Eyes and Abilities

"Are you... truly certain there is no special bloodline in your ancestry?"

Senju Tobirama stared at the white eyes within Li Ke's sockets, finally unable to hold back the question.

"I don't know either... The family records don't show anything. However, I do know that our family always maintained good relations with all the major ninja clans back in the day..."

Li Ke was also at a loss for words. In truth, intermarriage between ninja clans in the Ninja World was not rare at all; even within the Hyuga Clan, there were many who married in or out.

After all, not everyone could awaken the Byakugan. Those who failed to awaken it were not subjected to the Caged Bird seal; only those who successfully awakened the Byakugan required it.

Bloodline Limits, after all, were not so easily inherited.

Li Ke gently touched his newly grown white eyes. To call them Byakugan wasn't entirely accurate, as these eyes revealed a hint of blue and light cyan, yet still appeared somewhat pale.

Moreover, this regained sight was far clearer and reached much further than the Mangekyo Sharingan in his left eye. When the two fields of vision overlapped, Li Ke discovered something else.

The forest visible through the Sharingan was nowhere to be seen through this white eye; his right eye perceived a vast, open plain instead.

This was undoubtedly the power of X-ray vision, but Li Ke found it strange. The Byakugan's X-ray vision should be black and white, so why was his colored?

Was it a mutation, or the result of Izuna Uchiha's chakra influence?

Or perhaps—

Was he simply special?

Li Ke suddenly thought of his other selves. His counterparts in other worlds all possessed unique powers: French Li Ke had a talent for magic, Smiling Proud Li Ke had the ability of a Hard Drive Spirit, Daily Life Li Ke granted him super-strong physical constitution and vitality, and while he didn't know what talent Diablo Li Ke had provided, it was clearly something significant.

And what about his own?

Looking at himself in the ice mirror, Li Ke realized that what stood before him was Ice Release!

"Also, this Sharingan feels strange. It gives me the impression that it will disappear once the power within it is exhausted. Besides, Lord Second, do you actually possess the Ice Release Bloodline Limit?"

Li Ke couldn't help but ask, as he had never heard of such a thing!

"This is your talent... Qingtan, your talent might exceed my ability to imagine..."

Senju Tobirama's tone was incredibly complex. He had realized by now that the Mangekyo in Li Ke's left eye was merely the residual chakra of Izuna Uchiha. Once the power within was spent, or once Li Ke tamed this ocular power, he could easily conceal the Mangekyo.

But the question remained: what was going on with the right eye? Even the purest Byakugan did not possess the abilities Li Ke was currently displaying.

Was it a new Bloodline Limit? Or a mutation of the Byakugan?

Senju Tobirama quickly recalled the Murata Clan's genealogy in his mind, and was left speechless.

Because it actually existed!

The Murata Clan had been selling charcoal for hundreds of years. Although they were always a minor family, they never made enemies with anyone, and for a long period, they were even subordinates to the Daimyo.

It was only after the arrival of the ninja village era that they completely transitioned into ninjas.

But before that, quite a few branches of various clans had indeed intermarried with them.

The Uchiha, Senju, Uzumaki, Kaguya, Hagoromo, Hyuga, and Sarutobi clans had all, by some count, intermarried with them.

This wasn't a big deal; many ninja clans were like this. The Senju were the same—except for never having intermarried with the Uchiha, they had intermarried with all the aforementioned clans, and even more than the Murata Clan had!

After all, if clans wanted to form alliances, intermarriage was indispensable.

But usually, those who intermarried were peripheral figures of their clans. Even if they were lucky enough to awaken a Bloodline Limit, it would be incredibly weak and accompanied by severe bloodline diseases.

Because of this, most ninja clans practiced internal intermarriage among their bloodline ninjas.

However... a situation like Li Ke's could not be explained by mere abnormality!

This was a complete mutation!

Senju Tobirama's desire to research grew stronger, but in the end, he sighed and abandoned the thought.

After all, he was just a dead man, so he turned his focus to studying the situation inside Li Ke's body.

Soon, he understood the state of Li Ke's body.

"It is truly incredible... Izuna Uchiha's Yin Release Chakra activated your own latent power. It is just that your own ocular Bloodline Limit was too weak, so one eye could not bear the power of the Mangekyo. The remaining power combined with your excessive vitality to regenerate your new eye..."

The more Senju Tobirama observed Li Ke's body, the more absurd it seemed, as Li Ke's body reminded him of one possibility.

A Sage.

"A Sage Body, is it... Qingtan, I need you to try something. Attempt to control the Yin Release Chakra in your left eye, try to manifest this Yin Release Chakra, and then cover your right eye with it..."

Senju Tobirama's voice turned deep.

Li Ke, waiting for the "Old Military Doctor" Senju to diagnose him, quickly calmed his mind. He carefully mobilized the Yin Release Chakra, which carried an evil aura, from his left eye and attempted to draw it out.

The next moment, that uncomfortable chakra was easily drawn out from his left eye, just as if he were manipulating his own chakra. In the ice mirror, the Mangekyo pattern in Li Ke's left eye vanished, revealing a light-blue 'Byakugan' identical to his right eye!

At the same time, Li Ke's right eye began to ache, gradually transforming into the appearance of Izuna Uchiha's Mangekyo.

"As I thought!"

Senju Tobirama spoke immediately. His guess was correct: whether it was the Uchiha's Sharingan or the Byakugan, their essence was merely the change in the eyeball caused by powerful ocular energy.

But the Bloodline Limit stimulated by the Mangekyo's power in Li Ke was too strong, so even the Mangekyo's power could not forcibly override this Bloodline Limit to turn Li Ke's eye into a Sharingan!

It is a good thing it isn't really a Sharingan!

Senju Tobirama couldn't help but feel a sense of relief, but his scientific spirit made him want to have Li Ke try more things—to see if this ability could be preserved and utilized by Li Ke!

Because he could sense that even though this chakra was circulating within Li Ke's body, it exerted no pressure on his brain, nor did it cause any deformation to his brain structure.

In other words, Li Ke would not go insane from the curse of the Sharingan!

"Good. Now, try to produce chakra identical to this type."

Following Senju Tobirama's instructions, Li Ke began attempting to extract chakra leaning toward Yin Release. To his own surprise, despite previously possessing only Wind, Water, and Earth affinities, he found the process of circulating Yin Release chakra remarkably easy.

The next moment, Li Ke successfully extracted a type of Yin Release chakra that lacked the cold, sinister sensation of Izuna Uchiha's, as no matter how he tried, he could not perfectly simulate Izuna Uchiha's specific chakra.

Senju Tobirama felt a tinge of disappointment, yet he still helped Li Ke guide this power into his left eye.

The next moment, a three-tomoe Sharingan manifested in Li Ke's left eye. With Senju Tobirama's assistance in increasing the intensity, the injection of chakra—similar to that of Izuna Uchiha—caused the tomoe in Li Ke's left eye to spin rapidly until they finally transformed into the shape of a windmill.

A complete Mangekyo Sharingan appeared in Li Ke's gaze, though the patterns of the two eyes were not identical; Li Ke's Mangekyo pattern resembled a four-pointed star, looking much like a starry eye.

Furthermore, both Senju Tobirama and Li Ke could sense that if they were to inject more Yin Release chakra over a long period and use Li Ke's eyes to convert it into ocular power, even more changes might occur!

"It actually worked... Kid, can you perceive the power within your Sharingan? Never mind. Just inject your chakra into your eyes and see what happens."

Li Ke nodded. As chakra continuously surged into his left eye, he was actually more curious about the nature of the power in the "Sharingan" he had created by mimicking Izuna Uchiha's Yin Release chakra compared to his right eye.

As Li Ke injected his chakra, the four-pointed star in his left eye began to spin rapidly. The next moment, he felt his chakra become significantly easier to control.

Li Ke fell silent for a moment, then subconsciously released chakra from his hands and used his will to manipulate its shape.

In the next instant, his chakra rapidly transformed into the forms of wind, water, lightning, fire, light, ice, and even wood!

Moreover, after these changes in nature, the chakra underwent rapid shape transformation. Under Li Ke's manipulation, it quickly morphed into chains, a lightning beast, wind blades, and even a laser network!

"This..."

Senju Tobirama was stunned; he had likely grasped the ability of Li Ke's left-eye Mangekyo.

Chakra control! With this, no technique would ever be a secret or a problem for Li Ke again!

Aside from certain sealing techniques and specialized arts, Li Ke would almost never need to learn any elemental ninjutsu again!

However, Li Ke frowned. He withdrew the Yin Release chakra from his left eye—the one similar to Izuna Uchiha's—revealing his natural blue-white iris, yet he continued to supply his own chakra to convert it into ocular power.

The result was—

His extraordinary ability to control chakra remained, and it was even easier than before!

Even so, Li Ke felt a sharp, aching pain in his eyes, forcing him to stop the conversion of chakra into ocular power and cover his eyes.

"Is this actually the ability of your own Bloodline Limit? Then what is the ability of your Mangekyo? Or is it that you cannot awaken ocular techniques using the Mangekyo you mimicked? Well... although it's disappointing, Qingtan, test the eye harboring Izuna Uchiha's power! Use that Yin Release chakra you created that resembles his!"

Senju Tobirama was disappointed, yet even more excited.

Li Ke nodded and immediately transferred that Yin Release chakra. The next moment, the ice mirror in front of him erupted with black flames!

Amaterasu!

But Li Ke felt there was another ability he hadn't used yet, so he increased the output of that Yin Release chakra. The next moment, the Amaterasu flames shifted rapidly, and under the control of his eye, they transformed into sharp, black spears!

Li Ke felt he could unleash yet another ninjutsu. As more specialized Yin Release chakra was generated, a blue skeleton began to emerge from his body.

However, at this moment, Li Ke felt a warm sensation at the corners of his eyes. His left eye, which had already exited the Mangekyo state, now saw that his right eye was beginning to weep tears, and the tiny chakra meridians and blood vessels around his eyes were already pushed to their breaking point.

Some of his smaller blood vessels were literally bursting!

Li Ke hurriedly deactivated his "Sharingan," returning his eyes to their natural blue-white color. A wave of dizziness washed over his brain, forcing him to drop to one knee.

"Izuna Uchiha's chakra didn't deplete at all. It seems that when you use your own Yin Release chakra, Izuna Uchiha's chakra isn't consumed... But to prevent this chakra from affecting your brain, kid, I suggest you use a sealing technique to seal it at your neck and only break the seal when you need to use it."

Senju Tobirama finally relaxed; as long as it wasn't a standard Sharingan, anything else was fine, provided it wasn't harmful to the body.

"Indeed, Second Hokage-sama. Though the chakra consumption of the Sharingan is truly quite high..."

Li Ke felt his chakra reserves, which were now more than half depleted, and couldn't help but sigh at the terrifying toll this thing took on the body. He truly didn't know how Kakashi managed to keep it up.

But—

Why did he feel that as his body endured the consumption of such powerful chakra, something seemed to be slowly awakening?

What exactly was his own ability?

And what was going on with his eyes?

Li Ke's heart was truly filled with confusion.

"That's just how it is. But are you worried about your eyes? Indeed, this pair of eyes is prone to misunderstandings..."

Senju Tobirama used Li Ke's hands to quickly weave a few seals. The next moment, Li Ke's irises returned to their normal black color.

"This is a transformation technique I just improved. As long as the people of the Hyuga Clan don't stare closely at your eyes, they won't notice anything wrong. Even if there is an anomaly, you just need to say you are developing an ocular technique. Kid, remember how this technique works. Also..."

Senju Tobirama's tone was filled with delight.

"When you become a powerful ninja, expose your eyes and let those Hyuga fellows understand that the times have changed!"

He had been annoyed with the Hyuga Clan for a long time, after all!

I write 4k per chapter... sometimes even 5k.

Also, during the new book period, I'm not allowed to post more; the requirement is 4k.

So, there's no way around it.

Should I split it into two chapters?