The surgical procedure was a success. Both of Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan were now transplanted into the palms of Naruto's hands.
Thanks to the Hashirama cells in Naruto's body, his optic nerves connected almost instantly—no waiting required.
Snap! Snap! Naruto clenched his fists, testing the compatibility of the transplanted eyes. They fit perfectly, with no sensation of discomfort. "Good thing that's the case; otherwise, it could've been a big problem," he thought.
Orochimaru spoke with a rare tone of seriousness: "Naruto-kun, though it might seem trivial, I must clarify something. This Hand-Nerve Aperture Surgery doesn't create new nerve lines out of thin air. Instead, it modifies the sympathetic nerves in your hands, integrating them with your optic nerves. This allows you to relocate your eyes to your palms."
Naruto nodded, half-understanding: "Oh, I see."
Orochimaru continued, "The sympathetic nerves control the sweat glands in your body. From now on, your hands will no longer sweat. This has both advantages and disadvantages. The downside is that sweat won't be expelled, which may lead to clogged pores and itching. The upside is that during intense combat, sweat won't flow into your palm-eyes, avoiding any adverse effects."
Naruto stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Hmm, so the downside is a minor inconvenience in daily life, but the upside is a significant advantage in battle? That's totally worth it!"
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Oh? Is that how you see it? Well, it's not a big issue. During your free time, you could soak in hot springs or find a skilled masseuse to help alleviate any discomfort."
Naruto nodded firmly: "Got it!"
Sakura Haruno removed her headband, letting her short pink hair fall freely.
"Naruto, now that you have eyes in your hands, won't it be inconvenient to wield weapons?" she asked with concern.
Naruto replied confidently, "Not at all."
"Back in the day, Momoshiki had eyes on his palms, yet he wielded his Crimson Moonlight Scythe with incredible skill!"
Still unconvinced, Sakura suggested, "How about this, Naruto? I'll teach you Mystical Palm Technique. Its antibacterial properties can prevent infections in your palm-eyes."
Naruto's face lit up. "Oh! That would be a huge help. Thanks, Sakura!"
Naruto quickly mastered the Mystical Palm Technique. As for other medical techniques, he didn't need them—Hashirama cells already provided unparalleled self-healing capabilities.
Testing the New Power
Leaving the experimental base, Orochimaru opened an umbrella against the rain.
"Naruto-kun, now that you have a pair of Rinnegan, all abilities associated with the Rinnegan should have significantly improved," he remarked.
Naruto's excitement was palpable. "Indeed! I've been waiting to test them out!"
Together, they headed to the training grounds in Amegakure.
After marking distance grids on the ground, Orochimaru stood his ground, channeling chakra to his feet. "Among the Six Paths abilities of the Rinnegan, the one that best reflects the difference in ocular power is the Deva Path. Show me what you've got, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto took a deep breath, extending his palm forward.
"Shinra Tensei!" (Almighty Push)
Boom!
A burst of repulsive force erupted. Despite having chakra anchored to his feet, Orochimaru was pushed back, sliding nearly to the edge of the grid before coming to a halt.
Looking at the distance markers, Orochimaru exclaimed, "17.5 meters! That's a 1.5x increase compared to the 7 meters you achieved with a single eye!"
Naruto murmured thoughtfully, "This is the lower limit of improvement. The upper limit might not scale as much, since the ultimate power of a technique depends not just on the number of eyes but also on chakra reserves."
"Let's try this next!"
Clap! Naruto brought his hands together, forming a gravitational core for Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation), which he hurled into the distant sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Outside Amegakure, entire mountains crumbled and ascended, coalescing into a massive celestial body that blotted out the sky.
After observing the results, Naruto seemed slightly dissatisfied. "The maximum scale of Chibaku Tensei is roughly 1.5x larger than before—a mere 0.5x improvement."
Orochimaru, however, was impressed. "Considering the baseline of Chibaku Tensei, a 0.5x enhancement is extraordinary. At the very least, Sasuke's Perfect Susano'o shouldn't be able to break free anymore. Even Madara's might struggle."
Naruto formed a hand seal.
Buzz!
The surface of the celestial body was enveloped in faint black lines before it plummeted back to the earth with a thunderous crash.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in astonishment. "What is this!?"
Naruto lowered his hands, smiling. "After transplanting both eyes, I can now directly apply Super-Weighted Boulder Jutsu to Chibaku Tensei. I no longer need to fly into the sky and physically touch it. This greatly enhances its practicality."
Orochimaru marveled, "This is a revolutionary leap forward!"
Dual-Handed Mastery
"Naruto-kun, would you like me to use my shadow clone for your next test?" Orochimaru offered.
"Shadow clone? That's child's play for me. I even have a more advanced Snake Shadow Clone!"
Rustle!
A snake slithered off Orochimaru's shoulder, transforming into a clone of himself.
"This Snake Shadow Clone has exceptional durability. Unlike ordinary shadow clones, it doesn't disappear after taking a heavy hit. The downside is that I can only create one at a time."
"One is enough. Let's do this—both you and your clone together!" Naruto instructed.
Orochimaru's original body and clone stood on either side of Naruto.
"Thanks to having eyes in my hands, I can multitask. I can look left while simultaneously looking right—not just in the literal sense, but in terms of action as well!"
Swish! Swish! Naruto extended his arms to either side.
"Shinra Tensei!" (Almighty Push)
"Banshō Ten'in!" (Universal Pull)
Boom!
On the left, repulsive force exploded, sending Orochimaru's original body flying over ten meters. His upper body was buried in the ground, leaving only his legs sticking out awkwardly.
On the right, gravitational force pulled Orochimaru's clone into Naruto's grasp, suspending it in mid-air.
Naruto's eyes gleamed with excitement. "The Deva Path abilities of attraction and repulsion are polar opposites, making it difficult to use them simultaneously. But now, I can do it!"
Suspended in mid-air, Orochimaru's slit pupils trembled. "Uso da...! [Unbelievable...]"
Rustle!
The snake clone dissolved into a shed skin.
Naruto approached the pit and pulled Orochimaru's original body out.
Dusting off Orochimaru's shoulders with the back of his hand as a gesture of goodwill, Naruto grinned. "There's still one more ability I haven't tested yet!"
But before he could continue, Konan arrived at the training grounds.
"There's a limit to how much you can test your powers, Naruto. That star you dropped earlier? The villagers thought it was another meteor and started panicking, preparing to evacuate," Konan scolded gently.
Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "Ah, sorry, Konan-nee. I got carried away."
Konan shook her head with a mix of exasperation and affection. "Next time, try testing your powers outside the village—perhaps in Kumogakure instead."
She then turned serious. "More importantly, Kakuzu and Sasori are waiting for you. Make arrangements for them soon. We don't tolerate idlers in Amegakure."
"Got it! I'll head over right away!"
Naruto and Konan walked side by side into the rain.
Watching them leave, Orochimaru folded his arms, his gaze contemplative. "Naruto-kun... Without realizing it, you've reached this level. The next step might be achieving the same mastery as the First Hokage's Sage Mode..."
A Brewing Storm: Kabuto and Sasuke
After losing yet another base to Naruto, Kabuto Yakushi had to relocate overnight to the borders of the Land of Grass.
Inside their new hideout, Kabuto and Sasuke Uchiha walked in single file toward the depths of the lair.
Clang!
Suddenly, Sasuke's Kusanagi Blade was pressed against Kabuto's neck.
Kabuto froze, his expression calm. "Sasuke-kun, what is this?"
Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan glowed coldly. "Kabuto, I have serious doubts about your capabilities!"
Adjusting his glasses, Kabuto replied, "Are you referring to the modifications I promised for your body? We've just settled here; the timing isn't right yet."
Sasuke's voice was icy. "No. So far, all I've seen from you is your ability to control Edo Tensei. If you're as powerful as they claim, you shouldn't be weak yourself."
Kabuto glanced at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye. "And what are you suggesting?"
Sasuke sneered, "Fight me. If you can withstand ten of my moves, I'll acknowledge your strength."
Kabuto chuckled darkly. "Could you give me a few minutes to prepare?"
"Hmph. You have ten minutes," Sasuke replied, sheathing his sword and walking toward the hideout's exit.
As Sasuke left, Kabuto's glasses gleamed ominously.
"Oh dear, it's come to this, hasn't it? My luck really has been terrible lately... But seeing Naruto now, perhaps Sasuke just needs to vent."
Kabuto's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"But Sasuke-kun, you're not the only one who needs to let off some steam!"
In the dim light, Kabuto revealed a jar containing a snake's slit-pupil eye, which dissolved into blood.
Drip, drip, drip.
A trail of blood ran down Kabuto's tightly closed left eye, followed by a puff of smoke.
Zzzz!
When the smoke cleared, his left eye opened, revealing a Mangekyō Sharingan.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Kabuto's gaze darkened.
"With Kagami Uchiha's left eye... this should be interesting, don't you think?"
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