Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki embarked on their journey to find the Ox-Headed King.
Meanwhile, Naruto Uzumaki had no intention of stopping. He turned back towards Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village).
Now, he had reclaimed Shisui Uchiha's left eye!
"I've already gathered both of Shisui's eyes and Kagami's right eye. To achieve the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, all that's left is Kagami's left eye, which should also be in Kabuto Yakushi's possession," Naruto thought to himself.
Naruto's original plan was to collect all four eyes and fuse them in one go to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, during his encounter with Madara Uchiha, he learned more profound secrets about the Sharingan.
Flashback: Naruto and Madara's Conversation
Naruto: "Madara, you possess some kind of hidden ocular technique, don't you? Something that makes your Susano'o even stronger!"
Madara: "Indeed. It's called Izanagi no Mikoto—a new ocular ability born alongside the awakening of my Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. It doesn't require active activation; it passively amplifies the power of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and even ocular techniques to an unprecedented degree."
Naruto: "I see..."
At that moment, Naruto recalled something: In his past life, Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan could use Itachi's Tsukuyomi, but it never manifested a new ability like Madara's. As for Amenotejikara, that was a power of the Rinnegan.
Madara: "The evolution of ocular power requires a process. Sometimes, if you rush too much, you might miss out. And once missed, it's lost forever!"
Naruto was struck by a sudden realization:
"Could it be that Sasuke transitioned from the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to the Rinnegan too quickly, thereby skipping over the awakening of potential ocular powers? It's like education—some skills, if not learned in childhood, become nearly impossible to master as an adult!"
Madara's words enlightened Naruto, giving him clarity on how to proceed with his own ocular evolution.
Naruto's New Plan
After reflecting, Naruto decided to take a more gradual approach:
Transitioning from the Mangekyō Sharingan to the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan should also be done step by step.
"I'll start by transplanting Shisui's eyes. Once I've used them to the brink of blindness, I'll then transplant Kagami's eyes," Naruto resolved.
Though he lacked concrete evidence, Naruto had inadvertently stumbled upon a truth even Madara hadn't explicitly revealed:
The power of the Mangekyō Sharingan gradually seals itself as it approaches blindness. This "sealing" is, in essence, a form of preservation.
Blindness doesn't mean the ocular power vanishes; instead, it becomes sealed within the body.
The key to unlocking this seal is another Mangekyō Sharingan from a close blood relative.
Thus, if one hastily transplants another pair of eyes before nearing blindness, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan won't awaken. Instead, it would merely be a simple eye replacement.
This revelation also disproved another theory:
The idea that brothers could exchange eyes and both obtain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan is fundamentally flawed. The process requires one eye to reach the brink of blindness to store its power.
The Surgery Begins
"Have you made up your mind, Naruto-kun? Even with Hashirama's cells, only one Mangekyō Sharingan can be prevented from going blind. If you use both, you'll inevitably face blindness," Orochimaru remarked as he accompanied Naruto into the depths of the experimental base.
At this moment, Naruto's eye sockets already housed Shisui Uchiha's pair of eyes.
Thanks to his Uzumaki lineage, Naruto's body was highly compatible with the Uchiha's ocular powers. On the Sharingan's level, he was equivalent to the original owner.
If these eyes eventually evolved into the Rinnegan, Naruto would be considered their rightful master.
"Yes, I've made my decision. Blindness is a trial I must endure. Only by overcoming it can I truly grasp the power of the eyes!" Naruto declared resolutely.
"Heh, true power, huh? I'm curious to see what that will look like," Orochimaru chuckled seductively as he pushed open the door to the operating room.
Inside, Sakura Haruno was already waiting.
"This surgery is extremely delicate. In the past, even I required Kabuto's exceptional medical ninjutsu to assist. Now that he's not here, Tsunade's apprentice, Sakura Haruno, is indispensable," Orochimaru explained.
Sakura hesitated, her voice tinged with worry: "Orochimaru, are you sure about entrusting something so important to me? This concerns Naruto's future!"
Orochimaru smirked: "I'll guide you every step of the way. Are you doubting your own abilities?"
Sakura glanced at Naruto.
Naruto smiled reassuringly: "Sakura, go ahead. I trust you completely."
"You're impossible..." Sakura smiled back, half exasperated and half moved. Tying her hair back and donning surgical gloves, she declared, "Let's do this!"
The Procedure: A Test of Resolve
The surgery Naruto was about to undergo was called Hand-Nerve Aperture Surgery. It involved creating openings in the palms to implant eyes, reconnecting the nerves to the ocular pathways.
Orochimaru had performed a similar procedure for Danzo in the past. However, this time, the eyes being transplanted were Rinnegan, whose immense power significantly increased the difficulty.
Naruto placed his stored left and right Rinnegan onto the operating table.
Sitting down, he spread out his hands.
Sakura prepared a syringe filled with anesthetic, but Naruto stopped her.
"No anesthesia," he said firmly.
"Are you serious? The pain will be beyond imagination!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Do it," Naruto replied calmly, closing his eyes.
Sakura hesitated briefly but ultimately put the syringe away.
"Alright. Let's begin. First..."
Under Orochimaru's guidance, Sakura carefully proceeded. She occasionally glanced at Naruto, noting the beads of sweat rolling down his face. Despite the excruciating pain, he didn't utter a single sound.
"How can he endure such pain? Just how strong is Naruto's willpower?" Sakura marveled.
Yet, she couldn't understand why Naruto insisted on forgoing anesthesia.
"Is he trying to show off? No, Naruto has matured so much; he wouldn't do something so childish. There must be a deeper reason," Sakura thought as she wiped the sweat from her brow and refocused.
"Hang in there, Naruto! I'm about to pull the nerve lines in your left hand!"
Removing her gloves, Sakura concentrated an incredibly refined amount of chakra at her fingertips. She began delicately guiding the nerves from Naruto's wrist upward.
Sssss! Smoke rose as the procedure progressed.
The pain was so intense that Naruto's left hand trembled uncontrollably, and his tightly shut eyelids quivered violently.
Sssss!
After completing the left hand, Sakura found the right hand much easier.
"Phew..." With both hands' optic nerves successfully connected, Sakura let out a sigh of relief.
"Now, all that's left is the eye transplant—a relatively simple procedure for me!"
Opening the container holding the Rinnegan, Sakura prepared for the final step.
A Moment of Temptation
As Sakura worked, Orochimaru's slit-pupil eyes gleamed momentarily.
"Right now, Naruto-kun is at his weakest. And before me lies the only existing pair of Rinnegan in the world—within arm's reach..."
Even the most disciplined hearts waver in the face of overwhelming temptation, let alone a man who, just six months ago, was consumed by ambition.
But the dark thought vanished as quickly as it came.
"Forget it. Witnessing Naruto-kun's journey, I'm certain—he is the one and only wind that can reshape this world."
Unbeknownst to Orochimaru, Naruto's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Orochimaru, you've passed my final test. Had you acted, I wouldn't have hesitated to use Kotoamatsukami on you."
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