Chapter 26 Building Momentum

Three days later – Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the documents in his hand, eyes narrowing in thought.

Even though he had long estimated Orochimaru's strength, he hadn't expected him to reach this level—to take on Konoha's most formidable clan, the Uchiha, all by himself.

Letting out a long puff of smoke, Hiruzen removed the pipe from his mouth and passed the report to Jiraiya, who stood beside him.

"Jiraiya," he asked, "with your strength, could you have done the same?"

Jiraiya, cradling a child in one arm, took the document with the other. He gave it a quick glance and grinned. "I could probably fight him to a draw—but beating him? No chance."

He shrugged. "Orochimaru's ninjutsu and combat style are more effective in group fights than mine."

As he said that, he glanced down at the child in his arms—Naruto—and his smile faded slightly.

"Honestly, Minato was the real expert when it came to large-scale battles. His kill efficiency was even higher than Orochimaru's."

At the mention of the recently fallen Fourth Hokage, Hiruzen fell into a brief silence.

Minato's rise to Hokage was thanks in large part to his legendary performance during the Third Great Ninja War.

The title Yellow Flash might have been revered in Konoha, but to enemy forces, it was pure terror.

With his unmatched speed, heightened reflexes, and keen vision, very few shinobi stood a chance against him one-on-one.

Compared to Orochimaru's overwhelming pressure and unpredictability, Minato's style—fast, precise, and elegant—was like watching someone dance atop a blade.

As a veteran shinobi himself, Hiruzen had always admired Minato's way of fighting. But he also knew that the First Hokage, the so-called God of Shinobi, and his legendary rival Uchiha Madara had a more direct and devastating approach.

And now, the way Orochimaru was evolving... he showed hints of becoming something similar.

With a quiet sigh, Hiruzen returned to the matter at hand. "Orochimaru helped the Uchiha improve their barrier techniques. I suspect he's planning to use them against the Jinchūriki from the Hidden Cloud."

Jiraiya nodded. "That seems likely. He really went all-in this time—didn't hold anything back."

He paused, then asked, "What about intel from the front? Is there a chance Kumogakure will actually go to war? They took heavy losses in the last war."

The Third Hokage shook his head slowly.

"Even though Iwagakure managed to take down the Third Raikage by sheer attrition, the new Raikage has already risen—and the two Jinchūriki of Kumogakure have matured as well. Their high-end combat power should not be underestimated."

He paused before continuing, "While there are factions in the Cloud Village that oppose war, it's the Fourth Raikage who's leading the push. He has two powerful backers, and unlike Konoha, Kumogakure's leadership is highly centralized. It won't take much for him to silence dissenting voices."

Among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, Konoha was undeniably the most powerful. But because of that strength, it was also deeply fractured—riddled with factions and internal politics. The Hokage and the Anbu under his direct control were merely the largest of those factions.

The Uchiha Clan, the Root division, and other powerful groups like the Hyūga and the "Ino–Shika–Chō" alliance each had their own agendas.

The Hyūga in particular were noteworthy. Thanks to the Caged Bird Seal, they remained the most "unified" clan in Konoha—though not necessarily for noble reasons.

It was a small blessing, perhaps, that the clan had been corrupted by their own power. No truly exceptional leaders had emerged from the Hyūga for generations. If they had, the village's political infighting would be far worse.

"In any case, we must begin preparing for war with Kumogakure," Hiruzen said at last.

He called in his assistant. "Find an opportune moment to leak this information to the public."

The assistant skimmed the report, his eyes widening in surprise. Then he gave a deep bow.

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

As the assistant departed, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

If this news spreads, it may lessen the villagers' fear of the Uchiha... But at the same time, it will raise Orochimaru's reputation even further.

The Third Hokage frowned. Orochimaru's true intentions still eluded him, and that uncertainty gnawed at the back of his mind.

Let's just hope he's telling the truth... and that he truly bears no malice toward the village.

---

Underground Laboratory

The harsh glow of overhead lights pushed back the darkness, revealing a cold, sterile lab that stank of chemicals and blood.

Orochimaru moved with practiced precision, retrieving a petri dish from an experimental cabinet and sliding it under a microscope. He leaned forward, carefully observing the cellular interactions within.

The sample was a blend of First Hokage cells, Uchiha Shinsuke's cells, and Yamato's—used as a stabilizing agent. It was designed to test how well Uchiha cells resisted the power of the First Hokage's genetic material.

"The structure is stable for now," Orochimaru muttered to himself. "With large-cell isolation, the First's cells remain dormant."

He licked his lips. Uchiha Shinsuke was an elite jōnin—one of the most capable members of the Konoha Police Force.

If even his cells could help stabilize the aggressive First Hokage cells, Orochimaru's expectations for the experiment were rising.

Maybe today, I can develop a stronger genetic serum.

After documenting the early results, he continued the experiment step by step. But the moment he introduced the nutrient solution, the First's cells flared to life.

The aggressive cells overwhelmed the Yamato strain immediately. Worse, even Uchiha Shinsuke's cells—supposedly resilient—succumbed like any average test subject.

Another failure.

Orochimaru discarded the petri dish and fell into thought.

Something's not right. The resistance I expected just isn't there.

Was the information from the "Lamp Spirit" false? Or had he simply misunderstood the method?

The Uchiha are said to suppress the First's cells... So what sets them apart from ordinary people?

His golden eyes lit up slightly.

"The Sharingan..."

It made sense. But still, he hesitated.

But the Sharingan is just a dōjutsu—a visual bloodline trait. It's inherited like any other kekkei genkai. It shouldn't change how their cells interact with others... right?

"Or maybe... it does."

He thought back to how the Uchiha activated their Sharingan. Their black eyes would shift to red, with tomoe forming around the pupil—only during battle, and not indefinitely. Eventually, the eyes would revert.

So Sharingan might not be a constant trait—it's a fluctuating state. An unstable kekkei genkai?

Orochimaru had no dōjutsu of his own, so he could only rely on research and observation.

In all my notes, no other bloodline limit requires entering a special state to be used...

"Then... is the true stable form of the Sharingan something else? The Mangekyō Sharingan, perhaps?"

He shook his head.

He'd never seen Shisui's eyes in action, but based on rumors, even the Mangekyō didn't represent the limit.

The real pinnacle of the Sharingan must be something irreversible—a form that, once awakened, never fades.

With that, a conclusion formed in his mind.

"If I really want to test the Uchiha's resistance to the First's cells... I'll need to experiment directly on a Sharingan user."

He licked his lips at the thought.

It's still a bit difficult at the moment… but not impossible.

Suddenly, there was a burst of white smoke.

A large snake slithered forward across the lab floor. It opened its mouth and dropped a scroll at Orochimaru's feet.

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