A Special Test Subject

As he wrote, Sasuke suddenly noticed something amiss, stopped his pen, and looked at the line for April of Konoha 61.

According to the Rin no Sho, Team 7 had carried out eight missions between March and April, one C-rank and seven D-rank. The C-rank mission was the one in the Land of Waves.

So, what were they doing during those three months from April to July?

Were they just sitting around at home picking their feet for three months?

Not a single mission?

However, according to what Sasuke said in the original timeline, Team 7 should have carried out several more missions during those three months; they just weren't depicted in the main storyline.

After running through the general outline of the original timeline in his mind, Sasuke set up a preliminary plan in his heart and immediately burned the papers.

He had to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan within these four years and seven months.

At the latest, it could not go past July of Konoha 61, which was during the Chunin Exams.

Only then could he ensure he possessed enough martial power to carry out his plans smoothly.

Otherwise, things would become very difficult...

Slowly gathering his thoughts and casting aside distractions, he walked to the cushion in the center of the room and began to practice the Yoga Meditation Technique.

If he continued with this method of increasing spiritual energy and still showed no signs of awakening the Mangekyō by April of Konoha 61.

Then he would have to use the three months from April to July to implement some more dangerous and extreme ideas.

Although, given his personality, he rarely did things without being certain of the outcome.

But sometimes, some risks must be taken!

In the Land of Fields, at a newly built, hidden underground base.

Inside a biological laboratory.

Orochimaru, dressed in a form-fitting yellow and white outfit with a purple ribbon tied at his back, stood before a row of precision monitors, his expression extremely focused.

Surrounding him were all sorts of experimental equipment, including microscopes, test tubes, and scalpels.

What he was currently researching was the very Sharingan that Danzo had sent to him.

After a long while, Orochimaru raised his head and muttered, "Where exactly does the difference lie between the awakening conditions of the Mangekyō Sharingan and those of the ordinary Sharingan?"

As Orochimaru picked up the information on the Uchiha clan that Danzo had given him, he kept recalling the Uchiha he had seen back when he was in Konoha.

When members of the Uchiha clan awakened the ordinary Sharingan, it was usually when they were extremely angry or facing a life-or-death crisis!

A biological stress response?

The so-called stress response refers to an instinctive reaction of an organism when subjected to stimulation or facing danger.

It is usually manifested in the human body as elevated blood sugar, increased blood pressure, faster heart rate, accelerated breathing, increased secretion of adrenaline, greater strength, and increased speed.

Everyone has these manifestations; people often erupt with power far exceeding their usual limits when angry or under immense pressure.

Orochimaru had them too, and he was no stranger to this, but the Uchiha clan was a bit more special—that was their Kekkei Genkai.

When in extreme anger or facing a life-or-death crisis, the brain secretes a mysterious substance, and the cells of the eyes are influenced by this information-carrying substance, causing them to mutate and awaken into the Sharingan.

That is the awakening method for the ordinary Sharingan, but what about the Mangekyō Sharingan?

Sadness? Anger? Pressure? Joy?

Or some other emotion?

If that were the case, why did not a single Uchiha awaken the Mangekyō on that night, other than Uchiha Itachi?

Or is it that one must kill their kin?

Orochimaru thought of Uchiha Itachi. It was said that he had personally killed his own parents. Could the method for awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan be the killing of kin, some sort of cursed method?

No!

Regardless of how extreme Uchiha Itachi's actions were, setting aside all those mystical, superstitious things, it ultimately came down to the fact that Uchiha Itachi's emotions underwent a change after killing his parents!

Talent!

Beyond extreme emotional stimulation, one must also possess immense innate talent to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!

Orochimaru felt he had grasped the key point. Even though he was filled with hatred for Uchiha Itachi, he had to admit that Uchiha Itachi's talent was among the highest he had ever seen.

"Hehehehe..."

Orochimaru licked his lips, thinking of Uchiha Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke, who remained in Konoha. Since they were biological brothers, while there might be a gap in talent, it shouldn't be too far off, right?

After putting down the analysis report in his hand, Orochimaru clapped his hands. Before long, an assistant walked in, knelt on one knee, and said respectfully:

"Lord Orochimaru!"

"Bring that child, Shin, here!"

"Yes!"

A while later, a young male with short white hair and pale skin lay on Orochimaru's operating table; he was currently in a state of unconsciousness.

The white-haired boy was named Shin. Shin's constitution was extremely special; he showed no rejection reaction to any tissue transplanted into his body.

Therefore, Orochimaru had conducted many experiments on Shin, and Shin had not been forced by Orochimaru, but had volunteered to become his test subject.

For Shin, who hoped to master biotechnology, Orochimaru, who possessed profound knowledge in the field, was undoubtedly the person he admired most at the moment.

"Can even something as highly incompatible as the Sharingan be fused so perfectly?"

"What an astonishing constitution..."

Orochimaru gazed at Shin, who showed no signs of rejection after being transplanted with a pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan, and could not help but marvel.

"It is a pity, though, that these are merely ordinary Sharingan..."

Orochimaru's expression quickly darkened as he thought of Uchiha Itachi and his Mangekyō Sharingan!

He had never suffered such great humiliation in his life; it was not as if he had never experienced defeat during his career as a ninja.

But to be defeated so miserably and so quickly was a first!

What filled him with even more hatred was the look Uchiha Itachi had given him after defeating him.

Indifferent, extremely indifferent!

It was as if a god looking down from on high was watching a pathetic, overreaching insect, a mere ant.

This made him feel an incomparable sense of humiliation!

Not even Hanzo the Salamander, the demigod who had defeated him, nor the leader of the Akatsuki organization had ever looked at him with such eyes.

"Hehehehe... Uchiha Itachi, I will definitely kill you in the future... The humiliation you have brought upon me... I will return it to you tenfold..."

Orochimaru's eyes turned icy, his tone dripping with murderous intent; at this moment, he was like a venomous snake that had locked onto its prey, baring its fangs.

Uchiha Itachi?

Who is he?

Why would Lord Orochimaru, who was always deep and composed, lose his composure so completely when mentioning him?

In a daze, Shin heard Orochimaru's muttering, and beyond the tone filled with murderous intent, he also detected a hint of longing and a trace of fear hidden beneath it.

Longing?

Fear?

Does even Lord Orochimaru long for and fear the person named Uchiha Itachi?

Shin did not yet know who Uchiha Itachi was.

But the name Uchiha Itachi left a deep mark in his heart!