The professor and his assistants seemed unphased by Hikari's sudden appearance. It was clear they had been aware of his presence all along.
"Greetings, young master, Hikari. You were observing our class very diligently for quite some time. We are honored. But, are you interested in anyone specifically here, or are you considering enrolling here as well...?",
The professor inquired, acknowledging Hikari's extended observation politely while also signaling his respect and that it didn't matter.
The fact that Hikari had been noticed by nearly everyone in the room, despite their focus on various complex tasks, underscored the impossibility of remaining unseen by anyone actively using their Byakugan, especially those at a certain level of proficiency.
Yet, they had chosen not to call attention to him, respecting his identity and perhaps his reasons for being there.
What intrigued Hikari the most, however, was that the girl, despite her advanced utilization of the Byakugan and the impressive control she had demonstrated throughout the day, was among the few who hadn't noticed him at all. This discrepancy piqued his curiosity about her and her eyes to its limits.
"Mr. Professor, you should have probably noticed that I've observed that girl for the entire time. Let's be frank. I'm intrigued by her talents and eyes. Can you tell me all the information you know about her and what her Byakugan specialty is?" Hikari didn't beat around the bush, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Despite the vast age gap between him and the professor and his young age of just six years, Hikari communicated from a position of equality, his demeanor noble, calm, and composed.
The professor, recognizing the seriousness of Hikari's inquiry and respecting his genuine interest, nodded slightly before responding, "Indeed, young master Hikari, your interest in her talents is well placed.",
"She is a remarkable student, displaying a level of proficiency with her Byakugan and medical ninjutsu that is rare for her age. Her name is Hinome. Like you, she has shown an exceptional talent that surpasses the expectations of our clan at such a young age.", He replied honestly.
"I understood most of what you said myself already. I'm asking you if there is anything even more specific and unique about her, especially her Byakugan, that you found out. After all, out of the entire room, she was amongst a few who didn't notice me at all.",
"What I'm asking you is, does her Byakugan's 'specialty' indeed live in only one area, so that's why she didn't notice me? Why did you all praise her when she connected her vision to these advanced microscopes...",
Hikari continued, his inquiry taking on a more precise focus. As he spoke, his eyes wandered around the room, taking in the advanced equipment that facilitated the study and application of medical research and development, a testament to the surprising technological sophistication of this world Hikari already had a few speculations about from his extensive readings of history.
Hikari theorized that this was all connected to chakra. Due to chakra, people became more intelligent, leading to the rising technological level. However, chakra also caused various wars.
So, even though the technological level has risen considerably since the introduction of chakra, wars always prevented the world from rising from a sociological and political perspective too in a coherent manner of Hikari's past life, leaving it in this unique and strange limbo that was hard to understand to someone who experienced living in Hikari's past world.
The professor listened intently, understanding the depth of Hikari's question. With a thoughtful nod, he began to elaborate, "Ah, I see where your interest lies. Yes, Hinome's Byakugan does exhibit a unique specialization.",
"It's quite rare, even within our clan known for the diversity of abilities the Byakugan can manifest. Her focus and control allow her to engage in extremely detailed and micro-level medical analysis, something that traditional Byakugan users might not focus on developing to such an extent."
He paused, choosing his words carefully, "This specialization, while providing her with unparalleled abilities in medical diagnosis and treatment, especially when combined with advanced medical equipment like microscopes, does come with its trade-offs.",
"Her concentration on micro-level details means her macro-level perception, such as noticing an entire room's occupants, might not be as instinctively broad as other Byakugan users. It's not that she couldn't notice you; her focus was simply directed elsewhere, honing in on the specific details relevant to her medical studies and practice.",
The professor's explanation shed light on Hinome's unique gift and its implications, "The praise she received when she connected her vision with the advanced microscopes was due to her ability to integrate her Byakugan's capabilities with our equipment, pushing the boundaries of what we previously thought possible in medical ninjutsu.",
"This synergy between her kekkei genkai and our technology opens new avenues for research and treatment, representing a significant advancement in our field."
"Ahh, so that's it, I understand it now. Her own Byakugan is for some reason genetically predisposed to act as some kind of a microscope on its own already, it is very good for small-scale vision. So once you connected and fused her vision with those advanced microscopes, you could achieve an even deeper level of vision than previously available.",
"Thanks for clarifying this. It seems that the Hyuga clan has tremendous talent at this time. Please keep your eye on her and help her develop her skills. You will have big support from me in the future...",
Hikari concluded, a genuine smile gracing his face as he looked at the professor with a newfound 'kindness' in his eyes.
It was clear that this revelation had sparked something within him, a recognition of a valuable asset to his future plans.
The professor, sensing the significance of Hikari's interest and the potential it held for his research group, nodded in agreement. He also felt extremely lucky to get Hikari's support out of the blue.
After all, this was the support of an already designated future Third Elder of the clan. And unless some extremely strange development occurred a few years later, the matter would certainly materialize formally.
"Certainly, young master Hikari. We are well aware of her potential and are committed to nurturing her talents. Your interest and support are greatly appreciated. It's heartening to see such unity and foresight within our clan, especially from our younger members in positions."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the professor, who was visibly thrilled to have his support and lavished him with praises Hikari noticed he left the institute for real this time.
As he did, he realized that his extended stay to observe Hinome had caused him to miss his scheduled fuinjutsu lessons for the day.
Undisturbed by this turn of events, Hikari made his way back to the Main Branch area, heading home. Yet, his thoughts lingered on Hinome and the unique capabilities of her Byakugan he accidentally discovered today.
His previous excitement about Hinome's talent almost mirrored the exhilaration he felt upon discovering his own Byakugan's specialty in observing natural energy yesterday. So, Hikari believed luck was on his side, drawing parallels between his eyes 'specialties' and Hinome's.
He speculated that while his Byakugan's specialization could potentially elevate him even to the peak of the Kage level, at its best-case scenario, Hinome's abilities might indirectly, theoretically enable him to break through, even further, to the Six Paths level, or better said play a huge part in that 'fate-defying' quest, at the best case scenario as well.
Hikari understood the magnitude of this potential breakthrough. From his knowledge, and even considering the various fanfictions he had read in a previous life, advancing to the 'Six Paths' level always necessitated fundamental alterations at the bloodline, meaning cellular, and genetic levels.
There was no other direction. He always knew he would have to face that from the moment he was reborn into this world and truly realized his highest desired targets.
To reach that level you need to change the fundamental 'hardware' of your own body, as updating your 'software', aka learning new jutsu, simply would not be enough anymore.
Without such modifications, achieving that level of power seemed completely unattainable to the realistic and almost fatalistic Hikari. He thought about these exact topics day and night in the past, as it was his prime driving motivation in life, and that is the only conclusion he got.
However, despite Hikari's daring ambitions and his willingness to challenge fate by even experimenting with his own body, he remained a rational and clear-headed individual.
He approached his bold ideas with a practical mindset, understanding the enormity of the task ahead. Hikari was well aware that achieving his goals would require not only a deep scientific literacy but also time to gather the necessary resources, develop Hinome's microscopic vision, and allow her scientific practical skills to mature, among other things. Hikari felt like she was the only assistant qualified to help him achieve his goals in the future.
Therefore, years of preparations, gathering all the necessary ingredients, and waiting for other factors to align would, at a minimum, take another decade before he could even start to plan more seriously about achieving a genetic bloodline breakthrough akin to the desired closer to Otsutsuki ancestral level state, meaning, trying to ascend to the Six Paths level.
Taking everything into account, Hinome's appearances just accelerated his previous plans. But, for now, even the development of the theorized senjutsu-related abilities that could theoretically elevate him to Kage level seemed distant and vague, not to mention ahead.
Hikari remained grounded in the present, recognizing the long journey ahead and the need for patience and meticulous planning. He understood that rushing or acting impulsively could lead to failure or, worse, catastrophic consequences. leading to the collapse of his dreams or even death. Not only from a failed experiment but from the rising vigilance of other players.
Thus, Hikari did not plan to take any immediate serious steps regarding Hinome or their potential collaboration. Instead, he focused on keeping an eye on her, laying the groundwork, acquiring knowledge, and enhancing his current abilities while keeping tabs on the future.
His approach was one of cautious optimism, tempered by the understanding that true power and breakthroughs come from diligent study, careful experimentation, and the willingness to wait for the right moment to act. He knew that he couldn't afford even a single misstep here.