38: You're right, this is the Mangekyō Sharingan. Orochimaru says he's exhausted.

So this is... the Mangekyō Sharingan.

After sensing the might of Sakuya's eyes, Orochimaru felt as if his heart had been ignited by Amaterasu.

That surge of desire erupted instantly from within, and there was no way to extinguish it.

It was too beautiful.

So beautiful it was almost suffocating.

Sakuya's strength was already among the absolute peak of Konoha, and after awakening the Mangekyō, his power had soared once again.

Now, that Black Flame alone made him feel as though the distance between them had become unreachable.

Orochimaru had always coveted the Sharingan, and now that Sakuya had awakened the Mangekyō, this power fascinated him even more.

That power was not a gap in chakra volume, nor was it a difference in ninjutsu mastery; it was a leap in essence. It was as if he had finally struggled from a river into the deep sea, only to look up and see Sakuya already hanging high above in the firmament.

So... impossible to look upon directly, yet infinitely yearned for.

Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed on Sakuya's eyes, which had returned to a pitch-black hue; deep within his golden pupils, something was trembling violently.

He couldn't hold back anymore!

He had always coveted the Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha.

And now, witnessing the power of the Mangekyō awaken before his very eyes, that fascination finally transformed into something far more profound.

He truly wanted to possess... this exquisite power.

"Orochimaru?"

Sakuya's voice came from beside him, snapping Orochimaru back to reality.

"Sakuya-kun?"

"We should get going."

Looking at the growing inferno in Amegakure, Uchiha Sakuya furrowed his brows.

"Amaterasu has already engulfed the entire village. I fear it won't be long before it spreads outward; it's only a matter of time before it reaches us."

In this era, the lack of a Seal of Fire Suppression presented a significant drawback.

That was, once Amaterasu began to burn, no one had the means to stop it.

The fire that consumed everything would incinerate all flammable objects in the vicinity, using them as fuel to expand indefinitely.

Even in Amegakure, where it rained all year round, this remained true.

The heavy rain falling upon Amaterasu would only serve as fuel, causing it to burn even brighter and larger!

"The ninjas of Amegakure are currently trying to put out the fire. Although their Water Style is useless, it should at least buy us some time. We must take this opportunity to leave the Land of Rain."

"Mm."

Orochimaru nodded. "You go get Tsunade. I... I would like to observe Amegakure for a little longer."

To look just a bit more at that beauty unique to the Mangekyō Sharingan.

He felt that just by watching, it was as if he could possess that power himself.

It was a feast for the eyes, so to speak.

"Fine."

Sakuya could roughly guess what Orochimaru was thinking right now.

But it didn't matter.

At the very least, for now, Orochimaru was still that Konoha jonin who held the village and his comrades in his heart, entirely worthy of trust.

Even if he were to become that person in the future, it wouldn't be now.

By that time, he would likely be long gone.

Drip, drip...

Cold water droplets landed on Shisui Uchiha's forehead, causing him to jolt awake.

He sat up with a sudden exertion, but as he looked around in a daze, his eyes met an unfamiliar environment.

"Where is this..."

He climbed to his feet, bewildered, walking around and touching the surroundings, before realizing something. He raised a hand to gently touch his own eyes.

A pair of unfamiliar Sharingan were, at this moment, resting within his eye sockets.

"Heh heh, Shisui-kun, you're awake."

A somewhat gloomy, soft laugh rang out beside Shisui Uchiha's ear, making his body tremble.

Shisui whipped his head around, only to see a long-haired, golden-eyed man gradually emerging from the shadows.

"Orochimaru!"

Shisui Uchiha's face turned ashen as he instantly recognized the man.

The Cold Lord Orochimaru, once one of the Sannin.

Most crucially, he was a missing-nin of Konoha!

He had betrayed the village due to human experimentation; he was a disgrace to Konoha!

If that was the case, then his own Sharingan was also...

In an instant, he shifted into a combat stance.

"Heh heh, don't be so nervous, Shisui-kun."

Orochimaru chuckled softly: "After all, I am your savior."

"Savior... you saved me?"

Shisui's expression turned somewhat unsightly.

A missing-nin saving him—what was the purpose?

Could it be to interrogate him for intelligence on Konoha?

"I am merely fulfilling the request of a friend."

Seeming to see through what Shisui Uchiha was thinking, Orochimaru gave a sinister smile.

"A friend?"

A friend of Orochimaru? Who could it be?

One of the other Sannin? Or perhaps...

"One from your Uchiha Clan as well. Just like you, he carries the bloodline of Kagami."

Orochimaru stated.

"Just like me..."

A piece of information suddenly flashed through Shisui Uchiha's mind.

It was rumored that during the Second Shinobi World War, there was a senior of the Uchiha who had an excellent relationship with the Sannin, and was even the lover of Lady Tsunade among them.

However, this rumor was so absurd that the clan had always dismissed it as false and suppressed it.

Now that he thought about it, could that news be...

"Seeing you really reminds me of that person—a young genius just like you."

Orochimaru looked at Shisui Uchiha and spoke indifferently: "It's just that, compared to him, your talent is still lacking quite a bit."

"What exactly is it that you want to say, Senior Orochimaru?"

Though Shisui Uchiha had doubts in his heart, he remained on guard.

"...What is your Mangekyō dōjutsu?"

Orochimaru thought for a moment before speaking.

"!"

Shisui Uchiha was startled by these words; the Three Tomoe in his eyes spun frantically, but soon, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over his body.

Although the new Sharingan in his eye sockets were also Three Tomoe, they were not his original ones after all.

Coupled with his extremely weak body, he could neither use his dōjutsu nor summon enough ocular power to manifest Susanoo.

"Heh heh, I did save you, after all, and even replaced your eyes; you could at least have a better attitude toward me."

Orochimaru chuckled: "Facing an Uchiha who has awakened the Mangekyō, did you really think I wouldn't make any preparations?"

After all, I have witnessed that person's power with my own eyes.

Orochimaru did not speak this sentence aloud. He looked at Shisui Uchiha's shifting expression and said: "Let's make a trade. We exchange information. You tell me your Sharingan's dōjutsu, and I tell you the current situation of the Uchiha in Konoha. How about it?"

Shisui took a deep look at Orochimaru. Although he felt unwilling, he knew the situation he was in.

Orochimaru had done something to his body, and in his current state, there was no way to escape from his hands. It would be better to play along for now.

Furthermore, he truly wanted to know the current situation of Konoha and the Uchiha.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke: "...Fine. You go first."

"Heh heh, Shisui-kun."

A look appeared on Orochimaru's face that made Shisui Uchiha's heart skip a beat: "You don't seem to understand—right now, you don't have the right to choose."