Reborn in Naruto As Orochimaru (AU)

Chapter 39 : New Power

The world was enveloped in pitch blackness, devoid of any sound.

Abruptly, a white light beamed down, creating a radiant circle on the ground.

Orochimaru felt disoriented, as if he hadn't fully awakened. Within the halo of light, he struggled to rise and surveyed his surroundings. Despite the darkness obscuring his vision, he sensed a colossal presence moving through space.

"Are we back here again?" Orochimaru gazed at his hand, observing it as if it were tangible. But why did he find himself back in the realm of his soul (mindscape)?

The white light continued to bathe him, and Orochimaru sensed his body growing stronger with each passing moment.

"This is strange, last time when I absorbed Kaguya's chakra, it didn't happen like this." Orochimaru contemplated the warm white light, but it quickly faded, brightening up the space slightly.

He found himself standing on a massive stone pedestal, resembling a grand altar. A strange sensation of blood connection filled the air.

Expanding his mental power, Orochimaru was amazed to discover that he stood atop the head of a gargantuan stone snake! The snake's head stretched out into the pitch-black void, tens of meters long, possibly even hundreds of meters in total length!

"What in the world is this?" Orochimaru muttered, marveling at the strength beneath his feet.

"Orochimaru, you've returned," a deep voice echoed, and two enormous dark golden snake pupils materialized in the darkness, fixating on Orochimaru. It was the colossal white snake from his previous encounter.

"You can call me White Scale," the snake said with interest, seemingly in a good mood.

At that moment, White Scale opened its mouth, and a blood-red light cluster emerged, hovering directly above Orochimaru's head. The cluster seemed to be comprised of countless blood-red eyeballs, swirling and shrieking, imbuing Orochimaru with a potent and peculiar sensation.

"Do you know what this is?" White Scale inquired, its attention locked on the light cluster.

"Isn't that what I absorbed earlier?" Orochimaru wondered, "Shouldn't I have gained its power by now?"

"Hehe, that's not quite the case," White Scale sneered, and the myriad of eyeballs suddenly merged into a massive three-hooked Sharingan under the influence of Chakra. It resembled a mesmerizing eye that twinkled with extraordinary allure.

"A Sharingan! You devoured its power, but you won't unlock the true Sharingan because it's not your bloodline," White Scale explained. "However, this power will integrate with your body, granting you the ability to utilize the Sharingan."

"What's the difference then?" Orochimaru questioned.

"There is indeed a difference," White Scale replied, causing the Sharingan to burst into a blood-like mass again. "If you absorb a considerable amount of energy, your power will become formidable, possibly even surpassing the original owner's strength. However, unlike true bloodline users, your Sharingan will still be inferior to theirs."

Understanding the implications, Orochimaru realized that obtaining a bloodline ability through absorption would be limited compared to inheriting it directly.

"Can I evolve this power, like obtaining the Mangekyou Sharingan?" Orochimaru inquired further.

"If you are familiar with the Mangekyou Sharingan, then you are aware it is theoretically possible," White Scale pondered. "But it's a challenging task. This power you have absorbed is not from a genuine bloodline user, so achieving Mangekyou Sharingan would be more difficult compared to the Uchiha."