Orochimaru tilted his head when he heard this, looking thoughtful.
"Hmm... so that happens too... let me think..."
He lowered his head and pondered for a while, then his eyes suddenly lit up.
"I understand now."
"After transplanting a close brother's eyes, you feel the grief of losing a loved one every moment. That emotion constantly stimulates the brain, making it keep secreting that special energy, which combines with chakra to generate new Yin Release chakra in the eyes."
"With a fresh supply coming in, naturally, you won't go blind. This amounts to using a special method to produce Yin Release chakra continuously."
Xuandou nodded thoughtfully.
Since that was the case, and he had already mastered Yin Release chakra, could he find a way to artificially create the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?
He wanted to ask more.
But Orochimaru suddenly glanced into the distance, and his expression changed slightly.
He turned back and smiled at Xuandou, a trace of apology in his smile.
"I have to go. All my research on the Sharingan is recorded in this scroll."
He pulled a scroll from inside his clothes and casually tossed it to Xuandou.
"If you want to find me again, use that Summoning Technique. I look forward to our next meeting."
With that, he grabbed Anko, who had remained silent throughout, and vanished into the depths of the woods in a flash.
Holding the scroll, Xuandou gazed in the direction Orochimaru had left, unable to help reflecting.
Saving Orochimaru really was the right move.
Although Orochimaru had also escaped successfully in the original story, hadn't he lost his experimental materials and suffered serious injuries?
With my help, his departure was much more leisurely.
Besides, working with a scientist this gifted and willing to delve into research was far more useful than working with that old man, the Third.
As he was thinking, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host on completing the mission! Reward: S-rank ninjutsu, Flying Thunder God!]
Immediately afterward, an enormous flood of memories poured into his mind: densely packed technique formulas, hand seal sequences, Spatial Perception techniques...
All of it was etched into his consciousness.
Flying Thunder God... I have it!
A glance out of the corner of his eye revealed several dark figures approaching through the distant woods.
They were the Anbu pursuing Orochimaru.
If he, the Uchiha Clan Head, was discovered near Orochimaru's base, he would never be able to clear his name.
Without further hesitation, Dōjutsu Power surged in his left eye.
"Yomotsu!"
Ripples spread through the space behind him. Xuandou's figure slowly sank into it and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Using Yomotsu Space as cover, he deftly evaded the Anbu's search and returned home after a tense but uneventful journey.
After closing the door, Xuandou immediately took out Orochimaru's scroll and eagerly began reading.
Many detailed human meridian diagrams were drawn on the scroll.
Dense red meridian lines spread throughout the body like tree roots.
Beside them were even more detailed diagrams of individual areas.
The meridians around the eyes had been deliberately enlarged, every tiny channel clearly outlined.
Beside the diagrams, Orochimaru had carefully marked the circulation routes for Yin Release chakra.
Xuandou already had some grounding in medical knowledge, so he had little difficulty reading the material.
After a long while, he finally raised his head.
"So that's how it works..."
He closed his eyes and began refining Yin Release chakra within his body.
Chakra slowly gathered in his lower abdomen.
Holding his breath and concentrating, Xuandou carefully guided this power upward, bit by bit, along the meridians marked on the scroll.
At last, the Yin Release chakra slowly flowed into his eye sockets.
The instant it entered his eyes, Xuandou distinctly felt the slight stinging in them give way to coolness.
Even more remarkably, he could feel this cool power filling the depleted spaces within his eyes.
Those gaps had always been there before, like a vessel that could never be filled. Every time he used the Sharingan, they grew a little larger, accompanied by a faint ache deep within his eyes.
Now, as the cool power continued flowing in, those gaps were being filled little by little.
A comfortable coolness spread from deep within his eyes.
The stinging that had accumulated from his frequent use of the Mangekyō Sharingan gradually faded in that coolness as well.
Xuandou opened his eyes. He could clearly feel Dōjutsu Power recovering.
"This is..."
Xuandou blinked in disbelief.
"The damage is being repaired?"
Xuandou could not help growing excited.
What did this mean?
It meant he had now truly mastered the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan!
He no longer needed to worry about expending Dōjutsu Power and could use the Mangekyō Sharingan as freely as he pleased!
More importantly, it meant he could help other Uchiha clan members restore their Dōjutsu Power!
In the future, neither Shisui nor Itachi would have to worry about going blind from overusing the Sharingan!
The thought made Xuandou rather excited.
Although that ever-so-filial son Itachi had committed some outrageous acts in the original story, there was no denying that his talent was frighteningly great.
If he could guide Itachi properly before he went astray and give him a healthy pair of Mangekyō Sharingan that he could use freely...
That prospect was exciting just to imagine!
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
It was now the day before Kushina was due to give birth.
The most significant event in Konoha during that time was Minato Namikaze's successful completion of the Hokage Succession Ceremony, officially becoming the Fourth Hokage.
That morning, Shisui appeared before Xuandou.
"Lord Xuandou."
Shisui cupped his hands in salute, his expression respectful.
"All the Uchiha clan members have been relocated. They are now settled in that town outside Konoha."
He paused, then added:
"At present, only the three hundred Konoha Military Police Force members led by Lord Fugaku, along with the clan's Anbu, remain in the village."
Xuandou nodded.
Since the Nine-Tails' Catastrophe was bound to happen, there was no way he would leave the entire Uchiha clan in Konoha to face that danger.
After all, he had only managed to increase their population with great difficulty. Every loss would pain him.
His prestige within the clan was now high enough that his relocation proposal had encountered almost no resistance, and the plan had been carried out smoothly in just a few days.
Xuandou stood.
"Let's go. Come with me to visit the Fourth Hokage."
"Yes!"
The two headed toward the Hokage's office building, one following the other.
When they reached the door to the Hokage's Office, Shisui followed Xuandou as he pushed it open and entered.
Minato Namikaze was sitting behind his desk.
He wore a white Hokage Ceremonial Robe, a gentle smile on his lips. He looked sunny and approachable, without any of the imposing authority of the previous Hokage.
Xuandou keenly noticed something.
Unlike the mountains of intelligence reports during the Third's tenure, there were hardly any piles of documents on Minato's desk.
Seeing Xuandou enter, Minato immediately stood and greeted him with a smile.
"Clan Head Xuandou, what brings you here?"
Xuandou smiled and got straight to the point.
"Minato, the Konoha Military Police Force would like to organize an evacuation drill for the public to prepare for emergencies. I've come specifically to request your approval today."
Minato's gaze sharpened slightly, and his smile faded a little.
"You're still worried about... that supposed enemy invasion?"
Xuandou laughed lightly and waved a hand.
"Don't worry. We Uchiha will cover all the expenses this time, including manpower costs. There's no need for any additional reimbursement from the village."
Minato hesitated, then nodded.
"Please wait a moment."
He stood, opened a door on the side of the office, and went inside.
Before long, the door opened again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi actually came out with Minato.
Xuandou's gaze flickered slightly.
Hiruzen had a pipe between his lips and a kindly smile on his face.
"Heh heh heh."
Hiruzen spoke first, his tone familiar.
"I had already retired, but Minato insisted that I serve as an adviser, saying he lacked experience. You must find this amusing, Xuandou."
As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at Minato.
Standing behind him, Minato looked slightly embarrassed and could only smile along.