"Ah... if you put it that way, you're right. With your Mangekyō Sharingan, you're indeed the most qualified to say that."
Hearing Itachi's words, Orochimaru was momentarily startled and then became a bit serious.
"Orochimaru, have you fought Danzo before? Do you have any intel on him?"
Hearing Orochimaru's somber tone, Itachi asked softly, subtly steering the conversation toward his current focus.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru suffered a major setback because he hadn't anticipated that Hiruzen Sarutobi had a self-sacrificial technique up his sleeve.
Orochimaru had many strengths but was overly arrogant, often underestimating his opponents. As a result, even someone as intelligent as him, recognized by many for his brilliance, could easily be led astray by his own hubris. Without realizing it, this tendency had fostered a habit of overconfidence.
...
"Danzo, huh... He wasn't much in the past, but now? He's far more dangerous. It's not just that he has a Mangekyō in his right eye—his right arm is imbued with Hashirama's cells and is covered in Sharingan with the Three Tomoe pattern."
As Orochimaru spoke, his expression shifted between pride and disdain.
On one hand, he had created that monstrosity; on the other hand, it was undeniably grotesque.
The thought brought Orochimaru back to his idea of the perfect experimental subject...
A shame, really.
"A whole arm covered in Three Tomoe Sharingan? And Hashirama cells?"
Hearing Orochimaru finally discuss the critical details, Itachi felt a small sense of relief but feigned curiosity.
If possible, he didn't want to reveal the secret of Kotoamatsukami. Should Orochimaru discover the abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan, their seemingly cordial relationship would likely end immediately.
Despite Orochimaru's cunning nature, Itachi wasn't inclined to use Kotoamatsukami on someone who held no current hostility toward him, even if Orochimaru possessed immense value.
Orochimaru, for all his flaws, was a uniquely fascinating individual. If his will were forcibly altered, his essence would be lost. Unless circumstances became dire, Itachi had no intention of taking that step.
...
"Yeah, back when I was researching the secrets of Wood Release, I created that arm. It's not just imbued with Hashirama's cells—it's outfitted with a collection of Sharingan, which I personally installed."
Orochimaru didn't mention Shin Uchiha, instead reflecting on his experiments with a hint of regret.
"Oh? And how did your Wood Release research go?"
Itachi's interest was piqued. Hashirama's cells were as intriguing to him as Shisui's other Mangekyō Sharingan.
Though Shisui's Mangekyō would remain in Danzo's eye socket for now, Itachi still lacked a comprehensive understanding of Hashirama's cells.
"Don't even get me started. I managed to create someone who could use Wood Release, but compared to the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju, it's laughable. The best they can do is plant some trees and build houses."
Orochimaru's tone carried a trace of bitterness. For him, it was a failed experiment.
...
After hearing Orochimaru's explanation, Itachi fell silent. Still, he couldn't help but recall Madara's crude transplantation methods and Obito's half-Zetsu body—weren't they both examples of success?
"By the way, you said Danzo's entire arm is covered in Three Tomoe Sharingan. That could be troublesome."
Returning to the topic, Itachi spoke with a measured tone, momentarily setting aside thoughts of Wood Release, Hashirama's cells, and Sage bodies.
"Hmm? What's so troublesome about the Three Tomoe Sharingan?"
Orochimaru was puzzled. From his perspective, the Three Tomoe Sharingan was insignificant—if he wanted, he could amass them by the handful.
"That's where you're mistaken. The Uchiha clan has two forbidden jutsu."
"One of them is called Izanagi."
"This technique allows the user to turn any injury or even death into an illusion for a brief moment while simultaneously converting favorable outcomes into reality. It blurs the line between dream and reality. The price for using it is permanent blindness in the eye that cast the jutsu."
As Itachi described Izanagi, a shadowy figure flashed through his mind.
During Madara's battle with Hashirama, he seemed to have used the technique once. The supposed permanent blindness was likely exaggerated—his eyes evolved into the Rinnegan, regaining their vision.
...
"I've heard of that jutsu before. Isn't it supposed to be long lost? Are you saying Danzo can use it?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up as he processed the information. The jutsu sounded fascinating, and recalling Danzo's unusual demands for his arm, Orochimaru felt certain Danzo had mastered it.
"From what you're saying, that seems to be the case…"
Itachi shot Orochimaru a sidelong glance, silently blaming him for creating this problem.
Orochimaru, noticing Itachi's expression, pretended not to see it. The two tacitly avoided addressing the implied accusation.
"Does this forbidden technique have any weaknesses? An arm full of Three Tomoe Sharingan could make seizing those eyes incredibly difficult. Even if you take one, he'll just make it disappear…"
Orochimaru's tone became more serious as he analyzed the situation.
"The only drawback is that the chakra consumed by the caster cannot be restored. Also, the chakra expenditure of Izanagi seems quite significant. However, considering his strength and the boost from Hashirama's cells..."
Itachi murmured softly, his brow furrowed deeply.
"Huh, Itachi, you seem to know quite a lot about Hashirama's cells. Hashirama's cells not only contain Wood Release but also possess powerful vitality and chakra," Orochimaru remarked, slightly intrigued by Itachi's words.
He always focused on peculiar details...
"With someone as powerful as Senju Hashirama, of course, I would have done some research," Itachi replied flatly, setting down the now-empty milk glass.
His mind was already strategizing how to seize the eye.
The best chance of success would undoubtedly be the first attempt.
If he failed to get the eye the first time, he would have to guard against Danzo destroying the eye.
Even more critical, he had to defend against the potential use of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami by Danzo's right eye. Who knows if that old schemer had already used the technique?
However, recalling the Five Kage Summit, it seemed Danzo had used Kotoamatsukami on Mifune to gain control of the discussion, only to be immediately exposed. That made the jutsu seem somewhat... wasted.
As he thought it over, Itachi eventually came up with a plan. Worrying too much about the details was pointless.
This plan was straightforward and direct. No need to overanalyze gains and losses—no matter how meticulous the plan, there's always room for error.
A simple, brute-force approach would be better: just use Kotoamatsukami!
His original, authentic version would surely overpower Danzo's counterfeit. The success rate should be significant.
After all, Kotoamatsukami could invade a target's mind without their awareness, rewriting their will with permanent effects.
Even the official descriptions of this technique praised it as capable of turning anyone the caster sees into their puppet, dubbing it the "ultimate genjutsu."
Previously, Shisui had infused Kotoamatsukami with the intention to protect Konoha. He planned to use it on Sasuke but instead encountered Naruto during the Fourth Shinobi War. Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra triggered Shisui's implanted crow, causing the jutsu to be cast on Itachi himself. This freed Itachi from Kabuto's control, drastically altering the course of the war.
This alone proved how potent his Kotoamatsukami was.
"Alright, alright, I've already figured out the plan. When the time comes, you just need to provide support..."
Seeing Orochimaru about to say something else, Itachi cut him off irritably.
He had adjusted his strategy, and the frustration in his heart had completely dissipated.
He realized he was overthinking things, unconsciously leaning towards a plan where he and Orochimaru would infiltrate the Root division to ambush Danzo.
That over-cautiousness made him worry about this and that unnecessarily.