Chapter 182

Inside a room within the Uchiha clan's territory, Kaito's hand rests on Anko's neck, his mysterious chakra surging continuously.

Around him, Uchiha Izumi is busy operating various devices and instruments, recording and observing the changes in Anko's body.

Since Kaito had already promised Anko, he had to do something, especially given his inherent interest in cursed seals—this was an opportunity he couldn't miss.

So he contacted Uchiha Sō and Uchiha Takechi, asking them to find a vacant room and also to bring over some necessary equipment.

Uchiha Sō and Uchiha Takechi are now entirely responsible for the internal affairs of the clan, especially in the area of education, which they oversee.

Although Kaito would periodically inspect their work, this did not bother them in the least; in fact, they welcomed such checks.

After all, these 'inspections' best showcased their professional capabilities.

The Uchiha clan has undergone earth-shattering changes under Kaito's leadership, though not yet to the extent of competing with the Senju clan of old.

Nevertheless, this is something they had only dreamed of achieving, yet lacked the ability to make happen.

Kaito has made it happen, step by step, right before their eyes. This has elevated their respect for Kaito to unprecedented heights.

Though Kaito's focus has slightly shifted, turning his gaze from the clan to the village, they understand that the clan is the fundamental base for Kaito's expansion.

Their role is to not hold Kaito back and to diligently manage logistical matters.

Only in this way can the clan continue to flourish and Kaito can rest assured in consistently bringing more benefits to the clan.

Thanks to their efforts, the clan's circumstances are increasingly improving. Under their guidance, the Uchiha clan members have learned how to think critically and to restrain their personalities.

After all, Kaito once stated that merely possessing the Uchiha surname is not a reason for pride.

Those who take pride in their clan are useless; those who bring pride to their clan through their own name are the real talents.

Uchiha Sō and Uchiha Takechi emphasize this point in nearly every class, instilling this concept into the hearts of all.

And now, the Uchiha clan is indeed getting better and better, the personalities of its members having changed more in these recent years than ever before.

This is all the fruit of their labor, their most gratifying achievement, and they are personally responsible for approving some of the tasks every day.

Witnessing the continuous growth and improvement of the clan is, at this stage, their greatest joy.

But just a few days ago, they were sought out by Kaito, who also gave them a task. This year, Kaito has rarely contacted them, a fact that filled them with both joy and confusion.

They're clever people; they didn't ask any questions but got the job done straight away.

However, when they saw that the person who had arrived was actually Mitarasahi Anko, once a disciple of Orochimaru, they couldn't help but speculate.

Could it be that their esteemed Clan Leader plans to make a move against Orochimaru? Or perhaps capture him?

Fortunately, Kaito doesn't know what they're thinking, but he would undoubtedly give them a thumbs-up and confirm that both ideas are correct.

Moreover, Kaito is also pondering whether these two should be included in the Zetsu cell experiments.

There's already some data to support the Zetsu cell experiments' effect on the Mangekyō Sharingan, but there's hardly any record of their impact on the standard Sharingan.

The only reference involves that fellow Danzō, but he has a Sharingan that probably came from Uchiha Kagami.

He has not developed the armful of Sharingan that came about after the massacre night, and he used Hashirama Senju's cells, which are somewhat different from the Zetsu cells.

"The most crucial point is, these two are already so old. If the Zetsu cells can rejuvenate them, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

Kaito likes smart people, but he particularly favors those who are both intelligent and hardworking.

Although these two are older, they still operate largely in a 007 work mode. How could Kaito let such useful people run themselves into the ground?

Why not gather data and improve these two's conditions to some extent? It's a win-win situation.

However, now is not the time for Kaito to focus on this; he has another project in hand that only he can undertake.

"Alright, I have a general understanding of your situation," Kaito withdrew his hand, signaling Uchiha Izumi to make a record.

Uchiha Izumi is one of the most outstanding people in the lab, especially given her unique identity—once the childhood friend of Uchiha Itachi, and now a disciple of Shisui.

Therefore, Kaito gives her special consideration in certain matters, such as securing her a training spot with Tsunade, and this time he outright brought her over to assist him.

Anko sat up, one hand covering her neck, the other propping her up on the bed; her body appeared somewhat stiff.

Her eyes were also a bit moist; evidently, this cursed seal was causing her some pain.

Upon seeing this, Kaito casually tossed some tissues onto the bed and made a remark.

"Wipe yourself," Kaito said.

However, the moment he uttered those words, he felt something was off. Moreover, the way Anko was postured made it seem even more out of place.

Upon a bit of contemplation, Kaito figured he might have been influenced by Orochimaru. After all, Orochimaru had been known to make some quite shocking and outrageous statements.

But Kaito didn't ponder it too much; he stroked his chin and spoke again.

"I've understood your situation. Specifically, there are two pieces of news you need to hear—one good and one bad. Which do you want to hear first?"

"Let's start with the bad. After all, good news is a rarity for me," Anko said, picking up the tissue Kaito had handed her and dabbing away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

"The bad news is that this cursed seal is an incomplete experiment, and the power within it is extremely dangerous for you. You can't even use its abilities properly," Kaito stated, clearly remembering that Anko had never really activated the cursed seal.

"Moreover, I can tell you the coarseness of this seal is beyond imagination; it could be fatal."

"As I thought, he only ever used me as an experiment," Anko lowered her head, looking silently melancholic.

It was evident that she was in immense internal agony and distress, given that Orochimaru was once her most trusted teacher.

However, Kaito didn't give her emotional state much consideration and continued after a moment's thought.

"But there is also good news. This crude seal of Orochimaru's happens to be quite a gem—it contains natural energy.

Natural energy is hard for ordinary people to wield, but it's not absolute. Even the Hokage possesses the capability to use natural energy.

To utilize this power, your body needs to adapt, which could be a painful process.

But, if you were to master this energy—"

At this point, Kaito paused ever so slightly, then spoke with a grin, "Who knows, you might gain the strength to take on Orochimaru."

He was genuinely curious whether Senjutsu could indeed counteract Orochimaru.

And when Kaito mentioned "taking on," he meant it in the most straightforward one-on-one combat sense, without involving any other variables and certainly not to the extent of killing Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru is, at his core, an unkillable monster. Every time you think you've got him and you act on it, turns out the guy is back from the dead."

"In a way, even the cockroaches I used to see every day back in my previous life don't have Orochimaru's survival skills. After all, step on a cockroach and you might get an egg popping out; lose focus and you've got an infestation. But that cockroach is truly dead.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, has always been just one. Die and rise again, he's the very epitome of an unstoppable force."

Orochimaru's indomitable nature is a hard pill for Kaito to swallow, especially considering Anko's cursed seal also bears Orochimaru's imprint.

Such an imprint is enough for Orochimaru to wake up and perform another Reanimation Jutsu, thus fully reviving himself.

While inspecting earlier, Kaito did indeed notice Orochimaru's chakra hidden within the cursed seal, but he didn't tamper with it.

After all, he had no expertise in dealing with such methods, and acting recklessly could result in Anko's death.

Kaito was still pondering deeply on researching these natural energies; if he accidentally killed Anko, that would be a major loss.

"Capable of taking on Orochimaru?" Hearing this, Anko's eyes widened involuntarily. "Are you sure?"

"Our Hokage has used this power, so naturally, I'm aware of its potency. Whether or not it can stand up to him, you are the key," Kaito responded, maintaining an even tone. He even took a cursory glance at Uchiha Izumi's records before continuing.

"If your own strength isn't up to par, even if you possess natural chakra and gain some power, the extent of that improvement will be limited.

But if your own strength is sufficiently high, then using this power would naturally reach an inconceivable level.

The foundation decides everything. Senior Anko, you were once a genius, or else you couldn't have been Orochimaru's disciple.

However, it seems Orochimaru's departure had a major impact on you; your growth began to slow, even overtaken by us, the younger generation.

If this is the pace of your growth, even if you adapt to the power within the cursed seal, and I help you modify it for use, the improvement, limited by your basic level, might not be significant. This is something even I can't change."

At this point, Kaito paused, and Anko fell into silence.

"Everything Kaito said was the truth. A finicky person like Orochimaru wouldn't pick a disciple with weak talent.

Whether it's the early Sound Four, Kimimaro, Sakon and Ukon, or even the future members of Team Taka, all are beings of extraordinary talent.

Anko, as Orochimaru's sole disciple in Konoha, may not have exhibited any bloodline limits, but she became a Chunin quite early on.

Kaito remembers, she was obviously younger than Kakashi's generation, but she had fought against Obito during the exams.

Sadly, her talent did not persist into the future; in the original story, she seems to have remained an elite Jonin throughout.

It's a fairly clear tale of unfulfilled potential.

Anko is now twenty, an age at which a ninja's skills are nearly set in stone.

After all, for a ninja, the golden age of growth is from thirteen to twenty.

Earlier than that, you're just laying the foundation; past twenty, growth still happens, but it's far slower in comparison.

By thirty, a ninja generally reaches the peak of their career, with their experience, willpower, and physical abilities at their zenith.

What follows is a period of maintaining that peak. Once you reach your forties or fifties, it's a period of declining skills.

Take Sarutobi Hiruzen, for instance; although he's at this stage, anyone who gets here tries to slow their decline, or uses special abilities to keep it at bay.

Like Orochimaru, who uses Reanimation Jutsu to slow everything down. Jiraiya is another mystery; he seems to have neither declined nor plateaued.

Perhaps it has something to do with his mental state and Sage Techniques; his strength always seems terrifyingly consistent.

Tsunade is more straightforward. She uses sealing jutsu to maintain her strength. Being a descendant of the Senju clan, her natural abilities are also quite formidable.

Anko is at the tail end of this golden age for growth; whether she can improve is really hard to say, and Kaito was simply giving her a heads-up.

Having said all this, Kaito didn't linger. He left the room with Uchiha Izumi; some things are better left for Anko to ponder on her own.

Kaito helped her merely because of that cursed seal; he doesn't really have much to do with Anko otherwise.

In such circumstances, Kaito doesn't need to do much. His own choices are the most crucial. As long as he can properly research that cursed seal, that's all that matters.

'You've worked hard,' Kaito said to Uchiha Izumi with a smile after they left the room. 'Coming to help me even when you're busy, thank you.'"

"Clan Leader, there's no need to say such things," Uchiha Izumi immediately shook her head, her voice earnest. "Whatever the Clan Leader asks of me, it is my duty to help. Being able to assist you is an honor for me."

Upon hearing her words, Kaito couldn't help but purse his lips, wondering why people around him often spoke in ways he found peculiar.

This even influenced the way he spoke at times, just like what happened a moment ago.

But that's beside the point. Kaito had other matters to address, "The words I just spoke are enough for you to hear, and do make a record of it, but one thing—"

"Clan Leader, I understand," Uchiha Izumi cut him off, already knowing what he meant. "I will never divulge this information. Please rest assured."

"That's good to hear; you're a smart person," Kaito nodded, smiling. Then he proceeded to ask, "By the way, how is Shisui doing lately? I've been a bit preoccupied, so I'm not fully updated on his situation."

"The young master is recovering quickly, much faster than Elder Fugaku," Uchiha Izumi responded right away. "According to our data monitoring, his combat capabilities have almost fully returned, although he's still under observation."

"Is that so? That's truly good news."

Hearing this, Kaito nodded with satisfaction. It was only natural for the young Shisui to recover quickly.

Moreover, his recovery comes at an opportune time, as there will probably be a lot to handle in the upcoming days. By the next morning, Shisui had returned to the clan.

He felt as if he'd nearly turned foul from staying so long in the laboratory; even upon exiting, the smell of disinfectant lingered on him.

However, Shisui's spirits remained high. Although he didn't particularly enjoy the lab environment, the gains he made were obviously significant.

Upon his return, he didn't immediately report to Kaito; instead, he first took a thorough bath to wash off the disinfectant smell before setting out.

Kaito had been waiting for him. After learning of Shisui's situation yesterday, he had told Uchiha Izumi, 'If Shisui is fit, let him come back.'

Although Kaito wasn't averse to getting directly involved in many matters, especially combat, as it helped him better understand his own strength,

He's nonetheless a prominent figure in Konoha. Constantly taking the field might give the impression that the Uchiha lack manpower.

Image is a manifestation of soft power, a crucial way to build perception for others to see. As someone who crossed worlds, Kaito naturally understands this.

Besides, Kaito never aspired to be some grand vizier. Lacking both the capability and the energy, he preferred to leave tasks to the professionals.

For him, guiding the overall direction was sufficient, which also served as a testament to his trust in his people.

//

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