As Sasuke continued writing, he suddenly noticed something amiss. He stopped writing and glanced back at the line for April of Konoha Year 61.
According to the original works, Team Seven had completed eight missions between March and April: C 1 & D 7.
The C-rank mission was the Land of Waves mission.
But what had they been doing during the three months from April to July?
Picking their noses at home for three months straight?
Not a single mission?
Yet, according to the original timeline Sasuke's account, Team Seven should have undertaken several more missions during those three months, though these hadn't been explicitly depicted in the main storyline.
After reviewing the broad strokes of the original timeline in his mind, Sasuke formulated a preliminary plan and immediately burned the documents.
He had to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan within the next four years and seven months.
At the latest, he couldn't exceed July of Konoha Year 61—the time of the Chūnin Exams.
Only then could he ensure he possessed the necessary martial prowess to successfully execute his plan.
Otherwise, things would become exceedingly difficult.
Slowly gathering his scattered thoughts and banishing all distractions, Sasuke walked to the meditation cushion in the center of the room and began practicing yoga meditation.
If, by April of Konoha Year 61, his spiritual energy cultivation method showed no signs of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, he would have to implement some riskier and more extreme ideas during the three months between April and July.
Though his cautious nature rarely led him to take unnecessary risks, sometimes, some risks were unavoidable.
___
Land of Rice Fields, a hidden newly built underground base.
In a biological research laboratory, Orochimaru stood before a row of sophisticated monitors, wearing a fitted yellow-white robe tied with a purple ribbon at the back.
His expression was deeply focused.
Around him, the room was filled with microscopes, test tubes, scalpels, and various other experimental instruments.
He was currently studying the Sharingan eyes that Danzō had delivered to him.
After a long silence, Orochimaru lifted his head and murmured, "What exactly is the difference between the awakening conditions for the Mangekyō Sharingan and the ordinary Sharingan?"
As he picked up the documents Danzō had provided about the Uchiha Clan, he continuously recalled the Uchiha he had observed during his time in Konoha.
Members of the Uchiha Clan typically awakened their ordinary Sharingan during moments of intense anger or when facing life-or-death crises.
A biological stress response?
The so-called stress response refers to a living organism's instinctive reaction to stimuli and danger.
In humans, it typically manifests as elevated blood sugar, increased blood pressure, accelerated heart rate and breathing, increased adrenaline secretion, enhanced strength, and heightened speed.
Everyone experiences this phenomenon, often exhibiting far greater-than-usual strength when consumed by anger or under immense pressure.
Orochimaru himself was no stranger to this, having experienced it personally. However, the Uchiha Clan possessed a unique trait: their Bloodline Limit.
In moments of extreme rage or life-threatening crises, their brains secrete a mysterious substance that mutates the cells in their eyes, awakening the Sharingan.
This was the standard method for awakening the Sharingan. But what about the Mangekyō Sharingan?
Grief? Anger? Pressure? Joy?
Or some other emotion entirely?
If that were the case, why hadn't any other Uchiha awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan on that fateful night, apart from Uchiha Itachi?
Or was it necessary to kill one's own kin?
Orochimaru recalled Uchiha Itachi, who was rumored to have personally murdered his parents.
Could the path to awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan truly be kin-slaying—a cursed method?
'No!'
Regardless of how extreme Uchiha Itachi's actions were, stripping away all the mystical nonsense, the fundamental truth remained: Uchiha Itachi's emotions had changed after killing his parents!
'Talent!'
Beyond extreme emotional trauma, one must also possess extraordinary talent to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan!
Orochimaru felt he had grasped the key. Despite his deep hatred for Uchiha Itachi, he couldn't deny that Itachi's talent was among the greatest he had ever witnessed.
"Heh heh heh..."
Orochimaru licked his lips, recalling Uchiha Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother left behind in Konoha.
As fellow siblings, though their talents might differ somewhat, they couldn't be too far apart, could they?
Setting aside the analysis report, Orochimaru clapped his hands. Within moments, an assistant entered the room, kneeling respectfully.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
"Bring the boy named Shin here!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon after, a pale-skinned young man with short white hair lay unconscious on Orochimaru's operating table.
The white-haired youth was named Shin. His unique physiology allowed him to accept any transplanted tissue without rejection.
Thus, Orochimaru had conducted numerous experiments on Shin, who voluntarily became his test subject rather than being forced.
For Shin, who aspired to master biological technology, Orochimaru—with his profound knowledge in the field—was undoubtedly the most revered figure in his life.
"To perfectly integrate even something as highly rejection-prone as the Sharingan?"
"What a truly remarkable constitution."
Orochimaru observed Shin, who showed no signs of rejection after receiving a pair of three-tomoe Sharingan, and clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Alas, these are merely ordinary Sharingan."
Orochimaru's expression quickly darkened as he recalled Uchiha Itachi and his Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had never suffered such profound humiliation in his entire life.
While his ninja career wasn't devoid of defeats, he had never been so utterly and swiftly crushed before.
What fueled his burning hatred even more was the look in Itachi's eyes after their battle—utterly indifferent, as if a lofty deity were gazing down upon an insignificant insect, a presumptuous worm.
This filled him with unbearable humiliation!
Even Demigod Salamander Hanzō, who had defeated him, and the leader of Akatsuki had never looked at him with such disdain.
"Heh heh heh... Uchiha Itachi, I swear I'll kill you someday. I'll repay every ounce of humiliation you've inflicted on me tenfold!"
Orochimaru's eyes turned ice-cold, his voice dripping with murderous intent. Like a venomous serpent stalking its prey, he bared his fangs.
'Uchiha Itachi?'
'Who is he?'
'Why does Orochimaru-sama, who is usually so calm and collected, lose his composure so completely when mentioning him?'
Through his dazed haze, Shin overheard Orochimaru's muttered words. Beyond the murderous intent in his voice, Shin detected a faint undercurrent of longing and fear.
'Longing?'
'Fear?'
'Even Orochimaru-sama longs for and fears this Uchiha Itachi?'
Shin didn't yet know who Uchiha Itachi was.
But the name "Uchiha Itachi" had already left a mark on his heart.