Chapter 27: The Truth of the Realm of Death

What kind of world is the realm of the dead? No one has ever truly informed the living; news about the realm of the dead has always remained a mystery. Some believe it to be a peaceful world devoid of conflict, while others think of it as a paradise untouched by the world. However, Orochimaru does not share this view. Since the realm of the dead claims the complete souls of humanity and retains their memories from life, how could it be free from disputes? Just among the Five Great Ninja Villages, there are many enemies; when their souls encounter each other in the realm of the dead, would they simply forget past grievances? That is certainly impossible. Orochimaru has summoned many souls using the technique of Impure World Reincarnation, and regardless of their strength, when asked about the realm of the dead, they all remain tight-lipped. There must be a powerful force enforcing this rule, employing methods that are both harsh and inescapable. It is hard not to think of the Sage of the Six Paths in relation to the realm of the dead. This old man, even if not the ruler of the realm, would be quite close to it...

Orochimaru focused his spirit on the chakra line and followed it into the realm of the dead. If he could not glean any information from souls that had been there, he would go and see for himself. "Buzz!" As he traversed the chakra line into the otherworld, he passed through a spatial barrier. The beauty of this barrier captivated him, composed of vibrant colors that reflected a kaleidoscope of light from various angles. He moved through this colorful barrier and finally arrived in the realm of the dead.

The realm was shrouded in a gray haze, completely silent. Upon arrival, Orochimaru was immediately drawn to a pair of eyes in the sky. A circle of eyes within another circle—The Rinnegan! There was no sun or moon in the realm of the dead; instead, a pair of Rinnegan hovered above, glowing as if looking down upon all living beings. "The eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths?!" Orochimaru questioned whether the Rinnegan in the sky truly belonged to the Sage. If so, he had already been detected. Or perhaps everything that enters the realm, whether alive or dead, is immediately exposed to those eyes. But it could also be that, like the Infinite Tsukuyomi technique, these Rinnegan in the sky are merely projections of true Rinnegan power, rather than actual eyes.

If that were the case, the Sage might not have noticed him yet. Nevertheless, one thing was clear: the realm of the dead was undoubtedly connected to the Sage of the Six Paths! The chakra line continued to extend forward, seemingly infinite; its endpoint was the location of Yahiko’s soul. Once he found Yahiko, the chakra line would pull his soul back into the living world. Orochimaru’s spiritual form clung to the chakra line as he moved forward. After some time, he finally left behind the gray, dreary space, entering a realm of white light. It resembled a mountain village ignited by fire in the night, the only beacon of hope in the darkness. "Is Yahiko’s soul there?" Within the white light was a city, looking like a place where people might dwell. The chakra line extended unimpeded, touching the white light and entering the city.

As Orochimaru’s spirit made contact with the white light, he felt an intense heat, as if his soul were about to burn. But at that moment, the red power of immortality within him surged forth, dispelling the strange energy emanating from the white light. Rather than dispersing, it was more accurate to say it devoured the energy. The strange power within the white light seemed to share a source with his red immortality, but was of lesser quality, and thus was consumed upon contact. Orochimaru pondered this scene, committing it to memory. The chakra line continued to reach forward, crossing through the white light, penetrating the city walls, and entering the city itself. What met his eyes was not the houses and buildings he had imagined, but rather a vast expanse of open land.

This flat, open area was merely a space enclosed by city walls. And upon this ground lay countless souls. They were densely packed—some human, some animal, and some plant souls—an overwhelming number, the very essence of the realm of souls. They were not laid out flat but layered in several tiers, with each layer suspended at a distance from the others, souls floating in mid-air, each one with eyes closed as if truly dead. Orochimaru followed the chakra line through these suspended souls, capturing the scene in his mind. "The souls in the realm of the dead are all in a state of slumber," he murmured. The souls lay still, exhibiting no movement, yet there were regular fluctuations, indicating they were asleep. No wonder souls entering the realm of the dead did not fight; they were all in slumber, after all. But why were they sleeping? Orochimaru recalled the strange power that had tried to burn his soul when he first entered the white light. Could that be the reason?

The chakra line quickly located Yahiko's sleeping soul, wrapping around it and beginning to pull it back to the living world. At this moment, Orochimaru chose to leap off the chakra line, transforming into a human-like spiritual form that landed on the ground; he had no intention of returning just yet. Since arriving, Orochimaru could clearly sense his own body in the living world, as well as the spirit within the cursed seal he had left behind. As long as he wished, he could follow this pull back. This was not a unique ability of Orochimaru; rather, it was a rule of the realm of the dead. As long as there remained a spirit or a living body in the world, one could return. Orochimaru extended his hand, feeling the realm of the dead; this realm resonated with a power he recognized—one that shared a source with his own immortality!

In the living world, within Sound Ninja Village, when Orochimaru employed the technique of Self-Reincarnation, Nagato was momentarily blinded. He was not prepared to face Yahiko! This was reflected externally; the six Paths controlled by Nagato stood dumbly in place, motionless. At that moment, Nagato's inner turmoil rendered him unable to control all six Paths effectively. Meanwhile, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and others were engaged in a fierce battle with five Paths. Suddenly, the movements of the five Paths faltered, as if they had given up resisting. Jiraiya and Tsunade, no weaklings themselves, seized the opportunity to strike at the five Paths. "Quick, grab the black rods!" Kakashi and Guy, without hesitation, tightened their grips on the black rods, attempting to pull them out. However, the instant they grasped the rods, they collapsed to the ground. Their chakra became chaotic, running amok, leading to paralysis of their bodies. Jiraiya and Tsunade were alarmed; they hadn’t touched the black rods, realizing that they were dangerous!

At this moment, it was the perfect opportunity for the Paths to eliminate Kakashi and Guy, but Nagato, their controller, lacked the focus to do so. This was because the Deva Path he once controlled had awakened! The Deva Path closed its eyes, and when it opened them again, the Rinnegan within its sockets had transformed into normal gray eyes. Yahiko had returned to the living world.