"Orochimaru?"
A familiar voice carried from afar. Uchiha Madara gazed into the distance and immediately saw the man standing at the foot of the God Tree.
Who else could it be but Orochimaru?
With a flap of his wings, he flew before the God Tree, dispelled his Susano'o, and landed beside Orochimaru.
Dark chakra swirled around Orochimaru, outlining a human silhouette beside him.
Puzzled, Uchiha Madara opened his Rinnegan to get a closer look.
The vision of the Rinnegan was different from that of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. With his Rinnegan activated, Uchiha Madara finally saw the full extent of the dark chakra floating around Orochimaru.
After staring for a long while, the sense of familiarity in Uchiha Madara's heart grew stronger. He couldn't help but ask in surprise,
"Is that guy's soul?"
"You… killed that guy?"
"It took some time, but it's finally resolved."
Orochimaru smiled and nodded, his gaze briefly lingering on the Nine-Tails, whose eyes were spinning in circles.
"Senior Madara, please remove the Rinnegan's power from Kurama!"
"And I'll trouble you one more time to bring all the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki, except for the Nine-Tails, here."
Only then did Uchiha Madara quell his surprise and nod gently.
He knew his entrance was coming next.
To personally experience the flow of Six Paths power within his body, something Orochimaru had promised him.
Although the duration might be short, as long as he could personally grasp the difference in power between ordinary ninjas and Six Paths level powerhouses, Uchiha Madara was confident that with Orochimaru's help in the future, he would truly ascend to the Six Paths.
Even formidable beings like Otsutsuki Isshiki were reduced to a mere soul; what could Orochimaru not accomplish?
With a slightly excited heart, Uchiha Madara casually removed the pupil power he had cast on the Nine-Tails with his Rinnegan. Before the Nine-Tails could utter any curses, he re-summoned his Susano'o and flew towards the rear of the battlefield.
...
While waiting for Uchiha Madara to bring the Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki, Orochimaru was not idle.
He asked Hashirama Senju to help pacify the Nine-Tails, who, after waking up, showed signs of turning into an "Anzuan" fox. Orochimaru looked up at the treetops, which were about to touch the moon, and slowly formed several hand seals.
"Six Paths Ninjutsu: Six Red Yang Formation!"
Vast Six Paths power instantly formed a massive barrier, engulfing the entire God Tree.
"This way, after picking the Chakra Fruit, I won't have to worry about the Ten-Tails going berserk and destroying this place."
Orochimaru chuckled and placed his hand on the trunk of the God Tree, forcibly pouring an immense amount of Senjutsu chakra into it.
The God Tree trembled. The treetop, which had temporarily stopped growing to repair the damage caused by Uchiha Madara, underwent an astonishing change.
A massive bud quickly took shape as a continuous stream of Senjutsu power poured in, and it rapidly bloomed into a beautiful flower. The information transmitted through his senses invigorated Orochimaru, and he increased the output of power to the God Tree once more.
The spiritual energy of the Dragon Vein beneath the God Tree seemed to sense Orochimaru's intentions and immediately responded.
The ground rumbled violently. To Orochimaru's slightly surprised perception, a somewhat familiar power surged from the seabed in the distance, roaring and merging into the Dragon Vein beneath the God Tree.
"This is… the power of the Shikkotsu Forest?"
As Orochimaru felt surprise, the Dragon Vein, now supported by new power, exerted its force. A vast amount of natural energy surged into the tree's body, moving in sync with the power within Orochimaru, and flowed torrentially towards the flower at the top of the God Tree.
"Child, accept this gift!"
"This fruit is the world's gratitude to you!"
A familiar, ethereal voice echoed in Orochimaru's soul.
It sounded like the spiritual energy of the Dragon Vein beneath Roran, or perhaps the Great Sage Slug with whom Orochimaru had once met in the Shikkotsu Forest.
"I see…"
"The Dragon Vein power on land and in the ocean has completely merged…"
"No wonder the Dragon Vein spirit ventured to lure Otsutsuki Isshiki out. It already knew from Minato's child's memories that I would solve the threat of Otsutsuki Isshiki this way in the future?"
"Then… I won't be polite!"
A hint of realization flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, and he silently thanked the Dragon Vein spirit.
At the same time, under the combined efforts of Orochimaru and the Dragon Vein spirit, the flower bud at the top of the God Tree shed its petals, and a fruit appeared at the apex of the God Tree.
As soon as the fruit appeared, lights representing seven different powers – Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Lightning, Yin, and Yang – flashed in turn. It was precisely the Chakra Fruit that Otsutsuki Isshiki had yearned for.
Power continued to be injected, and the Chakra Fruit slowly grew larger.
Finally, once the fruit reached a certain size, the seven-colored light it emitted flashed brightly and suddenly merged into a dazzling white light.
As if a sign of ripeness, the moment the white light appeared, the Chakra Fruit silently detached from the top of the God Tree and floated down towards Orochimaru, who stood below.
Orochimaru looked up at the white speck of light descending from the sky, slowly extending his palm and drawing it down with the surrounding Senjutsu energy.
"This feeling…"
"It's like holding a planet…"
A sense of fullness spread from his palm. Orochimaru sighed and opened his mouth, swallowing the Chakra Fruit.
The Dragon Ball within Orochimaru had been prepared long ago. The moment the unimaginably vast power of the Chakra Fruit entered his domain, it immediately imprinted its soul aura onto this foreign power.
After completing the necessary steps, the primordial Yin-Yang release power within the Dragon Ball guided these forces, which had now become "one of them," along the pre-laid meridians, rapidly strengthening Orochimaru's body.
A terrifying aura suddenly rose from Orochimaru. Under the gaze of the gathered Tailed Beasts and Jinchuriki outside the Six Red Yang Formation barrier, and the awestruck eyes of the two, Uchiha Madara, Orochimaru's appearance began to change at a visible rate.
The pure white robe he wore the first time he ascended to the Six Paths once again draped over Orochimaru's body. Shimmering light flowed from his feet, and black magatama, representing the ultimate principles of ninjutsu, gradually appeared on the robe from bottom to top.
As the light continued to spread upwards, nine black Truth-Seeking Orbs appeared in an orderly fashion behind Orochimaru. The moment the Truth-Seeking Orbs were fully formed, Orochimaru's original black hair rapidly turned snow-white from the roots, and two branching horns slowly grew from his forehead.
"After absorbing the energy of the Chakra Fruit, I've taken on a form similar to the Otsutsuki clan…"
"These characteristics that represent impure power should disappear!"
Orochimaru snorted in dissatisfaction, reaching behind him and grasping. The nine black Truth-Seeking Orbs fell into his palm like homing swallows.
Overwhelming Six Paths power suddenly emerged from his hand. The nine Truth-Seeking Orbs, at Orochimaru's will, slowly merged into one, transforming into his own unique, celestial staff.
Gripping the creation artifact, he lightly swung it. The immense power, as if touching the rules themselves, forcibly suppressed the Otsutsuki-like external characteristics that Orochimaru had already taken on.
His white hair turned black again, and the horns on his forehead disappeared.
Only then did Orochimaru nod in satisfaction. He leaned the celestial staff on the ground and turned to look at the God Tree, which was rapidly reverting to its Ten-Tails form after losing the Chakra Fruit.
"Don't worry, it will be your turn soon."