Amegakure.
Orochimaru and Makoto arrived at the rainy village, while Yakushi Kabuto returned to Otogakure in the Land of Rice.
Following Orochimaru's instructions, Kabuto sealed some research materials and necessary experimental equipment into scrolls.
As a loyal subordinate, he didn't ask questions. He just packed the lab like he was moving apartments.
As for Otogakure, Orochimaru had no intention of abandoning it.
Just like the Land of Waves branch, it could still contribute its share of strength.
In a clean, spacious steel building outside Amegakure Orochimaru bit his finger.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A snake from Ryuchi Cave was summoned, and Yakushi Kabuto climbed out from its mouth carrying a pile of scrolls.
"A pleasant trip," Kabuto adjusted his glasses, wiping off the saliva.
Indeed, the Reverse Summoning Technique is also a space-time ninjutsu that can achieve the teleportation effect of the Flying Thunder Formation.
However, it requires a contract, a summoning realm as a transfer station, and a high tolerance for being eaten.
It's quite disgusting.
After arranging everything, Orochimaru turned to look at Makoto, who had been waiting there for quite some time, sipping tea.
"Makoto-kun has sincerely answered many of my questions," Orochimaru hissed. "Now it's my turn to help solve your problems."
Orochimaru spoke while glancing at Yakushi Kabuto, who was cleaning a microscope nearby.
"I recall you mentioned that in the future, it was Kabuto who helped you find the training method, correct?"
"Orochimaru-sama?" Kabuto froze as he nearly dropped a beaker.
"I... me?"
Hearing Orochimaru mention him and "future assistance," Kabuto was momentarily surprised and slightly apprehensive.
'What did I do in the future? Did I screw up?'
"Correct," Makoto nodded.
"Both you and Yakushi Kabuto were major contributors in the Fourth Great Ninja War. But Kabuto... he had a rougher path."
"Yakushi Kabuto was trapped in the Izanami genjutsu," Makoto explained calmly. "He had to rediscover his true self, accepting who he was without trying to be someone else. Otherwise, he would have remained forever trapped in the loop of his own arrogance."
"As for you, Orochimaru... you were dead for a while. But after resurrection, you saw how Kabuto, who inherited your will and DNA, perfected the Edo Tensei, mastered Sage Mode, and confronted the Five Great Nations alone."
"He achieved what you thought you might not be able to accomplish yourself. So after seeing his struggle, you also abandoned the idea of controlling everything alone. You realized the wind was changing."
"In short," Makoto smiled. "You both eventually became Konoha shinobi again. You run an orphanage now, Kabuto."
"..."
Kabuto stood frozen.
'Me? Master Sage Mode? Fight the Five Nations? Run an orphanage?!'
'Is this guy senile even tho he was so young?'
"It's precisely because of this future redemption that I could confidently seek out Yakushi Kabuto before gaining power," Makoto continued.
"But because of this, the current Yakushi Kabuto seems to be withholding information. Perhaps worried I might become a second Pain of Amegakure."
Makoto looked at Kabuto with piercing eyes.
It must be said, Danzo Shimura truly deserves his title as the Kage of Blame.
The hidden MVP of ruining lives!
Konoha experienced three major upheavals: the Nine-Tailed Night, the Konoha Crush, and Pain's Invasion.
Danzo never lifted a finger to help in any of them.
He hid underground like a rat.
In fact, Orochimaru collaborated with Danzo. Nagato and Konan were radicalized by Danzo. And Kabuto... the core antagonist of the War... was driven to darkness because Danzo manipulated him into killing his own mother figure, Nono Yakushi.
Though the Masked Man appeared domineering when declaring war, without Kabuto's Edo Tensei army, Obito would have had nothing but a mob of White Zetsu cannon fodder.
Kabuto carried the villain team!
"Kabuto," Orochimaru's voice cut through the silence. "Calm down. First help Makoto with his issue, then slowly attend to your own existential crisis."
Noticing Kabuto's distracted expression, Orochimaru reminded him who was boss.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sana," Kabuto snapped back to attention. He approached with a sterile swab container.
"Open wide," Orochimaru ordered Makoto.
After scraping a DNA sample from Makoto's tongue, Orochimaru began observation and research with Kabuto's assistance.
"According to what you've said," Orochimaru peered into the microscope, "you cannot extract Chakra from your cells but can absorb Natural Energy directly. This is fascinating. You are like a walking Sage Mode battery."
"Therefore, we need to analyze your cells first—this will take some time."
"If possible," Orochimaru looked up, his eyes gleaming with greed, "I'd like to learn more about the 'Otsutsuki Clan' you mentioned earlier."
Orochimaru was thirsting for this knowledge.
It was the ultimate truth of the world!
He also understood that Makoto's trust in them was based on their "redeemed" future selves, so Orochimaru maintained his composure.
He refrained from licking his lips too much since it might creeped Makoto out.
—Even with knowledge of the future, changing one's mindset isn't an overnight process.
He was still a sociopath.... just a cooperative one.
"...The Shinjutsu originated from the Otsutsuki God, who devoured countless Chakra Fruits across the universe," Makoto explained.
"It's said this Otsutsuki God ultimately transcended his physical body, abandoning it to ascend to a higher dimension. He became a god in the truest sense."
"Transcended dimensions?" Orochimaru frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Simply put, he may have ascended to a higher plane of existence. For example..."
Makoto casually produced a photograph of a stick figure drawing.
"Imagine how 2D beings would perceive us 3D beings. They can only see a slice of us where we touch the paper."
"Two-dimensional understanding three-dimensional... higher-dimensional beings?" Orochimaru murmured, his scientific brain whirring.
"Take 4D beings," Makoto continued. "They might perceive an additional layer of 'time' as a physical dimension."
"To them, we wouldn't be static 3D objects moving through time. They would see us as continuous, long, sausage-like existences stretching from birth to death."
"Slicing the 'sausage' at the head reveals a cross-section of childhood. Slicing at the tail shows old age."
"As for 5D beings? They might see not just a sausage, but a tree—observing all possible branching paths of a person's existence. Every choice, every timeline, visible at once."
Makoto stopped there.
He was sharing theories from his original world, using careful "might" phrasing solely to expand Orochimaru's perspective.
"So there are multiple layers of higher dimensions?" Orochimaru whispered. "That means... if a supreme-dimensional being exists, anything that seems inconceivable to us lower-dimensional beings—like rewriting reality or bending time—would be perfectly logical to them. It would be as simple as us folding a piece of paper."
"You could say that," Makoto nodded.
"Then I understand."
Orochimaru set down the instrument in his hand and revealed a smile.
What Orochimaru had come to realize was that he didn't need to figure everything out immediately.
He just needed to accept that the ceiling of the world was much higher than he thought.
"Makoto-kun," Orochimaru said abruptly. "Would you come with me to Ryuchi Cave? Perhaps we can find our answers there. My lab is too small for these concepts."
"No problem. When do we leave?"
"Sooner the better. Right now."
After sealing the instrument into a scroll, Orochimaru bit his finger again.
"Kuchiyose!"
A giant snake appeared. But instead of fighting, it opened its mouth wide.
"Get in," Orochimaru gestured.
The serpent swallowed both men whole before disappearing with a POOF.
Yakushi Kabuto remained in the empty room.
He no longer dwelled on research.
He slowly walked to the wall, slumped to the floor, took off his glasses, and began contemplating the meaning of life.
'Orphanage director... me?'
....
Ryuchi Cave.
Compared to the sunny brightness and lush greenery of Mount Myoboku, Ryuchi Cave was a nightmare.
It was dark, damp, and shrouded in thick, suffocating mist. The air smelled of mold and old reptilian scales.
"Orochimaru," a sibilant, female voice echoed through the dense fog. "Is this the new challenger you've brought? Send him over. I'm hungry."
"This is a necessary condition to inherit Ryuchi Cave's Sage Art," Orochimaru explained to Makoto.
"The White Snake Sage doesn't give power for free. You must pass the trials."
"It shouldn't pose much difficulty for you, Makoto-kun. Just... don't die."
Makoto stepped forward.
Although the original work didn't describe exactly how Kabuto obtained Sage Mode (other than injecting himself with everything), in the Boruto anime, when Boruto went looking for Mitsuki, he experienced the trials.
One could only say that while failure meant death, the test was somewhat... childish.
Makoto walked into the thick fog.
After walking for some time, a brilliant light appeared ahead.
As the mist dispersed, it revealed a magnificent, opulent palace. It looked like a feudal lord's castle, but twisted.
The palace gates stood wide open.
A beautiful woman in court attire stood at the entrance.
Seeing Makoto, she smiled warmly and raised a hand.
"You must be the challenger, my lord? You look tired. Please, come in! Enjoy some food first to restore your strength. The trial will begin shortly."
Indeed, this was Tagorihime's first test.
The Test of Gluttony—To see if you're an Akimichi at heart.
Or just a dumbass.
Makoto looked at the tables laden with "food."
Even if he didn't know these were actually illusionary constructs hiding transformed poisons and rotting flesh, he had no appetite regardless.
As if to tempt the challenger to indulge, the dishes were all presented as "high-end cuisine."
But as everyone knows, every culture has a different understanding of what constitutes "high-end."
For example...
Makoto stared at the centerpiece of the banquet.
He had never imagined that "high-end cuisine" would feature a massive, steaming mountain of plain white rice.
Just rice.
No curry.
No lamb sauce.
Just a literal ton of carbs!
'Are you trying to kill me with diabetes?' Makoto deadpanned.
'At least give me some soy sauce, you snake witch!'