[Congratulations, Host. You have completed your one-hundredth draw and triggered the guarantee. You have obtained an S-rank item: Otsutsuki Bloodline, 5%.]
It was that familiar sensation again.
With Kurotsuchi's death, the rumor surrounding Kitsuchi fermented once more, successfully earning Rasa another one thousand points. After completing the final ten draws, the ninth rumor officially came to an end.
And Rasa's Otsutsuki bloodline had risen to forty-five percent.
Rasa felt a strange sensation surge straight toward his eye.
A special power gathered in his left eye, driving it to transform.
Rasa took out a mirror.
He saw three tomoe appear in his left eye. Then, slowly, under the influence of that special power, the three tomoe began to change, twisting into an entirely different pattern.
"Mangekyo Sharingan!"
A strange expression appeared on Rasa's face.
Most Mangekyo Sharingan were awakened by members of the Uchiha clan. Under an extremely intense external stimulus, their eyes evolved and awakened into the Mangekyo Sharingan. And in most cases, both eyes awakened at the same time.
Uchiha Madara. Uchiha Izuna. Uchiha Shisui. Uchiha Itachi…
All of them had followed that pattern.
But when Rasa thought back to how his Byakugan had also appeared one eye at a time, he quickly accepted it.
After all, he was not an Uchiha.
He had obtained his Otsutsuki bloodline through the system.
His situation was different from other possessors of Otsutsuki bloodline.
"Awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan doesn't just grant the owner tremendous ocular power and improve other basic attributes. More importantly, it produces additional abilities."
"And those abilities are all extremely powerful."
"Kotoamatsukami, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu…"
"What ability does this eye of mine possess?"
With a thought, Rasa gathered chakra beneath his eye.
The next moment, he sensed it.
"Inari!"
"It can stimulate plants, making them grow rapidly. It can also control plants, causing them to undergo all kinds of transformations and fight for me."
Rasa froze for a moment.
"An alternative form of Wood Release?"
"Similar to Wood Release, but also different from Wood Release."
"It can't create plants out of nothing like Wood Release can, but that isn't important. At worst, I'll simply carry some seeds with me. Even if there are no plants around, I can still create them that way."
"It can stimulate all kinds of plants, accelerate their growth, and control their transformations to assist in battle."
"For example, I could enlarge a rose."
"I could make a pea sprout extend to its limits."
"Wood Release can also stimulate plants and accelerate their growth, but when used in combat, it mainly relies on plants created by Wood Release itself."
Rasa began analyzing it.
"In other words, this ability has more possibilities?"
"Different plants can be controlled for combat, and the results will vary."
"In that case, I need to study this carefully. Which plants can produce stronger effects for me? Which ones offer the best cost-performance ratio and allow me to use chakra more efficiently?"
"Also…"
Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly.
"With this ability, I can also impersonate someone from the Senju clan."
"With the identity of a Senju, there are many things I could do."
After returning to the Kazekage Building, Rasa immediately issued an order to the ANBU.
"Go collect plant seeds. I want every kind of plant seed, no matter what type. The more, the better. Gather as many seeds from every plant that exists in this world as possible."
The ANBU shinobi nodded.
"Yes, Kazekage-sama."
After that, Rasa summoned the head of the Rumor Department.
"Kazekage-sama."
Rasa said, "Create a rumor. Say that Orochimaru's human experimentation was a frame-up orchestrated by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Orochimaru is innocent, and Hiruzen Sarutobi only did this to eliminate Orochimaru, who threatened his position as Hokage."
"Because Hiruzen Sarutobi's public support has fallen sharply, and within Konoha, Orochimaru is now the leading Hokage candidate. Hiruzen Sarutobi felt deeply threatened by Orochimaru."
"That is why, the moment the peace agreement was signed, he immediately found a way to deal with Orochimaru."
Under the efforts of Sunagakure's Rumor Department, this rumor quickly spread throughout the Land of Fire.
It began in the towns surrounding the Land of Fire.
Figures appeared one after another, spreading the rumor outward.
"Have you heard about Orochimaru?"
"Orochimaru? How could I not have heard? The matter has caused such a huge uproar. It'd be hard not to hear about it. Orochimaru is utterly vile. To think he actually conducted human experiments and toyed with human bodies."
"To commit something so outrageous and still not be killed… what a pity."
"As long as he's alive, he'll definitely continue doing things like that."
A young man spoke furiously.
From his expression, one might have thought he had been the one subjected to human experimentation.
But that reaction was understandable.
Human experimentation was something far too terrifying. Even death itself was not as frightening.
"I truly hope Hokage-sama can send ninja after Orochimaru, catch him, and kill him!"
"Anyone who toys with human bodies is unforgivable! They all deserve death!"
The man from earlier sighed.
"Alas, you have all been deceived. Orochimaru isn't guilty at all. This is a frame-up. A false accusation."
"Orochimaru never did those things. It was because Hiruzen Sarutobi feared that Orochimaru would threaten his position, so he deliberately designed all of this to eliminate Orochimaru."
"Fortunately, Orochimaru was strong enough and reacted quickly enough. That was the only reason he barely managed to escape."
Everyone nearby widened their eyes.
"Hokage-sama framed Orochimaru?"
"Orochimaru is innocent?"
"The real mastermind behind everything is Hiruzen Sarutobi?"
The middle-aged man speaking sounded utterly certain.
"That's right. It was all designed by Hiruzen Sarutobi."
"Have you all forgotten?"
"Have you forgotten everything Hiruzen Sarutobi did before?"
"The death of Konoha's White Fang!"
"The death of Minato Namikaze!"
"Jiraiya being crippled!"
"For the sake of the Hokage position, Hiruzen Sarutobi is capable of anything."
"Konoha's meritorious heroes die just like that."
"He could even do something like the Nine-Tails' rampage. How many people died in that disaster?"
"He doesn't even care about his own disciples."
"Once is a coincidence. But so many times? Can they all be coincidences? Can they all be other people slandering him?"
"Flies do not gather around an egg without cracks!"
"It's time for you to wake up."
"If you continue like this, you're helping a tyrant do evil."
The middle-aged man cried out loudly, hoping his "awakened" self could rouse those who had been "deceived," make everyone believe the truth, speak up for Orochimaru, and denounce Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"A Hokage like that, a Konoha like that, brings nothing but harm to our Land of Fire!"