As the storm subsided, the rampaging chakra in Hinata's body gradually stabilized. Hatake Kusuo leaned over and gave her a few breaths before signaling for everyone to leave.
"It's done," he said. "From now on, we leave her to adapt on her own until she masters these eyes."
After all, these were the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. The power of the Rinnegan was undeniably terrifying, far too wild and potent. Because it remained constantly active, the immense chakra it drew in would overwhelm a non-original user. An ordinary ninja would find it impossible to bear. Only someone like Nagato of the Uzumaki clan, who possessed immense life force and had nurtured the eyes from a young age, allowing his body to slowly adapt, could wield them, and even then, just barely. The moment he summoned the Gedo Statue, he was nearly drained to a husk.
Therefore, the best solution was to seal the Rinnegan's power, preserving only its active state. How much of its power Hinata could unlock in the future would depend entirely on her. With the added benefit of the Breathing Style, her physical constitution would continue to strengthen. The final outcome was already certain.
"Kusuo, that was just too incredible," Morino Ibiki said, his heart still pounding with shock as they left the basement. He had suppressed his emotions during the surgery, but now that the crisis had passed, he could finally relax. From the moment he had chosen to come at five in the morning, his fate had been tied to Hatake Kusuo. Whether the Tongue-Cursing Eradication Technique was in place or not, Ibiki knew he could never betray him.
"It's a long story. But since you've made your choice, there's no harm in telling you a few things," Hatake Kusuo said with a smile, patting Ibiki's shoulder reassuringly. The man, in his prime at forty, had been repeatedly stunned throughout the night.
"These Rinnegan came from Pain," Kusuo began slowly as the three of them sat down.
Morino Ibiki's pupils contracted. 'Just as I thought,' he said to himself. The only intelligence about the Rinnegan's whereabouts had come from Lord Jiraiya. He just never imagined that Pain—the leader of the Akatsuki, who Lord Jiraiya had described in the gravest of terms and who had easily defeated him—would have his eyes taken by Kusuo so quickly.
"Actually, these eyes never truly belonged to Pain. He was merely a pawn, a vessel in which someone else was nurturing them," Kusuo added, though he had no intention of revealing the secret of Madara Uchiha. Firstly, it was unnecessary; telling them would only cause panic without giving them the means to stop it. Secondly, the most crucial part of the Eye of the Moon Plan, the Rinnegan, was now in his hands. The only way Kusuo could see for the enemy to proceed was to use advanced cloning and Hashirama Cell technology to cultivate a new pair of eyes—a pair that would belong to Obito himself.
"Pain? A pawn?" Morino Ibiki shot to his feet. What had he just heard? The leader of the Akatsuki, feared by the Five Great Nations, wielder of the legendary Rinnegan, the man who had grievously wounded Lord Jiraiya—was just a pawn for someone behind the scenes? If such a terrifying figure was merely a pawn, then how horrifying must the mastermind pulling the strings be?
Hiss! The more he thought, the more his blood ran cold.
"As for the identity and goals of the mastermind, you shouldn't dwell on it for now. Sometimes, knowing too much is a bad thing," Hatake Kusuo said with a sense of detachment. It was best not to know about things that would only cause frustration and were beyond one's power to change. Often, when one's vision outstripped their strength, it only led to despair.
...
"What happened to Nagato? If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive you!"
Meanwhile, in Amegakure, Konan's face was an icy mask as she threatened Obito. In the past few days, she had discovered the true identity of "Tobi" within the organization.
"Heh," Obito sneered, paying her threat no mind. With both of his Kamui eyes, he was currently invincible. No one could threaten his life. In the original story, not even the All-Killing Ash Bones of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the progenitor of chakra, could touch him.
"Relax. I've arranged a new pair of fine eyes for him. With a body that has already nurtured the Rinnegan, he'll be able to master them quickly." Inside the dim secret chamber, thick glass walls sealed off the area. Watching the busy White Zetsu figures inside, a cold smirk played on Obito's lips.
'Hatake Kusuo, I really have you to thank. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made the decision to abandon Nagato and focus on cloning techniques using Hashirama Cells.'
Konan watched him warily, trying desperately to see through his spiral mask and expose the darkness in his heart.
Suddenly, a ghastly white face with dead fish eyes emerged from the wall. "The test subjects are a great success. We have seven usable bodies for now. What do you say? Should we begin the experiments immediately?" the White Zetsu asked Obito with its uniquely sinister smile.
"Only seven... That should be enough. Remember our goal: we only need one to succeed. The other bodies can be completely discarded!" Obito commanded. "We don't have much time left. Make sure you hurry!"
The White Zetsu chuckled. "Of course. Just leave it to me." Its body then sank back into the wall and returned to the laboratory.
Konan, who had been listening to their exchange, was both confused and deeply alarmed. "What have you done to Nagato?" she demanded, worried that Obito was using Nagato's body for some malevolent purpose.
Obito let her grab him by the collar, showing no sign of anger. "Nothing much. Just perfecting his body and enhancing his abilities," he said, a flash of madness in his eyes.
It was a blessing in disguise. He had lost Madara's Rinnegan, but in return, he had unexpectedly obtained a body that had endured the Rinnegan's power and was fully under his control. If he augmented it with Hashirama Cells and gave it a Byakugan, what kind of change would occur?
Obito was becoming more and more certain. If the Sharingan could evolve into the supreme Mangekyō and even the Rinnegan, why couldn't the Byakugan?
Nagato was his first test subject. Of course, the clones of Obito's own body that White Zetsu had created were the top priority.
If I don't have a Rinnegan, I'll just create one!
Through the ultimate fusion of Yin and Yang Release, Obito firmly believed he had already touched the realm of the gods—a realm that only the Sage of Six Paths could reach!
In a dark, damp cave, the hissing of cold-blooded creatures echoed through the air. Kabuto Yakushi, a strange glint in his glasses, walked deeper into the cavern, holding a scroll.
"Lord Orochimaru, our deal with the Akatsuki is complete. This is what they sent over," Kabuto said, kneeling on one knee and respectfully presenting the scroll to Orochimaru. Beside them stood an increasingly cold and handsome Sasuke.
"Hmph," Sasuke snorted disdainfully.
At the same time, Orochimaru's eyes, fixed on the scroll, began to burn with an intense craving and desire.
Poof!
With a puff of white smoke, the object sealed within the scroll appeared in his hand. It was a glass container, holding a pair of crimson eyes.
'That pattern...' Sasuke's brow furrowed. They were a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan!
-------
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