Awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan

Orochimaru looked at Keigo Uchiha in surprise. "So that's how it works. Now that I think about it... it does make some sense."

He hadn't expected Keigo to be able to draw so many conclusions.

Even after coming into contact with so many Tailed Beasts, he had never thought of that.

"But... let's deal with what's right in front of us first. Long time no see, Ryuichi. I couldn't find you in Kumogakure, so I never expected you'd come to the Land of Iron to enjoy yourself."

"Is this... the price you paid for betraying Konoha?"

Orochimaru looked at Masatomi Ryuichi with a faint smile.

That's right.

Masatomi Ryuichi was the shinobi who had betrayed Konoha!

"I thought you'd gain more resources in Kumogakure, maybe even become a Jonin and acquire greater power. I never imagined you betrayed Konoha just to live a comfortable life as an ordinary man."

Orochimaru grinned, revealing a row of white teeth that made one's scalp crawl.

"Sorry... I'm not Ryuichi. I... I'm just an ordinary person!"

Cold sweat streamed down Masatomi Ryuichi's forehead.

He fell flat on his backside.

Panic seized him!

He had betrayed Konoha because he wanted to live a life of comfort. Kumogakure had given him a large sum of money, enough to let him enjoy the rest of his life. But he'd never imagined... Orochimaru would still find him!

Orochimaru walked up to Masatomi Ryuichi and crouched down, narrowing his eyes as he spoke in a slow, hoarse voice. "Ryuichi, even though we haven't met often, do you really think I'd mistake you for someone else?"

His amber eyes were icy.

Like those of a cold-blooded snake.

That chilling, imposing aura made him tremble all over... He didn't dare move!

"I was wrong, Lord Orochimaru! Please, just let me go this once. I swear I'll never betray Konoha again!"

Masatomi Ryuichi wept bitterly, kneeling on the ground. "I swear I'll make amends through my actions from now on!"

Facing the legendary Cold Lord Orochimaru,

he didn't dare entertain a single thought of resistance. Against a shinobi this powerful, he wouldn't even have had a chance to fight back!

"Too late."

Orochimaru grinned and plunged the Kunai in his hand into Masatomi Ryuichi's chest without hesitation.

"Because of your betrayal, the old man lost quite a few Konoha shinobi. That's not something you can make up for."

The surrounding area erupted into chaos.

Screams rang out.

The pretty faces of more than a dozen geisha were filled with panic and fear.

But Keigo Uchiha and Orochimaru remained calm and indifferent.

"Keigo, do you think Konoha's actions are cruel?"

Orochimaru spoke lightly as the two turned and walked away, paying no attention to the commotion behind them. To them, this was as simple as eating or drinking.

"If a traitor appeared in the Uchiha Clan, I'd kill them at any cost, too."

Keigo Uchiha spoke calmly, his eyes steady and untroubled. "Shinobi aren't right or wrong; they belong to different sides. Those who aren't one of us can't be trusted."

"Especially traitors."

Why did the Five Great Shinobi Villages fight one another?

Why did they constantly apply pressure and snatch each other's Jinchuriki, even their Tailed Beasts? It was all because they belonged to different sides and wanted to protect their interests!

"Exactly. Shinobi aren't right or wrong; they're on different sides."

Orochimaru smiled.

Keigo was more mature than he'd imagined. The two quickly disappeared from sight. When the samurai of the Land of Iron arrived, they could only watch as the pair brushed past them.

They walked away without a care.

"My lord, why didn't we stop them just now?!"

A samurai looked furious. "They're challenging the Land of Iron! We're a neutral country, and they used force right here in our territory!"

But then he suddenly froze.

He saw cold sweat streaming down the samurai commander's forehead. His pupils contracted as he asked in shock, "My lord... what's wrong?"

"Do you know how strong they are? Just now, one of them looked at me, and I couldn't move a muscle! I'm certain that if we'd attacked, every one of us would have died!"

The samurai commander felt cold all over, as if he'd fallen into an icy pit!

"What was that look just now? I have the strength of a Jonin, but... I was so terrified I couldn't move. Could they be Elite Jonin, or even... Quasi-Kage?"

He glared at the samurai beside him and shouted, "Don't let your stupidity doom the entire Land of Iron!"

"Although the Land of Iron is neutral, it isn't independent!"

"Making enemies of shinobi that powerful will bring disaster upon our country!"

He looked at the others, sorrow and helplessness on his face. This was the sorrow of the Land of Iron. The samurai believed they could stand against shinobi, but they didn't understand that the truly powerful shinobi were beyond anything they could imagine.

But there was nothing he could do to change that.

At once,

the samurai went stiff and cold, as if someone had doused them with icy water!

They fell silent and watched the two figures disappear into the distance, helplessness and desolation rising in their eyes. Was this... the price of being weak?

Kumogakure.

Seeing Ai and the others return empty-handed, lightning crackled around the Raikage, fury filling his eyes. But his anger wasn't directed at Ai and the others. Ai was only twenty-two, yet he already had the strength of an Elite Jonin.

He had even reached the edge of the Quasi-Kage level!

This wasn't his fault.

The blame lay with the Raikage for failing to notice the enemy's approach. Their methods had been far too meticulous; they'd toyed with all of Kumogakure as if it were in the palm of their hand!

"He can use Storm Release and even dares to make such outrageous boasts. This... must mean there's a traitor in the village. Kumogakure needs to investigate every corner!"

The Third Raikage's gaze was icy, like a cold block of iron.

"Only Kumogakure knows Storm Release, and only someone from Kumogakure could use it to that extent. There's a traitor in the village. We have to find them as soon as possible, or more of our secrets will be exposed!"

His eyes flashed with cold light.

He slammed his hand down, smashing the table in front of him to pieces!

This was infuriating!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt like a brainless beast, led around in circles by his enemy!

"Father, could it have been Konoha? I heard there's a young member of the Uchiha Clan in Konoha who also developed Storm Release. He's a genius, too!"

Ai spoke, his eyes glinting. "We sent people to Konoha before to carry out the Fire Theft Plan. It wouldn't be impossible for them to come after us in revenge."

He said he'd "heard" it,

but the truth was that his intelligence network had passed the news along.

He knew for certain that Konoha had produced such a genius!

He instinctively refused to believe that there was a traitor in Kumogakure.

"Impossible."

The Third Raikage shook his head, his green eyes filled with firm denial. "I know about that, too. He's only twelve years old. There's no way he could be that powerful!"

"This was the work of a traitor! Only a Kumogakure traitor could use Storm Release with such power!"

His face was full of conviction.

There was even something strangely confident about him!

Although his father's words seemed a little strange, and he seemed to have too much faith in Kumogakure, Ai thought about it and realized he had a point. After all, only Kumogakure possessed Storm Release that powerful!

Even if a Konoha shinobi had developed Storm Release,

their control and experience with it couldn't compare to Kumogakure's.

"Hmph!"

The Third Raikage snorted. "A mere twelve-year-old with strength comparable to an Elite Jonin? What a joke! And didn't you say the person was about one meter seventy tall?"

"So they must be at least sixteen. The ages don't match!"

"So there's definitely a problem inside Kumogakure!"

The Third Raikage was utterly certain, and would hear no argument.

A final trace of doubt lingered in Ai's eyes. Then he suddenly thought of something. What if the other person had Storm Release and had also trained in Nintaijutsu?

After all, at twelve, he was already as tall and powerfully built as a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old.

It wasn't impossible for Konoha's genius to have the same kind of talent—unless he only trained in ninjutsu and hadn't used Storm Release to train in Nintaijutsu!

"Investigate the whole village. And... there's something else!"

Ambition glinted in the Third Raikage's eyes, along with a cold light. He looked at Ai and spoke slowly. "Ai, the village is carrying out the Tailed Beast Normalization Project. The Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the Two-Tails Jinchuriki are both supposed to be able to control Complete Tailed Beast Transformation."

"But now... the Two-Tails is gone. That means Kumogakure's power has weakened."

"So... let's go take a Tailed Beast! I think Chomei, the Seven-Tails of Takigakure, is the best choice. Kumogakure... can't afford to be without a Tailed Beast!"

He grinned, revealing blue-purple gums and a row of white teeth.

Ai's body tensed. He immediately understood what the Third Raikage meant.

"I understand, Father!"

"Kumogakure can't afford to be without a Tailed Beast!"

The journey back to Konoha was uneventful.

Or rather, even if they had encountered trouble, it wouldn't have amounted to much in Keigo Uchiha and Orochimaru's eyes.

Twenty days later, the two returned to Konoha.

They'd taken a detour to avoid a possible interception by Kumogakure.

Orochimaru's countless brushes with death had taught him that this was necessary, so the pair had taken longer than usual to return.

In the laboratory,

Orochimaru smiled as he took a scroll from the experimental table, excitement glimmering in his eyes. "Keigo, this is the Cursed Seal you asked me to make. It can convert Tailed Beast Chakra into power you can use!"

"It's a modified version of the Senjutsu Cursed Seal, but it won't do anything for an ordinary person. I wonder what you want it for."

"Of course, it can't permanently increase your chakra. It's like borrowing chakra from a Tailed Beast for a while, keeping it as reserve chakra. And Tailed Beast Chakra is inherently violent and difficult to control."

"It's practically useless."

Orochimaru shook his head.

Keigo might have some other use for it, so he was curious.

With Keigo Uchiha's agreement, Orochimaru carved the Cursed Seal into his chest. Keigo Uchiha's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Teacher, this is useless to ordinary people. It's even a liability. Being swallowed up by Tailed Beast Chakra means losing your reason, and that only ends in death."

"But for me, this is a way to become even stronger!"

"Or rather... the entire Uchiha Clan could use it. We just need to test it."

Keigo Uchiha's eyes glimmered.

The Uchiha Clan had Yin Release, and their power came from the God Tree. The Tailed Beasts' power came from the God Tree as well; you could even say they were part of it.

Their chakra was pure God Tree Chakra!

If he could convert Tailed Beast Chakra into Yin Release Chakra, perhaps... he could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!

"Oh?"

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. He was already aware of Keigo Uchiha's extensive knowledge,

and his terrifying ability to put plans into action.

So he didn't doubt him.

"I need to report back to the old man now. Stay here and train. I'll tell him you've run out of chakra and are recuperating. I doubt the old man will come looking for you."

Orochimaru spoke casually.

An ordinary shinobi wouldn't have this privilege, of course. But Keigo Uchiha had just completed an S-rank mission.

He was also a genius of the Uchiha Clan and Orochimaru's student, so it wasn't a problem.

After Orochimaru left, the laboratory door closed again. Looking at the Two-Tails sealed inside the jar, Keigo Uchiha's lips curved up as he slowly opened a corner of the lid.

At once, its chakra surged violently.

It tried to escape!

"Damn you, brat! I'll never forgive you!"

"Now that you've opened the seal, this is my chance to escape. And... with that Quasi-Kage-level powerhouse gone, you alone are no match for me!"

But in the next instant, Keigo Uchiha formed the power of the Cursed Seal in his hand, and the Two-Tails' Tailed Beast Chakra was instantly split into Yin and Yang.

The same happened to every bit of Tailed Beast Chakra that escaped the jar.

The Yang Release Chakra was immediately thrown back inside!

"This should work the same way Minato Namikaze split the Nine-Tails into Yin and Yang. I just don't know enough Sealing Jutsu, so I have to rely on the Cursed Seal my teacher gave me."

Keigo Uchiha's eyes glimmered with delight.

There wasn't much Tailed Beast Chakra outside the jar, so it wasn't difficult to handle.

But Keigo's actions made the Two-Tails' fur stand on end!

It felt as if it had plunged into an icy pit!

"What are you doing? How... did you split part of my chakra into Yin and Yang? And... why is my Yin Release Chakra disappearing?"

The Two-Tails shrieked in terror, its voice roaring from inside the jar.

It was shocked.

And utterly despairing!

Although Tailed Beasts could be revived, their chakra never changed. After they died, their wandering chakra would gather again at the place where they had first been born. But now... if its chakra was split apart and even absorbed,

it might truly disappear!

The brat in front of it... was a demon!

He'd actually come up with a method like this!

"I'm just borrowing some of your Yin Release Chakra. Don't make such a big fuss."

Keigo Uchiha chuckled. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, then transformed into an eerie five-pointed star, gleaming with a sinister light. The chakra surrounding him was ice-cold.

"So it really works. This is... the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

"Just as I thought. Using the Yin Release Chakra of a Tailed Beast with the same origin can stimulate the Sharingan. Absorbing the Yin Release Chakra can also promote its evolution. I didn't expect it to actually work."

Wisdom gleamed in Keigo Uchiha's eyes, his expression calm.

As if he'd known this would happen all along.

He slowly turned to the Two-Tails in the jar and opened it completely!

Hokage's office.

Orochimaru reported on the mission. "Simply put, the two of us enraged the Eight-Tails, causing chaos in Kumogakure and considerable damage. We also captured the Two-Tails."

He shrugged and licked the corner of his lips.

Doing missions with his student Keigo was such a pleasure!

That feeling of absolute safety was incredible!

"What?!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sprang to his feet, breathing hard, his eyes full of shock. "You unleashed the Eight-Tails and captured the Two-Tails?!"

Looking at Orochimaru's pale face, alight with excitement,

the more he looked, the more absurd it all seemed.

How had this happened?

He'd never ordered them to go after the Two-Tails! Those two had been audacious enough to do it anyway—and actually pulled it off. Every Tailed Beast had the strength of a Kage Level fighter!

Orochimaru was only a Quasi-Kage, wasn't he?

And Keigo Uchiha was just an Elite Jonin, wasn't he?

This was absurd!

"Of course. I've already promised Keigo that he can decide what to do with the Tailed Beast, so I can't hand it over to you, old man."

Orochimaru added.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched. "You'd better not hand it over to me!"

"Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do with it. If Kumogakure found out, it'd inevitably lead to a major battle!"

"What's there to be afraid of? Konoha has two Tailed Beasts now. We don't need to fear an attack from Kumogakure." Orochimaru grinned, unconcerned. Keigo was already a Quasi-Kage.

And Konoha had two Tailed Beasts.

A whole bunch of Quasi-Kage and Tailed Beasts.

A whole bunch of Kage Level fighters. What was there to fear?!

"...Orochimaru, I don't know why, but after taking on a student, you seem to have become a little more... 'straightforward.'"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched. He'd replaced the word "reckless" with "straightforward."

He took a puff of his pipe.

"Also... do you remember Hyuga Ruri? She came back to the village alone. Did you two forget about her? Or do you only care about Keigo Uchiha?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen reminded him.

Hyuga Ruri hadn't been hurt when she arrived in the village.

But clearly, Orochimaru and Keigo Uchiha had abandoned her!

They'd treated her like a tool!

Hyuga Ruri had returned to the village half a month early and spent that entire time fuming!

"Uh..."

Orochimaru froze, then fell silent for a moment. "Sorry, old man. I really did forget. She didn't do anything the whole time, so I sent her back early."

"And while Hyuga Ruri has good talent, Keigo Uchiha is the only one whose temperament matches mine."

"He could be considered my personal disciple, couldn't he?"

Orochimaru looked pleased with himself.

Taking on this student had been the best decision ever!

Not only could Keigo provide him with ideas for experiments, he could also help him acquire materials!

Having a student like this on the path to immortality was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him!

"You? A good match for Keigo? Don't joke around. Keigo's such a sunny young man. Don't let him end up like you!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen scolded him without hesitation.

He'd met Keigo Uchiha and watched him grow up—or, well, watched him grow up through his crystal ball. He was a sunny young man with the Will of Fire, destined to become a pillar of the Hokage's line!

Orochimaru: "???"

Sunny?

Old man, are you sure you haven't got him mixed up with someone else?

Never mind. He couldn't be bothered to explain.

"Alright, old man, I'm heading back. I'll be in seclusion for a while. Don't call me unless something comes up."

With that, Orochimaru waved and vanished in an instant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the spot where Orochimaru had disappeared, his eyes filled with affection and helplessness.

"Forget it. I'll let him be."

"Kumogakure is restless these days, and war is bound to come sooner or later. This won't make much difference. But has Orochimaru gotten even stronger? He actually managed to subdue the Two-Tails!"

"He must have sealed the Two-Tails himself, with Keigo Uchiha merely assisting."

He gave a cold snort.

His broad chin spoke of his resolve and fearlessness in the face of battle!

Little did he dream that Keigo Uchiha's strength was already on par with Orochimaru's.

In the laboratory.

The Two-Tails' upper body hovered in midair, while her lower body tapered like wisps of smoke, still inside the jar. For some reason, Keigo Uchiha thought she looked like the genie in Aladdin's lamp.

The five-pointed star in his eyes turned slowly. Its eerie power made Two-Tails Matatabi feel ice-cold all over.

"Now... do you have anything else to say, Two-Tails?"

He smiled faintly.

His expression was calm.

Now he could easily control the Two-Tails. That was the power of the Sharingan. Controlling a Two-Tails without a Jinchuriki was child's play!

"You... awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan using my Yin Release attribute. How did you even think of doing that?"

Her eyes brimmed with shock and disbelief!

There was a way to do that?

How could it be possible?

She'd never heard of anything like it!

Even the old man back then had never told them the Sharingan could be awakened into the Mangekyō Sharingan this way.

"Of course it works. It's just difficult."

Keigo Uchiha chuckled. If other members of the Uchiha Clan tried to awaken the Mangekyō, they'd have only a slim chance of success. Too much or too little Yin Release Chakra could cause their bodies to mutate!

In the best-case scenario, their bodies would be taken over by Tailed Beast Chakra.

In the worst case... they'd explode and die!

They'd have only one chance to experiment. Success meant awakening the Mangekyō; failure meant a lifetime of suffering!

But he had Absolute Control, which let him precisely control the amount of Yin Release Chakra. And his Three-Tomoe Sharingan had greater ocular power than other people's Sharingan!

"Since you Tailed Beasts draw your power from the God Tree, and the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan also comes from the God Tree, using your power to awaken the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyō Sharingan isn't difficult at all."

Keigo Uchiha chuckled.

He continued calmly, "Next, I'll seal you inside a young woman. Don't cause trouble or resist. Give her your power. Otherwise... I won't hesitate to control you—or even kill you for real."

His voice was calm.

But Two-Tails Matatabi felt as if she'd fallen into an icy abyss!

Her eyes were filled with shock and terror!

"W-who are you? How do you know about the God Tree? How do you know all these things? Could you be the child of destiny the old man spoke of? No!"

"The child of destiny could never be a devil like you!"

She was utterly shocked.

The boy before her was like a devil who knew every one of her weaknesses!

He left her no room to fight back!

"No, you can't kill me, either. All I need is some Yin Release Chakra. Even if I lose my Yin Release Chakra and my body is left with only Yang Release Chakra, I still won't die!"

Two-Tails Matatabi's eyes were resolute!

She refused to yield!