As the Hyūga clan consolidated its resources, lifted restrictions on secret arts, and welcomed a surge in overall power
Uchiha Rokuro, on his end, had just finished selecting a new location for his laboratory and sealed it using Earth Release techniques.
Standing inside the newly expanded underground facility, he unrolled several sealing scrolls and released the experimental instruments he'd bought earlier.
He had recently visited the black market exchange and successfully acquired the missing pieces of equipment—along with a fresh batch of lab mice. Now, everything was finally ready for the next phase.
"This place is a hundred and fifty kilometers away from Konoha," Uchiha Rokuro said, inspecting the reinforced walls. "Even if an accident like the last one happens, we'll have plenty of time to evacuate. No risk of exposure this time."
Uchiha Izumi set several large batteries in place and connected them to the main breaker. With a solid click, the laboratory lights flared on—each machine humming softly as power coursed through them.
"Uchiha Rokuro, we're finally starting the Uchiha bloodline purification experiment, right?" Izumi's voice trembled slightly—not from fear, but excitement. "I've been waiting for this day for so long."
No, Uchiha Ashikaga—watched her son with quiet pride.
No one knew him better than his mother. She had long sensed that Uchiha Rokuro carried a constant, suffocating pressure—a desperate need to grow stronger.
She had asked him once, and Uchiha Rokuro had only said:
"The Uchiha will face great calamity one day. If I don't become stronger, I'll die with them."
At that time, Ashikaga hadn't believed him.
But after witnessing the chaos within the Hyūga clan, she began to understand—and now, more than ever, she wanted to help him.
Since her teachings on sealing arts could go no further, this experiment—the purification of Uchiha blood—was the most direct way she could support him.
"Don't rush," Uchiha Rokuro said. "We're close, but there's still too little test stock. We need at least a thousand mice. And as for Uchiha genetic samples... we'll have to find a discreet way to collect them."
"Can't we just ask openly?" Izumi tilted her head.
Uchiha Rokuro shook his head slightly. "Even if the Elder favors me, and the Hawk Faction respects me, too many eyes are watching. If word leaks out, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura will definitely intervene. Konoha won't allow another experiment like Orochimaru's—not so soon after his fall."
The three of them discussed possible methods, but none were easy.
After all, a ninja's body was their greatest secret. Even during wartime, villages went to great lengths to recover the bodies of the fallen.
And what Uchiha Rokuro needed wasn't just blood samples—he might also need living tissue for advanced analysis. That would be tantamount to declaring he was experimenting on human genetics.
"If only we could do it like before," Izumi murmured. "When you helped Captain Hiashi lift the Caged Bird Seal—you could collect genetic samples under the same pretense."
Her words made Uchiha Rokuro pause.
"...That's it. Izumi, that's a brilliant idea."
"Eh?" Izumi blinked in surprise. "But, Uchiha Rokuro, the Uchiha don't have a Caged Bird Seal."
"I know," Uchiha Rokuro said, eyes gleaming. "But we can make one. A similar seal. Think about it—why did Hiashi's branch members want to remove theirs?"
"Because they wanted freedom!" Izumi said quickly. "Without the Caged Bird Seal, they were no longer slaves to the main family."
"Right. And?"
"And… oh! It also made their Byakugan stronger—no more blind spots, full-range vision!"
"Exactly," Uchiha Rokuro smiled faintly. "So if I create a curse mark that enhances the Uchiha's power, they'll come to me on their own to get it. No need for me to ask for anything."
Both Ashikaga and Izumi nodded. It was an elegant solution—the only problem was deciding what kind of seal could truly enhance every Uchiha's strength.
"Uchiha Rokuro," Ashikaga said softly, "I believe you'll figure it out. But there's something you need to know—the tool you made before, the one that helps Uchiha awaken their Sharingan... word of it is starting to spread."
Uchiha Rokuro's face darkened. "What did you hear?"
"I've caught wind of a few things," Ashikaga admitted. "Even though everyone who used the tool was marked with a silence seal, there are too many sudden awakenings. The clan leader has started to notice. If you unveil another type of curse mark now, it won't take long before he puts it together."
Uchiha Rokuro sighed. He had already foreseen this.
The Sharingan might not be as omniscient as the Byakugan, but it was still a powerful sensor. Those who awakened their eyes showed a visible surge in chakra—a change impossible to hide.
He remembered Obito from the original timeline: after awakening his Sharingan, his strength had skyrocketed almost overnight, nearly matching Kakashi's. That was not mere vision—it was a boost in chakra and vitality.
So yes, exposure was inevitable. Uchiha Rokuro wasn't surprised—only cautious.
"If that's the case," he said slowly, "the next seal I make has to be perfectly balanced. Too weak, and no one will want it. Too strong, and it'll hand our enemies a weapon. There are far too many fools in this clan…"
His expression sharpened. "I'll design something powerful—but controllable."
Later, in the home of Uchiha Setsuna, Uchiha Rokuro sat at the low table, nibbling on a snack while the old man lectured him endlessly.
"Uchiha Rokuro, you've not only made a name for yourself in Konoha, you've done the Uchiha a huge favor with that Hyūga affair," Setsuna said with a rare smile. "It's just a shame our clan leader seems rather unhappy about your... independent decision-making."
Uchiha Rokuro licked his fingers clean and reached for his tea.
"I only acted in the spirit of the Will of Fire," he said lightly. "If the clan head has a problem with that, he can go ask the Hokage to abolish the Will of Fire altogether. No more bonds, no more comradeship—just every man for himself."
Setsuna sighed. "Ah, that fire of youth... The fierce-eyed Fugaku of old would never have hesitated like the one we have now."
Uchiha Rokuro set down his teacup and leaned forward. "Elder, I came here today to discuss something important. If it works, it could greatly increase the clan's overall combat ability—especially in high-level battles."
"Oh?" Setsuna's eyes brightened. "Have you created another ninja tool?"
Uchiha Rokuro smiled faintly, his fingers forming a hand seal.
In the next moment, a rhombus-shaped mark flared to life on his forehead.
A surge of chakra—at least jōnin-class—burst from his body, flooding the room with raw, concentrated energy.
END OF CHAPTER
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