"Die!" The experimental subject shouted as he lunged at Nagasawa with the chain he broke earlier.
"Hmm?" Nagasawa looked at the charging experimental subject in confusion. Was he really this brave? Even Six Paths-level combatant had never charged at him like this before.
Perhaps Orochimaru was afraid that Nagasawa would kill him in an instant, so he quickly summoned a large snake from his sleeve to bind the experimental subject. However, with the enhanced observation skills of the Mangekyou Sharingan, the experimental subject dodged the snake's attack with a swift leap.
"Shadow Clone Shuriken Technique!" Orochimaru swiftly threw a Shuriken and used the Third Hokage's Ninjutsu, causing the Shuriken to multiply, resulting in a barrage of Shuriken that blocked all of the experimental subject's escape routes.
This was the experimental subject's first time fighting a Shinobi, so he was dumbfounded, and the Shuriken hit his body.
Blood spurted as the Shuriken found their mark.
"Interesting," Orochimaru said with a sinister smile while touching the wounds that just appeared on his body. To his surprise, he was injured with identical wounds to the experimental subject.
"Hahaha, no matter how many tricks you have, you can't defeat me now," the experimental subject laughed maniacally before a green light enveloped him, healing all his injuries.
In contrast, Orochimaru's wounds weren't healed.
The ability to reflect all injuries he sustained onto the attacker seemed nearly invincible.
"This ability feels strangely familiar," Nagasawa said. Suddenly, he remembered—it was similar to Hidan's Curse Technique.
However, the experimental subject's ability appeared even more potent, as he didn't need Orochimaru's blood to activate it. In fact, he hadn't even touched Orochimaru.
Just as the experimental subject reveled in his newfound power, he failed to notice a small white snake silently approaching him. This was Orochimaru's base, after all. Letting your guard down here was a fatal mistake!
The white snake bit the experimental subject's leg and injected it with venom. Instantly, the experimental subject felt weakened and collapsed to the ground. As he attempted to use his Mangekyou Sharingan to heal himself, Orochimaru approached and swiftly plucked out both Mangekyou Sharingan from the experimental subject.
"This may be the weakest Mangekyou Sharingan user in history," Nagasawa remarked.
The experimental subject's performance was lackluster, given the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan. While its abilities were formidable, he had failed to utilize them effectively. If the mechanism of his ability had been figured out, even a regular Konoha Jonin could have defeated him.
Of course, the experimental subject was just an ordinary bandit before acquiring this newfound power, so his inability to wield it properly was understandable.
"What are you going to do with those Mangekyou Sharingan? Will you implant them into yourself along with Hashirama Cells?" Nagasawa asked Orochimaru.
Orochimaru pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "That was my plan at first, but after studying them for some time, I've realized that my own body is too weak. Even with Hashirama Cells, I might not achieve the results I desire. I need to create a perfect, powerful body for myself. Once that's complete, I'll implant the Mangekyo Sharingan and Hashirama Cells into that body."
Orochimaru had a feeling this would be a long process that would last over a decade. After all, it was for his own body, and he couldn't afford to rush it like the experimental subject's case.
"Having a clear goal is important. If you ever need help, you can count on me," Nagasawa said with a smile.
As long as Orochimaru didn't cause trouble for Konoha, he was Nagasawa's best ally.
"You truly are my good friend and the best partner I can ask for," Orochimaru replied with a smirk.
...
"Izumi, today is the last time I'll walk you home. From now on, you'll have to go home by yourself," Itachi said as he accompanied Izumi to her house.
"Why? You're just a Shadow Clone, and the real you is training. Can't you spend a little more time with me?" Izumi pouted with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
She deliberately avoided mentioning Shadow Clones as she was afraid that it might make Itachi uncomfortable. Besides, there were only a few days left until their summer break.
"Tomorrow at noon, I'll be taking the early graduation test. After that, I won't need to attend school anymore. Besides, I am not a Shadow Clone," Itachi explained casually.
Izumi was one of his few friends, so Itachi felt it was necessary to inform her.
"Huh? Graduation?" Izumi's eyes widened in surprise with a hint of panic. "Why do you want to graduate all of a sudden? If you don't like the Academy's lessons you can just attend classes using Shadow Clones like before. Did I annoy you? If that's the case, I'll be more careful, I won't pass you any more notes either."
"It's not because of you. The Academy's lesson is just too boring for me, and it doesn't offer any meaningful challenges. That's why I want to graduate early and become a Shinobi," Itachi replied while looking at Izumi.
Shadow Clone's memories returned to the original, adding unnecessary fatigue, which would hindered his training.
"Kabuto also graduated early, but he still graduated after finishing the first year. That means going to the Academy still has its benefits, you know," Izumi anxiously mentioned Kabuto to convince Itachi.
Itachi showed a faint smile and said, "That's true, but Kabuto is different from me."
Izumi fell into a momentary silence, with slightly teary eyes. However, she quickly wiped away the tears and put on a sweet smile.
"Then, I wish you good luck with your exam tomorrow. Just remember not to train too late tonight; you don't want to be tired during the test," Izumi said.
"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind," Itachi nodded and then headed home.
As she watched Itachi's disappearing figure, Izumi felt like she had lost every ounce of the strength in her body. She was somewhat mature, and she knew that there was a gap between a regular Uchiha like her and an Uchiha prodigy like Itachi, and once Itachi graduated, they would have even less time together.
Izumi recalled Hanayo, who was quite close with Kabuto. Izumi wondered how she felt when Kabuto graduated.
Regret washed over her as she realized that she should have worked harder. Maybe then she and Itachi could have more in common. Now, it seemed that even seeing Itachi's back would be something rare.