Orochimaru Awaken and Timeskip

The Snake Sage had been coiled around the egg containing Orochimaru for the past year, sensing it absorb the nature energy in Ryuchi Cave. As the time came, the Snake Sage freed herself from her position and watched as cracks started to appear on the surface of the egg, signaling its imminent hatching.

White hands adorned with snakelike scales emerged first, followed by a head adorned with long horns amidst gray hair. Orochimaru lifted his head, finally witnessing the White Snake Sage standing before him.

However, his attention quickly shifted to his own body—a result of evolution. Laughter escaped Orochimaru as he felt the changes coursing through him, rejoicing in the successful adaptation and the new powers he possessed through his own snake sage mode.

"Indeed, Snake Sage, it seems I have been reborn. I have even developed my own unique abilities, surpassing the gifts bestowed upon me by that creature," Orochimaru admitted, his new form both captivating and powerful to behold.

Determined not to return to the Shigaraki village, where he had been controlled reshaping his will for months, Orochimaru decided it was time to leave Ryuchi Cave. Foregoing the use of reverse summoning, which would have sent him back to the village, he physically traveled back to the Land of Sound instead.

This ensured his independence and gave him the opportunity to gather vital information about his time under control and the extent of his absence. Orochimaru knew he needed these details to plan his next moves and seek potential allies to aid him in his quest for vengeance.

After Orochimaru returned to the Sound Village, he sought to gather information about the recent developments in the Shinobi world. The most intriguing piece of information he learned was about the sudden retreat of the Shigaraki ninjas back to their village, with no explanation given. Orochimaru speculated that this had something to do with the mysterious creature, but his memories from that time were still fragmented, making it difficult to be certain.

However, now that he was back in the Sound Village, Orochimaru could resume his dealings with Danzo. Given what he had discovered about the Chunin exams over a year ago, Orochimaru believed that even his teacher might welcome him with open arms, particularly when he shared the knowledge he had gained about the creature.

Meanwhile, in the Shigaraki village, all the ninjas had returned and were resting in their homes, unaware of the impending events. Kurogiri, preparing to fuse All For One and One For All, had already created and combined the ideal quirks for the process. Upon connecting all the quirks to All For One and initiating the fusion, both Kurogiri and the Shigaraki ninjas fell unconscious, their chakra being drained at an alarming rate.

Rin, being a skilled sensor, felt the tremendous movement of chakra and was shocked by the sheer amount being channeled to Kurogiri. Finally understanding why all the ninjas had been called back, Rin activated a village-wide seal to shield and protect the vulnerable Shigaraki village during this critical time.

A month had passed since the sealing of the Shigaraki village, and the news of its isolation had spread throughout the major villages. Instead of relief, a sense of worry and concern filled the hearts of many, particularly in Konoha.

In Konoha, the Hokage and Danzo were engaged in a meeting, discussing an important letter they had received from Orochimaru. Two weeks prior, Orochimaru had sent a detailed account of his return to the ninja world and his experiences in the Shigaraki village, or rather, what fragments of those experiences he could recall.

The letter also exposed the falsehoods surrounding the rumors of Orochimaru taking on the creature's body and assuming leadership. Orochimaru revealed that his will had been overwritten and manipulated by the creature, which had the ability to create bodies like its own with a mere touch.

Danzo, deeply unsettled by Orochimaru's revelations, wasted no time in sharing the contents of the letter with Hiruzen. The realization that even a ninja as skilled and cunning as Orochimaru could fall victim to the creature's manipulations was profoundly disturbing.

It solidified the urgency for action. Hiruzen and Danzo maintained open communication with Orochimaru, understanding his need for vengeance and believing in his words, despite lacking concrete proof.

The latest letter from Orochimaru conveyed that the recall of the Shigaraki ninjas was orchestrated by the creature itself, albeit without substantial evidence to support the claim. Nonetheless, the Hokage and Danzo acknowledged Orochimaru's insights, reinforcing their determination to confront and eliminate the threat posed by the creature.

"Danzo, what do you suggest we do about this? This crisis extends beyond our village, but I'm uncertain if the other villages will take our call seriously," expressed the Third Hokage, his face etched with worry.

"Hiruzen, the best course of action would be to spread rumors that the Shigaraki ninjas are amassing power, and that the creature has not disappeared but is, in fact, leading the village," recommended Danzo. He regretted lacking the personnel to execute this plan himself, as his subordinates had been lost during the failed ambush a year ago.

"I can see how that might work, but it would require Orochimaru to come forward and even then, it's possible some might perceive this as a Konoha plot," expressed Hiruzen, observing the frustrated expression on Danzo's face.

"You are correct, so let us try to persuade Orochimaru to return to the village. We can claim that he was undercover in Shigaraki to gather intelligence," suggested Danzo, anticipating the frown on the Hokage's face.

"Hiruzen, you must look beyond the past and consider the future. The Shigaraki village and that creature pose a threat not just to Konoha, but to the entire ninja world," Danzo continued, attempting to convince the Third Hokage of the urgency of the situation.

Hearing Danzo's words, the Third Hokage found himself torn, but deep down, he recognized the validity of Danzo's argument. This action needed to be taken, not solely for the sake of Konoha, but for the entire ninja world.

"Alright, Danzo. Let us draft a letter to Orochimaru and attempt to persuade him to participate in this plan," decided the Hokage, initiating the drafting of the letter.

Unbeknownst to them, another group was aware of Orochimaru's return. Zetsu and Madara, sensing his newfound power, reached out to him, inviting him to join the ranks of the Akatsuki. Orochimaru, on the receiving end of the invitation, made the decision to join, having learned that the organization was led by the wielder of the Rinnegan.

Orochimaru couldn't resist the opportunity to be part of the group hoping for the chance to study the Rinnegan, so he left the Land of Sound for the Land of Rain without ever reading the letter from the Hokage. With no response from Orochimaru and no personnel to spare for a search, the Hokage had no choice but to discreetly spread rumors about Orochimaru's letter content mentioning the creature from over two years ago and it potentially still being alive.

However, after three months, nothing had changed. Orochimaru remained hidden from the public eye, causing many to dismiss the rumors as mere Konoha propaganda, especially since the original creature hadn't been seen in over two years and they just couldn't picture Orochimaru being used by anyone.

Having heard the rumors himself, Orochimaru adopted the mindset of the Akatsuki, refraining from openly antagonizing the Shigaraki village until their goal was achieved. Time continued to pass, and six more months went by with each village focusing on their own affairs while keeping a watchful eye on the Shigaraki village, even though their lack of movement caused many to lose interest.

However, there was one being overseeing the ninja world that closely observed the Shigaraki village, taking note of the changes occurring within the creature day by day. The Sage of the Six Paths, a legendary figure, had not left the ninja world but had relinquished his physical form to watch over the world and his reincarnated sons.

At this point, he would be keeping a watchful eye on his two sons' reincarnations, but this mysterious creature that had appeared three years ago had captured his attention. Observing its capabilities and how it managed the village, the Sage felt a sense of concern.

Although he decided to continue monitoring it for the time being, after three years of it disappearing underground, the Sage could sense a change in the atmosphere in that area.

It felt as though the world itself was responding to the creature's transformation. The Sage hadn't experienced a situation like this since his own mother, heightening his concern even further.

 Rin, being a sensor, also sensed the changes happening and had spent a stressful year feeling the constant flow of chakra. However, knowing that time was drawing near, Rin couldn't help but smile with excitement for the future.

As Kurogiri entered the final stages of his evolution, the sealing barrier could no longer contain his power and shattered under the growing pressure of chakra. The spies who had been watching the village felt the shift in the atmosphere, realizing that something had changed in the Shigaraki village.

Fear etched on their faces, they quickly left to report to their respective leaders. However, as they reached the border, they felt a tremor in the earth. Looking back, they witnessed a towering pillar of chakra shooting up into the sky.

At this point, every sensor in each village could feel the immense chakra, including the tailed beasts sealed within their hosts. They couldn't comprehend the source of this power. Even the Hidden Mist Village across the sea could feel the overwhelming energy radiating from the pillar of chakra.

No one knew exactly what had happened, but everyone understood that it had something to do with Shigaraki village. What they didn't know was that in the center of the village, the earth opened up, revealing a figure rising and sitting on a throne. Kurogiri had awakened, ready to dominate the world after mastering his new level of quirk ability.