The reason frequent use led to blindness was likely because the chip's structure was too fragile; constant high voltage caused the circuits to gradually short-circuit until they were completely destroyed.
'If I can figure out the "chip's" structure, could I replicate the visual techniques of other Mangekyos?' Makiya wondered, feeling this was a direction worth investigating.
However, these 'chips' were far too precious. There were only a few pairs in the entire ninja world.
Thinking of the Mangekyo, Makiya recalled the moment Madara activated his own before death. As anyone familiar with the Sharingan knew, the eyes only evolved in response to intense emotional fluctuations. Since the experiences in the illusion world were virtually indistinguishable from reality, could he use this special genjutsu to mass-produce Mangekyo Sharingans within the Uchiha clan?
It seemed like a plan with real potential.
While Makiya was lost in thought, the bandit leader's body began to change. The cells throughout his body writhed violently, as if countless earthworms were burrowing under his skin. His skin sagged, and his facial features began to melt.
To Makiya's astonishment, the bandit leader's chest began to swell. His coarse skin became delicate and smooth, his beard fell off on its own, and his short hair grew rapidly... Within half a minute, the slovenly brute had vanished, replaced by a delicate young woman.
"What's happening? I..." The bandit leader looked at his hands in disbelief. As soon as he spoke, he realized even his voice had changed, sounding as clear as a nightingale's song.
"I... I-I've turned into a woman?!"
"It certainly looks that way. Incredible!" Makiya's eyes widened in curiosity as he examined the subject. After a check, he confirmed the bandit leader had indeed become a woman. Even the internal organs had completely transformed, becoming no different from the original equipment.
It appeared this transformation was permanent and irreversible.
It was said that when a Mangekyo awakened, the ability it gained was the owner's most urgent desire. This raised a question: what on earth was Madara's desire that he would awaken such a Mangekyo?
He didn't dare think about it.
A sharp pain shot through his left eye. His vision dropped from 5.3 to 5.0. A burning sensation radiated from his eye socket. Makiya estimated that this ability couldn't be used repeatedly; it probably had a cooldown period of about two years.
It was an ability that was useless but a pity to throw away. Perhaps it was good for messing with people—perfect for someone looking to cause a bit of chaos.
Makiya ended the life of the feminized bandit leader with a single strike, completely razed the hideout, and swapped back to his original eyes.
He blinked a few times. His original eyes were still the most comfortable. Someone else's always felt a bit off.
Makiya didn't care for Mangekyo techniques at all. Once he figured out the structural principles of the 'chip,' he could develop his own visual techniques.
For the next two days, Makiya remained at the front-line camp to prevent Nagato from making a sudden return. However, everything remained calm. Even the Mist ninjas stopped their aggressive assaults and, uncharacteristically, began to pull back their forces.
Makiya knew this was because Uchiha Madara was dead. The genjutsu control over the Mist high-ups had vanished. Realizing this was an unwinnable war, they began ordering a retreat to consolidate the village's strength.
Hiruzen Sarutobi seized the opportunity, leading the main force to harry the retreating Mist ninjas. They engaged in guerrilla warfare along the long coastline, winning many small skirmishes and significantly depleting the Mist's manpower.
But none of that concerned Makiya anymore. On the morning of the third day, he stepped onto his flying sword and flew back to Konoha, where he found Minato busy and sporting dark circles under his eyes.
"Come with me, I've got something incredible to show you!" Without a word of explanation, Makiya grabbed Minato, who was buried under a mountain of paperwork, and pulled him toward the door.
"Wait, let me sign this." Minato hurriedly scribbled his name on a document before being dragged out of the office and toward the Senju clan compound.
"What's this incredible thing? Isn't your home at the Uchiha... oh—" Minato saw the direction they were heading, and his clever mind immediately began to race. Not sure what he had thought of, he let out a mysterious smile. "Is it your son with Lady Tsunade? I didn't realize... when did this happen?"
Makiya turned to look at Minato with an expression that said he was looking at an idiot.
Minato slapped his forehead. "Oh right, I forgot I just saw Lady Tsunade a few days ago, and she wasn't showing. So, what is this big surprise?"
Minato knew a bit about the situation between Makiya and Tsunade. He saw everything but said nothing. As Jiraiya's student, it was hard for him to take a side in such matters.
Even though he also felt his teacher wasn't exactly a good match...
From a Hokage's perspective, the union of Makiya and Tsunade was one of the most beneficial things that could happen to Konoha.
Makiya didn't know what Minato was thinking and simply rolled his eyes. "It's a corpse. Someone you would never expect."
"Who?"
"You'll see when we get there."
The two arrived at the Senju compound. A gust of wind blew through, kicking up dust in the empty grounds and making the place look quite desolate.
Tsunade lived in a small building in the center of the compound with Shizune. Makiya knocked, and Shizune opened the door.
"I need to see Tsunade. It's very important." Makiya got straight to the point with a serious expression.
Shizune had initially been a bit resistant to Makiya, but the urgency in his voice and the presence of the Fourth Hokage behind him made the young girl hesitate. She quickly went upstairs to wake Tsunade.
Normally at this hour, Tsunade would still be lost in her dreams, not waking until noon at the earliest.
Ten minutes later, in the living room of Tsunade's residence.
Tsunade, Minato, and Makiya sat around a circular table, all looking solemn.
"Makiya, what on earth is so important that you had to wake me up this early? If it's nothing serious, I'll smash your face in!" Tsunade said, her eyes showing dark circles identical to Minato's.
Unfortunately, while Minato was busy with official duties, Tsunade had simply been out gambling. She had lost track of time and stayed out too late.
Makiya pondered taking some time to properly discipline Tsunade, or at least break her of her gambling habit.
"Do I look like the type to joke around?" Makiya protested her lack of trust. He turned to Minato. "I'm about to summon something into the village. Have the Anbu tell the barrier team not to make a fuss."
"Alright." Minato nodded. He stood up, walked to the window, and tapped three times. A figure appeared outside.
"Kakashi, please head to the barrier team. If they sense the fluctuations of a summoning jutsu, tell them not to panic; I'm just experimenting with a new technique."
"Yes, sir!" Kakashi's figure vanished.
Since Minato had taken office, the barrier surrounding Konoha had been improved at Makiya's suggestion. It was now extremely sensitive. Unless an insider betrayed the barrier formula, any ninjutsu fluctuation within Konoha could be clearly sensed.
Makiya had placed a large number of seals on Madara's body to control the expanding and nearly out-of-control Hashirama cells, so the summoning would cause quite a stir.
Seeing Makiya's solemnity, Tsunade and Minato also grew serious. They exchanged a look, and an inexplicable sense of unease weighed on their hearts.
Makiya took a deep breath. "What I'm about to tell you... please don't be scared."
Minato swallowed hard. "I'm the Fourth Hokage. I won't be afraid."
Tsunade rested her heavy chest on her arms to relieve the pressure on her shoulders. "Just spit it out."
Makiya took a breath. "While I was at the Mist front, I ran into Madara Uchiha!"
Minato leaned back tactically, his expression becoming exceptionally grave. He rubbed his hands together. "Madara Uchiha... which one? A recently deceased clansman?"
His knowledge of history wasn't bad, but he hoped it was just a coincidence of names. If it were the Madara Uchiha from the history books, that would be absurd.
Makiya immediately corrected him. "Not a recent clansman. Madara Uchiha! The one who founded Konoha with the First Hokage. The one with the crazy laugh."
Minato: "Huh?"
Minato fell into silence. Makiya turned to Tsunade. "And Madara had the First's face stitched onto his chest!"
Tsunade: "Huh?"
Seeing them speechless, Makiya added more. "Madara said his dream was to make everyone go to sleep together, so I killed him."
Tsunade and Minato: "Huh?"
Their brains stalled. They wondered if it was April Fool's Day, but Makiya didn't seem like the type to play such a prank.
"Action speaks louder than words. It should be here by now. Hold on." Makiya stood up and bit his finger, drawing a summoning formula on his palm.
Meanwhile, outside Konoha, a clone of Makiya had transported the sealed coffin containing Madara into the woods, where a summoning circle had also been drawn.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"
As the jutsu was activated, Madara's coffin vanished from the woods. A massive object appeared in Tsunade's living room, making the solid circular table groan under the weight.
With a loud thud, Makiya kicked open the coffin lid and pointed at Madara's corpse while looking at the other two. "There. This is Madara Uchiha. No doubt about it."
Tsunade and Minato stood up, peering into the coffin. Even though he had been beheaded, and even though he was old and wrinkled with age spots, that aura of absolute dominance and the disdainful air of looking down on all living things still radiated from him.
Minato took a sharp breath. A tiger, though dead, still commands respect. Even though he had never seen the real Madara Uchiha, the sheer presence from such an old body perfectly matched the descriptions in the books.
Tsunade was even more shocked. Her eyes were glued to Madara's chest, where the face of her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, was clearly visible. "He... he really did stitch Grandfather to his chest... What was their relationship?"
Makiya coughed, drawing their attention back. "What I'm about to say is very important. Sit down and listen carefully."
With the 'suspected Madara' corpse present, they already believed seventy percent of it. They obediently sat back down and waited for Makiya to continue.
Makiya pulled out his thermos, took a sip of goji berry tea, and spoke slowly. "It's a bit complicated, so I'll skip the trivial parts and get to the important stuff... After the battle at the Valley of the End, the union of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju finally gave birth to the legendary Sage's Eye: the Rinnegan!"
Tsunade's eyes widened. "Wait a minute—"