Chapter 319 – Experimentation
The issue of "specialists" — shinobi who excel in only one field — was something Konoha could no longer ignore.
Strictly speaking, Konoha had a lot of them.
In fact, the entire concept of "Special Jōnin" had originally been created for these people.
But there lay an unavoidable problem:
What a specialist excels at does not necessarily help them defeat enemies in real combat.
To put it simply:
they meet Jōnin-level standards in one single field…
and fail to meet even basic standards in all others.
So despite having talent, despite the ninja academy's education system, they often ended up stuck —
too good to be Genin, but not good enough to be full Jōnin.
There was only one example of a "specialist genius" who actually succeeded:
Might Guy and his disciple Rock Lee.
And even they didn't rise because of "proper guidance" or "resource investment."
They rose because of unyielding willpower, insane grit, and absolute refusal to give up.
Only through that did they reach a future so astonishing it bordered on myth.
Kei had seen Guy countless times running laps around Konoha on his hands.
Kei could do that if he wanted to—
he could even ignore the looks people gave.
But to do it nonstop, day after day, rain or shine…?
Absolutely not.
A guy like Guy—
if even he couldn't succeed, then who else had the right to claim they could?
If someone like him were given proper resources and specialized training,
combined with that level of dedication…
Maybe he wouldn't surpass his future self,
but his brilliance would come much earlier.
As for everyone else, Kei didn't expect them to become another Guy.
But with a proper educational path,
targeted resource support,
and a promotion system that accounted for unique strengths—
Even if there remained only one Might Guy,
Konoha would still produce many shinobi who, while less gifted,
were far more capable than the mediocre Special Jōnin of the past.
---
Kei finished explaining his proposal,
and both Minato and Shikaku paid close attention.
Minato in particular felt relieved.
Forcibly abolishing Special Jōnin could easily spark resentment from those losing their rank.
But abolishment was necessary.
He simply didn't know how to efficiently calm the backlash.
Yet Kei's proposal—
support specialists properly and give them real paths forward—
could make them feel appreciated rather than discarded.
Shikaku agreed as well.
After all, the Nara clan was the prime example of "specialists":
Terrible fighters.
Exceptional administrators and analysts.
Kei's proposal was, in fact, a massive boon for them.
They could continue preserving their clan techniques
while amplifying their natural advantages in high-level intelligence and governance.
It was no surprise the two men supported the idea immediately.
Though it meant revising everything they had drafted so far,
neither of them minded.
It was for Konoha's future.
Kei, however, had no desire to stay and handle these bureaucratic details.
Minato and Shikaku would've liked him to remain, but Kei simply wasn't interested.
He was Minato's "strategic advisor," yes,
and the proposal itself had come from him.
But once he provided the direction,
he preferred leaving the execution to professionals.
And in the end they would come find him for review anyway.
After settling these matters, Kei left the Hokage's office.
He sent a shadow clone to the Police Force to handle routine tasks
and headed straight toward the underground laboratory.
---
With Kei back, the Police Force returned to normalcy.
When he had been away, the Fourth Division had been a constant headache.
No one dared appoint an acting captain—
only Kei had that authority.
But now Hyūga Hizashi had officially joined as the division leader.
Even though Hizashi was essentially a compromise candidate
forced out by the Hyūga clan's political dynamics,
Kei still believed he would handle the job far better than Uchiha Jun ever had.
Uchiha Jun, despite being ambitious and manipulative,
had single-handedly built an entire division from scratch
and successfully unified a group of non-Uchiha shinobi.
Kei respected her capability even if he disliked her schemes.
Compared to her, Hizashi's starting conditions were far better:
His division already had many Hyūga members who respected him.
He carried the prestige of being Hiashi's brother.
He naturally commanded obedience from the branch family.
As long as he kept his head down,
followed Kei's instructions,
and fully exploited his battlefield experience and knowledge of Kirigakure,
he would do just fine.
---
In the Laboratory:
Descending into the underground facility, Kei found Hyūga Ayaka already there.
Like Kei, she had left a clone at the Police Force and rushed over early.
Predictably, she was absorbed in her work,
studying a blood sample under a microscope.
Most likely, it belonged to Kimimaro.
The boy hadn't awakened his kekkei genkai yet,
but his cells were unnaturally active — clearly a precursor.
Early observation was the right move.
"You're here?" Ayaka glanced at him briefly, then returned to her sample.
"Kenta visited earlier."
"Oh?" Kei casually sat down, glancing at the silent, withdrawn Kimimaro nearby.
"Came for his serum injection? How is he doing?"
"Not bad. But not great either."
Ayaka straightened up, arms folded.
"He's improved a lot. The side effects don't hit him as violently now.
But based on what I've observed…
his fusion rate is only about twenty percent."
"So low?"
Kei nodded thoughtfully.
The boy's compatibility was indeed lagging.
Even though fusion rate depended on the integrity of the material
and the individual's constitution…
Kei didn't even need to think twice to understand the problem.
Kimimaro's cells were too active—so active they were practically unstable.
If such volatile material were forced into Imai Kenta in large quantities, the boy might not even have time to adapt before everything collapsed.
Most likely outcomes?
Either he would be "planted" as fertilizer somewhere in Konoha's forests…
…or, if Kei worried his corpse might expose too much, he'd simply burn the "tree" as firewood.
In short—
this process could not be rushed.
"So what about this kid?" Kei asked, pointing lazily at Kimimaro.
"You've been studying his cells, right?"
Ayaka nodded, her eyes brightening.
"Mm. Based on earlier comparisons, his gene-activation speed is unusually high."
A small, eager smile tugged at her lips.
"If nothing goes wrong… once his genetic activation reaches a certain point, we might actually get a shinobi who inherits the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai."
Kei raised a brow, impressed even though he had expected this outcome.
"Not bad. Looks like your research is paying off.
And at this rate… your own experimental project might not be far behind."
"From your mouth to the gods' ears," Ayaka replied, her smile suddenly radiant.
She had helped Kei run dozens of experiments, cracked countless biological puzzles, and even supported Imai Kenta due to their shared interests.
And yet…
The results Kei and Kenta achieved were visible to the naked eye—breakthrough after breakthrough.
Especially Kei.
His performance in the Land of Water had already proven to the world just how terrifying he truly was.
But she—
she was still standing in place, still searching for the path forward.
That growing distance made her chest ache, made her feel like she was suffocating.
Yes—Kei could protect her.
Yes—she enjoyed privileges few Hyūga ever tasted.
But none of that mattered.
What she wanted was her own power.
Her own freedom.
A future she controlled with her own hands.
If possible, she wanted to stand beside Kei—not behind him in his shadow.
"So," Kei continued, "how's the kid doing now?"
Ayaka sighed faintly.
"When I came this morning, he was already awake. I bought him food and… told him what he needed to know."
"Told him…?"
"I told him why he's here.
I told him his mother might survive because he's here.
And I told him who his true enemy is."
Kei glanced at Kimimaro, who sat silently like an empty husk.
"Oh? Looks like he can't handle reality just yet."
Of course he couldn't.
He was three.
Even adults would shatter under that level of emotional and political weight—never mind a toddler.
Ayaka probably told him simply because she couldn't stand watching him sit like a silent lump.
But Kei didn't particularly mind.
Everything she said was technically true.
Kimimaro's appearance in Konoha was the result of a forced political transaction.
Officially, the mission records would state that Kaguya Shigemitsu intentionally "allowed him to be taken" to ensure Kei's escape.
And depending on how things turned out…
his mother might actually be safer because Kimimaro was no longer in Kaguya hands.
His identity was complicated—dangerous in the wrong hands, but also a kind of natural shield.
Add Orochimaru's interference into the mix…
If Shigemitsu allowed Kimimaro's mother to die on his watch, it would damage his prestige.
Kenta was right.
Leaving the woman alive was the best way to disgust Kaguya Shigemitsu.
As for Kimimaro himself?
Whether he could accept reality or not meant very little.
He needed to move forward.
Kei had already promised Minato he would arrange a home for the boy.
He couldn't adopt him personally, but many other problems could be solved easily.
There were plenty of Konoha families who had lost children during the war.
Letting Kimimaro fill that missing space…
letting him experience warmth…
wasn't the worst idea.
"Looks like I need to find him a proper family soon." Kei rubbed his chin.
"You free this afternoon?"
Ayaka shot him a helpless glare.
"Even if I wasn't, you'd make me free. So what's the point of asking?"
She folded her arms.
"Just tell me what you need."
"We're going to the Uchiha compound," Kei said.
"Take the kid.
I have a family in mind who might take him in."
"Oh?" Ayaka's eyes widened slightly.
"I thought this was the sort of thing you didn't pay attention to."
Kei didn't answer.
Mostly because she was right.
This whole idea came to him just a moment ago.
The Uchiha compound functioned more like its own community.
Many clan members couldn't become shinobi—
or had been crippled during the war—
so they opened stores and stands inside the district.
His own father, Uchiha Keisuke, ran a small convenience shop.
Business had exploded ever since Kei rose to power.
Now even non-Uchiha from other districts visited out of sheer admiration.
But the family Kei had in mind was different:
A couple who ran a small pancake shop—Uchiha Tebiyaki and Uchiha Moegi.
They had no children.
Either they never had any…
or war had taken their only child from them.
If Kei's memory was correct, they might be perfect for Kimimaro.
Even if they refused, showing the boy the Uchiha community would be worthwhile.
"Anyway," Kei continued with a small smile, "don't think I'm that careless.
I've been keeping an eye on the situation."
Then he glanced at Kimimaro's samples.
"By the way—are you planning to wait until he fully awakens his kekkei genkai before experimenting? Or try something now?"
"Originally, I planned to wait."
Ayaka tapped her finger thoughtfully.
"But since you brought it up…
I do want to test the reaction now.
It's too tempting to ignore."
Their preferred method was always in-vitro experiments—
the safest option.
They wouldn't risk their bodies unless results were promising.
Kimimaro hadn't awakened his kekkei genkai yet.
But if Kaguya DNA truly complemented Hyūga genetics…
Then even an early-stage sample might trigger something interesting.
Even if the results were weak, it was unlikely they'd get nothing.
Kei watched her with genuine curiosity.
He wanted to know whether his theory was right.
Ayaka's hands moved quickly, confidently.
In minutes, she had extracted her own blood, separated Kimimaro's sample, and prepared the initial material.
Within ten minutes, a vial of newly isolated cells sat on the table—
though she looked slightly drained.
"Looks tiring," Kei commented,
gently wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.
"Next step is testing, right? Confident?"
"I've done this a hundred times. I know what I'm doing," she replied, regaining her focus.
"The only uncertainty is the result.
But we can stay cautiously optimistic.
The boy's genes aren't fully awakened yet."
Kei stepped back, giving her space.
Even if the experiment failed, it wouldn't matter much.
Success or failure would still point them toward the right direction.
---
Meanwhile…
While Kei and Ayaka were deep in experimentation,
Uchiha Shisui arrived quietly at a ruined temple.
The structure was ancient, overgrown, abandoned.
Scattered ritual tools lay half-rotten across the floor,
rats scurrying through the debris.
Stone statues surrounded the temple,
most around human height—
except for one towering ten meters tall.
They were Buddha statues, but weathered, broken, distorted.
In the dim light, they resembled demons more than deities.
Shisui stood before them without flinching.
He hadn't come because of the eerie atmosphere.
He came because he had received a summons—
from shinobi who looked like ANBU
but weren't officially ANBU.
He didn't know who they were…
But he knew whom they served.
The Third Hokage.
A cold, aged voice echoed behind him:
"You're here."