The abandoned lab was a graveyard of forgotten experiments. Dust coated every surface—equipment, workbenches, shelves lined with beakers and sealed containers. Seiran moved through the maze of shadows, his footsteps barely audible against the cracked floor.
"It's been idle for years," he muttered, dragging a finger across a tabletop. The streak of clean metal underneath confirmed it. "Orochimaru said Tsunade used this place before her hemophobia kicked in. No wonder it's abandoned."
Konoha didn't breed many who had the stomach for deep research. Orochimaru was the exception, though even he hadn't set foot here in months. Seiran exhaled, rubbing his temples. The isolation was ideal—no one to interfere. But the equipment looked like it might crumble if he breathed on it wrong.
He raised his palm, and an electromagnetic field bloomed outward. Dust particles swirled upward like a reverse snowfall, leaving the metal surfaces beneath gleaming under the harsh overhead light. In seconds, the workstation looked almost functional again.
"Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what we're working with."
As a former science student, Seiran knew his way around lab equipment. Orochimaru had also shared some insights into dimensional theory that proved surprisingly useful here. He moved methodically through the space, testing each device.
The differential centrifuge hummed to life.
The cell culture apparatus responded to his touch.
The high-magnification microscope's lenses cleared without a scratch.
"Not a total disaster," he breathed. "Just needs some maintenance."
He paused, considering the logistics. Setting up his own lab would save time—no more traveling back and forth to this ruin. But the equipment costs were astronomical. His bounties from the Silver-Faced Asura contract and Rasa's "gift" gave him breathing room financially. He could ask Rin Uchiha if he needed more funds. She wouldn't refuse him.
Seiran's smirk faded. "First things first. The Caged Bird Curse Mark. Can't build my own lab if the Main Family shuts me down."
He forced himself to focus.
The plan was straightforward: study his own cells and genes to understand the mechanics of the Caged Bird seal. Orochimaru had offered suggestions and had been eager—perhaps too eager—to help. The Snake Sannin seemed fascinated by the prospect of a "flawless" Hyuga breaking free.
Seiran reviewed his notes, cross-referencing them with Orochimaru's theories. The conclusions were becoming clear.
"The Caged Bird is a Yin-Yang technique," he murmured. "Yang is tied to the optic nerve and brain—physical architecture. But the Yin component..." He trailed off, jaw tightening. "That's rooted in the soul."
Soul techniques were rare and dangerous. The shinobi world had few precedents, and most of them ended badly. One misstep could destroy a person completely.
A memory surfaced. During the Fourth Great War, the Impure World Reincarnation had brought back Hiashi. Despite the resurrection, the Caged Bird Curse Mark had remained etched on his forehead.
If the seal were purely physical, it wouldn't survive the passage through the Pure Land. "So it has to involve the soul. Yin and Yang Release. Has to."
He frowned at his notes. "But the sample size is too small. I need more data. More subjects."
One face came to mind immediately: Hizashi.
The man had approached him twice, offering subtle support. Their goals were perfectly aligned. As the younger brother of the next clan head and a figure of respect within the branch family, Hizashi could acquire samples without drawing attention.
Seiran nodded to himself. "It has to be him."
---
The room was modest but warm. A copper stove burned on a wooden table, thin wisps of smoke rising into the air. Hizashi looked up in surprise as Seiran entered.
"I didn't expect you to come here," Hizashi said, his voice uncertain. Usually, he was the one seeking out Seiran.
"Uncle Hizashi." Seiran bowed slightly. "I need your help."
Hizashi straightened. "What is it?"
Seiran kept his voice low. "I need tissue samples from branch family members. Flesh, blood, hair—anything. But it can't be traced back to me. The Main Family can't find out."
Hizashi's eyes widened. "Tissue samples? Why?"
Seiran let the silence stretch, watching realization dawn across the older man's face.
"You're..." Hizashi's breath caught. "You're trying to break the seal?"
Seiran gave a slight nod, raising one finger to his lips. "I've been careful. No surveillance here, but let's not get reckless."
Hizashi exhaled slowly, his hands trembling. "Do you have a method? Could we finally be free? Our children too?" His voice cracked with decades of suppressed hope.
"The branch family clinics would be the least suspicious place to acquire samples," Seiran said. "If you can access them without raising flags—"
"Done," Hizashi said immediately. "I can do it."
Seiran paused. "There's one more thing. I need information only you would know."
"What information?" Hizashi frowned.
"Hiashi's daily habits," Seiran said. "His schedule."
Hizashi blinked. "Hiashi? Why—"
"He takes a nap at one o'clock every afternoon," Seiran said. "Has for years. You'd know that better than anyone."
Hizashi's expression softened with memory. "We grew up together. Before the..." He looked away. "Yes. One o'clock, sharp. Never misses it."
Seiran smiled. "Good."
---
The Hyuga compound loomed before him, its high walls casting long shadows across the garden paths. Seiran stood motionless in the darkness, his eyes fixed on Hiashi's residence.
The clan had divided its territory carefully. Main family and branch family lived worlds apart, separated by more than just physical distance. Even brothers couldn't escape that hierarchy.
But Hizashi knew his older brother's patterns. He'd grown up with Hiashi before the seal had carved them into separate castes. That knowledge was invaluable.
The guards stationed at Hiashi's gate were branch family—rigid, dutiful, but unpracticed in constant vigilance. They didn't patrol. They barely used their Byakugan. An opening.
Seiran calculated the distance to Hiashi's bedroom. Two hundred meters. Manageable.
He raised a single finger.
A drop of silver magnetism flowed from his fingertip, condensing into the shape of a tiny metal mosquito. It buzzed silently into the wall, invisible to any watching eye.
Seiran closed his eyes and focused. Precise electromagnetic manipulation at this range drained his mental energy quickly, and the field would destabilize if he lost concentration. Two hundred meters was his absolute limit—but it was enough.
"Just a little care," he whispered. "Get the perfect control sample."
The mosquito crawled through the walls, guided by Seiran's magnetic sense like an extension of his own body. It reached Hiashi's bedroom, found a single hair on a brush sitting on the dresser, and secured it.
Pure Main Family blood. No Caged Bird Curse Mark.
Perfect.
Seiran pulled back his senses. The mosquito dissolved into dispersing dust particles, leaving no trace.
He had the sample.
Now, the real work could begin.