Orochimaru's Ambition

Those eerie Sharingan were only One-Tomoe Sharingan, yet they emanated an uncanny glow.

It sent a chill down one's spine.

The Byakugan gave off an equally unsettling aura.

"You really managed to create them? These are... the result of fusing First cells with them?"

Keigo Uchiha raised an eyebrow.

He immediately sensed the difference between these Sharingan and Byakugan!

One-Tomoe Sharingan were practically useless, and they didn't contain much ocular power. Yet these One-Tomoe Sharingan had as much ocular power as Two-Tomoe Sharingan!

The Byakugan were the same.

They carried a faint pressure!

That was definitely beyond what ordinary Sharingan and Byakugan could do.

"That's right. Your perceptiveness astounds me, Keigo. Even I only deduced it from the experimental data. Both the Sharingan and Byakugan possess far greater ocular power than those of ordinary members of the Uchiha Clan and Hyuga Clan!"

Orochimaru's eyes were alight with excitement!

"I spent three months on this, ruining countless documents and petri dishes, before I managed to cultivate these two pairs of eyes!"

"The success rate... is only one in three thousand!"

"These are... true treasures!"

"After the Sharingan fuse with Hashirama Cells, they become more powerful and stable, and their ocular power increases dramatically. And these are only One-Tomoe Sharingan. Just imagine how powerful your Three-Tomoe Sharingan would become, Keigo..."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a thirst for knowledge!

"Perhaps... they could make you a Kage Level fighter outright!"

Keigo Uchiha smiled without replying.

"The Byakugan are the same. After fusing with Hashirama Cells, they undergo an unimaginable change and reach an uncanny balance. It's extremely strange. Just like the Sharingan, before this, whenever Hashirama Cells fused with any other power, they ran wild and caused the host to collapse!"

Orochimaru's eyes were full of confusion. "I always thought it was because they were incompatible."

"But your reminder made me realize... this is a power with Sage genes! How could ordinary people meddle with it? Sage power and genes can only fuse with the genes of a Sage!"

"Still, I can't draw any conclusions yet. I need many more experiments, along with a long period of cultivation and observation. It'll be difficult to make progress in the short term."

Orochimaru's frenzied expression gradually settled.

Keigo Uchiha understood.

Creating these results in just three months was already shocking enough.

And he had even cultivated these two pairs of eyes.

It was astounding!

In the original story, even by Boruto, Orochimaru had only managed to develop Perfect Sage Mode. With Keigo's help, he'd made this much progress in such a short time.

That was more than enough to be exciting.

"As for Senjutsu... there's no need to rush. That research will take time."

Orochimaru furrowed his brow. "I used the Reverse Summoning Technique to try to learn Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode, but I was refused every time. Ryūchi Cave won't let me learn it."

"What do you think, Keigo?"

He couldn't make sense of it.

By rights, if Jiraiya could learn Sage Mode, then he should be able to as well.

Refused!?

Keigo Uchiha considered it. "Could it be that Ryūchi Cave thinks the time isn't right? Or perhaps... this is a kind of test. If I were in their place, I definitely wouldn't pass up a summoner as exceptionally gifted as you, Sensei."

"I'd just take some time to consider it."

There was some basis for that.

Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myoboku were different.

Mount Myoboku didn't reject those who wanted to learn Sage Mode, and it barely tested them at all.

That was why countless people across the generations could learn Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode. Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Uzumaki Naruto had all learned it. The countless stone statues of failed students at Mount Myoboku proved it, too.

But Ryūchi Cave was frighteningly strict!

Even Orochimaru, a once-in-decades talent, hadn't been accepted!

Ryūchi Cave's selection process demanded absolute compatibility!

Only if the White Snake Sage believed you had a chance of succeeding could you learn Sage Mode. It was an outright elite system!

"Maybe there's still something about you that Ryūchi Cave thinks needs work, Sensei."

Keigo Uchiha considered it for a moment before reaching that conclusion.

"Something that needs work?"

Orochimaru was taken aback, not quite understanding.

But then he set the thought aside for the moment. "I can't give up on Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode. If I can't learn it, then it's up to you, Keigo. I'm sure you'll earn the right to train there."

With so many research projects on his hands, he was already swamped. Sage Mode could wait.

"Sage Mode requires a large chakra reserve as a prerequisite. Without it, you can't even begin training. If you want to learn Sage Mode, Keigo, increasing your chakra is essential."

Orochimaru added one more thing.

Jiraiya had told him that.

He hadn't cared much before, but now... it seemed he needed to increase his chakra reserves!

He already had plenty of chakra, but more was always better!

"I'll put my Senjutsu research on hold for now. Recently... I've found something new and interesting."

Orochimaru licked his lips, his amber eyes full of anticipation and excitement. "I just don't know if you'd be interested, Keigo."

"What is it?"

Keigo Uchiha raised an eyebrow.

Whatever caught Orochimaru's interest was bound to be extraordinary.

"Tailed Beast Chakra!"

Orochimaru's voice was hoarse with fervor.

"Lately, I've been interested in Tailed Beasts. They have immense chakra and can be sealed inside someone to act as a portable chakra extractor. Anyone who possesses a Tailed Beast and masters its power will have the combat strength of a Kage Level fighter!"

"I once wanted to study the Nine-Tails, but unfortunately, Sensei wouldn't allow it."

Orochimaru shook his head, looking regretful.

The village had the Nine-Tails, after all.

But he wasn't allowed to study it. It was so frustrating. The old man was getting more and more stubborn!

"So... I've decided to capture the Tailed Beasts from the other villages and study them. And... they're all a little too weak. The Eight-Tails, weaker only than the Nine-Tails, is the best subject!"

Orochimaru turned to Keigo Uchiha and smiled. "You've already reached Elite Jonin strength, Keigo. Are you interested in this?"

Keigo Uchiha: "???"

So, in the original story, you went after one of the Eight-Tails' horns because you thought the other Tailed Beasts were trash?

Damn, you really didn't know when to quit!

Had you gotten this cocky?

He nodded emphatically, his face full of agreement. "Sensei, I think it's worth doing!"

As it happened, he also needed a Tailed Beast for Inuzuka Mi.

They could take the Two-Tails while they were harvesting the Eight-Tails.

Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?

"Just as I thought, Keigo. You and I share the spirit of doing whatever it takes for research. We could bring Ruri along, too. She's practically a Jonin already and could be a great help."

Orochimaru stood up.

His pale face was full of excitement.

He could already picture the Eight-Tails in his grasp!