"These scenes are still a bit too intense for a child," Makoto remarked.
"But regarding Sarada fainting... on one hand, it's concerning, on the other, it's cause for celebration."
"The fact that she fainted from the shock at least proves her natural resistance to the idea of such a... bond."
With that, Makoto handed the unconscious Sarada over to Senju Tobirama.
"She's all yours. Take her back."
According to Orochimaru's plan, Sarada was supposed to awaken her Mangekyo Sharingan, then return to the cultivation pod for further physical development.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru would extract her awakened cells to cultivate a spare pair of Mangekyō eyes as replacements.
Since Sarada had fainted on her own from the sheer psychological horror, it saved them a step.
Unlike with Sasuke last time, Tobirama wouldn't need to forcefully administer his Flying Thunder God Syringe.
"Leave it to me."
Tobirama usually grumbled about being utilized as a teleportation taxi service for their various schemes.
But when it came to helping a good Uchiha maintain a pure heart, he was more than happy to oblige.
Makoto knew the future Sarada was historically destined to adopt a highly rebellious, provocative aesthetic.
With a few more wrong turns in her development, it wasn't impossible for her to develop some unconventional romantic obsessions as well.
If that happened, she might see Naruto and Sasuke's bond as a good thing and cheer them on, celebrating the romance.
Fortunately, the current Sarada showed no such terrifying inclinations.
With a single flash of the Flying Thunder God Technique, Senju Tobirama transported Sarada back to Orochimaru's laboratory.
Upon seeing them arrive, Orochimaru immediately handed his current notes to Yakushi Kabuto.
He led Tobirama into Sarada's private quarters and carefully placed her back inside the nutrient-filled cultivation pod.
Biological data began scrolling across the monitors.
"What kind of trauma did this child experience? Her vitals are fluctuating wildly," Orochimaru noted, genuinely surprised.
"Just a little emotional hardship," Tobirama said, waving his hand dismissively. "It's a pity she didn't awaken her Susanoo."
Makoto understood Sarada, but Tobirama truly understood the Uchiha.
For the Uchiha Clan, bonding with a rival was one of the mildest forms of their psychological instability.
Compared to Uchiha Itachi slaughtering his entire extended family, bonding was practically a sign of robust mental health.
'What a shame,' Tobirama mused inwardly.
'If only Itachi had occupied his time with intense rival bonds instead of wiping out his clan...'
Wait a minute.
Tobirama recalled the grim details of the Uchiha Massacre he learned after being revived.
It seemed Itachi had completely lost his mind only after his best friend, Uchiha Shisui, was driven to his death by Danzo.
Mystery solved!
It wasn't that Itachi didn't want to play the bond game.
It was that his beloved bond had been permanently severed by Danzo, the man who seemed born to be the village's ultimate scapegoat!
Thinking deeper, Madara's descent into complete world-ending instability also began when his bond with Hashirama reached an unresolvable breaking point.
Could it be that bonding was actually the psychological shackle that prevented the Uchiha from turning into mass murderers?
If so, by aggressively suppressing the birth of these bonds, were they inadvertently creating some new, dangerous breed of deviant?
No, that's not right.
Tobirama reasoned that he didn't want to eradicate bonds entirely.
He simply didn't want bonding to become the mainstream culture of the Shinobi World.
Those who played the bond game should remain a quiet private minority, not broadcast their intense entanglements with their rivals for the entire world to witness.
While Tobirama was lost in these chaotic sociological thoughts, Orochimaru began explaining the process as he collected the necessary cellular samples.
"According to the data provided by Makoto, awakening the Mangekyo, acquiring the visual jutsu, and activating the Susanoo all require intense emotional stimulation. However, the exact nature of the required stimuli differs."
"The Susanoo is the ultimate symbol of destruction. To manifest it, the emotional shock must be paired with a genuine desperate need for combat."
"Pure psychological horror alone is ineffective, it only overloads the brain," Orochimaru concluded.
"..."
"All I can say is that this child is still far too kind," Tobirama remarked after a moment of silence. "If she had even a fleeting thought of murdering those two who are currently showcasing their bond under the guise of a fight, her Susanoo would have activated instantly."
To activate the Susanoo, an Uchiha needed an intense desire for power—either to block a fatal, incoming attack or to slaughter an enemy.
Back then, Sasuke had activated his Susanoo solely because if he hadn't broken free from Naruto's chakra cloak, he would have been publicly violated.
In the current situation, Sarada was merely a spectator in the trees.
She wasn't the target of an attack. It was reasonable for her to lack a strong, immediate desire to fight.
But she was an Uchiha, which made her rational restraint seem unreasonable.
As an Uchiha witnessing such a travesty, shouldn't she have rushed in immediately with a weapon drawn?
Why was she being so logical?
Tobirama didn't know that shortly after he instructed Sarada not to act rashly, she did charge in.
The result? Sasuke had run her through with a lightning blade and sent her flying with a brutal kick.
He even cruelly taunted her desperate plea for mercy.
That brutal physical beating, combined with his callous words, had completely shattered Sarada's spirit.
She wasn't going to make the mistake of charging in for another round of humiliation!
...
"Is it true?"
Gaara suddenly spoke up after Senju Tobirama vanished with Sarada.
"What is true?" Sakura asked, turning to the Kazekage in confusion.
"I was talking to him," Gaara replied, his intense gaze shifting directly to Shikamaru.
"Uh..."
Shikamaru had initially planned to drop the act.
After all, Sarada was gone, having apparently fainted from his harsh implications, and he already felt a lingering sense of guilt.
But on second thought, he decided against telling the truth.
He craved a peaceful, mundane life.
His act was just a ploy to avoid romantic entanglements with troublesome women.
The absolute last thing Shikamaru wanted was to actually attract the attention of a man with highly unconventional tastes!
Forming a genuine bond with the Kazekage would completely obliterate his dream of a quiet existence.
"Yes. There is only one person in my heart: Naruto."
Shikamaru decided to firmly declare himself "taken" to prevent Gaara from setting his sights on him.
"?"
Sakura, listening to their bizarre exchange, was once again completely bewildered.
Her two teammates were down below, practically making out in the dirt, about to become inseparable.
And now, the tactical genius of their generation was confessing his undying devotion right beside her?
A certain highly inappropriate pun regarding the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho formation crossed her mind, leaving Shikamaru in a very compromising position.
"..."
After that cursed thought took root, Sakura was so overwhelmed with shame she wanted to bury herself alive in the tree bark!
"SASUKE!"
"NARUTO!"
Down below, the two fighters had slipped right back into their comfort zone, passionately shouting each other's names as they prepared to unleash their ultimate techniques.
"Hmm?"
Senju Tobirama, having just returned via the Flying Thunder God, saw this escalating display and immediately sensed trouble.
"Aren't you going to stop them?" he asked, glancing over at Makoto.
Sasuke had already activated his Susanoo, the primary objective had been achieved.
Why hadn't Makoto intervened yet?
Was he too engrossed in the spectacle?
Tobirama looked down at the heavy medical supplies in his hands.
'If Makoto won't act, I will. It makes no difference.'
"FLYING THUNDER GOD SLASH!"
With two instantaneous flawless teleports, Tobirama appeared like a phantom behind Sasuke and Naruto.
Before either could react, they each suddenly found a massive tranquilizer syringe firmly planted in their ass!
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