Considering that Naruto hadn't even been born yet, Amemiya Kenichi wondered how old Deidara could possibly be. He decided to shelve his plans to recruit Deidara for the time being.
Besides, when it came to recruiting talent...
Amemiya Kenichi remembered a child he'd once glimpsed, seemingly working for Danzo and bearing a striking resemblance to Kabuto.
He shook his head. Even if it was Kabuto, Danzo had already taken an interest in him. It would likely be impossible to get him anytime soon. He'd have to play it by ear.
"How's the experiment log coming along?" Orochimaru's voice interrupted Amemiya Kenichi's thoughts. He quickly handed over the logbook.
After his teacher nodded in satisfaction, Amemiya Kenichi finally breathed a sigh of relief and followed Orochimaru out of the experimental facility.
Konoha was relatively peaceful at the moment. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, had demonstrated his strength during the previous war, and Sarutobi Hiruzen was still in his prime.
Konoha was currently maintaining a formidable military strength, so even the Raikage of Kumogakure hadn't shown any hostile intentions toward the village.
"But being targeted by Obito... that's even worse, isn't it?" Amemiya Kenichi rubbed his chin. Honestly, these hot-headed young guys are such a pain.
If Obito had just been willing to communicate and understand things privately, the entire plot of the Naruto World might have taken a different turn.
Thinking about Obito's Kamui-imbued eyes, Amemiya Kenichi felt a pang of envy. Kamui... such a powerful and convenient dōjutsu!
The Kamui Space seemed quite spacious. If he could acquire Kamui, wouldn't he be able to build his own completely independent laboratory? And it would be incredibly secure.
Unfortunately, Sharingan dōjutsu are born from the Uchiha Clan's strongest desires at the moment of stimulation, making precise control impossible.
And to be honest, Amemiya Kenichi wasn't even sure if he could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Obito's eye is a Mangekyō Sharingan with Kamui, and Kakashi's eye also has Kamui. Theoretically, their effects should be the same," Amemiya Kenichi mused, casually buying two skewers of tri-colored dango and taking a bite.
The dango tasted pretty good.
Just as he was about to eat the other skewer, Kenichi felt an intense gaze. He couldn't help but turn around—ninjas are pretty sensitive to stares.
When he looked, he saw a little kid staring longingly at the dango in his hand.
An Uchiha Clan kid, judging by the distinctive crest on his clothes.
"Want some?" Kenichi asked the Uchiha child. There were plenty of young ninjas around these days, and this one looked well-behaved. He wondered who the kid was with.
The boy nodded instinctively, then immediately shook his head, making Kenichi chuckle. So, does he want it or not?
Still, Kenichi offered the dango. After a moment's hesitation, the boy took it, murmuring a shy "Thank you."
"Itachi, what are you doing here?" An urgent voice rang out as an Uchiha ninja leaped to the boy's side, glancing at Amemiya Kenichi.
Amemiya Kenichi maintained his playful expression, as if teasing a child, but inwardly, he was surprised.
The boy before him was Uchiha Itachi—the man who orchestrated the Uchiha Clan Massacre, the very person Sasuke had harbored hatred for so long.
While Itachi's future strength was undeniable, he was still just a kid. What truly caught Amemiya Kenichi's attention was the Uchiha standing before him:
Uchiha Shisui.
A prodigy among ninjas, but in Amemiya Kenichi's eyes, Shisui's greatest asset was his Mangekyō Sharingan. The genjutsu Heavenly Shine was simply absurdly powerful.
If that thing had a shorter cooldown, Shisui could probably have brought true peace to the Ninja World.
"He kept staring at my tricolor dango, so I gave him one," Amemiya Kenichi explained with a chuckle. Though he knew this man was Uchiha Shisui, Amemiya Kenichi wasn't particularly worried.
The other party couldn't possibly use Heavenly Shine on him, even if they suddenly went crazy. Besides, they didn't look very old, and it was questionable whether they had even awakened the Mangekyō.
"Thank you," Uchiha Shisui said politely, but he remained vigilant. After leading Itachi away, he used his own methods to check for toxins, only relaxing slightly once he confirmed there were none.
Amemiya Kenichi didn't think much of his chance encounter with Uchiha Shisui and Itachi. Konoha was peaceful now, and since the Fourth Hokage had taken office, the Uchiha Clan's situation had improved somewhat.
Namikaze Minato, while wary of the Uchiha Clan, wasn't as extreme as Danzo, who wanted them eliminated at all costs.
Shisui, however, felt a pang of regret. The powerful genjutsu Heavenly Shine should have been used on Danzo. He didn't expect Danzo to become completely loyal to the Uchiha Clan overnight, but even a friendlier attitude would have sufficed.
If that had happened, the Uchiha Clan wouldn't have been driven to rebellion, nor would they have been isolated by the entire village, ultimately leading to their destruction.
"Heavenly Shine... Tsk tsk, I really want it." Amemiya Kenichi licked his lips. Heavenly Shine was too powerful, practically a strategic weapon. Used properly, it could even change the entire balance of the world.
Amemiya Kenichi shook his head. These thoughts were still too far-fetched. What he needed to do now was develop steadily, then dominate the Ninja World, and finally take down the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
By studying their spaceship technology and other advanced tech, he could bring about a massive transformation in the Ninja World.
If everything went smoothly, Naruto's son wouldn't have to become a sacrificial pawn. Amemiya Kenichi himself could turn the Ōtsutsuki Clan into fuel for the Ninja World.
Of course, he had to take things one step at a time.
After finishing dinner and stopping by the bookstore to check if Make-Out Paradise had been released, Amemiya Kenichi went to find his teacher.
He wanted to try using the Impure World Reincarnation to summon the First Hokage. Having his teacher there as backup would be best.
Once he confirmed he could cancel the First Hokage's reincarnation at any time, he could begin his training plan.
I was blocked before, and I still don't know why...