Uchiha Shin

An Uchiha powerhouse...

Feng Yao suddenly thought of Uchiha Shin, a Mangekyo wielder who appeared later in the original story. He seemed to have been one of Orochimaru's test subjects.

"By the way, do you have a test subject named Shin here?"

"Nothing gets past you, Feng Yao."

Orochimaru was not surprised to hear this.

If there were anything in this world that even Feng Yao did not know, that would have surprised Orochimaru.

Feng Yao nodded, somewhat curious about Shin. "Take me to see him."

Orochimaru nodded. "Of course, Feng Yao."

With that, Orochimaru formed hand seals with both hands.

"Reverse Summoning Technique!"

A cloud of smoke rose, and Feng Yao and Orochimaru disappeared from the dense forest.

Orochimaru's experimental base, Otogakure, Land of Rice Fields.

Feng Yao and Orochimaru appeared inside a base packed with experimental equipment.

Kabuto and some of Orochimaru's subordinates were processing documents and experimental reports.

"Who's there?!"

Everyone instantly went on alert, ready to fight at any moment.

"Don't panic. It's me."

Orochimaru's cold voice rang out.

"It's Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto called out to stop the others.

"I didn't expect you to persuade the daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields and establish Otogakure so quickly..."

"Haha, without the information you provided, Feng Yao, it might have taken me a long time..."

"It's still being established, though, but I do have a laboratory here."

Feng Yao nodded.

"Lord Feng Yao, Lord Orochimaru..."

Kabuto and the others approached to greet them, including several people from Otogakure whom Feng Yao remembered.

Orochimaru signaled for the others to continue working.

"Kabuto, go bring me Shin's files."

"Yes."

Before long, Kabuto brought over Shin's files.

"Good. Go back to your work."

Orochimaru motioned for Kabuto to leave, then handed the files to Feng Yao.

Feng Yao opened them and took a look. They contained information about Shin.

"Let's go, Feng Yao."

Feng Yao followed Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, Kabuto has a talent for research. You could put more effort into nurturing him. He might bring you plenty of surprises in the future."

"As for his identity, we both know he's just Danzo's spy. But he's a smart man with a mind of his own. He knows what he should do..."

Orochimaru naturally knew Kabuto's identity. Although he entrusted him with important work, there were certain fundamentals he would not teach him.

Kabuto's later strength came entirely from finding his own way.

In this world where bloodlines reigned supreme, Kabuto's success could be called defying fate.

Feng Yao admired him greatly.

"All right. Since you say so, Feng Yao, it seems I really should pay more attention to you..."

Orochimaru trusted Feng Yao deeply, and he had seen Kabuto's talent for himself. Previously, he had worried that Kabuto would turn against him.

But with Feng Yao vouching for him, Orochimaru no longer had much to worry about.

Feng Yao nodded.

Feng Yao had said this precisely because he wanted Orochimaru to develop Kabuto's abilities.

Orochimaru alone could never meet Feng Yao's demands.

Once the Uchiha were settled in Amegakure, Feng Yao was also considering whether to recruit Hiruko, a research genius like Orochimaru.

As for Hiruko's personality, that gave Feng Yao something of a headache.

The rest was manageable, but his delusions of ruling the world were rather thought-provoking.

If nothing else worked, he could only resort to some special measures.

But that was all for later.

They arrived at a laboratory.

Feng Yao saw a teenage boy lying on a bed.

He had short, pure-white hair, no eyebrows, large eyes with slightly sunken sockets, and a rather thin, small build. He wore a white sleeveless laboratory gown, and his face was pale.

That was Shin.

He was sitting on a simple hospital bed.

"Shin has a very special constitution. His body doesn't reject any Kekkei Genkai..."

"Come to think of it, he was the one who approached me in the first place."

Orochimaru spoke slowly.

Feng Yao nodded.

Feng Yao naturally knew about Shin's constitution from his previous life. Otherwise, how could someone without any Uchiha blood evolve a Three-Tomoe Sharingan into a Mangekyo?

That alone was enough to show how unique Shin was.

Shin was also a troubled boy.

According to the files Orochimaru had provided, Shin was a war orphan from Konoha.

On top of that, Orochimaru had subjected him to prolonged human experimentation and bodily modifications since childhood.

Without a normal childhood, emotionally stunted, and without a proper education, his entire worldview had become warped.

This was what led Shin to later believe only in strength and survival of the fittest, thinking that comfort and peace would cause shinobi to degenerate and that only war could drive evolution.

It had to be said that a lack of education was what led many talented people to tragedy.

This made Feng Yao reflect that education truly was a century-long undertaking.

Shin had already noticed Feng Yao and Orochimaru's arrival.

"Lord Orochimaru..."

"Don't be nervous. This is Uchiha Fengyao. He asked for you by name..."

At this point, Shin was not yet as deranged as he would be later.

That made him somewhat nervous around Feng Yao. After all, even Orochimaru, who was immensely powerful in his eyes, treated Feng Yao with courtesy.

But when he heard "Uchiha," he suddenly felt a sense of closeness.

"Don't be nervous. I think very highly of your talent..."

Shin was quite intelligent and immediately asked, "Do you mean my special constitution?"

"Yes."

With that, Feng Yao used Kamui, and a bottle of nutrient solution containing a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared in his hand. Feng Yao handed it to Orochimaru.

"Transplant these eyes into him."

Orochimaru was surprised to hear this. "I didn't expect you to value Shin so highly, Feng Yao."

Yes, Feng Yao intended to thoroughly reshape Shin.

If Shin could regard Itachi as his spiritual pillar, why couldn't Feng Yao take that role?

"From now on, your name will be Uchiha Shin. Are you willing?"

"I... am..."

Shin did not know why, but hearing the name "Uchiha Shin" gave him a sense of familiarity, and excitement suddenly welled up inside him.

"Uchiha... Shin..."

I... I have a name! Uchiha Shin!

Shin felt a sense of belonging.

His parents had died in the war, but he had been smart since childhood. He had seen the darkness of the Konoha High Command, and so he hated them.

In the past, all he had wanted was to learn Lord Orochimaru's cloning techniques and obtain a powerful body, so he could defeat everyone who bullied him.

But gradually, at some point he could not identify, he had become lost, then numb...

"Very good, Uchiha Shin. I am Uchiha Fengyao, the current clan head of the Uchiha."

"For now, stay here with Orochimaru. Once I lead the Uchiha out of Konoha, I'll come take you away..."

At the word "Konoha," a flash of hatred passed through Shin's heart.

"Lord Feng Yao, what happened?"

"Orochimaru will tell you the details."

He had no intention of explaining.

"Orochimaru, I'm taking Shin. But don't worry. I'll compensate you with something else."

After all, Feng Yao was recruiting one of Orochimaru's people right in front of him, so he still had to offer Orochimaru some reassurance.

"Hehe, no problem. I trust your compensation won't disappoint, Feng Yao."