Copy · Vacuum Jade

"I need to learn a ninjutsu that matches my chakra nature, and I also need Shadow Clone."

"Of course," Orochimaru's lips curled into that playful smile.

He naturally wouldn't refuse Sawada Hiroki's request; this was the moment he had dreamed of—being able to observe up close how Sawada Hiroki's Kekkei Genkai, or rather his ability, actually functioned.

Soon, some men brought a man into the center of the room. The man was bound to a specially designed chair, his eyes covered by a black cloth, and his body was covered in paper charms and electrodes used to monitor physiological data.

Orochimaru stared at Sawada Hiroki, waiting for his next reaction.

He was very curious: where exactly were the boundaries of Sawada Hiroki's abilities? How did he filter information? Did he need a specific target, or could he browse others' memories like flipping through a book?

And right before them was someone who could be used to test Sawada Hiroki's abilities.

He wanted to see what this "legacy of the Second Hokage" could unearth on its own.

Sawada Hiroki looked at the bound man before him without saying much, then looked at Orochimaru for confirmation.

"He has what you want in his brain," Orochimaru said concisely.

Sawada Hiroki nodded, walked straight up, and placed his hand on Yakushi Jiro's shoulder.

[Ding-dong~]

[Detected other computer "Yakushi Jiro" available for connection. Temporary connection established via "Chakra Communication Protocol".]

[Open and view files?]

Sawada Hiroki chose [Yes] with his mind. The other party's D Drive (Memory Disk) instantly expanded, and the file structure inside made his eyes light up.

[Folder: Medical Ninjutsu]

[Folder: Combat Ninjutsu]

This ninja's ninjutsu were actually categorized in his brain? This was the first time Sawada Hiroki had seen such a thing, but he didn't dwell on it and quickly opened the Combat Ninjutsu folder.

--[Folder: Combat Ninjutsu]:

[File: Ninjutsu-Shadow Clone Technique.exe]

[File: Basic Taijutsu Insights.dat]

[Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere (Mastery Level).exe]

Shadow Clone Technique! Sawada Hiroki's heart skipped a beat—this was it!

With this, he could very likely exist as multiple versions of himself, allowing him to quickly view and write code, and modify larger files.

And of course, there was more.

This was a true god-tier skill; whether used for training, reconnaissance, or combat, it had unparalleled value.

And then... there was more.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately selected [Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere (Mastery Level).exe] and pressed [Ctrl+C] to copy.

Copying started.

[Calculating required time and space...]

[Total of 3 files, total size: 19.5MB]

[Copying files from other computer (Yakushi Jiro) D Drive (Memory Disk) to my computer (Sawada Hiroki) D Drive (Memory Disk): Ninjutsu Backup]

[Remaining files: 3]

|File Name|Size|Estimated Time|

|Basic Taijutsu Insights.dat|1.2MB|Approx. 1 minute 15 seconds|

|Shadow Clone Technique.exe|8.5MB|Approx. 8 minutes 30 seconds|

|Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere.exe|9.8MB|Approx. 9 minutes 45 seconds|

But the moment the copying began, Sawada Hiroki noticed that the man seemed to tremble, then subconsciously looked up, and as if he felt the touch of Sawada Hiroki's hand, he seemed to realize something!

Almost at the same time, a new prompt popped up in Sawada Hiroki's consciousness space.

[Warning: Target file access permission has been locked, administrator privileges required! Copy failed!]

!?

Did a momentary conscious reaction cause the files to lock?

Sawada Hiroki's gaze turned cold, and he subconsciously glanced at Orochimaru out of the corner of his eye.

He didn't know what Orochimaru would think if he saw that he couldn't even easily copy from a restrained person.

But, since he was already restrained, to him, this was just a computer without any firewall, easily broken into! Resistance? A meaningless struggle.

Sawada Hiroki's mind didn't pause for a second; he immediately executed the program he had written earlier!

[Brain Overload Script.bat] initiated!

Yakushi Jiro, who had been struggling violently, instantly stiffened. All movement ceased abruptly, his eyes behind the black blindfold became hollow and unfocused, and he completely lost the will to resist.

Sawada Hiroki briefly checked the other party's cache files to see what the other person was thinking.

|I've been caught!?.log|

|Wait, there's a hand on my head! He's trying to read my memories!.log|

|Memory Seal activated!!.log|

One hardly needs to open the three logs to know exactly what is inside them.

...Does this mean he is a criminal who possesses classified information?

Just as the opponent's brain went blank, the same information popped up again:

[Calculating required time and space...]

[Total of 3 files, total size: 19.5MB]

[Copying files from other computer (Yakushi Jiro) D Drive (Memory Disk) to my computer (Sawada Hiroki) D Drive (Memory Disk): Ninjutsu Backup]

[Remaining files: 3]

|File Name|Size|Estimated Time|

...(omitted)

...This is good news. It seems that as long as the opponent's brain is temporarily unable to think, no permission is required to copy files?

This might serve as a strategy for forcibly copying files in the future.

However, this effect might not last long. I must overload the opponent repeatedly, and it would be best to finish quickly and get the files copied!

Thinking of this, Hiroki silently switched to high-performance mode, preparing to accelerate the copy speed and take the opportunity to glance at the opponent's memories to see if he could find any other useful information.

[Switched to high-performance mode.]

[Warning: High-performance mode will significantly increase "battery" consumption. Please ensure "power" supply is sufficient.]

Hiroki ignored the warning; he needed speed.

Soon, the moment the knowledge and experience of [Medical Ninjutsu - Mystical Palm Technique (Mastery Level).dat] flooded into his mind, Hiroki froze.

Wait, something doesn't seem right.

Hiroki understood the principles of the Mystical Palm Technique almost instantly, from the subtle manipulation of chakra to the cellular-level changes during each treatment. However, within this supposedly perfect knowledge system, he discovered many flaws.

But... compared to the effect after copying the Lightning Style: False Darkness ninjutsu, this Mystical Palm Technique had almost no practical experience... even the theory was somewhat rusty...

It didn't look like [Mastery Level] at all.

Hiroki looked back at the [Mastery Level] tag, and a key realization struck him instantly.

--Who did this tag come from?

Hiroki pondered silently while observing the guy in front of him.

His cheat ability didn't seem like it would automatically name other people's files. Just like when he connected to the wifi network of Orochimaru, the name hadn't been concealed in the slightest.

This kind of naming was likely each person's subjective judgment.

In other words... this "Mastery Level" was Yakushi Jiro's own subjective perception of his ability! But in reality, he might only be a beginner, or perhaps he knew nothing at all!?

This was an important discovery. He would have to be careful when downloading files in the future; who knew if some ninjutsu that characters considered useful in their memories might actually be traps aimed at him.

This discovery caused a tremor in Hiroki's heart, meaning he couldn't fully trust these tags. What if, just what if someone knew about his intel and used various flashy ninjutsu to create poisonous program packages for him?

What he was copying were "source files" that contained the opponent's subjective naming. Who knew if these "source files" would carry viruses targeting him? Although the probability was small, he would still need to try to create software to isolate and clear viruses in the future.

However, Hiroki's copying finished completely soon after, and he even had time to take two extra looks at the opponent's memories.

[Memory.zip](Encrypted)

[Folder: Memory]

There were two... one was still an encrypted file... This seemed to tell Hiroki that this guy's identity was not ordinary, but Hiroki didn't dwell on it. Orochimaru seemed to have sensed something and walked over to Hiroki's side.

"Done?" Orochimaru's voice rang out behind him.

Hiroki naturally let go and nodded:

"Yes."

Then, under the astonished gazes of Orochimaru and several researchers, Hiroki began to weave hand seals. His movements were fluid and natural, without the slightest bit of rustiness, as if he had practiced them thousands of times.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!"

Hiroki took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

Several highly condensed air bullets formed instantly, whistling out at an astonishing speed and hitting the target at the other end of the laboratory with precision, leaving deep indentations.

The entire laboratory was deathly silent.

This is...!!?

It's only been a few minutes!??!?

Even Orochimaru couldn't help but look at Hiroki with burning eyes!

Yes, yes, that's it! This is the Kekkei Genkai of copying ninjutsu that he wanted! Those suicidal eyes that required watching the enemy weave seals during battle to release ninjutsu couldn't compare to this ability at all!

Meanwhile, Hiroki was staring at his [Battery Level] column...

It only dropped by 1%! And that was still because of the high-performance mode!

He looks like he can test and analyze ninjutsu now!!!

Meanwhile, deep underground in Konoha, at the base of the Root.

Inside the office of Shimura Danzō, it was as gloomy as ever.

A Root ninja wearing a rabbit mask knelt on one knee, his voice sounding somewhat muffled through the mask, yet his tone was exceptionally firm.

"Lord Danzō, please allow me to head to Lord Orochimaru's laboratory. That guy refuses to report intelligence regarding Sawada Hiroki; he must have developed a rebellious heart!"

Danzō sat in the shadows, his single eye slightly closed, not answering immediately.

His heart remained completely calm; Orochimaru's failure to report intelligence on Sawada Hiroki was something he had tacitly permitted.

Once the next Hokage successor cultivated by the Third Hokage took office, he would retire alongside Sarutobi Hiruzen and begin his retirement in a dignified manner.

By then, Orochimaru would become the next leader of the Root to assist the new Hokage.

--Provided, of course, that the next Hokage successor didn't meet with an accident and die in battle.

As for Sawada Hiroki...? Even if a ten-year-old child like that had talent, once he caught his eye, could he really escape?

No matter what, Orochimaru was a direct disciple of both the Third Hokage and himself, possessing absolute loyalty to Konoha. Danzō believed that even if Orochimaru were to kill that guy, Sarutobi Hiruzen, one day, it would be impossible for him to betray the Root! Or betray Konoha!

However...

Danzō vaguely remembered that this guy's younger brother was named something like Yakushi Jiro.

That guy seemed to have sold intelligence to the Cloud Village... otherwise, the Cloud Village wouldn't have known that Konoha had just found a suitable Nine-Tails Jinchuriki...

Danzō narrowed his eyes.

A traitor... the relative of a traitor...

And coincidentally, it seemed it was Orochimaru who had captured Yakushi Jiro.

It looked like this guy needed to be dealt with as well. Perfect; since this guy was preparing to deliver himself to his death, he could kill two birds with one stone and incidentally see what exactly Orochimaru was trying to hide.

After pondering for a long while, Danzō narrowed his eyes, looked at the ninja below, and finally spoke in a hoarse, cold voice:

"Granted. But remember your identity; do not do anything unnecessary."

"Yes! Lord Danzō!"