Goal Achieved

Under the cold, gloomy lights of the laboratory, time lost all meaning. Only the steady hum of instruments and the faint rustle of unfurled scrolls marked the progress of the research. After becoming Orochimaru's disciple, Kyohaku Uchiha had abruptly gained access to knowledge on an entirely different level, both in depth and breadth. Like a plant whose roots had sunk deep into forbidden soil, he greedily absorbed every nutrient he could find.

Yet he remained exceptionally clearheaded. He knew his fundamental disadvantages all too well—his congenitally frail body, the atrophied chakra pathways in his right foot, and the Sharingan in his eyes, which still had only a single tomoe. Within the Uchiha Clan, where geniuses emerged in endless numbers, he could not even be called mediocre. He was practically defective. The so-called Uchiha talent was, to him, little more than an ironic label.

What he truly relied on was the vast spiritual energy produced by the fusion of two lifetimes' worth of souls; the calmness and meticulousness that exceeded his age; the logical analysis and systematic thinking forged through his previous life as a forensic doctor; and... his near-perfect chakra control. Those were what gave him the confidence to make a deal with Orochimaru, and even to take him as his master.

Everything he did pointed toward one final goal: changing the weak foundation of his body, setting foot upon the true path to power, and completing the Completion Plan hidden deep within his heart. His initial objective—becoming Orochimaru's disciple and gaining a ticket to core knowledge and resources—had already been achieved. Now, he needed to make more precise use of all of it.

One day, the laboratory's work came to a temporary halt. Orochimaru was sorting through a batch of ancient scrolls that had just arrived through secret channels outside the village, each recording obscure Fūinjutsu formulas. Kyohaku assisted with the classification, his gaze lingering on the complex runes that contained unusual energy principles. His eyes showed precisely the right amount of curiosity and focus.

"Master," he suddenly said, his voice calm but faintly probing, "these Fūinjutsu formulas seem vastly different from the mainstream systems we use today. They appear more... ancient. They place greater emphasis on binding and guiding the essence of energy, rather than simply isolating or suppressing it."

Orochimaru raised his eyes, his golden snake pupils glancing at him. "Oh? You're interested in Fūinjutsu?" He did not dislike his disciple taking the initiative to show interest in a particular field, especially one as profound and practical as this.

"Yes." Kyohaku admitted it openly. He picked up a damaged scroll and pointed to a complex rune formed from concentric circles. "Especially when it comes to precisely restraining and guiding specific forms of energy. For example, how to safely bind an extremely unstable external energy source full of rejection within a limited area"—he subtly indicated a restless Hashirama Cells sample in a nearby culture dish—"then gradually guide it into merging with the host's energy, rather than crudely allowing it to devour or destroy."

He paused before continuing. "I think this may be a better solution than simply strengthening the host to resist it. And that requires exceptionally profound knowledge of Fūinjutsu as a foundation." His reasoning perfectly aligned with the laboratory's current experimental dilemma, making it sound entirely intended to advance the research.

Orochimaru looked at him with interest. "A very sharp observation. Fūinjutsu is indeed a profound discipline that touches upon the essence of energy. The Second Hokage possessed exceptionally deep attainments in this field. Unfortunately, the mediocrities in the village only see it as a tool for sealing Tailed Beasts or storing items." His tone carried undisguised contempt for such conventional views.

"Your chakra control is exquisitely precise, and your spiritual energy is vast and stable. Those are indeed outstanding qualifications for learning advanced Fūinjutsu," Orochimaru assessed. "More importantly, you can see its deeper potential for application rather than limiting yourself to stale dogma. Very good."

He asked no further questions, seemingly attributing Kyohaku's interest to a desire to pursue truth and assist the experiments. To Orochimaru, that was the most natural reason imaginable.

From then on, Orochimaru consciously began allowing Kyohaku access to more scrolls on Fūinjutsu. From the fundamental principles of the Five Elements Seal and Four Symbols Seal to the more profound Contract Seal, soul confinement, and even fragments of seals involving space-time. This knowledge was incomparably obscure, requiring powerful spatial imagination and minute chakra manipulation—qualities that perfectly matched Kyohaku's strengths.

Kyohaku immersed himself in it. Drawing upon memories of medicine from his previous life, he understood the body's chakra pathway system and energy nodes through comparisons with Fūinjutsu rune structures and energy channels. He used the bioenergy knowledge he had learned in Orochimaru's laboratory to verify and support chakra theory. He also consulted every text available to him in Konoha Hospital's archives concerning chakra pathways and energy circulation.

He integrated every resource—those from his previous life, his current life, Orochimaru, and Konoha Hospital—and focused them all upon the single point of Fūinjutsu. He knew this was one of the most crucial keys to realizing the Completion Plan. Whether it was restraining violent Tailed Beast chakra, guiding the fusion of foreign bloodlines, or constructing the envisioned Gene Lock or Energy Conversion Core, all of it would require Fūinjutsu mastery at the pinnacle.

The laboratory often presented such a scene: Orochimaru conducted dangerous forbidden jutsu experiments, while Kyohaku sat in a corner, absorbed in ancient sealing scrolls. From time to time, faint chakra gathered at his fingertips as he traced intricate rune structures through the air, carrying out simulated deductions. His progress was astonishingly fast, and he often raised insights from fresh perspectives that even made Orochimaru take notice.

Orochimaru was pleased to see it. A disciple with such extraordinary talent in Fūinjutsu would undoubtedly provide tremendous assistance to his various research projects, especially forbidden jutsu such as Impure World Reincarnation, which involved soul confinement and summoning.

Kyohaku Uchiha continued forward in silence. His goal of becoming a disciple had already been achieved, but his true journey had only just begun. Like the most precise engineer, he used himself as the blueprint, gathering the necessary tools and materials—knowledge—piece by piece, preparing to carry out an unprecedented, mad, and magnificent transformation upon that congenitally flawed body.

Never had the goal been so clear. The path was stretching out beneath his feet.