Chapter 122: Orochimaru’s Obsession and the Path to Genome Ascendancy

"What's this now? Interested in the Rinnegan?" Gin raised an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Orochimaru smiled and gave a nonchalant shrug. "These are the legendary eyes of the gods—who wouldn't be?"

"Heh... then I'll have to disappoint you." Gin shook his head, his tone slightly regretful. "Uzumaki Nagato exists. During the assault on the Land of Whirlpools by the three great nations, Black Zetsu kidnapped his family."

"The Rinnegan should already be transplanted into him. I searched the entire Land of Rain using teleportation techniques, but I couldn't even find traces of his family. Black Zetsu has hidden them well."

"That shadowy bastard..." Orochimaru muttered, lips curling with irritation.

"He's not foolish. Ever since he realized we've developed barriers to counter his infiltration, he's become even more cautious. We're at war with Amegakure, and he's not about to risk letting us find Nagato's Rinnegan."

"So if you want to study the Rinnegan," Gin continued, "you'll either have to wait until we find Nagato, or until one of the Uchiha awakens it naturally. Or... you dive into genome enhancement research yourself. Craft artificial Uchiha blood, create a universal medium for Uchiha gene synthesis—then awaken the Sharingan and maybe even the Rinnegan through artificial evolution."

The entire trajectory of history had shifted due to Gin's presence. Even the fate of Nagato's family had changed. Perhaps they'd died earlier—perhaps Black Zetsu had taken Yahiko and Konan months before Gin's arrival on the battlefield. Their absence was disturbing.

"Oh?" Orochimaru licked his lips with growing curiosity. "And who, in your opinion, among the Uchiha has the highest chance of awakening the Rinnegan? You? Or Lady Mikoto?"

Gin shook his head. "Who knows? I haven't even awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan yet. I want to get the Eternal Mangekyō directly, so I'm taking my time unlocking the potential. As for my mother, she's close to achieving it."

"But Rinnegan... it's not something you can rush. If we had Madara's Rinnegan for study, we might accelerate things—but that's not an option right now."

"Such a shame." Orochimaru sighed. "And studying the genome sounds so… painstaking. But your idea is fascinating."

"Now, I'm content with following your training method—enhancing my talent, prolonging my life. No need to rush. I'll study these things gradually."

He paused, thoughtful.

"Besides, while our world isn't particularly advanced in genetics, the Pirate World has scientists who've studied heredity deeply. Maybe we should find them. Study their research. Maybe even recruit them."

Gin's eyes lit up slightly.

"Vegapunk... Vinsmoke Judge... Caesar Clown—all of them are brilliant. Recruiting them would be a power move."

"But the Pirate World isn't ready yet," Gin added. "At least for the next several years, maybe even a decade, I'll focus on developing Konoha and unifying the shinobi world. Until then, I can't afford the time or strength to hunt down those researchers. But if you have the time and interest—do it."

Gin knew he couldn't do everything alone. Guiding Konoha's transformation, advancing shinobi society, and continuing his own training toward invincibility in both worlds would consume his time.

"Understood." Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. "I'll take care of it when the opportunity arises. Vegapunk will be hard to locate... but Vinsmoke Judge and Caesar might be accessible."

"If I can get their genetic modification equipment, artificial Devil Fruit technology, and a sample of the synthetic Devil Fruits from Punk Hazard... that would be enough for years of research."

He was excited—not only by the ninja world's genomes, but also by the Devil Fruits. If a suitable one appeared, he wouldn't hesitate to consume it.

After all, Gin had demonstrated the devastating power of the Thunder-Dragon Fruit—destroying entire battalions effortlessly. It was intoxicating.

But more than anything, what truly fascinated Orochimaru was the Nomi Nomi no Mi, the Brain-Brain Fruit once consumed by Vegapunk.

If he could obtain it—if he could eat it—wouldn't his intelligence soar to godlike levels? Wouldn't he unravel the mysteries of every genome, every bloodline limit?

He was visibly trembling with excitement at the thought.

Gin noticed. He raised an eyebrow, smirking. "What's on your mind now? Your face is shifting like a traffic signal."

"Heh... nothing!" Orochimaru quickly brushed it off, flashing a sly smile. "Just remembered something."

Best to keep that little fantasy to himself.

"Fine," Gin said, glancing toward the tent flap. "We've resolved the Madara situation. Let's head back to the command tent."

With a flick of his hand, the two vanished—and reappeared inside the commander's tent.

"Yo!" Kira greeted them casually, lifting a hand.

Gin nodded and sat back down, scanning the room. "How'd the discussion go?"

"Since we don't know Sunagakure's next move," Tsunade responded, "we'll send scouts to gather intel. If they retreat, we'll send envoys to propose a new treaty and rebuild relations."

"If they want vengeance for their fallen Kazekage and thousands of dead shinobi, then we'll remind them again why that's a mistake."

"And the village?" she continued, turning to Gin. "You should return and prepare to assume the Hokage position. We'll remain a few days to finalize things with Suna. Once we confirm their intentions, we'll either return victorious or continue the war. Either way, we'll inform you."

Gin nodded calmly. "Fine by me. Sounds like a plan." He glanced toward Orochimaru.

"No objections from me," Orochimaru replied with a smile. "I'm just hoping the Sunagakure shinobi are smart enough to accept defeat. Otherwise, I'll gladly teach them a lesson."

He was itching to return to Konoha, establish a research division, and begin his ambitious experiments.

"Then it's settled!" Tsunade clapped her hands. "Rest up, everyone. It's been a long day."

The tent gradually emptied, leaving only Gin, Orochimaru, and Tsunade behind.

Once the room was quiet, Tsunade asked in a lower voice, "So? Did it work? Did you successfully resurrect Madara? No unexpected rebellion?"

She had suspected Gin's intentions the moment he asked Orochimaru for a prisoner—and wisely chose not to interfere. Letting Black Zetsu revive Madara first would've spelled disaster.

"Of course," Gin answered with a quiet smile. "Everything went smoothly. I summoned his soul and anchored it to the body, but I haven't fully activated him yet."

"The body I used was from a low-level victim—so Madara's power is capped between jōnin and low-tier Kage. Even if he wakes, he won't cause much trouble."

"We'll wait until we're back in Konoha," Gin added. "Then maybe summon Hashirama and let him try to convince Madara himself."

He doubted he could sway Madara with words. But Hashirama? Perhaps.

"And if not," Gin continued, "we'll seal him further, limit his power and movements—let him watch over Konoha."

"Maybe even let him teach at the Uchiha clan's academy."

Gin tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm... not a bad idea. As long as he doesn't corrupt the younger Uchiha with outdated ideals... it might even work."

Tsunade blinked. "You want Madara to be... a teacher?"

Orochimaru let out a low chuckle, eyes glittering with anticipation.

"Now that... I'd like to see."