On Umbrella's side, Naruto continued to tighten control, dispatching personnel to seize the palaces of the Five Great Nations. The reason he hadn't yet moved on the smaller countries was simple: with Umbrella's current strength spread thin, he could not mobilize every elite simultaneously.
Only after settling the chaos of the past months would his hands be free to unify the entire shinobi world.
By rapidly toppling the Five Great Nations, he could suppress global unrest using the pressure created by Akatsuki's movements. Then, with overwhelming power, he would force the shinobi world into unity—and in doing so, lure out the true, extraordinary enemy: the Ōtsutsuki Clan. Compared to them, conflicts between nations were trivial.
Still, the simplest plan was often hindered by the complexities of human nature.
Umbrella Headquarters
Upon returning, Tsunade and Orochimaru were almost giddy with excitement. The perfectly integrated Hashirama cells were nothing short of a masterpiece.
With this breakthrough, Orochimaru's success rate in stabilizing Hashirama cell transplantation for different individuals would rise dramatically. Until now, most experiments relied on blind luck. Yamato was proof of that—his survival came from the barest sliver of compatibility. Every shinobi's body differed, making the results unpredictable.
Inside the laboratory building, Naruto watched Tsunade and Orochimaru with satisfaction. After all this time, the path was finally open.
"Go call Sasuke-kun—no… I'll go myself."
Naruto waved off a nearby shinobi before deciding to act personally.
Whoosh.
In an instant, he vanished with the Flying Thunder God Technique, moving with a speed few in the world could hope to match.
Finding Sasuke
Naruto located Sasuke within a secluded forest. The cold look on Sasuke's face told Naruto everything—he had been thinking about Itachi again.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?"
Sasuke turned, surprised. At a time like this, Naruto should have been swamped with work—and this clearly wasn't a Shadow Clone.
"Good news. You'll know once we get there."
Naruto smiled, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
A flash—
And the forest vanished from around them.
When Sasuke opened his eyes, they stood inside the laboratory building.
"This is… Umbrella's lab?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed as realization struck. This place housed Umbrella's most confidential projects, protected by three layers of barriers.
Could it be…?
Naruto caught the shift in Sasuke's expression and nodded.
"You're right. That project succeeded."
Sasuke's heart pounded. Naruto had told him before—
If this succeeded, Sasuke could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan without suffering its crippling consequences.
And more than that… he could finally confront Itachi.
Naruto had once explained that the Senju and Uchiha descended from the same ancestor, and that Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi, once brought peace to a chaotic world. With such power, Sasuke's revenge would no longer be out of reach.
A flicker of excitement—bordering on fanaticism—lit his eyes.
"What do I need to do?"
Naruto turned toward Tsunade and Orochimaru. They understood immediately—this project revolved around Sasuke.
Orochimaru let out a low chuckle.
"To perfectly integrate Hashirama cells into Sasuke-kun will take one day. There should be no issues."
Naruto nodded lightly.
"You two handle the procedure. I have only one requirement: it must succeed. Also, begin preparations for Shisui and the others as well."
Once unnecessary personnel were dismissed, Orochimaru guided Sasuke to lie down on the experimental bed.
"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said with a disturbingly eager smile, "drink this. It will put you into a deep sleep. When you awaken, the integration will be complete."
Sasuke felt an involuntary chill—Orochimaru's gaze was like a serpent watching prey.
But when he looked at Naruto and saw him nod calmly, Sasuke finally relaxed.
He took the vial from Orochimaru's hand.
And drank.
Sasuke lay on the experimental bed as he drank the green liquid Orochimaru handed him. The vial was narrow—barely two thumb-widths across—but its contents worked quickly.
He swallowed everything in one motion. A wave of drowsiness crashed over him almost instantly. His eyelids grew heavy. Just before losing consciousness, Sasuke glimpsed Orochimaru pressing a syringe into his arm—
Then everything faded to black.
Orochimaru finished the injection and turned toward Naruto.
"From here on," he said slowly, "Sasuke-kun needs only one day for the Hashirama cells to integrate perfectly."
He licked his lips lightly, excitement flickering in his eyes.
"And once they do, his chakra reserves will expand dramatically. He may even acquire Wood Release."
"Wood Release?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
Even Tsunade paused for a moment. But after recalling the details of their research, she exhaled calmly.
"Don't get too excited," she muttered.
"Even if he gains Wood Release, it won't reach Grandfather's level. At best, it would be similar to Yamato."
A Necessary Illusion
While Sasuke slept, Naruto sought out Kurama Yakumo.
After listening to his explanation, Yakumo's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably.
If she went through with this…
Sasuke would probably hate her for life.
But she also understood—it was for Sasuke's sake.
Better he awaken the Mangekyō this way than pay a true and irreversible price later.
To awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke's current options were brutally limited:
Either Itachi dies…
Or Naruto dies.
Only the shock of such loss could push an Uchiha into the extreme emotional state needed to manifest the Mangekyō.
But Naruto intended to lead Sasuke down a different path.
Yakumo Kurama's genjutsu abilities allowed her to construct illusions so complete that even a Mangekyō-level eye could not immediately discern their falsehood. While Sasuke slept, Naruto would construct a sealing array to weaken Sasuke's perception. Combined with Yakumo's illusion—
Sasuke would fully believe the world he saw.
And within that world, they had room to shape the emotional catalyst he needed.
This was the safest method for Sasuke to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Most Uchiha succumbed to mental instability not because they were "evil," but because they were forced into traumatic awakenings—losing people they cherished, experiencing grief that shattered their hearts.
The higher the stage of the Sharingan, the easier it was for one's emotions—and eventually reasoning—to be consumed.
With few exceptions, the entire clan was vulnerable to this fate.
People often claimed the Uchiha were cursed… that they were a clan of malice.
But the truth was far different.
The Uchiha were a clan of love.
They understood love deeply.
They cherished it intensely.
And once that love was lost…
Their hearts spiraled into madness, twisting their thoughts beyond recognition.
Take Uchiha Itachi.
He matured far too early, awakened the Mangekyō far too young. In all of Uchiha history, he might have been one of the earliest to do so. During that period, his worldview was shaped on one side by the Third Hokage's teachings, and on the other by Shisui's guidance.
Under the pull of both influences, his ideology crystallized into something extreme—
A devotion to peace so absolute that he sacrificed even his own clan.
And now, Sasuke stood on the edge of awakening that same power.
...
TN:
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