"Teacher, are you not planning to transplant this Byakugan?" Ryujin Kenichi asked curiously.
Although the Byakugan seemed to lose prominence in the later stages of a shinobi's development, the Hyūga clan remained one of Konoha's most powerful lineages alongside the Uchiha, proof of the dōjutsu's unique strengths.
If these eyes were placed in another village, they could fetch an immense price—both in wealth and strategic advantage. After all, only one known outsider, Ao of Kirigakure, had ever successfully obtained a Byakugan. The other villages had coveted this kekkei genkai for years, yet Konoha's strict security measures, particularly the Caged Bird Seal, had kept it from falling into enemy hands.
However, this Byakugan was different.
"It's too conspicuous, and there's something unusual about this person's eyes," Orochimaru muttered, shaking his head. The Byakugan was valuable, but drawing attention to himself now was unwise. He was still vying for the position of Fourth Hokage—grafting such a recognizable dōjutsu would only complicate matters.
Moreover, these particular eyes contained an anomaly—proliferative cells of unknown origin. Even if he transplanted them, there was no guarantee he could use the Byakugan properly. During observation, the test subject's vision had been deteriorating.
Ryujin Kenichi nodded in understanding. It aligned with his suspicions. His teacher, ever meticulous, wouldn't take unnecessary risks.
However, Kenichi couldn't help but glance at Orochimaru with a strange expression. Does he really think he can become the Fourth Hokage? For some reason, the idea struck him as… naïve.
Then again, looking at it objectively, it wasn't entirely absurd. In terms of reputation, Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin, feared across the ninja world. His battlefield accomplishments were undeniable, and he had the backing of Danzō Shimura.
The only real competition was Minato Namikaze—the Yellow Flash. A formidable shinobi, but compared to Orochimaru? Somewhat lacking, Kenichi thought.
How could a dragon lose to a mere flash of light?
Orochimaru suddenly broke the silence. "The amber with the insect—I told you to bring it. Do you have it?"
Kenichi snapped out of his thoughts and quickly retrieved the object. He handed it over, watching as Orochimaru examined it against an old book. After a moment, the Sannin shook his head and returned the amber.
Kenichi caught a glimpse of the book's title—Miscellaneous Records of the Age of the Sage. It didn't seem particularly academic.
"I thought your insect might be from the era of the legendary Sage of Six Paths," Orochimaru mused. "But after comparing it, I don't believe they are the same."
Kenichi flipped through the pages and found a passage that caught his eye.
The record spoke of a species of insects that once ravaged entire villages. These creatures burrowed into human hosts, taking control of their bodies and turning them into mindless thralls. The text was vague on what became of them—only that the Sage of Six Paths had intervened, eradicating all those infected.
There was even an illustration, though upon closer inspection, it didn't quite match the insect sealed in the amber.
"Wouldn't that be a little too ridiculous?" Kenichi muttered. "A parasite that controls humans? Sounds like something straight out of a horror story."
He scoffed. Wait a second… wasn't this basically Resident Evil 4?
"Not necessarily. In the era of the legendary Sage of Six Paths, there were always strange religions and some very mystical weapons." Orochimaru's tone was laced with skepticism as he spoke.
Ryujin Kenichi nodded in agreement. Indeed, history had witnessed the Divine Tree and the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki clan. If such beings existed, then parasites capable of controlling humans wouldn't be too far-fetched either.
"If there really were such an insect, then wouldn't the ninja world achieve peace if everyone was implanted with one?" Ryujin Kenichi mused aloud, half in jest. "Better not let Nagato find out about it."
Not that it would matter much—this was ancient history. Whether such parasites had ever existed was one thing, but even if they had, finding them in the present day would be an entirely different challenge.
"Peace is not so easy to achieve." Orochimaru licked his lips in amusement. Though some of his mannerisms were unsettling, he still maintained an air of normalcy—for now. Perhaps he had yet to fully experience the bitterness of failing to become the Fourth Hokage. Or maybe, Kenichi suspected, he was keeping himself restrained precisely because he still harbored that ambition.
"Kenichi, stay at this experimental facility for the next few days. I'll come to retrieve you soon." Orochimaru stood up, his golden eyes glinting ominously in the dim light.
Kenichi nodded obediently. He knew better than to question his teacher's motives at times like this. Orochimaru's anger was not something to provoke lightly.
"Teacher, what about that test subject?" Kenichi hesitated before asking. It would be a waste to let such a valuable specimen go unused.
"Just don't kill him." Orochimaru's response was curt, and with that, he turned and left.
Kenichi was well-acquainted with his teacher's habits. It wasn't unusual for Orochimaru to take him somewhere, deposit him in a laboratory, and then disappear for a while. He had long since resigned himself to being nothing more than a tool for research.
But right now, Kenichi was thrilled. With Orochimaru gone, he could focus entirely on his work. His gaze shifted toward the captive—a Hyūga clan outcast, imprisoned in the lab.
"Let's see… what happens when cancer cells are infused with Yang-release chakra?" Kenichi rubbed his hands together eagerly before making his way to the laboratory.
The air soon filled with agonized screams as Kenichi conducted his research, carefully collecting the cellular growths he had extracted.
Research Log:
Day 1: Injected a minimal amount of Yang-release chakra into sample No. 1. Initial reaction was rapid proliferation, followed by mass apoptosis. The survival rate of sample No. 1 outside the host body is alarmingly low, potentially due to environmental contamination.
Later in the afternoon, I obtained the last remaining growth from the subject. This time, I injected a chakra quantity equivalent to a Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. The proliferation rate increased significantly, but apoptosis also accelerated.
Possible causes include the detachment of cells from the body, failure to adapt to external conditions, fluctuations in temperature and humidity, or exposure to foreign bacteria and viruses.
Day 2: Following Orochimaru-sensei's departure, the subject's ocular tissue exhibits no further abnormal growths. Conditions are now optimal for live experimentation.