Starts In Konoha: Unlocking Shadow Clone

Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation transfers the spirit into another body, granting the user eternal life.

After countless years of human experimentation, Orochimaru had finally perfected this technique. Normally, any technique linked to immortality would be classified as forbidden, but to realize his ambitions, Orochimaru had been willing to sacrifice countless lives to master this technique.

However, once he transferred into a new body, he wouldn't be able to reincarnate into another one for several years.

However, that limitation didn't bother Orochimaru in the slightest. With the power of the Otsutsuki Clan in Urashiki's body, why would he ever need to switch bodies again?

As far as he was concerned, there was no better vessel in existence.

"Incredible!"

In the blink of an eye, Urashiki's mouth spoke with Orochimaru's voice.

Living Corpse Reincarnation often brought with it a buildup of resentment from the previous soul, but since Urashiki's body was devoid of any consciousness, taking it over was effortless.

"A perfect body, immense power… this is everything I ever dreamed of!" Orochimaru grew increasingly excited.

As he continued to merge, Urashiki's body underwent dramatic changes, gradually reshaping to match Orochimaru's own appearance.

Through the Byakugan's vision, Naruto could see that while Orochimaru's outer appearance was changing, Urashiki's body structure remained intact. Evidently, Orochimaru preferred to keep his signature sinister appearance.

"Alright, enough with the dramatics. When you're done, get some sleep. Rest well, and save the research for tomorrow."

Naruto advised, worried that Orochimaru might push himself to exhaustion.

Yet a simple remark from Naruto registered as an unbreakable command in Orochimaru's ears.

"To think that the contract imprinted directly on my soul." Orochimaru muttered with a resigned smile, "Originally, I thought I could break it somehow. Seems impossible now."

Although he couldn't sever the contract, Orochimaru didn't blame Naruto. He had already committed himself to breaking it through his own research, not with Naruto's help.

Besides, Naruto had treated him exceptionally well. No one in this world had ever been as kind. Naruto had not only provided him with materials and insights, but had now even gifted him a perfect vessel.

Naruto's generosity felt like a rebirth to Orochimaru, an act of parental kindness.

But before he could contemplate further, Orochimaru's body, now fully synchronized with Urashiki's, finally succumbed to fatigue, and under Naruto's command, he drifted into a forced slumber.

"I really envy this guy."

Naruto muttered as he tucked Orochimaru into bed, closing the door quietly before heading out.

After leaving the inn, Naruto didn't go home. Instead, he headed to a seldom-visited yet constantly guarded location… Naka Shrine!

Seeing Orochimaru obtained an Otsutsuki's body, Naruto felt grateful to have such a powerful ally. But as the master, he couldn't allow himself to be weaker than his servants.

Previously, Naruto was content with his Mangekyo Sharingan, but after witnessing Orochimaru's Rinnegan, he craved even more power.

Naka Shrine was the Uchiha Clan's secret gathering place, and in its basement lay a stone tablet left by the Sage of the Six Paths, which contained many hidden secrets.

Only by viewing it through the sequence of Sharingan – Mangekyo Sharingan – Rinnegan, could one decipher its full contents.

If he signs in at Naka Shrine, he hoped to able to obtain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan or even the Rinnegan. That was all he desired, and anything else would be disappointing.

It's not that Uchiha Clan's techniques weren't powerful, but their Fire Release Ninjutsu often had a distinct flaw: they either missed their target entirely or lacked lethality, serving more as flashy displays than practical attacks.

With the passive talent of danger sense, Naruto moved undetected and he also did not feel like he was being followed.

In a flash, he entered Naka Shrine and headed straight for the underground chamber.

The stone tablet lay in the underground chamber, accessible only to the Uchiha, more precisely, only those with the Sharingan could enter. With his special contact lenses, Naruto effectively possessed the 'pass' he needed.

"So, this is the legendary tablet?"

Naruto murmured in awe.

The tablet's contents had been altered by Black Zetsu to deceive Uchiha Madara, leading him to believe that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was the key to saving the world.

However, Naruto, knowing the story, was not about to fall for its deceptive message.

To be cautious, Naruto activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, discerning part of the inscription. Confirming it was indeed the real tablet, he hopped on top, sitting cross-legged and calmly awaiting the passage of time.

The key was to 'sign in' at the exact location of the tablet. Just as he had done on Minato's face statue, precise positioning would ensure a better chance of receiving a special reward and avoiding any undesirable abilities.

The stone tablet was left by the Sage of Six Paths, and could only be understood with the Sharingan. Whether the reward would be related to the Sharingan itself or the Sage's powers, both options were appealing to Naruto.

After an hour, the familiar system prompt echoed in his mind.

[It is detected that the host has stayed at the stone tablet for one hour. Sign-in successful. Reward: The Chuunibyou Sharingan is upgraded to Chuunibyou Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.]

As soon as the message appeared, Naruto felt a refreshing sensation in his eyes, like a cool eye drop application. His vision sharpened, and any previous strain from the Mangekyo's side effects vanished.

Apart from this, Naruto didn't feel any other changes, making him wonder if the system had just given him eye drops to make his vision clearer.

Naruto was a little dissatisfied that he didn't obtain the Rinnegan directly, but the Eternal Mangekyo was already very good.

With the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, he no longer needed to worry about going blind or bleeding from overusing his pupil powers.

In the future, if he could copy powerful technique with his Mangekyo's 'Absolute Copy' ability and combine it with the endless Chakra supply from Kurama, he could unleash techniques without limitation.

For now, though, Naruto held back, remembering his recent conversation with Orochimaru about not overrelying on his powers. It's better to save his Absolute Copy for a truly tough battle, keeping his final trump card under wraps.

"Patience." Naruto muttered to himself, "Can't rush perfection… my time to shine will come soon enough!"

Leaping down from the stone tablet, he retraced his steps toward the exit. However, just as he reached the passageway leading out, his danger sense abruptly flared.

'Huh? Could I have been discovered?'

'No, I had been in there for an hour. If I was discovered, I would be caught already. And without the Sharingan, outsiders could not enter the underground chamber.'

Yet the sensation of danger grew stronger. Since the other party was approaching the underground chamber, they're clearly a Sharingan user.

Sasuke is his servant and Kakashi is his senior, so neither of them will trigger his danger sense.

'Could it be that the person coming is that old bastard Danzo?'

As he considered this, Naruto slipped into a shadowed corner, concealing himself.

Tap, tap, tap!

The footsteps drew closer, echoing through the passageway. When Naruto finally caught sight of the figure, he was stunned!

Unbelievably, the person who appeared was...