"Akira, does the fusion of Indra and Asura's powers also greatly benefit ordinary ninjas?" Orochimaru asked Akira in surprise.
Based on Akira's earlier explanation of the ninja world's history, Orochimaru had thought that the power of Indra and Asura would only be useful to those directly descended from the Sage of Six Paths.
"No, it doesn't have much effect on ordinary ninjas. Without the right bloodline, there's no real improvement," Akira explained, shaking his head.
Orochimaru nodded, finding this theory to be logical. But then why was Akira transplanting this kind of power into Hinata?
Orochimaru looked at Akira, waiting for his explanation.
"To explain that, we have to talk about the Hyuga clan's ancestry."
"The Uchiha clan's ancestor is Indra, or you could say, the Sage of Six Paths himself."
"And the ancestor of the Hyuga clan? He was actually the Sage of Six Paths' brother."
"So, in terms of bloodline, the Uchiha and Hyuga clans are technically related," Akira clarified.
"That's… that's news that would shake the entire ninja world to its core!" Orochimaru said, stunned by Akira's revelation.
From the time of the Warring States period, the Uchiha clan's Sharingan and the Hyuga clan's Byakugan were legendary across the ninja world.
After the founding of the Hidden Leaf Village, the two clans became part of its elite, and they had always been rivals.
But now Akira was telling him that the Uchiha and Hyuga were actually blood relatives?
If anyone else had told him this, Orochimaru would have immediately suggested they get a mental health check at Konoha's hospital!
"This is beyond shocking!"
"The Sage of Six Paths' line passed down the Sharingan, which can even evolve into the Rinnegan!"
"And the Sage of Six Paths' brother passed down the Byakugan!"
"I can't even imagine what kind of beings their parents must have been!" Orochimaru muttered in awe, still reeling from the revelation.
"Well, it's getting late. Let's leave this conversation for another time," Akira said, waving his hand as he turned to leave Orochimaru's lab.
Just like that? Right at the critical moment?
For Orochimaru, it was as frustrating as reading a novel that suddenly stops at the most exciting part! Worse, Akira didn't even give him a date for when the "next chapter" would come!
Wasn't that cruel?
Watching Akira walk away, Orochimaru grumbled to himself.
After learning so much about the origins of the ninja world from Akira, Orochimaru realized he now possessed secrets that could shake the entire ninja world—like the fact that the Sage of Six Paths was real, or that the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were blood relatives.
He now knew that Indra and Asura had been reincarnating throughout history, continuously locked in a cycle of love and conflict, and that their combined powers could unlock the Sage's true strength.
Any one of these revelations would be enough to cause an upheaval in the ninja world.
But at the same time, Orochimaru found himself with even more questions than before.
Who were the parents of the Sage of Six Paths?
If the powers of the Sharingan and Byakugan came from their parents, where did their powers originate?
And what about the Rinnegan that the leader of the Akatsuki possessed? Akira had said it was transplanted from Uchiha Madara.
But why had Madara's Rinnegan ended up in his hands? Was it a coincidence, or had Madara willingly given it?
Also, Akira had mentioned that the conflict between Indra and Asura was the result of a conspiracy. But what was that conspiracy? Who could possibly have the audacity to plot against the Sage's sons, causing them to fight for centuries, even through reincarnation?
And finally, who were the current reincarnations of Indra and Asura?
Akira clearly knew the identity of Indra's reincarnation—the blood sample he had brought was proof that the reincarnation existed within the Uchiha clan.
But what about Asura's reincarnation? Where was he?
And lastly, what would happen to Hinata after receiving this fusion of Indra and Asura's powers? Would her bloodline really improve?
The Sharingan had several stages of evolution, but no one had ever said the same about the Byakugan.
If the Byakugan could evolve, what would it evolve into?
In the end, after talking with Akira about the origins and mysteries of the ninja world, Orochimaru realized he had learned enough to destabilize the entire world.
But he also realized he had even more questions now.
Shaking his head slightly, Orochimaru resigned himself to preparing for tomorrow's transplant with Hinata.
He was deeply curious about this claim that the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were related.
What would happen after the power of Indra and Asura's reincarnations was transplanted into a Hyuga?
Time passed quickly.
Early the next morning, Akira performed another round of simulation training, working to improve his ninjutsu. Afterward, he headed to the Hyuga clan's residence to bring Hinata to the research lab.
Orochimaru and Kabuto were already waiting for them.
Orochimaru was eager—not only was he assisting with the procedure, but this was also an opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline.
"Akira, I… I…"
Standing beside the operating table, Hinata clung tightly to Akira's sleeve, clearly nervous about the upcoming procedure.
"Don't worry, I'm right here," Akira said reassuringly, patting her head with a smile.
Comforted by his words, Hinata finally relaxed and lay down on the operating table, though she still held tightly to Akira's hand, unwilling to let go.
Akira squeezed her hand gently, giving her a comforting pat as the procedure began.
The fusion of Hashirama's and Sasuke's cells was extremely stable.
Although Sasuke wasn't yet powerful enough to unlock the full power of the Six Paths, the combined cells closely resembled those of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
There were no major signs of rejection during the procedure, which left Orochimaru quietly amazed.
It also deepened his trust in Akira's knowledge.
Indeed, from the smooth progress of the transplant, it was hard to deny that there was a connection between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.
After about two hours, the procedure was complete.
When Hinata got up, she immediately felt a lightness in her body, as if she had gained more agility.
Her Byakugan's vision was sharper, able to see farther and more clearly than before. Most importantly, there was a constant stream of chakra gathering within her eyes.
"Hinata, your Byakugan..." Akira said, noticing something surprising in her eyes.
"My eyes? What's wrong with them?" Hinata asked, puzzled.
"See for yourself," Akira said, handing her a mirror.
Hinata looked at her reflection and noticed something unusual.
Her eyes were still Byakugan, but deep within them, a faint blue glow occasionally appeared, like a pulse.
"Why… why is there blue light in my eyes?" Hinata asked, confused by the strange phenomenon.
As a member of the Hyuga clan, she knew how important bloodlines were. Could this mean her bloodline was becoming impure?
"Your Byakugan hasn't fully evolved yet, but it's starting to change. This is a good sign," Akira explained calmly.
There were four possible colors for the Rinnegan—purple, red, blue, and gold.
Similarly, the Tenseigan could appear in purple, blue, or gold.
From the looks of it, if Hinata's Byakugan fully evolved into the Tenseigan, it would likely be blue.
But for now, she was still far from a full transformation.
That's why her eyes only occasionally flashed blue light.
"Evolve? Our Hyuga clan's Byakugan can evolve?" Hinata asked in shock. As the Hyuga heiress, she had never heard of such a thing.
"When your Byakugan completely turns blue, that will be its full evolution. At that point, it will no longer be the Byakugan but the Tenseigan," Akira explained, nodding.
"The Tenseigan?" Hinata repeated, still baffled. She had never even heard of such a thing.
"None of that matters. What's important is whether your Byakugan's abilities have improved," Akira said, changing the subject.
"Yes, I can see much more clearly now, and my field of vision has widened as well!" Hinata answered, nodding.
"Then that's all the proof you need," Akira said with a smile.
In a clan where bloodline abilities were paramount, nothing proved an enhancement to one's lineage more than an increase in the power of their eye techniques.
"You're right," Hinata agreed, nodding as well.
*********
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 218 at patreon.com/Emik01.