Chapter 15: Returning to the Village
"Let's go. It is time to head back to the village."
After confirming that the Hyuga was still clinging to life, Orochimaru finally relaxed and sealed him back into the cultivation tank.
Kenichi nodded obediently, but as he turned away he could not help casting one last lingering look at the test subject.
That man was an incredibly rare and valuable specimen. If possible, Kenichi was already thinking about how he might convince his teacher to hand him over in the future.
Still, even if he had to leave now, it did not matter too much.
He already had a clear research direction of his own: using nicotine to target a person's lungs and induce lung cancer.
Unfortunately, he had yet to succeed, and he still needed a large amount of experimental data. All he could do for now was silently hope that Orochimaru would bring back more test subjects next time.
On the road back to Konoha, Orochimaru continued to teach him new techniques. Since Kenichi's chakra nature was lightning and fire, their focus was naturally on Lightning Release and Fire Release ninjutsu.
"Teacher, do you know the Lightning Release techniques from the Hidden Cloud Village? I heard they use lightning chakra to temper their bodies," Kenichi asked after finishing a round of practice, his chakra nearly exhausted.
He really needed a break.
"Of course I know those muscle-headed fools from Kumogakure. They are extremely skilled in close combat," Orochimaru replied, giving his disciple a satisfied look.
When he had first realized how slowly Kenichi's combat strength was advancing, Orochimaru had felt disappointed.
This was a world where strength decided everything.
If he himself were not strong enough, Danzo would never treat him politely or cooperate with him. He would simply try to use him and then discard him.
In Orochimaru's eyes, Kenichi was an almost perfect disciple when it came to scientific talent, but his biggest flaw was obvious: he was still only a genin.
Without sufficient strength, one could only become a tool, a vassal controlled by others for life, just like the members of Root.
Even so, Orochimaru was pleased to see that Kenichi's power was finally beginning to climb.
Kenichi, on the other hand, could not help feeling envious.
The ninjutsu of the Hidden Cloud were famously powerful. If he could learn those Lightning Release body techniques, he would gain another card to play when his life was on the line.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru did not know the exact methods the Cloud Village used, so there was no way for him to teach them.
When master and disciple finally returned to Konoha, the village was buzzing with a single piece of news.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was preparing to step down, and the selection of the Fourth Hokage was about to begin.
In a village as renowned as the Hidden Leaf, the handover between old and new leaders was a major event. The streets were filled with rumors and debates, and even the most ordinary villagers were talking about it with bright, excited faces.
Orochimaru quietly instructed Kenichi to stay at home during this period and not go anywhere near the lab until the Fourth Hokage had been chosen.
Kenichi had no objection to that.
"It seems teacher still has hopes for the position," he thought, shrugging.
But he already knew how this story would end.
The Fourth Hokage would not be Orochimaru. It would be Minato Namikaze.
Once the results came out, Orochimaru would begin preparing to betray the village and turn his bitterness on Hiruzen, eventually planning the Konoha Crush.
Even if he could not go to the lab for now, Kenichi had no intention of wasting this time.
He decided to start laying the foundation for his own laboratory, at least enough to get the framework in place, and at the same time go and find Kakashi.
Through Kakashi, he could also make contact with Kushina Uzumaki and secure a sample of her hair.
With that in mind, Kenichi happily headed toward Minato's home. It was already noon, and Kakashi would not likely be at his own place, but Minato was a celebrity in Konoha and easy to find.
"Eh? Isn't this Kenichi?"
Just as he approached Minato's house, he happened to run into the very person he wanted to see most: Kushina Uzumaki.
Kushina was, objectively speaking, very pretty, but her temper was famously bad. Kenichi had always suspected that Sakura's personality was heavily inspired by Kushina's character.
"Hello, Kushina-neechan. I am here to see Kakashi," Kenichi said, putting on the innocent look of an ordinary child. He flashed a bright, silly grin up at her.
"Oh, you're looking for Kakashi? He went to the training grounds with Minato. You should be able to find them over there."
Kushina smiled warmly at him, then reached out and pinched his cheek.
Kenichi's face was still soft and round with baby fat, his features unusually handsome for his age. Of course people liked to pinch his cheeks.
He was helpless against it, but that was just what came with being a kid. He would grow out of it sooner or later.
"Thank you, Kushina-neechan."
Kenichi finally escaped her hands and slipped away, but not empty-handed.
Just a moment ago, he had noticed one of Kushina's long red hairs fall loose. It drifted down in front of him, and he quietly picked it up without saying a word.
He had his sample.
The next step would be to analyze the genetic chain in this strand of hair, compare it against a normal person's, and isolate the unique gene sequence belonging to the Uzumaki lineage. Once that was done, the elective task would be considered complete.
Even though he already had what he needed, Kenichi still went to the training grounds for a quick look, just to avoid attracting suspicion.
He did not find Kakashi there, but he did find Guy.
"Hey, Kenichi, you are back from a mission?"
Guy was as enthusiastic as always. Even though it was scorching hot in Konoha, he was drenched in sweat from non stop training.
When Kenichi approached, he saw that Guy was doing one handed push ups on the ground, muscles trembling, expression passionate.
Kenichi could only sigh inwardly.
Say what you will about him, but all of Guy's years of effort truly deserved that brilliant moment in the future when his youth would burn brighter than anyone else's. A blade sharpened for so long was bound to shine in the final swing.
"Yeah, I just went on a mission with my teacher. Guy, how about a hot blooded youth showdown?" Kenichi asked with a smile.
"Oh my god! How could a man refuse his friend's challenge? How about twelve laps of frog jumps around the training field?!"
Guy practically exploded with excitement, eyes blazing, and Kenichi nearly laughed out loud.
Guy's happiness was really that simple.
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