A few months after the establishment of the Technology Development Department.
"I must admit, I underestimated you, Kagetsu." Orochimaru stood in the newly renovated Technology Development Department, staring intently at a strange plant before him, his eyes gleaming with genuine interest.
"Your research data saved me a lot of trouble, Orochimaru-sensei." Kagetsu looked at the plant he had nurtured, a sense of satisfaction rising within him, the fulfillment of an idea brought to life.
The plant in front of them was over three meters tall, its roots deeply entrenched in the ground. The trunk and branches twisted with a powerful, almost serpentine strength.
Pale bark covered the tree, etched with dense, curse-seal-like patterns. A faintly discernible human face seemed to emerge from within its trunk.
"I didn't expect you to use grafting and fruit-bearing techniques to reduce the assimilation power of the First Hokage's cells. Compared to the so-called Hashirama test subjects, this creation of yours can truly be called a masterpiece."
Orochimaru's words reflected his genuine admiration. Kagetsu's research had indeed opened up a new path for him, expanding his horizon beyond mere human experimentation.
"It's not a complete success yet," Kagetsu shook his head.
"Only the final step remains, right?" Orochimaru smiled slightly. "I've already had someone inform Fugaku to bring a few Uchiha Jōnin over."
The two of them silently observed the special tree cultivated from Hashirama's cells, each lost in their own thoughts.
The silence was soon broken by the arrival of new people.
A few swift figures flashed through the doorway, led by Uchiha Fugaku, accompanied by several Uchiha clan members radiating strong auras. Shisui followed closely beside Fugaku.
"Orochimaru-sama." Fugaku greeted Orochimaru first. He and the other Jōnin from the clan immediately focused their attention on the tree in the center of the laboratory.
"What is this…" Fugaku could sense a surge of vitality emanating from the tree.
"This is what I promised your Uchiha clan," Orochimaru said calmly.
Fugaku's eyes brightened, and he instinctively looked toward Orochimaru. His expression showed excitement, but he hesitated to speak, as if weighing his words.
"What do we need to do?" Fugaku suppressed his excitement and asked Orochimaru.
"It requires the power of the Sharingan, or rather, the ultimate Yin Release ability that the Sharingan represents."
Following Orochimaru's cue, Kagetsu stepped forward and instructed the Uchiha Jōnin on what they needed to do.
After listening to Kagetsu's instructions, the Uchiha Jōnin all turned their gaze to their clan leader. With Fugaku's nod of approval, they followed the procedure, activating their Sharingan and placing their palms firmly against the tree's trunk.
"My chakra is being absorbed by this tree!"
The expressions of the Uchiha Jōnin changed almost instantly. Their palms seemed glued to the tree, and they could feel sharp thorns piercing through their skin, along with their flesh and blood, as the tree voraciously devoured every last bit of their chakra.
They couldn't stop that powerful devouring force at all. In that instant, they even sensed that this tree was alive! It was a peculiar life form, somewhere between a plant and an animal.
"Don't worry, this is a normal occurrence. It's just taking samples from you all. The process will stop once your bodies reach their limits. You won't be completely consumed by it," Kagetsu reassured the tense Fugaku and a few other Jonin who seemed ready to intervene.
Within a few minutes, the three Uchiha Jonin, who had been full of energy when they arrived, were now pale, sweating profusely, and looking severely dehydrated.
Just as the three Jonin could no longer endure the massive loss of chakra, the terrifying suction force in their palms suddenly weakened significantly.
The three Jonin even vaguely sensed through their chakra perception that the tree in front of them let out a slight burp.
When the suction force from their palms finally began to diminish, the three Jonin immediately pulled their hands away from the tree's surface. They staggered back a few steps, their bodies unstable.
"Is this really an experiment that can help us evolve our Sharingan?" One of the Jonin, Uchiha Akihiko, asked angrily as he looked at Kagetsu.
As Jonin, they had the right to know and be involved in the clan's matters. Even though Fugaku was the clan head, he couldn't ignore the opinions of these Jonin in many situations.
Thus, the Jonin in the Uchiha clan knew about the cooperation with Orochimaru. Even if some had objections, Fugaku had managed to suppress them forcefully by using Wood Release and emphasizing the need to consider the clan's future.
Over the past few months, the Uchiha had invested a massive amount of resources into the Technology Development Department, which even affected the training of other clan members.
This put pressure on Fugaku, as well as the Jonin who had initially supported him. They all felt the subtle dissatisfaction from various factions within the clan.
When Fugaku received Orochimaru's notification, he almost let out a sigh of relief.
Back then, he could firmly choose to side with Orochimaru, but if there were no results after these months of relentless investment, he would undoubtedly face strong questioning from within the clan, especially from the hawkish faction led by Uchiha Setsuna.
He didn't know if this experiment would succeed, but he was undoubtedly the one most eager for success!
"Calm down."
Kagetsu and Orochimaru stood on either side and began forming hand seals. A large amount of chakra surged from their feet into the tree's roots.
Gulping sounds echoed through the laboratory, sending chills down everyone's spines.
To the astonishment of Fugaku and the others, flowers began to bloom rapidly on the tree branches, followed by the emergence of fruits. Three green, cherry-sized fruits hung from three separate branches, swaying gently in front of everyone.
"Based on your positions, each of you should pick a fruit that belongs to you," Kagetsu instructed the three somewhat confused Uchiha Jonin.
Reminded, the three carefully picked the three cherry-sized green fruits. At the moment they touched the fruits, a familiar feeling washed over them, leaving them momentarily dazed.
Touching the fruit felt like touching a part of their own bodies.
"So what now? Should we eat them?" Uchiha Akihiko asked, holding his fruit, eager to try it. He sensed a special attraction from the fruit, as if eating it would enhance his strength.
"My advice is not to eat it," Kagetsu replied. "It represents another side of your emotions! It will create a realistic illusionary dream based on your thoughts and personality, but it has a time limit.
If you can break through it, you'll gain an increase in your eye power. If you can't, you'll either become completely immersed in the dream, losing yourself entirely, or your mind will suffer a heavy blow, greatly reducing your future chances of improving your eye power."
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