The news that Orochimaru was conducting a mysterious experiment quickly spread through their inner circle.
Even Tsunade rushed over.
With Naruto having constructed a teleportation array directly in Konoha, Tsunade had completely handed her workload over to Shikaku during this period. Her days had become remarkably carefree. Occasionally, she would pick up a new research topic; when bored, she would go gambling, calling it "seeking inspiration."
No one knew whether she had learned that excuse from Jiraiya.
As for the research on Uchiha Itachi, Tsunade had long since put it on hold. The secrets of the Mangekyō Sharingan were not something that could be unraveled easily. She had already handed Itachi back to the Uchiha clan to let them deal with matters themselves.
Itachi's chakra had been sealed, and most of his physical ailments had been treated by Tsunade. With that, the Uchiha began their plan to revive the clan.
Their method was direct—almost brutally so.
They drugged Uchiha Itachi and arranged for several women to be brought to him. These women were all ordinary civilians from the ninja world, and every one of them was willing. As long as they bore a child of Uchiha blood, their families would be guaranteed a comfortable life.
One could say they had married into wealth.
Naturally, none of them felt dissatisfied. Uchiha Itachi was handsome, after all, and each woman was quite pleased.
Only Itachi himself suffered.
He often wanted to commit suicide, but a single sentence from Sasuke would immediately stop him.
"If you dare die," Sasuke had said coldly, "I'll follow you."
Whether it was a bluff or not, Itachi didn't dare gamble. He had always been a doting older brother.
Recently, it was said that a third woman was already pregnant.
Many young Uchiha men were ecstatic. Some even sought out an old physician from the Land of Fire to obtain special medicinal prescriptions, loudly proclaiming it as "revitalizing the Uchiha clan."
The enthusiasm was so overwhelming that Shisui's mouth twitched when he heard about it.
With this level of excitement, whose child was it really?
After that, Shisui deliberately avoided Itachi even more. Even when Itachi wanted to see him, he couldn't.
Sasuke, on the other hand, felt quietly pleased as he imagined what the Uchiha clan might look like twenty years from now.
Soon, several high-ranking figures arrived to observe Orochimaru's experiment.
"Orochimaru," Tsunade asked with interest, "what exactly have you been researching this time?"
"You'll know when you see it," Orochimaru replied, smiling mysteriously.
He soon brought out the device.
It was compact, designed to be worn on the body, with extensions connected to the arms and hands—almost as if it could launch something directly from the palms.
Orochimaru turned to Hagane Seiji.
"Little Seiji, when the time comes, attack me with your full strength. Understood?"
"Ah?!"
Seiji froze. "Lord Orochimaru… won't that hurt you?"
Tsunade burst into laughter.
"Orochimaru, it looks like you're being underestimated."
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
That smile made Seiji's heart skip a beat.
Uncle Orochimaru isn't angry… right?
"Just come at me," Orochimaru said calmly, narrowing his eyes. "You won't hurt me."
You embarrassed me. I'll deal with you later, he thought.
Seiji shivered involuntarily.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm ready!"
"Very good."
They moved to an open area. Orochimaru had already explained all the necessary precautions. The purpose of this test was simple—to verify the effectiveness of the device.
Seiji glanced at Orochimaru and couldn't help but chuckle.
Judging from Orochimaru's expression, he clearly hadn't let that earlier comment slide. This was definitely a lesson in disguise.
But Uncle Orochimaru, Seiji thought, I won't play by the rules.
His gaze fixed on the metallic device worn by Orochimaru. The cold gleam of metal made him smile.
Metal was something he understood very well.
Noticing the mischievous grin on Seiji's face, Orochimaru smiled back.
The two of them—one large fox, one small fox—exchanged knowing looks.
"Steel Release: Iron Manipulation!"
"Uncle Orochimaru!" Seiji shouted. "You should know that steel is under my control!"
The surrounding observers immediately understood, especially those familiar with Seiji's abilities.
Hagane Seiji possessed a Steel Release Kekkei Genkai, granting him the power to create and manipulate steel. That ability alone made him a priceless asset—one of the reasons Shisui called him a treasure.
His talent was similar to Rasa's.
Rasa could produce gold dust, but only by gathering it himself. Seiji, however, could directly create steel.
Steel had enormous applications in the ninja world. It was the most common—and most important—material of all.
Yet Orochimaru stood unmoving.
A sense of unease crept into Seiji's heart.
Then Orochimaru spoke.
"Little Seiji… do you really think I would make such a basic mistake?"
"I've already infused this equipment with a special magnetic field that isolates your control over its steel structure."
"In other words," Orochimaru continued calmly, "you can still manipulate steel you create or external steel—but this equipment is completely outside your control."
As his words fell, Seiji felt it clearly.
His ability… truly had no effect.
That was fine as well.
Hagane Seiji was already prepared to cooperate with Orochimaru. He was genuinely curious about what Orochimaru was trying to accomplish.
In the next instant, Seiji activated his ability.
Dozens of metal spears formed in midair, their sharp tips locking onto Orochimaru as they shot forward at high speed.
At the same time, Seiji condensed a layer of steel armor around his body. The smooth, interlocking metal plates formed seamlessly, causing many onlookers to marvel.
He truly was a Steel Release Kekkei Genkai user.
An ability like this—once fully matured—would undoubtedly become a nightmare for enemies.
Facing the incoming spears, Orochimaru calmly extended one hand.
A faint gust of wind swept across the field.
In the blink of an eye, all of Seiji's metal spears were blown away. They flew off at awkward angles, scattering wildly before embedding themselves into the ground at a distance.
The crowd was mildly startled.
Only Shisui showed a flicker of realization in his eyes, as if he had already grasped something.
Seiji himself was surprised.
Orochimaru hadn't dodged. He hadn't blocked.
He had merely raised his hand—and the attack was gone.
Curiosity stirred within Seiji, but his movements didn't slow in the slightest. His training went far beyond something so simple.
Countless tiny metal fragments instantly shot forward, dense and fast, like an overwhelming storm of shuriken.
Orochimaru raised his hand once more.
This time, the fragments weren't blown away.
Instead, guided by the subtle motion of Orochimaru's palm, the attacks abruptly changed direction. They gathered together, compressing into a tight mass before being flung harmlessly to the side.
The observers were stunned.
What kind of ability was this?
There were no obvious chakra fluctuations at all.
Seiji didn't hesitate.
Two enormous iron fists rapidly formed on either side of Orochimaru, slamming inward with terrifying force. If they landed, even Orochimaru would be crushed instantly.
Once again, Orochimaru opened his hand.
He didn't move from his spot. He didn't brace himself.
He simply stood there, calmly facing the attack.
Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.
He's not planning to block that with his hand, is he?
Then, something unbelievable happened.
The two massive iron fists stopped in midair, as if an invisible barrier had intercepted them.
A moment later, Orochimaru exerted force.
The enormous metal fists were violently hurled away in opposite directions, crashing into the ground with deafening booms.
Shisui's eyes shone.
He understood now.
This was that power.
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru…" Shisui murmured, admiration filling his expression.
Seeing Shisui's reaction, the others immediately turned to him, silently asking for an explanation.
Although Orochimaru had announced that he was conducting an experiment, very few people knew the details. Shisui, however, had personally fought Nagato.
He understood that power better than anyone present.
Lord Orochimaru… has actually replicated it.
...
(End of Chapter)
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