Orochimaru was completely enthralled—as if possessed—by the knowledge system from Earth.
Countless disciplines, diverse subjects, detailed explanations that broke concepts down piece by piece, along with vivid diagrams and illustrations—Orochimaru had plunged into a state of frenzied knowledge absorption.
For someone like Orochimaru, nothing was more exhilarating than immersing himself in the sea of knowledge. Compared to that, even engaging in physical pleasure or narcotic euphoria paled in comparison. "Addiction" didn't even begin to describe it. He was completely obsessed.
So, when Uchiha Kei interrupted his learning spree, Orochimaru's reaction was nothing short of explosive.
However, in this mental network world, Kei was god. He held absolute authority here. Without a means of forcibly disconnecting from the mental net, anyone within it was entirely at Kei's mercy.
And according to the system's information on this topic, disconnecting required a biological chip embedded with access to the mental network. Was such tech available in the Shinobi World?
So Orochimaru's rage amounted to little more than a fit. He couldn't even raise a hand—Kei had already disabled violence within this domain.
Realizing he couldn't summon any power, and all genjutsu resistance was neutralized, Orochimaru was startled—and sobered up.
He took a deep breath, regaining composure, and apologized with a rare hint of humility. "Apologies, Kei-kun. I lost my composure."
Kei waved it off and replied sincerely, "No need to apologize. For someone who seeks knowledge and truth, this library is a sacred temple. It is the gateway to truth itself."
"In my eyes, Orochimaru-senpai's reaction only confirms that I chose correctly. It proves that you are a pure seeker of the path."
Orochimaru's yellow eyes widened slightly, then he smiled. "Indeed. For those of us who pursue truth, losing oneself in knowledge is only natural. I imagine, Kei-kun, your reaction when first entering this library was much like mine."
"Hehehe\\~ I'm truly glad. To meet a like-minded soul like you and be permitted to witness this treasury of intellect—what an honor."
He was genuinely moved. The way he looked at Kei now was filled with heat and admiration—borderline reverence.
Kei fell silent for a moment. Did I oversell it to Orochimaru a bit too hard…?
Then, he nodded. "Yes. I knew we were the same type of person, Orochimaru-senpai. That's why I'm willing to share the wisdom of this Grand Library with you."
Oversold or not, it didn't matter. Both he and Orochimaru gained from this partnership.
Thank goodness Orochimaru wasn't as extreme as he'd be years later. That version? There would be no mutual respect—just a battle on sight. In that case, Kei would've had to use one of his system-granted, god-tier abstract abilities—perhaps giving Orochimaru taste buds in his intestines.
Though, would that version of Orochimaru even have normal digestion? If not, he'd miss out on the delightfully abstract experience of sampling his own waste.
Orochimaru's gaze turned toward the depths of the Grand Library. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "It's astonishing. This knowledge system is entirely unlike anything in the Shinobi World. It clearly comes from a far more advanced civilization. Kei-kun, to think such a thing exists in a genjutsu world you created… I imagine some of the groundbreaking changes you've brought to Konoha and the Uchiha Clan stem from this very place."
His tone was full of certainty. Clearly, he was overthinking things again.
But Kei followed up smoothly:
"Yes. This knowledge does come from here. As for its true origin—I'm not sure. It might be something buried in the Uchiha bloodline, or perhaps a crystallization of humanity's deep subconscious, or maybe I accessed it through deep research into my Sharingan."
"In any case, this miracle of a mental domain appeared within my consciousness, and now, I can bring others into it as well."
"Without a doubt, Orochimaru-senpai, it may very well be, as you said, a relic of a more advanced civilization. This ocean of knowledge is far too vast for me alone. I need allies—fellow travelers on this path."
Orochimaru smiled. "Then I'm honored to join you, Kei-kun." He shook his head, recalling the earlier knowledge binge. "No—thank you for inviting me aboard this vessel bound for the future and truth."
"This may well be the opportunity of a lifetime."
His tone was light, but his sincerity was palpable.
Kei extended his right hand with a smile. "Then I look forward to working with you, Orochimaru-senpai."
Orochimaru reached out and shook it. "Likewise, Kei-kun."
Thus, their alliance was formally established—an alliance that would be rock-solid.
Kei needed Orochimaru's intellect. Orochimaru needed Kei's mental network to research futuristic knowledge.
As for where this domain and its Grand Library came from—Orochimaru had no plans to dig too deep. He was curious, but since Kei himself claimed not to know and said it emerged while studying his Sharingan, that was enough for Orochimaru.
It sounded absurd. And it was. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
But in the Shinobi World, absurdity was the norm. With strange powers everywhere, Orochimaru easily classified this mental network under the category of bizarre shinobi abilities.
What mattered to him was that the knowledge in the Grand Library was real.
To Kei, allying with Orochimaru—arguably the Shinobi World's top scientist—was a critical strategic move. A step toward resolving his own crisis.
Naturally, the system-issued mission had gone sideways.
After completing the last one, the system had generated a new task: to develop a brand-new game, get 200,000 players to play it, and harvest emotional value from them—plus hit revenue and emotional value targets.
The latter two were manageable. With the genjutsu game's price and the Shinobi World's emotional volatility, returns were strong.
But the requirement of 200,000 players? That was a massive pit.
Even getting 100,000 players for any game had taken considerable time. Now being locked to one specific new game? The difficulty spiked.
Worse still, future missions would likely demand even more players. On Earth, that'd be easy—but in the Shinobi World? There would come a day when it became impossible to clear.
And that day wasn't far off. In this society, a million players would be a near-impossible goal.
Kei had brainstormed various plans—expanding the market, for instance.
But those were just temporary fixes. The root issue was the total number of players. He had to mobilize the masses—get even the poor playing.
To do that, he first had to solve their basic survival.
If people couldn't live, they couldn't play. And that tied directly to productivity.
How to boost productivity?
One phrase echoed in Kei's mind—spoken by a certain elder:
"Technology is the primary productive force."
So Kei thought of Orochimaru—and decided to recruit him.
Of course, in a cesspool like the Shinobi World, you couldn't truly solve anything without reforming the outdated and corrupt systems. But Kei wasn't a great idealist or revolutionary.
"My bro Minato has the makings of a Hokage. Let him handle the hard part when the time comes!"
As for whether Namikaze Minato was willing to push change?
Heh. Did anyone think his admiration for Kei stemmed from intelligence alone?
No. Kei had long influenced him with forward-thinking ideas—ideas Minato embraced.
They were too advanced to speak of openly and would invite serious danger. So Minato kept silent and asked Kei to do the same. It became their shared secret.
In the past, they had no power or philosophy to support such radical actions.
But now, Kei had the system. Orochimaru had joined him. The Uchiha supported him. The foundations were laid. What remained was execution.
When Kei finally put these ideals into action—what would Minato do?
Would the "Little Sun" really stay on the sidelines?
Tch, don't underestimate the Golden Flash. He's never been a rule-follower.
You think someone who mastered space-time ninjutsu is a traditionalist?
Of course, some things had to wait. For now, they'd continue developing in the shadows.