Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

Zixu was momentarily dazed as he found himself in this unfamiliar location. His sharp gaze quickly landed on the man before him—a pale-skinned figure with snake-like golden eyes, exuding a chilling aura. The eerie atmosphere of the dark cave seemed to meld seamlessly with his presence, as if he were the most harmonious part of this unsettling scene.

For a brief moment, the air between them was thick with awkward silence.

While the man studied him with a puzzled expression, Zixu swiftly scanned his surroundings.

The terrain was unmistakably a karst landscape, characteristic of cave formations. He appeared to be near the cave's entrance, surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites, their jagged forms casting ominous shadows against the dim glow.

Water dripped rhythmically from the stalactites, the echoing droplets amplifying the eerie silence. But what sent a shiver down Zixu's spine was the countless serpentine figures slithering across the damp cave floor and twisting around the stalagmites. Their scales scraped against the stone, producing a sinister rustling sound, accompanied by the occasional hiss of flickering tongues.

The atmosphere was suffocating.

Then, the man, who had been silently observing him, finally moved.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he spoke in a low, raspy tone, his voice calm yet laced with an undeniable chill.

"It seems there's nothing wrong with my summoning technique," he murmured. "Then, where did you come from? There are only a few ways to reach Ryūchi Cave (Dragon Earth Cave). In the past, some fool used that method to summon himself to Myōboku Mountain (Mount Myōboku). You must have used the Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning Technique)..."

His tone was detached, methodical—like a researcher analyzing his subject.

Zixu stiffened slightly. The accuracy of the man's deduction left him with a sense of unease. In just a few sentences, he had perfectly identified how he had arrived here.

Despite his unease, Zixu was already preparing for the worst.

He had dispelled his shadow clone, ensuring his chakra reserves were at full capacity, and with the effects of his Sairensu no Mi (Silence Fruit) fully restored, he was currently at his peak strength.

But even so...

His chances of victory were practically nonexistent.

Just standing there, the man radiated a pressure so intense it felt like staring down an ancient serpent—coiled and waiting for the right moment to strike.

Zixu didn't even need to fight to understand that the power gap was immeasurable.

"Red hair..." The man's golden eyes flickered with recognition. "Ah, a descendant of the Uzumaki clan."

He studied Zixu's attire for a moment before continuing, his voice steady, analytical.

"A Konoha-style uniform. Interesting... There are no longer any Uzumaki clan members in Konoha, so it's likely you were taken in under certain circumstances. Given that you know Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique), you must have only recently graduated from the Ninja Academy..."

As he spoke, his forked tongue flicked out, reminiscent of a snake scenting its prey.

Zixu's heart sank slightly.

"In just a glance, he managed to deduce this much... His observation skills are terrifying," Zixu thought. "If we fought head-on, I'd stand no chance. He's already analyzed my heritage, chakra capacity, and even my training background. Meanwhile, I know absolutely nothing about him..."

Calmly, Zixu weighed his options.

A direct confrontation was suicide. He had to find a way out of this without fighting.

Though he silently cursed himself for succumbing to the temptation of the system's mission, it was too late for regrets. He had to deal with the situation at hand.

Taking a slow breath, he met the man's gaze and spoke.

"Yes, I'm a shinobi from Konoha," he said, keeping his voice even. "And I don't think killing me would be a wise decision. After all... you wouldn't want me to become the spark that ignites war. The Sandaime Hokage (Third Hokage) isn't someone you can easily ignore."

The man arched a brow, his expression amused.

"Oh?" His voice carried an almost playful tone. "Trying to deceive me? How interesting. I suppose I can entertain this for a bit..."

He lazily rested his chin on one hand, golden eyes locked onto Zixu with a predatory glint.

"Konoha won't go to war over a mere Genin," he continued, his voice slow, deliberate. "Remember Hyūga Hizashi? He was nothing more than a sacrificial pawn in their internal struggles. Do you truly believe Konoha would risk a war for you?"

His voice remained steady—devoid of emotion, yet every word struck like a dagger. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Back then, Sarutobi Hiruzen was still in his prime, younger than he is now. Even then, he didn't intervene. Do you really think he'd be unable to prevent war now?"

The man chuckled darkly before continuing.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen... is a masterful politician. His expertise isn't in battle but in manipulating power. Look back at Konoha's history—the Shodaime (First Hokage) and Nidaime (Second Hokage) conquered the lands, ending the Warring States Period. The Yondaime (Fourth Hokage) sacrificed himself on the night of the Kyūbi Rebellion (Nine-Tails Incident). Do you see a pattern?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"Every Hokage before him fought and died for the village. But Sarutobi Hiruzen? The only one who never engaged in any major war during his reign? He was there the night the Fourth Hokage died, yet he did nothing. Now, isn't that... interesting?"

His voice trailed off as he studied Zixu's expression.

As expected, there it was—the flicker of doubt, the moment of hesitation, the battle between belief and disbelief.

Zixu played his role flawlessly.

"Impossible!" he snapped, his voice filled with anger and defiance. "Hyūga Hizashi volunteered to protect the village! It was his choice! The Sandaime was protecting Konoha in his own way! What do you, an outsider, know?!"

His rage felt real, even to himself.

If he had to rate his own acting, he'd give himself at least 80 out of 100.

Perhaps, in another life, he could've been a theater actor.

The man across from him merely smirked.

He clearly saw through Zixu's feigned outburst but didn't seem to mind.

Or rather...

He simply didn't care.

With an air of amused detachment, he straightened and openly revealed his identity.

"Oh? I'm afraid I know Konoha better than anyone else—certainly better than Sarutobi Hiruzen himself—because I was once the disciple of the very Third Hokage you speak of... Orochimaru."

Zixu narrowed his eyes, his stance subtly shifting as he absorbed the weight of those words.

"Orochimaru? And how credible are the words of a traitorous shinobi who defected from the village? How do I know you're not lying to me?" Zixu asked directly, maintaining his composure even after acting out his feigned anger to the very end.

Orochimaru merely spread his hands, his tone eerily calm, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"Believe what you will. I am merely stating facts—how you interpret them is entirely up to you."

He paused briefly, as if contemplating his own words before continuing.

"Yes, I am a traitor. But tell me, what reason did Konoha give for my defection? Did they claim it was because I conducted inhumane experiments while researching forbidden techniques? That I was jealous of Minato Namikaze for becoming the Fourth Hokage? Or perhaps that my parents were persecuted to death by Sarutobi Hiruzen?"

A chilling chuckle escaped his lips.

"At the very least, I still respect the Fourth Hokage. He was truly worthy of the title. As for the experiments conducted in the pursuit of forbidden techniques... tell me, have you ever heard of the organization known as 'Root'?"

Zixu's brows furrowed slightly.

Orochimaru waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter if you haven't. At that time, Danzo subtly suggested to Sarutobi Hiruzen that I research forbidden techniques. But the moment he realized my findings had exceeded his control, he declared me a traitor without hesitation. One of those projects was the First Hokage's cell transplantation experiment—something Danzo and I developed together..."

The words spilled from his lips like venom, a flood of secrets he seemed more than willing to share. Yet, this was far from the end. Orochimaru leaned back slightly, his expression taking on a reminiscent air.

"Konoha was once home to four great clans—the Senju, the Uchiha, the Uzumaki, and the Hyuga. Now, only the Hyuga remain. You must have heard of the Uchiha Clan Massacre... but during Sarutobi Hiruzen's reign, not only the Uchiha but also the Senju and Uzumaki clans—those directly linked to the First Hokage—were erased from existence. Doesn't that strike you as odd? Tell me... what do you think will happen to the Hyuga clan next?"

Orochimaru's words slithered into Zixu's mind like a serpent whispering forbidden knowledge into the ears of Adam and Eve. Every sentence was a temptation, a lure into the abyss of doubt.

If Zixu had been a firm believer in the Will of Fire, he would have been devastated at this moment.

But he wasn't.

Instead, he merely played along, allowing his face to display the appropriate amount of shock and disbelief. And, truth be told, most of his reaction wasn't even an act—there were things Orochimaru said that he genuinely hadn't known.

Seeing Zixu's expression, Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction. He enjoyed watching those who believed in the Will of Fire crumble under the weight of truth.

"I suppose I've said quite a bit to pass the time," Orochimaru mused, stretching slightly. "The journey to Ryūchi Cave (Dragon Earth Cave) is quite long, and even I grow weary. However, it seems that due to your Reverse Summoning Technique (Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu), the summoning I had originally planned has been disrupted. So, would you be so kind as to take my summoned beast's place and explore the surrounding area for me?"

Despite the polite phrasing, Zixu wasn't naive enough to mistake it for an actual request.

Orochimaru treated everyone as potential experimental material—and one did not develop emotions for test subjects. His politeness was merely an extension of his cold indifference.

Zixu tensed, already anticipating what was coming next.

"Here it comes," he thought, preparing for immediate counterattack.

"What should I do? If I comply, I'll be at his mercy. If I refuse, I'll likely be forced into a fight... And if that's the case, I might as well go down swinging. At the very least, I can cause him some trouble and buy myself some time..."

His eyes flickered with determination. Just as this thought crossed his mind, he noticed something—a shift in the atmosphere.

Without hesitation, he moved.

The muscles in his legs coiled like springs, and in the next instant, the ground beneath him shattered into a web of cracks as he propelled himself forward. Stone fragments shot into the air, and his figure disappeared—his movement so swift it almost resembled teleportation.

This wasn't Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique).

This was pure, unfiltered physical prowess.

And it saved his life.

Because the very spot where he had stood mere moments ago was now infested with a writhing mass of serpentine figures, their elongated bodies wriggling unnaturally.

If one looked closely, they weren't normal snakes.

No—each one of them extended from Orochimaru's outstretched hand, like grotesque appendages of his own body.

Zixu landed near a towering stalactite, his heart pounding slightly.

"Damn... he attacked mid-sentence. I didn't even see him move."

Orochimaru, unfazed, tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes gleaming with intrigue.

"Oh? Your reflexes are impressive. And your physical abilities far surpass those of other shinobi your age... How very interesting."

A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face. His forked tongue flickered out, a predatory glint in his gaze.

"You're a fascinating specimen... definitely worth studying. The Uzumaki and Senju clans share a common lineage, after all. Perhaps... you might be able to withstand the rejection of the First Hokage's cells and unlock a more... perfect form of Wood Release (Mokuton no Jutsu)."

Zixu gritted his teeth, his mind racing.

"First Hokage's cells? Wood Release? ...Shit, he's talking about the same experiment that created Tenzo (Yamato). If he gets his hands on me, I'm done for."

He had to escape—fast.

But dodging Orochimaru was easier said than done.

Zixu barely managed to evade the initial attack, but compared to the sheer battle experience of his opponent, he was severely outmatched.

Orochimaru had survived countless wars, mastered forbidden jutsu, and conducted inhuman experiments. His combat instincts were honed to inhuman levels.

Zixu fought to hold his ground, but even with his best efforts, Orochimaru found an opening.

Too close—he's too close!

Before he could react, Orochimaru's neck elongated unnaturally, stretching like a boneless serpent. His head shot forward at an unnatural speed, sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light.

Zixu barely had time to register what was happening before he felt teeth sink into his neck—

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