"Let's go. It's time to return to the village." Orochimaru checked to confirm the Hyuga Clan bastard was truly dead, then relaxed and stuffed him back into the jar.
Amemiya Kenichi nodded obediently, then glanced back at the test subject with a hint of reluctance. This was an exceptionally rare and valuable specimen. He wondered if he'd ever be able to get it from his teacher.
But leaving now was fine. Kenichi already had his own experimental idea: using nicotine to specifically target the lungs and induce cancer.
Unfortunately, it hadn't worked yet. He still needed more data. He could only hope Teacher Orochimaru would bring back more test subjects.
On the way back, Orochimaru taught Kenichi various ninjutsu. Since Kenichi's chakra affinity was Lightning-Fire, they focused mainly on Lightning Release and Fire Release techniques.
"Teacher, do you know about Kumogakure's secret Lightning Release techniques? I heard they use lightning to strengthen their bodies." Kenichi finished his ninjutsu practice, his chakra nearly depleted.
I need a break.
"Those muscleheads from Kumogakure? Of course I know them. They're terrifying in close combat," Orochimaru said, looking at his disciple with satisfaction.
Orochimaru had been somewhat disappointed when he realized his disciple's progress was slow. After all, in the Ninja World, strength was paramount.
If Orochimaru himself lacked power, Danzo wouldn't treat him with such respect, and their current partnership would be impossible. Instead, Danzo might try to dominate him.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Amemiya Kenichi was the perfect disciple. He possessed unique scientific talent, but his only flaw was his lack of strength—he was still just a Genin.
This had disappointed Orochimaru. He knew all too well that without sufficient power, one could only become someone else's pawn, controlled for life, like the Root ninjas.
But now that Kenichi's strength was finally improving, Orochimaru felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Amemiya Kenichi felt a twinge of envy. Kumogakure's taijutsu was incredibly powerful, and learning it would be a valuable trump card for survival.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru didn't know the specifics of Kumogakure's taijutsu, so he couldn't teach it to Kenichi.
When the master and apprentice returned to Konoha, the biggest news on the streets was that the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was stepping down. The election for the Fourth Hokage was about to begin.
The transition of leadership in Konoha was a momentous event. The entire village buzzed with discussion. Orochimaru instructed Kenichi to stay home quietly for the time being.
He wouldn't need to go to the lab until the Fourth Hokage was chosen. Kenichi had no objections.
"Looks like Teacher still has some ambitions," Kenichi shrugged. But he knew the outcome: the Fourth Hokage wouldn't be Orochimaru, but Namikaze Minato.
When the results came out, Teacher would start preparing to defect from the village. He'd also harbor a grudge against Sarutobi Hiruzen, planning to execute the Konoha Crush Plan in the future.
Although he couldn't access the lab right now, Amemiya Kenichi decided to seize the opportunity to set up his own. He'd at least get the framework in place while simultaneously looking for Kakashi.
He'd use Kakashi to get close to Uzumaki Kushina and obtain a strand of her hair.
So Amemiya Kenichi cheerfully headed to Namikaze Minato's house. It was already noon, and Kakashi definitely wouldn't be home alone. Visiting Minato's place would also give him a chance to meet Uzumaki Kushina.
"Huh? Isn't that Little Amemiya?" Minato's house was easy to find, given his celebrity status in Konoha. As Kenichi approached, he ran into his target: Uzumaki Kushina.
Kushina was quite attractive, but her temper was a bit fiery. Kenichi even wondered if Sakura's character design had been based on her.
"Hello, Sister Kushina! I'm looking for Kakashi," Amemiya Kenichi said, maintaining the appearance of an ordinary child with a sweet, slightly goofy smile.
"Oh, you're looking for Kakashi? He went to the training grounds with Minato. You can try looking there," Uzumaki Kushina said with a warm smile, reaching out to pinch his cheek.
Kenichi couldn't help but feel a little helpless. After all, he did have rather good looks, and right now he had that adorable baby fat that made him look so cute.
He was a bit frustrated, but kids were like that. It would get better as he got older.
"Thank you, Sister Kushina!" Kenichi finally escaped Kushina's clutches. But he hadn't come away empty-handed. He'd noticed a strand of her hair looked a bit off.
Sure enough, it fell out, and Kenichi quietly pocketed it.
Now that he had a sample, all that was left was to analyze its genetic sequence, compare it to a normal person's, isolate the unique genetic markers, and the mission would be complete.
Even though he'd already obtained the sample, Amemiya Kenichi still took a stroll through the training grounds to avoid raising suspicion. Instead of finding Kakashi, he ran into Guy.
"Yo, Kenichi! You back from your mission?" Guy greeted him with his usual boundless enthusiasm, sweating profusely despite the Konoha heat.
When Amemiya Kenichi had first arrived, he'd spotted Guy doing one-handed push-ups, which couldn't help but impress him.
Putting everything else aside, Guy's relentless effort truly deserved his eventual moment of glory. A sword honed for years, forged for that single, breathtaking strike—wasn't that the ultimate reward for such dedication?
"Ah, I just finished a mission with Teacher," Amemiya Kenichi replied with a grin. "Hey Guy, how about a thrilling clash of youth?"
"Oh oh oh! A true man can never refuse a friend's challenge! How about twelve laps around the frog-jumping course?" Guy instantly perked up, his excitement infectious. Amemiya Kenichi couldn't help but chuckle—Guy's happiness was so simple, so pure.