Deep within his laboratory, Orochimaru was about to complete a complex monitoring ritual. His target was the Curse Mark he had placed on Sasuke Uchiha, an energetic link that allowed him to sense the power fluctuations of its future vessel.
His amber eyes rested on the crystal orb in front of him, waiting for the familiar resonance, but there was nothing.
Orochimaru frowned. He thought perhaps the connection was weak, or that Sasuke was suppressing it. He refocused, applying more chakra to the ritual, invoking the seals of his technique with renewed vigor.
And suddenly, he felt it. A surge. Not that of the Curse Mark, but something vast, incomprehensible, like an invisible hand tearing at its own creation. Then, nothingness. An absolute void where his technique had once been, its energetic signature on Sasuke's body. The Curse Mark still existed, but it was... hollow. A soulless shell.
"Impossible!" Orochimaru hissed, his voice rising to an unusual volume. Fury and disbelief washed over him. "How...? Who?!"
Kabuto, who had been preparing the next set of samples, was startled. "What is it, Orochimaru-sama?"
"My Curse Mark on Sasuke... has been... emptied!" Orochimaru shouted, slamming his fist on the table, shattering some of the vials.
The frustration was palpable. His masterpiece, his carefully crafted trap, had been dismantled without him feeling the slightest resistance. "That power... that power... Gojo Satoru! It had to have been him!"
Orochimaru's obsession with Gojo grew exponentially, transforming into a mixture of fear, admiration, and an insatiable need to understand and obtain what the sorcerer possessed.
A being who could nullify his most advanced techniques with a snap of his fingers was a phenomenon he couldn't ignore. His plan for Sasuke took a backseat; now, Gojo Satoru was his number one priority.
Meanwhile, in Konoha, Satoru Gojo's life had taken an unexpected turn. After "deactivating" Sasuke's Curse Mark, he found himself facing a new problem. His already brazen good looks, combined with his aura of power and eccentric behavior, had made him the center of attention. Especially for the young girls in the village.
"Gojo-san, you're so handsome!" cried a group of blushing genin.
"Your hair is so pretty!" squealed another.
Gojo, who was buying more candy from a street vendor, sighed dramatically.
"Oh, oh, oh. This is the price of being so incredibly handsome and strong. It's exhausting being so popular."
He'd noticed the glances, the whispers, and the smiles. Although he liked being the center of attention, the constant admiration was making him... noisy.
"I need a solution for this," Gojo thought, scanning his Dimensional Shop.
Premium Style Sunglasses (100 XP)
Luxury Fabric Blindfold (200 XP)
Total Anonymity Hood (Unavailable!)
Giraffe Mascot Costume (50 XP)
"Hmm, the giraffe costume is tempting for comedy, but I don't think they'll take me seriously," he murmured. "Sunglasses don't hide enough... Ah, the blindfold!"
Gojo smiled. A blindfold. Simple, elegant, and, most importantly, it would allow him to "turn off" the constant visual bombardment of his Six Eyes a bit and go unnoticed, at least for a while. A little.
He bought the Deluxe Fabric Blindfold. In an instant, a soft, dark fabric blindfold appeared in his hand. With a casual motion, he took off his glasses and slipped the blindfold on, completely covering his eyes.
"Wow! Gojo-san, you look even cooler!" exclaimed one girl.
"Yeah! It's so mysterious now!" added another.
Gojo sighed, though a small smile spread across his face. "Well, at least now you'll be able to appreciate my other features. And don't worry, I can still see them. And the ramen! Always the ramen!"
With the blindfold, Gojo Satoru had adopted his iconic style, becoming an even greater enigma to the residents of Konoha.
What they didn't know was that, for Gojo, the blindfold wasn't a limitation, but a tool to manage the sensory overload of his Six Eyes, and now, an ingenious method to avoid too much unwanted attention... or at least, try to.