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Uchiha Yoru, after a busy day of administrative work and the fatigue from the disappearance of the Shadow Clone Technique, was still unaware that the ANBU had carefully planned a targeted trap for him.
The Hidden Leaf Village's underground secret research lab.
Rubbing his temples, after finishing his morning administrative duties and resting in the afternoon to recover from the fatigue of the Shadow Clone Technique, he couldn't help but marvel at how the Shadow Clone Technique could only be used by the protagonist. The mental recovery alone was a challenge for many, essentially requiring an excess of energy in the user.
Stepping into the research lab, Orochimaru, upon sensing his arrival, looked up with a raspy smile, "Heh, Lord Yoru, come and take a look at my masterpiece."
"Whether it's the Impure World Reincarnation or the Edo Tensei, both require a large amount of chakra as a foundation, much like the Sage Technique's Natural Energy, which also requires a significant amount of chakra."
As he entered, Orochimaru immediately launched into a detailed explanation of technical jargon. When he saw what Orochimaru was researching, he couldn't help but frown. On the experimental table, a prisoner was writhing in pain, his body covered in black markings.
"This is?"
Although he had a guess, Uchiha Yoru pretended to be unaware, and Orochimaru's face lit up with excitement.
"Lord Yoru, I don't know if the Sage of Six Paths existed, but the Sage Technique is real. For example, the Fire Temple has a Sage Technique lineage, and the Three Great Summoning Prohibited Places, like the Ryūchi Cave."
"Sage Technique?" Uchiha Yoru feigned a frown and hesitated before saying, "Teacher Orochimaru, I have read about Sage Techniques in my family's records."
"Ordinary chakra is a balanced fusion of physical and mental energy. Sage Technique Chakra (Sage Power) is the result of absorbing natural energy from the environment and combining it with one's own physical and mental energy. Techniques (Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu) powered by this energy are called Sage Techniques."
Impressed by Uchiha Yoru's extensive knowledge, Orochimaru nodded with a smile, "Lord Yoru is indeed different from ordinary ninja; you even read such books."
Ordinary ninja only cared about Ninjutsu scrolls and had no interest in other books. For Orochimaru, who was already on the path of scientific research, this was too narrow-minded.
"Ninjutsu techniques powered by Sage Technique Chakra are several times, even dozens of times more powerful than in a normal state, and they can also grant the user superhuman sensory abilities."
Orochimaru enthusiastically explained the power of Sage Techniques, adding excitedly, "Cultivating Sage Techniques is time-consuming, and the prerequisite is having a vast amount of chakra, which excludes countless ninja. However, I discovered a natural Sage Technique bloodline. Do you know what this means?"
"It means that in ancient times, Sage Technique Chakra might not have been just a cultivation technique but also a bloodline inheritance, like a kekkei genkai. So, if Sage Technique Chakra can be inherited, what about sages? What was the ninja continent like before ninja appeared? Were there really sages in ancient times?"
Orochimaru's increasingly excited and manic expression made Uchiha Yoru's eyes twitch. No wonder Orochimaru had so many theories. However, Uchiha Yoru knew what a sage was; the Sage of Six Paths was the son of a woman.
"Lord Yoru, a young boy was discovered at the northern research base. He has a natural ability to absorb natural energy and can enter a sage state when in a high-natural-energy environment, but he goes berserk due to lack of control. This is a Sage Technique bloodline, or perhaps a sage's bloodline. Did you see the Cursed Seal on the test subject? This is the power I derived from that boy."
Cursed Seal! So, Orochimaru started developing the Cursed Seal at this time. It made sense, as he planted one on his student Anko when he defected.
"Cursed Seal? Teacher Orochimaru, what does natural energy have to do with Impure World Reincarnation?"
Uchiha Yoru feigned confusion, and Orochimaru smiled with interest.
"Lord Yoru, indeed, your thoughts align with mine. We have long transcended the narrow-mindedness of ordinary ninja."
"Heh, I discovered that the Cursed Seal and Sage Technique Natural Energy can erode mental strength, or the soul, while also greatly enhancing a ninja's abilities. Natural energy is profound; there must be many more undiscovered abilities."
Orochimaru spoke with fervent excitement, and Uchiha Yoru nodded in realization. No wonder in the original story, Orochimaru gave Sasuke the Cursed Seal; it was not just for temptation but also to erode his mental strength.
"Teacher Orochimaru, this is the 'Caged Bird' Cursed Seal scroll and research funds sent by Hyuga Hizashi."
Uchiha Yoru smiled and revealed his purpose for the visit, and Orochimaru let out a raspy laugh, licking his lips. "Lord Yoru, the Hyuga branch family is a tough nut to crack. They have had elite researchers over the years."
Despite his words, Orochimaru accepted the scroll. He had little interest in removing the Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird seal, and his current energy was already stretched thin. He had the Impure World Reincarnation and Edo Tensei techniques to research, the so-called Wood Release restart plan for the Root, and now he had to work on the Cursed Seal. Thankfully, this was a ninja world; otherwise, Orochimaru would have been exhausted long ago.
Researching Sage Technique Natural Energy would not only make him stronger but also give him more energy to study forbidden techniques.
"Teacher, you mentioned that the Caged Bird is a Cursed Seal but also a derivative of Sealing Techniques. Can it be sealed with a Sealing Technique?"
Uchiha Yoru smiled and shared his thoughts, but Orochimaru shook his head. "Lord Yoru, Sealing Techniques are different from the five elemental Ninjutsu. Researching them requires not just talent but precise control. You can study them, but don't delve too deep."
Orochimaru didn't want his disciple to waste his talent on Sealing Techniques, which were notoriously difficult to learn and master.
Despite his words, Orochimaru tilted his head, and a snake emerged from his throat, followed by a scroll much larger than the snake itself.
"Heh, Lord Yoru, these are the Sealing Techniques I have collected. You can choose one or two to study, as life is too short. To achieve your dreams, you need to be strong, strong enough to avoid dying at the hands of any powerful opponent."
Orochimaru's raspy voice echoed in the room, and Uchiha Yoru nodded with a smile, understanding his teacher's mindset. This was likely the reason behind Orochimaru's series of unscrupulous and strange Ninjutsu.
You could say Orochimaru's Ninjutsu wasn't the most powerful, but it was certainly the most diverse and bizarre, especially in terms of survival techniques, which were arguably the best in the ninja world.
...
Under the moonlight, outside an imposing and dignified courtyard in the Uchiha clan district, Yūhi Kurenai stood with a distracted and anxious expression. This time, she wasn't pretending; she was genuinely feeling panicked. Was she really going to do this for the ANBU mission?
"Yūhi, this is the captain's residence. It seems the captain hasn't returned yet."
Nakata Miko spoke with a hint of fear, looking at Yūhi Kurenai's young face and giving a bitter smile, followed by a self-deprecating shake of her head.
"Yūhi, you still have time to back out. Think about it. Is the value of your family's house and your savings enough to cover the debt?"
Dragging someone down was a highly unethical act, and Nakata Miko clearly felt some burden. However, Yūhi Kurenai's panicked face broke into a forced smile.
Under the moonlight, she saw Nakata Miko's fear and the guilt in her eyes, which brought a warm feeling to her heart. She laughed bitterly, realizing that the person who cared about her the most was the one she was plotting against.
Thinking about this, Yūhi Kurenai smiled sadly. "Sister Miko, my parents were commoners, and we lived in an apartment. Even if we sold our house, we would get at most 300,000 to 500,000 ryō. With my savings, we could barely reach 500,000. The debt is 3,000,000 ryō, not 30,000 ryō. Sister Miko, I really have no other way."
At that moment, Yūhi Kurenai seemed to truly embody the role, and Nakata Miko sighed deeply.
"Yūhi, I don't know if what I'm doing is right, but I have a piece of advice for you."
Seeing Yūhi Kurenai nod gratefully, Nakata Miko sighed with a bitter smile. "Once you take this step, you will lose your dignity and never forget it."
"If it's just for money, listen to me. Don't get pregnant. Negotiate the terms, and with the generosity of a powerful clan, they will let you go in two or three years. Be careful during this time, and try not to be discovered. Forget this experience and start anew."
Yūhi Kurenai, hearing Nakata Miko's advice, lowered her head and forced a smile. "Sister Miko, do you think this can be forgotten? If you do it, you will carry the burden for life."
Seeing Yūhi Kurenai's desperate expression, Nakata Miko sighed deeply. "Captain Yoru is a good person, and while powerful clans have their share of conflicts, the Uchiha are different. Their pride prevents them from mistreating women."
"Captain Yoru will become the Hokage's disciple and the head of the Uchiha clan. Being a secondary wife (concubine) might not be so bad."
Nakata Miko stepped forward, gently smoothing Yūhi Kurenai's disheveled purple hair behind her ear, and whispered, "Being a powerful man's woman is not shameful, and Captain Yoru is a strong person. In terms of status, strength, and family standing, he won't lack for women."
"You will understand matters of the heart in the future. Ninja follow the strong, and women rely on the strong. This is an unchanging truth." Nakata Miko spoke softly, as if trying to justify her actions, which alleviated her burden somewhat.
"Yūhi, I didn't agree to be a secondary wife, not because the other party refused, but because of my child." Speaking of her child, Nakata Miko smiled resolutely.
"Her child had never known his father, and she couldn't let the Nakata family end with her. No one understood her hardships. She raised her child alone and endured all kinds of rumors and gossip over the years.
She was a widow, and others would have long remarried, but she didn't. She was protecting the last hope of the Nakata family. (In the ninja world, a woman takes her husband's surname upon marriage, like how Sakura Haruno became Uchiha Sakura.)
"Sister Miko." Yūhi Kurenai forced a smile, wanting to say thank you but unable to utter the words. After all, this was a difficult and shameful matter.
Nakata Miko's involvement with the Uchiha clan was a known secret, which was why she could be manipulated into the ANBU's plan, bringing Yūhi Kurenai to the Uchiha clan district.
"Yūhi, you don't have to say anything. I don't know if what I'm doing is right, and I don't know if you will regret it in the future. Right now, I just want to say that you still have time to back out."
Nakata Miko seemed to have lifted a burden from her heart, and her last words were sincere. She couldn't control what Yūhi Kurenai would do, as Yūhi Kurenai had come to her for help, and she knew this was the only way to save her.
She was saving a foolish girl.
Under the moonlight, the lights in the dignified house came on, and on the dark street, Nakata Miko walked slowly with her head down toward another residence.
...
Leaving the research base, it was already dark, and the streets were deserted. Uchiha Yoru smiled and shook his head, understanding why scientists were often crazy, working day and night without noticing the passage of time.
A black shadow flashed, and his ninja physique allowed him to leap swiftly through the night, returning to his courtyard.
Suddenly, Uchiha Yoru's brows furrowed, and his black eyes revealed three tomoe spinning. The crimson Sharingan activated, and he focused on his house.
The lights were on in the living room, and someone was inside. But who would come to his residence?
The Clan Head? Or Elder Tachibana? No one in the Uchiha clan was so disrespectful. Hizashi? Impossible, the Hyuga were too rigid to do such a thing.
Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but as he considered, his hand gripped the Kusanagi Sword at his waist, and his eyes narrowed. From the sleeves, venomous snakes began to emerge.
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