But he had only become a researcher halfway through his career, not a professional scientist.
All he could do was cultivate a larger batch of Hashirama Cells, set some aside, and run haphazard experiments on small animals.
Then he used his Sharingan to carefully observe how the Hashirama Cells changed inside the test subjects.
But every little rabbit and mouse used in the experiments had started convulsing and running a fever after being implanted with Hashirama Cells. Then the cells began multiplying wildly.
There hadn't been a single exception.
Once again, he watched helplessly as branches growing from inside the little rabbit burst through the sealed glass dish.
Sympathizing with the rabbit's fate, Qiuyang sighed. He could almost see his own end: one day, after injecting himself, he would be consumed by Hashirama Cells.
He irritably raked his fingers through his hair, which had grown wildly long, reaching his ears, then closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
He sighed again.
Even when he kept reducing the amount of Hashirama Cells he injected into the rabbits, he still couldn't stop them from multiplying like crazy!
Hashirama Cells were like a plague, like a virus. As long as even one remained, they could multiply exponentially in a short time, and the cells of other living things couldn't resist them at all.
He glanced at the calendar on the table nearby and realized he'd already spent more than ten days straight in the lab.
"Forget it. I should head back to the village and relax first. Maybe I'll suddenly figure something out!"
Qiuyang got up to stretch. After shutting down the underground lab and concealing its entrance with Earth Release, he set off toward Konoha.
Judging by the moon's height... it should be not long after dinner, around eight o'clock.
He'd get back just in time to stretch out on a big bed and sleep well for a night.
Qiuyang mused to himself.
By now, Tsunade should have taken over as the Fifth Hokage and healed Kakashi, who had been struck by Tsukuyomi, as well as Rock Lee, whose leg bones had been shattered.
As he neared Konoha Gate, he thought of the friendly Chunin and Genin uncles who would warmly call him "Lord Qiuyang." At the last minute, he decided to climb over the wall instead.
He might as well check how Konoha's defenses were while he was at it. That would count as doing some work for Tsunade, whom Teacher Jiraiya had recommended for the position!
Beneath a stretch of wall that seemed deserted, Qiuyang activated his Sharingan. It didn't take long to spot the sentries on the wall and the ones hidden in the shadows.
Emmm... They seemed to have covered every angle, but... it still wasn't nearly enough.
"Whoosh!"
He vanished from where he stood and was inside the village less than a minute later.
"It was that easy???"
He waited another minute, but still no one noticed he'd snuck in.
Sigh. No wonder even the Sound Four could slip into the village without a sound and bully Sasuke!
Qiuyang thought helplessly, then his Sharingan caught sight of several birds suddenly taking flight nearby.
That's where Sasuke lives... Qiuyang headed over without hesitation.
When he arrived and peered over from the shadows, he nearly burst out laughing.
He'd just been thinking about the Sound Four, and now there they were.
He'd watched this part of the anime many times. It was the scene where the Sound Four came to beat up the pretentious ninja Sasuke-kun.
Qiuyang quietly found the best spot to watch from and enjoyed the fight below.
He'd arrived just as the battle reached its most intense, fever-pitch stage:
Sasuke, the self-proclaimed king of cool, had been ground into the dirt by the Sound Four for a while now. His humiliation had reached its breaking point, and he'd broken the Evil Sealing Method Kakashi had placed on him, entering Cursed Seal State 1.
With his Two-Tomoe Sharingan activated, he shouted and charged in, trading blows with the Sound Four using Taijutsu. He even seemed to have the upper hand.
But that was only against the Sound Four in their normal state.
To push Sasuke even further toward abandoning Konoha, all four of them instantly activated Cursed Seal State 1, their bodies covered in black markings.
"Don't think Lord Orochimaru only has eyes for you, you piece of trash."
Sakon unleashed a flurry of attacks, sending Sasuke flying until he crashed through the house behind him and came to a stop.
"Damn it..."
Sasuke felt as if he'd broken several bones from that blow. He got back up, only to be sent flying again.
This time, Sakon planted his foot right on Sasuke's face in a humiliating show of contempt.
Sasuke was on the verge of a breakdown. First, Itachi had pinned him against a wall and berated him for being so weak.
Then he'd clashed his signature Chidori against Naruto, the dead-last, only to find that the Rasengan was stronger.
And now these nobodies were trampling him underfoot, robbing him of every last shred of dignity.
What had he even been doing all these years? When would he finally get his revenge?
If Sasuke hadn't been so mentally resilient, he might have awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan right then and there.
Seeing that Sasuke's eyes had gone blank, the Sound Four knew they'd already "punched his confidence to pieces." They exchanged glances and confirmed that their goal had been achieved.
The rest was easy:
"You don't know how to control this powerful Cursed Seal Lord Orochimaru gave you. If you want to grow stronger, we'll be waiting for you in the Paulownia Forest outside the village tomorrow night."
Before leaving, Tayuya tossed Sasuke the final straw that broke the camel's back:
"Don't forget your hatred for Itachi."
Then they left the battlefield, planning to sneak out of the village again and wait at the agreed meeting place for Sasuke to take the bait.
"Tayuya, you're a woman. Couldn't you be a little gentler when beating up Sasuke?"
"Shut up, you fat pig! If one of Konoha's Jonin hears you, we'll be in trouble."
But, as the saying went, what you feared most was exactly what came to pass. Just as they passed the edge of the Forest of Death, a kunai flew out and landed in their path, an Explosive Tag tied to its handle.
Strangely, it didn't explode.
"Who's there?"
The Sound Four started in alarm and looked back, visibly flustered.
They were still inside Konoha. If they were surrounded...
When they turned around, they saw a figure standing in a tree some distance behind them, blending into the moon above. From where they stood, he looked as if he were standing inside the moon itself.
He seemed almost sacred.
"Jirobo was right, Tayuya. Girls should be gentler."
Uchiha Qiuyang. Why was he here?
At the sound of Qiuyang's voice, the Sound Four's expressions changed. They didn't know whether to be worried or relieved.
They'd already experienced Qiuyang's strength. Even in State 2, they might not be able to beat him, and he had a higher level of Sharingan than Sasuke...
Was he here to help his clanmate settle the score?
To complete their mission, the four had no choice but to lower their voices and plead:
"Lord Qiuyang, we're here on Lord Orochimaru's orders. We hope you'll let us go."
"Hmph. What's Orochimaru, anyway? I call him Lord Orochimaru when I'm feeling generous. When I'm not, I call him a dead, rotten snake."
Qiuyang felt fantastic as he struck that cool pose and said those words. The gloom that had weighed on him over the past few days' experimental results finally began to lift.
Phew... That felt good!
Those four weren't going to make it back to Orochimaru anyway. In a couple of days, they'd probably be a beginner's experience pack for the Konoha 12.
There was no point bringing up irrelevant things. Snake Auntie wouldn't be able to hear him anyway!
Hearing their master so insulted, the Sound Four were furious but didn't dare say a word.
They could only glare at Qiuyang with hatred. If looks could kill, they would have killed him hundreds of times over by now.
"I'm in a good mood today. Tayuya, pick up my kunai and give it back to me, and then you can leave."
Tayuya had no choice. For the sake of Lord Orochimaru's grand plan, she walked over, picked up the kunai, then turned around and handed it to Qiuyang.
Tsk, tsk. Is a pretty girl like Tayuya going to die too? You can only blame her for following the wrong Orochimaru.
Before you continue