CHAPTER 64:Uchiha Light

"You must be talking about Uchiha Hikaru. She was a test subject I manipulated the Uchiha into producing. I transplanted a separate Mangekyō Sharingan technique into her eyes, hoping they might evolve or mutate. Unfortunately, the experiment failed."

Black Zetsu answered, recalling the subject.

"I saw the girl awaken her Mangekyō Sharingan at a very early age. That level of talent gave me hope, so I took a chance. When it didn't work out, I abandoned her entirely."

"Back then, most Uchiha-Senju conflict happened upstream of the Jinlu River. If anything was sealed there, traces might still remain."

"How many Mangekyō Sharingan does the Uchiha clan currently possess?" Tamura Hao asked again. The existence of Uchiha Hikaru made him uncertain of which version of the Naruto world this truly was.

Mangekyō Sharingan were extremely rare in the anime. But during the anime's explanation of the Izanami technique—when Uchiha Itachi described its use—several Mangekyō pairs appeared, all within the context of Konoha's founding, as evident from the Leaf forehead protectors. These details needed urgent clarification.

"There are five known pairs. The one you must watch out for is Uchiha Jiri. Her ocular power is extremely close to Madara's in his Mangekyō phase. Even I don't know her technique. She's never used it publicly."

"She's also frighteningly gifted in jutsu creation—on par with Indra, who invented hand seals. Currently, she is the Uchiha's strongest member."

"Uchiha Jiri...?"

When he heard the name, Tamura Hao's heart skipped a beat. Did someone like that really exist?

A top-tier powerhouse capable of developing ultimate ocular techniques? That would be a dangerous foe.

"Five Mangekyō users… The Uchiha really are overpowered."

Tamura Hao found it difficult to believe. He had expected only one or two pairs to exist in secrecy. But five? That was excessive.

On second thought, it wasn't impossible. During the Naruto timeline, there were already four confirmed Mangekyō wielders—Uchiha Fugaku (anime-only), Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Sasuke.

In this earlier era, the Uchiha clan was at its height—before the attrition of the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, and before the political decay caused by Konoha's inner leadership. It was reasonable for five Mangekyō to exist.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki is even stronger. She should already be capable of using the Adamantine Sealing Chains and possibly even the full Strength of a Hundred Seal."

Black Zetsu harbored deep fear of the First Hokage's wife. The Nine-Tails was the most formidable tailed beast—far beyond the others. Why else would Madara Uchiha have chosen it to battle Hashirama?

The First Hokage's wife, Uzumaki Mito, subdued the Nine-Tails and sealed it within herself. Her mastery of Uzumaki sealing arts made her power comparable to Madara Uchiha at his peak.

As for Hashirama Senju, his death came not from battle but from overexerting forbidden techniques that consumed his vitality. He died a few years after his final fight with Madara, while Madara secretly survived.

Had he not overdrawn his life force, Hashirama—with his immense regeneration—could have easily lived beyond a hundred years.

"The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki!"

Tamura Hao suddenly understood. You couldn't compare Uzumaki Mito with Uzumaki Naruto. Mito could perform advanced sealing arts and channel the Nine-Tails' power with precision, whereas Naruto relied on raw chakra reserves and brute force. Naruto only knew basic techniques like Rasengan.

Naruto won battles through stamina and guts, while Mito's skills and refined chakra control made her truly terrifying.

And if Mito had full control of the Strength of a Hundred Seal, she was on another level altogether.

While sailing back from the Land of Whirlpools, Tamura Hao had studied Uzumaki clan scrolls describing the Diamond Blockade (Adamantine Sealing Chains).

The seal was one of the clan's ultimate powers—a benchmark of strength.

The more chains a Jinchūriki could manifest, the stronger they were.

Even Uzumaki Masahiko, a legend, could only control five chains. In the original story, during the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha, even Kushina Uzumaki only used five.

But Uzumaki Mito could manifest nine chains—four more than the others.

Compared to this, the Mangekyō Sharingan seemed far less intimidating.

"The Mangekyō isn't powerful by itself. What's truly powerful is the chakra of Indra Ōtsutsuki. The Mangekyō is just the mechanism to access and manifest that chakra."

Black Zetsu dismissed most Mangekyō users. "Most can only use their techniques a few times—especially Susanoo, which, at best, reaches stage two. It's powerful enough to rival Kage, but unsustainable. The chakra and life cost make it a risky weapon."

"That's not surprising."

Tamura Hao recalled how Shisui went nearly blind after just one major battle—let alone Danzo stealing his eye.

Even someone like Sasuke, Indra's reincarnation, struggled to maintain prolonged Mangekyō usage.

No wonder Uchiha Fugaku was hesitant to rebel, despite having Mangekyō. The Nine-Tails attack had severely weakened Konoha, but he still refrained—he likely understood his own limits.

Even Uchiha Itachi, despite his unmatched talent, deteriorated from Mangekyō use. During his final battle with Sasuke, much of his power came from illusions. He barely held together long enough to activate Susanoo before dying.

"In the end, chakra is the foundation of everything. All power comes from chakra. The rest is just technique or bloodline appearance."

Tamura Hao realized the truth. Characters like Sasuke and Naruto only became gods because of Indra and Asura's chakra. Even the Sage of Six Paths gave them cheats based on chakra amplification.

Black Zetsu spoke solemnly: "From a higher perspective, you're absolutely right. According to Kaguya's inherited memories, the Ōtsutsuki clan follows a strict bloodline caste system. The upper tiers suppress the lower ones."

"That's why certain powers—like the Sharingan or Wood Release—innately suppress others, even if chakra levels are similar."

"This might be why my mother created you."

He had been pondering the reason behind his "brother's" creation for days—and finally arrived at a theory.

Perhaps Kaguya aimed to create a being outside the Ōtsutsuki hierarchy—one who could cultivate chakra independently, free from suppression. Someone capable of resisting future Ōtsutsuki invaders.

"Then I've got to train harder!"

Tamura Hao's eyes gleamed with determination as he stared at the sealed scroll Black Zetsu brought.

"The most precious item is the Sakakari Sword."

With that, Black Zetsu gave a final reminder before sinking into the ground to investigate groups conducting chakra or scientific research.

He hadn't cared before. But now that he knew of their existence, he could search more effectively and detect their presence.

"What an ugly grin. You really look like a villain. I don't know how someone as beautiful as my 'sister' could produce something like you. You can't be her biological child. After rescuing her, we're sending her back to the furnace for re-forging, or it'll be too humiliating to stand beside her."

Tamura Hao couldn't help but grumble. Black Zetsu's entire existence screamed "villain."

To stomach the relationship, Hao had to mentally hypnotize himself—forcing his subconscious to accept the shadowy entity as his elder sibling.

Only by deceiving himself could he deceive a thousand-year-old schemer like Black Zetsu.

He even suspected that Zetsu was surveilling him—and couldn't risk exposing any cracks in the act.

And he was right. A distant clone of Black Zetsu had been watching, and heard everything.

"My mother gave me this form—what choice did I have?"

The clone looked down at his dark, featureless body with a heavy heart.

Kaguya had little chakra at the time of his creation. This crude body was all she could afford to make.

Yet, he was comforted by his younger brother's desire to rescue their mother. If the two joined forces, they would definitely succeed.

But for that to happen, Hao needed to forge his own independent bloodline system—free of Kaguya's legacy and unlike Hagoromo's.

He must never lust after Kaguya's power like Hagoromo had.

Only then could they truly free their mother.