patreon.com/mati6x
The Weight of the Rinnegan
After the events with Toneri Ōtsutsuki, Obito Uchiha made a disturbing realization—the Rinnegan was weakening him. Though an eye of immeasurable power, he couldn't harness its full potential. Every use left his body strained, as if the eye were too much for him to bear. Unlike Madara or Nagato, something was missing.
"I need my other eye back," Obito muttered, walking down a desolate path. "Kakashi hasn't hinted it still exists… Did he destroy it?" He sighed, pausing. "I hope not. But if I recover it… what do I do with this Rinnegan? I can't waste such power."
Silence followed as he pondered. The Rinnegan was invaluable, yet wielding it risked his life. He needed a solution—a way to balance power without sacrificing his body.
Then, a memory surfaced. The Ōtsutsuki—god-like beings who'd left their mark on the shinobi world. Momoshiki and Urashiki had eyes embedded in their palms, a bizarre yet fascinating trait. And then there was Danzo, with his arm full of Sharingan. That arm, crafted by Orochimaru, could sustain multiple eyes without failing.
"Danzo's arm…" Obito murmured, studying his own Zetsu-grown limb. "What's the difference? I need to see for myself."
Without hesitation, Obito activated Kamui, warping to one of his original self's hidden bases—a place frozen in time, unknown even to his closest allies.
The Cave of Eyes
The cavern was exactly as he remembered: dust-choked air, shelves lined with jars of glowing Sharingan, their eerie light piercing the darkness.
"Just as I thought," Obito said, a mix of nostalgia and satisfaction in his voice. "Untouched."
At the center lay Danzo Shimura's corpse on a rusted gurney. Obito frowned.
"Strange… After five years, his body hasn't decayed at all."
Time seemed to have spared Danzo. His skin was pallid but intact, his right arm—the one brimming with Sharingan—still pulsed with chakra. Obito reached out, sensing its energy.
"This arm…" Awe and hunger tinged his words. "Its chakra reserves are immense. Perfect."
A decision crystallized. Transplanting Danzo's arm was his only path to wielding the Rinnegan without self-destruction. His current Zetsu arm was insufficient—he needed more.
"I'll take it," Obito declared.
Yet, a flicker of dread surfaced. Self-mutilation wasn't new to him, but the act still unsettled.
Gritting his teeth, Obito slashed off his right arm with a kunai—then blinked in shock.
"AHHH—! …Wait, that didn't hurt?" He stared at the severed limb. "No matter."
Time was short. He seized Danzo's arm and began the transplant, the Hashirama cells within it accelerating his regeneration. The wound sealed instantly.
"Hmph. The First Hokage's face on the shoulder is gone," Obito noted, flexing his new limb. "My body must've assimilated the cells more efficiently."
Chakra surged through him, denser than before. Testing his power, he summoned massive Wood Release tendrils, demolishing everything except the wall of Sharingan.
"If I have this…" His gaze locked onto the glowing eyes. "I won't waste them."
One by one, he embedded ten Sharingan into Danzo's arm. The chakra drain was taxing, but the potential—
"What if I place the Rinnegan here?"
Yet caution held him back. Without Madara's DNA, abilities like Limbo would remain out of reach.
"Unless…"
An idea struck. Danzo's arm was crafted from Shin Uchiha's cells—Orochimaru's experiment, capable of accepting any DNA. If he acquired Madara's genetic material…
"But who would have it?" Kabuto was the likeliest candidate, yet trusting him was untenable. Kakashi would suspect him.
"I can't risk the village turning on me again," Obito resolved. "I'll grow stronger alone. Or perhaps… start a family."
Exiting the cave, Obito's mind churned with plans. The road ahead was treacherous, but necessary. With his new arm and the Sharingan's might, he edged closer to his goal.
"The world isn't ready for what's coming," he murmured, staring at the horizon. "But I am."