As the foremost scientist of the shinobi world—and with Uchiha Rokuro's discreet guidance—Orochimaru spent three full years finally cracking the technology of Uchiha bloodline transplantation.
What he achieved was true genetic reconstruction. Unlike Rokuro and Uchiha Izumi, whose transformations merely completed what already existed—like renovating a house—Orochimaru's method was akin to building an entire structure from nothing, laying a foundation where none had existed before. The difficulty between the two was on completely different levels.
And yet, despite that staggering challenge, Orochimaru succeeded.
Not only that—he awakened an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, free from the threat of blindness and immune to the backlash that typically accompanied the use of Susanoo.
"Master Orochimaru," Yakushi Kabuto reported respectfully,
"all bodily parameters have been fully calibrated. Even if you replace your body again in the future, Uchiha genetic reconstruction can now be completed rapidly."
"Excellent," Orochimaru replied. "The Eternal Mangekyō is powerful, but it does not grant immortality. I will still need to change bodies. That said… with these eyes, I am no longer vulnerable to genjutsu-based mental attacks."
As a scientist, Orochimaru was well aware of the side effects of Living Corpse Reincarnation. In the original timeline, his obsession with the Uchiha brothers wasn't merely due to their bloodline's strength—it was also because of the amplification of Yin Release and illusion resistance.
Had he succeeded in taking Uchiha Sasuke's body, Orochimaru would not only have gained unparalleled genjutsu resistance, but potentially also inherited the Ryūchi Cave Sage Arts. The resulting leap in power would have been nothing short of monstrous.
Unfortunately, even by the end of the original story—and even in subsequent accounts—he never obtained Sasuke's body, nor was it ever confirmed that he possessed the Sharingan. A genuine regret.
"Oh, right," Orochimaru continued thoughtfully,
"The Hyūga clan's genes are also highly valuable for research. They share a common origin with both the Uchiha and the Senju. Now I finally understand why Uchiha Rokuro handed that pair of Byakugan over to me back then."
Kabuto's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Rokuro.
"Master Orochimaru… regarding Uchiha Rokuro's true intentions, I believe we must remain cautious."
"Heh heh," Orochimaru chuckled, his tongue flicking out.
"Kabuto… are you jealous of Rokuro-kun?"
"Of course not," Kabuto replied stiffly.
"He only possesses such overwhelming power because of his lineage. Now that we've mastered this same power, Uchiha Rokuro is nothing special. Still… he's extremely calculating. I can't shake the feeling that he's been using us."
A cold, serpentine laugh escaped Orochimaru.
"You think I haven't noticed? He's been using me from the very beginning. But tell me—wasn't I using him as well? Without Uchiha Rokuro, I'd probably still be buried in research on the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques. Powerful as they are, none of them can rival Uchiha Madara."
"And even Madara fell short of Senju Hashirama. What I seek… is both of their powers. Only when Uchiha and Senju are fused can I truly stand unrivaled in this world."
Kabuto dropped to one knee.
"Master Orochimaru, I will devote everything to helping you achieve that dream!"
Orochimaru had already obtained Hashirama's cells long ago during his collaboration with Shimura Danzō. What remained was only one thing—
Madara's corpse.
Normally, such a task would be extraordinarily difficult. Even Kabuto—infamous as the "number one grave robber of the shinobi world"—would struggle.
But lurking in the shadows, Black Zetsu had long been watching them.
The moment he learned of their objective, he leaked the necessary information.
Within just over a month, Kabuto discovered Uchiha Madara's remains hidden within the territory of a fallen ninja clan.
Orochimaru was ecstatic—and immediately threw himself back into manic experimentation…
Unaware that he was being subtly manipulated by Black Zetsu, Orochimaru advanced steadily.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Rokuro had already completed his own Hashirama cell transplantation.
Standing within the Map of Mountains and Rivers, Rokuro felt something he hadn't sensed in three long years—
His chakra reserves were finally increasing again.
More than that… when he calmed his mind, he perceived another force permeating the air itself.
"This is… natural energy?"
Rokuro left the Map at once, activated Flying Thunder God, and arrived at a seaside cliff.
Leaping onto a reef, he closed his eyes and emptied his thoughts. Almost instantly, he sensed the vast, surging natural energy around him.
As he began to draw it in, his chakra instinctively separated into physical and spiritual components, merging with natural energy in a perfect 1:1:1 ratio, forming a brand-new chakra type.
"So this is Senjutsu Chakra…"
Rokuro scoffed.
"As expected—talk of effort and hard work is mostly nonsense. Naruto mastering Sage Mode in three days had little to do with diligence. It was bloodline compatibility."
As a member of the Uzumaki clan and the reincarnation of Asura's chakra, Naruto was naturally one of the closest beings to a Sage Body.
That was the real reason.
And Rokuro—though lacking Asura's chakra—now possessed a body that surpassed even Hashirama Senju's. Sage Mode came effortlessly.
Clapping his hands together, Rokuro accelerated chakra refinement. The newly formed chakra transformed into Senjutsu Chakra almost instantly.
"At this conversion speed, I don't even need tools to use it in combat."
To test its power, Rokuro raised his right hand. Two chakra arms shot out, assisting in shaping a technique—
In an instant, a Rasenshuriken was completed.
"Go."
He hurled it.
The attack struck a small mountain a hundred meters away.
With a shrill slicing sound, the mountain split cleanly in half—then the Rasenshuriken detonated, expanding into a terrifying cutting field. Countless razor-sharp chakra blades shredded everything within, at such speed that even Rokuro's Mangekyō couldn't fully track it.
Seconds later, the field vanished.
The mountain was gone—not even dust remained.
"At least three times the power… and more importantly, the body enhancement."
Rokuro summoned a shadow clone and ordered it to attack. He used no defensive techniques—only Senjutsu Chakra cloaking his body.
A massive Fireball Jutsu struck him head-on.
When the flames cleared, Rokuro stood unharmed.
The chirping cry of Chidori rang out as the clone charged, lightning spear aimed straight at his heart.
Rokuro didn't dodge.
The impact tore a hole in his clothing—but his skin only reddened slightly. No blood. Barely a scratch.
Seven-colored light burst from the clone's hand, forming a blade. The clone swung for Rokuro's neck.
Rokuro raised his left arm—
Slash.
Blood flowed. His skin split—but stopped there. Muscle alone halted the blade.
The clone dispersed.
Rokuro's wound healed instantly. One swipe of his hand wiped the blood away, leaving flawless skin behind.
"Sage Mode really is a full-spectrum amplifier," Rokuro murmured.
"Attack, defense, recovery… Even Wolverine wouldn't shame me now."
Yet as his excitement faded, a problem remained—
His eyes were still Eternal Mangekyō, not Rinnegan.
"My body should be closer to the Sage of Six Paths than Madara's patchwork ever was… and yet no Rinnegan. So the key truly isn't just the body—but chakra itself."
He sighed softly.
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy. No matter—I still have contingencies."
After familiarizing himself further with his Sage Body, Rokuro returned to Konoha via Flying Thunder God.
Not long after, Tsunade summoned all senior officials.
"The Hidden Mist Village has been attacked by the Akatsuki. Their newly appointed Three-Tails Jinchūriki has been critically injured and abducted."
The room fell silent.
Akatsuki had begun moving.
Now a Hokage advisor, Nara Shikaku spoke gravely:
"Based on timing, the three Tailed Beasts previously slain by Rokuro have likely revived. Akatsuki is launching a full-scale operation—capturing all Tailed Beasts, including our Nine-Tails Jinchūriki."
He unfurled a map, marking every possible Tailed Beast location.
"Wild Tailed Beasts are extremely difficult to locate. Even with Konoha's intelligence network, we've found none. The fact that Akatsuki chose this moment to act means their intelligence far surpasses ours."
"…In this regard," Shikaku concluded,
"we are already behind."
"Aside from the wild Tailed Beasts, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, Rōshi, is in Iwagakure; the One-Tail Jinchūriki is in Sunagakure; and the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki is in Takigakure. The locations of these three Jinchūriki are confirmed. If we want to stop Akatsuki, we must start with them."
Tsunade glanced at Uchiha Rokuro before turning to Nara Shikaku.
"Shikaku, in your opinion, should we strike on three fronts simultaneously, or focus on a single priority target?"
Shikaku pondered for a moment.
"Akatsuki operates as an elite force. Based on our current intelligence, even the weakest among them possesses Kage-level strength, while their leader exceeds that—reaching super-Kage tier. Sending large numbers of shinobi would be meaningless against enemies of this caliber. However, if we only deploy elites, dividing our strength across three fronts would stretch us too thin. I recommend selecting one or two targets instead."
As he spoke, Shikaku pointed toward Iwagakure and Sunagakure on the map.
"Both Iwa and Suna are members of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and their Jinchūriki are critical assets. I suggest we notify them and coordinate a joint defense against Akatsuki. This would allow us to consolidate forces and push the battlefield beyond our borders, minimizing damage to Konoha itself."
Tsunade nodded slightly, finding the proposal sound. She then turned toward Uchiha Rokuro.
"Rokuro, I'm thinking of assigning you and Jiraiya to intercept Akatsuki, each leading a separate unit. What do you think?"
"No problem," Rokuro replied easily. "I'll handle Sunagakure. The Wind Country's environment is harsh, but traveling with Susanoo won't be affected. Leave it to me."
Shikaku was mildly surprised. Given how intense Konoha's internal political struggles had become, he had expected Rokuro to deflect the assignment—not accept it so readily.
"Then who do you plan to take with you?"
"I'll bring my three students. Izumi will remain in the village—to prevent a repeat of what happened three years ago."
"…Wait. You're taking Uzumaki Naruto with you?" Shikaku exclaimed. "That's—"
Rokuro looked over calmly.
"This is precisely what makes it unexpected. Since Akatsuki's objective is the Tailed Beasts, Naruto is already a target. Leaving him in the village would only draw Akatsuki's main force straight into Konoha. Keeping him by my side minimizes collateral damage—and with me there, they won't succeed so easily."
Shikaku turned to Tsunade. She didn't hesitate for a second.
"Approved."
And so, Naruto and the other two followed Rokuro out of Konoha. Moments later, Rokuro summoned his Complete Body Susanoo, and the three youngsters entered its interior.
A violent gale erupted as massive wings unfurled from Susanoo's back, shooting straight into the heavens.
"Whoa! We're flying so high!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
Sasuke, however, stared at Susanoo's eyes in silent awe.
"So this is the Uchiha's ultimate power… Susanoo. What terrifying strength!"
In the past, Sasuke had only seen the Complete Susanoo from afar. During sparring sessions, Rokuro never used more than the skeletal form.
One day…
I'll have this kind of power too—and then I'll defeat him.
Sasuke stole a covert glance at Rokuro, secretly refining his mentor-slaying blueprint.
"Neji," Rokuro said calmly, "I suspect Akatsuki has already succeeded. If the One-Tail Jinchūriki has been captured, we'll rely on your eyes to track them down."
"Please rest assured, Sensei," Neji replied confidently. "My Byakugan can now see up to twenty kilometers. With your Susanoo assisting, our effective range will be even greater. Akatsuki won't escape."
Over the past three years, Rokuro had secretly fed Neji a significant amount of oral genetic enhancement agents. Because they weren't injected, the effects manifested slowly—but that was precisely why no one noticed.
To this day, the Hyūga clan merely believed Neji to be a once-in-a-century prodigy—only ten years old, yet already possessing a flawless Byakugan surpassing even his father's. Many attributed his growth to Rokuro's training.
Regardless, Neji's Byakugan now stood at the pinnacle of the entire Hyūga clan. Given the clan's history lacked true legends, his eyes were likely the closest any Hyūga had ever come to Ōtsutsuki Hamura himself.
"With Neji here, we should be able to locate Akatsuki," Rokuro murmured. "If things play out like the original timeline—if Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara are the ones targeting Gaara—then today's battle might just force Asura and Indra's chakra to surface."
END OF CHAPTER
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