Qingguang's Mangekyo

As Qingguang was adding points to his Sharingan, Orochimaru, standing beside him and watching the Sharingan spin rapidly, felt his anticipation swell.

That's right, just like this, the Sharingan's pupil power is still getting stronger. Just a little more, a little faster!

Beyond the Three Tomoe Sharingan, is there an even higher-level Sharingan!?

Just as Orochimaru thought his guess was about to be confirmed, the spinning speed of Qingguang's Sharingan began to slow down.

Oh, no! No!! No!!!

How could this happen?

Orochimaru looked down at the liquid in the syringe in his hand. No matter how hard he pushed forward, he couldn't squeeze out another drop of Hashirama's cells.

It was clear that this tube of serum had been completely injected.

Reality was that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't satisfy Qingguang's Sharingan and make it break through that barrier.

Of course, Qingguang had no idea what Orochimaru was thinking.

He only knew that his Wood Release points had reached 2409. This surgery had increased his total by over 3500 points, a greater improvement than the last surgery!

Slowly standing up, Qingguang looked at Orochimaru, who had a vacant and somewhat dejected look in his eyes, and felt a trace of suspicion.

Why does Orochimaru's expression look so strange?

Whatever, the procedure is over. It's time to add some sodium.

Before Orochimaru could step forward, Hiruzen Sarutobi tossed aside the pipe he once cherished and placed it on the table. He then stepped forward and helped Qingguang up.

"Qingguang, are you alright? The amount of Wood Release cells injected this time was 20% more than last time. Do you feel uncomfortable? Is there anything abnormal with your body?"

Qingguang shook his head. "Uncle Hiruzen, don't worry, I'm fine. I trust Senior Orochimaru."

"Not only am I fine, I feel my control over Wood Release has become stronger."

As he spoke, Qingguang got off the operating bed, put on his clothes, closed his eyes, and felt the flow of chakra within his body. He clasped his hands together.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence."

Thick trees, as thick as an embrace, instantly pierced through the solid floor of the training ground ahead, wrapping around the few wooden stakes, tightening, and crushing them into sawdust.

The training ground, several hundred square meters in size, was instantly filled with Wood Release.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the miracle before him, his jaw agape in surprise.

"This... this is the First Hokage's jutsu!"

Although the scale was far from the grandeur of Hashirama's execution, this level of jutsu was not something an ordinary Jonin could easily perform.

In the village, there were definitely no more than two hands' worth of people who could achieve this scale.

Kagami, your son, I will raise him for you.

At this moment, Hiruzen wished Qingguang was his own son!

This was only Qingguang after three surgeries. If he underwent a few more, what would happen?

However, Hiruzen quickly realized another problem: if Qingguang's strength grew too quickly, would it burden his body? Would he always remain loyal to him?

While Qingguang continued with his surgeries, he had to make Qingguang his own as soon as possible.

He absolutely couldn't let Danzo get his hands on Qingguang again like before!

At this moment, Orochimaru walked forward listlessly, stroking the trees Qingguang had created with his palm.

He applied force with his palm and snapped a branch.

"Although it looks grand in scale, its strength is far inferior to the Wood Release of the First Hokage, as recorded in the scrolls."

"He could create a forest with a raise of his hand, and turn into a wooden golem with a stomp of his foot, easily suppressing the Nine-Tails. This is how the scrolls describe the First Hokage's Wood Release."

"Qingguang, while your Wood Release is stronger than ironwood, it's still too weak compared to Lord Hashirama. The most crucial point is its absorption of chakra, which is too weak, almost non-existent."

Orochimaru ignited the branch in his hand with fire-style chakra, and it quickly burned to ashes.

"Teacher Sarutobi, the frequency of Qingguang's surgeries must be increased, and the dosage must be raised. Otherwise, it will be too late when the war breaks out."

Hiruzen's eyes flashed upon hearing this. He picked up his pipe from the table, his old companion that he had just discarded.

"Orochimaru, although the surgery is controllable now, this concerns Qingguang's life safety. No matter how weak Konoha is, we won't gamble our hopes on a single young man."

"If Konoha truly faces a critical juncture, I will find a way to handle it."

"Qingguang, you'll spend the day with Tsunade. You just finished surgery, so go back and rest."

Qingguang watched the master and disciple, who had opposing views, and simply bid farewell and left.

"Yes, Uncle Hiruzen. I'll be going back now. Senior Orochimaru, thank you for your hard work."

Then, under the cover of night, he quickly infiltrated Konoha's Forest of Death.

This place was filled with trees of exaggerated size, as well as various strange beasts and medicinal herbs not found elsewhere.

It was the most dangerous place in Konoha.

It was perpetually sealed off, and outsiders were forbidden from approaching, to prevent accidental entry and potential death.

Even Special Jonin had lost their lives there while undergoing harsh training.

But for now, with no one around, this was the perfect place for Qingguang to awaken his Mangekyo.

Finding a tree hollow, Qingguang unceremoniously drove out the beast living inside, set up a barrier, and sat down within.

After taking a deep breath and composing himself, he allocated a bit of his Wood Release proficiency to his Mangekyo Sharingan.

In an instant, the Sharingan in his eye sockets spun rapidly. He could clearly feel a special chakra converging on his eyes, and his eyes even shed bloody tears from being unable to withstand the power.

It felt like a liquid hundreds of times spicier than pepper spray had been dropped into his eyes.

At this moment, Qingguang could feel the giant whose silhouette he couldn't discern before gradually approaching.

A pair of massive, radiant, golden hands, burning with flames, broke through the haze. They seemed to grab onto some kind of barrier.

Tearing it apart, the overwhelming gray mist scattered to both sides, revealing a giant hundreds of meters tall, its entire body like orange-yellow amber, standing before him.

Behind it, a divine halo, layered and encircling, floated. Its majestic divine might seemed capable of expelling all evil and sin with its holiness.

"This is... my Susanoo..."

As the haze gradually dispersed, what Qingguang's eyes took in was not only the giant's form.

But also, behind it, a glorious, vast, and boundless divine kingdom suspended high in the sky.

At this moment, Qingguang finally understood what this divine kingdom represented.

The patterns in his eyes changed further. Black tomoe converged and merged, with a circular black spot in the center, surrounded by a black-gold fiery ring resembling flames, or perhaps solar flares.

Takama-ga-hara and Amaterasu – these were the Mangekyo techniques his eyes had birthed.

He could accept the name of the former, but the latter... why was it called Amaterasu?

That name felt so strange.