Faced with the overwhelming chakra released by Shin, Orochimaru felt his vision blur and his consciousness nearly collapse. It was as if he were nothing more than a fragile human standing before the endless ocean, powerless to comprehend its depth. Or perhaps more fittingly, it was like a mere Genin confronting an Ōtsutsuki. The difference in chakra was not just vast, it was astronomical, exceeding millions of times in scale.
'How is this possible? How can such power even exist?' Orochimaru screamed inwardly. His current chakra had already reached a frightening stage. Through years of experimentation and stolen knowledge, he had surpassed the reserves of ordinary tailed beasts, even rivaling the Nine-Tails itself. At his peak, his chakra level skirted the very threshold of the Six Paths. Yet compared to Shin's presence, that level of achievement was rendered utterly meaningless.
The gap was insurmountable. Even without moving a finger, Shin's chakra pressure alone could crush him. In the face of such force, even a simple release of chakra from Shin was enough to obliterate everything Orochimaru had built.
Time seemed distorted. For Orochimaru, the suffocating weight pressed on him for what felt like half an hour, yet in reality, only a handful of seconds had passed. When the crushing pressure suddenly receded, he gasped for air, drenched in cold sweat. His trembling eyes caught sight of Shin's calm half-smile, and beside him, Hinata Hyuga wore a look of quiet confusion.
"Haa... haa..." Orochimaru clutched his chest, regaining composure with great difficulty. "It seems... my lord, you truly made an astonishing discovery in that other world."
Shin cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Enough talk. Show me all of your results."
As the words left him, Shin extended his palm. A golden rope materialized and coiled around Orochimaru's arm in an instant. The snake-like Sannin stiffened as realization struck.
"This is called the Lasso of Truth," Shin said with an almost playful smile. "Its effect should be obvious from the name. Do not lie to me, Orochimaru... or you will die."
Orochimaru's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "These days, nearly all research and experimentation rely on Red Queen's simulations. Even if I had wanted to hide something from you, Leader, I could not."
"Who could say otherwise?" Shin shrugged, though he did not truly doubt Orochimaru's words. The Lasso of Truth would not allow deceit.
Their discussion moved toward the merging of Kamar-Taj's sorcery with ninjutsu. The transition had been surprisingly smooth. Most spells, unless tied to domains like time, causality, or higher dimensions, were no more difficult to adapt than standard jutsu. Fireballs, energy blasts, or explosive spells held little advantage over ninjutsu techniques that could achieve the same effect.
What fascinated Shin most, however, was the Sorcerer's portal magic. Unlike the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, which required pre-set markers, these portals could open to nearly anywhere. If developed to their full potential, they could bridge entire galaxies, connect dimensions, and even allow the transport of armies with minimal effort.
The Flying Thunder God Technique was unrivaled in duels, but this magic's strength was in strategy. Its application was far broader.
Orochimaru observed with interest but also noted its limitations. "The positioning of the portal is linked to the power of the entities that wizards borrow from. With their assistance, a sorcerer can access lands they have never seen or visited before. However, without that support, the portal can only be cast to a location within line of sight. Even from the highest peak, a sorcerer could barely reach a few hundred kilometers, and its effectiveness diminishes by more than half."
Shin's expression barely shifted, though inwardly he found no concern. This flaw, which shackled ordinary humans, meant little to him. His enhanced vision extended across incredible distances, even approaching the light-year scale. For him, pinpointing an alien planet required little effort.
Moreover, combining insights from the portal with the Flying Thunder God Jutsu allowed him to refine his own teleportation techniques. He no longer required fixed coordinates to shift across space. Between tactical precision and strategic mobility, teleportation ninjutsu had been pushed to their very limits.
Later, Shin retrieved a mind-uploading device. With it, he created a fresh batch of digital scientists, then ventured once more into the Virtual World. There, at its center, he harvested another chakra fruit from the sacred tree.
Unlike the first fruit he had consumed, this one brought no dramatic surge of power. Instead, it subtly refined his body, restoring and even enhancing his natural affinity with chakra. His Ōtsutsuki bloodline had long been stripped away, but this fruit compensated for the loss.
Standing before the towering sacred tree, Shin prepared his next experiment. He reached into his dark dimension and drew forth a sliver of cosmic energy stolen from Galactus the Devourer of Worlds. Slowly, he guided it into the roots of the tree.
The reaction was immediate. Like a starving creature given sustenance, the Divine Tree pulsed with life. Its trunk swelled, branches stretched, and from among its branch emerged the faint beginnings of a small, unripe fruit.
The chakra emanating from it was staggering. Unlike the energy of ordinary chakra, this bore the mark of cosmic purity, rich and boundless.
"As expected," Shin murmured. "The Divine Tree can digest cosmic energy. This makes sense, after all, Galactus uses this very force to birth planets. Natural energy is nothing more than diluted cosmic energy."
He studied the aura more closely, excitement flickering in his eyes. "This chakra, born from cosmic energy, exceeds even Senjutsu chakra fused with natural energy. It is purer, deeper. It is the primal force from which all lesser energies spring."
His excitement grew, and he dared to increase the influx of cosmic energy. But a sharp crack echoed. A fissure split across the bark of the sacred tree.
"Too soon?" Shin frowned, then exhaled slowly. "So, even if it can absorb cosmic energy, the process is gradual. Impatience will only destroy it."
He pressed his palm to the tree, releasing streams of Yang chakra to mend the crack. The bark closed, its vitality restored.
The conclusion was clear. The sacred tree could absorb cosmic energy, but only in small doses. Perhaps one or two years would be required for it to completely digest what he had given it.
"Or perhaps..." Shin muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I should use an Ōtsutsuki as nourishment. They have always been tied to the tree. Sacrifice might accelerate its growth and empower it further."
Yet doubt lingered. His knowledge confirmed that Ōtsutsuki could serve as fertilizer, hastening fruit production, but whether they could enhance the tree's fundamental power remained unknown.
His thoughts turned briefly to Kaguya. Would it be too cruel to use her as a sacrifice? More importantly, her two sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, were bound to him, loyal allies in his plans. To destroy their mother so casually might undermine everything.
Shin stood silently before the immense sacred tree, his gaze reflecting both ambition and hesitation. The tree's leaves rustled, carrying whispers of untapped potential. With cosmic energy and chakra fruits at his disposal, the road ahead promised power beyond imagination. Yet every step forward demanded choices, and not all of them would be easy.
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