Chapter 12: The Ope Ope no Mi: Immortality!
Shiraishi calmly sorted through the information related to the existence that had responded to his request.
She came from another world—the world of One Piece.
Violet.
Princess of the Dressrosa Kingdom.
Her fate had been anything but kind.
After Dressrosa was trampled and reduced to a puppet state, she had been forced to submit to Donquixote Doflamingo in exchange for her father's life. From royalty to captive, from freedom to submission—her dignity had been crushed beneath absolute power.
She was also the possessor of a Devil Fruit.
The Giro Giro no Mi.
From a functional standpoint, the abilities of the Giro Giro no Mi bore a striking resemblance to the Byakugan.
Both granted透视—true x-ray vision.
Both allowed long-distance observation far beyond the limits of ordinary sight.
Yet the difference between them was decisive.
The Giro Giro no Mi could see not only the body—but also the mind.
It allowed its user to peer directly into a person's true thoughts, emotions, and intentions.
The Byakugan, meanwhile, granted near-perfect vision within its range—three hundred and sixty degrees, no blind spots—and possessed the ability to see through chakra flow, illusions, and obstructions.
Each had its own strengths.
Each had its own irreplaceable value.
There were other similarities as well.
Violet and Hyūga Hinata shared more than just comparable abilities.
Both had been born into prominent families.
One was the eldest daughter of the Hyūga clan.
The other was the princess of a great kingdom.
Yet neither of their lives could be described as fortunate.
They had been gentle souls placed into harsh worlds.
Shiraishi felt that this resonance—this overlap of fate—was likely the reason Violet had responded to Hyūga Hinata's favorability.
"A B-rank response…"
He quietly evaluated the result.
Previously, Hirako Shinji had been an A-rank response. Ninja cat Hirako Shinji had directly reached the level of an elite jōnin, possessing both strength and battle experience.
Alice, on the other hand, had been a C-rank response. Her ninja cat counterpart only had genin-level combat ability, though her value lay more in logistics and daily support.
Violet, as a B-rank response, should fall somewhere in between.
Her raw combat power might not rival an elite jōnin—but that was never the most important part.
What truly mattered were her abilities.
Ninja cat Violet would inherit part of Violet's Devil Fruit powers.
That alone was enough to make Shiraishi look forward to the result.
"Meow."
Shiraishi took out a small bottle filled with bite-sized snacks and gave it a light shake.
These were pet treats specially prepared by Alice for the ordinary ninja cats.
They weren't made with chakra or any rare ingredients, but Alice's cooking skills ensured that their flavor was leagues beyond anything sold in stores.
The ninja cats in the shop adored them.
At the sound, the cats immediately gathered around.
"Meow!"
Some cried out eagerly.
Some circled around Shiraishi's legs.
Others rubbed their fluffy heads against him with enthusiastic vigor.
Shiraishi smiled faintly. He opened the bottle and scattered the treats across the wooden table.
Then, with a casual motion, he tossed the white sphere of light in his hand toward the group.
Just like before, most of the ninja cats were completely unaware of its existence.
Only a single brown-and-black ninja cat suddenly paused mid-motion.
Its eyes widened slightly.
It raised one paw and gently tapped the orb.
In the next instant—
The white sphere dissolved and flowed into the cat's body.
A brilliant white light erupted outward, completely engulfing it. The light condensed, forming a cocoon-like shell.
A moment later, cracks spread across its surface.
With a soft sound, the cocoon shattered.
A figure stepped out.
Humanoid.
Standing upright.
She wore a delicate white-and-red dress. Her posture was straight, her movements graceful. Though she was clearly a cat, an air of elegance surrounded her—an elegance that carried an unmistakably feminine quality.
She placed one hand over her chest and bowed deeply.
"Violet pays her respects to you, my lord."
Shiraishi nodded calmly.
At the same time, lines of text appeared beside her.
[Name: Violet (Cat)]
[Gender: Female]
[Strength: Special Jōnin (Upgradeable)]
[Weapon: None]
[Ability: Giro Giro no Mi]
When his eyes landed on the words Giro Giro no Mi, the smile on Shiraishi's face deepened slightly.
Encountering Hyūga Hinata during his outing had been a coincidence.
Gaining ninety favorability from her had been an unexpected delight.
Violet's complete inheritance of the Giro Giro no Mi's abilities, however, elevated that surprise to an entirely different level.
"Violet," Shiraishi said, "which abilities of the Giro Giro no Mi can you currently use?"
"Reporting to my lord," Violet replied without hesitation.
"X-ray vision, long-distance sight, and mind reading. All are available."
Shiraishi's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Explain the specifics."
"Yes, my lord."
Violet began to describe the details of her abilities—range, clarity, limitations, and operational conditions.
By the time she finished, Shiraishi nodded in clear satisfaction.
"Very good."
Her powers overlapped with the Byakugan, yet were oriented in a different direction.
Her viewing range far exceeded that of the Byakugan.
And most importantly—
She could read minds.
In the world of Naruto, this was an ability bordering on the absurd.
The Yamanaka clan possessed techniques capable of probing thoughts, but those techniques required absolute control over the target—and often left the victim unconscious, mentally damaged, or dead.
The Human Path of the Six Paths of Pain could extract memories, but that ability belonged to Pain—an existence standing at the peak of the ninja world.
Compared to them, Violet's mind-reading was effortless, subtle, and repeatable.
"For a ninja," Shiraishi thought, "intelligence is just as important as strength."
"With Violet's abilities, the foundation of all my future plans becomes far more secure."
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed within his mind.
[You have successfully cultivated a ninja cat and obtained a reward. Would you like to receive it?]
"Receive it."
[You have obtained a Devil Fruit — the Ope Ope no Mi!]
Shiraishi's pupils contracted.
His eyes lit up instantly.
If saving Hyūga Hinata had been a surprise—
If Violet's abilities had been an even greater one—
Then compared to what he now held, none of that mattered anymore.
Because the Ope Ope no Mi possessed a legendary ability.
Immortality.
As long as Shiraishi found a suitable individual to consume the fruit, gave them enough time to mature and fully master its power, that person could perform the Perennial Youth Surgery on him.
Once completed—
Shiraishi would gain eternal life.
Compared to immortality, no other ability could even be placed on the same scale.
Even Uchiha Madara.
Even Senju Hashirama.
Not even the Sage of Six Paths himself had achieved true immortality.
Shiraishi felt his blood heat up.
Yet his mind remained clear.
"To perform the surgery, I must find someone I absolutely trust—or someone completely under my control."
"Otherwise, this would simply be giving away the Ope Ope no Mi for nothing."
"This choice… cannot be rushed."
He carefully stored the Devil Fruit away.
"My lord," Violet said suddenly, "someone has arrived."
Shiraishi looked up.
Moments later, a familiar figure stepped into the ninja tool shop.
"Shiraishi."
Uchiha Shisui looked noticeably more relaxed than he had days earlier. The exhaustion in his expression had faded, replaced by quiet confidence.
Shiraishi's heart stirred.
Judging from Shisui's demeanor, there had clearly been progress.
"Shisui," he asked, "how did it go?"
"I've already persuaded Senior Yashiro."
A smile appeared on Shisui's face.
"He's agreed."
"And the newly established department…"
Shisui paused briefly, then continued.
"…will be placed under my responsibility."