"Nawaki's cells?"
Hearing that, Hoshiyomi looked even more confused.
It was true that he had given Orochimaru samples of Nawaki's cells, but he couldn't imagine what was so special about them that could possibly help the Sharingan evolve.
Sure, Nawaki's cells contained traces of Hashirama's DNA, which could replenish a Sharingan's ocular chakra reserves—but that was all it should do.
If they were dealing with an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, then maybe it could evolve into the Rinnegan someday.
But for an ordinary Mangekyō? Even with Hashirama cells, there was no way it could directly ascend to the Eternal Mangekyō level.
If it were that simple, then Obito in the original story would've already awakened an Eternal Mangekyō long ago!
Seeing Hoshiyomi's face full of question marks, Orochimaru couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"Patience, Hoshiyomi-kun," he said, smiling slyly. "Allow me to explain."
"Honestly, my discovery was somewhat of an accident. You remember—the three Mangekyō Sharingan you sent me belonged to Uchiha predecessors from many years ago.
Over time, the chakra and vitality within those eyes had faded considerably. And after being used again by later generations of Uchiha, that residual power grew even weaker."
"That single Mangekyō, in particular, had been overused to the point where nearly all of its mysterious energy was gone.
In contrast, the complete pair still retained a much richer concentration of power."
"For that reason, after finishing my study of the three-tomoe Sharingan, I was planning to abandon that single Mangekyō altogether.
But then—an idea came to me."
"You know how Lord Hashirama's regenerative vitality has always been legendary? Nawaki, Danzō, and his subordinates all confirmed through their transplant experiences that Hashirama cells—while incredibly dangerous—possess unparalleled restorative properties."
"So I wondered… what would happen if I applied those cells to a deteriorating eye?"
As he spoke, Orochimaru took out two transparent containers, each holding the three Mangekyō eyes, then pulled several photographs from a drawer—taken at the time he had first acquired them. He motioned for Hoshiyomi to compare.
Hoshiyomi examined both the jars and the photos for a moment—and his eyes widened in shock.
The difference was undeniable.
The three Mangekyō eyes now looked markedly brighter, as if their very quality had improved.
Just as Orochimaru had said, the eyes had been passed down for generations. In the photos, their color looked dull and lifeless, murky like those of an old man.
The single, overused Mangekyō in particular had nearly turned pale white.
But now—inside the containers Hoshiyomi held—their hues had become vibrant once more. All three eyes looked almost identical in tone and vitality, nearly impossible to tell apart at a glance.
Seeing Hoshiyomi's realization, Orochimaru licked his lips with that signature serpentine motion and continued in a low, delighted voice:
"Because Hashirama cells are so dangerously unstable, I didn't immediately use them on the eye. Instead, I opted for something safer—cells derived from Nawaki, whose genetic risk had already been experimentally verified to be much lower."
"I cultivated a batch of Nawaki's cellular tissue," Orochimaru continued, his voice dripping with excitement,
"and then embedded the nearly lifeless single Mangekyō Sharingan within it. After that, I turned my attention to studying the other complete pair of eyes."
"But while I was deeply immersed in analyzing the Mangekyō's mysterious power, I suddenly noticed something unexpected — that lone Mangekyō had changed."
"When I examined it under a specialized microscope, I was shocked to find that the cells within the eye, which had nearly lost all vitality, had become active again."
"Do you understand what that means?" Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.
"It means that within Nawaki's cells, there exists a certain special substance that stimulates the cells—or rather, the ocular power—of the Mangekyō Sharingan."
At this point, Orochimaru's expression was filled with pure exhilaration, as though reliving the thrill of that discovery all over again.
"After realizing this, I immediately replaced the Nawaki cells with Hashirama cells to see if the effect could be amplified."
"But then, something strange happened. Once the Nawaki cells were replaced with Hashirama cells, the Mangekyō stopped changing. My subsequent tests and observations showed that while Hashirama cells could indeed slow the degeneration of the Mangekyō's tissue…"
"They could not recreate the revitalization effect that Nawaki's cells had. This means that there is some unique quality in Nawaki's cells—something Hashirama's lack—that interacts with the Sharingan in a special way, restoring life to the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"I even suspect," Orochimaru's tone grew feverish, "that if this mysterious energy were strong enough, it could potentially trigger the evolution of a three-tomoe Sharingan into a Mangekyō—or perhaps even push a Mangekyō beyond its current limits!"
At that, Orochimaru's eyes burned with manic pride—clearly intoxicated by the magnitude of his own discovery.
Hoshiyomi, now fully drawn in, couldn't help but ask eagerly:
"So, did you find out what that special substance inside Nawaki's cells actually is?"
Orochimaru nodded slowly, then pronounced each word with deliberate weight:
"Through my research, I discovered that the substance capable of reviving the Mangekyō is a form of Yin Release chakra."
But as he said that, Orochimaru's face turned puzzled again.
"What I can't figure out," he muttered, "is how that boy Nawaki ever possessed Yin Release chakra in the first place. I even asked him personally—he doesn't have a Yin affinity at all."
At those words, Hoshiyomi froze.
Because suddenly—he realized he knew the answer to Orochimaru's mystery.
The difference between Nawaki's cells and Hashirama's cells… it was something he himself had caused!
Back then, when Nawaki was forcibly implanted with Hashirama's cells, the violent Yang Release chakra had nearly turned him into a vegetable.
To stabilize the overwhelming Yang energy, Hoshiyomi had infused his own Yin Release chakra into Nawaki's body, balancing it and allowing the Hashirama cells to merge safely.
So that was it—his own Yin Release chakra had lingered within Nawaki's body all along!
Wait… does that mean my Yin chakra can enhance a Mangekyō's ocular power?
The thought stunned him.
But on reflection—it made perfect sense. His Yin chakra had been granted directly by the system itself; in the entire shinobi world, there was likely no one else with Yin energy as pure as his.
And there was certainly no one else capable of extracting and transferring pure Yin chakra into another person.
Hold on… Hoshiyomi's thoughts raced. If my Yin chakra is essentially a perfect restorative tonic for the Mangekyō… then doesn't that mean Kuugetsu's Mangekyō might be able to evolve further?