Two days later, Hayashi finally returned to the Hidden Leaf Village with Mikoto and Himeji.
The arrival of a village Kage should have been a major event, yet due to the Third Mizukage's special request, it was handled quietly, without public fanfare.
Even so, when Sarutobi Hiruzen personally welcomed them along with three senior advisors, the village buzzed with speculation about the identity of this high-ranking visitor.
For Team 1, however, the matter was irrelevant. Hayashi had left the ANBU escort unit the previous night and returned first, ensuring that Sarutobi Hiruzen was informed in advance. The mission's unusual circumstances—including the encounter with the Mizukage—required a detailed report to prepare the Third Hokage mentally.
After listening, the Third Hokage muttered to himself, recalling that Team 1's very first mission had triggered the Second Great Ninja War. Now, a similar risk had emerged; if Hayashi had been accidentally killed by the Mizukage, a war against the Hidden Mist Village might have erupted.
A cold sweat ran down the Third Hokage's face. He had once thought Nawaki was as naturally gifted as Tsunade, who seemed born to gamble and win. Now he realized that Nawaki's innocence was no match for the calculated cunning before him. Hayashi was the little white rabbit, but the Mizukage represented the big bad wolf.
Puffing on his pipe, the Third Hokage thought, "Even if all the village Jonin die and missions pile up like mountains, I cannot allow Hayashi to go on missions anymore."
Feeling the Hokage's intense gaze, Hayashi shivered and asked, "Hokage-sama, may I return now?"
"Hmm, you may," the Third Hokage replied, taking two sharp draws from his pipe. "The ANBU will watch over Ryoma. You performed admirably on this mission. Rest for now; no missions are required immediately."
Though Hayashi appreciated the reprieve, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Hokage was secretly displeased.
With the mission payment received, he returned to his house under the quiet moonlight.
The next morning, loud knocks at the door startled him awake. Half-asleep and clad in pajamas, he shuffled to the entrance in slippers, only to find an unexpected visitor: Orochimaru.
With heavy dark circles under his eyes, a white lab coat, and the unmistakable smell of formaldehyde, the snake-sensei entered the small house.
—Had he stayed up all night again? Hayashi thought.
After washing up, Hayashi brewed tea and brought it to Orochimaru, who was engrossed in a scroll.
"Your father's mastery of genjutsu is remarkable," Orochimaru said, setting the scroll aside. He had picked it up from the shelf on a whim and gleaned insights from a mere glance, demonstrating Kagami's genius. Hayashi had clearly inherited this talent.
"Interesting how talent passes through bloodlines, isn't it?" Orochimaru hinted.
Hayashi smiled. "Indeed. Sensei, have you discovered why this happens?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "I first thought it was a simple genetic mutation, etched into the genes and inheritable indefinitely. But then I saw abilities like Magnet Release, which can be learned later, and realized inheritance isn't always that simple."
Hayashi regarded him with admiration. While everyone knew about Bloodline Limits, only Orochimaru tried to systematically understand their origin. He was truly the greatest scientist in the ninja world.
A bold thought struck Hayashi. "Could Devil Fruits be Orochimaru's mass-produced experiments on Bloodline Limits?"
After all, in later years, Orochimaru grew bored of the ninja world's conflicts and might cross into other realms to experiment further. For someone obsessed with immortality, almost anything was possible.
Shaking off his imagination, Hayashi asked, "Have you seen that Mist ninja yet?"
"Yes," Orochimaru said matter-of-factly. "I just returned from the morgue. Yamanaka Tazu is conducting a memory search on the Kaguya clan ninja."
"Did you inform the Third Hokage?" Hayashi asked.
"Yes. Once the analysis is complete, the body will be returned. Thank you for bringing the material. My previous research had nearly concluded, and this was perfectly timed."
Hayashi prepared to offer polite thanks, but Orochimaru continued. "Chen, I'm not criticizing, but you're really terrible at medical procedures. Can a corpse be preserved this way? By destroying the heart, you limit the experiments I can conduct."
Hayashi remained silent, unsure how to respond.
Orochimaru finally sighed after sipping the slightly cold tea. Encountering a Kaguya clan ninja was a rare opportunity. He regretted refusing the mission earlier, claiming to be too busy.
"If it were me," Orochimaru muttered, "I'd have used the Kaguya incident to rush into the Land of Water for more materials. Such an opportunity wasted."
Hayashi hadn't known Orochimaru thought this way, and instead asked, "You already know about the Kaguya child's bloodline disease, right?"
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes. If the Third Mizukage hadn't been present, I would have started the procedure immediately."
"Can it be cured?"
"Difficult," Orochimaru replied.
"Not even you or Tsunade-sensei?"
"No," he sighed. "Despite being called a disease, it isn't truly one. It accelerates bodily deterioration, making it appear fatal."
Hayashi's brow furrowed in confusion.
Orochimaru continued, "Bloodline disease is an extreme form of a Bloodline Limit. Both are 'Corpse Bone Pulse,' but one with the disease wields vastly greater power. The problem is the body cannot endure this, drastically shortening their lifespan."
"In short," Orochimaru said regretfully, "I have no solution. That child's fate is sealed."