The year Konoha 55 was relatively uneventful compared to others.
Since Uchiha Itachi had informed the Third Hokage of Shura and Uchiha Hikari's visit to Fugaku, no major incidents had occurred. After joining the ANBU, Itachi's missions were primarily led by Kakashi; simultaneously, he carried out surveillance on the Uchiha clan, reporting any radical voices to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Though Uchiha Shisui had lost one Mangekyo Sharingan, he remained an elite Jonin. Because he, more than other Uchiha, sought to ease the friction between the village and the clan, Fugaku began to rely on him more heavily.
Days passed like this. Menma moved between Konoha and the Land of Stars, occasionally taking Naruto and Hinata out to play. However, he gathered some intel from Hinata: apparently, her mother was pregnant again.
It seemed Hinata's unstable dual personality had caused Hiashi some concern. Furthermore, with the older generation of Hyuga elders having retired after Shura gouged out their eyes, the mood within the Main House was quite low. Hiashi had decided to have another child to see if it would be a boy; if so, and if the personality was more suitable, he could inherit the position of Clan Head.
Little Hinata didn't understand the implications, but the "Big Sister" Hinata personality understood perfectly. Even though she had a sister named Hanabi in the 'Limited Tsukuyomi World,' she couldn't help but feel a bit displeased.
One day, Menma was in the capital of the Land of Stars, conducting various research as usual.
"The levels are stable. From now on, you can move around the capital, but if you feel any discomfort, remember to tell me immediately," Menma said to Guta in the medical department's laboratory. He was wearing a white lab coat and a surgical mask as he packed away the testing equipment.
"Thank you, my Lord!" Guta rose from the bed, joyfully buttoning his shirt.
After over half a year of experimentation, the physical characteristics of Guta—who had been injected with a regulatory bloodline gene serum—had stabilized. Thus, Menma decided to allow him to walk under the sun.
"Wait another six months, then select three more clansmen for the injection," Menma said, pulling off his mask. "There's no rush. At this pace, in a few years, your entire clan will be able to walk in the sunlight."
"The Iburi clan will serve you faithfully for generations!" Guta knelt on the floor in a fit of emotion.
After dismissing Guta, Menma changed out of his lab coat and headed to the Uzumaki manor. Uzumaki Vanilla's home had essentially become a half-nursery. In addition to Uzumaki Karin, Kimimaro and Haku lived there, all cared for by Vanilla.
Before Menma even reached the gate, he noticed a thick mist surrounding the estate. Inside the mist, Kimimaro and Haku were engaged in a combat exercise. Karin sat on the veranda, eating snacks while curiously watching the sparks fly within the fog—though she lacked the Byakugan and could only see vague silhouettes.
"Hey! Brother Menma!" Karin called out enthusiastically as he appeared beside her.
In the yard, Kimimaro and Haku stopped their duel. As the mist cleared, Kimimaro emerged, his body covered in protruding bones like a small hedgehog, with several senbon needles stuck in his skin. His pale skin paired with the Byakugan was a bit eerie.
"My Lord," Kimimaro greeted, still preferring that title. He viewed Menma as the ultimate object of his loyalty.
Haku also walked over, bowing slightly. Though they were only five or six years old, both already possessed the strength of a Chunin. They were exceptionally skilled in their respective Kekkei Genkai and ninjutsu.
Since gaining the Byakugan, Kimimaro's bloodline disease had been mitigated. The combination of Shikotsumyaku and his new visual prowess resulted in explosive combat potential—so much so that Haku could only serve as his sparring partner.
Menma mused that he should perhaps hand Kimimaro over to Uchiha Hikari or Kakuzu for training. The former was his strongest subordinate, and the latter had lived for eighty years, witnessing countless jutsu and Kekkei Genkai.
"Where's Vanilla?" Menma asked.
"Mama hasn't finished work yet," little Karin replied, holding out her bag of potato chips.
Menma took a chip and told the three children, "Have fun and cherish this time. Next year, you start school."
The education system in the Land of Stars had been running for half a year. The first batch of thirty-odd children with shinobi potential, ranging from age five to sixteen, had been enrolled in the capital's Ninja Academy. Seeing that Kimimaro and Haku's conditions had improved, Menma planned to send them, along with Karin (who would turn five next year), to join the academy.
"Ah! I don't want to go to school! QAQ" Karin wailed, instinctively recoiling at the thought.
Kimimaro and Haku watched Karin cling to Menma's leg, both wearing gentle smiles. They doted on their little sister and loved their current life.
"Be good," Menma said, patting Karin's head.
That evening, Vanilla returned from work with groceries for a feast. She also brought a letter.
"My Lord, a secret message from Orochimaru," she said, handing it over.
"Oh?" Menma took the letter. There were no complex patterns—just a few lines of concise text and a familiar snake seal.
The letter was brief but contained startling information: Orochimaru's cloning technology had made a breakthrough, and he had "two interesting things" he wanted Shura to discuss with him.
The subtext dripped with Orochimaru's usual craftiness and confidence.
Menma's lips curled into a smirk. "True. It's been half a year since the Hidden Mist incident. It's about time Orochimaru had a new product."
He was always interested in Orochimaru's research, and the mention of "two interesting things" piqued his curiosity. In this era, Orochimaru was the only one who had truly merged science and ninjutsu to such a peak.
The next day.
When Menma arrived at Orochimaru's base in the Land of Rice Fields in his Shura persona, the once-small village now bore the sign of the "Hidden Sound Village." Walls had been erected, and two shinobi wearing Sound headbands stood guard at the gate.
Menma had no interest in playing games with these small-fry. Moving like a phantom, he bypassed all patrols and sensors, heading straight for the secret laboratory deep underground.
Entering the sprawling maze, the air grew thick with the smell of disinfectant, blood, and an indescribable scent of decay mixed with the unique aura of chakra experiments. It was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
Menma passed through heavy stone doors reinforced with sealing jutsu until he reached a spacious laboratory. In the center, Orochimaru's lithe figure stood with his back turned, busy among countless petri dishes and equipment. He wore a white research robe, his long black hair draped over his shoulders, the purple rope tied around his waist. Those cold, snake-like vertical pupils were all too familiar.
Hearing footsteps, Orochimaru turned slowly, a cryptic smile on his face.
"Welcome, Shura," Orochimaru's voice was raspy and low, carrying a unique allure.
Menma skipped the pleasantries. He walked up to Orochimaru, his sharp gaze scanning the tables. Several culture vats contained various odd tissues, but none were what he was looking for.
"I am only interested in things of value, Orochimaru," Menma said steadily.
"Of course." Orochimaru licked his lips, his expression one of excitement and a wicked grin. He led Menma to several glass cultivation tanks.
Inside, a pale green liquid bubbled. Floating in the center of the fluid were several crimson eyeballs. Tomoe patterns were clearly visible on them.
"Sharingans?" Menma's pupils constricted slightly.
Though the eyes were still in a state of cultivation, the distinct single-tomoe patterns and the unique signature of Yin Release chakra confirmed their identity.
"Correct. My latest achievement—Cloned Sharingan." Orochimaru's voice held a trace of pride. Even if he couldn't see the expression behind Shura's mask, he expected the man to be shocked.
Orochimaru was very satisfied with his work, but his pride soon turned to a slight regret: "However, I can only replicate the single-tomoe for now. Producing double or triple-tomoe requires deeper genetic modification and chakra synchronization. It involves a much more detailed study of Yin chakra than I anticipated."
Orochimaru picked up a single-tomoe eye between his thumb and forefinger, holding it up to Shura. The eye shimmered with an eerie red light under the lamps.
"Even if it's just single-tomoe, being able to mass-produce them on a small scale is a qualitative leap," Menma praised.
As expected of "Auntie Oro."
By combining this with his own bloodline "switch" technology, Menma could potentially create an army capable of using basic Sharingan abilities. This would be a massive supplement to the power structure of the Land of Stars. If Sharingans could be cloned, what about the Byakugan? The Ketsuryūgan? Or even the Ranmaru's Kekkei Genkai?
Thinking about his nation deploying a massive force of varied ocular users in a few years, Menma looked forward to seeing the reactions of the other Great Villages.
By the way, where exactly was the Chinoike clan located? Menma tried to recall—he thought they appeared in a movie or a Sasuke novel.
"With these ten pairs of single-tomoe Sharingans, you should be able to do quite a lot. In exchange, however, you must provide me with live Uchiha samples—specifically the cellular tissue of shinobi with powerful ocular prowess." Orochimaru's eyes locked onto the fox mask, trying to read his thoughts.
"Is this the 'breakthrough' you spoke of?" A cool voice came from behind the mask.
Orochimaru gave a mysterious smile. "That was merely the appetizer. The truly exciting part is over there."
He turned and led Shura to another laboratory.
Inside, a ten-year-old boy lay quietly on an experimental table. Several thin chakra tubes were connected to his body. The boy had delicate features, pale skin, and closed eyes, looking as if he were merely asleep.
"His name is Shin. A... very special test subject." Orochimaru's voice dropped, filled with a near-fanatical fervor.
"Shin?" The name triggered Menma's memory. Wait, wasn't he a villain?
"I found him by chance," Orochimaru continued. "His body possesses a near-perfect biological adaptability. No matter the organ or Kekkei Genkai, if it's transplanted into him, there is zero rejection. I've tried implanting various bloodline cells, and the results are astounding. He is like a living vessel that can perfectly carry... everything."
With Orochimaru's explanation, it all came back to Menma.
Uchiha Shin.
He was one of Orochimaru's test subjects. Later, Orochimaru used Shin's arm to transplant Sharingans for Danzo, leading Shin to defect with a group of clones. In the Boruto era, he appeared as a villain obsessed with Uchiha Itachi, covered in Sharingans like a man with a hundred eyes.
Based on the timeline, Shin likely defected after the Uchiha Massacre, since Danzo's arm was covered in three-tomoe eyes harvested on that fateful night.
While not entirely shocked, Menma agreed that Shin was worthy of being called a "breakthrough." If he could obtain Shin's tissue for research and merge it with Hashirama's cells and White Zetsu cells...
Wait! The Chimera Technique!
What if he used Shin's tissue or clones as a base for the Chimera Technique? Menma grew excited. Uchiha Shin was essentially a perfect human laboratory.
"He is just a child now, not yet fully grown. But his potential is limitless," Orochimaru said, licking his lips as he noticed Shura remained unmoved. "With him, experiments that were once impossible become possible—such as clones that can perfectly merge Hashirama and Zetsu cells. Of course, this will take time."
Menma walked to the table, observing the sleeping boy. He used Kagura Shingan to sense the unique life force within Shin and the immense potential hidden deep within his cells. This body was practically born for Kekkei Genkai and Forbidden Jutsu—the perfect material for the Kekkei Mōra!
"And the price?" Shura's mask tilted slightly toward Orochimaru.
He knew Orochimaru wouldn't show him Shin unless there was something specific he wanted in return. Having "shaved" Orochimaru's wool several times before, Menma decided it was time to give him a little sweetness.