Chapter 97: Like a Byakugan , easy to remove

Uchiha Clan Grounds — Inside a Quiet House

In front of Uchiha Fugaku, Orochimaru calmly explained the differences between the Sharingan and the Setsurengan, and discussed the process through which the Uchiha awaken their unique dōjutsu.

Unlike his blunt speech in the Hokage's office, Orochimaru was more careful with his words here. He chose phrases that were easier for the listener to accept, avoiding anything that might provoke Fugaku's already fragile emotions.

Even so, Fugaku remained silent for a long time. He couldn't accept it—not outwardly, not inwardly.

His stunned expression resembled someone who had just learned they had a terminal illness. The only difference was that the question on his face wasn't "Why me?" but rather "Why us?"

Only after Orochimaru had nearly finished an entire pot of tea did Fugaku finally speak, his voice strained and hoarse.

"…Lord Orochimaru, is what you said… really true?"

"You already know the answer in your heart," Orochimaru replied with a thin smile, setting down his teacup. "There's no need for panic. You could think of it as a unique bloodline disease."

"In Kirigakure, the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku grows more powerful as it worsens their physical health. It's not uncommon."

"Sharingan—and especially the Mangekyō Sharingan—are similar, but the toll they take is not on the body… it's on the mind."

"But… but…" Fugaku's voice trembled. His eyes reddened, his forehead veins bulging as he struggled to contain his fury. "The Uchiha have stood proud for over a thousand years… and now you tell me our power is a mental illness?"

Even Tobirama Senju had never gone so far. If anyone else—Danzo, even—had dared say it, Fugaku might have attacked them without hesitation.

But this was Orochimaru. Vicious, cold, and self-serving he may be—but when it came to ninjutsu and bloodline research, his knowledge was without equal.

Fugaku couldn't ignore the evidence Orochimaru presented. Because it rang true.

"Tch tch… if that's too hard to accept, then allow me to offer you a different explanation," Orochimaru said with a mock-sympathetic smile. To outsiders, it may have seemed mocking, but Fugaku had long learned this was just his usual expression.

"The Sharingan is unstable in every aspect," he continued smoothly. "Unlike the Byakugan, it changes drastically between activation and rest. That's not normal."

"The reason is simple—physical energy cannot fully support spiritual power. That's why the Sharingan has a time limit when used."

Fugaku said nothing. He knew this better than anyone. He had felt the strain, the drain. The moment he deactivated his eyes, he could feel it in his body.

"And the instability only worsens with the Mangekyō Sharingan," Orochimaru added.

He paused, then dropped the final weight.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan… can go blind."

Fugaku opened his mouth to protest—but the words didn't come. In the end, he only gave a bitter smile. His face was clouded with weariness and helplessness.

It was true. This "forbidden eye," the most powerful form of their bloodline limit, was ultimately a consumable resource. Every flicker of power came at a cost. Every use brought it closer to ruin.

A power that shines for only a moment, before plunging into darkness—what was the point?

By comparison, that Setsurengan… had far more potential.

Once Fugaku moved past the humiliation, surprise took its place.

He had seen the Setsurengan himself. Though it lacked the unique Mangekyō abilities, its raw pupil power was close—astonishingly so.

More importantly, it was stable. More stable than the Sharingan. No decline in vision. No breakdown from overuse. No madness.

A cold, steady power.

And for the first time, Fugaku began to wonder: Could this be… the evolution the Uchiha were denied?

"The hope for the rise of our clan doesn't lie in the Mangekyō, but in the Setsurengan!"

Fugaku stood up, regaining the tense composure he had before meeting Orochimaru. His heart was full of unease and hope. With solemn conviction, he said,

"Lord Orochimaru, I ask for your help in resolving this hidden threat. In return, the Uchiha clan is willing to pledge its strength to you."

Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly smile.

"Tsk tsk... how decisive of you."

Though it sounded like a hollow promise, with the Uchiha's rigid pride, there was little chance they'd go back on their word.

In other words, if he played this right, with just a bit of effort, he could gain the allegiance of the most powerful dojutsu clan in the ninja world.

Even for Orochimaru, that was not a force to be taken lightly.

"However…" Orochimaru smiled, "Clan Head Fugaku, I must decline."

"W-What? Why?"

Fugaku remained in a bowing posture, lifting his head in confusion, his face a mix of disbelief and dismay.

As if realizing a misunderstanding, he quickly added,

"Lord Orochimaru, I'm not speaking empty words. The Uchiha truly…"

Orochimaru waved his hand dismissively, still smiling.

"Relax. Sit down. It's not a matter of trust."

Fugaku reluctantly sat again, though the disappointment on his face was clear.

"You were too eager, and missed one obvious flaw of the Setsurengan..."

Orochimaru tapped his brow with two fingers and mimed plucking out an eye.

"It's too stable. Unlike the Sharingan of the past, it's more like the Byakugan now—others can wield it too."

Fugaku froze, then went pale.

"Lord Orochimaru… are you sure about this?"

"Nine times out of ten." Orochimaru replied coolly.

"With the enhancement of Yang Release during the transplant process, the Uchiha's former weakness in physical vitality has been resolved. Maintaining the Sharingan no longer demands constant spiritual exertion. It forms a stable system on its own."

"That's good for the Uchiha, yes—but it's even better for those who covet the power of the Setsurengan."

Fugaku's face darkened instantly.

For generations, countless ninja had yearned for the power of the Sharingan. But the brutal reality had always stood as a wall:

"Only those of Uchiha blood can truly control it."

Even someone like Kakashi, a prodigy with Kage-level potential, had suffered greatly—reduced to a chakra-depleted shell with just one Sharingan. This limitation had ironically protected the Uchiha from further exploitation.

But if the Setsurengan could be used freely, that barrier would vanish.

"Now do you see?" Orochimaru said with a grin.

"It's not that I won't help you—it's that doing so may harm you more. Unless..."

He paused.

"Unless the Uchiha plan to mimic the Hyūga and brand their own with a 'Caged Bird Seal'?"

"Absolutely not!" Fugaku's voice rose sharply.

"Uchiha are not watchdogs to be leashed!"

His tone was full of pride and contempt for the Hyūga's system.

But in truth, there was one thought he kept to himself:

If they truly went that far—branding their own, creating a main and branch family—how long would it be before a Uchiha awakened the Mangekyō and turned their wrath inward, slaughtering their kin on a stormy night?

The weakness of the clan lay not in its power, but in its pride.

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