Karin's expression quickly brightened again, her excitement pure and unrestrained.
"Why would I help him? If you really want to kill him, I'd be more than happy to watch! That'd definitely be interesting!"
That answer was completely outside Kabuto's expectations.
He visibly froze, confusion flashing across his distorted features.
By his understanding, Karin was supposed to be on Sasuke's side.
Hadn't she followed him right after Orochimaru was killed?
"You… don't care about Sasuke?" Kabuto asked, trying to untangle the logic.
"Why would I care about him?" Karin frowned as if the question itself were idiotic, her disdain undisguised.
"Then why did you go with him?" Kabuto pressed. The situation defied reason.
If not loyalty, not attachment—why remain beside such a dangerous Uchiha?
At that, Karin's expression shifted instantly—from irritation to secret-sharing delight. Her eyes curved like crescents as she leaned forward conspiratorially.
"I'll tell you a secret. Sasuke… is weird. Across the entire ninja world, he's the only one like this that I've found!"
"Weird?" Kabuto's interest sharpened immediately. Anything anomalous intrigued him. "Because of the Sharingan?"
The Sharingan was powerful—but from Kabuto's broadened perspective, it didn't justify being called one-of-a-kind.
"Sharingan? That's nothing!" Karin waved dismissively.
Then she dropped the bombshell:
"There's another person's chakra inside Sasuke."
Kabuto stiffened.
"Not a transplant. Not borrowed power. It's like… something he was born with. Deep in his soul. Completely different. Special. Ancient. And… 'higher-grade,' if that makes sense."
"Another person's chakra…" Kabuto muttered, brows knitting. "That's rare, but not unheard of."
He glanced briefly at his own body.
Karin shook her head firmly.
"No, not like that. It's not external. It's like… a seed that naturally contains two different natures. One is dominant. The other is deeply hidden—but it's constantly influencing the host."
"And that chakra… it feels ancient. Totally different from the chakra most people have today."
Her wording lacked precision, but the implication was staggering.
Uchiha Sasuke carried within him an unknown, ancient power from birth.
Kabuto fell silent, analyzing rapidly.
"I think I understand," he said at last, voice low and cold with realization.
"Sasuke contains another 'presence'—another independent will or origin of power."
"And that existence may be subtly shaping his thoughts… his choices… perhaps even his destiny."
Karin tilted her head, considered it, then nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! That's pretty much it!"
Kabuto's twisted smile returned—this time filled with pure researcher's obsession.
"That makes him… extraordinarily valuable."
"A living vessel carrying an ancient will. The perfect specimen."
But then another thought surfaced.
"If you discovered something that fascinating… with your personality, surely you didn't just watch?"
He had already grasped Karin's tendencies—curiosity mixed with possessiveness and destructive experimentation.
Karin spread her hands, looking faintly annoyed.
"Of course I didn't sit around! I've been observing him. I even tried using my ability to 'touch' and 'probe' that hidden chakra."
"No reaction. It's like poking a rock."
She pouted.
"So I tried another approach. I pushed at his darkness—figured maybe that hidden thing would respond if Sasuke got more 'interesting.'"
"And guess what?"
She rolled her eyes.
"He's already dark as hell."
"Hatred. Obsession. Loneliness. Destructive impulses. Packed to the brim. I don't need to 'stimulate' anything."
"My ability barely affects him. Like adding one drop of ink into an ocean of ink. Totally pointless."
She sounded like a child disappointed in a toy that turned out to be boring.
Kabuto was quiet for a moment.
Then a far more dangerous proposal emerged.
"If observation and stimulation are ineffective…"
He lifted his head, golden snake-like pupils gleaming.
"Why not take a more direct approach?"
A smile—half rational, half insane—spread across his face.
"We capture him."
"And conduct proper research."
"Dissect his chakra. Analyze his body. Examine the hidden entity inside him thoroughly."
"Uchiha Sasuke is far too valuable to leave untouched."
"What do you think, Karin?"
Title Notes (Author Commentary – Proofread & Standardized)
Original Title:
Naruto: The Shinobi World's Great Black Hand
Alternate test titles:
Naruto: I, Naruto, Will Bring About the End of the World!
Naruto: I, Sasuke, Am the True Savior!
Naruto: I, Sakura, Am the Strongest!
Naruto: I, Karin, Am the Demon Child!
All were straightforward, following the order of the Heavenly Screen arcs.
In the end, the first title was selected.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789