Revealing His Worth

Shinichi Hyuga carefully folded his coat and put it away, preserving the bow his daughter had tied around the sleeve.

He began washing one hand, preparing for the experiment.

Soon, the preparations were complete, and Shinichi Hyuga was wearing a protective suit.

His demeanor changed. Now he looked like a meticulous researcher.

He went to the lab bench and examined the data there, making sure everything was normal and preparing for the experiment.

Orochimaru watched Shinichi Hyuga's every move with interest.

At first, it had been this meticulous preparation for an experiment that convinced Orochimaru Shinichi Hyuga was a skilled researcher.

This preparation routine was already ingrained in his bones.

"I'm genuinely interested in the First's cells. Shall I give it a try?"

Shinichi Hyuga raised both hands and made a request Orochimaru wouldn't refuse.

"What do you need? I can provide a test subject and weakened First Wood Release cells grown through three generations." Orochimaru was also eager to see what Shinichi Hyuga was capable of.

He asked as he spoke, but his hands never stopped moving.

He pressed a red button, and a test subject appeared.

On another small table sat a mass of white Wood Release cells, still writhing!

This had originally been the experimental material he planned to work with, but now he was giving Shinichi Hyuga the opportunity.

A folder appeared below, containing detailed information about the test subject.

[Amegakure Chunin, natural affinities: Water, Earth...]

Shinichi Hyuga merely glanced over the file, quickly reviewing the test subject's information. He was just an ordinary civilian shinobi, with only his chakra affinities having any connection to Wood Release.

"Looks like you didn't prepare very thoroughly. You didn't even do a background check!" Shinichi Hyuga said with a smile, surveying the newly added test subject.

As before, each test subject here had their bloodline and chakra affinities listed.

A test subject capable of hosting the First's cells needed not only Water and Earth Release chakra affinities,

but also the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline. The stronger the bloodline, the easier it was to fuse with the First's cells.

He hadn't found any Kekkei Genkai users in this lab, nor any shinobi from Konoha.

Orochimaru hadn't yet uncovered the truth or started using members of the Senju Clan for his experiments.

Perhaps Orochimaru considered this body a decent test subject!

"What?"

Orochimaru exclaimed in surprise. Shinichi Hyuga's words had revealed something: Shinichi seemed to know more about the First's cells.

Shinichi Hyuga had already begun. Chakra glowed in the hand he had left, veins bulged around his eyes, and his Byakugan activated as he examined every detail of the test subject.

"I don't claim to understand Kekkei Genkai completely, but I do have some ideas of my own.

"They can be roughly divided into several types.

"The first type is formed by combining several chakra natures. For example, Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki we fought, used Lava Release, which was formed by combining Earth Release and Fire Release. I suppose he was inspired by the Four-Tails.

"Then there's Dust Release, which is known as a Kekkei Tōta. It's formed by combining changes in three chakra natures: Wind, Earth, and Fire.

"The second type is inherited from the Sage of Six Paths' body. My Byakugan, the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, and the bones of the Kaguya Clan are examples. Their special abilities manifest in specific organs.

"These are the Sage Bodies with Sage attributes.

"The Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan both happen to possess hidden Sage Bodies. Even ordinary shinobi from the Uzumaki and Senju Clans have decent self-healing abilities.

"The two clans even intermarried!

"The third type combines the first two, and it's a special case. It's precisely what we're studying now—Wood Release!

"Wood Release is a Kekkei Genkai formed through a fusion of Earth, Water, and Yang Release, combined with the Senju Clan's Sage Body—and perhaps the Uzumaki Clan's Sage Body as well.

"That's also why Wood Release is so extraordinarily powerful!

"There are other types of Kekkei Genkai, too, which arise from mutations. For instance, a natural constitution that can synthesize Senjutsu Chakra, or a body capable of communicating with all things. These aren't useful for our research."

As he spoke, Shinichi Hyuga continued working, examining the test subject's details. In the end, he was somewhat disappointed: the subject had only Earth and Water chakra affinities, with no other special traits.

His words struck Orochimaru like a hammer.

Orochimaru stood frozen, lost in thought.

Those few words had set his mind churning. It was as if they had brought him to the edge of a mysterious forbidden realm, and he had found the key.

But opening the door would require more knowledge—an understanding of the mysteries shinobi revered.

At that moment, he had discovered the truth behind shinobi bloodlines, but he was still missing one piece.

In his eyes, Shinichi Hyuga was now surrounded by a mysterious light.

When Shinichi Hyuga fell silent, Orochimaru came back to his senses, his eyes shining with a feverish desire to uncover the truth.

His long, forked tongue slipped out as he savored the discovery. This was what he wanted.

Not the Hokage Position, controlled by others.

He felt fortunate he had made that choice.

"Shinichi, your knowledge is beyond anything I imagined. You really are a man full of secrets!"

Orochimaru walked up to the lab bench, hoping to assist Shinichi Hyuga and observe him at close range.

"This is only a glimpse of what I know. If I told you I'd recreated Wood Release before, would you believe me, my partner?"

Shinichi Hyuga didn't refuse Orochimaru's help. He spoke jokingly, though he put particular emphasis on the last few words.

Then he enveloped the test subject on the lab bench in his chakra.

A Chakra Scalpel appeared. He cut open the chest and removed the heart.

He placed a bit of First Wood Release cells directly on the heart.

The heart, which had been bright red, began to turn white. At this rate, it would soon become a mass of Wood Release cells.

Orochimaru stood to one side, carefully watching Shinichi Hyuga's movements.

But the moment he heard Shinichi say he had recreated Wood Release, doubt filled him.

He recalled what Shinichi had said earlier. Shinichi's understanding of Wood Release was far too detailed. Perhaps it really was possible.

But the procedure that followed, unfolding before Orochimaru's eyes, dashed that hope.

Shinichi Hyuga's method was far too crude. He wasn't even using any reagents. How could this possibly work?

This fusion was far too haphazard. Orochimaru even suspected Shinichi was messing with him. His assistant could do better than this.

Shinichi Hyuga noticed the change in Orochimaru's expression.

"Don't rush!"

He plunged the chakra blade in his hand directly into the heart and injected his own chakra.

He controlled the proportions of the different chakra natures inside the heart.

The heart's transformation was halted, and it turned red again.

"How is this possible? You actually stopped the Wood Release cells from devouring it?"

Orochimaru's pupils shrank to pinpricks. Shinichi Hyuga had really done it!

Then there was one possibility: Shinichi Hyuga knew the composition of Wood Release. What he'd said earlier was true!