At this moment, Orochimaru no longer carried even a trace of the sinister, chilling aura that once defined him. The oppressive presence that made others instinctively wary had vanished entirely, replaced by the composed bearing of a true scholar. His posture was refined, his gaze clear and focused-filled not with malice, but with an almost pure hunger for truth and knowledge.
More importantly, his loyalty toward Chiba and Kirigakure was absolute, offered without reservation or hesitation.
The scene left everyone present deeply moved. Their emotions were complicated, but admiration dominated-admiration for Chiba's methods, so profound that it bordered on reverence.
Kotoamatsukami (Heavenly Eye of Absolute Control).
This was the true might of the so-called ultimate genjutsu.
Yet Chiba himself did not particularly like this dōjutsu. In fact, aside from this single instance involving Orochimaru, he had almost never truly used it.
The first reason was simple and deeply personal: Chiba felt an instinctive disgust toward techniques that forcibly rewired another person's will. Brainwashing, no matter how elegant, crossed a line he refused to normalize. He was fully capable of subduing others through his own methods-but the people he brought under his banner were, in most cases, pitiful souls with no real path forward. Individuals driven by desperation, betrayal, or irreconcilable fractures with their former allegiances.
The Uchiha clan.
The Hyūga clan.
Or those who were utterly alone, cast aside and crushed by circumstance-like Jūgo, Uzumaki Mie, and Uzumaki Karin and her mother.
For families and shinobi like them, Chiba would never-and would never deign to-use Kotoamatsukami. He would rather lay out the benefits and consequences plainly and allow them to choose for themselves.
This was not weakness.
It was his personal principle-his line in the sand.
The second reason was more practical: Kotoamatsukami was far from the invincible, all-powerful technique people imagined it to be.
At its core, it was still merely a Mangekyō Sharingan dōjutsu.
Every technique depended on the user's constitution, mental strength, and raw power. Ordinary Sharingan genjutsu, for example, was almost meaningless against someone who possessed the Mangekyō. Even the infamous clash where Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan genjutsu overcame Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi-anyone with discernment knew that was nothing more than deliberate restraint.
The Mangekyō followed the same rule.
Even if Kotoamatsukami was hailed as the ultimate genjutsu, it would fail completely if the target's ocular power or overall strength vastly surpassed the user's. If Uchiha Shisui had attempted to cast Kotoamatsukami on Uchiha Madara while he possessed the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the outcome would almost certainly have been absolute failure.
And that was without even considering monsters who wielded the Rinnegan-or those standing at the peak of Six Paths power.
When Shisui attempted to prevent the Uchiha clan's rebellion, he had immense confidence in his dōjutsu. At the time, he was the only Uchiha who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan. His ocular power already towered above the entire clan, and paired with Kotoamatsukami, that confidence was not misplaced.
But what happened later?
Shimura Danzō obtained one of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan and used Kotoamatsukami at the Five Kage Summit-secretly manipulating Mifune, the host, in an attempt to steer the entire summit and crown himself commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
If Kotoamatsukami were truly omnipotent, why resort to such petty, underhanded schemes?
Why not simply control the Five Kage outright and declare dominion over the world?
Why spend decades lurking in the shadows of Konoha, crawling and scheming, only to become a half-acknowledged Acting Sixth Hokage?
With Hashirama's cells integrated into his body, Danzō's cooldown for Kotoamatsukami was drastically reduced. If the technique truly worked as people claimed, he could have simply controlled Hiruzen Sarutobi and seized Konoha from the inside.
Which led to the third and most crucial point:
Kotoamatsukami can be detected-and broken.
At the Five Kage Summit, Danzō's manipulation of Mifune was quickly noticed and exposed, forcing him into a humiliating retreat. And who uncovered it?
Not a legendary powerhouse.
Not some godlike shinobi.
It was Ao of Kirigakure-an elite jōnin possessing only a single Byakugan. Sensing something amiss, he observed the flow of chakra and immediately realized that Danzō was using Kotoamatsukami to control Mifune.
Granted, Ao had previously encountered Shisui's genjutsu, which helped him recognize it. But even without that experience, he would still have detected the presence of mind control-if not its exact origin.
Shortly afterward, Mifune himself regained clarity, and the control was broken.
If Kotoamatsukami truly altered a person's will permanently, Mifune would have continued fervently supporting Danzō even after exposure.
But that never happened.
Some argued this was because Danzō lacked Shisui's natural ocular power, not being an Uchiha himself. Yet that argument fell apart under scrutiny. Even Shisui's own Kotoamatsukami had a cooldown spanning more than a decade. The Mangekyō Sharingan that Itachi possessed functioned under the same limitation.
Danzō, however, could use it multiple times in a relatively short span-a fact he admitted himself during his battle with Uchiha Sasuke and the masked man.
"Shisui's Mangekyō hasn't recovered yet."
"It has finally recovered… should I use it for Kotoamatsukami, or expend it for Izanagi?"
This alone proved that with Hashirama's cells, Danzō's control over the Mangekyō was not inferior to Shisui's-perhaps even superior.
And yet, it was still broken.
In summary:
Kotoamatsukami is not omnipotent.
Its ocular power is finite.
Its control has limits.
It struggles against shinobi with superior dōjutsu or overwhelming strength.
It can be detected, countered, and dispelled-it does not permanently rewrite one's will.
So what do people truly mean when they say Kotoamatsukami "permanently alters" someone?
The answer is simple.
It only works flawlessly when it goes unnoticed.
Like the Kotoamatsukami Uchiha Itachi implanted within Uzumaki Naruto, designed to activate upon contact with Uchiha Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan. Its command was simple: "Protect Konoha."
Once triggered, Sasuke would instinctively protect Konoha, fully believing it to be his own decision.
But if someone noticed something wrong-using the Byakugan or another method-it could still be exposed and broken.
Just like Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, who had once been controlled by genjutsu despite being a perfect jinchūriki. The power required to dominate someone like him was terrifying-but even that illusion could be seen through and dispelled.
In the end, Kotoamatsukami was a supreme genjutsu, a terrifying mind-control tool-but never a universal solution.
And Chiba preferred to conquer others with intellect and strategy, not rely endlessly on such methods.
The sole exception was Orochimaru.
Simply put-he was too perfectly suited for it.
At present, Orochimaru's loyalty to Chiba and Kirigakure was absolute, but the rest of his personality remained untouched. His passion for ninjutsu development and theoretical research burned just as fiercely as ever.
He was still Orochimaru-the man who believed only in science.
Facing the respectfully standing Orochimaru, Chiba smiled faintly.
"It's nothing, Orochimaru," he said calmly. "From today onward, you will serve as the head of Kirigakure's Research Division."
"Yagura will be your vice-captain."
Yagura nodded without hesitation. She had no objections whatsoever. In terms of scientific expertise, no one in the shinobi world surpassed Orochimaru-that was universally acknowledged. Moreover, as one of the Legendary Sannin, his strength, seniority, reputation, and status eclipsed her own from every angle.
As a former Sunagakure rogue ninja, Yagura already felt immensely fortunate to live peacefully in Kirigakure, respected by the Mizukage and embraced by her fellow shinobi.
Orochimaru smiled as well. "Thank you, Mizukage-sama. I may not appear before everyone very often from now on-ninjutsu research is my true pursuit."
"That's for the best," Chiba replied with a light laugh.
With Orochimaru's matter settled, the meeting continued.
Motoi spoke gravely, "Konoha's plan has failed completely. Hiruzen Sarutobi will undoubtedly fall into despair-and madness. Mizukage-sama, what do you believe his next move will be?"
Chiba smiled faintly. "With Konoha beset by both internal and external crises, madness is inevitable. If I were him, I would grasp at the final lifeline and gamble everything."
Tsunade frowned. "A lifeline? What would that be?"
"Appealing to the other great nations," Chiba replied. "Forming an anti-Kirigakure alliance to jointly suppress us."
The room fell silent, tension surging.
If that truly happened, Kirigakure would face an unprecedented crisis.
"But Konoha's reputation is in ruins," Kenbei argued. "They invaded Kirigakure and used Edo Tensei-condemned by the entire shinobi world. Would Hiruzen's persuasion even work?"
"Moral condemnation means nothing in this world," Chiba said calmly. "Sunagakure invaded Kirigakure and faced no censure-Konoha even allied with them afterward. Every great nation has dirt on its hands. In the end, only alone-is eternal."
Mei Terumī frowned. "If the other nations truly unite against us… what then?"
Chiba smiled. "Kirigakure is rising at full force. We are already seen as a potential strongest village. That fear alone gives Hiruzen a chance-however small."
"Which is why we cannot lower our guard," he continued. "What awaits us may be a shinobi world–scale conflict. Even if war does not erupt immediately, the undercurrents will surge."
He turned to Orochimaru. "The Sound Village you founded in the Land of Rice Fields-maintain absolute control over it. It will be a crucial ally."
"Yes, Mizukage-sama," Orochimaru replied. "I will return to the Sound Village and ensure its complete loyalty to Kirigakure."
"Good."
Chiba then added, "I will also be leaving Kirigakure for a time. Hiruzen will personally lobby the nations-I cannot afford to fall behind."
Motoi hesitated. "Does this require the Mizukage himself?"
Chiba smiled. "A desperate man clings tightly to hope. I expect Hiruzen will go personally-and I will not lose to him."
Arrangements were finalized. Governance was entrusted to Motoi and Mei Terumī.
Finally, Chiba turned to Tsunade. "This time, you'll come with me."
After everything was settled, Chiba and Tsunade departed Kirigakure together.
Their destination was nothing less than-
The entire shinobi world.
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