As a core member of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Akihara understood precisely what his clan leader, Uchiha Soyama, intended.
The clan had taken an interest in Orochimaru's talents, particularly his skill in weapon and experimental development. Soyama wanted the Uchiha to establish a closer relationship with Orochimaru, ideally to gain insight into his capabilities and background. While everyone knew Orochimaru was Sarutobi Hiruzen's disciple, not much else was known about his loyalties or ambitions.
If Orochimaru's relationship with Hiruzen was strong, perhaps the Uchiha could build a bridge through him, hoping he could act as a mediator with the Hokage. However, if the bond between Orochimaru and Hiruzen was weak, the Uchiha clan could try to win him over privately, extracting whatever advantages they could from an alliance with him.
In any case, building a connection with Orochimaru was seen as a low-risk, high-reward strategy for the Uchiha clan.
But now, Orochimaru had handed Akihara a mysterious potion, claiming it might help his daughter awaken her Sharingan. This unexpected gesture threw Akihara for a loop. Unsure of Orochimaru's true intentions, he decided it was best to take the vial directly to Uchiha Soyama.
Inside the clan leader's home, Uchiha Soyama examined the transparent liquid for a long time, swirling it in the light as if hoping to unlock its secrets.
"He said this could help unlock the Sharingan?" Soyama asked, his tone skeptical.
"Not exactly," Akihara replied, choosing his words carefully. "He only said it might help. He didn't guarantee anything."
To his knowledge, Orochimaru had recently participated in developing two experimental potions for Konoha—one to strengthen genes, and another to repair genetic damage. However, those had been credited to the medical ninja Haruno. Few knew Orochimaru was the true developer of these potions, not even Soyama himself.
Because of this lack of information, Soyama was left speculating. What could Orochimaru's intentions be?
"Have you seen anything potion elsewhere in the village?" Soyama mused aloud. "Is it possible this was created by that girl Tsunade?"
Akihara shook his head. "No, this is the first I've seen of it."
Soyama sighed, his brows furrowing. "What else did Orochimaru say?"
"Nothing much. He just commented on how cute my daughter was, asked if she'd unlocked her Sharingan yet… and then handed me this."
"Your daughter… Mikoto?"
"Very well. Call Mikoto here," Soyama ordered, his voice firm.
Meanwhile, at Root's headquarters, Orochimaru found himself standing before Danzo, who presented him with a vial containing three Sharingan eyes preserved in a solution. The sight made Orochimaru suppress a chuckle. He couldn't help but think that Danzo's collection was… unimpressive, to say the least. РἈꞐ𝖔ＢÊṧ
"Only three?" Orochimaru muttered, barely able to hide his amusement. After all the effort Danzo had invested, navigating the chaos of the Second Great Ninja War, creating secret units, and scouring battlefields he'd only managed to collect three Sharingan?
If it weren't for the timing, Orochimaru would've almost considered giving him a few from his own personal stash.
Danzo, oblivious to Orochimaru's thoughts, shrugged with indifference. "The battlefield is chaotic, and the Uchiha clan has a dedicated team for corpse retrieval. Securing even three Sharingan is an accomplishment."
Orochimaru forced down his smirk, giving a slight nod. "Fair enough. Even if I can't help you with a First Hokage cell transplant just yet, at least I can implant one Sharingan for you. It should make it easier for you to maintain control over Root."
"Will you be performing the surgery?" Danzo asked, his tone carrying a hint of reluctance.
"Of course," Orochimaru replied. "I wouldn't trust anyone else with such a delicate procedure."
Root did have a few medical ninjas on staff, but their skill was limited. And given the nature of the operation and the secrecy required, Danzo was right to place his trust in Orochimaru.
"Then let's proceed," Danzo said, his face expressionless.
The surgery took place in a secluded, underground lab on the outskirts of the village. Orochimaru had this area cleaned regularly during his absences, and he kept surgical tools with him at all times. After a quick sterilization of the equipment, he was ready to begin.
Danzo lay on the operating table, his face betraying a flicker of unease. "Don't you need to prepare more?"
"No need," Orochimaru said calmly, arranging his tools. "I'm already very familiar with the process of cell transplantation. With your current physical condition, one Sharingan shouldn't pose any issues. We only need to address the natural rejection your body might have to the Sharingan."
"Understood," Danzo replied, his tone tense but steady.
Orochimaru picked up a syringe and drew several doses of a specialized solution, injecting them directly into Danzo's shoulder.
"What… what is that?" Danzo asked, wincing slightly at the injection.
"This is a serum to reduce the body's rejection of the Sharingan," Orochimaru explained nonchalantly.
He wasn't lying, non-Uchiha bodies often rejected the Sharingan, which was why the Sharingan rarely ended up outside the Uchiha clan. In the absence of First Hokage cells, the likelihood of success for an outsider transplant was low.
The exceptions were rare cases, like Kakashi, whose unique circumstances allowed him to adapt to his transplanted Sharingan. But Orochimaru knew that even Kakashi's case was an anomaly.
Unfazed, Orochimaru picked up his scalpel and approached Danzo's exposed eye socket. The sight of Konoha's notorious leader lying defenseless in front of him was strangely satisfying. At this moment, Orochimaru held complete power over the man.
The thought crossed his mind that it would be easy to end Danzo here and now. One quick slice, and Konoha's most dangerous schemer would be sent to the afterlife.
But Orochimaru dismissed the idea. Killing Danzo would be wasteful. There was still so much he could gain by keeping the man alive, so many favors and resources Danzo could provide. For now, he was more valuable as an ally.
The operation itself went smoothly. Within an hour, Orochimaru had completed the transplant, inserting the Sharingan into Danzo's right eye socket.
"Give it a try," Orochimaru said, stepping back.
Slowly, Danzo opened his eye, adjusting to the new clarity in his vision. He raised a hand in front of his face, flexing his fingers, marveling at the increased sharpness in detail.
"Impressive… I can already feel the power," he murmured, clenching his fist as if to test his own strength.