Is the Mangekyo Bloodline Disease a Genetic Defect? / Chapter 23: Itachi Switches to Scientific Research

He figured he was just overthinking it, then went to scoop up Sasuke, who was almost three and still smelled of milk. This was the happiest part of his day.

If Uchiha Gin had known what Itachi was thinking, he would have said, "You're not imagining things."

After all, one was Itachi the butcher, who had personally slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan, while the other was Sasuke, who would risk his life for the Uchiha, working tirelessly and even willingly sinking into darkness to gain power.

There was no doubt that Uchiha Gin preferred Sasuke.

Kana!

Chapter 22: Is the Mangekyo Bloodline Disease a Genetic Defect?

That night, Itachi arrived on time.

Although Anbu were monitoring the area everywhere, they still didn't dare meddle inside Uchiha territory.

When Itachi arrived, he found Uchiha Gin waiting with Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.

"Is this just a child?"

Orochimaru frowned.

Tonight was the night Uchiha Gin had arranged for him to get an assistant.

It was the sort of thing that had to be kept under wraps: research on First Hokage Cells, conducted in secret.

He had expected Uchiha Gin to assign a few Uchiha Clan elites, but he hadn't expected only a child to show up.

"He's a genius of the new generation. His intelligence surpasses Shisui's."

Uchiha Gin offered a brief explanation.

"I hope so. I'll be waiting for your answer tonight."

Orochimaru didn't press the issue. After all, he hadn't been counting on anyone else for his human experimentation.

He was more interested in the secret information the Uchiha knew, sensing that it might help him solve the mystery that had long troubled him.

Then Orochimaru led the two of them to the secret research base he had prepared.

It was underground on the edge of Uchiha territory, near the forest. Usually, only members of the Uchiha Clan came here to practice ninjutsu.

Now that it was concealed by the Uchiha and Root, no one was likely to discover the base unless they deliberately exposed it.

"You prepared all these machines in such a short time. I'm impressed."

They passed through a long underground tunnel and arrived at the laboratory Orochimaru had prepared.

It wasn't very large, under two hundred square meters, and was filled with all kinds of equipment.

"These are Danzo's personal collection. Getting them ready took quite a bit of time."

Orochimaru's voice was hoarse, but Uchiha Gin could hear a hint of glee in it.

Itachi remained silent. He didn't actually know what he and Fugaku had discussed, so seeing all this made him realize just how serious the matter was.

When he left home, Fugaku had urged him to give everything he had for the clan.

But he still couldn't understand what any of this had to do with Sasuke.

"All right, can we get back to what we were discussing earlier? The relationship between the Senju and Uchiha."

Orochimaru couldn't help asking.

"The Senju and Uchiha were both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths. You already know what the Uchiha are like. They can go berserk, and they've been hostile to each other since the first generation of their descendants. That's how they became enemies for a thousand years."

Uchiha Gin gave a brief explanation.

"?!"

Itachi stared at Uchiha Gin in shock.

Orochimaru nodded, then gestured for Uchiha Gin to continue.

"You've probably seen the Second's research on the Uchiha Clan. The Mangekyo Sharingan grants powerful ocular techniques, but it also comes with a side effect. Using it forcibly will lead to blindness."

"The story goes that Uchiha Madara solved the problem by replacing his eyes with his younger brother's Mangekyo. In truth, his brother was gravely wounded by the Second and died. Before he passed, he gave his Mangekyo to Uchiha Madara."

"After replacing his own eyes with his brother's Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara discovered that his Mangekyo Sharingan had evolved and the side effect of blindness had disappeared."

Uchiha Gin skipped over a great deal and went straight to the changes Uchiha Madara underwent during the Warring States period.

"The Mangekyo Sharingan evolved?"

Orochimaru was thrilled, and a suspicion began to take shape in his mind.

"Eternal Mangekyo. That's what the evolved form is called. But I think it was actually a genetic defect in Uchiha Madara that got corrected."

Uchiha Gin's words made Orochimaru's eyes widen with excitement.

"Exactly. At its core, Bloodline Disease is a genetic defect. It's a flaw caused by one's genes being unable to withstand the power."

"As long as the defect is corrected, the power of a Kekkei Genkai can be used perfectly!"

Orochimaru spoke with excitement.

He agreed with Uchiha Gin.

"You mean the Senju Clan's bloodline can also correct the Uchiha Clan's genetic defect, making the Mangekyo Sharingan's Bloodline Disease disappear!"

Orochimaru immediately grasped what Uchiha Gin meant.

"Exactly."

Uchiha Gin replied.

After Obito received a White Zetsu arm formed from First Hokage Cells, using Kamui became as effortless as using a basic technique. It barely took any chakra at all.

But after using it a few times, Kakashi was practically left with the eyesight of an old man.

"The Senju Clan doesn't seem to suffer from Bloodline Disease. No, wait. Apart from the First Hokage, no member of the Senju Clan seems to have possessed a Kekkei Genkai."

Orochimaru looked puzzled.

"The Senju Clan inherited physical prowess, while the Uchiha Clan inherited the bloodline limit of the eyes: the Sage Body and the Sage Eye."

Uchiha Gin replied.

"So that's why you came to me. It's because I'm researching First Hokage Cells?"

Orochimaru looked enlightened.

This made him trust Uchiha Gin a little more. The other man had a purpose; he wasn't just stringing him along.

"Did Uchiha Madara tell you all this?"

Orochimaru's sudden question plunged the room into silence.

Itachi's heart raced. He sensed a sharp edge in Orochimaru's attitude. He also knew a little about Uchiha Madara and understood that the name was taboo.

"What if I told you my Mangekyo Sharingan's ocular technique let me see the past and the future? Would you believe me?"

Uchiha Gin wasn't bothered by Orochimaru's confrontational question.

"Perhaps it's true."

Orochimaru smiled.

But Itachi felt as if both men were ready to bare their fangs at any moment.

"Looking at it this way, continuing the research would just be helping the Uchiha Clan. I wouldn't gain much from it."

Orochimaru continued.

"You could use Uchiha blood fully fused with First Hokage Cells, along with your own genes, to clone a body that's perfectly suited to you."

"And Senjutsu is another crucial piece."

Uchiha Gin laid out what he could offer in return.

He hadn't told him everything from the start. He had to keep some things in reserve to maintain Orochimaru's interest.

If Orochimaru saw right through him, the balance of power between them would shift.

Keeping employees motivated with promises of future rewards was an essential skill for a boss.

He would keep the Rinnegan, the God Tree, and the Otsutsuki in reserve as carrots to dangle.

"Interesting. Cloning?"

"Is Senjutsu relevant because of the First Hokage?"

Orochimaru didn't object. It seemed he accepted Uchiha Gin's proposed rewards, though he was puzzled about the Senjutsu part.

"You're researching an inferior version of Senjutsu, the Cursed Seal, aren't you? The Sage of Six Paths' power came from Senjutsu. Natural Energy is the original source of energy on this planet."

Uchiha Gin's words were somewhat vague.

But Orochimaru looked astonished.

He had only recently started researching the Cursed Seal. He had left the village to look for test subjects and discovered a person with a special body.

He had set up a research base outside the Land of Fire to work on it. He had barely mentioned it in Konoha, yet Uchiha Gin knew about it.

"Can your eyes really see the past and the future?"

Now Orochimaru wondered whether Uchiha Gin had actually been joking before.

"Perhaps. But what I've seen should all be true."

Uchiha Gin's answer left Orochimaru unsure what he meant.

Still, he decided to continue researching First Hokage Cells. He had been planning to put it aside for the time being, but it seemed he had only seen the surface of things.

It seemed he had barely scratched the surface of the world's truth.

Chapter 23: Itachi Switches to Scientific Research

Next, Orochimaru began testing Itachi's abilities as an assistant.

After a series of tests, Orochimaru looked astonished.

"He's only eight, yet he's already mastered the Mystical Palm Technique, Chakra Scalpel, and Chakra Scalpel Extraction Technique."

These techniques were usually mastered by medical ninja who had reached the rank of Chunin.

If he could master a few more medical techniques, he could even be promoted to Special Jōnin.

And Itachi was only eight!

"He's already memorized all the materials you gave him and can answer questions about them fluently."

"He can quickly master any technique he's been taught, even if he's only had one lesson. He's a genius through and through."

Uchiha Gin didn't particularly like Itachi.

But there was no doubt that Itachi's talent was top-tier!

Shisui leaned more toward genjutsu and the Body Flicker Technique, while Itachi was more well-rounded.

"I approve of this assistant."

"But will he be afraid of human bodies?"

Orochimaru had no further objections to Itachi becoming his assistant, but he asked Uchiha Gin the question as well.

"He's already been on the battlefield, even before he became a ninja."

Uchiha Gin's answer left even Orochimaru silent for a moment.

"The Uchiha truly are a frightening clan."

Orochimaru sighed.

"I'd say the Third Hokage is the real problem. He dragged things out and sent these freshly graduated Genin to the battlefield as human bombs."

"If they had a choice, who would send their young clan members to war?"

Uchiha Gin sneered.

You couldn't blame the Uchiha for this.

Orochimaru was a little surprised. He sensed that Uchiha Gin's way of thinking was very different from that of people today.

There were few people in this world who dared to defy those above them so openly.