Chapter 111: Sharing Data

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Sharing Data

Staring at the long page before him, densely packed with item after item, Hyuga Kagami couldn’t help but feel somewhat discouraged.

To realize his grand vision, the sheer amount of equipment, instruments, technology, and various materials he would need was simply staggering. He had only gone through the requirements roughly, yet he had already filled out an enormous list.

And all of this accounted for barely one-tenth of everything he would ultimately need.

"There’s absolutely no way I can accomplish this plan with my strength alone."

Pushing the list aside, Kagami gently shook his head.

He quickly realized that relying solely on himself, there was simply no way he could bring this vision to fruition. He would need to borrow the strength of the Hyuga Clan, the strength of the village, and perhaps even Orochimaru’s strength before there was any real possibility of succeeding.

After pondering for a long while, he destroyed the list he had just compiled and muttered to himself, "Looks like I’ll have to establish a new laboratory."

The laboratory Orochimaru had left him before was primarily designed for genetic observation.

Although Kagami had privately made a few modifications to it, those changes amounted to little more than adding several small culture dishes and some basic equipment for gene extraction. As a whole, the laboratory still lacked the facilities necessary to conduct large-scale experiments on living subjects.

This was also the main reason why Orochimaru had noticed the changes in Kagami long ago, yet had never suspected that Kagami’s research into the Byakugan had achieved any major breakthrough.

Because Kagami’s laboratory simply didn’t have the facilities required to conduct large-scale experiments on living subjects!

In Orochimaru’s view of science, every successful experimental result was built upon countless failures. Therefore, he simply didn’t believe that Kagami could skip the most crucial stage—experimentation on living subjects—and somehow achieve success in a single attempt.

Of course, all of this ultimately came down to the fact that Orochimaru didn’t know the secret of the Tenseigan.

Moreover, the fact that Kagami had managed to survive the genetic recombination process was itself an event with an incredibly low probability of success. Even now, whenever he thought back on it, he still felt a lingering fear over just how reckless he had been back then.

Afterward, he had even calculated the odds.

Given his own mediocre aptitude, activating all of his special gene sequences required him to endure sixteen rounds of genetic recombination. And every single round was like taking a stroll before the gates of death. Surviving sixteen rounds in succession meant that his overall chance of success had been less than one percent.

So the fact that he had succeeded really was like hitting the jackpot.

It was like doing a single pull and getting an SSR.

But gambling with his life like that once was more than enough.

Kagami knew very well that luck wouldn’t favor him forever. He had no intention of wagering his life again. From now on, every experiment would first undergo rigorous theoretical analysis, followed by extensive experimentation on living subjects.

Only after confirming that it was safe would he apply it to his own body.

With that thought, Kagami took out the artificial tailed beast scroll he had obtained from Orochimaru and began recording, one by one, the data and insights he had gathered while creating his own artificial tailed beast.

He might be able to hide the matter of the Dragon Vein from others, but there was no hiding it from Orochimaru!

After all, even the artificial tailed beast scroll Kagami possessed had come from Orochimaru.

More importantly, he had previously promised to share his experimental data with Orochimaru. Considering that there would still be many areas where he would need Orochimaru’s help in the future, Kagami had no intention of going back on his word over something like this and damaging their cooperative relationship.

Besides, as far as Kagami could tell, Orochimaru might not even be particularly interested in the artificial tailed beast project.

After all, Orochimaru already had quite a few projects on his hands. Whether it was the Living Corpse Reincarnation, the Impure World Reincarnation, or the Cursed Seal, each one was a highly promising field of research.

"Summoning Technique!"

Poof...

Amidst a cloud of smoke, the one-eyed viper appeared before Kagami, flicking its tongue.

Kagami handed the artificial tailed beast scroll to the one-eyed viper without saying anything more. He immediately released the Summoning Technique, sending the viper away after it swallowed the scroll.

There was another reason Kagami had chosen to share the artificial tailed beast data with Orochimaru.

Through this act, he wanted to subtly inform Orochimaru of one thing—

He was now the Dragon Vein’s jinchūriki.

From this point onward, the relationship between the two of them would no longer be that of a superior and subordinate.

They would be equal partners.

After sending away the one-eyed viper, Kagami sat cross-legged inside the room once more and began considering the matter of finding an assistant.

His grand vision was extraordinarily complex, so he needed an experimental assistant who was both capable and loyal—

Someone like Kabuto, who was always standing faithfully at Orochimaru’s side.

But geniuses as extraordinarily gifted as Kabuto were few and far between throughout the entire shinobi world.

After all, Kabuto was one of the very few people who had managed to master senjutsu through his own ability. In that regard, his talent even surpassed Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

Thinking about an assistant soon brought Kagami to another problem—

Funding.

"Money’s going to be a huge problem too..."

The moment he thought about his completely empty wallet, Kagami couldn’t help but feel troubled.

Knock, knock, knock...

Just then, the sound of someone knocking came from outside the courtyard.

Kagami activated his Byakugan and took a look, only to find his fiancée, Hyuga Rei, waiting outside with a bamboo basket in hand.

After welcoming Rei inside, Kagami smiled.

"Looks like I’m in for a treat today."

With a bright smile, Rei took the dishes out of the bamboo basket one by one and arranged them on the table. Curious, she asked, "You’ve been shutting yourself inside the house these past few days. Just what kind of technique have you been researching?"

"Hehe, that’s a secret."

Kagami casually brushed off the question and began tasting Rei’s cooking.

He had to admit, Rei truly had a talent for cooking. The food she made tasted every bit as good as the dishes served in the restaurants around the village.

Rei rested her chin in both hands, watching Kagami happily as he ate the food she had prepared. As they chatted, she said, "Lord Hizashi asked me to thank you on his behalf. Uncle Haruto successfully made jōnin."

Kagami waved his hand dismissively. "I didn’t really help much."

Hyuga Haruto was the Hyuga clansman whom Hizashi had previously asked Kagami to help gather votes for in his promotion to jōnin.

In truth, Kagami hadn’t managed to secure that many votes for him. At most, he had gotten a few votes from his former comrades in Team 11. So when it came down to it, Haruto’s promotion really didn’t have much to do with him.

Most likely, it had been Hizashi who had worked behind the scenes and pulled the necessary strings to make it happen.

The sun gradually sank below the horizon, and the sky began to darken.

After finishing the meal, Kagami and Rei sat close together, casually chatting about one thing and another.

It had been a long time since Kagami had enjoyed such a peaceful and heartwarming moment of leisure.

Tap...

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the rooftop.

Judging by the sound, it seemed that one of the village’s shinobi had just sped across the roof of Kagami’s house, leaving behind the brief sound of a footstep.

Rei’s delicate brows furrowed as she pouted.

"How rude!"

Kagami’s gaze, however, immediately sharpened as he rose to his feet.

Under normal circumstances, the village’s shinobi wouldn’t casually cross over the rooftops of other people’s homes.

They generally only did so when carrying out an urgent mission.

Walking out onto the veranda, Kagami looked toward the village outside.

In the gathering darkness, he spotted numerous figures rapidly leaping from rooftop to rooftop throughout the village.

And judging by the direction they were heading...

They all seemed to be rushing toward the Hokage Building.