"How strange. The bloodline of the Hyuga Clan, my own blood, and even Uchiha blood all seem to share a trace of similarity.
"Still, for the most part, they consume Hyuga Clan cells, and the portion that gets assimilated is negligible."
In the busy laboratory, four figures worked intently at their respective tasks.
They were Yayoi's Shadow Clones, carrying out their daily observations and extractions of the Uchiha Gene.
One of the clones was also conducting experiments on the corrosive effects of Dragon Blood on living things.
White mice, little squirrels, even rabbits.
But the results usually amounted to nothing more than a vague mass of flesh and blood.
Yayoi himself was observing Hyuga Clan cells under a microscope.
He recorded the data from his experiments on Hyuga Clan Blood, then made another Shadow Clone to study the Hyuga Clan.
He wasn't particularly invested in it. No matter how good Hyuga's bloodline was, if it couldn't complement his own, it was useless to him.
The reason he was studying the Hyuga bloodline was the Caged Bird.
Yayoi was extremely curious about it. What kind of cursed seal could be hated so much?
In the story, the terrible seal was even branded onto the souls of the dead.
The Caged Bird couldn't be stopped even by death. It was far too terrifying.
It was a cursed seal branded onto both the body and the soul.
If he could figure it out, perhaps he could gain a method of control that reached deep into the soul.
When the experiment was over, he left a few Shadow Clones behind to tidy up the laboratory.
Then Yayoi left what had once been his bedroom and walked into the living room.
The sun slowly rose over the horizon, and a ray of morning light slanted across Yayoi's face.
"Daybreak already. Stayed up all night again, huh?"
Yayoi yawned. He was starting to forget what a normal sleep schedule even was.
"This experiment took way too long."
His curiosity had gotten the better of him last night, and Rin had arrived too late. So Yayoi had simply stayed up all night. He planned to sleep at school.
After all, lessons were boring. He might as well catch up on some rest.
But first, he needed to fill his stomach.
He took instant noodles out of the fridge, boiled some water, and added beef and chicken drumsticks.
Ten minutes later, Yayoi's appetite stirred at the sight of the steaming noodles, loaded with toppings.
After finishing the noodles and a large pack of beef, Yayoi was finally full.
Just then, the Shadow Clones dispersed, and their fatigue began to pile onto him.
Yayoi slumped over the table, completely motionless, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
"Yayoi-kun, it's time for school!"
"Come out, or you'll be late."
Outside, Yan's clear voice rang out.
"Time for school... Forget it, I'm not going. It's all the same anyway. At worst, I can Request Leave from Teacher Utsugi tomorrow. Yeah, that's it."
In his state of extreme exhaustion, Yayoi managed to convince himself.
Three minutes later.
Yan's calls abruptly stopped. A petite figure with purple hair gracefully climbed onto the windowsill.
Seeing Yayoi sprawled over the table in the living room, fast asleep, Yan immediately understood what had happened.
She opened the window and tiptoed inside, as if afraid of waking him.
Yayoi's ears twitched as though he had instinctively sensed someone nearby.
But perhaps he was used to Yan, or had recognized her familiar chakra. His ear only quivered once before he drifted back to sleep.
"You're so cautious, Yayoi-kun."
Yan's keen senses had caught that momentary reaction.
"You definitely stayed up all night again."
Looking at the empty instant noodle container, Yan immediately figured it out.
Yayoi only ate instant noodles to save time when he stayed up all night.
When he had plenty of time, he would never usually settle for such a hasty meal.
"You're such a headache. When you wake up, I'm going to give you a proper talking-to."
Yan seemed to be talking to herself, but her hands were busy.
She picked up the noodle container and tossed it into the trash, then tidied up the slightly messy living room.
"You'll catch a cold if you sleep here."
Yan playfully smoothed Yayoi's tousled hair, then scooped him up in her arms.
She carried him down the hallway and soon reached a bedroom.
The bedroom was plain, with little more than a bed and a desk.
She laid Yayoi on the bed, carefully tucked him in, then quietly left.
She had to go to school. Otherwise, there'd be no one to Request Leave for Yayoi.
Before leaving, Yan took the household trash bag with her.
"Why are you here by yourself?"
That morning, Rin sat in her seat with her chin resting in her hand. When she saw Yan enter the classroom alone, she asked suspiciously.
"Where's Uesugi Yayoi?"
"Yayoi-kun isn't feeling well, so he took the day off."
Yan smiled warmly, took her seat, and arranged her books.
"He's not feeling well?"
Rin asked in disbelief. She felt like she'd just heard a joke.
Could a Senju really get sick?
She'd seen Yayoi full of energy just last night. How could he suddenly be unwell today?
But she didn't say that to Yan, only grumbled about it to herself.
Their relationship wasn't close enough for her to complain so freely.
"Mm."
"Even the First gets sick sometimes."
Yan gave an example, leaving Rin with no reply.
That was true, she supposed.
But what was wrong with that guy?
He'd just gotten her blood last night, and now he'd suddenly taken sick leave.
Could he have stayed up all night doing those experiments of his?
How could that be?
As the thought crossed her mind, Rin shook her delicate little head.
"But you can't afford to get hurt before you undo my Caged Bird."
"Shit!"
Yayoi blinked groggily, then saw the evening glow outside the window.
The ruddy clouds drifted lazily through the sky like a little bird, while the sun was hidden behind the haze.
"I'm screwed!"
Yayoi froze for three seconds, then his eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright.
"Damn, I actually skipped class. I hope Teacher Utsugi doesn't lecture me too much tomorrow."
Once he realized he was hopelessly late, Yayoi stopped worrying.
He closed his eyes and gave up, flopping back down with a thump.
"It's probably time for school to let out anyway."
Yayoi rested with his eyes closed, silently calculating the time.
He hadn't expected the Shadow Clones to leave him so much more exhausted than he'd imagined.
After dispelling them, he'd ended up sleeping soundly in the middle of the day.
"But I remember falling asleep in the living room. How did I wake up in the bedroom?"
"Something's off."
Still uneasy, Yayoi composed himself and got up to check his laboratory.
His laboratory was in his parents' former master bedroom. To stop anyone from entering by mistake, he'd sealed it off. A password was needed to trigger the mechanism that opened it.
He entered the password and carefully checked the room, but found no sign that anyone else had been there.
Then Yayoi returned to the living room and found it spotless.
The instant noodle container he'd left behind was gone, the mess had been tidied up, and even the trash bag had been replaced.
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