"Is this really all right, Rei-kun?"
In Kirigakure's main village, Orochimaru, who was observing the already formed Byakugan clone inside a culture vessel, turned his head and looked at Rei Kaguya, who had just sent a bone clone to Konoha through the Reverse Summoning Technique. His eyes narrowed as he asked,
"Although there is indeed something wrong with your body, according to my research, as long as we transplant a Byakugan compatible with your body, we can suppress the intensity of the All-Killing Ash Bones' backlash to a great extent. If, on top of that, we add chakra from different Tailed Beasts as catalysts, the backlash can even be suppressed to a level where it will not flare up for more than ten years…"
"You have to give young people a little pressure."
Rei Kaguya shrugged. He casually shook a bottle of strong alkali he had obtained from the Six-Tails, Saiken, and said unhurriedly,
"I can indeed solve every problem and every trouble myself, but what meaning would that have? Aside from me personally gaining some experience, what would those who follow me obtain from it?"
"Nothing but worship and dependence. And worship and dependence will only take away their determination and will to forge ahead."
"I do not want the entire shinobi world to have only me capable of standing up and fighting the Otsutsuki clan's enemies as an equal when they eventually come knocking."
"Heh, heh, heh… Your way of thinking is still as unique as ever, Rei-kun."
A rare, cheerful smile appeared on Orochimaru's gloomy face.
"Although I have always believed that your body is one of the most valuable research materials of this era, perhaps, compared to your body, your ideals and will possess value no inferior to it."
"You only said something so against your conscience because I provided you with cells from every bloodline clan in Kirigakure as research material, right?"
Rei Kaguya looked at Orochimaru with half-lidded eyes, his face full of disdain.
"That is only a small part of the reason. On my side, have I not already begun preparations to transfer several children with special physiques that I collected to Kirigakure?"
Orochimaru spread his hands and grinned.
"I sincerely believe that if you are the one to rule the shinobi world, Rei-kun, this world should become even more interesting than the world I once imagined…"
"Say something even more sincere."
"In this covert operation, Rei-kun, I assume you will not let go of the literature and records the Hyuga clan has accumulated over so many years? If you find a way to reach the moon from them, please be certain to bring me with you when you set foot on that land…"
Orochimaru stretched out his long tongue and licked his cheek, unable to conceal his excitement.
"That branch of the bloodline is probably even purer and closer to the legendary Otsutsuki than the current Senju, Uzumaki, Uchiha, Hyuga, and Kaguya clans, is it not? If we can obtain some of their bloodline and cultivation methods, perhaps the artificial Otsutsuki project can truly begin."
"That still depends on Root making a move first."
Rei Kaguya shook his head and sighed.
"Otherwise, with such a troublesome enemy around, I really would not dare leave Kirigakure to search for the traces of Ancestor Hamura and his descendants… Hm?"
Hearing Rei Kaguya suddenly make a short sound of confusion, Orochimaru followed up at the right moment.
"Did something happen, Rei-kun?"
"Hm. How should I put it…"
Rei Kaguya rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful.
"Well, the bone clone I just sent to Konoha discovered another relatively talented child from the Uchiha clan of this era while moving alone. So, with the thought of testing his ideas a little, it released a shadow clone and slightly exposed its tracks in front of him…"
"And the result?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. The corners of his mouth naturally began curving into a faintly gloating smile.
"What did that brat do?"
"That child named Itachi Uchiha chased after my shadow clone alone, then, with rather poor luck, ran straight into a member of Root."
Rei Kaguya spread his hands, looking helpless.
"Heaven and earth can bear witness. This time, I really did not intentionally try to hook another Uchiha clan genius."
"Rei-kun, as long as you are happy."
Orochimaru rolled his eyes, wearing an expression that clearly said, "Do you think I believe that?" Then he returned to his experimental table and resumed his work.
…
For Itachi Uchiha, today was a day he had to remember firmly.
Not because anything happy had happened, but because it had given him a deeply memorable lesson.
Because his father had taken the clan higher-ups to negotiate with the Fourth Hokage early in the morning, Itachi Uchiha had not seen his father at breakfast.
By the time he went out with his mother, who had finished the housework, to buy ingredients for the family's meals today, the news that the Uchiha clan had compromised with the Fourth Hokage was already being discussed by quite a few people who had also come to buy vegetables.
As a precocious and intelligent child, when other children his age were still playing without worry, he had already begun learning how to think about matters that made his father and mother sigh and shake their heads from time to time.
So when he discovered that his mother, Mikoto Uchiha, unconsciously tightened her grip because of what the people around them were discussing, squeezing his small hand until it hurt, he did not cry out immediately.
Instead, he endured that uncomfortable pain and carefully listened to the surrounding discussions. Only after that did he ask his mother in a trembling voice,
"Mother, they are talking about our Uchiha clan… Has the matter with Brother Shisui become that serious?"
"No, it has not."
Hearing her eldest son's young voice showing concern for her, Mikoto Uchiha suddenly woke from her worry and tangled thoughts.
She hurriedly relaxed the hand holding Itachi Uchiha's and spoke to him, half distressed and half comforting, as he looked at her with innocent confusion.
"Those are all meaningless trivial matters. Itachi does not need to take them to heart."
"Is that so?"
"Your father will handle everything properly. Itachi only needs to continue living as usual."
Unfortunately, Mikoto Uchiha's comfort did not put Itachi Uchiha at ease.
Because his father, Fugaku Uchiha, who had basically taken time every afternoon recently to accompany him for basic training, did not appear on time today in the small forest known only to father and son.
Training alone was not impossible for a serious and self-disciplined child like Itachi Uchiha. But his father's absence without any prior notice or reason made him even more deeply realize that the matter people had been discussing that morning was definitely not as simple as his mother had said.
And just as Itachi Uchiha was sulking alone while practicing shuriken throws at the forest in front of him, a faint but highly abnormal sound came from the forest not far away, cutting into the rhythm of Itachi Uchiha's shuriken throws.
Clang!
Two shuriken that should have struck the tree trunk in parallel, one after the other, missed their standard and collided with each other. After making a crisp sound, they fell to the ground.
The sudden noise also calmed down with it, as if it had only been an auditory hallucination caused by Itachi Uchiha's unsettled mood.
But when Itachi Uchiha carefully moved toward the source of the strange sound according to his memory, several branches that looked as though they had been violently snapped in panic, along with two or three very shallow footprints, appeared in his vision.
Someone was moving through the mountain forest occupied by the Uchiha clan, sneaking around and doing something unknown.
That was the judgment Itachi Uchiha made based on the scene.
Then, for a five-year-old little brat, what should he choose to do at this moment?
Of course, he should go home and inform the clan adults, letting them handle this suspicious fellow—
"I will not let you escape so easily."
Itachi Uchiha distinguished the direction the footprints were heading, then chased after them without hesitation.
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