The Sharingan—one of the strongest "cheats" in the Naruto world—existed only in the bodies of the Uchiha.
In his original fate, Kenichi Amemiya would probably never have even seen one.
But his teacher was Orochimaru.And on top of that, there was the heartless Shimura Danzo.
Because of those two, Kenichi had managed to get his hands on a Sharingan during the Third Great Ninja War.
What about the Uchiha clan's opinion?Don't worry. This eye had been dug out of an Uchiha ninja who had already "gone missing."
Of course, it was only a one–tomoe Sharingan, with very little research value. Orochimaru had already finished all the experiments worth doing on it, which was why he'd passed it down to Kenichi.
But for Kenichi, it was more than enough.
"Sharingan… the bloodline of the Uchiha," he murmured, studying the eyeball resting in his palm. A playful smile tugged at his lips. "From a biological point of view, this should be a genetic trait. All kekkei genkai are probably caused by mutations in the genes that were preserved and passed down."
In Kenichi's eyes, all inheritable abilities—whether they were bloodline limits or strange dojutsu—were simply differences at the level of genes.
Somewhere along the line, a mutation had occurred. Their genes became different from ordinary humans, and from that difference came these supernatural abilities.
Of course, chakra played a key role as the fuel that activated those genes.
The Naruto world was often called "the world of eyes." It wasn't an exaggeration. The dojutsu here were absurdly powerful. Even a tailed beast as terrifying as Kurama, the Nine-Tails, couldn't do much against the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Then there was the Rinnegan, which stood on a completely different level.
Even the Byakugan, which many fans had dismissed as "useless" in his past life, was an important power inside Konoha.
At least, for a normal genin like Kenichi, something like the Byakugan was beyond anything he could get his hands on in his entire life.
In today's Hidden Leaf, there were two great clans above all others.
One was the Hyuga clan with their Byakugan.The other was the Uchiha clan with their Sharingan.
From what Kenichi could see, the Uchiha were already being pushed aside and suppressed by Konoha's higher–ups.
The Hyuga, on the other hand, were obedient and quiet. Their caged-bird seal was cruel, but it also made them easy to control. In his previous life, many people said the Byakugan wasn't very useful, that it was mediocre among dojutsu. But in reality, it was extremely strong.
Kenichi would have liked to research both the Sharingan and the Uchiha genes in detail, to figure out what was different about them compared to normal people. If he could crack that, maybe he could unlock the secrets of the Sharingan completely.
Unfortunately, the tech tree of this world was a mess.
With the current level of technology, it was basically impossible to see DNA or genetic chains. Scientific progress was never instant; it was always the result of long accumulation and slow breakthroughs.
Take microscopes, for example. Orochimaru's base already had a rough prototype. But compared to the microscopes Kenichi knew from his previous life, there was still a big gap.
Konoha had TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators… yet to Kenichi, this world still felt backward overall. Chakra had given ninja many conveniences—but it had also stunted the growth of science.
"Kenichi, pack up. We're going out."
Orochimaru's voice came from behind him, smooth and calm. "Our live experiments are ready to enter the first stage."
He glanced at the Sharingan in Kenichi's hand but didn't say anything.
A one–tomoe Sharingan that he'd already exhausted in research was nothing to him. At most, he was mildly curious about whether his disciple could dig something new out of it.
Kenichi was quite satisfied with his teacher. Orochimaru was interesting—extremely dangerous, but also unexpectedly good to his subordinates and students.
That was probably why, in the future, so many people would willingly sacrifice everything for him. Kimimaro, for instance, would even regret not being able to become Orochimaru's vessel.
Thinking of Kimimaro, Kenichi glanced at Orochimaru from the corner of his eye.
He wondered when his teacher would bring that boy back. If it was before Orochimaru defected from the village, that would be perfect. Then Kenichi would have a chance to study the Shikotsumyaku bloodline as well.
"Yes, sensei."
Kenichi carefully placed the Sharingan into a special container to keep it from being damaged. Later, he planned to begin a full analysis of it.
At first, he had considered going after the Byakugan instead. But the acquisition difficulty was too high, and the Hyuga clan's caged-bird seal was… troublesome. Now that he had a Sharingan, he no longer needed to risk dealing with the Hyuga.
Following close behind Orochimaru, Kenichi walked toward a forest on the outskirts of Konoha.
On the surface, there was no one there. In reality, a couple of Root ninja were stationed nearby.
Danzo called it "security for the lab."
Both Kenichi and Orochimaru knew it for what it was—surveillance.
Orochimaru didn't care. Those Root operatives were competent, but compared to a member of the Legendary Sannin, they were still lacking.
When they entered the underground facility, Kenichi immediately saw the man himself.
Shimura Danzo.
The old viper still looked fairly "normal" at this point in time, though the years had already carved lines into his face. Kenichi lowered his head respectfully.
When you couldn't beat someone yet, a little humility was just the price you paid to buy time—to gather enough power to fight back later.
He had no intention of drawing Danzo's attention. That would only bring trouble. The "Darkness of the Shinobi World" was not a man you wanted looking too closely at you.
"Orochimaru, it's time to begin our plan," Danzo said. "These are a few orphans Root captured in the Land of Rain after the war."
He spared Kenichi a glance, then immediately shifted his focus back to Orochimaru. In his eyes, Kenichi was just a minor character, not worth mentioning.
"That's wonderful news."
The joy in Orochimaru's eyes was genuine. Kenichi took one look at the trembling, caged children and quietly sighed in his heart.
There was nothing he could do for them. At best, he could only try to ensure the experiments succeeded as quickly as possible—so fewer people had to die afterward.
"Come, Kenichi. Our experiment is about to begin," Orochimaru said. "Don't forget to keep detailed records."
The experimental log system had been Kenichi's idea. He'd introduced it and then refined it, and after seeing it in action once, Orochimaru had immediately liked it.
From then on, Kenichi was always in charge of recording the data for each experiment.
"Yes, sensei."
Kenichi's face was calm and cold, mirroring Orochimaru's own expression.
Danzo walked ahead with several Root members trailing behind him. As they moved deeper into the base, he glanced at Kenichi one more time—and then completely dismissed him.
A talentless little ninja, not worth his notice.
For now.
(End of Chapter 2)