Naruto: Manipulation

Inside the operating room of the Root base.

Danzo Shimura now had a new white arm, covered with intricate black Curse Mark patterns and embedded with eleven crimson Sharingan, making it appear utterly terrifying.

This was a brand-new creation.

The entire arm was crafted using the cells of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, combined with Shigen's Curse Mark and the Uchiha clan's Sharingan.

"You..."

Danzo ran his hand over the arm, unable to stop himself from praising Orochimaru. "You truly are a genius."

These vastly different powers...

Had been fused together so perfectly.

In past human experiments, Hashirama's cells had always been aggressively invasive, yet now they felt so stable. He could already sense himself extracting Wood Release chakra!

Danzo's heart surged with excitement!

Even if Orochimaru didn't bring him the Rinnegan, just this arm—capable of activating Izanagi eleven times—meant he had numerous opportunities to escape death in battle. Its value was comparable to the Kotoamatsukami Sharingan!

And not just that...

The Curse Mark suppressed the raw physical energy of Hashirama's cells and the immense spiritual energy of the Sharingan while simultaneously amplifying his power!

Orochimaru's golden eyes flickered as he studied the arm. Other than the possibility of being controlled by the Curse Mark's true master, it had no apparent flaws.

"Well then..."

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"Until next time."

Orochimaru, seeing Danzo's satisfaction, reached for the glass container beside the operating table, which held the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Wait..."

Danzo suddenly stopped him, tossing a scroll over. "This is your research funding. If it's not enough, send someone to let me know. I'm not as stingy as Hiruzen."

"..."

Orochimaru caught the scroll midair, a strange smile flashing across his face. Danzo's generosity certainly pleased him.

"Leave Konoha as soon as possible."

Danzo had no intention of keeping Orochimaru around any longer. He was eager to find a place to test his newfound Wood Release abilities but still reminded Orochimaru, "If you learn any ancient secrets from Shigen, don't forget our agreement..."

"I'll share them with you."

Orochimaru tucked away the scroll, then casually reminded Danzo again, "You should start using that arm's power as soon as possible to strengthen your chakra. The Rinnegan is immensely powerful, and even having just one requires a strong enough body to handle it..."

"Don't worry."

Danzo had no intention of neglecting his training.

Now that Hiruzen had stripped him of his position, he had more time than ever to focus on improving himself. With his experience, he wouldn't allow himself to fall behind.

This deal...

Had turned out quite satisfying for Danzo.

Even Orochimaru seemed willing to keep his word. His warning suggested that he really would deliver a Rinnegan in the future.

However...

As soon as Orochimaru left the Root base, his form swiftly shifted, transforming into Shigen.

Crack.

The glass container in Shigen's hand shattered.

Inside, the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan instantly ignited, reduced to ashes by his Fire Release chakra.

Destroying Kotoamatsukami.

It wasn't just for the mission reward.

It was also...

Part of Shigen's personal plan.

He had always eliminated any potential threats to himself and wouldn't tolerate an unpredictable Sharingan ability.

Although Rinnegan users were immune to visual genjutsu—including Infinite Tsukuyomi—Shigen wouldn't allow even the smallest risk to remain.

[SSS-Rank Mission: Destroy Danzo Shimura's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyō Sharingan. Mission complete. Rewards: Body Flicker Technique (Shisui's), Ninja Crows (Summoning Contract), Uchiha-Style Kenjutsu, S-Rank Kunai Throwing Technique, S-Rank Genjutsu, Enhanced Sharingan Prowess.]

This was...

Like getting half of Uchiha Shisui's lifetime achievements in one go.

Aside from abilities that required Sharingan compatibility, nearly all of Shisui's techniques had been unlocked.

Shigen didn't mind. In his current state, with his Edo Tensei body not yet at full power, these rewards were quite useful.

He had never trained in genjutsu before and had rarely used the Sharingan's illusions. His mental energy was already powerful enough that he never needed them. But now, even without a Sharingan, he could use formidable genjutsu.

However...

There was still one more eye to deal with.

Shigen narrowed his eyes. His mission log hadn't generated a task for eliminating Uchiha Itachi's Kotoamatsukami, but he knew he had to remove every potential threat—no matter how small.

After all...

The claim that Kotoamatsukami wouldn't work on him was just a lie to deceive Danzo.

No one could tolerate the existence of such an ability—especially when it was in the hands of someone with an extreme mindset.

"Lord Shigen."

Yakushi Kabuto appeared before him.

"Kabuto."

Shigen casually tossed him the scroll. "This is the funding from Danzo. Keep it for yourself. If it runs out, request more from him. Also, continue monitoring Orochimaru and make sure he doesn't establish further contact with Danzo."

"Understood."

Kabuto was confused about what had just happened.

"Now isn't the time to get rid of Danzo completely."

"One reason is to avoid alarming Konoha. The other... is my own personal agenda. I still need to use him for something else..."

Shigen turned to Kabuto, speaking earnestly. "I took the Mangekyō Sharingan from Danzo. He'll soon start pressuring Orochimaru to provide him with the Rinnegan. Just delay him with excuses about bad timing."

"Bad timing?"

Kabuto had no objections to Shigen's decision. He understood how precious a Mangekyō Sharingan was—especially one capable of rewriting a person's will.

"Yes..."

"The timing isn't right..."

Shigen's gaze drifted toward the lake in the distance.

By the shore...

The setting sun cast a golden glow over the scene. A black-haired boy sat on the grass, his face shifting between pain and deep resentment.

On the nearby path...

A blond-haired boy, wearing goggles, walked with his head down, looking dejected.

"Those two..."

"They must be students from the ninja academy?"

Kabuto noticed Shigen's gaze and frowned. He hadn't gathered intelligence on Konoha's younger generation yet.

"Mm."

Shigen nodded, as if he knew them better than Kabuto did. "Those two kids... will become incredibly powerful in the future."

"That's a joke, right?"

Kabuto chuckled.

But...

Shigen didn't seem like he was joking.

Did these two children have something special about them?

Kabuto stared at the blond-haired boy and the black-haired boy, but with his trained eyes, he couldn't see anything unusual. He would need to gather more intel on them later.

"The black-haired boy is Uchiha Sasuke."

Shigen spoke frankly, not hiding anything. "A Uchiha who was forcibly burdened with both love and hatred. Carrying both from a young age will push him to become even more extreme than most Uchiha..."

"Itachi's younger brother!"

Kabuto immediately realized his identity.

Sasuke was the only Uchiha left in Konoha. The rest had been slaughtered by Uchiha Itachi.

"Should we eliminate him?"

Kabuto had no moral concerns about killing Sasuke. Anyone who had served under Orochimaru had long since abandoned such notions. "If we kill him now—"

"There's no need."

Shigen had been waiting for this moment for over a thousand years and wouldn't let Sasuke die so easily. "In fact, we should protect him. With the burden he carries, he may one day become an ally."

"And the other boy..."

Shigen seemed to see through the immense chakra hidden within the blond-haired child. "Is the Nine-Tailed Fox that Konoha shuns."

"The Nine-Tails... a Jinchūriki."

Kabuto immediately understood.

"Let's hope they grow quickly..."

Shigen lowered his eyes, filled with anticipation.

Long ago, in the ancient era, he had devised his revival plan specifically to meet these two children.

But after countless years in the underworld...

The wait had felt unbearably long.

"Let's go."

Shigen placed a hand on Kabuto's shoulder, teleporting them away from Konoha with Flying Thunder God.

They had different destinations.

Kabuto needed to head to Orochimaru's northern base to retrieve some of his old test subjects.

As for Shigen...

He had to return to the Land of Rain to deal with Black Zetsu.

After all, Black Zetsu was expecting him to continue hunting down the Tailed Beasts.

Fortunately...

There was someone else to take the blame.

Uchiha Obito.

Still waiting for his chance to reclaim control of the Eye of the Moon Plan.

And Shigen...

Was more than happy to give him that chance.

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