Chapter 11: The Secrets of Orochimaru's Laboratory**

Chapter 11: The Secrets of Orochimaru's Laboratory

"You seem to have a fondness for collecting odd things?" Orochimaru was sitting in Kenichi Yumegami's house, waiting as Kenichi packed his belongings, given they were about to leave the village for some time.

"Ahaha, well, teacher, there's not much in the way of entertainment in the village, so I've taken to collecting little things," Kenichi replied with an awkward laugh, referring to the items he had gathered for research.

Orochimaru nodded noncommittally and surveyed Kenichi's collection. Some items were indeed rare, though none were new to him. However, a piece of amber caught his interest.

Kenichi didn't notice what his teacher was doing; he was quietly packing his clothes. His luggage was easy to manage, and as a ninja, he didn't need much for their mission.

If Orochimaru hadn't suggested changing clothes, Kenichi would have been ready to leave with just some ninja tools and food pills.

"Where did you buy this amber?" Orochimaru asked, examining the piece of amber, as Kenichi emerged from the bedroom in a different outfit.

"I bought it at the market. A merchant from the Hidden Sand Village was selling it, claiming it was an ancient piece of amber they found," Kenichi answered honestly.

Orochimaru nodded thoughtfully. He remembered seeing a similar insect encased in amber and some records about it somewhere, but he couldn't recall where.

It probably wasn't related to ninjutsu; if it were, Orochimaru felt he would remember.

After packing, Kenichi left the village with Orochimaru. Orochimaru was mostly silent until two days after they had left the village, he finally spoke up.

"Kenichi, why do you think the Third Hokage happened to meet you today?" Orochimaru was working on something, but Kenichi didn't look, assuming it was related to the laboratory as usual.

"I think he might have had some thoughts about you, teacher, and wanted to verify something, so he found me," Kenichi speculated.

It could also have been a coincidence. The Third Hokage was indeed going for a medical check-up when he encountered Kenichi.

"You think more satisfactorily than Akadou," Orochimaru said with a smile. Then, a hole appeared in the ground, and Orochimaru led Kenichi down into it.

Kenichi followed obediently. His teacher perfectly exemplified the saying about a crafty rabbit having three burrows. Kenichi even suspected that the Land of Fire was dotted with Orochimaru's experimental bases.

It was a mystery where all the funding came from.

Upon arriving at the laboratory, Kenichi was shocked to find a person preserved in a glass tank, someone he hadn't expected.

The person was male, but that wasn't the point. The significant detail was the pair of Byakugan eyes in the person's sockets.

"Surprised?" Although Kenichi didn't speak, Orochimaru could guess his disciple's shock, especially since this involved the Hyuga clan's Byakugan.

"Teacher, isn't it said that the Hyuga clan has the Caged Bird Seal?" Kenichi couldn't understand. The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan was rarely seen outside due to the seal, which could destroy the Byakugan and the brain—a cruel method and a means for the main family to control the branch family.

Claiming protection, Kenichi saw it as enslavement, as hypocritical as the Will of Fire proclaimed by the Third Hokage.

Speaking of which, if the Third truly valued the Will of Fire, why did the Fourth die while he lived? Why did Naruto, the Fourth's child, suffer such unfair treatment during his childhood?

"There is the Caged Bird Seal, and it's very special. I still don't know how to break it," Orochimaru said, touching the glass tank. This was his most significant finding recently.

"Is this a child from the main family?" Kenichi could only think of this possibility, given that Ao from the Hidden Mist also had a Byakugan, and only the main family members were free from the seal.

Orochimaru shook his head with a smile.

"He's an illegitimate child, not recorded by the Hyuga clan, and naturally, he doesn't have the Caged Bird Seal," Orochimaru explained, clarifying why he had a Hyuga clan member.

The Caged Bird Seal was formidable, supposedly inescapable for life, only ending with death. However, not all Hyuga clan members were born with the seal; it was applied at a certain age.

But for an illegitimate child, there was a chance of not receiving the seal, though the likelihood was low. The Hyuga clan took this matter seriously, and with the Byakugan's distinct features, it would be easy to discover if one were outside the clan.

"Teacher, you're truly remarkable," Kenichi expressed his admiration. However, he wasn't particularly interested in the Byakugan; if he wanted it, he could simply obtain Hyuga clan hair.

Kenichi was currently researching the Sharingan and had no time for the Byakugan.

Yet, he wondered why his teacher didn't implant the Byakugan in himself. Even if competing for the position of the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru didn't use it after defecting.

Even if not for personal use, it could have been given to his subordinates.

But there seemed to be no news of the Byakugan being circulated in the future, suggesting some incident might have occurred.

"This test subject has something novel, reminiscent of the First Hokage's cells," Orochimaru said, not paying attention to Kenichi's praise but frowning at the test subject.

"The First Hokage's cells?" Kenichi was startled. The First Hokage's cells were unique in the ninja world. How could they...

Wait, Kenichi had recently inquired about a disease at the hospital.

This piqued Kenichi's interest. The special thing about the First Hokage's cells was their aggressive invasiveness, posing a threat to surrounding normal cells, much like cancer cells.

Could it be cancer cells?

(End of Chapter)