"Shisui, how did it go?"
Orochimaru was eager to learn how his latest research had turned out.
After tentatively drinking a small amount of the serum Orochimaru had developed, Shisui could clearly feel life-giving energy being absorbed by his body. The energy then nourished his eyes, and the ocular power in them had noticeably recovered.
Even the cooldown period for the Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye seemed to have shortened.
"Lord Orochimaru, your research achieved the expected results." With his ocular-power problem temporarily resolved, Shisui smiled.
"Quickly, tell me the details." True to his reputation as a research fanatic, Orochimaru immediately began gathering experimental data.
After hearing Shisui's description, Orochimaru confirmed that his research had succeeded.
"This time, at least, I didn't disappoint you, Shisui." There was no denying that Orochimaru had a certain charm at that moment.
Simply prioritizing Shisui's needs before pursuing his own path to immortality was enough to make Shisui see Orochimaru in a new light.
"However, this serum can't be mass-produced yet. Aside from the one you have, Shisui, I have two more. You may as well take them too." As Orochimaru finished speaking, a lab assistant brought over two test tubes filled with clear liquid.
"I'll keep making more for you. When you run out, just send someone to pick them up."
Faced with Orochimaru's sincerity, Shisui felt he should offer something in return. He took out another sealing scroll and handed it to Orochimaru, who looked puzzled.
"There's another White Zetsu's corpse inside. I'm giving it to you as well, Lord Orochimaru. I hope you find a way to achieve immortality soon."
To Shisui, who was about to inherit Uchiha Madara's assets, White Zetsu were expendable and hardly a precious resource. Rather than leave one unused, he might as well give it to Orochimaru now, to keep their relationship warm.
"With this specimen, I can speed up my research." After a brief moment of surprise, Orochimaru collected himself.
"Shisui, I'm almost reluctant to let you go." Orochimaru licked his lips as he spoke.
In just over four months, Shisui had already brought him plenty of surprises.
Orochimaru had a feeling that Shisui would bring him even more in the future.
"It's time to take control of Kirigakure." With his ocular-power problem temporarily resolved, Shisui could take over from Uchiha Madara and assume control of the Fourth Mizukage and Three-Tails Jinchuriki, Karatachi Yagura.
In the Land of Water, inside the office of the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura.
"Lord Madara, that concludes Nagato's experiences in the Land of Rain." Black and White Zetsu, the two-faced being, was reporting on everything that had happened between the Akatsuki and Hanzo.
"To avoid drawing attention, Biwa Juzo and the others we sent didn't interfere much, and they let Nagato and that woman named Konan leave." Black and White Zetsu had watched the whole thing from the shadows that day.
"It's fine. Think of it as leaving Nagato with a bond." As Madara saw it, keeping Konan around might give him a way to control Nagato if necessary.
"Now Nagato understands the importance of power. He'll follow the path we've laid out for him." A peace-loving Nagato clearly wouldn't use the Rinne Rebirth Technique to revive Madara. That was why Madara had sent an emissary to entice Hanzo and drive Nagato into a desperate situation.
"Lord Madara, you've thought everything through. But I still feel that Uchiha Shisui can't be trusted." In Black Zetsu's eyes, Uchiha Shisui wasn't the sort to be brainwashed and swept up by the so-called "ideal world." In fact, despite seeming sociable, Shisui didn't appear to have a single meaningful bond.
Black Zetsu couldn't figure out what someone as rational as Shisui truly wanted.
That was what made it feel most uneasy.
"Besides, he had Konoha's missing-nin, Shimura Danzō, impersonate you. For months now, Danzō has been probing into the village's bloodline clans. I suspect they're plotting something."
Uchiha Madara didn't respond to Black Zetsu's concerns.
"As an Uchiha, no one can resist the power these eyes offer." Uchiha Madara pointed to his Sharingan.
"Above the Mangekyō Sharingan is the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Combine that with the power of the Samsara of Heavenly Life, and you can obtain the Rinnegan. Shisui won't be able to resist that temptation." Madara spoke with certainty.
"And I've seen that ambition in Shisui." As someone who had lived for nearly a hundred years, Madara believed he could see through anyone.
"So even if it's only for the sake of gaining power, he'll stand with us."
In truth, Uchiha Madara had also given Black Zetsu's concerns a great deal of thought.
The reality was that, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't find anyone more suitable than Shisui to "inherit Madara."
"As for Shimura Danzō, he's obtained a few Sharingan and an inferior version of Hashirama Cells, but there's no chance he'll awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. There's no need to worry about him." Madara no longer cared about his reputation. As for Shimura Danzō, he didn't even register in Madara's eyes.
"But..." Black Zetsu had spent countless years preparing to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki. Meeting Uchiha Madara had brought it closer to success than ever before, and it wouldn't allow anything to go wrong with this plan.
"If something does go wrong, you'll have to set things right, Black Zetsu." Uchiha Madara cut off what Black Zetsu was about to say.
At this point, neither of them had any way back.
"Yes, Lord Madara. I understand."
As Black Zetsu agreed, it considered how to guard against Uchiha Shisui.
"Achoo! Who's badmouthing me?"
Outside Kirigakure, Shisui had returned to the village with Tayuya and the others.
"Stop! Who are you?"
When the Kirigakure guards caught sight of a familiar figure, with a faint red glow visible in the eyes beneath his hat, they immediately remembered what had happened last time.
"Wait, hold on."
One quick-witted guard spoke up at once.
"There's no need for you to use genjutsu this time, sir. We can hypnotize ourselves."
As he spoke, the guard promptly collapsed to the ground, pretending to be asleep.
The other three guards caught on as well. They all shut their eyes and staggered about, unwilling even to glance in Shisui and the others' direction.
"Sir, why are the Kirigakure guards so strange?"
Beside Shisui, Tayuya, who was in disguise, watched the guards' bizarre behavior with curiosity.
"Strange? You're the strange one! Your whole family's strange!" The four guards lying on the ground and pretending to sleep didn't dare retaliate openly, so they silently cursed her in their hearts.
"Come with me. There are plenty of strange things in this village."
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