The crushing pain in his chest had been the last thing Takeshi remembered from his previous life. One moment he was sprawled on his couch, shouting at his television screen with the passion only a true otaku could muster, and the next...
Darkness.
But now, as consciousness slowly returned, he found himself in a place that defied all logic and reason. The space around him was neither light nor dark, but rather an endless expanse of swirling grey mist that seemed to pulse with its own ethereal energy. There was no ground beneath his feet, yet somehow he stood upright, suspended in this liminal realm between existence and void.
"Ah, you're finally awake."
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once, reverberating through the strange dimension with an otherworldly quality that made Takeshi's soul—for he was certain he no longer possessed a physical form—vibrate in resonance.
Before him materialized a figure that was both simple and profoundly unsettling. It was humanoid in shape, but composed entirely of brilliant white light that seemed to contain depths of infinite possibility. The only distinct features were the vague outline of a human form and a mouth that curved in what appeared to be an amused smile.
"Welcome to my realm, Takeshi Yamamoto," the being said, its voice carrying an undertone of cosmic authority that made the name sound both familiar and foreign. "I am what you might call the God of Reincarnation, though titles are rather meaningless in the grand scheme of things."
Takeshi blinked—or performed the mental equivalent of blinking—as the reality of his situation began to sink in. "I'm... dead, aren't I?"
"Indeed," the God replied with what seemed to be genuine sympathy. "Sudden cardiac arrest at the age of twenty-eight. You were shouting something about a character named Sasuke when your heart gave out. Quite the passionate exit, I must say."
The casual manner in which the divine being discussed his death was both jarring and oddly comforting. Takeshi found himself nodding slowly, a strange sense of acceptance washing over him. "So this is... the afterlife?"
"Not exactly," the God said, and Takeshi could swear he heard amusement in that cosmic voice. "This is my realm of reincarnation. Think of it as a waystation between lives, a place where souls with... interesting destinies... come to make choices about their next incarnation."
"Interesting destinies?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow, or at least attempted to. "I was a software engineer who lived alone and spent his free time watching anime. What's interesting about that?"
The God's smile seemed to widen. "The passion with which you engaged with fictional worlds, the depth of your knowledge about characters and their motivations, the way you could see potential for change in even the darkest narratives—these things mark you as someone with untapped potential. Someone who could make a real difference if given the proper stage."
Takeshi felt a flutter of excitement in whatever passed for his chest in this ethereal form. "And that stage would be...?"
"Any universe you choose," the God said simply. "That's how this works. Souls who find their way to me get to select the world they wish to inhabit in their next life. Furthermore, I grant three wishes to help ensure your new existence is... shall we say, more interesting than your previous one."
"Three wishes," Takeshi repeated, his mind already racing with possibilities. "But I'm guessing there are limitations?"
The God clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the realm like thunder. "Excellent! You understand the concept of narrative balance. Yes, there are limitations. Your wishes cannot exceed the fundamental power structure of the universe you choose. You cannot, for example, wish to be omnipotent in a world where such power would make you essentially divine. The goal is to create interesting stories, not to break the very fabric of reality."
Takeshi nodded slowly, though he couldn't help but notice that despite the gravity of the situation, this divine being seemed... well, almost silly in his enthusiasm. There was something endearingly childlike about the God's excitement, as if he were discussing a favorite game rather than matters of life, death, and cosmic significance.
"I think I get the gist of what you're saying," Takeshi said finally.
The God's smile became positively radiant. "Wonderful! Now then, which universe calls to you? Marvel? DC? Perhaps something more exotic like Warhammer 40K? Or maybe you're drawn to the more intimate settings of slice-of-life anime?"
"Naruto," Takeshi said without hesitation. "I want to be reincarnated into the Naruto universe."
"Ah, a classic choice," the God mused. "A world of ninja, chakra, and endless possibilities for growth and change. And your three wishes?"
Takeshi had been thinking about this from the moment the God had explained the rules. His previous life had been defined by powerlessness, by being a passive observer of the stories he loved. If he was going to get a second chance, he wanted to ensure he would never be helpless again.
"First," he said, his voice gaining confidence, "I want Mahoraga's ability to adapt to any and all phenomena from Jujutsu Kaisen. The power to become immune to any technique or ability after experiencing it, and to develop countermeasures against any threat."
The God nodded approvingly. "Fascinating choice. It's a good ability that even caused Sukuna to win against Gojo, otherwise he would've lost."
"The adaptation ability fits well within the Naruto universe's power scaling, but Im='m going to adjust it a little bit so that the adaption wheel spins off of chakra as its fuel. What's your second wish?"
"Capella's Witch Factor of Lust from Re:Zero," Takeshi continued. "The ability to morph myself and others into anything I wish and be able to regenerate from anything."
"Intriguing," the God mused. "But this ability is too overpowered and I will have to modify it a bit. You can only transform yourself not others, and this ability will be based on how much chakra energy you have, and won't be unlimited like how it is in Re:Zero."
Takeshi didn't seem surprised and just shook his head firmly.
"And What shall your last wish be?" The God inquired.
"I want to be reincarnated as Orochimaru but with a natural affinity for serpent jutsu and snake sage mode." Takeshi said firmly. "I also want both a Yin chakra nature and Yang Chakra nature along with Orochimaru's other elements."
The God was quiet for a long moment, and Takeshi felt a flutter of concern. Had he asked for too much? His request didn't seem to be too impossible. The God stood quiet for a long time after hearing this and looked puzzled even without a face.
Finally, the divine being spoke. "You realize, of course, that Orochimaru is destined to become one of the most feared villains in that universe?"
"I know," Takeshi replied, and there was something cold in his voice that hadn't been there before. "But I also know that he's one of the most naturally gifted individuals in that world. His intelligence, his mastery of jutsu, his potential for growth—those are tools I can use to carve out my own destiny."
"And you're not concerned about following in his footsteps? About becoming the monster he was meant to be?"
Takeshi smiled, and there was something predatory in the expression. "I never said I was planning to be a hero. I just want to be powerful enough to take what I want and protect what's mine. If that makes me a villain in some people's eyes... well, I can live with that."
The God's laughter echoed through the realm like the sound of distant stars singing. "Excellent! You understand that power without the will to use it is meaningless. Very well, Takeshi Yamamoto—or should I say, Orochimaru—your wishes are granted."
The divine being raised his hand, and Takeshi felt reality begin to shift around him. The grey mist started to swirl faster, forming a vortex of possibility and potential.
"Enjoy your new life," the God called out as the realm began to collapse. "Live it to the fullest, and remember—the most interesting stories are written by those who dare to embrace their darker impulses."
"Wait!" Takeshi called out as he felt himself being pulled into the vortex. "What's your real name? What should I call you?"
But the God's response was lost in the sound of shattering reality as the entire space fractured like broken glass. Takeshi felt himself falling, plunging through layers of existence as his consciousness was torn from one realm and thrust toward another.
The last thing he saw was the God's knowing smile before darkness claimed him once more.
***
The first sensation that greeted Takeshi in his new existence was light—brilliant, overwhelming light that seemed to pierce through his very being. He tried to open his eyes, but everything was a blur of white and indistinct shapes moving around him.
The second sensation was sound—voices speaking in Japanese, but muffled and distorted as if he were hearing them through water. He could make out words, but they seemed to come from impossibly far away despite their apparent proximity.
"It's a boy!" one voice exclaimed, filled with joy and relief.
"He's beautiful," another voice whispered, this one softer, more tired but equally happy.
'What's happening?' Takeshi thought, confusion clouding his mind. 'Why can't I see properly? Why do these people sound like giants?'
He tried to speak, to ask where he was and what was going on, but the only sound that emerged from his throat was a series of unintelligible babbles. The noise startled him—it was high-pitched and weak, nothing like his adult voice.
'That's... that's a baby's voice', he realized with growing alarm. 'But that means...'
The realization hit him like a physical blow. He wasn't just reincarnated as Orochimaru—he was reincarnated as a newborn Orochimaru! He was literally starting from the very beginning, with all the helplessness and vulnerability that entailed.
He felt himself being lifted by enormous hands—or what seemed enormous from his current perspective. The grip was gentle but firm, and he found himself being cradled against something warm and soft.
'This must be either one of my parents or the midwife.'
The hands repositioned him, and suddenly he was lying on his stomach instead of his back. Before he could wonder why, he felt a sharp impact against his bottom—not painful, exactly, but shocking in its suddenness and intensity.
It was a strike to make sure that the child still held breath in its lungs and wasn't silently choking.
The slap triggered an involuntary response that he had no control over. His tiny lungs filled with air, and he let out a wail that seemed to come from the very depths of his being. The sound was loud and piercing, and he found himself unable to stop it even though he wanted to.
What the hell was that for?' he thought indignantly between cries. 'I was breathing just fine!'
'This is really happening'. I'm actually a baby. I'm actually Orochimaru!'
His cries slowly subsided into small puppy-like whimpers.
The voices around him continued their conversation, but now he could make out more of what they were saying. They were speaking standard Japanese and not any made up language he would have to gradually learn as he got older.
"He has such unusual eyes," one voice observed. "They're almost golden."
"And look at his tiny hairs," another added. "It's so dark for a newborn."
He tried to focus on the sensations of his new body, taking inventory of what he could perceive. His limbs felt weak and uncoordinated, his vision was blurry, and his control over his own movements was essentially nonexistent. But beneath it all, he could sense something else—a strange energy flowing through his tiny form like liquid lightning.
'Chakra?' he realized with a thrill of excitement. 'I can actually feel chakra at this age? This makes me an unprecedented genius that has never happened before! Talent that is only over shined by the Okutuskis.
Chakra- the combination of physical and spiritual energy mixed together within one's body. It was really faint, barely more than a miniscule wisp the size of a pea. But at least it was there!
The hands holding him shifted again, and he found himself being passed to someone else. This new grip was different—more gentle, more loving. He caught a glimpse of a face hovering above him, blurry but warm, with eyes that seemed to glow with affection.
"Hello, my little one," the face whispered, and Takeshi felt something stir in his chest that had nothing to do with his new chakra. "Welcome to the world."
My mother, he realized. This is Orochimaru's mother.'
For a moment, Takeshi felt a pang of something that might have been guilt. He was going to be raised by people who thought he was their son, who would pour their love into him never knowing that their real child hadn't gotten the chance to exist before he had been replaced by the soul of a selfish otaku from another world.
But the feeling passed quickly, replaced by something colder and more pragmatic.
He was Orochimaru now, and Orochimaru had never been known for his empathy or moral qualms. If he was going to inhabit this role, he might as well embrace it fully.
The face above him smiled, and he felt a warm finger gently stroke his cheek. "You're going to be something special, aren't you?" his mother whispered. "I can see it in your eyes. You're going to change the world."
'Yes', Takeshi thought, his infant mind already beginning to plan and calculate. 'I am going to change the world. But not in the way you expect.'
As he was carried away from the delivery room, cradled in his mother's arms, Takeshi began to take stock of his situation. He had the memories and personality of an adult, but was trapped in the body of a helpless infant. He had been granted incredible powers by the God of Reincarnation, but those abilities would take time to manifest and develop.
Most importantly, he had been given a second chance at life in a world where power was everything, where the strong ruled and the weak served. He had no intention of wasting this opportunity.
He had Mahoraga's overpowered adaption ability to counter any Jutsu, Capella's sin witch factor to let him easily morph his body to match the original Orochimaru's body transformation abilities, and finally Yin and Yang chakra releases, the most overpowered natures that when combined, could give him the same powers as the Sage Of Six Paths!
He was going to be unstoppable. Not right away, of course. First he would need to survive infancy, learn to walk and talk, and begin his training as a shinobi. But eventually, when he was ready, he would claim his place the most powerful being in this world.
And unlike the original Orochimaru, he wouldn't be held back by attachments or sentiment as a child. He would take what he wanted, when he wanted it, and let the consequences fall where they may.
The Reincarnation God had been right about one thing—the most interesting stories were indeed written by those who dared to embrace their darker impulses. And Takeshi— now Orochimaru—was ready to write his story.