"I understand," Fugaku nodded in response. After a brief hesitation, he cautiously asked, "But that stone tablet is covered by a strange kind of power. Only those who have awakened the Sharingan can read any part of it.
The stronger the Sharingan, the more secrets and content it reveals. Both Shisui and I only discovered the later parts after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Lord Hokage, are you saying that the Rinnegan can read everything hidden on the stone tablet?"
"Kagetsu and Tsunade, as well as Jiraiya, all investigated ancient history. They gathered similar information from the surviving sages of the Three Sage Regions.
They all said something similar: the Senju and the Uchiha are both descendants of the Sage of Six Paths' two sons.
One son inherited the Sage's body, leading to the Senju Clan. The other inherited the Sage's eyes—that would be your Uchiha Clan.
Tsunade and the Technology Development Department have also worked together to study the bloodlines and powers of both clans. There's a lot of evidence supporting this theory.
It's very likely that the Rinnegan is the ultimate evolution of the Uchiha's Sharingan. Of course, that assumes the Sharingan is further enhanced or completed.
So, Nagato's Rinnegan should be capable of reading all the secrets hidden within the stone tablet. I'm quite curious about it."
"Rinnegan is the final evolution of the Sharingan?"
Both Uchiha Fugaku and Shisui, who stood beside him, were stunned by this revelation.
Shisui wasn't as shocked—he had been at Kagetsu's side for years and had long suspected something like this. This moment merely confirmed it through Orochimaru's words.
But for Fugaku, it was a complete shock—followed by a deep and burning desire.
For the Uchiha clan, the pursuit of ocular evolution and power was something deeply rooted in every clan member's heart.
Eye power meant authority. It meant strength.
Just like the Mangekyō Sharingan he and Shisui now possessed.
However, as the clan head and someone privy to many secrets, Fugaku believed the ultimate form of the Sharingan was the Eternal Mangekyō.
It was a more advanced and perfected version of the Mangekyō—offering stronger power without the risk of blindness.
The only issue was... the way to obtain it was not exactly something people spoke about openly.
But soon, Fugaku, still reeling from shock, realized something new from Orochimaru's words—something he had never considered before.
"If the Rinnegan is possibly the final evolution of the Sharingan… then why does Nagato possess it?" Fugaku's voice slipped, betraying his composure.
Nagato's bloodline and background had long been thoroughly investigated by Konoha.
That shockingly red hair—like blood—and that massive chakra reserve made his origins obvious.
A surviving member of the Uzumaki clan.
He had even been acknowledged by Kushina, Minato's wife.
Even if the Uzumaki and Senju clans shared distant ancestry, it still shouldn't be enough for an Uzumaki orphan to awaken the Rinnegan… right?
"You guessed correctly," Orochimaru said coldly. "Those eyes didn't originate from Nagato himself. He couldn't even shut them at will. Shisui, you should be aware of this intel, right?"
Shisui nodded.
"Yes. When Kagetsu first met Nagato and examined his Rinnegan, he mentioned it to him directly."
"Then…" Fugaku was left momentarily confused.
Where did the Rinnegan come from?
Could it be… the Sage of Six Paths' eyes had somehow been passed down and mysteriously ended up in Nagato?
From Orochimaru and Shisui's conversation, it became clear— even someone like Nagato, the Rinnegan's current wielder, didn't fully understand the origin of his own eyes.
At first, Fugaku didn't think much of it.
Orochimaru hadn't made any connection between the Rinnegan and the Sharingan, so Fugaku only assumed the Rinnegan was a rare kind of dōjutsu.
But after learning this new intel, a strange, heavy realization started to form deep within him.
A conspiracy?
Or something even deeper?
He couldn't ignore the possibility anymore. The Rinnegan… the ultimate evolution of the Sharingan.
A terrifying thought began to take shape in Fugaku's mind.
"Yes," Orochimaru said, watching the flicker of change in Fugaku's expression. "It's very likely your suspicion is correct. The Rinnegan was awakened by Uchiha Madara. It only ended up in Nagato's hands temporarily—due to certain... reasons."
"And only someone with the Uzumaki clan's unique life force—another Sage Body—could endure the burden and chakra consumption of the Rinnegan."
"I knew it. It had to be him," Fugaku sighed, emotions mixed and hard to describe. He was in awe of Madara's power and genius, but at the same time, exhausted by the chaos he always seemed to leave in his wake.
"So, giving those eyes to Nagato… was it because he wanted Nagato to carry out a specific plan? To act on his behalf?"
"Maybe," Orochimaru replied with a cold smile. "But Nagato has grown wary now. As for Madara's real goal—who can say for sure? It's possible he hoped Nagato would one day use the Rinnegan to resurrect him after his death."
"Of course," he added, "I don't mean reviving him as an old man at the end of his life—I mean bringing him back in his prime."
Fugaku frowned. "But how could Madara be so sure that Nagato would do as he wished?"
He couldn't understand it, but he also knew—Madara wouldn't have made such a move without a solid plan in place.
"Maybe Nagato still had something left on him... some hidden trick," Orochimaru said softly.
"Or perhaps there's another contingency we haven't considered. But whatever it was on Nagato's body, Kagetsu has already removed it.
If there's still any uncertainty left, it's those eyes.
No matter what, Kagetsu speculates that Uchiha Madara might be the one who knows the most about the contents of the stone tablet.
After evolving the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan into the Rinnegan, he might return to read it again—hoping to uncover even more hidden messages.
Nagato's eyes might help us confirm that. If we really do find something, then perhaps we'll uncover yet another massive secret. And maybe… we can finally begin to piece together what Madara is truly planning."
"I understand."
Fugaku respectfully bowed his head, taking the matter to heart with deep seriousness.
In truth, based on what he had read from the earlier parts of the tablet, he already had a theory about the later sections.
Most likely, they were related to advancing the power of the Sharingan.
For example, when one's three tomoe Sharingan reached its peak, the tablet showed the method to awaken the Mangekyō.
And with the Mangekyō, it showed the path to gaining the Eternal Mangekyō.
In Fugaku's mind, it only made sense that the Eternal Mangekyō would reveal how to awaken the Rinnegan. But as for what the Rinnegan could see… he had no idea.
To him, the Rinnegan was already the peak of what was possible.
The intelligence he received today shook his heart like a tsunami.
The fact that he hadn't lost control entirely was only thanks to years of discipline and firm will.
****
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