Chapter 78: Test Subject
Achieving that goal, however, wasn't going to be easy—
there were countless problems, each more difficult than the last.
For instance, Kei needed to acquire "materials" similar to what Obito had used...
but even if he managed to get them, the next question of how to properly process them was another headache entirely.
Not to mention, he also needed someone capable of examining and monitoring his physical metrics.
And finding such a person wouldn't be simple either.
Still, Kei had no intention of giving up.
He had survived up to this point through sheer tenacity and an overwhelming will to live—
and through that struggle, he had finally earned the Mangekyō Sharingan he had long dreamed of.
But this was only a temporary victory.
Considering the terrifying monsters that would soon appear one after another in the future,
staying stagnant at his current level would be nothing short of suicide!
"As for the 'materials'... I already have a few ideas. With some luck, I might be able to get my hands on them."
"The real problem is—what to do afterward..."
Kei felt his head throbbing as he approached the Uchiha compound, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"Forget it. No point thinking too much about it now."
"If worst comes to worst, I'll just intercept Orochimaru when he makes his move... or maybe even ransack his hideout."
Facing Orochimaru directly, though, might be risky.
After all, the current Orochimaru wasn't yet the "one-hit-illusion-victim" he would become in the future.
A direct battle with him could go either way. Even if Kei somehow won, killing Orochimaru would be another story altogether—
especially since Orochimaru had already been experimenting with the cursed seal, a simplified form of Sage Mode.
That's why Kei figured it was better to plunder Orochimaru's lair rather than fight him head-on.
Who knows what kind of treasures he might find?
Or... maybe he could ambush Orochimaru after he was wounded?
"The only thing I'd need to be careful about... is the Third Hokage's faction."
Kei recalled that the Third Hokage had personally been present when Orochimaru defected.
He had allowed Orochimaru to escape right under his nose, though afterward, he dispatched squads to hunt him down.
Sighing helplessly, Kei decided he would deal with things case-by-case when the time came.
---
Pushing aside thoughts of Orochimaru, Kei's mind drifted back to the matter of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had a rough understanding of the Mangekyō's power,
but whether the Eternal version was worth pursuing was something he needed to seriously consider.
Based on Uchiha Madara's words—and Kei's own deductions—
he categorized Mangekyō abilities into two types:
Those that enhanced physical coordination and agility
And those that boosted chakra volume and potency.
Kei speculated that the phenomenon of "brothers awakening Mangekyō" often resulted in two complementary types of eyes.
The classic example was Itachi and Sasuke:
while Itachi's eyes weren't definitively classified, Kei suspected they leaned toward enhancing physical abilities.
Meanwhile, Sasuke's Mangekyō amplified chakra power and output.
(Although Madara had once described Sasuke's eyes as "agility-focused," at that time Sasuke was already using Itachi's transplanted eyes.)
Thus, when two such different Mangekyō were fused—
it created a perfect synergy: enhanced control and physical dexterity,
plus a massive boost in chakra volume and potency.
That explained why single Mangekyō users rarely survived for long—
because since Indra's era, no one had naturally awakened the Eternal Mangekyō without first splitting and reuniting these powers.
Madara and Izuna were brothers.
Itachi and Sasuke were brothers.
In the canon timeline, only these pairs achieved Eternal Mangekyō through this fusion.
It was the merging of their complementary abilities that perfected the Mangekyō, eliminating blindness and skyrocketing their potential.
Thinking about all this, Kei wasn't sure if his theories were absolutely correct—
but he was confident he was at least heading in the right direction.
He could already feel it:
his own eyes were biased toward enhancing physical coordination.
"So... what I need is a Mangekyō that leans toward boosting chakra." Kei frowned thoughtfully.
"Uchiha Shisui? Or Uchiha Itachi?"
After a brief moment of consideration, he ruled both out.
First of all, even if Kei wanted to, there was no way he could touch either of them.
Second, based on his assumptions, neither seemed to fit the chakra-boosting category.
Itachi, like Kei, likely specialized in enhancing body functions.
And Shisui, with the nickname "Shunshin no Shisui" (Shisui of the Body Flicker), was probably also agility-focused.
"Tch, useless either way," Kei sighed in frustration.
"Though... there is one more option. Just..."
The "just" was the problem—
because the person he was thinking of was Uchiha Fugaku.
Not whether he could defeat Fugaku—
but what would happen after.
Even if Kei sneak-attacked Fugaku and managed to kill him instantly with an ocular technique,
afterward his entire plan would fall apart.
He wouldn't be able to stay in the Uchiha clan.
He wouldn't survive in Konoha unless he swallowed his pride and joined Root.
Otherwise, exile would be his only path.
Shaking his head, Kei decided it was too reckless.
Not only was Fugaku's Mangekyō affinity unknown,
but if it turned out to be another coordination-focused ability, Kei would be screwed.
Even if it was the right type... what next?
It's not like he could just jam Fugaku's eyes into his own sockets for a live experiment.
Kei wasn't crazy enough to gamble with his own vision—
if something went wrong, he'd lose everything!
"If only there was a pair of brothers already..." Kei sighed.
"Capture them, torture them, force them to awaken Mangekyō—"
"Then kill one and use the other's body as a 'host' to nurture the Eternal Mangekyō."
"But... where would I even find such brothers? Or the equipment to sustain the survivor?"
The headache deepened.
Finding candidates was a huge challenge.
They needed to be strong enough (at least three tomoe) and close enough as siblings.
And then there was the issue of equipment:
Kei needed machines capable of keeping the surviving host alive even after stripping their consciousness.
No mind—only a body, just enough to feed the growing Eternal Eye.
Sadly, Kei had neither the equipment nor the funds to pull this off yet.
Groaning, Kei rubbed his forehead in frustration—
but then stopped abruptly.
Because someone was blocking his path.
"Uchiha Yuu?" Kei tilted his head lazily.
"What do you want?"
"I have a message for you." Yuu sneered, looking at Kei with open disdain.
"Don't flatter yourself—I'd never seek you out otherwise."
"Save it," Kei cut him off.
"If it's about choosing sides or making 'mental preparations,' you can shut up now."
Yuu's expression instantly darkened,
danger flashing in his eyes. Well, he did come to say that.
If they weren't standing inside the Uchiha compound, he probably would have attacked then and there.
But Kei's eyes were equally cold—
and in that moment, a dangerous thought flickered through his mind:
"Wait... isn't this guy... a perfect test subject?"