Those were indeed extraordinary eyes.
Orochimaru wasn't foolish enough to ask if Ye Zi was sure he hadn't made a mistake. Eyes with such characteristics could only be the Rinnegan—an eye of the Sage of the Six Paths. He looked at the astonished Ye Zi with fervent excitement and said, "Those are the Rinnegan... the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths."
A single sentence, yet it contained a wealth of complex information. Ye Zi listened, not blinking an eye, remaining silent, but internally he was stirred by the revelation.
The Rinnegan, and the Sage of the Six Paths...
What kind of existence were they? He had no idea.
Was the Sage truly an immortal?
If so, did immortals have the ability to manipulate space?
Thinking of this, Ye Zi's gaze became intense. He stood up immediately and asked eagerly, "What are the Rinnegan? Is the Sage of the Six Paths truly an immortal? Can immortals manipulate space? Tell me, Orochimaru!"
It was the first time Ye Zi had lost his composure in front of Orochimaru, the first time he had spoken to him with such urgency. The look of excitement on his face surprised Orochimaru.
"Tell me!" Ye Zi's hands were firmly placed on the table.
Orochimaru looked at Ye Zi's posture with surprise. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't know if they can manipulate space, but if even the Sage of the Six Paths cannot, then no one else can."
"Ha ha!"
Ye Zi suddenly laughed, his laughter joyful and unrestrained.
Orochimaru watched Ye Zi laugh and, for the first time, saw Ye Zi's true desire. Every person has something they strive for.
To manipulate space?
Orochimaru wondered where this desire came from.
He didn't know, but today, he finally understood why Ye Zi sought power.
Ye Zi's laughter subsided, and he became calm again. He looked down at the empty plates on the table, thinking about the eyes in the storm.
"My power... is still not enough!"
He slowly raised his head, gazing intently at Orochimaru, and asked, "Is there any way to become stronger faster?"
Facing Ye Zi's serious eyes, Orochimaru remained calm. Considering his recent research and Ye Zi's unique physical characteristics, he linked the two in his mind, a cold smile appearing on his pale face.
"Of course," he said with a smile, like a cold snake.
Two days later, Ye Zi faced Danzo. He looked at Danzo with a detached expression; this meeting was unlike any other.
Ye Zi had infiltrated the agreement between Orochimaru and Danzo and knew about their reckless actions involving human experimentation.
When Orochimaru revealed this, Ye Zi nearly lost his composure, as human experimentation was a taboo he despised deeply from his past.
If he could turn back time ten years, he might have angrily condemned and tried to stop it. But now, he was no longer the naive child he once was.
Human experimentation—so what?
As long as it helped him achieve his goals, he would not hesitate to be involved, even if it meant becoming a test subject himself.
"Everyone has something they want."
Danzo leaned on his cane, his expression indifferent. "This is the fundamental condition of the transaction."
Ye Zi remained silent.
Danzo observed him and said calmly, "I've never understood what you wanted. Now that I do, everything becomes much simpler. Rather than a transaction, I would prefer your service."
"What do I need to do?" Ye Zi asked coldly.
Danzo smiled and replied, "What you need to do hasn't changed; it's just more dangerous than before."
Ye Zi nodded slightly. Besides completing missions, he couldn't think of anything else he could do for Danzo.
The goal of the human experimentation plan was to make someone stronger, and he would be one of the beneficiaries.
Transplanting the Sharingan...
Just hearing those words excited him immensely.
If successful, transplanting the Rinnegan wouldn't be out of reach.
From this day on, Ye Zi, who had returned from the Land of Rain only a few days prior, began taking on missions with his dual identity.
Secretly, as a member of Root, the missions he undertook were at least A-rank, usually S-rank.
Publicly, as a Jonin of Konoha, he led a team and completed missions with remarkable efficiency.
Despite this, many people in the village looked down on him. Although rumors were suppressed, their impact could not be entirely erased.
Ye Zi didn't care. To him, Konoha was merely a temporary refuge; he didn't belong here, nor to this world.
Thanks to his efficient performance, the reputation of Konoha's Little White Fang spread across major ninja villages. Ye Zi's personal profile was recorded in each village, with a notable warning that underscored his strength.
His blade was not slower than White Fang's.
Due to the efficiency of his team, the Uchiha siblings and the out-of-village Kotoe grew rapidly through numerous missions. Their formidable teamwork even surpassed the Ino-Shika-Cho, becoming a new generation of shining stars, rivaling Minato and Kushina.
As for Ye Zi, despite being of the same generation, his standing was on a different level.
While others were still reveling in their accomplishments of S-rank missions, Ye Zi was continually breaking records.
In his personal file, the number of S-rank missions completed was steadily rising, with a 100% success rate.
Such a mission expert was a coveted asset for all major ninja villages.
In a small tavern, four people sat: Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Dan Kato.
"That kid is indeed becoming world-famous," Jiraiya said, sipping his drink and reflecting with the others.
"But Minato is no less impressive than that kid! I'm sure of it," Jiraiya added, directing a stern look at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru ignored him, continuing to drink.
Dan Kato chuckled softly and said, "This generation truly has many promising young talents."
Tsunade glanced at him and said, "Our generation wasn't bad either. They're still far from shouldering the main responsibilities."
Dan Kato shrugged and smiled wryly, "But Ye Zi is already stronger than me."
Tsunade had no rebuttal. She couldn't argue with that, especially given how Ye Zi had improved the Spirit Transformation Technique in such a short time—something even Dan Kato couldn't compare to. Moreover, the improved technique was more formidable and beyond Dan Kato's grasp.
In this regard, Dan Kato was indeed inferior to Ye Zi. If he knew Ye Zi's Spirit Transformation Technique had not yet shown its full potential, he might be even more perplexed.
Jiraiya seized on this point to mock Dan Kato, who had been surpassed in a short time by someone who taught others ninjutsu.
Then Tsunade punched Jiraiya, leaving a hole in the tavern wall.
Orochimaru watched the scene and shook his head slightly.
Join the patreon and get 48 chapters in advance