Chapter 0101: The Problem of Peace

Madara Uchiha had entered history together with Orochimaru long ago, only to be sealed away by the temporal art of Urashiki’s father from the Otsutsuki clan. It was only now that he finally had the chance to break free from his imprisonment.

“Orochimaru!” Madara’s sealed body roared.

Light suddenly blazed in his eyes, like twin beams from a pair of flashlights, piercing through the ground and rising to meet Orochimaru’s gaze above.

Orochimaru met his stare in return.

In truth, as they locked eyes, both unleashed their ocular jutsu, but their evenly matched prowess resulted in a stalemate.

Meanwhile, Centipede was still laughing triumphantly.

“Hahahahaha!” Immersed in the violet energy of the Dragon Vein, the surging power made him feel invincible.

He turned to Orochimaru and said, “Orochimaru, I want you to pour me tea!”

Then, looking at Kimimaro, he added, “Kimimaro, fan me!”

Still dissatisfied, he sneered, “Orochimaru, I used to call you Lord Orochimaru. Was that not enough for you? Come, let me hear you call me by that title.”

The violet energy from the Dragon Vein made his clothes and hair billow, imbuing him with a formidable aura.

Orochimaru did not spare Centipede a glance; instead, a surge of chakra within him summoned the violet Dragon Vein from beneath the earth.

“Huh???”

Centipede was baffled, sensing a sudden eruption of immense power within the Dragon Vein.

“Something’s wrong, something’s wrong!”

At first, he felt exhilarated, believing himself to be even stronger, but soon he realized the Dragon Vein’s power was no longer flowing to him.

Moreover, the energy he had previously absorbed was now being drawn back out.

“Come back! Come back! Come back!” Panic finally overtook him.

But the Dragon Vein was a lifeless force, obeying only Orochimaru’s command. The entire Dragon Vein surged skyward, coiling in the heavens like a true violet dragon.

Centipede, within its core, was siphoned away until nothing remained—absorbed entirely into the Dragon Vein.

As for the Fourth Hokage’s seal, not even a trace was left.

…

Ten thousand meters below ground, Madara Uchiha completely broke free from his seal. Over the millennia, he had linked himself to the Dragon Vein, ensuring that whenever it was activated, he could escape.

“Boom!”

The earth shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake, and the territory of the ancient kingdom of Loulan began to collapse.

“Run!”

“What’s happening?”

“…”

Many within the ancient Loulan kingdom were utterly bewildered; it was as though the world’s end had arrived.

Orochimaru and Kimimaro rose into the air—Orochimaru seemingly levitating, while Kimimaro sprouted massive bone wings to ascend.

Thunderous rumbling followed. Soon, the entire surface overturned, revealing a chasm ten thousand meters deep, like an abyss, from which Madara Uchiha soared out.

“Orochimaru!” Madara glared with his green Rinnegan, launching himself straight at Orochimaru.

They engaged in close combat. Orochimaru smiled as they fought. “It’s been a long time, Madara.”

Madara’s green Rinnegan glowed—a new power he had cultivated. He shouted, “Reverse Limbo: Border Jail!”

This was his new technique. Under his ocular power, Orochimaru suddenly split into five invisible spatial clones—summoned into alternate dimensions. Unlike the original Limbo: Border Jail, these clones did not obey the original but followed the caster’s will.

In other words, the five alternate dimension Orochimaru clones were now under Madara’s command.

“This technique…”

Orochimaru was beset by his own spatial clones. Each clone possessed his full strength, and with five against him, most would have fallen to their own jutsu.

But Orochimaru was not most people.

His clones could not replicate his “green energy”—a force nearly equal to the “source,” which could be called “pseudo-source.”

“Madara.”

While fighting Madara, Orochimaru still had time to speak. “Join forces with me. Don’t you seek true peace? I have already achieved it.”

His eyes shifted, jutsu activated, and the surrounding world transformed, displaying countless scenes crafted by his genjutsu.

“Look, I have unified the world, achieving peace in my own way.”

The scenery shifted endlessly: Orochimaru’s meetings with world leaders, villagers learning they could become ninja, Orochimaru and Kimimaro entering Redstone City.

Orochimaru revealed the present world to Madara.

At last, Madara spoke. “As long as sentient beings live, there will be war. Even if you unite the world, what happens when you’re gone? Without your suppression, chaos will only increase.”

Orochimaru shook his head. “Gone? Why would I die?”

“Hm?” Madara was puzzled. All men must die—did Orochimaru intend otherwise?

Orochimaru answered, “You all may die, but I will not.”

Madara fell silent. Indeed, beings of their caliber would find death elusive if they did not desire it.

“But…”

Madara continued, “From birth, humanity is driven to slaughter and conflict. Even if the world is unified, greed will incite strife. To grant everyone the life they desire, only Infinite Tsukuyomi can accomplish that.”

Orochimaru replied, “But you already know Infinite Tsukuyomi is a conspiracy, don’t you? I still keep Black Zetsu around.”

Hearing the name Black Zetsu stirred Madara’s emotions. He exchanged another blow with Orochimaru, and the two hovered in the void.

Orochimaru then decisively destroyed all five spatial clones.

Madara’s expression was cold and sinister. “If you desire an end to conflict, only absolute extinction will suffice!”

“Hey, hey.”

Orochimaru shook his head. “That’s far too extreme. I have another way.”

Madara frowned. “What way?” He had no wish to destroy the world unless absolutely necessary.

Orochimaru smiled lightly. “Immortality.”

He extended his hand, and a sphere of “red energy” spun into existence. “I can grant everyone immortality.”

Madara’s eyes widened in shock.

The root cause he wished for a world without conflict was to spare people the pain of losing loved ones.

If Orochimaru could give immortality to all, then even if they spent their days hacking at each other’s heads, perhaps they’d even enjoy it.

It was a radical solution—cutting the problem at its root.

Madara suddenly said, “If no one dies, after decades or centuries, the world’s population will explode, resources will run out, and self-destruction will follow.”

Orochimaru laughed. “But you already know there are other beings in the universe, don’t you?”

Madara replied, “Then, one day, even the universe will be crowded.”

“Hehehe.” Orochimaru laughed. “It won’t happen. I have other ways.”