Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

The commotion here was truly massive.

The giant Pikachu fell from the sky, crashing into the earth and sending tremors miles away. The booming sound carried even further, loud enough to be heard throughout the entire Amegakure.

Naturally, this attracted the attention of others in the village.

Before long, a group of people arrived rapidly.

They rushed over from the direction of Amegakure, moving swiftly through the woods, their footsteps blending into a continuous rustle. Leading them was a woman in light-colored clothes, her beige-brown straight hair tied into a braid draped over her shoulder.

Yugito Nii.

She arrived at the mountainous area beneath the God Tree, stood on a large boulder, and looked up at the giant Pikachu, her pupils shrinking sharply.

She sensed a familiar aura from the giant beast.

It was the chakra of a Tailed Beast; she was all too familiar with it.

As the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, with Matatabi sealed within her, she had lived with a Tailed Beast for decades. She knew exactly what Tailed Beast chakra felt like—dark, violent, carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.

But the giant beast before her was different. It possessed none of that dark chakra; it was entirely pure.

The aura was fresh, like the air in a forest after a rain, or the wind blowing across a mountain peak. Its chakra was bright and warm, brimming with the vitality of life.

Yugito Nii furrowed her brows, then relaxed them.

“Taiga, what is that?”

Uchiha Taiga looked down at her, the corners of his mouth curling up.

He descended from the sky, his feet landing lightly on the ground with a soft thud.

Speaking of this, Uchiha Taiga’s interest was piqued.

After landing, he walked up to Yugito Nii and began to introduce it to her.

“This is my latest creation.”

His voice was casual, as if he were talking about something entirely ordinary.

“A Tailed Beast split from the God Tree, the One-Tail Pikachu.”

He paused.

“It is born with a special Lightning Style, capable of both absorbing and producing natural energy.”

He grinned widely.

“Well, isn’t it impressive?”

Yugito Nii looked at him, then back at the giant yellow mouse.

Upon learning that the creature before her was a Tailed Beast developed by Uchiha Taiga, she was shocked speechless.

Even though she knew Uchiha Taiga had been researching this and that with the God Tree’s success, Tailed Beasts wouldn’t be far behind, she never expected him to succeed so quickly.

Her expression was somewhat complex.

“Have you already gone this far?”

Her voice was soft, carrying a tone of awe.

Uchiha Taiga looked at her and laughed heartily.

“What, feeling like you’re not good enough for me?”

His voice was loud, laced with a teasing tone.

Yugito Nii rolled her eyes at him and said no more.

The others who had followed also stood not far away.

Namikaze Minato stood a short distance from Yugito Nii, looking up at the giant Pikachu, his mouth slightly agape, equally speechless.

He had also heard Uchiha Taiga’s words.

Regarding artificial Tailed Beasts, he had only ever heard of the Zero-Tails.

That was a creation of Soragakure—something deeply evil that needed to be fed with chakra and devoured human life force. That thing couldn’t even be considered a Tailed Beast; it was merely a failed experiment.

It couldn’t compare to the creature before them at all; the two were simply on entirely different levels.

Because of this, Namikaze Minato was profoundly shaken.

He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Uchiha Taiga had achieved this.

A Tailed Beast split from the God Tree.

Capable of absorbing and producing natural energy.

Possessing an independent consciousness and a complete life.

This wasn’t simple creation; this was genesis from nothingness.

He looked at Pikachu, at its large, pitch-black eyes, and at the tail swaying behind it, only one thought echoing in his mind.

‘Just how many more secrets is this man hiding?’

Uchiha Taiga glanced at the others present.

His gaze swept through the crowd and landed on two teenagers.

Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuga Neji.

They stood at the back of the crowd, mingling with the other youths. Uchiha Sasuke wore dark clothing, his hair tied back, his expression calm. Hyuga Neji stood beside him, his forehead free of bandages, revealing his smooth brow.

Uchiha Taiga’s eyes shifted slightly.

He raised his hand and waved the two boys over.

“Come here, you two.”

His voice was loud, carrying a summoning tone.

Uchiha Sasuke was confused.

He looked left and right, then at Hyuga Neji, before stepping forward. Hyuga Neji followed behind him, his steps somewhat hesitant, a subconscious tension visible on his face.

The two walked up to Uchiha Taiga and came to a halt.

Uchiha Taiga grinned and patted Uchiha Sasuke’s shoulder.

He raised his hand and pointed at Pikachu.

“This guy is huge, isn’t he?”

His voice was casual.

Uchiha Sasuke nodded, speechless.

His eyes were fixed on Pikachu, taking in its massive body, its thick limbs, and its long tail. His mouth was slightly open, an indescribable sense of shock filling his heart.

Uchiha Taiga looked at him. “Do you know what a Jinchuriki is?”

His voice remained casual.

Nearby, Yugito Nii’s expression shifted.

She furrowed her brows slightly, looking at Uchiha Taiga, then at Uchiha Sasuke.

Namikaze Minato also frowned.

He looked at Uchiha Taiga, his lips moving as if to speak, but he held his tongue.

Nagato, however, looked at Uchiha Sasuke thoughtfully.

The reflection of the black-haired boy appeared in his Byakugan as he pondered the meaning behind Uchiha Taiga’s words.

Uchiha Sasuke nodded.

“I know. Naruto is a Jinchuriki.”

His tone carried a sense of matter-of-factness.

Uchiha Taiga nodded.

“Good that you know.”

His voice was casual.

“So, are you interested in becoming a Jinchuriki?”

He paused, raising his hand to point at Pikachu.

“Pikachu possesses a special Lightning Style chakra, and you happen to have a Lightning Style affinity.”

He looked into Uchiha Sasuke’s eyes.

“Your affinities match perfectly.”

Namikaze Minato instinctively spoke up to stop him.

“Taiga, there’s no need for this.”

His voice was tight, carrying obvious concern.

Uchiha Taiga clicked his tongue and turned to look at Namikaze Minato.

“This is exactly what annoys me about you.”

His voice was casual.

“Always assuming there’s some conspiracy behind everything.”

He paused, raising his hand to point at Pikachu.

“The One-Tail Pikachu is in a newborn state, still very ignorant. If sealed into a Jinchuriki, it can accelerate its intellectual growth. It’s a win-win situation.”

Namikaze Minato shook his head.

“If you do that, the Tailed Beast can easily be influenced by the dark side of human nature.”

His voice was calm, but his tone was firm.

Uchiha Taiga merely laughed.

“That won’t happen.”

His voice was casual.

“The Lightning Style Pikachu wields has evil-banishing properties. It specifically counters Yin Style and darkness.”

He paused, looking into Namikaze Minato’s eyes.

“Does that put your mind at ease?”

Namikaze Minato opened his mouth to speak but found no words.

He realized he couldn’t refute it.

Because if what Uchiha Taiga said was true, then his worries were unnecessary.

He furrowed his brows and pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Uchiha Taiga turned his head, looking back at Uchiha Sasuke.

“Sasuke.”

His voice was casual.

“You came to me asking me to teach you how to get stronger. That shows you have good judgment, and I’m very pleased.”

He paused.

“But you might not know this—the Sharingan easily amplifies extreme emotions, which falls under the dark side.”

He looked into Sasuke’s eyes.

“And Pikachu perfectly counters that.”

He raised his hand and patted Sasuke’s shoulder.

“Consider it a safeguard for your Sharingan.”

The corners of his mouth curled up.

“So, want to give it a try?”

Uchiha Sasuke stood there, looking at Uchiha Taiga, then at Pikachu.

He furrowed his brows and pursed his lips, his expression serious.

His mind was racing.

Weighing the options.

Making a decision.

Pikachu stood not far away, lowering its head to look at the black-haired boy.

Its eyes were large and bright, reflecting Sasuke’s figure.

It tilted its head and spoke.

“Pika?”

Its voice was soft, like a child asking a question.

Uchiha Sasuke looked at it and fell silent.

However, Hyuga Neji, standing nearby, suddenly had his eyes light up upon hearing this, and he blurted out, “I… I also have a Lightning Style affinity.”

“Eh?”

Uchiha Taiga was surprised.

Uchiha Sasuke, on the other hand, felt his heart tighten.