Nothing drew researchers like the unknown

"Yū, I have a presumptuous request. I hope you'll agree."

Orochimaru's raspy voice sounded perfectly casual.

Takahashi Yū's eyes widened. Damn, how could he sound so brazen?

"If it's presumptuous, don't bother asking. The answer's definitely no," Takahashi Yū replied.

"I have no choice. My teacher asked me to pass it along, since I'm the only one who knows you reasonably well. Whether you agree or not, I still have to say it." Orochimaru took a sip of the hot tea Mizuki had brought and spoke calmly.

"There's a Jonin meeting tomorrow. The Third has invited you." Before Takahashi Yū could offer another biting response, Orochimaru finished his brief explanation.

Takahashi Yū paused. The same old issue again.

"A meeting? Like hell. I'm not a shinobi. I'm not going!"

Takahashi Yū waved a hand, signaling an end to the topic.

"It isn't just a Jonin meeting this time. Representatives of the shinobi clans will attend too. The Third would like you to represent Hot Springs Street." Unbothered by Takahashi Yū's refusal, Orochimaru continued relaying Hiruzen Sarutobi's message.

"In case you don't understand, Yū, I believe my teacher intends to improve the benefits for Hot Springs Street's residents, but you'll need to attend as their representative."

"After all, you've always shown yourself to be at odds with the Hokage's faction. Your attendance would send a signal to the other shinobi clans."

Takahashi Yū was about to blurt out, "Still not going," but shut his mouth after hearing Orochimaru's explanation.

Attending just one meeting could get Hot Springs Street the same benefits as a shinobi clan? That was a great deal. The benefits ordinary villagers received were a far cry from those enjoyed by shinobi clan members.

"Really? If those benefits don't come through, I'm coming after you, Orochimaru."

Takahashi Yū didn't want to do Hiruzen Sarutobi any favors, but if showing him a little respect would make the neighbors' lives more comfortable, he could accept that.

"Then you've agreed, Yū. Tomorrow morning, nine o'clock, at the Hokage Building." Orochimaru's voice remained as flat as ever.

Orochimaru picked up his teacup from the table again and slowly sipped.

"You've delivered the message. Anything else, Orochimaru? Stop dragging it out." One look at Orochimaru's behavior told Takahashi Yū he still had more crap to say.

"Yū, I'm extremely curious about your Kekkei Genkai."

As though some perversion switch had been flipped, Orochimaru's tone turned spine-chilling as he spoke, and he stuck out his tongue to lick around his lips.

Takahashi Yū shuddered and hurriedly said:

"Rein in that perverted act. I've got kids here."

Orochimaru wasn't the only one interested. There wasn't a single person among Konoha's shinobi clans who wasn't interested. Only Takahashi Yū seemed largely oblivious, while undercurrents stirred throughout Konoha.

Of Takahashi Yū's eight remaining squad members, two were Hyūga, three were Uchiha, one each came from the Yamanaka and Nara clans, and one was a Gekko.

They all came from shinobi clans, and most had become Dual Kekkei Genkai Shinobi. How could their clans remain calm?

The Shinobi Clan heads already regretted not assigning more people to Takahashi Yū's squad back then and letting civilian shinobi take most of the places, though none of those civilians had survived.

Only the reports of Takahashi Yū's mountains of corpses and seas of blood on their desks kept them composed enough not to act. The current situation had already unsettled the Third Hokage.

Takahashi Yū was uncontrollable to begin with, and now he had trained a batch of equally uncontrollable shinobi. Undercurrents were stirring among the Shinobi Clans too.

Throughout Hiruzen Sarutobi's career as Hokage, one word stood out: stability. That was why he was willing to pay dearly to have Takahashi Yū attend the meeting, sending everyone else a signal that the Hokage could still give Takahashi Yū orders. If he told him to attend a meeting, he came.

"Orochimaru, between the two of us, there's no need for anything else. Research it however you like," Takahashi Yū said readily. He barely understood it himself, and other people wanted to figure it out?

It wasn't even part of the same system. How could they study it? They simply didn't have the ability, did they?

Takahashi Yū was eager for Orochimaru to discover something. He had always felt his use of [murderous intent fluctuation] was shallow.

Takahashi Yū's openness shocked even Uzumaki Shui Ling. This was a Kekkei Genkai. Even shinobi villages couldn't make their wielders hand over information about their abilities. In the Shinobi World, information was equivalent to life. With enough information, someone could counter you so thoroughly that you questioned your life. Otherwise, why would the original story have so many kills against opponents encountering an ability for the first time?

Orochimaru hadn't expected Takahashi Yū to be so forthcoming either. For a moment, even someone as cold-blooded as him felt something unusual.

"Yū! I... you..." Orochimaru hadn't realized their friendship had reached such a point.

He had merely expressed curiosity, and Yū was giving him free rein. Was this the bond his teacher always spoke of? He understood now. Unaware that Takahashi Yū simply wanted him to work for free, Orochimaru was moved by his own interpretation.

Takahashi Yū raised his hand, palm open and fingers pointing upward. A mass of red substance slowly rose from his palm, undulating in his hand and radiating a terrifying aura.

"This is the killing intent seed I gave my squad members. Planting it in their hearts strengthens their own killing intent until they can project it outward, and even give it physical form."

Takahashi Yū manifested the killing intent seed in his hand and showed it to Orochimaru. As Orochimaru looked at the tangible object before him and listened to the explanation, his eyes shone so brightly they seemed capable of piercing Takahashi Yū's palm.

Uzumaki Shui Ling also cast a curious glance over. Unlike Orochimaru, she didn't feel the urge to research everything unknown. In fact, the seed's creepy appearance left her somewhat repulsed.

"There are conditions for planting this in someone else's heart, aren't there?" Uzumaki Shui Ling asked, getting to the crux of the matter.

"Yes. I don't know the principle behind it, but they have to trust me absolutely. I also suspect they need to share my emotional state during the planting." Takahashi Yū nodded and addressed them both.

Orochimaru licked his lips, his scorching gaze threatening to melt Takahashi Yū.

"Don't look at me. Figure out how to take it yourself. I don't know what can hold this thing."

Takahashi Yū couldn't help either. He could control all the seeds, but he couldn't constantly keep track of every single one.

He would leave Orochimaru to figure it out himself.

Without another word, Orochimaru began taking out everything he had on him, testing which materials could touch the killing intent seed.

A kunai couldn't touch it, which meant iron wouldn't work. He asked Takahashi Yū to lower the seed gently, and it passed through the wooden table and floor, sinking straight into the ground. Wood, leaves, soil, and stone wouldn't work.

Takahashi Yū recalled the seed. Orochimaru draped some clothing fabric over it, but that passed lightly through as well. He then touched it directly with his fingertip. A sizzling sound immediately rang out as the red vapor surrounding the seed scorched his fingertip black.

"Hmm... no heat. Its damage to the physical body is more like erosion. Wait a moment, Yū. I'll bring a few things over."

Having tested everything on him, Orochimaru spoke to Takahashi Yū. The moment he finished, he darted out through the window.

"Hey! Use the door, honestly." Takahashi Yū withdrew the killing intent seed in his hand and shouted after Orochimaru.

Before long, a slightly disheveled Orochimaru returned carrying a large, long scroll.

Under Orochimaru's expectant gaze, Takahashi Yū could only manifest another killing intent seed in his hand.

Unexpectedly, the very first object Orochimaru took out of the scroll made contact with the seed.

It was a thin metal sheet. Orochimaru placed it on top of the killing intent seed and leaned in to examine it closely.

He then summoned a microscope from the scroll, carefully removed the metal sheet with tweezers, and secured it beneath the microscope.

Adjusting the microscope's lenses, he slipped into "mad scientist" mode.

Takahashi Yū quietly watched from the sofa beside him.

"Chakra metal can touch it, but it already shows wear after less than thirty seconds."

"Even as it makes contact with the killing intent seed, it's continuously being eroded. That makes the cost of storage alone unimaginably high."

Orochimaru licked his lips, sensing trouble. He set down what he was holding and began summoning one item after another from the scroll.

While Takahashi Yū still held his hand out, he kept testing other objects.

Chakra metal was expensive. If they used it to store the seed, the daily cost would be astronomical.

In the original story, even Asuma Sarutobi, the Third's own son, could only have his weapon, Flying Swallow, made into small knuckle-blade daggers.

That showed just how precious chakra metal was, and it was always priced but unavailable.

As the "seal" characters on Orochimaru's scroll dwindled, a huge piece of snakeskin finally settled gently over the killing intent seed.

The shed skin of a Snake Princess from Ryūchi Cave! What's the determining factor? Senjutsu? Or something else? Orochimaru thought.

Orochimaru had paid a heavy price to obtain it from the three Snake Princesses under the White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave, who had practiced Sage Techniques for many years. It was skin they had shed during their transformations.

Orochimaru lifted a corner of the snakeskin and stared intently at the contact surface.

"It's still being eroded, but much more slowly than chakra metal. It should hold out for a while."

Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to store it in chakra metal.

Still, it pained him. He hadn't even had time to study the Snake Princess's shed skin yet, but Takahashi Yū's Kekkei Genkai was more enticing.

Orochimaru made his decision and quickly gathered his belongings scattered around him, sealing them into the scroll one by one.

Once everything was packed away, Orochimaru spread the snakeskin over Takahashi Yū's palm, grasped its edges, and lifted. The killing intent seed rose with it, wrapped inside.

"Yū, remember tomorrow's meeting. I'll take my leave now."

Holding the snakeskin in one hand and the scroll in the other, Orochimaru shot out through the window.

"Hey, Orochimaru! Don't go doing any other weird shit with it, and remember to keep it secret!" Takahashi Yū shouted after Orochimaru's retreating figure.

Sometimes, Takahashi Yū really couldn't understand these researchers. But when he thought of heading to an internet café after school before his transmigration, he could more or less understand Orochimaru's impatience.

Returning to the sofa, Takahashi Yū couldn't help sighing.

"Ugh. I'll have to listen to Hiruzen Sarutobi drone on again tomorrow."

Beside him, Uzumaki Shui Ling heard him and gave him an enormous eye roll.

"Why are you just like an old woman like me? If you've got nothing to do, you can spend the whole day curled up on the sofa."

"You're young. Go train."

Hearing nagging that seemed to come from another lifetime, Takahashi Yū closed his eyes.

"Old woman, you couldn't beat me even with another lifetime. What's this about training? Give it a rest."

The next day.

At 8:59 a.m., below the Hokage Building.

Holding a wrap, Takahashi Yū ambled toward the stairs.

Under the anxious gazes of the shinobi guards on either side, he pushed open the meeting room door at precisely nine.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat upright on the podium, with Mitokado Homura seated to one side. Before the podium stood a long table occupied by the heads of the various shinobi clans, each with their clan's heir standing behind them.

A quick glance revealed several "familiar faces," including Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi. None had become clan heads yet; they had merely been brought along to familiarize themselves with the proceedings.

Jonin sat on small stools around them. Although the fighting against the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water had yet to end, nearly seventy were scattered about the room.

All of them were now looking at Takahashi Yū, who had just opened the door.

"What? Am I late? Isn't it exactly nine?"

Takahashi Yū spoke without a care.

He couldn't care less about unwritten rules requiring him to arrive before the leadership. If they said nine, he would arrive on the dot.

"Captain, over here." Gekko Yūma waved to Takahashi Yū from the long table.

"Oh, Yūma! You've made clan head? Not bad!" Takahashi Yū looked at Gekko Yūma seated at the long table.

"Isn't this a Jonin meeting? Why aren't my other squad members here?" Takahashi Yū walked over to Yūma, glanced around, and asked.

His words also reminded the Konoha High Command present: his squad members had the strength and enough achievements, so they should hurry the hell up and approve their Jonin ranks.

"Ahem. Takahashi, the other members of the Undying Squad are still undergoing their Jonin evaluations. It doesn't happen that quickly. Sit down, Takahashi. The meeting is about to begin."

The Third Hokage had no choice but to address that remark.

Seeing the Third Hokage being so accommodating, Takahashi Yū sat beside Yūma and exchanged nods with the Shinobi Clan heads and Orochimaru by way of greeting.

After all, every shinobi clan had members in the Undying Squad. The only difference was whether they had survived or fallen.

Seeing Takahashi Yū take his seat, the Third inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the residents of Hot Springs Street did carry weight in Takahashi Yū's heart.

"Everyone, this is the first meeting since the war began to meet the required number of Jonin present, further demonstrating Konoha's strength and deep reserves. The Land of Wind's surrender document has now arrived, allowing us to free up more forces to support the Lightning and Water fronts."

"This meeting will discuss the Land of Wind's reparations and the deployment of garrisons along the Western Front's border. Afterward, the clan heads and Jonin may freely raise issues of their own. It's getting late, so I won't waste any more words. Shikaku Nara will take the minutes. The meeting will now begin."

Takahashi Yū closed his eyes as soon as Hiruzen Sarutobi began speaking. His purpose in attending was clear: securing Shinobi Clan benefits for Hot Springs Street. He wasn't foolish enough to bring it up during the meeting. He was merely going through the motions and settling the clans' restless hearts.

There was little dispute during the initial discussion of reparations following the Sand Shinobi Surrender. Mishandling reparations could leave someone shouldering enormous blame, so the Hokage essentially decided himself, with the others merely offering a few suggestions.

The debate over garrison duties on the Western Front grew much fiercer, and the Shinobi Clan Heads occasionally glanced at Takahashi Yū.

Word had spread throughout the Shinobi World that Takahashi Yū had led the Undying Squad, barely a dozen people, into an army of over ten thousand Iwa Shinobi and taken down Ōnoki, a veteran Kage-level fighter. Ōnoki hadn't shown himself since. Konoha's Western Front primarily guarded against a renewed offensive from the Lands of Wind and Earth.

All of it had a great deal to do with Takahashi Yū.

But seeing him with his eyes firmly shut, looking as though none of this concerned him, their arguments gradually grew louder. After all, it would most likely be an easy posting.