to cultivate more powerful individuals."

A normal person would try to keep power within their control.

But this was Shanks, the man with Conqueror's Haki.

A man with the will to usher in a new era.

"Shanks doesn't care about control. In fact, if someone surpasses him, he'd welcome it. That's the kind of man he is."

"No wonder he's capable of shaping an era. With a plan like his, no scheming or manipulation stands a chance. Once the New World is built, the wheels of history will roll forward."

"Shanks will be the one steering the carriage. And the weak—will be crushed under its wheels."

Madara finally understood Shanks' plan.

Though Shanks was direct in nature, his vision and ambition far surpassed anyone in the ninja world.

That's why his strategy was from the very beginning on a completely different level.

Once the wheel of history turned, not even Black Zetsu—or any other hidden force—could stop it.

Only one option would remain: step out from the shadows.

"So, Shanks must've realized that parts of history were deliberately hidden too. That's why he's doing this?"

Madara thought he might find time to confirm with Shanks about the true version of history.

But for now, he had to ride along with history's current.

His second life would take another four or five years.

By then, the ninja world might be unrecognizable.

"Aside from Haki, the rest is taijutsu and swordsmanship."

"It's too late to learn Shanks' sword techniques. But his taijutsu? That's still within reach."

Madara was extremely confident—and with good reason.

Normally, he wouldn't even care to study taijutsu.

But the martial prowess that Shanks had demonstrated was simply insane.