A heavy silence hung over the room as Senju Tobirama cleared his throat, his sharp eyes darting toward Orochimaru. The Second Hokage was a man known for his unwavering confidence, yet at this moment, there was an unusual stiffness in his demeanor. Orochimaru, ever the keen observer, immediately took note of this oddity.
"Ahem... Orochimaru..." Tobirama's voice was controlled, but there was an undertone of hesitation.
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, intrigued by this unexpected change in the usually composed Second Hokage. "What is it, Second Hokage?"
Around them, the tension grew palpable as those present turned their attention toward Tobirama. Uchiha Izuna, who had been silently watching until now, suddenly broke into laughter—loud, unapologetic, and mocking.
"Hahahahahaha! Tobirama, you're stalling! What, is the mighty Second Hokage nervous? What could possibly make you hesitate like this?"
The smirk on Izuna's face was infuriating. He had been waiting for this moment, the moment when his greatest rival—his sworn enemy—would be forced to admit something so ironic it bordered on hilarious.
Tobirama's jaw clenched as he glared at Izuna, resisting the urge to teleport behind him and end this humiliation with a swift blade to the neck. But that would be too easy. No, he would not give Izuna that satisfaction.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he sighed and spoke, his voice laced with reluctance.
"Orochimaru... I require a pair of Sharingan."
Silence.
Then—
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
Izuna doubled over, clutching his stomach as if he had just been dealt a fatal blow—not by a jutsu, but by sheer absurdity. "I KNEW IT! The great Uchiha-hating Tobirama! The one who spent his entire life creating countermeasures against us! Now, he wants our power?! This is priceless! Absolutely priceless!"
Tobirama's temples throbbed as his hands curled into fists. "Shut up, Izuna! If you don't, I swear on everything that I will personally—"
"Heh... what will you do, Uchiha Tobirama?" Izuna cut him off, his smirk widening.
Tobirama's eye twitched. His patience was wearing dangerously thin.
Orochimaru, still recovering from the sheer absurdity of the situation, finally spoke. "So, the Second Hokage wishes to enhance his abilities with Uchiha eyes?" There was amusement in his tone, but also curiosity. "How interesting. And what, pray tell, brought you to this decision?"
Tobirama straightened, regaining his usual composure. "It is for research purposes. If I can understand the Sharingan from the inside, I can develop better countermeasures against it."
Izuna wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "Ah, yes, 'research.' That's the excuse you're going with? Not because you realize the power of the Uchiha? Not because you want that power?"
Tobirama scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. This is merely a calculated decision."
Souta Kazuki, who had been quietly observing, crossed his arms. "Calculated or not, this is ironic as hell," he muttered.
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with fascination. "Very well, then. Let's proceed."
Tobirama lay on the experimental table, his face an unreadable mask of determination. As Orochimaru carefully implanted the Sharingan, he could hear Izuna humming a funeral tune mockingly.
The procedure was quick, but the moment it was complete, something changed. Tobirama's eyelids flickered open, revealing the crimson glow of the Sharingan. The world around him seemed to sharpen, to move differently. The flow of chakra, the subtle shifts in movement—everything was clearer.
For a moment, he felt an unfamiliar pull, a flicker of emotion buried deep within the Uchiha's cursed eyes. But Tobirama was a master of control. He pushed it down, locking it away.
Izuna smirked. "Well? How does it feel to have a piece of the Uchiha inside you?"
Tobirama stood, rolling his shoulders. "It feels... efficient."
Senju Tobirama stood before a small mirror, tilting his head slightly to examine his reflection. His newly transplanted pair of three-tomoe Sharingan gleamed with an ominous red glow, their intricate patterns swirling within his silver irises. He turned his head left and right, a pleased smirk curling at the edges of his lips.
"Hah… As expected of me! I'm so damn handsome!" he muttered with satisfaction.
Uchiha Izuna, standing nearby, scoffed and crossed his arms. His lips curled into a smirk, eyes burning with amusement as he watched the Second Hokage admire himself like a peacock. "Ugh… I have never seen such a shameless person!!!" Izuna sneered. "Uchiha Tobirama, you are such a fool. You look like the toad from Mount Myoboku that became a spirit! If it weren't for the Sharingan of our Uchiha clan enhancing your appearance, you'd probably shatter that mirror just by looking at it!"
Click!
The mirror in Tobirama's hand cracked, then shattered into countless fragments, his fingers tightening around the frame in barely contained rage. His good mood, which had been soaring just moments ago, evaporated instantly. He had been reveling in the power and heightened perception granted by the Sharingan, contemplating all the forbidden techniques he could develop with these eyes. But now? Now all he could think about was strangling this damn Uchiha.
"You bastard! My name is Senju Tobirama! If you call me by the wrong name again, I will kill you with the Flying Thunder God Technique!" he growled, his hand already forming seals.
Izuna merely laughed, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh? Then come and try, Uchiha Tobirama!"
Tobirama's face darkened. "I'm going to kill you!!!"
With a blur of motion, the two disappeared from the research facility, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to take their battle elsewhere. Their chakra signatures vanished, leaving only a lingering tension in the air.
The only ones left in the research facility were Orochimaru, Souta Kazuki, and the Twelve Konoha Genin, who had been observing the entire scene with varying expressions. Uzumaki Naruto, still adjusting to the weight of his newly transplanted Sharingan, blinked a few times, trying to get used to the enhanced perception. He felt a strange resonance in his body—his own chakra intertwining with the essence of the Sharingan.
Sasuke Uchiha, standing off to the side, clenched his fists. His gaze flickered between Naruto and the floating Sharingan in the laboratory's containment chamber. He reached for the spot on his chest where his tattoo from Orochimaru was still embedded. His grip tightened.
"My Sharingan is evolving…" he thought. "If I continue down this path… I will awaken the Rinnegan just like Madara. At that time, I will have the power to kill that man with my own hands."
A deep determination burned in his eyes. He had seen what true strength was, and he would not be left behind.
As Sasuke was lost in his thoughts, a chill ran down Orochimaru's spine. He instinctively turned, only to find every single Genin staring at him with an unsettling intensity.
"Uhh… why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked, his golden eyes narrowing.
Inuzuka Kiba grinned. "Orochimaru-senpai! There are so many Sharingan eyes here. Can you transplant a few for us?"
Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly. He glanced at the petri dishes filled with Sharingan, then back at the eager Genin. Do these brats think Sharingan transplants are like picking fruit from a tree? he mused. Even for an experienced shinobi, transplanting the Sharingan required an enormous amount of chakra to sustain. These kids barely had enough chakra to support their own bodies, let alone a pair of cursed Uchiha eyes.
"Ahem," Orochimaru cleared his throat. "Transplanting the Sharingan is not that simple. You need a sufficient amount of chakra, otherwise, the Sharingan will become a burden rather than a gift." He glanced at Naruto. "The reason why Naruto could handle the transplant so easily is because he's an Uzumaki. His chakra reserves are monstrous, and he also has the Nine-Tails inside him. That's why he can handle the strain."
The group fell silent, absorbing his words.
"And besides," Orochimaru continued, his lips curling into a smirk, "I plan to use the remaining Sharingan for research. If I succeed in my experiments, I might be able to create even more powerful variations of the Sharingan… ones with less chakra consumption." He turned to the eager Genin, his golden eyes gleaming. "If that happens, I'll consider offering them to those who are still interested."
The group exchanged glances. The idea of waiting for a stronger Sharingan was tempting. None of them wanted to end up crippled by chakra exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Hyūga Neji and Hyūga Hinata were deep in thought. The Byakugan had always been the pride of the Hyūga clan, but what if… what if they could wield both?
Neji's fingers instinctively brushed against his forehead protector, which covered the cursed seal of the caged bird. If I had the Sharingan… could I break free from this fate?
Hinata, on the other hand, had a different thought. Naruto-kun now has the Sharingan… if I had one too, would that bring us closer? Her face turned red at the thought, but she quickly pushed it away, focusing on the matter at hand.