A Study of the Caged Bird

Shinichi Hyuga walked over and snatched the Byakugan from Orochimaru's hand. The ocular power and all tissues within had been completely destroyed, but Orochimaru should have already deciphered the patterns within.

He had integrated some of Haibara Ai's research talents, yet when it came to the mysterious fields he was just beginning to touch, he still could not compare to Orochimaru.

After using a low-spec version of the Conan Transformation Pill and his own strength to subdue Orochimaru, he had gained some of Orochimaru's support.

A portion of this support involved helping him research the Caged Bird, but the majority consisted of Orochimaru's connections and influence.

Regardless, Orochimaru was one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha, a man who once had the chance to compete for the position of Hokage, and who had commanded in war; he held significant influence within the Hyuga Clan.

Now, Orochimaru no longer pursued power, but instead was filled with a yearning for technology.

Some of Orochimaru's ideologies were awakening faster than they had in his memories.

Orochimaru responded to Shinichi Hyuga with a smile. He showed extraordinary respect when facing someone who possessed true knowledge and equal strength, and Shinichi Hyuga even surpassed him in human genetics.

When Shinichi Hyuga produced that vial of serum, a conversation ensued that provided him with inspiration in certain areas.

He had already sensed that Shinichi Hyuga's research talent in certain fields was higher than his own.

The corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he walked to a console nearby, took a thick stack of documents from it, held them up, and spoke.

"It seems you already have your own plans, so let's talk about my research.

I have currently found several ways to lift the Caged Bird seal.

The first method: kill the caster. This requires killing everyone capable of controlling the Caged Bird seal, rendering it a mere ornament. However, there is a risk; the caster can take your life at any moment. The reason the Caged Bird is secure is that the caster can quickly destroy the seal.

The second method: use sealing jutsu to block the controller, preventing the Caged Bird from taking effect, though it would still exist. Once the seal loosens, you would still be killed. This sealing jutsu requires a higher level of expertise.

The third method: reincarnate into another body. I have a decent jutsu for this; would you like to try it?"

After finishing, Orochimaru set down the documents and stared straight at Shinichi Hyuga.

This specific research was something Shinichi Hyuga had hoped Orochimaru would help him with before he had obtained the Ajin bloodline.

Hidden within these research results were some of Orochimaru's own ulterior motives.

None of these methods were what Shinichi Hyuga wanted.

The first two were achievable but carried immense hidden dangers, and as for the last one, Orochimaru was attempting to control Shinichi Hyuga through the method of reincarnation.

Now that he had obtained the Ajin bloodline, he had no need to worry about the Caged Bird on his own body; the only thing he truly cared about was his daughter.

He needed something more reliable, so he frowned as he took the report from Orochimaru's hand, clearly dissatisfied with the results.

"Is this the fruit of your labor over these past few months?

It seems you haven't put your heart into the task I entrusted to you at all!"

Shinichi Hyuga looked directly at Orochimaru, his hand clenching, and the Byakugan turned into dust, its ocular power absorbed to replenish his own Byakugan.

Orochimaru had taken his benefits, yet only produced these laughable, useless research results.

"The Caged Bird is the most important curse mark of the Hyuga Clan; researching it is quite difficult."

Orochimaru's gaze flickered, his long, thin tongue darting out from the corner of his mouth as he defended himself.

He truly hadn't put his heart into the Caged Bird curse mark, as it had little impact on him.

At the same time, the mark held little reference value for him; the only gain had been the research payment provided by Shinichi Hyuga.

The primary purpose of that payment was to have the Hyuga Clan jonin who were once under his command support Shinichi Hyuga at the clan meeting, so Orochimaru did not owe Shinichi Hyuga any favors.

Now that the Third Hokage was intervening in the Hyuga Clan's meeting, his former connections were already out of his control.

It would depend on the calculations in both their minds and the weight of their respective values to determine the future of their cooperation.

"Is that so? It seems you've found a new topic!

Let me guess, is it Wood Release? Is your partner Danzo?"

Shinichi Hyuga began to pace, his gaze sweeping across the room.

In the few months he had been away, many test subjects had been added here. The scent of fresh activators hung in the air, and following that scent, he found the test subjects Orochimaru often tinkered with.

On those subjects, white, tumor-like pustules were constantly growing, even while submerged in nutrient solution and activators.

Combining this with his own memories, he realized that by this time, Orochimaru had already begun researching the cells of the First Hokage.

Based on Orochimaru's behavior, he was still walking the same path as before.

"How about it, are you interested?"

Seeing Shinichi Hyuga call him out, Orochimaru stopped hiding it.

If Shinichi Hyuga participated, his experimental progress and bottlenecks would both see a breakthrough. Judging by Shinichi Hyuga's past performance, his research in human biology was currently on par with his own, but from a more unique perspective.

"I do not enter into a second partnership with an untrustworthy collaborator."

Shinichi Hyuga looked at the glowing eyes of Orochimaru, harboring some suspicions; perhaps Orochimaru's current changes had something to do with the Third Hokage.

By suppressing his own disciple and choosing the younger Minato Namikaze to become the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru must have received some compensation from the Third Hokage.

This compensation likely included some of the Second Hokage's research data, as well as tacit approval for other rights, including the study of the First Hokage's cells and the bodies of the Senju Clan.

The Third Hokage believed everything was under his control, but in the end, he would inevitably be consumed by the backlash.

Shinichi Hyuga turned his head, preparing to leave.

Orochimaru was somewhat stunned; he did not understand why Shinichi Hyuga was so decisive.

He had seen the Shinichi Hyuga of the past; even though his talent and aptitude were high, his personality was ultimately somewhat hesitant and indecisive.

"Wait, my reputation is well-known."

The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled into an arc. The current Shinichi Hyuga was more to his liking, so he spoke up to stop him.

As he spoke, he summoned a giant snake and retrieved a box from its mouth that looked quite aged.

He tossed it directly over.

Shinichi Hyuga struck out with his only remaining hand, the force of his palm hitting the box. It flipped in the air, cleaning off the disgusting liquid on its surface.

Though somewhat suspicious, he opened the box.

A strange odor rushed into his nostrils; it was the scent of a preservative potion from the Warring States period used to keep objects from rotting.

Inside was a stack of yellowed research documents, which recorded the formula for the Caged Bird.

Flipping through a few pages, Shinichi Hyuga's eyes lit up, and his heart was filled with great joy.

A smile appeared on his face involuntarily; with this formula, he could control all members of the Hyuga branch family.

"Inside is the Second Hokage's research on the Caged Bird. I believe it will satisfy your requirements," Orochimaru said with a smile, looking at Shinichi Hyuga.

The two laughed in tacit understanding, and the previous unpleasantness vanished.

This was the way smart people collaborated; everything was about interests.

"A master of forbidden techniques, truly an incredible man, isn't he?"

Shinichi Hyuga put away the box, unable to help but admire the Second Hokage, who was unrivaled in the field of forbidden techniques.

The techniques he left behind provided technical support for several future wars.

Shinichi Hyuga had a suspicion that perhaps Orochimaru had already begun researching the Impure World Reincarnation at this time.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to walk toward the protective suit nearby.

He needed to demonstrate some appeal to keep Orochimaru on his side so that his future plans would proceed more smoothly.

Orochimaru's previous perfunctoriness stemmed from the fact that he seemed to have become a substitute, so Orochimaru was weighing the gains and losses regarding the project he had proposed.