Not long after, a teenager with pale green hair arrived at the ritual site. He was exactly the 'Gen'yūmaru' Orochimaru had mentioned.
In the original timeline, Gen'yūmaru was the second host for Orochimaru's 'Living Corpse Reincarnation'.
At that time, the body Orochimaru had his eye on was originally Sasuke's. However, due to the Sound Four being a step late, Orochimaru had no choice but to choose Gen'yūmaru's body. Thus, he performed 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' on Gen'yūmaru and successfully seized his body.
In this current timeline, Orochimaru, having undergone the ritual's baptism, did not need another person's body. However, Gen'yūmaru's fate did not change because of this; he still became an experimental subject in Orochimaru's laboratory, subjected to various human experiments by Orochimaru.
Just like in the original timeline, Gen'yūmaru stood out among Orochimaru's many experimental subjects. He successfully survived two cell transplantation surgeries and became the best candidate for this ritual.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
Coming before Orochimaru, Gen'yūmaru bowed respectfully.
Orochimaru asked, "Have you remembered everything I instructed?"
"Yes, I have remembered it all!" Nodding, Gen'yūmaru seemed somewhat uneasy, "My Lord, the thing you promised me..."
Orochimaru stepped forward and patted Gen'yūmaru on the shoulder lightly, "As long as you can survive this ritual, you will have the ability to rescue your clansmen from the Daimyo's oppression with your own strength. So what you need to consider now is not what will happen to your clansmen if you die, but how to complete the ritual!"
"I understand!"
Gen'yūmaru nodded.
His clansmen were his weakness, and it was precisely because Orochimaru saw this that he chose him as the experimental subject for this ritual.
Soon, Yakushi Kabuto transported the ritual's sacrifices from the ship to the ritual site.
Unlike Gen'yūmaru, these experimental subjects serving as sacrifices were bound by restraints one by one. Their expressions were either terrified, angry, or dull as they were placed at the ritual site.
Regardless of whether this ritual succeeded or not, these sacrifices would die!
Not long after, the celestial phenomenon appeared.
Following Orochimaru's guidance, Gen'yūmaru proceeded with the ritual step by step, activating the 'Chimera Technique', then gathering the Chimera buds, suppressing them, and finally fusing the sacrifices absorbed by the Chimera buds with himself.
During the entire ritual process, deviations occurred several times. Fortunately, the ritual procedure had been repeatedly optimized by the Research Institute, so Gen'yūmaru still managed to complete the ritual with difficulty, achieving the 'cocooning' required for the final stage.
Looking at the huge cocoon in the center of the ritual area, Orochimaru looked excited.
The appearance of the cocoon meant that the ritual was ninety-nine percent complete. As long as no major mishaps occurred, it was a certainty that Gen'yūmaru would awaken a Shinjutsu.
In this way, he could use his own Shinjutsu 'Absorption' to absorb the Shinjutsu awakened by Gen'yūmaru.
Seeing this scene, Kabuto beside him couldn't help but sigh with emotion, "The Research Institute's technology is overturning the Shinobi World!"
Orochimaru smiled, "It is not the Research Institute's technology overturning the Shinobi World, but the power of the Otsutsuki overturning the Shinobi World."
Kabuto pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "You are right, it is indeed the power of the Otsutsuki that has overturned the Shinobi World!"
Hiruko's 'Chimera Technique' and the ritual procedure were not recently developed, so what truly overturned the power system of the Shinobi World was not Hiruko's ritual, but Shibai Otsutsuki's remains, or rather, the power left behind by Shibai Otsutsuki.
Because without Shibai Otsutsuki's remains, Hiruko's ritual could at most create Kage-level powerhouses like Hiruko and Ranmaru. Let alone touching the 'Six Paths Level', even 'Super Kage Level' was a bit out of reach.
What truly changed all this was Shibai Otsutsuki's remains.
anyone who transplanted Shibai Otsutsuki's cell tissue, as long as they were lucky enough to survive, would have at least Kage-level combat power. Those with better luck, like the siblings Eida and Daemon, once awakened Shinjutsu, their combat power would soar straight to 'Six Paths Level'.
Hiruko's ritual essentially maximized the use of Shibai Otsutsuki's power. By using experimental subjects who successfully transplanted Shibai Otsutsuki's cell tissue as sacrifices, and through the power of the ritual, concentrating all the power of Shibai Otsutsuki from the six sacrifices onto the experimental subject conducting the ritual, it allowed the subject conducting the ritual to stably awaken Shinjutsu and obtain 'Six Paths Level' combat power.
Crack...
Just then, a cracking sound came from the giant cocoon in the center of the ritual.
Attracted by this cracking sound, Orochimaru and Kabuto on the sidelines hurriedly turned their gazes over.
Amidst the sky-filling mist, a figure stepped out from the broken giant cocoon, then walked step by step towards them.
Kabuto called out softly, "Gen'yūmaru?"
The figure in the mist did not answer, nor did he stop, continuing to walk step by step towards Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Seeing this, Kabuto flashed in front of Orochimaru to block him, "My Lord, be careful!"
Smiling, Orochimaru pushed Kabuto aside.
At this time, the figure in the mist appeared in Orochimaru and Kabuto's field of vision. It was exactly Gen'yūmaru who had survived the ritual and obtained 'Six Paths Level' combat power.
Like Orochimaru and Owl, the predecessors who had experienced the ritual's baptism, Gen'yūmaru, who broke out of the cocoon, also underwent changes in appearance. But these were not the focus of Orochimaru's attention; what Orochimaru really cared about was the unparalleled powerful aura on Gen'yūmaru.
"My Lord, I seem to have succeeded!"
Gen'yūmaru clenched his fists, a confident smile brimming on his face.
Seeing Gen'yūmaru maintaining his rationality, neither turning into a monster nor showing intentions of rebellion, Kabuto breathed a long sigh of relief.
Orochimaru strode over and asked, "How do you feel?"
Gen'yūmaru replied, "Better than ever!"
"Very good!"
Orochimaru smiled.
Thinking of something, Gen'yūmaru became anxious, "Lord Orochimaru, can I go save my clansmen now?"
Kabuto stepped forward to persuade, "Don't be anxious. You just completed the ritual and haven't fully adapted to this power. If you act rashly and get noticed by the Research Institute, not only will you fail to save your clansmen, but even you yourself might be captured by the Research Institute."
"This..."
Gen'yūmaru hesitated.
At this time, Orochimaru gave Kabuto a look.
Understanding the hint, Kabuto nodded slightly, then said to Gen'yūmaru, "Don't worry, it's just a week or two. Once you adapt to this power, you can do whatever you want!"
Hearing it was only a wait of a week or two, Gen'yūmaru readily agreed, "Alright!"
At this time, a playful smile appeared on Orochimaru's face.
Before absorbing the Shinjutsu awakened by Gen'yūmaru, he wouldn't let Gen'yūmaru run around freely.