"I imagine it will be quite entertaining," Daniel Davis mused, picturing the expression on the Third Hokage's face when he saw both Orochimaru and Sasuke wielding Wood Release, a power the Leaf had sacrificed so much to preserve, only to create a single user—Yamato. Yet here Daniel was, able to produce Wood Release users in batches.
Of course, in reality, Daniel had no intention of mass-producing Wood Release users. He would at most help those close to him by fusing them with the First Hokage's cells.
Wood Release's strength varied greatly depending on the user. Even if Orochimaru managed to fuse with the First Hokage's cells, he would still be weaker in Wood Release compared to Sasuke. And in real combat, Orochimaru likely wouldn't even use Wood Release, except perhaps to intimidate the Third Hokage.
Similarly, Uchiha Obito could use Wood Release, but after his initial battle supporting Kakashi and Rin, he rarely used it again, preferring his Kamui for most fights.
Ninja combat is not a performance—it's about survival. In critical moments, a ninja uses their strongest techniques, just like Orochimaru. Even though he knew numerous jutsu, likely on par with Kakashi's "Copy Ninja" title, in battle, he primarily used techniques like his Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.
Even Uchiha Madara, during his reincarnated form, only showed off Wood Release against the Five Kage as a demonstration of power. When faced with the reincarnated Hashirama, Madara mainly relied on his Susanoo rather than Wood Release.
However, not using Wood Release didn't mean the First Hokage's cells were useless. The real advantage of the First Hokage's cells lay in their ability to enhance physical abilities: cell vitality, life force, healing, and chakra reserves were all significantly boosted.
After Sasuke fused with the First Hokage's cells and spent time training, his strength had already reached the level of a special jōnin in the Leaf Village, and in actual combat, he could probably defeat most special jōnin.
The First Hokage's cells allowed Sasuke to use his Sharingan without restraint, and soon, he would likely evolve his Sharingan to the three-tomoe stage.
Even among the Uchiha clan, only a select few could unlock the Mangekyō Sharingan. For most, the three-tomoe Sharingan was the pinnacle of their abilities.
One thing was clear: the Uchiha clan's Sharingan was incredibly powerful. This was something Daniel confirmed firsthand after using a pair of Sharingan.
After helping Orochimaru fuse with the First Hokage's cells, Orochimaru had given Daniel a pair of Sharingan—not Mangekyō Sharingan, but the three-tomoe version.
After the Uchiha clan's massacre, many Sharingan fell into the hands of three key individuals. The first was Uchiha Obito. While normal Sharingan weren't as powerful as his Mangekyō, they were still useful as sacrificial tools for Izanagi, a jutsu that alters fate. Obito had survived Konan's six billion explosive tags thanks to Izanagi, a technique even Daniel couldn't negate.
The second person was Danzo, whose right arm was embedded with numerous Sharingan.
The third was Orochimaru. Ever since he became interested in research, Orochimaru had secretly collected the corpses of those with unique bloodline limits, including members of the Uchiha clan. Although the Uchiha clan typically retrieved the bodies of their fallen members, especially their eyes, battlefield conditions sometimes left no remains to recover. Additionally, other villages also competed to steal Sharingan, making it difficult to track who had taken them.
The four great ninja villages had even fought over the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan, so it's no surprise that Sharingan were coveted as well. However, non-Uchiha individuals without the First Hokage's cells found the side effects of using Sharingan too severe, which is why there weren't many cases of people transplanting them in other villages.
Even Orochimaru hadn't implanted a Sharingan in himself for this very reason.
After receiving the Sharingan, Daniel was naturally curious about the famous dōjutsu. Given the Sharingan's "plug-and-play" nature, he removed his own eyes and inserted the Sharingan to try them out.
It turns out, "plug-and-play" doesn't apply to everyone. Unlike Kakashi, who couldn't use the Sharingan seamlessly, those who could do so were individuals who had either the First Hokage's cells or some medical knowledge.
However, even though Daniel had the means to install the Sharingan painlessly, it still hurt. What amazed him most wasn't the Sharingan's functionality but how Uchiha members seemed unfazed by the pain of removing or inserting their eyes.
Daniel dared to swap his eyes because of the powers of his Ope Ope no Mi, which allowed him to perform the procedure without pain or harm, making the "plug-and-play" process truly seamless.
Even though it was just a three-tomoe Sharingan, Daniel quickly realized the immense power of the Uchiha clan after using it.
The Sharingan's abilities far outclassed the Byakugan in versatility. In close combat, the Sharingan could even perform functions similar to the Byakugan's x-ray vision.
The Sharingan's famed copying ability relied on this x-ray vision, allowing the user to observe the opponent's chakra flow and hand seals, and thus copy their jutsu. This is how Kakashi earned his nickname, the Copy Ninja.
In addition to copying jutsu, the Sharingan could also track an opponent's moves during battle, allowing for techniques like Kakashi's synchronization with Zabuza during their fight, thanks to the Sharingan's predictive abilities.
With its enhanced dynamic vision, the Sharingan could even copy taijutsu, as Sasuke demonstrated when he mimicked Rock Lee's movements after just one glance, making years of hard work seem trivial compared to the power of a single glance.
This was the nature of natural-born talent. However, while the Sharingan's abilities were formidable, they weren't without limits. If they were truly invincible, the Uchiha clan wouldn't have been wiped out.
Because the Sharingan granted such incredible abilities, many Uchiha, if mentally unprepared, found themselves overestimating their power. In Sasuke's battle with Rock Lee, for example, even though he could see through Lee's moves, his body couldn't keep up, and he was still defeated.
Even after copying Lee's taijutsu, Sasuke needed to train hard to master it. Just copying it didn't mean he could use it immediately, as taijutsu required physical conditioning.
Similarly, even if Sasuke copied techniques like Daniel's Six Powers, his body wouldn't be capable of performing them without the required strength.
In short, the Sharingan was incredibly powerful, especially on the battlefield, where it allowed the user to anticipate and counter almost any move, much like the famous swordsman Gai Nie's legendary battle against 300 elite cavalry. If Gai Nie had possessed the Sharingan, he might have emerged from that battle far less injured.
Despite the Sharingan's incredible power, Daniel ultimately removed it and returned to using his original eyes.
Firstly, Daniel was already powerful enough that the Sharingan didn't significantly boost his strength. Secondly, non-Uchiha users couldn't deactivate the Sharingan, making it inconvenient.
Uchiha members could freely switch between their regular eyes, three-tomoe Sharingan, Mangekyō Sharingan, and Rinnegan, using their normal eyes when not in combat.
However, non-Uchiha users had to keep the Sharingan active constantly, which drained chakra. Kakashi and Uzumaki Nagato were prime examples of this issue.
Even if a pair of Rinnegan were right in front of Daniel, he wouldn't give up his own eyes. That didn't mean the Rinnegan wasn't useful. Thanks to his Ope Ope no Mi, Daniel could easily swap them in painlessly whenever needed.
"So this is Wood Release. Now I just need the Leaf Village's Scroll of Seals for the Flying Thunder God Technique." After fusing with the First Hokage's cells, Daniel had gained the ability to use Wood Release. As he looked at the wooden spikes protruding from his palm, he smiled with satisfaction. Half of his goal had been achieved.
"Are all Uchiha this insane?" Zabuza grumbled, carrying his Executioner's Blade as he walked through the door with an irritated expression. Behind him followed Haku and Sasuke, who now wore the Kusanagi sword at his waist.
The Kusanagi sword, originally meant for Sasuke in the original story, had been given to him early by Daniel.
"What happened?" Daniel asked, curious about the tension between Zabuza and Sasuke.
"It's from their recent sparring," Haku explained. Daniel soon understood the reason for Zabuza's frustration.
Initially, Haku had been responsible for training Sasuke. However, after Sasuke fused with the First Hokage's cells, he quickly surpassed Haku, forcing Zabuza to take over. At first, Zabuza had a clear advantage over Sasuke, but over time, Sasuke's improvements chipped away at Zabuza's dominance.
Thanks to the Sharingan, Sasuke's taijutsu progressed rapidly. He even learned a bit of Zabuza's Silent Killing Technique. Zabuza's technique involved more than just the Hidden Mist Jutsu—it also required precise taijutsu, such as silent movement and noiseless sword swings.
Wielding a massive blade like the Executioner's Blade
silently required a great deal of skill. Sasuke had also fought against the Sound Four and Kimimaro, absorbing their taijutsu and gradually developing his unique style.
Of course, Sasuke's rapid progress wasn't solely due to the Sharingan. His relentless training and the enhancement from the First Hokage's cells played significant roles.
The First Hokage's cells accelerated Sasuke's recovery, giving him a constitution comparable to the Uzumaki clan. No matter how exhausted he was, a night's rest was usually enough to restore him.
Naruto's advantage over Sasuke had now diminished even further.
Zabuza's frustration stemmed from the fact that Sasuke, after only a few months, was already able to hold his own against him in battle.
"Orochimaru-sama, there's a message," Kabuto entered the room, interrupting Daniel and Orochimaru's discussion about Kimimaro's genetic disorder.
Kimimaro's illness was a challenging one, even for Daniel. In truth, there was no immediate cure. The disease was a side effect of the Kaguya clan's Dead Bone Pulse bloodline limit. The only solution would be to seal the Dead Bone Pulse altogether.
Not all bloodline limits were entirely beneficial. Some came with significant drawbacks, and over time, most of these bloodline limits were weeded out during the many wars. The Dead Bone Pulse survived because of its combat effectiveness, but in Kimimaro's generation, he was the last one.
Giving up the Dead Bone Pulse wasn't an option for Kimimaro, as he was one of Orochimaru's key fighters. Without his Dead Bone Pulse, even with his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, his combat power would be significantly reduced.
For Kimimaro, who had dedicated everything to Orochimaru, even the threat of death wasn't enough to deter him.
Daniel didn't argue. This gave him an opportunity to study genetic disorders, which were one of the most difficult challenges in medicine.
That being said, Daniel did have a way to completely cure Kimimaro—Dittany, which was said to cure any illness. He had conducted experiments and found that Dittany lived up to its reputation, even being capable of treating genetic disorders. However, Daniel wasn't ready to reveal this remedy, at least not yet.
His relationship with Orochimaru was a partnership, nothing more, even with the oaths they had sworn.
Additionally, Daniel believed that with further study of Kimimaro's condition, he could eventually find a solution without relying on Dittany.
"Interested in visiting the Leaf Village?" Orochimaru asked, putting aside Kimimaro's illness after hearing Kabuto's report.
"The Leaf Village?" Daniel looked at Orochimaru, confused.
"The Leaf is hosting the Joint Chūnin Exams soon, and the Sound Village has been invited. It's the perfect opportunity to give my former teacher a surprise," Orochimaru said with a smile. Kabuto then explained the details of the Joint Chūnin Exams.
The Joint Chūnin Exams involved inviting Leaf allies and smaller villages to participate, serving as a showcase of each village's military strength.
In times of peace, without war to prove their power, the Chūnin Exams were the perfect venue, much like military exercises in the real world.
Jōnin exams weren't suitable for public spectacle, as they involved high-level techniques, secret jutsu, and bloodline limits, which could leak vital information. Since intelligence was crucial in the ninja world, no village would willingly reveal their top ninjas' abilities.
The Chūnin Exams, however, were different. Even if some information was revealed, the participating genin were still growing and had time to evolve. The exams also allowed villages to showcase their younger generation's potential.
Ninja villages walked a fine line between secrecy and publicity. They had to hide their true strength while simultaneously showing enough to secure more missions. Legendary figures like the Three Legendary Sannin, the White Fang, and the Yellow Flash were all symbols of a village's power.
"Just participating in the Chūnin Exams?" Daniel asked, his expression calm.
"Of course not. The regular Chūnin Exams are boring. This is a rare opportunity, and it should be fully utilized. Plus, aren't you interested in the Leaf's Scroll of Seals? This is the perfect chance," Orochimaru replied with a sly grin.
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