Chapter 24: The Unmatched Strategist  

After obtaining this set of information, Orochimaru shifted his research focus. 

Learning about the history of the Sage of Six Paths from the White Snake Sage had been invaluable to his studies. That was also why he accepted the mission to uncover the truth of the Warring States period. 

Even if Madara hadn't appeared, Orochimaru would have done this anyway. 

Now, after connecting information with Madara, many of the unknown powers he had encountered were finally making sense. 

"Observation Haki is a technique similar to Kagura's Mind Eye. Shanks converted it into a special ability through a jutsu formula. The requirement is that the user must be able to sense natural energy, but the advantage is that it removes the special restriction of Kekkei Genkai, making the ability accessible to anyone." 

Jutsu conversion—this was something Orochimaru had mastered completely. 

He could even artificially create Kekkei Genkai. 

Of course, the cost was high, but it was possible. 

"And if Observation Haki is trained to a higher level, it allows the user to hear the thoughts of other living beings? That actually fits Jugo well. His incomplete Sage Mode also meets the basic requirements for Observation Haki." 

To Orochimaru, Observation Haki was the easiest ability to grasp. 

With the Curse Mark, he could safely sense natural energy without needing to enter Sage Mode. And combined with his already sharp danger instincts, mastering it would be no problem. 

Deep in thought, he was certain he was on the right path. 

At the same time, he couldn't help but be amazed. 

"A powerful figure suddenly emerging in the ninja world… Is he the one who inherited the Uzumaki clan's legacy?" 

A ninja clan's foundation was always terrifying, especially one like the Uzumaki, who once had an entire country to back them. 

And their strength wasn't just about secret techniques and skills—it was also about their people. 

From the intel he had gathered, Shanks was at most in his early thirties, meaning he belonged to the same generation as the Fourth Hokage. 

Yet back then, Konohagakure's records only mentioned one surviving Uzumaki—Kushina, the orphan the Uzumaki clan had entrusted to the village. 

Thinking about this, Orochimaru's expression turned strange. 

"Well, that makes sense. Konohagakure was supposedly the ally of the Land of Whirlpools, but they stood by and watched it be destroyed. How could the Uzumaki clan ever trust them again?" 

"Kushina was strong, but she was just a distraction. The one who truly inherited everything from the Uzumaki clan was Shanks." 

The more Orochimaru thought about it, the more troublesome it seemed. 

He had always considered himself one of the top schemers in the ninja world.

After teaming up with Danzo for a long time, he was definitely no amateur when it came to scheming and strategy. 

But after digging into this history, Orochimaru just felt exhausted. 

His plan to destroy Konohagakure? What was that compared to this? Even if he succeeded, at most, he'd just weaken the village. 

But the Uzumaki clan's plan? They were flipping the whole table. 

Fine. You all want to leave the Uzumaki clan out? No problem. We won't even bother taking revenge on Konohagakure. Instead, let's just make sure no one gets to play this game anymore. 

Compared to that, Orochimaru's little schemes, or even Danzo's, were nothing. 

Orochimaru wasn't stupid. 

He knew exactly what Shanks' jutsu conversion meant. 

Breaking the limits of bloodlines? That was just another way of saying more people could gain access to this power. 

The Uzumaki clan's goal was the complete opposite of Orochimaru's. Orochimaru wanted to weaken his enemies. The Uzumaki clan wanted to make everyone stronger. 

If that power got out of control, the whole ninja world would descend into chaos. And at that point, it wouldn't be up to any single village to decide what happened next. 

"Besides Shanks, there's also Uchiha Izuna. That guy's lifespan should be reaching its limit by now, but he's probably been planning something big for decades." 

"The more I think about it, the scarier it gets." 

"One of the greatest strategists of the Warring States era. Someone who could go toe-to-toe with Senju Tobirama." 

Compared to Shanks' straightforward plan, Orochimaru found Izuna much more dangerous. 

The great figures of the Warring States era—Senju Hashirama, who dominated his time, was dead. Uchiha Madara was dead. Senju Tobirama was dead. 

And now, suddenly, Uchiha Izuna was standing up again. If that wasn't terrifying, what was? 

The most unsettling part? Orochimaru had tried Edo Tensei. 

He could revive the First and Second Hokage just fine. 

But Izuna? Edo Tensei didn't work on him. 

There was a clear historical record of his death. 

He wasn't sealed away or killed by some special technique. Senju Tobirama just stabbed him. 

That was it. 

So why couldn't he be revived? Did Tobirama use some kind of death god's blade or something? 

As for Uchiha Madara, it made sense that he couldn't be brought back. 

His cause of death was unknown, and chances were, even his soul had been sealed away. 

But Orochimaru was sure of one thing—the Uchiha that had appeared was definitely Uchiha Izuna. 

"Just how much of history has been written wrong? They say Tobirama killed Izuna? What a joke." 

"Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing." 

If history had been deliberately covered up, then there was a real problem. Who knew what else was hidden? What if another legendary figure suddenly emerged from the depths of history? 

And honestly? Orochimaru's worries weren't baseless. The Sage of Six Paths wasn't exactly gone yet. 

"Forget it. The priority right now is finding the Poneglyphs." 

"Zobei, Kotarou." 

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." 

At his command, two ninjas stepped inside. They looked completely ordinary. 

Kotarou was young, but he had the appearance of a weathered old fisherman—nothing like a ninja at all.

Zobei was a young man dressed as a samurai, with two swords strapped to his waist. 

Aside from looking ordinary, the two of them really were just that—ordinary. 

Their combat skills were at the very bottom of the genin level. 

The only thing they had going for them was their luck and ability to survive. 

As a scientist who relied on probabilities, Orochimaru often stacked his experiments based on chance, so luck was something he had to take seriously. 

"The Land of Waves has been unstable lately. Go there and hide. Look for a chance to sneak into the Konoha Village." 

"Also, find the ruins of the Uchiha clan's territory. Your mission details are in this scroll." 

Orochimaru tossed them a scroll containing Uchiha sealing techniques, all of which had been delivered by "Izuna." 

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama." 

After receiving their orders, the two left the Hidden Grass Village that same day and headed for the Land of Waves. 

Without anyone realizing it, the ninja world was starting to stir beneath the surface. 

And the one behind all of this—a certain "big dreamer"—was still training hard. 

Right now, Shanks was more determined than ever. He had no choice—he was being pushed to his limits. 

Because right next to him was an old man studying just as intensely. 

That's right. We're talking about you—"Uchiha Izuna." 

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