"Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Kakashi thought for a moment, then said, "I've heard that Madara's eyes were stronger than everyone else's back then. Are those what you're calling the Mangekyō?"
"That should be it. And this isn't the first time I've encountered a Mangekyō."
Yagyū Souma spoke as he took out a sealing scroll.
Danzō's 'legacy'.
Inside was an arm—and a very special Sharingan. Kakashi had already heard about this from the Third Hokage. Only now did he realize that what Danzō handed Souma was actually a Mangekyō Sharingan.
"The Mangekyō is the true secret behind the Uchiha clan's power. Every awakened Mangekyō possesses an unbelievable ability. Danzō's eye belonged to Shisui—it specialized in controlling others through genjutsu."
"As for Itachi's eyes, they create an extremely terrifying illusionary space. His technique can be countered by avoiding eye contact, though. Compared to that, Shisui's ability is even more dangerous."
Souma revealed as much information as he reasonably could.
An eye that could control others…
No wonder Danzō was desperate to steal it from Shisui.
Kakashi suddenly understood. Many lingering doubts were instantly cleared up.
Then he rubbed his forehead and muttered to himself, "Mangekyō Sharingan… special techniques…"
"What is it?" Souma asked.
"Do you remember when I helped you test your mental-force attack technique?" Kakashi rubbed his temples to ease the fatigue. "At that time, I vaguely felt that my dōjutsu became stronger for an instant. If there really is a Mangekyō above the three-tomoe Sharingan… maybe I could reach that level too."
"You can try," Souma said calmly, "but don't become obsessed with dōjutsu."
"Is there a catch?" Kakashi looked at him.
In the past, he wouldn't have believed Souma knew much about the Sharingan. But after Souma fought Itachi—and judging by his analytical ability—
He might really have learned a lot.
"Every power comes with a price," Souma said seriously. "I sensed Itachi's mental state. He's very likely suffering from some kind of brain-related illness."
Souma deliberately avoided mentioning blindness.
Anyone without a Mangekyō wouldn't know that secret—but Itachi's poor physical and mental condition was undeniable.
"From overusing his eyes?" Kakashi asked, startled.
So the Sharingan really had side effects?
"I'm not certain. It might be his own illness, but the Mangekyō requires much stronger ocular power. The burden on the body and brain only increases."
Souma's expression turned solemn.
"As a non-Uchiha, can your body really withstand that level of power?"
"..."
Kakashi hesitated, then slowly shook his head.
The answer was obvious.
Even maintaining a three-tomoe Sharingan already placed an enormous strain on him. A Mangekyō would be far worse.
If he forced his dōjutsu to that level, based on his current condition, he might only be able to use it two or three times at most.
That was an optimistic estimate.
Just as Souma said—even if he could master it, the side effects were something he simply couldn't afford.
After several seconds of silence, Kakashi said, "Even so, the power would be incredible. I still want to research it."
"Of course," Souma nodded. "We may not use it, but we must understand it. Only by understanding the Mangekyō can we truly counter the Mangekyō."
"…Agreed."
Kakashi nodded, then let out a quiet sigh.
"You really had foresight. I already have too much to learn—there's barely any time left to properly guide Naruto or Sasuke."
"Kakashi-sensei," Souma said calmly, "we all need to grow stronger. The organization Itachi belongs to won't come quietly."
"…Yeah."
After putting on an act at the hospital for a while, Souma left in the afternoon and headed for the Hokage Tower.
He needed to report the intelligence to the Third Hokage.
The information Itachi brought back was crucial. Even without complete profiles of every member, knowing their objective allowed Konoha to prepare countermeasures.
The Third Hokage wasn't surprised that Itachi had appeared.
But the fact that Souma saw through Itachi's undercover identity shocked him.
"How did you figure it out?" the Third Hokage asked.
Souma gave the same answer as before, adding his chain of suspicions. The most important point was—
"The timing of Itachi's appearance was too perfect. It was as if he rushed back the moment he heard something had happened in Konoha."
Souma smiled faintly.
"Sasuke is his only weakness."
"Yes… the only person he truly cares about…"
The Third Hokage sighed deeply.
That child must be living in constant pain—pain enough to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"I… back then…"
"There's no point dwelling on the past," Souma interrupted gently. "Raising Sasuke well and giving him resources and support—that's the best repayment."
The Third Hokage truly felt gratitude toward Itachi.
But sitting in a chair and regretting things solved nothing.
Souma honestly wanted to complain about that.
Naruto. Sasuke.
The Third Hokage always seemed to do something, yet somehow do nothing.
To be blunt, Naruto not going astray was largely thanks to Iruka—and Naruto himself, possibly aided by Ashura's chakra.
If Naruto had gone down a darker path…
Even Danzō wouldn't be able to shoulder that blame alone. The ultimate responsibility would fall squarely on the Third Hokage.
Stop talking. Do something.
The words slipped out because the moment and the emotions aligned.
"You're right," the Third Hokage said after a long pause. "Regret is meaningless. Action matters."
He took a puff of his pipe and pondered.
"If Tsunade were willing to return, I'd gladly step down and go teach at your place—or at the academy."
"After finally retiring, shouldn't you enjoy some rest?" Souma joked.
"Haha. After being Hokage for so many years, it's not something you can just let go of. I may be old, but teaching children should still be within my ability."
Souma believed that.
In fact, the Third Hokage was an excellent choice.
He mastered nearly all ninjutsu outside of kekkei genkai and secret techniques—plus weapon skills and taijutsu.
He was practically a living encyclopedia, especially in chakra nature transformation, an area Souma himself was still lacking in.
If the Third Hokage joined them—
No matter his intentions, he'd be a top-tier workhorse.
After chatting a bit more—about the sensory-network technique being developed by Intelligence Division, and the popularization of fuinjutsu textbooks—Souma prepared to leave.
The sensory network had progressed rapidly, especially after the recent chaos. Yamanaka Inoichi had apparently achieved new breakthroughs.
As for fuinjutsu…
Progress existed, but it was painfully slow.
After hearing the report, Souma decisively concluded that relying solely on the sealing unit was hopeless and suggested further popularization.
The Third Hokage immediately agreed.
As dusk approached, Souma excused himself.
He still had to visit the Inuzuka clan.
Originally, he planned to visit the Inuzuka in the morning, but Itachi and Kisame's sudden appearance derailed everything.
One noteworthy detail—
On the way, Souma sensed his mental energy and physical condition recovering steadily.
Not only that—his body strength seemed to be increasing noticeably over a short time.
Previously, he couldn't sense it this clearly.
After thinking for a moment, realization struck.
It must be the sensory-sharing technique.
After visualizing the pattern, another mark appeared.
According to the "five-uses-per-evolution" rule he'd identified, he only needed three more triggers for his Bodhi Seed to evolve again.
At present, he had already deployed more than six or seven techniques.
As long as three or four achieved large-scale adoption, the next transformation was guaranteed.
That said—
Not everyone possessed enhanced comprehension like him.
Widespread adoption and feedback took time—especially for complex techniques.
Research and release of new jutsu couldn't stop.
Souma quickened his pace toward the Inuzuka compound.
The Inuzuka clan had a vast training ground for dogs, originally assigned at the village's edge to accommodate exercise and training.
But as Konoha expanded, what was once the outskirts had become a bustling central district.
Along the way, Souma saw many people walking dogs.
No leashes.
Even the fiercest-looking large breeds didn't bark or bite—only running joyfully through the streets.
They possessed intelligence far beyond normal dogs.
Yet—
Whenever they encountered Souma, their eyes filled with confusion.
At the Inuzuka residence—
"Hai-maru, stop playing! Train properly! This level won't injure an enemy at all—you need to be stronger!"
"Awwooo!"
A pitiful howl echoed from inside.
The dog suddenly turned toward the entrance, suspicious—
Until Souma knocked.
"Inuzuka Hana-senpai. Is Inuzuka Tsume-senpai not home?"
"Souma-sama?"
Hana quickly opened the door.
"Mother went out walking the dogs. Please come in and wait."
They addressed each other differently—
Hana was also a member of the research institute and had learned several of Souma's techniques. She always addressed him as 'sama'.
At first, Souma strongly objected.
Eventually, he gave up resisting.
"Souma-sama, is there anything the Inuzuka clan can assist with?" Hana asked cautiously. "If it's urgent, I can send Hai-maru or a shadow clone to call Mother back."
Despite his age, Souma was terrifyingly capable.
The Inuzuka had already paid a steep price just to cooperate with him. Hana didn't want to offend him over anything trivial.
"No rush. You're the captain of the veterinary unit, right?"
Souma looked at her.
The red fang markings weren't to his aesthetic taste, but objectively speaking—
Inuzuka Hana was undeniably beautiful. Especially her… impressive figure, which even a coat couldn't hide.
Hana nodded, slightly embarrassed.
"That's true, but Konoha doesn't often need veterinarians. Mostly it's just our clan."
"Then you must understand ninja dogs extremely well. Let me first talk about something related to the daimyo."
Souma explained the plan regarding ninja-beast pets.
Hana nodded repeatedly, but soon frowned.
"It's a great idea, but as far as I know… nobles tend to prefer cats over dogs."
"Aren't you training various ninja beasts in the research institute?" Souma asked.
"That will take some time."
"That's fine. Pay closer attention. Some beasts may lack combat talent but are intelligent and good with people. Those can be tested as companion-type ninja beasts."
Hana quickly wrote everything down.
Notebook and pen—standard gear for research staff.
After finishing, she said, "I'll produce results as soon as possible."
"No need to rush. This is a long-term project."
Souma then took out two scrolls.
"Your clan shared the breeding technique, benefiting many ninja. I should give something in return."
"These are…?"
Hana hesitated, then opened one scroll.
Halfway through, she snapped it shut.
"Souma-sama… this is far too valuable."
Her face flushed.
She wanted to say 'we can't accept this', but the words simply wouldn't come out.
This technique was tailor-made for the Inuzuka clan.
"This technique comes from Jiraiya-sama. He allowed me to modify and share it, so don't overthink it. If you want to thank someone, thank him."
"Thank you, Jiraiya-sama. Thank you, Souma-sama."
Hana bowed deeply.
Then she looked at the second scroll—and hesitated.
After several seconds, she didn't reach for it.
"Souma-sama, this one… we really can't—"
"Just take a look first."
"!!!"
No!
Hana screamed internally.
As long as she didn't open it, she wouldn't have to suffer.
Once she saw it, she knew she wouldn't be able to let it go—and would repeat the same 'mistake' as before.
She took several deep breaths.
Then gritted her teeth.
"Souma-sama, I'll go fetch Mother immediately!"
This decision was above her authority.
She created a shadow clone, grabbed Hai-maru, and rushed out.
Souma laughed helplessly.
"There's really no need to agonize over it. I only spent an hour or two."
"..."
Hana felt her chest tighten.
An hour or two.
Even for jutsu modification, that was insane.
This level of talent…
Unbearably enviable.
If Kiba had even a quarter of this comprehension—
Becoming Hokage wouldn't just be a dream.
No. Respect Souma-sama.
Hana took several deep breaths and forced her emotions down, regaining a serious, respectful expression.
"Souma-sama, even if you say it was a small modification, to the Inuzuka clan, its significance is immeasurable."
She briefly introduced the Fang Over Fang series, then mentioned secret techniques like Two-Headed Wolf.
With the human–beast cooperative version of Needle Jizō, the Inuzuka clan's strength would skyrocket.
"See? You said it yourself. It's too important to give up—so you might as well see what the technique is."
Souma smiled.
Hana hesitated again.
After several minutes, she admitted he was right.
She opened the scroll.
Inside were two techniques.
The first was a hair-growth technique, allowing ninja beasts to grow fur of optimal length.
The second was a human–beast cooperative version of Wild Lion's Mane—
A combined technique where both human and beast grow hair simultaneously to attack.
After reading it, Hana began to worry.
Could the Inuzuka clan…
Really afford the price for two such techniques?
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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