Weeks passed, and though the noose around the Uchiha clan's neck felt much looser, Itachi knew deep down that this newfound sense of security did not come solely from his own strength, nor from having partially neutralized the threat of Danzō.
Yet every effort bore fruit. Day by day, progress was evident—not only in Itachi, but in Renji as well. In just a few months, Renji had mastered several advanced seals and displayed a natural talent as a researcher. Though his Sharingan had yet to awaken and his abilities were not fully developed, his level was approaching that of a strong and promising genin.
Fugaku, for his part, seemed reborn thanks to the new jutsu and applications Itachi had shared. His control of chakra and his sharpened strategic insight brought him closer to a level comparable to the Third Hokage. Even Shisui, witnessing Itachi's growth, had approached him for advice, acknowledging his evolution and maturity.
But Itachi felt no sense of complacency. On the contrary—his ambition reminded him that everything achieved thus far was but the tip of the iceberg. A new goal now called to him with force: natural energy, and the mastery of Sage Mode, a challenge that promised to open doors few had ever crossed.
Itachi sat in silence, determined to perceive natural energy without depending on Mount Myōboku. His first approach was through touch: leaves, stones, and soil beneath his fingertips, searching for even the faintest pulse of energy. Nothing. Not a single vibration, no subtle shift—only the mundane sensation of matter.
"Nothing…" he muttered, frowning. "I can't feel a thing."
He then tried channeling chakra into different points of his body, adjusting frequencies, modifying the core of his chakra, hoping to resonate with the natural flow. Again, nothing.
Even his jutsu of cerebral overstimulation—designed to heighten his senses to unnatural extremes—failed. His mind worked at peak capacity, dissecting every stimulus, yet still, there was no trace of natural energy.
For a fleeting moment, he considered experimenting with substances to alter his perception. But he quickly rejected the thought. His strength lay in control, in ingenuity—not in reliance on artificial means.
Failure after failure, the result was the same: absolute silence. Yet each attempt was carefully recorded, every defeat another data point confirming the sheer difficulty of perceiving what seemed invisible to the senses.
And still, he refused to relent. Each setback hardened his resolve. "If traditional paths fail me, then I will forge my own. The energy is here, all around me. I only need to teach my body how to hear it."
After weeks of trial and error, Itachi made his first breakthrough: a simple yet efficient breathing method. He remembered it resembled the one Naruto once used to draw in natural chakra, though Itachi adapted it through his own scientific lens.
From this came a new hypothesis: the mind must be simplified to perceive natural energy. The more cluttered with thought, the more difficult it became to feel the flow of the environment. Naruto's simple nature had been his advantage; Jiraiya's complex mind, his hindrance.
But Itachi would not test this theory on himself. He needed something more rigorous. He created a shadow clone, and subjected it to a controlled experiment.
Total relaxation: A genjutsu induced a deep, dreamlike trance. Within it, the clone experienced soothing visions and music, ensuring even its subconscious rested.
Guided breathing: While the clone "slept," Itachi controlled its chakra flow and respiration, guiding the absorption of natural energy without effort or thought.
He observed closely, noting microshifts in the chakra core as the body absorbed faint traces of energy. It was still weak, barely perceptible—but for the first time, he had isolated the phenomenon without interference from the conscious mind.
Encouraged, Itachi expanded the experiment. He created multiple clones, arranging them in the garden. Each practiced the automated breathing method, drawing in natural energy through their pores, synchronizing it with their chakra cores.
At first, progress was smooth. But then—failure. Some clones petrified and vanished, overwhelmed by uncontrolled influx.
"Each clone is a test," Itachi murmured. "I must learn to balance the intake with the body's limits."
Though some perished, others endured, and their patterns revealed critical insights. Natural energy was unlike chakra: wild, unrestrained, capable of flooding the system if not finely attuned. Each failure mapped a boundary. Each success, a path forward.
Itachi was still monitoring the survivors when Fugaku summoned him. His father's gaze was stern, yet pride burned in his eyes.
"Itachi," he said, "you've changed in these months. Your training, your experiments, even your theories of chakra and jutsu—they convince me that our clan may rise to heights I never imagined."
He spoke of the resources they now possessed, the gold that funded research, training, and secret acquisitions. But most of all, he praised Itachi's unique vision: his clones, his chakra studies, his memory-transfer methods.
Together, they discussed how these discoveries could reshape the clan's future. A system where every Uchiha could refine their chakra, awaken new abilities, and master advanced techniques once thought unreachable.
Finally, Itachi revealed the truth of his current work:
"Father, I've been developing what might be called Sage Mode. Not merely perception, but a system—breathing, synchronization, controlled absorption. The clones allow me to test without risk. If I succeed, we could teach our strongest to harness natural energy in a reproducible way."
Fugaku was stunned, watching a clone demonstrate the method. "If you can systematize this… then our clan would wield the power of the First Hokage himself. And if more of us awaken the Sharingan on top of it…"
His words trailed off, but the implication was clear. A mass-production of sages—an army of Uchihas touched by natural energy—would tilt the very balance of the shinobi world.
And these world-shaking words came not from a seasoned warlord, but from a boy.
Yet they were not lies. The Sage Mode had always been a legendary rarity among humans. To make it a method… was to break the rules of power itself.