Only after Kabuto had completely stripped away the Hashirama cells from Danzo's arm did Orochimaru prepare to leave, leaving behind a scene of utter chaos.
Hinata also flickered away, returning to her own room.
Uchiha Sasuke, meanwhile, followed Orochimaru's group back to the cold and damp Otogakure base for the time being.
Along the way, he remained terrifyingly silent, his thoughts unknown.
It wasn't until he stepped into his own room and closed the door, cutting off all outside gazes, that Sasuke's tightly wound nerves finally relaxed slightly.
He leaned his back against the cold stone door, his body slowly sliding down until he sat slumped on the floor.
Danzo was dead.
The culprit who had manipulated his and Itachi's destinies, whose hands were stained with Uchiha blood, had finally died by his blade.
Logically, he should have felt ecstatic, liberated. But what filled his heart at this moment, besides a massive void, was a deeper exhaustion and confusion.
The flames of revenge had burned for too long; now that the goal was achieved and the flames extinguished, only cold ashes remained.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the base in the core laboratory, the atmosphere was completely different.
Orochimaru placed the jade box containing Shisui's Sharingan on a specialized experimental table.
With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Kabuto and the others, leaving only himself with those legendary eyes.
The lighting in the laboratory was adjusted to a dim and focused state, with only the eye being illuminated.
Orochimaru put on specialized gloves and began to examine it with extreme care.
A unique and subtle fluctuation of ocular power spread out, making one feel the terrifying potential contained within—enough to twist one's will.
"Hahaha... Perfect... Simply perfect..."
Orochimaru stared intently at every detail of the eye; its complex pattern, so different from a normal Sharingan, seemed to contain the deepest truths of Genjutsu in the world.
He did not rashly proceed with a transplant.
When facing something of this caliber, caution was paramount. He first used various precision instruments to detect its energy spectrum, cellular activity, and reactions to different Chakra attributes.
Then, he drew upon his vast knowledge of Forbidden Jutsu to analyze the Jutsu structure that might trigger 'Kotoamatsukami' and its mechanism of action on the Soul level.
"Altering cognition, overwriting will..." Orochimaru whispered excitedly while recording the data.
"Uchiha Shisui... To think he possessed such an eye. A pity he was too naive."
...Hinata's figure appeared in her room. The Shadow Clone that had been accompanying Hanabi nodded to her and then disappeared with a 'poof' into white smoke, her memories and feelings instantly returning to the main body.
Hinata immediately felt the memories of the Shadow Clone from this period—Hanabi's initial anxiety, which gradually relaxed under the 'older sister's' company, until finally falling into a deep sleep while clutching the 'older sister's' arm, a sweet smile of dependence on her small face.
She lightened her steps, walked to the side of the tatami, and sat down beside her sister, watching her peaceful sleeping face.
Hanabi seemed to sense Hinata's approach; even in her sleep, she unconsciously nudged closer to Hinata, letting out a vague mumble.
"Sister... Not afraid..."
Hinata's heart almost melted. Hanabi was so cute, she was dying from the cuteness!
Rest in peace, Awei!
She carefully tucked Hanabi in and brushed her fingers across her sister's smooth forehead.
She didn't leave, staying quietly by Hanabi's side, sorting through the massive amount of points she had just earned and her subsequent plans while waiting for her sister to wake up.
Time flowed quietly. The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and stars began to twinkle in the firmament.
"Mnh..." Hanabi's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.
As the initial confusion of waking up dissipated, she immediately saw Hinata watching over her, and a brilliant smile instantly bloomed on her face.
"Sister! You're back!" Hanabi's voice carried the softness of someone who had just woken up. She immediately pounced into Hinata's arms like a little koala, hugging her tightly. "Are you finished with your work? Are you hurt?"
Feeling the warmth and concern of the little ball in her arms, Hinata felt the tension from all her schemes and battles dissipate significantly. She hugged Hanabi back, gently stroking her hair.
"Yes, I'm finished. Sister isn't hurt."
"That's good!" Hanabi looked up, her large eyes sparkling, filled with unreserved trust and admiration for her sister. "I knew Sister was the most amazing!"
Looking at such a cute little sister, Hinata suddenly had a whim. She took Hanabi's hand and walked into the courtyard.
The starry sky was magnificent tonight.
"Hanabi, do you want to see the stars?" Hinata asked with a smile.
"Yes!" Hanabi nodded vigorously.
Hinata raised her hand, the Spiritual Power within her body circulating slightly.
In the next moment, the sky above the courtyard seemed to be enveloped by an invisible force. The already bright stars became even clearer and closer, and bits of starlight fell like a gentle veil, illuminating the entire courtyard in a dreamlike fashion.
Some particularly bright starlights even fluttered around Hanabi like mischievous little sprites, causing the young girl to cry out in surprise and joy.
"Wow! So pretty! Sister, is this a magic trick?" Hanabi reached out her small hand, trying to touch the points of light, her little face full of wonder and delight.
"This isn't a magic trick. Do you like it?" Hinata watched her sister's skipping figure under the starlight, a smile appearing on her face. At this moment, she wasn't some Golden Core Cultivator or some Transmigrator; she was just an ordinary older sister who wanted to make her sister happy.
"Mnh-mnh, I love it!" Hanabi ran back to Hinata's side, looking up with eyes full of stars.
Hanabi pounced into Hinata's arms again and said coquettishly, "Sister, I'm hungry..."
"Alright, Sister will make you something delicious. I'll show you my cooking skills." Hinata took Hanabi's hand and walked toward the kitchen.
The celestial phenomenon behind them slowly dissipated, but the warmth permeating the courtyard and the lingering charm of the starlight remained for a long time.
For Hinata, protecting such a smile was the most important meaning of her Transmigration to this world, besides pursuing the Great Dao.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
You can take a look if you want!