Chapter 209: Lord Genichi and Itachi Uchiha
Time flew by, and soon it was September.
One afternoon, Genichi was in his underground lab, watching as Unit Alpha made an incision in the White Zetsu mother-organism. A newly matured clone, cultivated from the cells of both Hashirama and Sasuke, stepped out.
"Lord Genichi, I must say, this body is far superior to the previous models," the clone said, its voice having that distinct Zetsu quality.
"Can you awaken the Sharingan on your own?" Genichi asked.
"I'm afraid that will require your assistance, my lord," the clone replied.
Genichi turned to Unit Alpha. "I'm now certain that the ability to awaken the Rinnegan is not a matter of the body, but of the mind."
Unit Alpha chuckled. "Of course. We are merely artificial humans. We cannot compare to a genius such as yourself, Lord Genichi." The flattery was entirely sincere.
Genichi nodded, satisfied. He casually named the new clone "Spot" and then used his Primordial Spirit Technique to possess it with a soul fragment. He then used his Electromagnetic Release and senjutsu to induce the awakening of the Sharingan—a process he had perfected before. Soon, a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan appeared.
As expected, this was the limit. Genichi wasn't disappointed. He swiftly began the surgery to transplant the Rinnegan he had acquired from the future into Spot, moving the clone's original Sharingan to its arm for the time being. Now, with his evolved Mangekyō Mirror Eye, he could delve even deeper into the secrets of the Rinnegan.
Next, he checked on the progress of his research into cultivating reproductive cells and inducing the creation of ova from male cells. Even with Orochimaru's help in the future, they had failed to crack these problems. It was proving to be incredibly difficult.
It seems I'll have to 'borrow' more from Orochimaru-sensei in the future, he thought. He's the expert in this field.
The further he progressed, the more complex the projects became. It was a test of patience, a battle against his own ambition and haste.
One day, after visiting the mother of his late teammate, Genichi was helping out at his family's dango shop—a form of mental relaxation for him. To his surprise, he saw Itachi Uchiha again.
He must really love dango, Genichi thought with an inward smile. Using a shadow clone to attend the Academy while his real body comes here for snacks? That's dedication.
Genichi brought a plate of three-color dango to Itachi's table. "Itachi, would you mind having a chat with me in a bit?"
Itachi blinked, startled, then quickly recovered. "Yes, Lord Genichi." He watched Genichi walk away, his mind racing with curiosity. He was just a child; what could a man of Genichi's stature possibly want with him?
After Itachi finished his dango, Genichi returned. "Let's go."
The man and the boy walked out of the shop together.
"It seems the Academy curriculum is a bit boring for you," Genichi said casually.
"I've already mastered everything they teach," Itachi replied.
Genichi smiled. "Have you mastered the Fire Release nature transformation?"
"Yes, Lord Genichi," Itachi said, looking up at him. "Do you have a special mission for me?"
Genichi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Am I that obvious?" This boy's mind was indeed far more mature than his peers. He had heard the Third Hokage's assessment that Itachi possessed a "Hokage's mindset" from a young age, meaning he was able to think beyond the narrow interests of his clan and consider the well-being of the entire village. It was a rare quality.
He led Itachi to the top of the Hokage Monument, where they looked out over the prosperous village below. "You're planning to graduate early, aren't you, Itachi?"
Itachi hesitated for a moment before nodding. The Academy felt like a cage. The lessons were tedious, and he found it difficult to connect with his classmates, whom he considered childish.
Genichi couldn't help but chuckle. The price of maturity was often the loss of childhood joys. Then again, perhaps for a boy like Itachi, mastering ninjutsu and completing missions was a form of joy.
"Itachi, what do you know about Kekkei Genkai?" Genichi asked.
"A Kekkei Genkai is a new nature transformation formed by fusing two different ones," Itachi recited. "A Kekkei Tōta is formed from three. They are passed down through bloodlines."
"And they can't be learned?" Genichi pressed.
"Is it possible to learn a Kekkei Genkai, Lord Genichi?" Itachi asked, his eyes wide with surprise. At the Academy, they were taught that not even the Sharingan could copy a Kekkei Genkai.
"What the Academy teaches isn't wrong, for most people," Genichi explained. "But for a true genius, it's not an absolute rule. The Dust Release of the Second and Third Tsuchikage is a Kekkei Tōta, passed from master to student, not father to son. The Third Tsuchikage learned it through training. Similarly, the Third Kazekage developed Magnet Release by studying the One-Tails."
Itachi's eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge, his old assumptions shattering. "Then… could the Sharingan of my clan also be acquired through training?"
"Theoretically, yes," Genichi confirmed.
Itachi fell into thought. If that were possible, surely his father would have mentioned it. And then a thought struck him. Lord Genichi has a Sharingan… is that why he sought me out?
Genichi turned to face the small boy. "Itachi, since you find the Academy so unfulfilling, how would you like to accept a special mission from me?"
Itachi's heart leaped. "Lord Genichi, is it about a Kekkei Genkai?"
"Yes," Genichi said. "A mission to develop a new one. Do you dare to accept such a challenge?"
Even Itachi, for all his maturity, was still just a seven-year-old boy. He swallowed hard. "Can… can I do it?"
"If you can't, then you still have much to learn," Genichi said with a smile. "You are a genius, Itachi. You must recognize that you are different from ordinary people. What will you do after you graduate? Go on missions, learn new jutsu, gain experience? That's all too common. The village doesn't need another talented little brat graduating early. What do you think the village truly lacks?"
"Powerful shinobi!" Itachi declared. "Shinobi as powerful as you, Lord Genichi!"
"Well said," Genichi acknowledged. He then gently poked Itachi's forehead. "You are a genius, Itachi. I believe you have the potential to surpass your father, to surpass the Sannin, to surpass even the Kage."
Itachi's eyes went wide. Do I really have that kind of potential?
"So, what do you say?" Genichi asked. "Are you ready to challenge yourself?"
Itachi swallowed again, then nodded firmly. "Yes, Lord Genichi! I accept!"
Excellent, Genichi thought. Another good seed has been sown.
"The Kekkei Genkai I want you to develop is a dōjutsu," he explained. "A sensory-type, like the Byakugan."
"It will be related to Fire Release, and also Yang Release. Your first task is to master the Yang Release nature transformation. Once you've done that, I will tell you more."
"Yes, Lord Genichi!" Itachi said. "May I tell my father about this?"
"Of course," Genichi replied with a smile. "And since you were curious… yes, I have studied the Sharingan. It was a gift from a friend. I tried to train with it, but there was… an unexpected accident. It resulted in these." He opened his eyes, revealing his three-tomoe Mirror Eye. "You can tell your father about this as well."
Itachi stared, mesmerized. It was the first time he had seen it up close. It resembled the Sharingan, yet it was somehow more beautiful.
"That's all for now," Genichi said, closing his eyes. "Come find me if you need help with your Yang Release training. You know where I live, don't you?"
Itachi nodded quickly.
"Good luck." With that, Genichi vanished.
After school, Itachi rushed home and found his father, Fugaku Uchiha, feeding the fish in their pond.
"Is this about graduating early again, Itachi?" Fugaku asked, his stern expression softening slightly at the sight of his promising eldest son.
"No, father. It's about Lord Genichi."
Fugaku turned, surprised. "Genichi-kun?"
Itachi nodded and relayed the details of his special mission. Fugaku was stunned. He knew his son was a prodigy, but to be tasked with developing a new Kekkei Genkai at the age of seven… even he didn't have the confidence to do such a thing.
"…Lord Genichi said the mission is to create a sensory dōjutsu using Fire and Yang Release, so I must first learn Yang Release. He said I could ask him for guidance," Itachi finished.
But Fugaku's mind was elsewhere. So, a different way to awaken the eye? Is it possible? It seemed impossible. The Uchiha clan had a thousand years of history. There was no other known way. Could an outsider know more about the Sharingan than the Uchiha themselves? Or was this some kind of trap?
"Father?" Itachi's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Since Genichi-kun has such high hopes for you, you must do your best to complete this mission," Fugaku said. "And in that case, you will put aside your plans to graduate early for now."
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