Orochimaru's defection

Well, well—he hadn't received a reply from Lord Kushina, yet a stroll around the clan land had netted him a whole pile of Sealing Jutsu scrolls.

He had casually skimmed through some of them earlier. Though they were mostly research on Curse Marks, they also contained plenty of insights on Sealing Jutsu.

"Not bad. There's quite a bit of overlapping material, but also plenty of Sealing Jutsu theories and formulas I've never encountered before."

Humming a tune, he returned home.

He did not see Old Master in the Central Hall, but Bai Yue paid it no mind. Just as he was about to return to his room, he spotted Hyuga Hanako carrying a stack of scrolls.

"Young Master, Lord Kushina asked me to bring you these study materials," Hyuga Hanako immediately said upon seeing Bai Yue.

"This is quite a gift," Bai Yue murmured.

He would be lying if he said he was not moved by Kushina's exceptionally generous gift.

Bai Yue, who hated owing favors more than anything, had no idea how to repay Kushina's kindness for the moment.

"Did Master's Wife say anything? Or leave a letter for me?"

"Lord Kushina asked me to tell you that you should study diligently during this period. When she has time, she will test you. If you fail to meet her expectations, there will be punishment."

"I understand. Give me the scrolls."

Since he did not know how to repay her yet, he would wait patiently.

There would always be an opportunity!

Time flew by~

Bai Yue became utterly immersed in studying Sealing Jutsu!

It pleased Hyuga Jinren, but also made him a little uneasy.

What child could endure the loneliness of studying Sealing Jutsu—something even an old man like him found dry and dull?!

Should he stop him?

That did not seem right. After all, Bai Yue was studying, and he was doing quite well at it.

Should he let him continue?

He always felt that if this went on, his well-behaved grandson would go mad.

Thus, the usually dignified Elder of the Hyuga Main Family was sometimes gratified and sometimes conflicted.

Bai Yue's long-term habit of staying indoors to research Sealing Jutsu also made this unusual member of the Hyuga Main Family rather famous.

Meanwhile, Hyuga Maku Ken, upon learning that Bai Yue was obsessively researching Sealing Jutsu, was highly satisfied by the fact that Bai Yue had kept his word.

Though he believed Bai Yue would inevitably hit a wall, he still greatly appreciated this determination to follow through on his promises.

At almost the same time, word gradually spread throughout the Hyuga Clan that Bai Yue was researching Sealing Jutsu with the intention of improving the Caged Bird.

Some were gratified, some disdainful, and some even found it laughable.

But in the end, Bai Yue's reputation improved considerably in the eyes of every Branch Family member in the Hyuga Clan.

At the very least, when Bai Yue occasionally went out and encountered members of the Branch Family, some would nod at him in greeting.

It could be said that Bai Yue had the best reputation among the Main Family.

"Phew~"

"Young Master~"

"Huh?!" Bai Yue had just stepped outside and stretched, intending to clear his head, when Hyuga Hanako startled him so badly that he nearly threw out his back.

"What is it?"

"Young Master, didn't you ask me to keep an eye on what was being talked about in the village?" Hyuga Hanako immediately said, looking exactly like someone eager to share some juicy gossip.

"Wasn't that something you were supposed to tell me during meals? Why are you in such a hurry?" Bai Yue asked in confusion.

"Lord Orochimaru has defected!" Hyuga Hanako immediately announced.

"?!"

This was a major event. Orochimaru's defection meant Minato Namikaze would soon become the Fourth Hokage.

Then, in about a year, Kushina would give birth. Nine-Tails' Night! The Minato couple would die in battle!

Damn it! There wasn't much time left!

Seeing Bai Yue's shifting expression, Hyuga Hanako was rather satisfied with his reaction. Though he was not shocked, merely startled and doubtful, seeing such an expression on the face of her usually mature Young Master was already wonderful enough.

What did someone sharing gossip want, if not to see the other person's shocked expression?!

"Orochimaru conducted human experiments, and his methods were extremely cruel! He was discovered by the Third Hokage Lord..."

As Aunt Hanako endlessly described the course of Orochimaru's defection, which he already knew all too well, Bai Yue remained silent.

It seemed he could not wait any longer~

He had always believed that extracting Chakra would damage the body, so he had wanted to wait until he was older—preferably an adult—before doing so.

But now—time waited for no one!

He had never wanted to form any bonds, but reality had proven that as long as he did not stay cooped up at home all the time, bonds were inevitable.

The only difference was how deep those bonds ran.

For example, when he became Minato Namikaze's disciple, he had only wanted the status of being part of the Hokage's direct line.

Whether the Minato couple would die during Nine-Tails' Night in the future did not matter much to him.

Later, when he had coveted the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu, he had merely wanted to give it a try. Baiyue had likewise never expected to form any deep bond because of it.

But Kushina was simply far too generous.

She had treated him so well that she even copied and sent over the Sealing Jutsu scrolls Mito Uzumaki had kept hidden away as her most treasured possessions.

She had given him a hidden legacy comparable to that of a top-tier ninja clan. It would have been strange if Baiyue had remained unmoved.

A peach received deserved precious jade in return.

"Aunt Hanako, starting today, have Uncle Wen accompany me in practicing the Gentle Fist Style every afternoon."

"Young Master! You finally want to learn the Gentle Fist Style!" Hyuga Hanako was both shocked and delighted upon hearing this.

Wonderful! Young Master was finally no longer obsessed with Sealing Jutsu!

"I'll go report this to Elder Jinren right away." With that, Hyuga Hanako ran off without even looking back.

"..." Was that really necessary?

Shaking his head helplessly, Baiyue then fell into deep thought.

How much time had passed between Minato inheriting the position of Hokage, getting married, and Kushina becoming pregnant?

It was very possible that Minato Namikaze had married Kushina immediately after becoming Hokage. They might even have married first, with him inheriting the title afterward.

Forget it. There was no point thinking about such things now. I'll think about them when I receive the invitation.

All I need to know is that there isn't much time left!

Besides—I might not be without the strength to intervene now!

[Name]: Hyuga Baiyue (Baiyue)

[Talent]: Perfect Blood

[Bloodline]: Byakugan lv3 (89%)

[Skills]: Gentle Fist Style lv4 (29%) Eight Trigrams Palms lv1 (45%) Konoha Steel Fist Style lv1 (29%) Sealing Jutsu lv7 (11%) Caged Bird lv4 (18%) Medical Ninjutsu lv3 (33%)

[Lottery]: 0

The improvement of his Byakugan bloodline relied on the passive enhancement of Perfect Blood, so there was nothing to comment on there.

As for Taijutsu such as the Gentle Fist Style and Eight Trigrams Palms, Baiyue had not practiced them recently, so they had barely improved.

Only Sealing Jutsu had progressed gratifyingly, thanks to ample materials, ample time, and sufficient effort.

Even Caged Bird had improved considerably as a result.

Though he was not sure exactly how strong Lv7 Sealing Jutsu was, Baiyue could now use his meager Chakra to perform a small, exquisite, improved version of Adamantine Sealing Chains.

If he had a little more Chakra, he would definitely be able to use the complete, improved version as well!