Returning to the Village, Izumi's Worries

When Uchiha Arashi returned home, he happened to run into Izumi coming out to take out the trash.

Although she had used a Transformation Jutsu to alter her appearance, in Uchiha Arashi's eyes, such a disguise was practically non-existent; he could recognize her at a single glance.

And when Izumi saw Uchiha Arashi, the pleasant surprise in her eyes was nearly overflowing.

"I'm back."

Uchiha Arashi stepped forward and said in a low voice.

Izumi bit her lip, saying nothing, only nodding silently.

A moment later, inside the Shadow Space.

"Big Brother Arashi!"

"You're back!"

A group of little ones surrounded him joyfully, laughing and jumping around Uchiha Arashi; they couldn't have been happier.

During the few days he had been away, everyone had been on edge, terrified that something might have happened to him out there.

There were too many powerhouses in the Ninja World, and the Mangekyo was by no means invincible. Especially since his Mangekyo wasn't an original pair; using it could only be said to be slightly better than outsiders like Kakashi or Danzo, but compared to the original owner of the eyes, there was still a certain gap.

Currently, it was known that both the Third and Danzo in Konoha were bent on finding him, and Obito was lurking in the shadows, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey. Therefore, every second Uchiha Arashi spent outside, he faced immense risk.

Especially when he used the Kamui space to jump, it was very easy to run directly into Obito.

Fortunately, he had traveled without incident and returned to Konoha successfully.

"Did you finish everything?"

Once the younger ones had quieted down, Izumi walked to Uchiha Arashi's side and asked softly.

"Finished, everything went smoothly. I got the appointment, and I even met with Orochimaru on the way..."

"Orochimaru?!"

Izumi let out a low cry.

"Why would you go see him? You aren't hurt, are you?"

She immediately reached out, wanting to check Uchiha Arashi's body.

Uchiha Arashi stopped her, caught between laughter and tears.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Although we had a fight, it was at most a spar. Don't forget, my Mangekyo isn't just for show."

"Why did you go looking for him? Don't you know how dangerous he is? You didn't tell me when you left that you were going to see Orochimaru this time!"

Izumi fired off several questions in rapid succession.

Orochimaru's reputation was too great; he was known by everyone in Konoha, including his entire resume.

Being a student of the Third, being one of the Sannin—none of these compared to the reason for his eventual defection: human experimentation!

That was the most terrifying part. Considering Orochimaru's strength, while he was still in the village, no one could guarantee they wouldn't become his experimental material.

Even though he had left now, whenever people in the village mentioned that name, they still felt a chill down their spines, as if they were being stared at by a venomous snake.

Uchiha Arashi had to explain one by one.

"I went to see Orochimaru because he had something I needed. Of course I know he's dangerous, but Orochimaru isn't a madman; he can be reasoned with. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. You are all in just as much danger in Konoha, and I didn't want you to be distracted because of my affairs."

He reached out and grabbed Izumi's hand, saying in a low voice.

Izumi tried to pull back but couldn't, her face flushing slightly.

"Then you still shouldn't have taken the risk... You said he had something you needed? What is it?"

"This."

Uchiha Arashi took out a bamboo tube and opened the lid to show Izumi.

"What is this?"

Looking at the white, flesh-like substance inside, Izumi looked blank.

"Hashirama Cells."

Uchiha Arashi said truthfully.

"Hashirama... You, what do you need this for?"

Izumi was somewhat confused.

"To use on myself, of course. Perhaps you will need it in the future, too."

Uchiha Arashi said.

"This, this thing... I could use it too?"

Izumi's expression was troubled; she couldn't imagine what use this thing could have.

"Yes. When Hashirama Senju was alive, it was said he possessed near-infinite vitality, and his total chakra reserves were the strongest in the Ninja World. I was thinking, could his chakra help us use the Sharingan? You know that the Mangekyo carries the risk of blindness. The clan says it's a curse, the fate of the Uchiha, but in the end, it's because intense emotional stimulation produces excessive chakra.

The eyes are very fragile organs, and even ordinary people would suffer vision damage from frequent high-intensity use. For an Uchiha fighting with ocular jutsu, this is only more severe. If we had Hashirama Cells to provide vitality and chakra, would it be possible to slow down the rate of blindness?"

He said in a speculative tone.

He was well aware that this was not merely about mitigating the risk of blindness, but rather about potentially erasing that risk entirely to a certain degree.

Of course, Hashirama Cells were certainly not as effective as evolving into a Mangekyo, and these cells were inherently highly aggressive, causing additional strain on the user's body.

However, the reality was that for him and Izumi, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it was nearly impossible to awaken the Mangekyo. The only other option was to find a way to ascend directly to the Rinnegan, but the difficulty of that path was no less daunting than the Mangekyo. Thus, the only road left before them was the path of Hashirama Cells.

This was the very reason he had to take the risk of seeking out Orochimaru.

He could have done something about Danzo, but Danzo's level was simply too mediocre; he held no interest in him whatsoever.

Although Orochimaru was dangerous, he was an exceptionally excellent trading partner.

"Is it really possible? This kind of thing... it feels a bit too miraculous."

"It should be. Even if it fails, it doesn't matter; it would only cost a single Sharingan."

Uchiha Arashi took the opportunity to tell Izumi about the details of his deal with Orochimaru.

This included Itachi's ocular techniques.

"You know about Itachi's ocular techniques? You've seen them?"

Izumi immediately seized upon the most important part.

"Yes, that night I secretly observed Itachi's ocular techniques from a distance. His left and right eyes possess different abilities. If I saw correctly, his left eye is an illusion type, and his right eye is a ninjutsu type. Both are incredibly powerful... I know what you're thinking, but rest assured, that man won't be killed so easily. Orochimaru cannot do it. He will continue to live, living until the day you have the strength to take your revenge."

Taking revenge on Uchiha Itachi had become Izumi's obsession.

The Uchiha were like this; the depth of their love was matched only by the depth of their hatred.

Just as much as she had once liked Uchiha Itachi, she now wanted to strip his skin and pull out his bones.

"Alright, don't worry anymore. Didn't I come back safely? Besides, Granny Cat is also willing to continue cooperating with the Uchiha... Get ready. In a few days, the bookstore will officially open. We will take the others in step by step, first adopting them as orphans, and then gradually introducing them into the sight of others."

Uchiha Arashi finally said.

This was the plan they had long since agreed upon.

Izumi had no objections to this.

And so, early the next morning, the two began to act separately.