A Sage's Pursuit of Power

"...You want me to transplant these eyes into this chakra armor?"

Tsunade stared at Aoba, her expression one of disbelief. His request was certainly unconventional.

"Exactly. Due to the Root experiments, these eyes' neural connections were damaged and can no longer be transplanted into eye sockets."

"But you could still transplant them onto your body..."

"I can't accept having them directly attached to my body. However, the chakra amor cultivated from the fusion of Hashirama's cells with mine is an excellent alternative.

Hashirama cells have a mysterious relationship with the Sharingan. The two seem to oppose each other but also complement each other, a mutually antagonistic yet symbiotic relationship."

"...Are these eyes Mangekyō Sharingan?" Tsunade asked after a moment of silence.

"No, at least not yet."

"Which means you have a way to make them Mangekyō?"

"Exactly. I have a theory, though I've never tested it before. If you help me with this surgery, I might be able to prove my hypothesis."

Tsunade's face reflected a mix of disbelief and intrigue.

"I didn't realize you had studied the Sharingan to this extent. Does Sasuke know about this?"

"Of course. Many of the experimental data came from his cooperation."

"You two are just..." Tsunade began, wanting to criticize them, but words failed her. She could only sigh in resignation.

"Fine, I'll help you with the surgery. I just hope you know what you're doing."

As a medical ninja, Tsunade disliked experiments that tampered with human organs. However, she couldn't deny the potential value of Aoba's research. If he succeeded in creating a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan, it would be a significant boost to Konoha's strength.

As Hokage, she couldn't ignore such a result.

Given the unprecedented nature of the surgery, Tsunade did her homework, even studying Root's experimental notes.

She discovered that Root's methods were extremely crude, likely due to Danzo's urgency to use the Sharingan to suppress Hashirama cells' instability. This rough approach was the primary cause of the neural damage.

Still, despite its crudity, the notes contained valuable insights. Tsunade quickly absorbed the information and devised her own plan.

While Aoba and Tsunade prepared for the surgery, a storm was quietly brewing within Konoha.

In a secluded courtyard, a group of older ninja had gathered.

"Tsunade thinks she can force us to abandon our surname with a single decree. And Asuma, that traitor, we cannot let him get away with this. Are your preparations ready?"

"Yes. Most of the guards in the Hokage building are ours. Tsunade thinks being Hokage gives her free rein. This time, we'll show her the Sarutobi clan's true power."

"According to our intel, Tsunade and Aoba are conducting some experiment at the research institute."

"...We have no people in the institute. We'll act when Tsunade returns to the Hokage office."

"Understood, but what about Aoba? We can manage Kakashi, but we lack the high-level combat power needed to deal with Aoba."

"Heh, you're too naive. No matter how strong Aoba is, he's still human. He has desires, and where there are desires, there are weaknesses. Weaknesses can be exploited."

Meanwhile, at Aoba's house, things were bustling despite his absence. Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto were all having dinner there.

Sakura had grown close to Karin through her frequent training with Aoba. Sasuke and Naruto, as Aoba's students and subordinates, often came over to eat as well.

Yumi enjoyed hosting the children and often prepared lavish meals for them.

As a result, it had become a routine for the kids to have dinner at Aoba's house.

During dinner, Naruto was once again trying to win Sakura's attention. However, Sakura was entirely focused on mastering chakra nature transformation.

With her chakra armor serving as an external energy source, her chakra reserves were no longer an issue, and she didn't need to pursue the Yin Seal. Aoba had directed her to begin training in elemental chakra manipulation.

Though Sakura's primary role was as a medical ninja, Aoba believed that even medics should know how to fight back when attacked.

While traditional medical ninjutsu could be weaponized, as seen with Kabuto, its applications in combat were limited.

Elemental ninjutsu, on the other hand, had extraordinary potential. Aoba's Flash Step, Madara's Fire Release, and Kakashi's Lightning Release were prime examples of the heights elemental techniques could reach.

Aside from Sakura, the other three were also focused on their own training.

Sasuke was working on synthesizing and refining his Sharingan's ocular power independently.

Karin, having mastered the transformations of water, earth, and wind chakra, was now training in lightning chakra.

Her progress was much faster, and Sakura often consulted her for tips on chakra nature transformation. The two of them now had a very close relationship.

As for Naruto, Aoba didn't neglect him either.

After various tests, Aoba confirmed that Naruto was simply not suited for elemental ninjutsu.

The main issue was that elemental ninjutsu involves the interactions and counterbalances of the five elements, requiring strategic thinking in real combat. And as for strategy, well… Naruto…

He had an extremely sharp battle intuition, which could be attributed to Minato's genes. But he only inherited part of it.

Naruto's battle intuition was impressive, but his overall ninja skills were lacking. Minato resorted to techniques like the Rasengan because it was quick to deploy and highly efficient, not because it was his only move.

In truth, Minato had mastered Flying Thunder God to an almost godlike level, was proficient in sealing techniques capable of using forbidden jutsu like the Reaper Death Seal, and even achieved Sage Mode. Although it was never explicitly stated, Aoba deduced that Minato had likely completed chakra nature transformations for all five elements.

This allowed him to have sufficient means to counter any opponent in battle and secure victory.

In contrast, asking Naruto to master so much was somewhat unrealistic. The most suitable fighting style for Naruto was the simple and straightforward combination of Shadow Clones and Rasengan.

But let's not forget, Naruto was also a Jinchuriki. Therefore, Aoba had already started helping him familiarize himself with and attempt to control the Nine-Tails' chakra. This was the most appropriate training for a Jinchuriki.

As everyone enjoyed their dinner, Yumi, who was serving the final bowl of hot soup, suddenly furrowed her brows slightly.

She turned her head to glance at her daughter, Karin, who responded with a small nod.

Yumi then stepped out of the house alone.

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