Imbalance

"Huh?"

Dōmeki froze for a moment before suddenly remembering that his birthday in this life had indeed been a few days ago. He had already forgotten it himself, but he hadn't expected Orochimaru to remember.

After bowing to thank Orochimaru, Dōmeki opened the box and looked inside. It contained a treasured blade.

Though the blade was still sheathed, the boy could sense its sharp edge.

"Futsunomitama!"

Orochimaru explained the blade's origins to his disciple. According to the Kojiki, it was one of Takemikazuchi's three treasured blades. Emperor Jimmu had once used it to slay a giant bear that was the incarnation of a wild god. The other two blades, equally renowned, were the Totsuka Blade (Ame-no-Habakiri) and the Kusanagi Sword (Ame-no-Murakumo Sword).

In truth, though, there were many such swords. Orochimaru himself had several Kusanagi Swords in his collection, one of which he would later give to Sasuke Uchiha.

Even so, this blade was considered a rare treasure in the Shinobi World.

"The Kaguya bloodline, the Yuki bloodline, and now a new member of the Uzumaki Clan. The people you find are surprising every time, Shun-kun!"

Orochimaru swept his gaze over the people in the laboratory, a flicker of delight in his eyes.

"Maybe I'm just lucky!"

Dōmeki shrugged indifferently. He knew that no matter which ninja clan they came from, none could compare to the Uchiha in Orochimaru's affections.

At that moment, Haku and Kimimaro spotted Dōmeki and walked over to him.

"Shun!"

"Lord Shun!"

Dōmeki looked at Haku. He was completely different from the frail boy he had been when they parted. Though his beautiful features and gentle tone remained unchanged, he now carried a certain coldness about him.

Since escorting the mother and daughter back to the Land of Rice Fields on his own, Haku had encountered plenty of danger along the way.

Mountain bandits who blocked the roads and wandering ninja with nowhere to call home couldn't resist attacking the three, who looked like helpless sheep ripe for the taking.

Though Haku possessed the Ice Release bloodline, he had never received ninja training before, much less fought anyone to the death.

But in the end, he had used Ninjutsu to protect others. His closest brush with danger had come when he spared a missing-nin who pleaded that he had a family, only to be stabbed in the back by the man.

If the Kunai that stabbed him in the back hadn't somehow missed his vital organs by a little at the crucial moment, he would have gone to see his mother.

After that ordeal, Haku had finally been transformed, though his kind heart and reluctance to kill had not changed.

Dōmeki ruffled Haku's hair with a relieved smile, then turned his gaze to Kimimaro.

Kimimaro hadn't changed much. After solemnly bowing to Dōmeki, he remained as rigid and methodical as ever, without any of a child's natural playfulness.

Still, Dōmeki could sense the trust in Kimimaro's gaze, and

When Kimimaro stood beside Haku, he seemed a little less like a machine. Perhaps because of their similar experiences and Haku's pure, gentle nature, Kimimaro had quickly become friends with him.

"Orochimaru, have you examined Kimimaro?"

Dōmeki asked Orochimaru seriously.

"Do you know about Kimimaro's condition too, Shun-kun?" Surprise appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. Only after carefully examining Kimimaro with instruments and conducting some experiments had he discovered that Kimimaro suffered from a severe bloodline disease. It would likely prevent the boy from living to adulthood, which Orochimaru found a great pity.

As he began discussing experiments on the human body, Orochimaru took on a professional air.

"Through observation, I discovered that Kimimaro's Shikotsumyaku is unusual. Unlike the other members of the Kaguya Clan, his bloodline is purer."

"But his bone cell tissue is filled with a special kind of Chakra."

"This Chakra is full of a destructive aura. It actually disrupts the regeneration of other cells. Even I have no way to stop that Chakra from damaging Kimimaro's body."

Though Dōmeki had long known that even Orochimaru was helpless against Kimimaro's bloodline disease, he couldn't help frowning when he heard it from Orochimaru himself. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly asked:

"Is that Chakra's nature Yang Release?"

Orochimaru's eyes lit up with delight at Dōmeki's question. He had long known that his disciple was also extremely gifted in research. Though his current abilities were far below Orochimaru's, he always had some ingenious ideas.

"That's right!" Orochimaru nodded firmly. He even felt that this Yang Release Chakra was somewhat similar to the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Both were filled with Yang Release Chakra, but the Hashirama Cells exhibited an excessively vigorous life force, to the point that they could even devour other people's cells.

The Yang Release Chakra in Kimimaro's bone cells was the complete opposite. That Chakra possessed the quality of destroying everything.

Dōmeki raised an eyebrow. Just as I thought.

As everyone knew, all the Chakra possessed by the ninja of the Shinobi World could be traced back to the Ōtsutsuki Clan and the God Tree. As a direct descendant of Otsutsuki Kaguya, Hagoromo Otsutsuki's bloodline had split into the Senju and Uzumaki, who inherited Yang Release and the Sage Body, and the Uchiha Clan, who inherited the Sage Eyes and Yin Release.

The Sage of Six Paths' younger brother, Hamura Otsutsuki, had likewise given rise to two bloodlines. The Hyuga, the Byakugan clan, had inherited Yin Release and the Sage Eyes, while the Kaguya Clan had inherited more of the bloodline's Yang Release and Sage Body.

Through continued purification and reversion to its ancestral form, the Byakugan bloodline could evolve into the Tenseigan. The final evolution of the Shikotsumyaku, meanwhile, was

Dōmeki recalled Otsutsuki Kaguya's technique that could destroy everything—the All-Killing Ash Bones!!!

Seeing Dōmeki lost in thought, looking as though he had grasped something, Orochimaru licked his lips with interest.

"Have you discovered something, Shun-kun?"

Dōmeki chose his words carefully. "Orochimaru, do you think Kimimaro's bloodline disease might be a sign of an imbalance?"

"An imbalance?" Orochimaru's gaze sharpened. "You mean the Yang Release Chakra in Kimimaro's body is too powerful, far exceeding his Yin Release Chakra, which is why he can't suppress the damage caused by the Chakra in his bone cells?"

"How interesting! How interesting!"

Orochimaru suddenly remembered his old friend who had received a Hashirama Cell transplant. His body was kept under control only by the numerous Yin Release Sharingan.

"Could we try giving Kimimaro a pair of Sharingan?"

In his excitement, Orochimaru licked his tongue all over his face.

"Um..." Dōmeki interrupted the overexcited Orochimaru, black lines covering his face, and reminded him quietly, "I heard that the Kaguya Clan and the Hyuga are distant relatives..."

"The Kaguya and the Hyuga, the Senju and the Uchiha!!!"

"Interesting, this is truly fascinating!"

Dōmeki glanced helplessly at Orochimaru, who was absorbed in his own frenzy. When will I get a chance to steal a pair of Byakugan?

The Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird Seal was troublesome, after all, unless he launched a surprise attack on the heavily guarded Main Family.

But there seems to be an opportunity later!

Dōmeki stroked his chin. If nothing else worked, he would have to make another trip to Kirigakure!

But the Uzumaki Clan also possessed part of the Sage Body. As Dōmeki considered how to combine Yang Release with his own Super Electromagnetic Release, he thought he could ask Kimimaro to help him with something!