Experimenting with the Caged Bird

After arranging things for his three disciples, Yichen returned to the Tsuchikage's Office and met with the envoy sent by Orochimaru for the first time.

Orochimaru's Envoy have been in Iwagakure for many days, but Yichen has been keeping them waiting.

Now that he felt it was about time, Yichen led the group to Tsuchikage's Office.

After asking a few questions, Yichen realized that these people were completely ignorant outsiders whose task was simply to deliver messages.

They were probably just tools to confirm whether Yichen intended to cooperate. No matter what Yichen did to them, he wouldn't get any useful information.

After sending a few people away to rest in the village, Yichen finally read the letter Orochimaru had written to him.

In the letter, Orochimaru made no mention of how Yichen had tricked him.

Orochimaru told Yichen directly that he wanted to test the method to break the Caged Bird on Neji. He also listed the reward he could pay.

Yichen simply smiled; that was impossible. No matter how high Orochimaru's offer was, Yichen would not agree.

There's only one Neji, Yichen can't risk Neji's life. If Orochimaru's experiment fails, then Yichen's investment in Neji will be for nothing.

However, breaking the Caged Bird still requires Orochimaru's help, and cooperation with Orochimaru is still necessary. But it cannot be done according to Orochimaru's suggestions.

After thinking for a moment, Yichen wrote a letter to Orochimaru, outlining his proposal.

Yichen's requirement is: Orochimaru provides the method, and Yichen will decide whether to conduct the experiment after weighing the options.

Yichen completed the experiment on his own; Orochimaru was not allowed to interfere, or even touch Neji.

However, Yichen will truthfully report all the results of the experiments to Orochimaru.

In any case, all Orochimaru wanted was data and a way to break the Caged Bird.

After writing the letter and handing it to Orochimaru's subordinates, Yichen sat in his office pondering Orochimaru's possible response.

Orochimaru responded quickly, and his second group of messengers soon arrived at Iwagakure.

This time, it wasn't those clueless outsiders from before.

The people who came this time were actually able to use the Summoning Jutsu of Ryūchi Cave.

Yichen glanced at the envoy, but couldn't recall such a person appearing in the original story.

However, Yichen quickly figured it out. After only two or three sentences of conversation, Yichen determined that this person was still just a mouthpiece.

This person was most likely taught the Summoning Jutsu by Orochimaru on a temporary basis so that it would be easier for both parties to communicate.

Yichen thought for a moment and said to the man, "Ask Orochimaru now, and tell him that he should know how the Monkey Clan was wiped out."

Although this person did not understand Yichen's meaning, he still obediently used the Summoning Jutsu to convey Yichen's original words to Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's reply was quick and simple: Yichen can do whatever he wants.

Yichen thought for a moment and understood Orochimaru's meaning. The Three Great Sage Locations were not the Monkey Clan. Yichen could wipe out the Monkey Clan by himself, but to destroy the entire Ryūchi Cave, even if the entire Iwagakure came out, it wouldn't be enough.

Therefore, Orochimaru was not worried at all about the location of Ryūchi Cave being exposed.

In any case, the most important thing in Ryūchi Cave is that Summoning Scroll. Summoning Scroll is in Orochimaru's own possession.

Furthermore, Orochimaru knew that Iwagakure had already mastered the method of Senjutsu training, so there really wasn't anything in Ryūchi Cave that Iwagakure would covet.

If it were Mount Myōboku or Shikkotsu Forest, Yichen might consider risking an attack on the holy land in order to suppress Konoha's strength.

However, Ryūchi Cave is theoretically no longer related to Konoha.

Yichen nodded, then looked at a scroll that had been sent over along with Orochimaru's reply.

After quickly glancing at the scroll, Yichen's eyes lit up.

Yichen nodded to Orochimaru's Envoy and said, "You can go and rest now. I'll contact you if I need to reach Orochimaru."

The man nodded and, led by one of Yichen's assistants, left the Tsuchikage's Office Building.

After the man left, Yichen picked up the scroll again and began to read it. This time, Yichen read it very carefully.

The contents of the scroll show that Orochimaru was very sincere. He not only wrote about how Yichen needed to conduct experiments on Neji, but also explained the principles behind doing so.

This scroll is equivalent to a tutorial on Yin Release written by Orochimaru.

After reviewing it, Yichen felt he had gained a lot, and then had the Anbu invite Katsuya and Natsuki.

After the two arrived, Yichen handed them the scroll Orochimaru had given him, saying, "You've already seen the information about the Caged Bird Cursed Seal Orochimaru, right? Here, take a look at this."

Natsuki knew immediately that this was a good thing, and she stepped forward and took the scroll from Yichen's hand.

Then the two of them huddled together and started watching.

Soon, the two of them became just as engrossed in it as Yichen had been before.

Yichen wasn't idle either; he was also pondering some of the questions Orochimaru had raised.

Yichen spent too little time and energy on his soul, even though he reached the third stage of Yin Release, which is Kage Level.

However, compared to powerful figures like Orochimaru, who can possess bodies, split souls to achieve rebirth, and use the Eight Branches Technique, they are still far inferior.

Yichen has only barely reached that level, but he is still a novice in its application.

Yichen's Yin Release was most often used to help Sokai practice Sharingan Genjutsu. At the same time, it was also used to train his own resistance to Genjutsu.

After waiting for a long time, Katsuya and Natsuki finally finished watching it for the first time.

Katsuya said, "Teacher Yichen, did Orochimaru write this scroll? His Yin Release is probably not weak even in the third stage, right?"

Yichen nodded and said, "That's right. Orochimaru's research on the soul is definitely the best in the current Ninja World."

"But Orochimaru is playing with soul splitting, which makes his original soul incomplete, so it's difficult for him to advance further to the fourth stage."

Katsuya seemed lost in thought, but he quickly pulled himself out of it. He didn't concern himself with Orochimaru's choice; the thoughts of someone at that level of power were beyond his comprehension.

He continued, "Teacher Yichen, there are many parts of Orochimaru's teachings that I don't understand."

Are you going to conduct experiments on Neji?

Yichen nodded and said, "Yes, it's very difficult to break free from the Caged Bird using our Yin Release theory."

"There's no hope for at least several years, but Orochimaru can help us shorten that time."

"Furthermore, we can learn a lot of theoretical knowledge provided by Orochimaru during the experiments."

"Of course, we can conduct experiments, but we must ensure that Neji is not harmed."

"Therefore, we need to carefully study which of Orochimaru's experiments are safe and can be performed on Neji."

After hearing Yichen's words, Katsuya and Natsuki once again focused their attention on the scroll.

After a while, the three of them selected a dozen or so experiments that were not very dangerous.

Then Yichen summoned an Anbu and said, "Go to the Ninja Academy and bring Neji Hyuga here."

"Yes." The Anbu received the order and quickly left.

Not long after, the Anbu brought Neji to Yichen's office.

After the Anbu returned to the shadows, Yichen said to Neji, "Neji, regarding the Caged Bird Seal, we need you to conduct some experiments."

Neji's eyes lit up when he heard this. He was in class at school when he suddenly received a summons from the Anbu, and he had been secretly looking forward to it.

He asked, "Lord Tsuchikage, has there been any progress in the research on the Caged Bird?"

Yichen shook his head and said, "Don't get excited. Breaking the Caged Bird isn't that simple."

"The village simply can't break the Caged Bird Technique in a short time. So I've set my sights on the ninjas in the entire Ninja World who are masters of the soul."

"In the end, I chose Orochimaru, the former missing-nin of Konoha and now the leader of Orochimaru Snake Pit Village in the Land of Whirlpools."

"Actually, long before I gave you the Yata Mirror, I had already exchanged information about the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird with Orochimaru."

As he spoke, Yichen took out the relevant information about the Caged Bird and handed it to Neji.

Then Yichen continued, "At the time, I didn't tell you because I thought it might affect your mindset. Besides, this information isn't actually that useful."

Neji was somewhat moved by what he heard. Yichen's considerations were indeed all for his own good. He couldn't experience this feeling back in Konoha.

Yichen then handed the scroll that Orochimaru had just given him to Neji, saying, "This is the latest information I just obtained from Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru proposed many methods for experimenting with the Caged Bird Technique, which need to be tested on you. I don't trust Orochimaru, so I brought in the two most skilled Yin Release practitioners from our village."

Yichen pointed at Katsuya and said, "This is my disciple, Katsuya."

Before Yichen could introduce her, Natsuki spoke first, "Little brother Neji, I'm the Tsuchikage's sister. My name is Natsuki, you can just call me Sister Natsuki."

Neji obediently called out, "Sister Natsuki, Katsuya- san."

Natsuki smiled and said what Yichen wanted to say, "Little brother Neji, we've selected more than a dozen experimental methods from the many provided by Orochimaru, and we need to conduct experiments on you."

"If you feel anything is wrong during the experiment, please speak up immediately."

Neji nodded subconsciously.

Yichen rubbed his temples and said, "Natsuki, don't bully Neji. Neji, we're not entirely sure if these experiments are effective. You'll have to decide for yourself whether to proceed."

"We are not the Hyuga Main Family. Even for your own good, I will not make you do things against your will."

"You also need to adjust your mindset, otherwise even if you untie the Caged Bird from your forehead, you've already put a mental Caged Bird on yourself."

Neji, who was eager to agree, was stunned. He stared blankly at Yichen, his eyes reddening. At this moment, he felt respected.

This is not an expression of goodwill born of expectations for a genius; it is the selfless guidance of a kind elder to a younger generation.

It took Neji to calm down.

Seeing this, Yichen turned to Katsuya and said, "Katsuya, tell Neji about the potential harm from these experiments."

"Yes," Katsuya replied.

Katsuya was very serious and responsible in his work. He didn't directly talk about the dangers of the experiment. Instead, he first took the information on the Caged Bird and gave Neji a detailed analysis of the principles Caged Bird it.

After Neji nodded in understanding the principle and special characteristics of the Caged Bird Cursed Seal, Katsuya went on to explain the general purpose and function of these experiments.

Finally, there's the potential harm the experiment might cause Neji, and its short-term and long-term consequences.

Yichen didn't interrupt, but listened quietly from the side.

Natsuki, meanwhile, idly flipped through information about the Caged Bird.

After Katsuya's detailed analysis, Neji calmed down and realized how terrifying the Caged Bird was.

However, after careful consideration, Neji still expressed his willingness to conduct the experiment.

Yichen nodded, first having someone bring the instrument for testing mental fluctuations that Orochimaru had mentioned, and then personally inviting Ikura and Kitsuchi Tu to come and protect him.

Yichen planned to use his Spirit Transformation Jutsu to enter Neji's body and observe Neji's spirit's reaction at close range.

With everything prepared, Neji activated his Byakugan. Yichen's soul entered Neji's body and came before his soul form, which was wearing the Yata Mirror Forehead Protector.

Katsuya took out silver needles and began to treat the acupoints on Neji's head.

After the experiment ended, Yichen's soul returned to his physical body with a strange expression.

Watching Katsuya and Natsuki analyze the data, Yichen asked Neji, "Neji, are you feeling unwell?"

Neji shook his head.

After thinking for a moment, Yichen said to Katsuya, "Katsuya, let's move on to the next experiment."

Katsuya was taken aback and said, "Weren't we supposed to rest for a while?"

Yichen shook his head and said, "It seems that Neji was not harmed, probably because of the Yata Mirror."

Ikura interjected, "Can the Yata Mirror really defend against soul attacks? With the Yata Mirror, wouldn't Neji be immune to the Caged Bird?"

Yichen shook his head and said, "It probably won't work. The Yata Mirror's defense is meant to be external, and the Caged Bird is already imprinted on Neji's soul."

"If the Hyuga Main Family were to activate the Caged Bird, they should be able to bypass the Yata Mirror's defenses and directly attack Neji's soul."

Neji was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

"However, there's no need to be disappointed." Yichen smiled at Neji and continued, "With the Yata Mirror, conducting experiments will be much safer. The research on the Caged Bird will also progress much faster."

Ikura nodded and didn't interrupt.

Then, the second experiment began.

After an afternoon, Katsuya completed all of the dozen or so experiments selected by the three of them.

Yichen told Neji to go back and rest first.

Ikura and Kitsuchi Tu also went back to their offices.

After Katsuya and Natsuki finished organizing the data, they also went back.

Afterwards, Yichen summoned Orochimaru's Envoy and used Summoning Jutsu to transmit the data.

Then Yichen dismissed the envoy.

More than ten experiments were conducted at once. Orochimaru will probably need some time to analyze the data.

Moreover, even if he did reply, Yichen wouldn't have time to process it.

Tomorrow I also need to help Yuki Haku resolve her ideological issues.

The next day, when Yichen saw Yuki Haku again, he found that Shui Wuyue's mental state was worse than the day before, but his emotions were much more stable than when he left the day before.

Actually, after Yuki Haku went to sleep last night, Yichen went to Kitsuchi's house. Yichen had already learned about Yuki Haku's situation from Kitsuchi and Purple Lightning.

However, Yichen did not show it in front of him, but quietly watched Fujii Kusaka and Kamizuru Tsuruhime comforting him.

Then, Yuki Haku said to his two teammates, "Kusaka, Tsuruhime, don't worry, I'm fine. My parents comforted me when I got home yesterday."

Yichen was very satisfied with Yuki Haku's words. It was not hard to tell from his words that he still preferred Iwagakure.

Otherwise, they wouldn't continue to call Kitsuchi and Purple Lightning "Dad" and "Mom."

After the two girls, Yichen and the others, finished comforting Bai, they interjected, "Bai, I'll keep an eye out and see if we can help Kirigakure out of the way."

"For you, I'll help the Yuki Clan find some of their children, as a way of repaying the debt I incurred for taking you away from them back then."

Bai's eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded vigorously, saying, "Really? That's wonderful!"

Bai thought Yichen's solution was perfect.

In this way, he wouldn't have to leave Iwagakure, and he wouldn't feel indebted to Kirigakure.

Suddenly, it felt like the whole world had lit up.

Seeing this, Yichen smiled and thought, "Little brat, I can't handle you."

Bai suddenly asked, "Teacher Yichen, did my biological parents have any other children afterward?"

Yichen was taken aback and said, "I really haven't noticed that. I'll ask Mizukage later."

At this moment, Kamizuru Tsuruhime asked, "Teacher Yichen, so much time has passed, when will Kirigakure take action against that Uchiha? Could they have already taken action?"

Yichen thought for a moment and said, "I just told the Mist ninja that the Uchiha is in the Land of Iron. It will probably take them some time to find out his exact location."

"Although I don't know the progress of their investigation, I can still get advance notice if the Mist ninja is going to send experts to snatch someone."

Bai listened and nodded, his face full of anticipation.

More than ten days ago, in the Land of Iron.

A person dressed in a loose black robe, wearing a black mask, and with a noticeable bulge in his back, slowly walked into a town.

This person is none other than Raiga Kurosuki, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist of the Kirigakure. On Kirigakure Raiga Kurosuki's back is Ranmaru, the owner of the extremely rare Kekkei Genkai - Red Eye.

The last ninja with Red Eye in Kirigakure died on the night of the attack on the Fourth Mizukage. Ranmaru is now the only ninja in Kirigakure with Red Eyes Bloodline Limit.

Or rather, Ranmaru might not even qualify as a ninja.

Just like in the original story, Raiga Kurosuki somehow ended up with Ranmaru, who was still just a child at the time.

However, unlike in the original story, Kisame, the Mizukage, is leading Kirigakure in a positive direction.

Kisame extended a gesture of goodwill to Raiga Kurosuki, hoping that Raiga Kurosuki could return to Kirigakure.

After all, Raiga Kurosuki only left Kirigakure and did not openly defect, so there shouldn't be much resistance to his return.

Raiga Kurosuki himself wanted to return to the village, but having been away from Kirigakure for many years, he still had some reservations about returning rashly.

After all, he didn't have a good reputation in the village; he and the previous Suikazan Fuguki were considered the same kind of people.

More importantly, the psychological trauma Might Duy inflicted on him back then hasn't faded yet.

Raiga Kurosuki suggested that he could first undertake some missions outside the village, and then return to Kirigakure once everyone had become more accepting of him.

At that time, he would have the courage to face the villagers.

So Kisame sent him to the Land of Iron to investigate Obito Uchiha's whereabouts.

Fortunately, his companion Ranmaru possesses the bloodline ability Red Eye, which is very effective for reconnaissance.

While searching for Izakaya with high foot traffic in the town to gather information, Raiga Kurosuki carefully analyzed the information Kisame had provided about Obito Uchiha and White Zetsu.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan, Space-Time Ninjutsu, can transport ninjas into other dimensions."

"Extremely fast Earth Release, capable of creating countless clones, able to impersonate anyone, even mimicking Chakra attributes."

"This guy's really troublesome," Raiga Kurosuki muttered to himself.

Then a voice rang in his ear. "Lord Raiga, is that Uchiha very strong?"

Raiga Kurosuki said, "They are indeed very powerful. They possess incredibly sharp eyes and almost unbeatable Space-Time Ninjutsu."

"If we face them head-on, we definitely won't stand a chance. Fortunately, we're just scouting; we'll still need Ranmaru's Red Eye help then."

Ranmaru immediately replied in his still somewhat childish voice, "Lord Raiga, I will do my best."

Raiga Kurosuki nodded, though he hesitated. Deep down, he didn't want Ranmaru was still just a child, to go on an adventure with him.

However, this task is indeed very suitable for me, and it carries enough weight; it's a great opportunity to prove myself.

The Land of Iron is not large, and Raiga Kurosuki's idea was similar to Obito Uchiha's: he didn't go to big towns, but only searched in remote areas.

In addition, he was quite lucky, so after more than ten days, he finally found Obito Uchiha's new hiding place.

Because he had to take care of a large group of children, Obito Uchiha in the ground to raise them.

He directly occupied a village and used Genjutsu to control the village chief and several warriors in the village.

Raiga Kurosuki didn't approach; he simply kept his distance, letting Ranmaru scout using his Red Eye. After hearing Ranmaru's description, he knew he had found his target.

Normally, no village would have so many children.

Not to mention that these children are undergoing training that only ninjas would do.

After taking out a piece of paper and writing down the detailed address, Raiga Kurosuki placed the paper into a small box covered with seals, and then slowly channeled a little Chakra into the box.

With a loud bang, the box vanished.

Ranmaru asked curiously, "Lord Raiga, where did this box go?"

Raiga Kurosuki said, "This is a village- Fixed Point Summoning Jutsu. We used it this way to prevent the Byakugan from being lost after we stole Byakugan from Konoha."

Ranmaru nodded, seemingly understanding, and thought Raiga- sama was amazing.