Naruto: From Konoha to One Piece

"Orochimaru is back?" Shin, busy in the library, looked up. "I assume he's achieved his goal and brought the Star back, right?"

[A/N: The inhabitants of Hoshigakure refer to the meteorite as the 'Star.']

Next to Shin, Shizune wore an odd expression. "Not only the 'star' was brought over, but the entire Hoshigakure Village! They're preparing to merge with the Hidden Sound Village now."

Shin was stunned. 'Well, it seems Orochimaru's charm extends beyond abducting children; he's skilled in manipulating adults too!' He thought. 'He actually took over an entire village!'

Shin figured the situation in Hoshigakure Village contributed to this. Due to the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu, the shinobi there had short lifespans. In Orochimaru's hands, however, they were likely convinced he could help solve this flaw.

Shin had been quietly reading and training in the underground base for over a month, hardly venturing out. He felt like he was on the verge of madness and decided to meet up with Orochimaru and the others.

Another reason was to ask Orochimaru about the many questions he'd accumulated.

So far, only Shizune, who is knowledgeable in medical ninjutsu, has been able to discuss anything meaningful with him. However, given her distaste for human modifications, Shin still had many unresolved questions.

On his way out, he spotted Tsunade, who had evidently unsealed herself at some point, checking the physical state of the Hoshigakureshinobi.

It wasn't surprising that Tsunade could break the seal. After all, Shin's skill with fuinjutsu was average, and he hadn't put in much effort to keep her bound. 

Moreover, Tsunade was highly skilled in fuinjutsu, as evidenced by her expertise with the Yin Seal.

However, Shin was surprised that Tsunade hadn't left after freeing herself. He wasn't sure what was on her mind.

"This kind of radiation is truly peculiar," Tsunade murmured as she conducted her examination. "It doesn't just impact chakra; it drives high-level mutations in cell structures. But these mutations are chaotic, mostly leading to deterioration."

Standing nearby with a keen interest, Orochimaru responded, "Mostly deterioration, meaning there's some potential for beneficial mutations?"

"Yes. Their third Hoshikage—has a benign mutation—is living proof. He's even older than my grandfather, nearing 100 years, solely due to the Star's influence."

"Ha, Hoshikage?" Shin mocked. 'How could a leader of a minor village call himself a kage?'

Orochimaru licked his lips with a sly smile. "He is indeed called Hoshikage. This title dates back to before the Five Great Ninja Villages were even established."

"I see," Shin replied, understanding. 'No wonder this minor village's leader has the audacity to claim that title. He earned it before the five major villages existed. This third-generation Hoshikage must be nearly a century old, and his village far older than I'd imagined.'

Perhaps even Hashirama Senju got the idea of using "Kage" from Hoshikage when he named Konoha's leader.

Still, Shin didn't care much about this topic. He turned to Orochimaru and asked, "What about the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu? Can the Star's chakra be applied on a larger scale?"

"Of course," Orochimaru replied with a smile. "While ordinary methods can't correct cell mutations, it shouldn't be an issue for your unique abilities, right?"

"As for the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu, there's no real secret. It's simply chakra with altered properties, shaped and applied in straightforward forms."

Shin nodded, his curiosity piqued by the Star's resemblance to Susanoo.

Both techniques involved chakra constructs, though Susanoo far surpassed the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu in strength and destructiveness.

Susanoo, however, utilized the user's dense chakra, which was far superior to the chakra shaped by the Star's energy.

Yet the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu had one advantage over Susanoo: versatility.

The Peacock Technique could vary in size and shape and even form wings for flight. Susanoo, however, was limited to one fixed form, with the sole variation being its powerful, singular form—far less versatile than the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu.

Shin's ambitions weren't overly high. He'd be completely satisfied if he could fully compress Susanoo into his body, turning it into a protective armor that complemented his taijutsu abilities.

'Well… even though I think my goal is modest if Madara Uchiha heard this, he'd probably be stunned,' he thought with a slight smile.

To compress Susanoo down to the size of regular armor—what would its defense level be? And how much more powerful would he become?

'If that were possible, Madara would have done it long ago; no way he'd leave it for someone else to try!'

Until now, Shin hadn't had much luck with compacting Susanoo. But with the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu and the Star's chakra as references, he was eager to experiment.

Naturally, this would take time. He had a long list of research projects and assignments for the Akatsuki, but he could entrust some of this to Orochimaru and his team.

"I've brought you the Star and the Mysterious Peacock Jutsu. You agreed to the deal; when will you fulfill your promise?" Orochimaru looked at Shin expectantly.

Casually, Shin extended a hand. A strange black mist emanated from it, engulfing Orochimaru and transporting him into a dark dimension. Moments later, Orochimaru emerged, visibly transformed.

He flexed his hand, feeling different. Though he couldn't pinpoint the change, the surge in chakra within him, coupled with the natural energy now flowing into his body, left him with no doubt: he had become a new being.

Despite his enhancements, Orochimaru was still far behind Shin. Shin's body, developed by the rigorous demands of the pirate world, enabled him to handle numerous Hashirama cells, and his chakra density surpassed that of Orochimaru.

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