Orochimaru commented that Uchiha Kei's words reeked too much of the Far East—that he really needed to tone it down.
Still, since this concerned his comrade Tsunade, Orochimaru didn't get hung up on Kei's tone. He furrowed his brow deeply and asked what had happened to her.
At this point in time, the Sannin hadn't become the later trio who fought on sight—they still supported one another, close companions who could entrust their backs to each other.
Orochimaru had always cared deeply about Tsunade. While not as intensely as for his best friend Jiraiya, it was still far beyond what he felt for others.
So upon learning something was wrong with her, Orochimaru naturally became concerned.
He actually knew about Tsunade's hemophobia, but like Lord Third, he assumed she'd overcome it in time. After all, Tsunade was someone he trusted—there was no way she'd be defeated by something as trivial as a fear of blood.
It's just that… in the shinobi world, some things really do get passed down. Maybe in the original story, Orochimaru didn't feel true regret until Tsunade had become a "cripple." That was when he started refining his silver tongue, eventually becoming the great deceiver who could manipulate anyone under him.
After hearing the details from Uchiha Kei, Orochimaru frowned even more. His first instinct was that Tsunade had been defeated by her own fear—after all, how could his trusted comrade be so fragile?
But then Orochimaru suddenly thought of something. His eyes wandered to a certain bookshelf in the grand library.
It was the medical section. While he hadn't studied it deeply, he had flipped through some of the volumes, including those on psychological disorders.
"So this… is what those books called mental illness? It can make even the most resolute person unbearably fragile… turn a brave soul into a coward..."
He paused and shook his head, his tone sharp with sarcasm. "The shinobi world truly is a backward place. From the Warring States period to now, it may have advanced, but it's still riddled with flaws. Even now, it doesn't recognize the existence of PTSD—people still think psychological trauma from war is a sign of weak will."
"Clearly, these are things that can be treated with proper therapy, yet they're written off as a lack of ninja resolve. It's ridiculous."
After mercilessly mocking the ignorance of the entire shinobi world, Orochimaru fell silent. Then he turned to Uchiha Kei.
"Kei-kun, tell me what I need to do. If it can help treat Tsunade's mental illness, I'll cooperate without hesitation."
Uchiha Kei said, "From what I know, Tsunade-senpai's trauma stems from the deaths of her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō during the Second Great Ninja War, right?"
At those words, pain and regret flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
Not because of Dan—but because of Nawaki. Tsunade's brother. And also Orochimaru's student. The one he valued most. The one he poured his heart into.
Orochimaru had truly pinned his hopes on Nawaki, treating him like family.
But the war's brutality was beyond imagination—and Orochimaru had been too naive, too weak.
Right before the Second Great Ninja War, Orochimaru hadn't yet earned the title of Sannin. Thinking himself strong enough, and the war not too intense, he brought Nawaki near the front lines under personal protection.
He had hoped to guide Nawaki, to help him grow quickly.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru had overestimated himself and underestimated the Iwagakure shinobi's Earth Style mastery.
A single trap using Earth Style and a pile of explosive tags had blown Nawaki to pieces—right before Orochimaru's eyes.
It became his greatest nightmare and deepest regret.
That blow gave Orochimaru an unhealthy obsession with survival, eventually making him the most unkillable figure in the shinobi world.
So hearing Uchiha Kei mention Nawaki again, Orochimaru naturally felt the pain return. If it had been anyone else, his expression would've darkened in an instant.
But this was Uchiha Kei, so Orochimaru just answered solemnly: "Yes, Kei-kun. Nawaki and Dan's deaths caused Tsunade's hemophobia. It wasn't that severe before. We all thought she'd get better on her own. But now, it's grown out of hand."
Uchiha Kei nodded. "Then, if Tsunade could see Nawaki again… do you think her condition might improve?"
Orochimaru froze. His expression shifted several times. In the end, he held back the anger rising in him.
"If Tsunade could truly see Nawaki again, she might improve. But Kei-kun, Nawaki is dead. He's been dead for years."
His unspoken warning was clear: Don't joke about Nawaki. That was his reverse scale. Push it too far, and even their current friendship wouldn't stop him from snapping.
Uchiha Kei saw the storm brewing and quickly shook his head. "You've misunderstood me, Orochimaru-senpai. I'm not joking about Nawaki, nor am I trying to create a fake. I have a way to summon Nawaki's soul back from the land of the dead."
That left Orochimaru stunned.
His mind raced, and he quickly guessed what Kei meant. "The old man taught you Impure World Reincarnation, Kei-kun?"
There was a trace of envy in his voice. At this point in time, Orochimaru hadn't yet learned that forbidden jutsu—it would only come later, when he joined Root and stole it from Danzo Shimura.
But Uchiha Kei shook his head. "No, it's not Impure World Reincarnation. Lord Third would never teach me such a forbidden technique. As his disciple, you should understand better than I do how conservative he is."
"...Fair enough." Orochimaru had to admit Kei was right.
Kei continued, "This ability comes from a special genjutsu domain I recently gained. It allows me to summon souls—not into the real world, but into this illusionary world. And once summoned… they don't have to go back. They can stay here, indefinitely."
"You understand what that means, right, Orochimaru-senpai?"
Yes—this was the loophole Kei had found for the "Summon the Dead" skill. He wouldn't summon the dead into the real world, but into the spiritual network.
And once there, he could convert their souls into spiritual entities, preserving them forever within that network—never to return to the Pure Land.
Orochimaru's snake eyes widened. His head buzzed.
Then he stared straight at Kei. "Kei-kun, does your ability allow you to enslave the souls of the dead?"
Kei immediately shook his head. "You're overestimating me. All I can do is bring their souls into this genjutsu realm. I can use my authority over the domain to keep them from going wild."
"But that's it. I can't make them obey me."
The system, as bizarre as it was, still had rules. It didn't usually hand out game-breaking abilities without restrictions. And while "Summon the Dead" was powerful and easy to use, it didn't allow control.
Even if he could keep them contained using the system's spiritual authority, the souls themselves could still refuse to cooperate and just go limp.
After hearing this, Orochimaru thought for a moment and said, "If that's true—if it's not forced, and you're not making the souls do anything against their will—then I believe Tsunade would be overjoyed to see Nawaki again. It might truly help her recover."
"And perhaps," he thought, "my own heart may find peace as well." But he didn't say that out loud.
Uchiha Kei nodded. "Then let's do it. First, we need to try and see if Nawaki can remain in the spirit network long-term."
After all, the theory sounded good—but whether it worked or not was another matter entirely.
Soon, the two exited the genjutsu world. Kei waited at home. Not long after, Orochimaru himself arrived—bringing something with him.
An old, damaged Hidden Leaf forehead protector.
It was Nawaki's. A keepsake Orochimaru had preserved.
This was what Kei would use to summon Nawaki's soul.
He immediately had Uchiha Naori lead others to guard the perimeter. Then he and Orochimaru entered the spiritual network again.
Kei activated the "Summon the Dead" skill.
Instantly, strange data flooded the domain—but it caused no harm.
Before them, a shadowy, pitch-black portal tore open. A skeletal figure pulled it apart from the other side.
The visual effects weren't bad.
Then, from within the portal, a small figure emerged. The gate vanished, leaving the person standing silently, eyes closed.
They looked like any normal person—wearing the same clothes as when they were alive. No cracks, no undead aura. Nothing like Impure World Reincarnation.
In this world, the summoned dead were no different from the living.
For Orochimaru, it felt like he had traveled back in time—back to that nightmare of a day.
The day Nawaki died.
Then, the summoned boy—Nawaki—twitched slightly. His eyes opened in confusion. He blinked hard. Rubbed his eyes.
Finally, his blank gaze landed on Orochimaru.
Then, with a puzzled tone, he asked, "Orochimaru-sensei? Um… I thought I got blown up? Where is this? The afterlife? Wait—did you die too?"
By the end, his confusion only deepened.
And his words were so hilariously awkward that the deeply emotional Orochimaru's expression instantly darkened. Even the corner of his mouth twitched.