"Orochimaru, what the hell did you provoke?!"
Manda roared in panic, thrashing his colossal body against the cavern walls in an attempt to shake off the black monster clinging to his tail. But no matter how hard he struck, the thing wouldn't budge. It was latched onto him like death itself.
"If I stay any longer," Manda growled, "this thing's going to eat me alive!"
Orochimaru stood off to the side, gaze sharp, uncertain. He studied the creature's movement with a disturbed frown.
"I'd like to know that myself," he snapped. "What is this thing!?"
He quickly weaved hand signs.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust burst forth, slamming into the black creature—but it stood firm. It didn't even flinch.
That wasn't flesh. Orochimaru realized, his blood chilling. That wasn't skin or bone—it was something else entirely.
Wind jutsu had no effect at all.
"Tch. If you can't even handle this, forget your sacrifices."
He dismissed Manda with a sneer, sending the enormous snake back to its realm before it could lose its tail entirely.
"What kind of monster..."
Orochimaru muttered as he carefully tested the creature's limits. But the more he tested, the more terrified he became.
Its body defied everything he knew—denser than steel, yet alive. Even kunai struck sparks against its armor.
"I've never seen anything like it. I have to capture it and study it."
"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Orochimaru summoned four identical clones, each one darting outward, forming a square around the beast.
"Sealing Jutsu: Four Violet Flames Formation!"
To him, it was the perfect trap. Nearly unbreakable. Its sealing prowess rivaled even the techniques of the Uzumaki Clan.
Four violet walls flared into being, surrounding the creature in a flaming cage.
The monster slowly stepped forward, pressing a clawed hand against the blazing barrier.
Ssshhh...
Smoke hissed. The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
Its talon pushed forward, piercing the flame—only to be scorched black. Flesh peeled and vaporized, leaving behind charred, skeletal claws.
But the creature showed no pain. None. It simply pulled its hand back, unfazed.
"It understands pain tolerance...?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. His curiosity now burned brighter than his fear.
Then he saw its eyes.
And his expression turned to stone.
The monster's small, dark eyes shifted—morphed.
Three tomoe spun into focus. A blue halo gleamed in the center.
Just like Shisui's Mangekyō.
"You bastard...!"
"Uchiha Shisui...!"
Orochimaru cursed aloud. The pieces clicked.
"You were faking all along—this was your fallback...!"
He knew what was coming. Another genjutsu. And this time, he wouldn't be able to tell illusion from reality.
He couldn't risk it.
Orochimaru turned and fled, abandoning everything—his research, his data, his lab.
The creature locked eyes with one of Orochimaru's clones.
Pop.
A flicker. A ripple. Then the clone burst into smoke. The sheer mental pressure from the genjutsu shattered its fragile chakra structure.
With one corner of the Four Violet Flames Formation broken, the barrier collapsed.
The remaining clones were torn apart in seconds.
The creature stood motionless, scanning its surroundings. Watching.
Once it confirmed Orochimaru was truly gone, the black-robed figure finally emerged from the shadows.
The Uchiha fan emblem glinted faintly on his back.
Rin had arrived.
He gazed at the battlefield, thoughtful.
"This prototype Mangekyō still has too many flaws. The biochip can't increase chakra reserves—its computing power just maximizes existing potential. It's not enough to break limits."
"I still can't fully unleash the Mangekyō's power. I can't even manifest Susano'o."
"But the enhanced mobility... the way every ounce of strength is optimized..."
"In terms of combat rating… it's a pseudo-Kage level at best."
"Only when Shisui reclaims his true eye and awakens a real Mangekyō will we break through the jōnin ceiling."
Rin mentally recorded the data—hard-won lessons distilled through Shisui's near-death battle.
He would soon begin improvements on the embedded biochips in his own eyes.
With the power of Hashirama's cells, he planned to develop a second-generation chip, as well as begin research into a bio-skeletal exosuit.
The regenerative potential of Hashirama's DNA made it the ideal material for an externalized power frame.
And even just one chip had elevated Shisui's power dramatically—proof enough of its utility.
Rin had used dual biochips to divide his focus, commanding the alien mother-form remotely with his mind while monitoring from afar.
"I wonder if Hashirama's cells can help me awaken the Izanagi buried within our bloodline."
Rin's voice was low.
The xenomorph mother, now an extension of his own body through the chip and Sharingan synergy, functioned like an avatar—his shadow self.
This kind of spiritual control was inherent in the Uchiha. All it took was awakening their eyes.
As Rin gathered what remained of the experimental logs, the xenomorph's thermal sensors picked up movement.
Someone was coming.
He halted his actions and called the creature to him.
Climbing atop it, he vanished from the battlefield with blinding speed.
Just minutes after Rin's departure, a squad of ANBU operatives arrived above the ruins of the lab.
Their captain surveyed the collapsed cavern, frowning.
"When did this base appear?"
He couldn't believe such a facility had existed less than a kilometer from the village, hidden in the Forest of Death.
Could it be... Danzo?
He muttered the name under his breath.
"Gather intel here. I'll report to the Hokage directly," he ordered his subordinates. "If anything happens—signal for backup immediately."
"Yes, Captain!"
Two ANBU nodded and entered the ruins while their captain dashed toward the village.
He reached the Hokage Tower in record time and ascended to the rooftop terrace.
There stood Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, speaking quietly with one of his advisors.
"What is it?" Hiruzen asked, raising an eyebrow.
He frowned slightly at the ANBU's tense expression. Such nerves were unbefitting of someone his age.
"L-Lord Hokage. During our patrol near the Forest of Death, barely a kilometer from the village, we discovered a hidden underground facility. Signs of battle, too."
The ANBU captain took a breath.
He glanced at the advisor standing beside Hiruzen. Not Danzo. Only then did he continue.
"I see. Go now. I'll inspect it myself shortly."
"No matter what happens—keep calm. Never lose your composure."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
As the ANBU vanished, Koharu Utatane—one of Hiruzen's senior advisors—spoke up.
"That ANBU... wasn't that Shinnosuke?"
She smiled faintly.
"He's only eighteen and already a squad captain. He's left most of his peers behind. A rare talent."
"You've chosen your successor well."