"The final technique… is it related to natural energy?"
Rather than being surprised, Orochimaru felt an odd sense of discomfort.
There was something unsettling in the way the Lamp God spoke—like a mischievous child discovering a new toy.
Unfortunately, that "toy" was his body.
The joys and sorrows of people may not be connected, but the Lamp God? He was clearly amused.
"Water Breathing: Full Concentration – Constant"—this was the threshold for becoming a Pillar in the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Lamp God had assumed that with Orochimaru's current physique, adapting to the constant state would be impossible. At the very least, trying to use it should have burst seven or eight blood vessels.
He'd even planned to use the resulting damage to motivate Orochimaru into developing a way to improve his physical condition—perhaps through more in-depth research into Hashirama's cells.
But Orochimaru's body not only survived—it had strength left to spare.
Did I misjudge? the Lamp God wondered.
No, Orochimaru's body wasn't as strong as Tanjiro's was when he first managed to sustain Full Concentration Breathing at all times. The Lamp God was certain of that. His perspective was beyond what even the most powerful dojutsu in the ninja world could perceive—even the Tenseigan or the Rinnegan couldn't see as deeply as he could.
So what went wrong?
After some thought, he theorized that the misjudgment stemmed from the difference between their worlds.
The world of Demon Slayers is a barren land—natural energy there is sluggish, unresponsive.
Even the top-tier Demon Slayers, the Pillars, rely entirely on their physical strength. Full Concentration Breathing drains them rapidly, even shortens their lifespans.
Only Kamado Tanjiro, who was born with the "Transparent World," could use natural energy efficiently, becoming something akin to a perpetual motion machine with his swordsmanship.
But the ninja world is different.
Natural energy here is abundant, and the ninja themselves are unique. After countless generations of mixing bloodlines, nearly everyone carries a trace of Otsutsuki heritage. Those with a strong affinity for nature can even master Sage Mode.
In other words, even if they aren't Sage-level users, some ninja bodies may unconsciously absorb natural energy.
Perhaps it's that trace amount of energy that caused me to misjudge Orochimaru's limits, the Lamp God thought.
Still, whether that's true or not didn't matter.
Only experimentation reveals the truth.
Ignoring Orochimaru's resistance in his mind, the Lamp God activated the next step—without hesitation.
After all, Zibra was the ultimate form of Full Concentration Breathing—and in the ninja world, very few could even touch the realm of natural energy.
If Orochimaru had the potential, the Lamp God was absolutely going to help him uncover it.
All for Orochimaru's own good, of course.
Orochimaru felt an overwhelming sense of danger. Sweat beaded on his forehead and slid down his cheeks, driven by gravity and the rising heat within him.
Part of it was anxiety. Part of it was his rapidly increasing body temperature.
At that moment, the Lamp God had stopped using sword techniques—but the Full Concentration Breathing never ceased for even a second.
Orochimaru's heart pounded faster and faster, like a pump forcefully pushing blood through every vein. His eyes reddened, bloodshot, and his whole body burned as if set aflame. His consciousness began to fade.
"Deng Shen," Orochimaru screamed inwardly, "If this keeps going, I'm going to die! Do you hear me? I'm going to die!"
"No, no, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine."
"Pretty sure?" Orochimaru didn't trust the Lamp God one bit. All he trusted now was his well-honed survival instinct.
"Um… I guarantee it's probably fine," the Lamp God added sheepishly.
This bastard…!
Even in a life-or-death moment, most people would panic. But not Orochimaru. His mind had been forged through countless crises, and he could suppress his emotions under pressure. Still, when that crisis was caused by someone else's reckless experiment, even the Sannin had to curse under his breath.
The Lamp God understood this all too well.
"Alright, alright, I'll give control back to you," he said. "You can handle the breathing technique now—you've learned it, haven't you?"
So the test wasn't over.
Motherf—…
Orochimaru had no choice. Between being toyed with and taking control of his own fate, he chose the latter. Without hesitation, he agreed.
The Lamp God relinquished control, and Orochimaru smoothly resumed the breathing technique.
Once he did, the progress of his markings accelerated rapidly.
The Lamp God nodded in satisfaction. While he could forcibly perform techniques through replicas, the host's body was ultimately better suited to wielding their own powers.
---
"Master Orochimaru… what's going on with him?"
On the shore, Guy nudged a wide-eyed Kakashi and pointed to the furious, serpent-like figure standing on the lake.
"He kinda looks like me when I use the Eight Gates."
Kakashi adjusted his forehead protector, Sharingan active and focused. Strange markings began to form on Orochimaru's face.
"What... is that?"
---
The Lamp God noticed it too—lines forming on Orochimaru's forehead.
"It's working!" he exclaimed. "Yes! Success!"
Orochimaru's potential was extraordinary. The Lamp God had thought it might take a few more attempts to break through the barrier—but no, Orochimaru had done it.
He was about to praise him when—Orochimaru collapsed into the lake, unconscious.
Even worse, his body was still running the Full Concentration Breathing, and the newly awakened markings were channeling natural energy uncontrollably.
There was no time to waste.
The Lamp God dove back into Orochimaru's consciousness, took control, stepped onto the surface of the lake—and unleashed the stored move with all his might.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
The sword sliced through the air with a wailing shriek. The energy cleaved the lake apart, carving a trench as water crashed into it like waterfalls.
"Incredible," the Lamp God muttered. "That was on par with Tanjiro's strongest slash."
Looking down, he saw the markings on Orochimaru's forehead fade like a retreating tide.
But he now knew Orochimaru could enter that mode at will.
He had mastered the Markings—specifically, the Snake Markings unique to him.
Still, something puzzled him.
"He succeeded… so why did he lose consciousness?"
Orochimaru's body had clearly hit its limit. Like his mind, it was crying out for rest. Yet under the Lamp God's control, it still barely stood.
"Forget it. I'll wait until he wakes up."
The Lamp God let go of control, and Orochimaru collapsed onto the lake's surface. Thankfully, his lightweight body floated face-up, avoiding the risk of drowning.
Splash...
Splash...
The deep cuts in the lake slowly began to mend, water rushing back into the ravine.
Just as the Lamp God was about to make Orochimaru escape—
Two figures darted across the water toward them—one leading, one trailing.
Kakashi and Guy.
Without a word, they hoisted Orochimaru onto their backs and dashed toward the shore.
"It's them," the Lamp God muttered, rubbing his chin.
"Looks like they saw the whole thing…"
______________
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