Konoha Year 50, late summer.
"Hey~ Senior Kabuto, it's time to get up."
A cheerful, lively voice sounded from very close by.
Along with the curtains slowly being pulled open, the late summer sunlight, no longer so dazzling and scorching, shone into Kabuto Yakushi's room.
The boy with light gray hair sleepily rubbed his eyes, yawned, and sat up from the bed.
Looking at Suigetsu Hōzuki, who was walking over with his glasses in hand, he showed a helpless expression.
"Didn't I say you don't need to come wake me up every day, Suigetsu?"
"So you don't like it, Senior?"
Suigetsu Hōzuki handed Kabuto his glasses and tilted her head as she asked.
"No, it's not really about whether I like it or not…"
Kabuto Yakushi looked at Suigetsu Hōzuki, who was staring straight into his eyes, her entire body seeming to emit a warm, soft glow under the falling sunlight.
He awkwardly turned his head away.
"It's just that when you do this, I don't really know how I should repay you…"
"If you want to repay us, just give us more private tutoring after class~"
Suigetsu Hōzuki smiled and raised a hand, poking Kabuto Yakushi on the forehead.
"After all, Senior Kabuto, you've already received special approval from Lord Fourth. You can study in the Ninja Academy at ease while also serving as an assistant teacher responsible for part of the medical-nin class. You definitely know a lot of more advanced medical ninjutsu techniques, right?"
"I do, but with your and Rangetsu's progress, it'll probably still take another year or two before you have a chance to learn medical ninjutsu of that difficulty…"
"The big sister downstairs helping you prepare breakfast will be very sad if she hears that evaluation, you know?"
Suigetsu Hōzuki turned her finger into cool water droplets and mischievously let them drip onto the back of Kabuto Yakushi's neck.
"To catch up with your progress, she sleeps almost two hours later than I do every day…"
"Tell her to rest properly and sleep on time. I'm not going to suddenly disappear from in front of her. Don't do something foolish that will affect her health."
Kabuto Yakushi neatly put on his clothes.
As he knocked Suigetsu Hōzuki lightly on the head, he said those words.
"If you care, then say it to the person you care about yourself. That is the most basic rule of communication between friends, Senior Kabuto."
Suigetsu Hōzuki stuck out her tongue and made a face at Kabuto Yakushi.
Then she patted his thin shoulder and said,
"Especially for people who have taken the initiative to care about you before, that kind of response can be very effective at moving them, you know?"
"Yes, yes…"
Kabuto Yakushi nodded with an expression that said, Fine, you convinced me, agreeing to Suigetsu's request.
"Then I'll go downstairs first and help my sister prepare breakfast and your lunch. Come down quickly after washing up~"
Suigetsu Hōzuki ran down the stairs with a series of light footsteps.
After Kabuto helplessly sighed, he turned and entered the bathroom, beginning a simple wash.
After his talent in medical ninjutsu gradually revealed itself, Kabuto Yakushi very easily passed the new graduation assessment the Ninja Academy had added for students inclined toward medical ninjutsu and gained the qualifications to become a genin.
But what he had not expected was that when the Fourth Mizukage, Rei Kaguya, personally came to issue ninja forehead protectors to the first graduating class after the academic system reform, he actually took the initiative to find Kabuto, who had passed the medical-nin examination with the top score.
And he offered him conditions that were rather hard to refuse.
"You are this year's first-place examinee, Kabuto Yakushi, right? I wonder if you would be willing to temporarily put aside the idea of becoming a shinobi and stay at the Ninja Academy for a period of time as an assistant teacher for the newly established medical-nin class?"
"No, it is not because there is any issue with your identity. It is simply because Kirigakure is currently very short on free medical-nin."
"The fact that you were able to self-study and complete all the medical-nin courses so quickly proves that you are an excellent problem-solver with talent in this field. I hope you can pass some of your experience to those children who chose the medical-nin class for all kinds of reasons, helping them better develop interest in medical ninjutsu."
"Of course, in order to compensate you for the loss of not becoming a shinobi, during the period you remain at the school and continue working as an assistant teacher, Kirigakure will provide you with chunin-level salary and an independent residence."
"At the same time, some more advanced medical ninjutsu can also be opened to you to ensure that your astonishingly excellent talent in medical ninjutsu is not wasted… What do you think?"
What did he think?
Aside from agreeing, was there any other answer?
Kabuto Yakushi nodded and agreed to Rei Kaguya's request.
The next day, he received a teacher's uniform tailored specifically for him, a housing contract, and a salary treatment table.
This efficiency made Kabuto unable to stop himself from marveling at how swiftly and decisively the Fourth Mizukage acted.
At the same time, it also made him feel even more deeply the enormous changes Kirigakure had undergone after the other party took office.
He wondered whether Konoha had changed like Kirigakure because of the Fourth Hokage's rise.
If it had, then had everyone at the orphanage enjoyed the benefits brought by those changes?
After a simple wash, he went downstairs and enjoyed a simple but delicious breakfast together with the Hōzuki twin sisters.
Then Kabuto Yakushi took the new teaching plan and research notes he had stayed up late writing yesterday and walked out of the house with the two of them, heading toward the Ninja Academy.
Thanks to the series of open policies established by the Fourth Mizukage, Rei Kaguya, compared with the past, the cold, murderous, gloomy atmosphere in Kirigakure had already faded a great deal.
The expressions on people's faces were no longer so icy and distant.
At the same time, commercial activities capable of making the village prosperous had gradually diversified.
On the road to the Ninja Academy, Kabuto Yakushi saw plainly dressed civilians and uniformed jonin chatting and laughing while lining up together to shop.
He also saw young shinobi wearing forehead protectors asking fashionable civilian girls for advice on clothing and appearance.
He could even see foreign merchants wearing clothes clearly different from the style of the Land of Water sitting in restaurants by the street, tasting the Land of Water's specialty foods while discussing what local products they should purchase from Kirigakure and sell back home.
It had to be said that for such a lively, thriving scene full of vitality to appear in Kirigakure, a place that had still been called the Village of the Bloody Mist just two years ago, it was enough to show the Fourth Mizukage's skillful handling of politics, economics, and diplomacy.
"By the way, Senior Kabuto, have you heard? Hyuga Makoto, the one with main family blood, announced two days ago that he would suspend business for three months…"
"I heard it was a sacrifice he had no choice but to make in order to cooperate with some experimental project Lord Fourth is currently carrying out. Senior, as the future medical-nin star Lord Fourth has high hopes for, have you heard anything related to it?"
Just as Kabuto was surprised by the sight of a merchant dressed in the style of the Land of Wind walking past him, Rangetsu Hōzuki, the older of the Hōzuki sisters, seemed to remember something and suddenly asked him.
"Huh? Hyuga Makoto is temporarily suspending business?"
Kabuto Yakushi did not have much sense of belonging toward Konoha.
His home was only that orphanage.
So when he heard the name Hyuga Makoto, a name enough to make Konoha's higher-ups sigh and grind their teeth, he did not even immediately react to who the other party was.
When he finally remembered the other party's identity, the seven-year-old Kabuto Yakushi could not help blushing.
He stammered,
"W-why did you suddenly bring up that topic, Rangetsu?"
"Probably because an auntie in the clan was showing off yesterday that her son awakened the Byakugan at one year old and mentioned Hyuga Makoto's name?"
Rangetsu Hōzuki thought for a moment and gave an answer that left people somewhat speechless.
"I'm not really interested in Hyuga Makoto himself, but I am very curious about what kind of experimental project would be worth Lord Fourth issuing an order for Hyuga Makoto to suspend business for that long…"
Suigetsu Hōzuki timely joined the conversation.
"I heard from Mother that after the first wave of applicants, every later application to use Hyuga Makoto requires paying quite a lot of money. That auntie from our clan, if I remember correctly, spent money three or four times before finally succeeding, right?"
"I'm not too sure about that."
Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his glasses, using the gesture to hide the sudden shyness rising in his heart.
"I can only obtain some materials related to medical ninjutsu from the Ninjutsu Research Department. I haven't really come into contact with the experimental projects personally led by Lord Fourth in the village yet."
"That's true. Senior Kabuto is only seven right now. Even if you are a genius appreciated by Lord Fourth, you still need time to accumulate knowledge and experience…"
Suigetsu Hōzuki stuck out her tongue and made an apologetic gesture toward Kabuto.
"But that's good too. If Senior Kabuto were already outstanding enough to become Lord Fourth's assistant now, then the difficulty of holding on to you would be countless levels higher than it is now."
"Su-Suigetsu! D-don't say it so directly!"
Rangetsu Hōzuki, standing beside Kabuto, immediately flushed and chased after her younger sister.
The two started messing around.
As the center of their conversation, Kabuto Yakushi could only keep pushing up his glasses and pretend he had not heard.
At the same time, he could not help following the topic the Hōzuki sisters had brought up and thinking further.
The only thing that could make someone temporarily set aside immediate benefits was a greater benefit that could be foreseen.
Then, what greater benefit could make the Fourth Mizukage temporarily stop the production of babies with Byakugan in the village?
…
"Heh, heh, heh. The research conditions here are truly good enough to make one a little jealous, Rei-kun…"
"What do you think I used the help of the Land of Demons' priestess to establish a high-end seafood export industry chain linking the Land of Water, the Land of Waves, and the inland countries for? Why do you think I put so much effort into training medical-nin?"
"Wasn't it to earn more money and ensure that in this era of rapid technological development, Kirigakure's research team can always possess the most advanced research equipment?"
Rei Kaguya rolled his eyes and spoke irritably to Orochimaru, whose eyes hid an unconcealable desire.
"Stop staring, Orochimaru… It's not as if I never invited you. You were the one who wanted to establish your own shinobi village, so you didn't agree to come and become my research minister. Now, don't wear that jealous expression."
"…Perhaps back then, I really should have come to join you."
Orochimaru withdrew his greedy gaze.
But he did not sound particularly serious as he casually said,
"However, I do not regret choosing my current path that much."
"I don't particularly care about your thoughts of proving yourself to Konoha."
Rei Kaguya narrowed his eyes and released a little of his chakra specifically toward Orochimaru.
"I only want to know… the topic I gave you before has indeed produced results, right?"
"If it had not, I would not appear before you, Rei-kun."
Orochimaru looked Rei up and down.
Compared to their last meeting, Rei had grown nearly ten centimeters taller, and his bearing had matured somewhat.
Orochimaru licked his lips with his abnormally long tongue.
"Now, simply standing in front of you gives me the dangerous feeling of being watched by an irresistible beast…"
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru walked toward Hyuga Makoto, who was soaking in a nutrient solution.
It was clear that his body's depletion had already become quite severe.
Orochimaru clicked his tongue in wonder.
"Is this why you wanted me to complete the cloning and cultivation of the Byakugan, Rei-kun? Because this pitiful main family member is about to be used by you until the oil runs dry?"
"That can be counted as part of the reason."
Rei Kaguya nodded.
At the same time, he used the power of the Dead Bone Pulse to pierce his own palm from within, dripping his blood into a test tube prepared in advance.
"But the biggest reason is that I want a pair of Byakugan cultivated from my own cells. That is all."
"Not the Sharingan?"
Orochimaru turned his head and looked at Rei Kaguya.
"The Byakugan is indeed a decent dojutsu, but at your current level, Rei-kun, I fear only the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan can have some effect on your strength. A mere Byakugan… heh?"
"This is the limitation caused by your lack of understanding of the history of families like ours that possess special Kekkei Genkai, Orochimaru."
Rei Kaguya sealed the test tube filled with his blood and calmly handed it to Orochimaru.
Then he slowly said,
"Before the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, established the hidden village system, the Hyuga clan and our Kaguya clan maintained a rather close and positive relationship."
"To make a comparison, the relationship between the two clans was almost comparable to Konoha's Ino-Shika-Chō trio…"
"What is strange about that?"
Orochimaru accepted the tube of Rei's blood, which for some reason carried specks of gray, and frowned in confusion.
"During the Warring States Period, it was perfectly normal for some shinobi clans to be close and others to be distant. There are also many shinobi clans that stopped maintaining relations after the hidden village system was established for various reasons…"
"No. You are wrong, Orochimaru."
Rei Kaguya pointed at himself, then at Hyuga Makoto inside the nutrient solution.
"According to the information I found in the Kaguya clan's records, the relationship between the Hyuga and the Kaguya can almost be traced back a thousand years, to the era of the Sage of Six Paths…"
"That far back?"
Orochimaru still had not grasped the core of the issue.
He was still puzzled as to why Rei Kaguya had brought up this topic.
"Then do you think the Hyuga clan's personality and our Kaguya clan's personality seem like types that would get along well?"
Rei Kaguya sighed, lamenting the terrible sensitivity of a science-minded man like Orochimaru when it came to humanities and history.
"Think about it. The Hyuga clan is arrogant, cold, and self-important. The Kaguya clan is violent, impulsive, and acts without considering consequences…"
"Why exactly would two shinobi clans like this befriend each other? And why could they maintain a good relationship for a thousand years?"
Orochimaru narrowed his long, gloomy eyes.
After Rei Kaguya put it that way, Orochimaru began to realize the problem.
That was right.
Why had the Hyuga clan maintained relations with the Kaguya clan for so many years?
With both sides' personalities, even if they did not become mortal enemies like the Senju clan and Uchiha clan during the Warring States Period, there was no real reason for them to mix together.
"Rei-kun, are you saying… between the Kaguya clan and the Hyuga clan, there exists some kind of beneficial connection strong enough to make both sides ignore each other's terrible personalities?"
"Yes. After I searched through all the Kaguya clan's documents and investigated the ancestral land of the Kaguya clan, I found one name."
Rei Kaguya vividly performed the image of a young man intoxicated by the discovery of an enormous secret.
With a tone close to madness, he said,
"The name I discovered was Hamura Ōtsutsuki."
"And the name listed beside his was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki."
"And Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki was the common ancestor of the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan."
"In other words, the legendary…"
"Sage of Six Paths."
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