"Interesting. Very interesting."
"I have to say, you're quite talented. You've managed to study the Byakugan to this extent."
"But what are you after?"
After reading the materials Yayoi had given him, Orochimaru looked at him differently.
His golden eyes stared straight at Yayoi.
This was a gifted child with a spirit of exploration and remarkably creative ideas.
Besides, he had long been interested in Konoha's eye-based bloodline techniques.
These materials had come at just the right time.
"I'd like you to continue researching this material, Senior. And please share your findings with me.
If you're interested, I'd also appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for information about the Caged Bird."
Yayoi met those snake-like eyes without fear, utterly unruffled as he continued to state his requests.
"So you want to break the Caged Bird."
"It's an interesting curse mark, isn't it?"
"Heh. Leave it to me."
Orochimaru's voice carried a faint chill.
He didn't probe too deeply into Yayoi's motives.
"Miyoshi-kun, would you consider becoming my assistant?"
"No, Lord Orochimaru. I still have Medical Ninjutsu to study."
"You turned me down. What a shame."
Orochimaru seemed genuinely disappointed. In all of Konoha, there were so few people with a research-minded nature.
They were all fools like Jiraiya. And when he'd finally found someone promising, the boy turned out to be Tsunade's student.
What a shame.
"Still, I'm sure Orochimaru and I will have plenty of things to discuss in the future."
"I look forward to it."
"The dango was delicious. Thank you for the treat."
Then Orochimaru left.
That was just how Orochimaru was: decisive and quick to act. Now that he'd gotten the information he wanted, he was naturally eager to begin his research.
I hope he can break the Caged Bird before graduation.
Unlike them, Orochimaru might actually be able to get his hands on samples of the Caged Bird.
That would be a way to repay the trust of that proud bird trapped in a cage.
After giving Yan two skewers of dango, Yayoi left beneath her crescent-eyed smile.
With Tsunade's return, Yayoi could finally resume his long-neglected Medical Ninjutsu studies, along with his genetic research.
"Teacher Tsunade, could you give me some of your blood?"
Yayoi set down the test tube in his hand and got straight to the point.
"Hmm?"
Tsunade, whom Yayoi had pulled in to guide him through his experiment, looked puzzled.
"Why? What's your reason?"
"Lately, I've been studying the differences between the Senju Clan's bloodline and that of ordinary people.
I'd like some of your blood for my experiments."
"But you're Senju too—"
"Genes are always diverse. Perhaps you, as the First's granddaughter, have an even more exceptional bloodline."
Yayoi praised her.
"You really know how to flatter someone. No wonder you managed to win Yan over."
Tsunade laughed, teasing Yayoi as she spoke.
"You're joking."
"All right, quit pretending to be proper. You can have my blood. I'll have Shengshu give you some of his too, just to satisfy your curiosity."
Tsunade waved for Yayoi to relax. She casually agreed to his little request.
After all, they were just small favors from her future student. She had no reason to refuse.
Besides, this was the perfect chance to teach Shengshu a lesson.
That was a big sister's love for her little brother.
"Great!"
Yayoi grinned. He'd gotten his hands on some original Senju blood.
"By the way, Teacher Tsunade, how much do you know about Senjutsu?"
Now that Tsunade had agreed to give him blood, Yayoi finally revealed his true purpose.
"Senjutsu? You mean the kind of technique Jiraiya and my grandfather used?"
"Yes. I've read some materials. It seems Senjutsu Chakra is made by mixing Natural Energy with chakra in a certain proportion."
Yayoi continued.
"That's right. Senjutsu draws its power from Senjutsu Chakra, which is made by mixing Natural Energy with chakra.
"But there are prerequisites. You need a massive amount of chakra.
"You have enough chakra, but you're still growing. You're not ready for Senjutsu."
Tsunade confirmed Yayoi's explanation, but rejected the idea that he should try to learn Senjutsu.
"On top of that, training in Senjutsu is extremely dangerous. One small mistake and you could turn to stone. Don't see that fool Jiraiya manage it and think you can just follow his example."
Tsunade's expression turned stern as she gave him a serious warning.
"Jiraiya only managed it because he stumbled into Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions. He'd never have learned Senjutsu on his own.
"Unless you're learning from one of the Three Great Sage Regions, don't try your hand at Senjutsu."
"Teacher Tsunade, do you know a way to get into one of the Three Great Sage Regions?"
"You know quite a bit, don't you?"
Tsunade puffed out her chest and spoke proudly.
"My summoning creature is Katsuyu, who represents the sacred land of Shikkotsu Forest.
"You can go there someday, but not now. Learning Senjutsu is dangerous, and you're too young. You have a lot of chakra compared to most Ninja, but you're still growing. I'll teach you after you graduate."
"Please, Teacher. Help me out."
Yayoi pressed his hands together and brought out a child's best trick: acting cute.
His mental age should have stopped him from doing something like this, but his physical age let him get away with it.
For Senjutsu, Yayoi was willing to throw away every bit of dignity he had.
"Don't even think about it. Focus on learning Medical Ninjutsu. I'll be staying in Konoha for a while, so come ask me if there's anything you don't understand."
This time, Tsunade refused without hesitation.
Senjutsu was too dangerous. She couldn't let Yayoi mess around with it.
"Fine."
Yayoi had no choice but to give up for now, but that didn't mean his path was blocked.
His overall plan was still to develop Gene Fluid from Uchiha genes.
As for Hashirama Cells, Yayoi steered the conversation toward them.
But apparently, they weren't exactly a secret. The village kept them under lock and key, and even Tsunade had to submit an application to get them.
Wait, even his own granddaughter needs to apply?
I'm done for.
During this period, Yayoi stopped hiding his talent altogether.
His astonishing ability to learn was like a sponge, soaking up everything Tsunade had to teach him.
Even Tsunade couldn't help marveling at his talent.
But Yayoi knew he wasn't really a genius. His talent came from unlocking the Mirror Eye.
Without it, he'd only have been a precocious student at best, perhaps growing into an excellent medical Ninja.
But there were no "what ifs." Yayoi had the Word Spirit, Dragon Blood, and Divine Tree Bloodline.
If he survived, he could sense that he was destined to reach the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
His daily work deciphering Dragon Script also continued steadily.
Orochimaru's research into the Hyuga Clan's blood was progressing as well. Sometimes, he even brought in two Branch Family members to assist with his work.
Of course, that happened while they were being treated at the hospital. With Yayoi's help and Orochimaru's prestige, it wasn't hard to talk two people into it.
Yayoi couldn't help reflecting on the advantages of power.
No one would question Orochimaru's motives. After all, he was the Hokage's student and a strong contender to become the Fourth Hokage.
With samples from the subjects, Orochimaru's research had also made rapid progress.
However, the research into the Caged Bird remained like a reflection of the moon in water, impossible to grasp.
As the two shared their findings, they discovered that the Caged Bird wasn't a particularly complicated curse mark.
But they still didn't know how it had kept the Branch Family in bondage for a century. They could only hope the next stage of research would provide answers.
"Uesugi Yayoi, the Hokage would like to see you."
Before you continue