Chapter 2: Special Genes

According to the vague memories from his previous life, the Tenseigan was a powerful weapon—an upgraded version of the Byakugan, a force comparable to the Rinnegan.

As far as Hyuga Kagami knew, there were two ways to evolve into the Tenseigan.

The first method was to do as Ōtsutsuki Toneri did: combine the bloodline of the Hyuga clan's main branch with the bloodline of the Ōtsutsuki family on the moon, thereby evolving into the Tenseigan.

The second method was to fuse a large number of Byakugan eyes.

Hyuga Kagami immediately ruled out the first method. He wasn't from the main branch of the Hyuga clan, nor did he have access to the Byakugan from Ōtsutsuki Toneri's lineage on the moon. As for the second method, because of the "Caged Bird" seal, the Byakugan of the branch family would be destroyed immediately upon death or removal. So it would be impossible to gather enough Byakugan from the main branch alone.

Both methods seemed unworkable at first glance, but the second method sparked a new idea in Hyuga Kagami's mind.

Whether Byakugan or Sharingan, all Kekkei Genkai were essentially the physical manifestation of genes. If he couldn't gather enough Byakugan, could he instead focus on genetics? By collecting a large number of Hyuga clan genes and fusing them, perhaps he could evolve the Byakugan into the Tenseigan from the genetic level, working from the inside out.

With this bold hypothesis, Hyuga Kagami began focusing on learning genetic technology from Orochimaru.

Through continuous learning and observation, Hyuga Kagami made a startling discovery: within the genes of every Hyuga clan member, there existed 33 unique gene sequences.

Further observation revealed that the number of these 33 unique gene sequences that were in an active state varied among individuals.

In Hyuga Kagami's case, only sequences 17 to 33 were active, while sequences 1 to 16 remained inactive. The other dozen or so Hyuga clan members he sampled showed similar results—only part of their 33 unique gene sequences were active.

This discovery further reinforced Hyuga Kagami's hypothesis.

He even suspected that if all 33 unique gene sequences could be activated, then any Hyuga clan member would be able to evolve their Byakugan into the Tenseigan.

This thought took hold of Hyuga Kagami, spreading like wildfire in his mind.

Thanks to the war, Hyuga Kagami, stationed at a field hospital under Orochimaru's orders, easily collected a large number of Hyuga clan gene samples. After screening and comparing hundreds of samples, he successfully extracted sequences 4 to 16 in their active state.

With sequences 17 to 33 active in his own body, the only missing pieces were the first three active gene sequences from the set of 33.

Hyuga Kagami had already collected plenty of samples from the branch family, but none of them had the first three gene sequences in an active state. Naturally, he turned his attention to the main family.

However, members of the main family rarely went to the battlefield, and even when they did, they were heavily guarded, making it difficult for someone at Hyuga Kagami's level to get close to them. As a result, he had never been able to obtain a sample of the main family's genes.

For this, he had no choice but to seek Orochimaru's help.

Orochimaru didn't refuse, but even for one of the legendary Sannin, stealing genetic material from the main family wasn't easy.

One year passed, and the experiment was forced to a halt.

Although frustrated, Hyuga Kagami knew that as a small, struggling figure trying to survive, he had to find opportunities on his own. He couldn't sit around waiting for fortune to fall into his lap.

Just as he was about to shift his focus to Hinata, the soon-to-be-born child of the main family, something unexpected happened: along with his farewell, Orochimaru delivered a piece of flesh from the main family as a parting gift.

As Hyuga Kagami processed the sample, he thought to himself, "Orochimaru will probably defect in the next few days. But instead of taking me with him, he gave me the experimental materials I desperately needed. What's his intention? Is he trying to keep me in the village as his spy?"

Based on Orochimaru's recent behavior and his own vague memories from his past life, Hyuga Kagami was sure that Orochimaru had lost interest in the Byakugan. This parting gift wasn't meant to advance Byakugan research but to appease Hyuga Kagami.

With a wry smile, Hyuga Kagami thought to himself, "It seems the 'Caged Bird' seal isn't entirely without its benefits."

Undoubtedly, Orochimaru's decision to leave Hyuga Kagami in the village was largely influenced by the "Caged Bird" seal on Hyuga Kagami's forehead. As a member of the branch family, he had no right to defect. If he tried, the seal would activate and destroy him, making him nothing more than a useless corpse in Orochimaru's eyes.

As the experiment progressed, Hyuga Kagami set aside his wandering thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

The sample from the main family that Orochimaru had delivered was incredibly fresh. If Hyuga Kagami's guess was correct, it likely came from the clan head, Hyuga Hiashi, whose genes were the most valuable to him.

Since the tissue was fresh, the gene extraction process went smoothly. Upon analysis, Hyuga Kagami was shocked to discover that 28 out of Hiashi's 33 unique gene sequences were in an active state, including the crucial first three sequences Hyuga Kagami had been searching for.

"Twenty-eight active gene sequences… As expected from the clan head!"

Reflecting on Hiashi's near-Kage-level strength, Hyuga Kagami quickly understood.

Hiashi, in his prime, was undoubtedly the Hyuga clan's most powerful member. It made sense that such a strong figure would possess the clan's best genetic makeup.

Setting aside his musings, Hyuga Kagami focused on extracting the first three gene sequences—the ones he had long dreamed of activating.

With this, Hyuga Kagami had finally collected all the active gene sequences from numbers 1 to 16.

"This is my chance to defy fate!"

A whirlwind of emotions—joy, anticipation, anxiety, and confusion—rushed over Hyuga Kagami, leaving him momentarily dazed.

He wanted to shout to the heavens, to release the years of pent-up frustration and fear. But the one-eyed viper on his shoulder kept him grounded.

After taking a deep breath, Hyuga Kagami composed himself, suppressing all the chaotic emotions inside.

He carefully stored the extracted gene fluid in a small insulated bottle, then pulled out a scroll and sealed the bottle inside.

Orochimaru's defection would inevitably shake the village.

To avoid getting caught up in the fallout, Hyuga Kagami had many loose ends to tie up. First on the list was this laboratory—he needed to erase all traces of his involvement, especially the evidence of his genetic experiments. If the village found out, they could trace everything back to him, exposing his secret research on the unique gene sequences.