Slave to Power

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Toji's life was remarkably tranquil.

His daily routine was a straight line between Gospel Hospital and the Underground Laboratory of the Zenin clan.

Studying sealing techniques, researching cursed seals, developing the Earth Grudge Fear secret arts, and conducting human experiments on Uchiha subjects—these tasks drained every ounce of his energy.

The only variable in his routine was the weekend.

On weekends, he would head to the Ninja Academy to lecture the medical class, playing the role of mentor to Matsumoto Waka.

The second variable concerned Uchiha Chirori.

Her treatment course had concluded, yet they did not lose touch; instead, she took the initiative every weekend to invite him to dinner and for follow-up check-ups.

Toji did not refuse.

Maintaining a good relationship with the acting head of the Uchiha, a powerhouse who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, was beneficial for him.

The check-up invitations were legitimate arrangements.

Toji performed regular brain scans on her, taking the opportunity to observe her Sharingan and collect firsthand data.

Uchiha Chirori was immensely powerful, yet stories about her only lived on through the oral traditions of later Uchiha generations. Toji believed she suffered from the same risk of bloodline disease as Uchiha Itachi would in the future.

If he didn't screen and maintain her condition early, she might just drop dead from a sudden flare-up one day.

Back and forth, their relationship grew increasingly warm.

However, this warmth was merely a one-sided perception on Chirori's part. As for Toji, he had no energy to spend on women.

Beyond that, he offered no further opinions regarding the village's development plans.

For instance, the establishment of the Anbu or the Police Force...

Firstly, one should only concern themselves with matters within their own station. Meddling too much would easily earn him the label of being "ambitious." Only by rooting himself in medicine and education could he maintain his facade of being indifferent and non-competitive.

Secondly, for a man secretly conducting kidnappings and human experiments, the Anbu and the Police Force were nothing but obstructive shackles that would only increase the risk of his exposure.

Toji's goal was never to strengthen the power of Konoha.

The only thing he poured his all into was himself.

On this day, three months later.

The weather was clear.

Toji finally achieved his wish, mastering the first sealing technique since his transmigration—the Five Elements Seal.

Toji refined his chakra, circulating it according to the specific hand seals, and focused it at his fingertips.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At the tips of his five fingers, deep purple flames ignited one after another, flickering slightly.

Although the release isn't quite smooth yet, I've finally succeeded.

Toji turned and walked into the basement, heading toward Uchiha Yan.

The next moment, without any warning, he pressed his hand, still charged with the Five Elements Seal, directly onto her face.

In the original story, Orochimaru used the Five Elements Seal on Naruto's abdomen to disrupt the stability of the Eight Trigrams Seal. By the same logic, to seal Uchiha Yan's Izanagi, the seal had to be aimed at her eyes.

"Ouch, what are you doing!"

Uchiha Yan let out a soft cry of pain and was about to lash out, but Toji had already pulled his hand back.

"You are free."

With that, he systematically unsealed the chakra points on Uchiha Yan's body, allowing her to once again refine chakra on her own.

"What did you do to me?"

"A sealing technique." Toji made no attempt to hide it, bluntly laying the ugly truth out first. "There is now an upper limit on the chakra you can refine. The moment you attempt to activate Izanagi, your chakra will instantly fall into chaos, and the technique will inevitably fail."

"Tch, I told you I wouldn't touch my own eyes..."

Uchiha Yan closed her eyes and licked the corner of her mouth.

Her body, having regained its freedom, instinctively began to refine chakra. When she opened her eyes again, scarlet Sharingan eyes emerged.

At first, there were only two tomoe.

But the next second, all the extreme emotions she had accumulated since her capture—deliberately guided by Toji—rushed into her brain like a bursting dam, agitating the sensitive nerves of an Uchiha.

The two tomoe within her eyes spun frantically, distorting, until they stabilized and a third tomoe took shape.

Three-tomoe Sharingan.

Their efforts had not been in vain.

Toji watched Uchiha Yan, whose face was filled with joy, with a calm expression.

The sudden leap in her power level made her delight impossible to conceal. Yet, she remained rational enough not to let the surge of power or her long-standing rage cloud her judgment and lead her to attack Toji.

This result was within Toji's expectations.

Having his research results verified was worth celebrating, but it was far from enough to make him lose his composure.

In essence, Uchiha Yan's talent was mediocre.

At twenty years old, even after witnessing the collapse of her beliefs, she had remained stuck at the two-tomoe stage, which proved that her original potential had already reached its limit.

Everything Toji had done was to push a mediocre person beyond her own limits. The three-tomoe Sharingan was only the beginning; in the long run, there was still a long way to go before reaching the ultimate goal: the Mangekyo.

"How does it feel?" Toji asked.

Uchiha Yan muttered in a daze, "So this is the power of the three-tomoe... It is truly intoxicating. My brother, it was only after possessing this power that he dared to rebel against that woman. But..."

She snapped back to reality, her eyes gleaming with greed, "It's not enough, this is nowhere near enough. I want more, I want even greater power!"

Uchiha Bin, who had long possessed the power of the three-tomoe, had still been beaten to his knees by that woman.

Let alone her.

The Uchiha were arrogant and lost their minds as soon as the weather cleared, but they were not brainless.

Based on objective facts, Uchiha Yan knew very well that her talent was limited and that, relying solely on her own efforts, she would never become the person she imagined herself to be.

Although Toji had imprisoned her and restricted her freedom, she had lost nothing during these days; on the contrary, she had allowed her Sharingan to advance.

If not for Toji...

She would likely still be wandering the Ninja World, desperately searching for the whereabouts of Lord Madara, while enduring the endless pursuit of her clan and the village.

"You said it, didn't you? That you would let me obtain the power of Uchiha Chirori, or even surpass her."

Watching the undisguised greed and craving on Uchiha Yan's face, Toji understood that he had succeeded. He now had a willing slave in his hands.

People are ultimately enslaved by what they desire most.

The Hyuga clan were slaves to freedom, while the Uchiha were slaves to power.

Cursed seals and sealing techniques alone could not buy true submission. But if one used what they craved most as bait, they would be driven to serve willingly.

After experiencing the thrill of a leap in power levels firsthand, Uchiha Yan could never forget that taste.

Once one has tasted the marrow, it is difficult to turn back.

"Of course," Toji said calmly, "it will come."

He spoke with great confidence.

Through his long-term contact with Chirori, he had already caught a glimpse of the secrets behind those eyes.

However, it was not ten or twenty percent, but one or two percent.

It was a bit of Toji's own twisted sense of humor.

"When?"

"Frequent stimulation will cause pathological changes in your brain. For at least a long time to come, you need to settle down and adjust your body to its optimal state."

Toji changed the subject, "I have already shown my sincerity; now, it is time for you to pay yours."

Uchiha Yan recalled the equivalent exchange Toji had mentioned, and a bloodthirsty smile curled at the corners of her lips:

"What do you want me to do?"

Toji's tone was flat as he uttered only two words:

"Ninjas."

"By any means necessary, bring me ninjas who have lost their ability to act but are still alive. The stronger they are, the better. At most two people at a time."

"Do not act too frequently, or you will be noticed. Bring them to me on the last day of every month."