Chapter 154: Living Together?

Mikoto's once dark-as-ink pupils had turned a vivid scarlet, with a single tomoe spinning in each eye, a sight that seemed almost supernatural.

Uchiha Akihara stood there, utterly bewildered, his wife equally stunned. As Mikoto blinked and looked up at her parents, a flicker of confusion crossed her face, sensing their shock.

"Dad… what's happening?" she murmured uncertainly.

"Quiet," Akihara instructed gently, his voice steady but cautious. "Focus on stabilizing the chakra in your body."

"Y-yes!" Mikoto stammered, quickly following his instructions. After a moment of concentration, the scarlet glow faded, her pupils returning to their natural black.

"Incredible…" Akihara muttered, still reeling. The idea that someone could awaken the Sharingan without the usual trigger of intense emotional pain was unheard of in the Uchiha clan. Normally, a tragic event often involving the death of a loved one was required to unlock the dojutsu. The very foundation of the Sharingan's power was tied to the user's deepest emotions, often born out of blood and tears.

After giving Mikoto some basic instructions on how to control her newly awakened eyes, Akihara felt an urge to share this revelation. This kind of unprecedented development couldn't be kept secret.

So, late that night, he found himself standing in front of the Uchiha clan leader's house once again, preparing to share the news.

Inside, Uchiha Soyama the clan leader looked just as stunned when Akihara told him.

"What? Mikoto really awakened her Sharingan?" Soyama asked, barely able to hide his disbelief.

Soyama had never put much stock in the idea that Mikoto could awaken her Sharingan through Orochimaru's potion. After all, for generations, there had only been one way to unlock the Uchiha's dojutsu through profound emotional suffering.

A dead father, a dead mother, a lost friend… Only through such tragic experiences did the Sharingan emerge.

Soyama had mostly agreed to let Mikoto try the potion as a gesture of goodwill towards Orochimaru, a way to signal friendly intentions. He hadn't actually expected it to work.

But now…

"Clan leader, I was just as shocked," Akihara said. "This method of unlocking the Sharingan… it's something we've never even heard of."

"Could it be that those potions we heard about before the ones credited to that medical ninja, Haruno were actually created by Orochimaru?" Soyama murmured, starting to piece things together.

It made sense, but there was one problem. If Orochimaru truly possessed this knowledge, why would he reveal it to the Uchiha? Why would he give them such a powerful tool?

This didn't add up. The Hokage surely didn't know about this, as such a potion would be invaluable to Konoha. So why had Orochimaru bypassed his own teacher and shared it with the Uchiha instead?

Puzzled, Soyama decided to call an emergency meeting with the clan elders to discuss this new development.

---

The night passed in hushed discussions and speculation among the Uchiha elders.

Early the next morning, Nara Hakushu one of Konoha's elite tacticians and the commander of the frontlines in the ongoing war, appeared at the door of Orochimaru's home, carrying a large scroll in his arms.

This scroll had been entrusted to him by Orochimaru for safekeeping during the battle against Hanzo the Salamander. Hakushu knew its contents were of significant value, and so he had handled it with the utmost care. Upon learning that Orochimaru had returned to the village, Hakushu had come as soon as he could to deliver it back.

Initially, he expected this to be a routine visit. However, as he entered the property, something caught his eye, making him pause.

Tsunade appeared from the living room, dressed in her usual white top and dark green shorts. There was nothing particularly unusual about her attire, but her slightly disheveled hair and drowsy expression suggested she'd only recently woken up.

Based on the distance between the Senju compound and Orochimaru's house, Hakushu quickly deduced one thing: Orochimaru and Tsunade were living together.

Well, that's… interesting.

The realization struck him like a thunderbolt. He knew this would be big news if it ever got out. But Hakushu's instincts told him that it was better to pretend he hadn't noticed anything unusual. Some things were better left unsaid.

"Anything else, Hakushu?" Orochimaru asked, standing at the doorway, calm as ever. He had already taken the scroll.

"No… no, that'll be all," Hakushu replied, snapping out of his daze. "Actually, I just remembered there's something urgent I need to handle back home. My apologies!" He gave a quick, somewhat flustered bow and practically fled the premises.

As he left, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was best not to meddle in whatever was happening between Orochimaru and Tsunade. Better to keep his mouth shut.

---

Inside the house, Tsunade raised an eyebrow as she watched Shikaku leave in a hurry. "Who was that?"

"Nara Hakushu," Orochimaru replied, closing the courtyard door. "He came to return a scroll."

"A scroll?" Tsunade looked curiously at the scroll in his arms and then quickly realized what it was. "Ah, a weapon scroll. So, aside from those two weapons you used, did you bring anything else?"

"Yes, there's more," Orochimaru replied with a smirk.

"Oh? Really?" Tsunade was intrigued. Orochimaru had indeed brought more than two weapons to the frontlines, but due to changes on the battlefield, he hadn't needed to use the final one. No matter, though. There would be other wars, other battles—plenty of chances to make use of his arsenal.

Orochimaru casually set the scroll aside, donned his usual attire, and stepped out, ready to enjoy his time off in Konoha. With the Sand and Stone villages recently defeated, it would be a while before they posed any real threat again.

As he and Tsunade embraced their rare free time, a secret letter from the Third Kazekage of the Sand Village was en route to Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Stones.

---

Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Conference Room

Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, sat at the head of a long conference table, his expression as stern as ever. Senior officials of Iwagakure lined both sides of the table, waiting for his address.

"Hmph," Onoki scoffed, glancing at the scroll laid out before him. "The Sand Ninjas want a temporary ceasefire with us to join forces against Konoha. What do you all think?"

"A temporary alliance against Konoha?" one of the officials echoed thoughtfully.

"It could be worthwhile," another added. "Konoha's strength has reached dangerous levels, and it wouldn't hurt to unite for now."

"Agreed," someone else chimed in. "Konoha's latest strategies and tools have caused us no end of trouble. The ninja tools and potions they've been using in battle have severely impacted our morale."

"If not for those new inventions, I doubt our forces would have lost heart so quickly," another murmured in agreement.

Onoki nodded, considering their input. "I'm inclined to agree. Konoha's weapons and medicine have certainly proven effective… though I can't say I've ever seen tools like them before. Does anyone know where Konoha acquired such technology?"

The officials looked around, equally baffled. "No, Tsuchikage-sama. These ninja tools are unlike anything we've encountered. They're completely different from standard equipment."

Onoki stroked his beard, deep in thought. "I haven't seen them before either. However, I've heard rumors of a small country skilled in the development of unusual ninja tools. If we're going to align with the Sand Village against Konoha, it might be wise to first reach out to this small nation. We could learn a lot."

"Smart move," one of the elders agreed. "If this small country has access to unique tools, we could use them to level the playing field against Konoha."

"I support this idea."

"Seconded!"

The council reached a consensus.