Elysium, the left-eye ability of Aoba's new Mangekyō Sharingan, was defensive in nature. The concept of an "ideal world" implies something intangible and unreachable in reality. This was the essence of Elysium: creating a gap that could be seen but not touched.
The right-eye ability, Parting, was offensive. When the user inflicted a wound on an opponent, activating this ability caused the injury to expand and propagate until the affected body part was completely severed.
For example, if Aoba inflicted a small cut on an enemy's arm, activating Parting would cause the wound to grow along its length until the entire arm was severed. If the injury were on the chest, it would eventually slice the torso in two.
This ability could also be applied to objects. For instance, a small cut in a wall would spread, tearing through the wall until it collapsed, unless the propagation met an unconnected edge or gap.
Theoretically, with infinite ocular power, Aoba could create a crack in the ground and cleave an entire planet. Of course, he didn't possess such unlimited power, and such an act would be meaningless anyway.
That didn't diminish the ability's power, however. While it might not seem as immediately overwhelming as abilities like Kotoamatsukami or Kamui, Aoba was extremely satisfied with it. Its potential and scalability made it a final trump card-level technique.
Aoba even felt a little like Hidan, as long as he inflicted a wound, victory was practically assured.
With a thought, Aoba's chakra cloak writhed and wrapped around his body. The Mangekyō Sharingan embedded within it sank beneath the cloak, concealed from view. Thanks to this design, Aoba could relocate the eyes to any part of his body during combat, reducing the risk of them being damaged.
As Aoba opened his eyes, Tsunade, who had been on standby nearby, let out a sigh of relief. She could tell that the experiment had been a success.
This moment left Tsunade somewhat dazed. The Mangekyō Sharingan was a rarity even when the Uchiha Clan was at its peak. Yet now, with the Uchiha gone, an outsider like Aoba had not one but two pairs. Knowing Aoba, Tsunade was certain that Sasuke's Mangekyō awakening was also inevitable.
Furthermore, it seemed Aoba had another Mangekyō hidden somewhere. This meant he alone controlled three pairs. It wasn't just a trump card, it was a veritable Mangekyō factory.
In truth, the time to transplant Kagami's Mangekyō Sharingan was approaching, but Aoba decided to familiarize himself with the new pair first.
Since this experiment was highly classified, only Tsunade and Aoba were present in the lab. To test the chakra cloak, Aoba had removed his shirt, leaving his upper body bare.
Tsunade, who had already "sampled the goods," couldn't resist and instinctively reached out, running her hand over his chest.
Aoba froze for a moment before retaliating. In their relationship, neither was particularly "taking advantage" of the other.
While Tsunade was undeniably beautiful, her age made this a classic case of the "older woman and the younger man."
The two shared a mutual understanding. When together, nothing was off-limits, but once their time ended, they returned to a strictly professional relationship.
Tsunade wasn't the type to demand responsibility, and Aoba couldn't openly acknowledge their relationship either. To her, Aoba was more of a companion to ease her loneliness.
In the original storyline, Tsunade never accepted Jiraiya's advances, largely because she couldn't resolve the emotional baggage surrounding Dan and Nawaki. In this timeline, having faced those ghosts earlier, she naturally let loose emotions she had suppressed for so long.
Aoba's intervention had also exposed Hiruzen Sarutobi's darker actions, creating a rift between her and Jiraiya. These factors combined to lead to her relationship with Aoba.
As one of the strongest kunoichi of her time, Tsunade wouldn't settle for just anyone. Aoba's combination of strength, good looks, maturity, and understanding made him her natural choice.
Aoba, far from a saint, couldn't resist Tsunade's charms, especially with her striking physical assets.
After a passionate tussle, the two had tried to restrain themselves but still managed to break a few pieces of lab equipment.
As Aoba got up from their "sparring session," he found himself feeling awkward.
"Uh… let's just say the chakra waves from the Sharingan awakening caused the damage," he muttered.
"Fine by me. I'll approve a budget to replace the equipment later," Tsunade replied nonchalantly.
And so, the shameless duo casually agreed to use public funds to repair the damages caused by their activities before going their separate ways.
Aoba didn't head home immediately. Lately, Yumi had been growing suspicious. Every time he returned, she would scrutinize him. And Aoba, weak against her advances, always found himself "cornered." Each encounter left him drained.
To avoid another exhausting evening, Aoba decided to rest and recover somewhere else before returning home.
With time to spare before dinner, he headed to the training grounds.
By now, Team 7 had adapted to their current training regimen. Aoba wasted no time in raising the intensity even further.
All three children possessed immense potential. Previously, Aoba had prioritized laying a solid foundation for them through basic training with minimal emphasis on combat.
Now that their foundations were solid, it was time to push them harder.
As their mentor, Aoba had an in-depth understanding of their abilities, including detailed data on their physical limits. Every training session was meticulously designed to push them to their breaking point, forcing their rapid growth.
Though Obito had retreated for now, Aoba knew the peace was temporary. As Madara Uchiha's successor, Obito possessed countless hidden trump cards. Just the wall of Sharingan alone made him a formidable adversary.
With Black Zetsu and White Zetsu aiding him, Obito remained Aoba's greatest threat.
Meanwhile, Hidan, now operating under the alias "Shin", continued to provide intelligence on the Akatsuki. Reports indicated that Hiruko's Chimera Technique was progressing smoothly, and the Akatsuki was preparing a live test.
Though the ninja world appeared peaceful, it was teeming with hidden dangers. Aoba understood this better than anyone and thus had no choice but to accelerate his plans.
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Currently on Chapter 204 - Aoba and Orochimaru's Conversion