"Morning, Teacher! I'm back again!"
Orochimaru glanced at him, a hint of disdain in his eyes. He pointed at the small box on the table, then continued focusing on his own work.
Orochimaru's attitude toward Hyuga Ao had changed several times.
At first, he had valued her as an unparalleled specimen. Later, with no Byakugan available for practical research and his theoretical study of Shikotsumyaku nearly complete,
both application and theory had reached a bottleneck. Once the filter had faded, their relationship had become an ordinary teacher-student one.
Then Orochimaru discovered that his disciple was not cute in the slightest. It was as if her expiration date had passed, leaving him unable to feel like a teacher at all.
Hyuga Ao picked up the box and opened it. Two lenses lay quietly inside. She washed her hands, rinsed the lenses with saline, and pressed the two contact lenses into her eyes.
She formed a sheet of water and focused on her reflection.
Her originally pure-white eyes now had black pupils, with a faint light-blue tint around them. They had transformed into a pair of deep, sky-like eyes. They were lively, and the pupils shifted slightly as she adapted to this novel sensation.
Hyuga Ao had always wanted a pair of colored contacts to conceal her eye color. Now that she had joined the Anbu, walking around with a pair of Byakugan would have been far too conspicuous.
So she had asked the all-purpose Snake Uncle to make her a pair of colored contacts. Now that she saw them, the core technology truly lived up to its reputation.
"Thank you, Teacher! You're amazing!" She showered Orochimaru with praise as if it cost nothing.
Orochimaru waved his hand, sending her away with an expression of mild annoyance.
Hyuga Ao left, leaving only