It was as though a thin fog that had long shrouded his thoughts had quietly blown away. On the level of his "understanding," the world became clearer and more structured.
The occasional mental sluggishness he had felt when studying complex ninjutsu principles was gone.
When he considered the dense data and conjectures in Orochimaru's experimental records, a strange, almost intuitive "path to understanding" began to emerge in his mind.
Scattered ideas about chakra, sealing jutsu, and even life energy, once nothing more than vague flashes of inspiration, now seemed to connect and expand on their own, giving rise to more numerous, more detailed possibilities.
So this was... the boost from the super research prodigy talent?
It didn't hand him answers directly. It improved his underlying ability to find them.
Thinking speed, logical deduction, associative reasoning, even... how often inspiration struck?
Uchiha Makoto forcibly suppressed his astonishment and secret delight, trying to maintain the expression expected of someone who had just been praised: a mixture of embarrassment and a little pride.
With sincerity-and this time, he really did mean it a little-he said to Orochimaru, "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Sensei! I-I'd like to join your research!"
He meant every word.
Leaving aside the fact that he couldn't get out of here, Orochimaru's "weighty" trust and the "research prodigy" trait he had just acquired were reason enough. This place was a gold mine of benefits, and Uchiha Makoto was staking his claim!
For the first time, unmistakable joy appeared on Orochimaru's face. Even his pale cheeks seemed to gain a little color from his anticipation.
That joy, however, lasted less than two seconds.
His expression suddenly shifted in a subtle way, and his hands began forming hand seals so quickly they almost left afterimages.
The seals were intricate