After finalizing their matchmaking plan, the sun was already high in the sky.
Throughout almost the entire breakfast, Hoshiyomi and Tsunade were completely absorbed in refining the details of their plan.
The two of them were taking these two pairs' love lives far more seriously than the major policies of Konoha itself.
Once breakfast was done, they each went their separate ways.
Tsunade, of course, headed for the Hokage's Office.
As for Hoshiyomi—after finishing his usual morning sword practice—he decided to pay a visit to Orochimaru's Konoha Research Institute.
It had been quite a while since he had entrusted the Mangekyō Sharingan to Orochimaru for study.
By now, it was time to check on how far the man's research had progressed.
Over the years, with heavy investment and continuous development, the Konoha Research Institute had become quite an impressive establishment.
In fact, calling the aboveground structure a "research facility" was almost misleading—it looked more like a science exhibition hall.
Inside were Orochimaru's publicly approved research projects, as well as a few teams organized by Hoshiyomi himself conducting relatively simple experiments.
But Hoshiyomi's attention wasn't on any of that.
After a brief glance around, he quietly bypassed the crowd and descended into the underground area—Orochimaru's personal laboratory.
Perhaps it was a reflection of Orochimaru's personality, but the underground lab was far gloomier than the bright halls above.
The lighting was dim and cold, and the air was filled with an eerie silence occasionally broken by the slithering sounds of snakes—Orochimaru's "assistants"—as they carried heavy pieces of equipment back and forth.
The faint, flickering lamps combined with the hiss of serpent tongues created such a chilling atmosphere that it would drive away at least eighty percent of any curious visitors.
But Hoshiyomi had long since grown used to this.
Unbothered, he continued forward as if strolling through a garden.
When he finally reached the deepest part of the lab—the core chamber—he was surprised to find a metal door installed there, radiating an advanced, almost futuristic feel.
Curious, Hoshiyomi pressed the red button on the door panel.
A few seconds later, a screen descended from the ceiling—one with a distinctly "ninja-tech" aesthetic.
The display flickered with static before revealing Orochimaru's pale, smiling face.
"Ah… so it's Hoshiyomi-kun," Orochimaru said, his slightly distorted voice coming through the speaker.
"How do you like my new setup? Surprised?"
"Surprised" was an understatement.
Looking at the technology before him—so far ahead of the shinobi world's current level that it could easily be ten years early—Hoshiyomi was nearly moved to tears.
After nearly forty years in this era, he thought, I might finally get a taste of modern life again.
Orochimaru truly lived up to the title of a technological genius.
Even without Hoshiyomi's direct input, he had managed to develop such advanced electronic equipment on his own.
The speed at which this man was climbing the tech tree was downright terrifying.
Sure, it all still looked rather crude for now, but the breakthrough from zero to one had already been achieved.
And with Hoshiyomi—the man with knowledge from a more advanced world—ready to offer endless ideas, there was no telling how far they could go from here.
As soon as Orochimaru opened the laboratory door, Hoshiyomi eagerly rushed in, practically skipping steps, and began describing a series of improvements and design ideas he had in mind for the facility.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed a dangerous green as he listened, and when Hoshiyomi finally mentioned the concept of "Metal Garurumon," Orochimaru's entire body trembled with excitement.
Although Hoshiyomi's ideas didn't directly involve ninjutsu, they were undeniably fascinating—and more importantly, revolutionary.
If Orochimaru were to truly pursue these inventions, he would no longer be following in the Second Hokage's footsteps.
He would be forging an entirely new path—one no shinobi had ever walked before.
That thought alone sent a thrill through his soul.
The two of them spent the entire morning deep in discussion about the "technology tree," tossing around ideas that blurred the line between science and chakra.
Finally, Orochimaru let out a long sigh.
"Ah, Hoshiyomi-kun… everything you've described is truly fascinating.
But no matter how grand the ideas, they must be done one step at a time.
Before I start inventing new things, I must first finish the research I already began."
Hoshiyomi suddenly remembered why he had come today and quickly asked:
"Right—Orochimaru, about the Mangekyō Sharingan and the three-tomoe Sharingan I brought you last time, how far have you gotten with your research?"
At the mention of the Mangekyō Sharingan, the sigh that had just escaped Orochimaru's lips vanished, replaced by a delighted, almost fanatical smile. His expression became one of pure obsession.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan," he said reverently, "is nothing less than a divine gift to the Uchiha clan. It's just like its name—a true kaleidoscope. Its research value is immeasurable.
I've spent all this time merely standing on the shoulders of the Second Hokage, broadening the knowledge he once discovered just a little further."
Hearing that, Hoshiyomi subconsciously asked:
"And by 'broadening' you mean…?"
Orochimaru gave him a knowing look, the kind that said, You'll understand.
"My research on the Sharingan has been focused on two main directions," he explained.
"First, whether the Sharingan possesses any universal adaptability; and second, the mechanism behind its evolution."
"As for the Sharingan's universality, that part has proven quite difficult. I've discovered that the Sharingan contains a unique genomic sequence. It's this genetic configuration that causes the persistent rejection response we're familiar with. Overcoming that will take a long time—and it will inevitably require a deep understanding of genetic engineering."
At this, Orochimaru's face showed clear regret.
He knew that completing such research would demand a large number of experimental subjects—but both he and Hoshiyomi had long agreed not to conduct unethical human experimentation.
Naturally, that limitation slowed his progress.
But almost as quickly, a spark of excitement reignited in Orochimaru's golden eyes.
"Still, while the 'universality' path is full of obstacles," he continued, "my other line of research—the principle behind the Sharingan's evolution—has yielded a rather significant breakthrough."
He gestured for Hoshiyomi to follow him.
After weaving through several twisting corridors of the laboratory, they arrived at the chamber where Orochimaru stored the Sharingan samples—both ordinary and Mangekyō.
Pointing toward the preserved eyes floating in their glass containers, Orochimaru began to explain passionately:
"The Second Hokage began studying the Sharingan long ago. In the personal notes you gave me, I found detailed records of his findings.
Truly, he was a once-in-a-century genius. Even with the primitive research conditions of his time, he uncovered an astonishing amount about the nature of the Sharingan."
"According to his notes, the process of awakening the Sharingan depends on an Uchiha experiencing both the gain and loss of love—an emotional shock strong enough to generate a unique chakra in the eyes, one capable of evolving their ocular power.
And it's precisely here that I've made my breakthrough."
He placed a firm hand on Hoshiyomi's shoulder, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"It's all thanks to you, Hoshiyomi-kun. Without your help, I would never have discovered a secret that even the Second Hokage himself failed to uncover."
Hoshiyomi blinked, a little puzzled.
Seeing his confusion, Orochimaru chuckled softly and explained:
"It was because of the Hashirama cells you provided from Nawaki. Thanks to them, I was able to uncover a major hidden truth about the Sharingan's evolution."