Proactive Instruction

Under the cold white lights of the laboratory, even the air seemed to have solidified into concentrated stillness. Kyohaku Uchiha stood on a raised platform so he could reach the workbench. Though the sterile gloves on his hands were far too large, his hands remained as steady as stone as he precisely mixed a special cell-stabilizing solution according to the complex proportions Orochimaru had just dictated. His movements were smooth and exact, without the slightest wasted motion, as if he had rehearsed them thousands of times.

Orochimaru stood beside him with his arms crossed, his golden snake eyes fixed unblinkingly on Kyohaku's work. An almost imperceptible, nearly satisfied curve rarely graced his cold lips.

Over the past year or so, this had become increasingly common.

Kyohaku's almost greedy thirst for knowledge, terrifying learning speed, and ability to grasp concepts at a touch—even drawing further inferences from them—had thoroughly earned Orochimaru's "recognition," in a sense. In Orochimaru's system of values, talent and ambition were the only passports that mattered. Age, background, even good and evil, were irrelevant footnotes. He admired all "kindred spirits" who could defy convention and pursue truth, and the qualities Kyohaku displayed were undoubtedly drawing him closer to that category.

Thus, Orochimaru began teaching him deliberately. He no longer regarded Kyohaku merely as a precious experimental subject who provided data and samples, but as... a tool worth honing? An apprentice who might possess the potential to understand the pursuit of his lifetime? Perhaps even Orochimaru himself had never clearly defined it, but he had indeed begun investing "resources" in him.

He would casually toss Kyohaku several profound scrolls concerning the relationship between cell activity and Yang-nature chakra, then test his understanding with even more difficult questions a few days later. While conducting dangerous forbidden jutsu experiments, he would explain in his hoarse voice the core principles of energy conversion and the horrifying consequences failure could bring. He even allowed Kyohaku to operate those costly, sophisticated instruments and personally observe the subtlest data fluctuations when chakra interacted with matter.

"Watch here," Orochimaru said, his finger sliding across the energy sensor's display, where an exceptionally complex chakra waveform was shown. "This is the energy signature of Hashirama Cells retaining their activity even after being separated from the original body. Such powerful vitality... almost immortal. Once an ordinary person's cells leave the body, their energy rapidly decays. But his... seem to possess their own miniature Sage Jutsu cycle." His tone brimmed with obsession and desire.

Kyohaku recorded intently while thinking at a tremendous speed. Was it because the Yang Release contained within the cells themselves had reached an extreme, even surpassing the scope of ordinary chakra and forming some kind of self-consistent energy structure?

"Very close." Orochimaru glanced at him, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. "But the more crucial factor is the 'divine' element within them... that is what truly touches upon the essence of the power of all creation. Unfortunately, the rejection reaction also originates from it..." He shifted the topic and pointed at a lump of flesh in another dish, constantly writhing as it tried to devour the surrounding culture fluid before finally collapsing in on itself. "Look. This is a failed fusion. Its vitality is too domineering, so it destroys the host instead."

Kyohaku observed in silence, carving every detail into his mind. Hashirama Cells... perhaps they were closely connected to his future "Completion Plan."

The laboratory's research focus also gradually shifted toward the field Orochimaru was currently most obsessed with: the many forbidden jutsu left behind by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Especially the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu. Kyohaku had seen Orochimaru attempt more than once to summon fragments of the dead's souls and fuse them with specially prepared sacrifices. The sight was eerie and unsettling: dust gathered and gradually formed vague human shapes, sometimes letting out silent wails, sometimes collapsing instantly. Failure was the norm, but every failure brought Orochimaru one step closer to his ultimate goal of defiling the boundary between life and death.

The work Kyohaku was responsible for gradually advanced as well. At first, he merely cleaned equipment and recorded data. Later, he could independently complete portions of cell cultivation, basic rune inscription, and even assist in non-core jutsu energy guidance. His value swiftly changed from "a precious specimen that could think" into "an exceptionally useful laboratory assistant."

He was simply too useful. His extraordinary memory meant he never made mistakes. His exquisite chakra control allowed him to perform the most delicate energy operations. His calm mind ensured that he would not panic under any unexpected circumstances. And his almost ruthless objectivity toward the essential structure of life was particularly to Orochimaru's liking.

He was like a tool custom-made for the laboratory: precise, efficient, and reliable.

Throughout the process, Kyohaku hungrily absorbed every fragment of knowledge concerning Impure World Reincarnation, soul energy, Hashirama Cells, and all of Tobirama's forbidden jutsu. He knew this knowledge was dangerous and taboo, but it was precisely the indispensable puzzle piece in his future plans.

He even began offering a few small suggestions of his own, based on the knowledge of two worlds.

"Lord Orochimaru, regarding the stability of soul fragments, if we use Yin-nature chakra to construct an energy field that simulates the frequency of an 'obsession,' rather than forcibly suppressing them with Fūinjutsu, could that better reduce rejection and improve the success rate of fusion?"

"As for the corrosiveness of Hashirama Cells, could we approach it from the 'information level'? Perhaps use specific Genjutsu or Fūinjutsu to interfere with or overwrite the 'devour' command they carry, rather than simply resisting them with force?"

These suggestions often came from unusual angles, yet they always gave Orochimaru new ideas. The way he looked at Kyohaku grew increasingly profound.

In a little over a year, Kyohaku Uchiha had undergone an astonishing transformation within this laboratory filled with taboos and danger. He had grown from a passive experimental guinea pig into a laboratory assistant whom Orochimaru actively taught and gradually came to rely upon.

He stood silently in Orochimaru's shadow, calmly recording everything, learning everything, planning everything. Deep within those black eyes, occasionally reflected in the gleam of the instruments, shone an insight utterly unlike that of someone his age. He knew he was taking a shortcut toward the core of power, and the price was dancing with the devil.