Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Itachi fell into a momentary silence.
The way Orochimaru talked about Mangekyō Sharingan made it sound as ordinary as cabbages...
"I feel like Shisui's eyes aren't quite working for me. What's causing this?"
To shift the conversation, Itachi brought up another topic. He had noticed that his current Mangekyō Sharingan showed no signs of evolving into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. This prompted him to explore alternative approaches and seek Orochimaru's opinion.
After all, Shisui's Kotoamatsukami was powerful, but... the cooldown period was way too long.
Moreover, its effect on others with the Mangekyō Sharingan or Uchiha lineage remained a mystery, which was undeniably frustrating.
---
"Oh? How could that be? Did something go wrong along the way?"
Orochimaru's expression shifted slightly upon hearing Itachi's comment. He found it peculiar.
"Let's eat first. You must be starving after your journey. I've already had someone prepare food," Orochimaru said, not waiting for Itachi's response, displaying his hospitality.
Itachi rolled his eyes at Orochimaru's words.
"You're just leaving the conversation halfway and making people anxious. How am I supposed to enjoy my meal like this..."
Itachi grumbled, annoyed at Orochimaru, who appeared to be deep in thought.
---
"The potion is definitely not the issue. If there's a problem, it has to be with the eyes," Orochimaru remarked after snapping out of his thoughts, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"What's wrong with the eyes?"
Orochimaru's statement left Itachi confused.
"Itachi, I think you misunderstood. What I mean is, you might need to reunite the pair of eyes."
Orochimaru clarified.
As he spoke, servants brought in several hearty dishes and a pot of sake.
---
"Reunite the pair of eyes? There's no precedent for that, is there?"
Once the servants finished setting the table and left, Itachi asked in a hushed, slightly uneasy tone.
"There may not be precedent, but Itachi, have you ever wondered why humans have two eyes instead of one? There might be some mysterious connection between them. If we must pinpoint the issue, I suspect this could be it," Orochimaru replied, pouring himself a small cup of sake. He then poured one for Itachi, stretching across the table to hand it to him.
Though they were seated at a long rectangular table, their seats were close enough to easily reach each other.
After listening to Orochimaru, Itachi fell silent. Truthfully, there was no sense of rejection when using Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, but the lack of progress toward achieving the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was troubling.
"Have a drink. As for the other eye, it's in Danzo's possession. I'll figure out a way to retrieve it," Orochimaru said with a confident smile, raising his cup. His tone implied he could come and go in Konoha—or even its Root Division—as he pleased, despite the village being one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
---
Orochimaru's assurance brought Itachi out of his thoughts. He raised his cup and clinked it against Orochimaru's.
"This sake..."
After taking a sip, Itachi paused, puzzled. He felt like he had tasted this before.
"Looks like you're not much of a drinker," Orochimaru chuckled, setting his empty cup down and refilling it.
"I blame Jūzō for corrupting me," Itachi replied, slightly embarrassed by Orochimaru's remark.
"This is the same sake we drank the first time we met to discuss matters. Does it remind you of how you dodged the bill back then?" Orochimaru teased with an amused expression.
"Uh..."
"Actually, I planned to pay, but when it came time to settle the bill, I realized... I forgot my money," Itachi admitted, his face flushing slightly. Orochimaru's sudden mention of that incident left him feeling awkward.
"Heh heh heh..."
Seeing Itachi's embarrassment, Orochimaru chuckled, leaving much unsaid.
---
"How's the progress with replicating your Mangekyō Sharingan?"
After a few rounds of drinks, Itachi, slightly tipsy, showed a faint blush on his cheeks.
"It's alright. This kind of thing can't be rushed; it has to be done slowly. Besides, for me, the Mangekyō Sharingan isn't what's important. What interests me is why the Mangekyō possesses such immense power."
As he said this, Orochimaru paused slightly.
"But, Itachi, I'm always so open and honest with you, yet you act a bit unscrupulously..."
Looking at the slightly intoxicated Itachi, a glint of sharpness flashed deep in Orochimaru's eyes.
"Huh? How am I being unscrupulous?"
Itachi had been listening to Orochimaru's words. When the conversation suddenly shifted, he was momentarily confused.
Outwardly, Itachi appeared hesitant, but inwardly, he already knew what Orochimaru was referring to.
It seemed that Orochimaru had indeed delved deeply into the mysteries of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had uncovered its secrets so quickly.
...
"The Mangekyō Sharingan cells you gave me—they're not yours, are they?"
Faced with Itachi's feigned ignorance, Orochimaru didn't hold back and directly exposed the truth.
Initially, he had only been suspicious, but taking advantage of Itachi's slight drunkenness earlier, he decided to probe him a little.
As Orochimaru closely observed Itachi, he noticed a fleeting moment of unnatural behavior. Even that brief slip did not escape his sharp eyes.
"Alright, back then, it was our first collaboration, so it's natural to hold something back. But you should've realized the cells I gave you were indeed from a Mangekyō Sharingan."
Dealing with someone as perceptive as Orochimaru, Itachi didn't bother denying it any further.
For someone smart, there's no point in trying to hide the truth when it's already been uncovered.
Continuing to lie would only make the other party feel disrespected, as if they were being underestimated.
After all, if the fabricated story couldn't fool the other person, persisting with it would only come across as treating them like a fool.
...
Itachi's words brought a faint smile to Orochimaru's lips.
He seemed quite pleased with his own cleverness.
"So, whose cells were those eyes from?" Orochimaru asked curiously, sipping his wine before setting the cup back on the table.
He couldn't help but wonder.
"Take a guess."
Amused by Orochimaru's curiosity, Itachi took a sip of wine and a bite of meat, his face showing a trace of smugness.
Orochimaru found Itachi's demeanor quite intriguing.
"You really want me to guess? Aren't you afraid I'll expose all your secrets?"
Orochimaru showed no intention of guessing. He decided to leave the boy some secrets of his own.
After all, if Itachi became too wary of him, it might strain their relationship.
When their relationship deepened to a certain level, Itachi would reveal the truth without needing to be asked.
After all, Orochimaru saw himself as a one-of-a-kind confidant.
---