This time, the laboratory was located underground.
Unexpectedly, the one waiting to greet them at the entrance was Minato, wearing a mask.
"I am 'Number One.' I will be guiding you to Orochimaru's laboratory."
Minato led the way, his voice disguised and his demeanor serious. Inwardly, however, he was screaming.
Fugaku! It's me! Minato! Kawasaki brought me back to life! Can you guess who I am?
Fugaku frowned slightly. A blind man is far more sensitive to sound. The person in front of them had clearly altered his voice, but the cadence of his speech felt vaguely familiar. He did not, however, try to guess the man's identity. Kawasaki hadn't told him or the others about the Fourth Hokage's revival. After all, no one in the shinobi world had ever truly managed to bring someone back from the dead. Fugaku dismissed the thought and simply followed him inside.
The Anbu monitoring them saw Kawasaki's group head to Orochimaru's lab and left to report to the Third Hokage.
Upon seeing Orochimaru, everyone bowed in greeting. Itachi and Shisui were already well-acquainted with him. Although Orochimaru was a partner of the Uchiha, Fugaku had not seen him in many years. Their meeting was still quite cordial.
"Lord Orochimaru, we must trouble you once again."
Orochimaru wasted no time on pleasantries. "Sit. Let me examine your eyes first."
Only Orochimaru and Karin were present in the lab; there were no Anbu. Kawasaki and Orochimaru had no need for pretense.
"I didn't bring any other Sharingan this time," Kawasaki said. "I want to test your cloning technology. I'm curious to see what a cloned Sharingan is like."
Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "I'm also interested to see if a cloned eye is easier or more difficult to awaken."
Kawasaki had initially planned to simply give Fugaku a new pair of Sharingan from the clan's inventory. But since Orochimaru could clone them, it was worth a try. A clone would produce an unawakened, "blank" Sharingan, but since it would be from his own genetic material, it would surely be more compatible. They did not currently need Fugaku's strength on the battlefield, so they could afford to let him try reawakening his eyes.
If Fugaku succeeded, the potential of cloning could exceed all expectations.
…
Back in Orochimaru's old lab in Otogakure, when Itachi and Shisui were still there, he had already attempted to clone the Sharingan. The eyes he created back then, however, had failed to awaken. With so many other research projects underway, the matter had been temporarily set aside. Now, having returned to Konoha, Orochimaru's techniques had advanced. Since Fugaku was not needed for combat, it was the perfect opportunity to test whether a cloned ordinary eye could be reawakened.
Karin led Fugaku and Shisui away to perform some basic sampling and data recording.
"Orochimaru, take a look at this," Kawasaki said, taking out the scroll he used to store Hidan. He then proceeded to explain Hidan's abilities in detail.
Orochimaru appeared quite intrigued. He had only ever read about such immortality in old texts and had never seen a living specimen.
Kawasaki undid the sealing scroll. He placed Hidan's slightly charred head on the lab table, setting the rest of the body nearby. Prying Hidan's eyelids open, he used his ocular power to cast a crude genjutsu.
A few seconds later, Hidan regained consciousness. His time under the seal had changed nothing; the wounds in his mouth were still there, making his speech slurred. "Damn… Uchiha! Lord… Jashin will deliver… divine punishment…"
Orochimaru hadn't prepared many tools, grabbing only two scalpels. He jammed one into Hidan's mouth to silence him. With a blank expression, he held up the other scalpel and sliced a sample from Hidan's body right in front of the dismembered head.
Seeing Orochimaru's excited expression, as if he were about to begin a full dissection, Kawasaki quickly excused himself. "I'm going to check on the children."
Already lost in his research, Orochimaru just waved a dismissive hand and continued his work on Hidan's body.
Kawasaki stepped out of the room and was surprised to find Minato waiting for him.
"How has life been since returning to Konoha?"
With just the two of them there, Minato removed his mask. He wore a smile, clearly overjoyed to be alive again.
"I've been training mostly. And thank you for having those kunai forged for me, but there are far too many. I'll never be able to use them all."
Minato had once been an ordinary man, and his signature kunai were not cheap. He typically only carried ten into battle. Kawasaki, using the Land of Claws, had a hundred of them custom-made for him. Minato had been stunned when he saw the batch of his beloved blades; it was a lifetime supply.
"Don't worry about it. We Uchiha don't lack for money," Kawasaki said. "With so many of your signature kunai, you can scatter them everywhere. The enemy will never guess where your Flying Thunder God will strike next. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Humbled by Kawasaki's generosity, Minato said no more. What was the point of saving them?
He then led Kawasaki to find Haku and Kimimaro. Along the way, the conversation turned to Naruto. Kawasaki learned that Minato often went to the Academy grounds or near Naruto's apartment to watch over him. Incredibly, the Third Hokage's Anbu remained completely unaware.
Kawasaki could only marvel at the gap in their abilities. It was like an attack from a higher dimension. The Fourth Hokage was on a level far beyond that of any ordinary Anbu.
As they walked, Minato recounted the small details of Naruto's school life, who his friends were, and the times he had eaten out with Sasuke. It seemed he was trying to fill the void of the past eleven years, day by day. In the original timeline, Minato had waited nearly seventeen years, only to meet Naruto for a few brief moments before being forced to part again. Now, though he had also waited eleven years and could not yet reveal himself, it was only a matter of time.
"Minato, have you ever considered that we have other enemies besides Obito?" Kawasaki decided it was time to share some information.
Minato's smile vanished, his brow furrowing. "Kawasaki, who are you talking about?"
Kawasaki shook his head. "It's a long story. I'll explain everything once Orochimaru becomes Hokage. But you need to know that our enemy is exceptionally powerful—so powerful that even I am currently helpless against them. Furthermore, their goal is the destruction of the world. And I mean the entire world, not just the shinobi nations."
"So, Minato, don't spend all your time watching Naruto. You need to focus on improving your own strength. Mark everything you can with your seals. We need to be prepared for anything."
Having spent time with Orochimaru, Minato had gained a good understanding of his character, as well as a deeper insight into Kawasaki. Neither of them was driven by ambition, yet they were constantly maneuvering and expanding their influence from the shadows. Only now did Minato realize they were facing such a foe.
He considered Kawasaki's words. The use of "they" implied there was more than one enemy. It seemed he would have to accelerate his Sage Mode training.
"I understand," Minato replied, his resolve hardening. "I'll train seriously."
True to his word, after leading Kawasaki to Haku and Kimimaro's room, Minato immediately departed to find a place to train.
Kawasaki pushed the door open, startling the two occupants. They had been training in Orochimaru's compound recently and were largely unaware of outside events. They were shocked to see their visitor was Kawasaki.
"Lord Kawasaki!" Haku and Kimimaro exclaimed, rushing forward with joy.
Kawasaki smiled warmly. "I had some free time today, so I came to see how your training is progressing."
"Lord Kawasaki, I have made great progress," Kimimaro said with calm confidence. "Next time, I will surely be of use to you."
A sweet smile spread across Haku's face. "Lord Kawasaki, I can use Ice Release now."
"That's excellent. Come on, let's see what you've got."
…
A short while later, Kawasaki left their room. He hadn't let them come outside. In the eyes of the Third Hokage, his visit was part of a transaction with Orochimaru, so it was best not to linger. He had only performed a simple test of their abilities. Kimimaro's combat instincts were impeccable, and with his fundamentals now strengthened, his foundation was solid.