Hiruzen persuaded me to die

"Has Hiruko already used the Chimera Technique on himself?"

Hyuga Naraku asked aloud, his tone calm and thoughtful.

He had already begun capturing various bloodline ninjas.

Could it be that Hiruko's Ghost Transformation Technique had reached the stage where it could now be officially applied?

"I've seen Hiruko use that technique before," Orochimaru replied with a dismissive smile, then continued:

"To some extent, it's a rather interesting forbidden jutsu."

"I once saw him use the Chimera Technique to fuse two creatures into one—creating a strange, synthetic beast. The two became a single entity."

"But this fusion," Orochimaru sneered, "was only at the physical level."

When it came to manipulating the human body, Orochimaru considered himself the most accomplished shinobi in the world.

So even if he hadn't fully deciphered the inner mechanics of the Chimera Technique...

He could still tell—it came at an enormous cost.

Hyuga Naraku nodded slightly, then asked with curiosity:

"When is Hiruko planning to perform the Chimera Technique ritual?"

"If possible, I'd like to witness it myself."

Orochimaru's eyes froze.

Go observe it?

Did Naraku forget who he was?

He was the current Hokage of Konoha—and he wanted to walk into a rebel stronghold just to see a dangerous forbidden ritual firsthand?

Did he think Pain would roll out a red carpet for him?

"They won't recognize me."

Hyuga Naraku seemed to sense Orochimaru's disbelief.

Without hesitation, he reached up and removed the mask from his face.

Beneath it was a completely unfamiliar countenance.

"...!" Orochimaru's pupils shrank slightly, his entire body tensing in alert. "Who are you?!"

Until now, he had been completely convinced this was Hyuga Naraku—based on the chakra signature and the unique methods they used to communicate.

He hadn't paid much attention to the mask—thinking it was just to conceal his identity from outsiders.

But now…

This wasn't even his real face!

"This is a puppet I control remotely," Naraku explained.

"My real body is elsewhere."

His true body was still hidden deep within Shikkotsu Forest, focusing on merging the power of the Six Paths with Sage Mode through a series of dangerous experiments.

To witness the Chimera Technique ritual, this Tenseigan puppet would suffice.

He had injected a portion of his Tenseigan chakra into it.

So long as that chakra remained, the puppet could move and function freely, even across great distances.

Even from within Shikkotsu Forest, he could manipulate it as if it were his own body.

This puppet had originally been a war trophy surrendered by Sunagakure.

After extensive modification and enhancement, it had been reinforced to perfectly mimic a living person—unless one dissected it, no one would ever guess it wasn't human.

"Puppet…?"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.

He scanned the area carefully—there was no third presence. Only the puppet and himself.

How was it being controlled?

He even briefly considered that Naraku might be lying.

But…

He could clearly sense a unique chakra signature emanating from the puppet.

It was real. It was active. And it was precise.

"How exactly do you control this puppet?" Orochimaru asked, voice tinged with awe and anticipation.

This kind of ability could save lives—his life.

If he could master a technique like this, he could perform any number of dangerous experiments from afar without endangering himself.

Naraku merely shook his head.

"This is a unique ability of my eyes," he said flatly. "It's not something that can be learned or replicated."

"...Is that so?" Orochimaru clicked his tongue in disappointment.

To gain such power, he would have to steal Naraku's eyes—a risk too dangerous to be worth it right now.

It wasn't the time.

But then—

"Wait a moment!"

Orochimaru's expression changed dramatically.

This puppet...

Controlled by ocular power...

Then—

Could Pain also be... a puppet?!

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Note: I did my best to translate everything accurately, but due to the presence of many confusing terms, there may be some errors. If you notice any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct them.