Ryou found a place to rest while pondering his own problems.
There are over a thousand Uchiha clan members, but only about two hundred are Ninja, and perhaps only fifty or so have awakened the Sharingan.
The Sharingan doesn't rely on talent; it relies on love, or rather, what Tobirama discovered through studying Uchiha minds—intense emotional shock.
The core trigger emotion is extreme loss and pain, such as losing a lover or a close friend. Negative emotions like regret, despair, and grief explode in concentration.
Ryou used to be an evil cultivation practitioner who played games like "Hitting the Tiles," "blocking the bridge," and "court trials," having no connection to "pain" or "loss," because he simply didn't experience them.
As for Mikoto and Itachi, their relationship with Ryou had faded ever since Fugaku told Mikoto and Itachi to reduce contact with him.
He had been removed from the Uchiha Clan, so what feelings could he still have for them?
The secondary trigger for the Sharingan is an extreme desire to protect and an obsession, such as the desire to become strong enough to defeat an opponent in order to protect an important comrade.
As for obsession, it is an excessive attachment to a certain goal.
Ryou was afraid of death. When Minato almost killed him previously, his eyes were stimulated, but because he had a backup plan and believed he would be saved, that obsession was severed.
Ryou felt annoyed thinking about it for a while, then gave up. This kind of thing couldn't be forced; at worst, he would ask Madara for a pair of Sharingan to transplant later.
If they're someone else's, so be it! If he could casually acknowledge a mother, why couldn't he casually swap eyes?
Tobi learned from Ryou very quickly and was currently torturing Obito and Ryūzetsu.
"Obito, hurry up and tell me, who else is in your family? What's the contact info? If you want to leave, tell your family to package up all the Secret Techniques and send them over."
Obito was a stubborn mule who would never yield: "Tobi, you damned bastard, I, Uchiha Obito, only have this life! Take it if you want!"
Ryou walked over: "Tobi, why are you wasting words on him?"
Tobi gave up the main spot; recently, Tobi had acknowledged Ryou as his big brother.
Following Ryou was clearly more interesting than following Obito. He couldn't learn the good things, but he instantly picked up the bad ones.
As soon as Ryou arrived, he electrocuted Obito: "Are you going to talk or not, talk or not!"
Obito, this Filial Son of Fire, would curse Ryou whenever he had the energy, constantly rambling about how good the Village was to the Uchiha.
You, a Konoha Ninja who grew up bathed in the Will of Fire, are actually colluding with a great villain like Madara. You are truly disloyal, unfilial, and forgetful of your ancestors.
Ryou couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with such a person; he just electrocuted him directly.
Obito screamed loudly from the electric shock, but didn't even flinch: "Bastard, I, Obito, will absolutely not bow down to someone like you who deviates from the Ninja Way."
Ryou cursed loudly: "Still quite arrogant! White Zetsu, go grab Nohara Rin for me! I'm going to mash her cake right in front of Obito!"
"Aahhh—"
"Don't you dare hurt my Rin!"
Obito roared in fury, his black eyes turning into blood-red Sharingan, with tomoe spinning within them.
Just as three tomoe were about to appear, he suddenly closed his eyes and passed out.
Ryou patted Obito's face: "I gave you a chance, but you're useless! I gave you a chance, but you're useless!"
Ryou had considered dragging Obito into his mess, but Obito before his corruption had the same personality as Naruto. Such people have stronger wills than anyone else.
The more they are suppressed, the firmer their resolve becomes.
Only when the person he cherished most died would he truly understand the reality of the world.
Ryou looked at Ryūzetsu, who was also hanging next to Obito, pointed at the electrocuted and unconscious Obito, and said: "See that? That's what happens. Ryūzetsu, tell me everything about who else is in your family and what techniques you have."
Ryūzetsu: "o((⊙﹏⊙))o."
Tobi reminded Lord Ryou: "Lord Ryou, your training time is up for today. You should be developing the forbidden jutsu for Lord Madara."
"Fine, fine, fine, can't I just go to work? Go fetch a White Zetsu Clone for me."
"Yes, Lord Ryou!"
Ryou took the fresh White Zetsu Clone that Tobi brought and placed it on his experimental table.
Ryou then snapped his fingers and let Ryūzetsu down. Ryūzetsu obediently stepped forward like a little assistant to help Ryou hand him tools.
They had been together for some time now. Ryūzetsu felt that although Ryou was a bit of a beast, the only punishment he had inflicted on her was that one time he tickled the soles of her feet.
Although Obito was kind-hearted, he was also a bit naive.
Even she could tell.
Both of their lives were tied to Ryou. If Ryou couldn't restore the terrifying old man's youth...
...all three of them would die.
Kusagakure is a small Ninja Village, and the helplessness of a small Village is having to learn to grow in the cracks. Ryūzetsu, being part of Kusagakure's Dove Faction, had known for a long time that a Ninja must endure.
"Ryūzetsu, the pliers!"
"Lord Ryou, here!"
Ryou appeared serious, but he was actually just pretending to conduct an experiment.
The space Ryou was in was created by White Zetsu, and it was not the same space where Madara and the Gedo Statue were located.
The reason was that Ryou still had to practice Ninjutsu, and while practicing, he might accidentally aim at the sleeping Madara.
Black Zetsu was afraid Ryou would ambush Madara, so he drove him to this independent space and arranged for Tobi to monitor him.
He had fixed times every day to practice Ninjutsu, and the rest of the time he had to develop the forbidden jutsu to restore Madara's youth.
Tobi was messing around nearby, so Ryou directly shooed him away: "Do you understand this? Go draw poop on the side."
Tobi obediently took a stick and went to draw poop.
Ryou secretly glanced at Tobi. Seeing that Tobi wasn't paying attention, he reached his hand into the chest of the White Zetsu Clone.
Chimera Technique: Plunder Rebirth!
Ryou's Chimera Technique could indeed plunder others' life force, but there was a limit.
He was like a wooden bucket; once he plundered a bucket of water, he was full. If he tried to plunder more, it would overflow.
At this time, he needed the concept of the Yin Seal, sealing the plundered life force within the seal, and taking it out to save his life when his own vitality waned.
But Ryou didn't know the Yin Seal, and the explanation for the latest version of the Yin Seal was quite significant.
It wasn't developed by Tsunade, but was a hereditary Ninjutsu of the Uzumaki Clan, originating from the Ōtsutsuki Clan's "Kama."
When the Ōtsutsuki Clan is on the verge of death, they convert all their core information—such as personality, power, and memories—into data and implant it into another person's body.
The person implanted with the "Kama" is the "Vessel."
When the data is completely thawed, the Ōtsutsuki Clan member will fully resurrect from the "Vessel's" body.
The Uzumaki Clan's Yin Seal is a "Kama" adapted for the human body, which avoids the effect of being reincarnated by an Ōtsutsuki.
But this forbidden jutsu was passed down through a single lineage. It was originally held by Uzumaki Mito, who then passed it to Tsunade.
Ryou had no chance to steal it.
But when Ryou activated White Zetsu Mode once, he discovered that White Zetsu cells could convert excess life force into spores.
Just like a tree blooming and bearing fruit.
Ryou called these spores Life Spores, and Life Spores were Ryou's Life Clones.
Ryou has White Zetsu cells and knows the spore Technique. Ordinary White Zetsu spores are different from Ryou's life spores.
The spores deployed by White Zetsu can attach to the target's body surface, providing covert surveillance, Chakra theft, and transfer.
During the Five Kage Summit, even the Five Kage failed to notice White Zetsu's spores listening in on them.
Ryou's life spores possess all the abilities of ordinary spores and can also replicate his complete strength; even his Kekkei Genkai can be copied.
life spores can be used multiple times, but White Zetsu's spores can only be used once.
Most importantly, a life spore is a life itself, capable of providing life force to Ryou.
Ryou didn't know if giving a life spore to Madara would give Madara an extra life, so he dared not try. He had always secretly researched it and never dared to reveal it openly.
To this day, Ryou has secretly converted 10 life spores under the guise of research, meaning he now has 10 lives.
This way, he could better protect himself during the upcoming storm.
As for Plunder Rebirth 2.0, which Madara asked Ryou to develop, Ryou has already finished developing it based on Ryūzetsu's Dragon Life Reincarnation, and is just waiting for Madara to wake up.
Outside World.
Orochimaru began a large-scale search for Ryou's whereabouts with the help of his animal friends. The people of Kusagakure didn't know what Orochimaru was looking for.
But they all felt it was related to the Child Kidnapping Case and the Ninjutsu Theft Case happening in the Village, so they followed far behind Orochimaru, searching with him.
Orochimaru suddenly made a discovery. Twenty li north of their position, his snakes had searched the area and were dying in large numbers.
"Hmph, hmph, I found you, Ryou!"
Jiraiya finally couldn't hold back and leaped out from the bushes, blocking Orochimaru's path.
"Orochimaru, you have refused the Village's summons many times now. Are you preparing to betray the Village?"
Orochimaru appeared completely unconcerned by Jiraiya's appearance, but the hand inside his sleeve was already prepared to form hand signs.
He gave a cold laugh: "Jiraiya, did you finally lose patience and jump out?"
Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru and said: "Orochimaru, go back! Ryou is dead, and his forbidden jutsu has completely vanished."
Orochimaru shook his head: "No, he's not dead. He's alive and well. He fooled all of us."
Jiraiya was certain that Orochimaru was just stubbornly refusing to admit defeat: "Orochimaru, stop being so stubborn. The old man is already losing patience with you."
"Today, you are coming back with me, no matter what."
Orochimaru stretched out his hand, revealing the hand signs: "What if I don't go? Jiraiya, are you going to kill me?"
"I..."
Jiraiya hesitated.
Just a few days ago, a like-minded comrade had died. Now, did he have to become enemies with the person he had been bonded with since childhood?
My comrades, when did we all go our separate ways?
Jiraiya thought back to the running race organized in their class when they were children.
Back then, Tsunade, with her good stamina, ran in the lead, Orochimaru followed steadily behind, and Hiruko was chasing Orochimaru, refusing to lose.
Jiraiya, full of brute strength, wanted to chase them, but the physically weak Ryou grabbed his back: "For the sake of the Party and the State, give a brother a hand!"
Now, Ryou and Hiruko had stopped running on that track, and Orochimaru was heading in the opposite direction from him and Tsunade.
What happened? Why are the Ninja of the Village, who preach the Will of Fire, all so rebellious?