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The sound of footsteps brushed past his ear.
Hyuga Shingo stirred from his drowsiness, attempting to open his eyes. However, he realized that his limbs were unresponsive; the only functioning part of his body appeared to be his brain.
He lacked the strength to even blink his eyes.
Amidst the darkness, he heard the faint footsteps of someone nearby. He couldn't discern who it was or where they were. All he could perceive was the frigid coldness beneath him and the scent of disinfectant that hinted at a hospital-like environment.
A cold and serious atmosphere surrounded him.
It seemed that Hyuga Shingo's slight movement on the operating table didn't go unnoticed. Standing next to a table, the young man in a white hooded coat looked towards the operating table and continued to prepare the medicine with his head down.
This young man was none other than Shiraishi.
Given the impending task of cracking the caged bird experiment, many preparatory conditions had to be met in advance. Most crucially, a living body from the Hyuga branch ninja was required for this dangerous experiment; Ayane's body couldn't be used for such an unsafe experiment.
Although Shiraishi had conducted experiments on human subjects before, these were regular human bodies. While they could substitute life energy with natural energy when chakra was depleted, they provided only a rudimentary conclusion, with detailed specifics yet to be determined.
Not only did Shiraishi seek to save Ayane's life, but he also coveted her extraordinarily precious white eyes, something he couldn't readily give up easily.
This had prompted him to deploy the five man operatives to hunt down a Hyuga branch ninja..Members of this clan, all had the Byakugan, had no way to hide their ocular abilities from ordinary people or fellow ninjas if awakened.
In terms of insight, even the Sharingan fell short.
Yet, these five man operatives didn't rely solely on chakra for combat. Abandoning chakra only curtailed their use of secret techniques; their physical abilities remained formidable.
Moreover, natural energy was impervious to acupuncture. The Hyuga Clan's acupoints could only disrupt chakra flow, putting Hyuga Shingo at a severe disadvantage.
Using natural energy in taijutsu effectively nullified the Jōnin Hyuga Shingo's soft fist techniques.
Under such circumstances, Hyuga Shingo's physical prowess was significantly diminished, making his eventual capture inevitable.
Ayane had provided the list of targets, but the monitoring was handled by Shiraishi's clay puppet, known as "General Tu." In terms of covert capabilities, Shiraishi believed that the "General Tu" was no less capable than the white creature, which combined wood release and tailed beast elements.
Once the location of a Hyuga branch ninja was determined, the rest was easy. After a successful hunt, General Tu would covertly transport the captive back to Konoha, deliver them to the laboratory, and entrust Shiraishi with their disposal.
After meticulously preparing the medicine, Shiraishi placed it in a tray that was already equipped with the necessary equipment. He approached the operating table, set down the tray, and then began a careful examination of Hyuga Shingo's body.
Hyuga Shingo had been brought here an hour ago. Judging by his team's expected return time to the village, it should normally take until the following night or the morning after to reach Konoha and report to the Hokage Building.
Should Konoha discover Hyuga Shingo's absence, they would surely inform the Hyuga family. Beyond that, Shiraishi couldn't guarantee the outcome, but he had precious little time to spare.
It was evident that Hyuga Shingo, lying on the operating table, was anxious. As a Jōnin, he had already sensed that someone was observing him.
His forehead protector had been removed, revealing a green crossed curse mark on his forehead, along with two opposing green hook patterns adjacent to it.
This was the caged bird curse mark, branded onto Hyuga branch ninjas.
It was a matter that Shiraishi urgently needed to resolve.
Hyuga Shingo's chakra flow had been blocked, rendering his Byakugan inactive. Coupled with his inability to open his eyes, he couldn't discern who was standing beside him or the nature of his surroundings.
Shiraishi selected a transparent glass bottle from the medicine tray, which is made of a material to absorb chakra easily. He inscribed a mantra on the bottle's surface, positioning it so that the bottle mouth faced Hyuga Shingo's chest.
Chakra flowed through Shiraishi's palm, activating the mantra on the bottle. It promptly initiated a potent absorption effect. At a visibly increasing rate, chakra flowed from Hyuga Shingo's body into the glass bottle.
As the chakra within the bottle grew darker in color, it signaled the accumulation of an ever-greater amount.
Shiraishi paid no heed to these changes. Instead, he focused on perception, closely monitoring every movement of Hyuga Shingo. His objective was to gain insight into the appearance of the caged bird curse mark through sensory ninjutsu.
According to Ayane's information, there are two methods to trigger the Caged Bird Curse. The first involves a ninja from the main family. They can either subject the Hyuga branch ninja to intense suffering or opt to damage the eyeballs and brain nerves of the branch ninja, thereby actively activating the curse mark of the caged bird.
The second method is passive and occurs when a Hyuga branch ninja dies or has their eyes removed. In this case, the curse mark of the caged bird directly inflicts damage upon the branch ninja's eyeballs and brain nerves.
This curse is indeed dreadful.
"Ahhh! Ahhhh!"
Suddenly, when the Chakra in Hyuga Shingo's body reached a life threatening low, he broke through the limits of the special anesthetic's control and let out a horrifying scream.
Visible to the naked eye, the curse mark on his forehead emitted a green glow, producing a type of chakra entirely unfamiliar to Shiraishi.
Once this chakra was generated, it began flowing directly into Hyuga Shingo's brain, causing considerable harm.
This chakra flow differed substantially from the one Ruri utilized when activating Sharingan.
Shiraishi stopped absorbing the chakra within Hyuga Shingo's body. The chakra within the glass bottle began to flow back. The caged bird curse mark on Hyuga Shingo's forehead reverted to a peaceful state, with the chakra retracting into the curse mark.
Shiraishi picked up the glass bottle used for chakra absorption, which now bore visible cracks. It shattered in his hands, and the shards fell to the ground.
"As expected," Shiraishi sighed in relief as he observed Hyuga Shingo, now unconscious and in extreme pain. The preliminary results were in line with his expectations.
The term "Jutsu," regardless of its evolution, essentially relies on Chakra application. Consider Sharingan's genjutsu, for instance, where maintaining "eye contact" allows one's chakra to infiltrate the target's brain nerves, enabling manipulation of said nerves. Chakra forms the foundation of these "Jutsus," permitting control over the enemy's brain nerves.
A skilled genjutsu user can even manipulate the target's brain nerves at will, achieving the desired effects. This principle extends beyond Sharingan, encompassing other illusion techniques as well, whether triggered by sight, smell, touch, or other sensory inputs. To execute these techniques, the user must channel their chakra into the target's brain nerves to perform hypnotic control.
One crucial aspect to consider is that illusions, regardless of type, are time-limited. The chakra emitted is not limitless; no matter how diligently one maintains the jutsu, the chakra will inevitably dissipate over time.
This implies that as time passes, the user will run out of chakra, potentially leading to the unraveling of the illusion. Chakra alone cannot indefinitely sustain the illusion concept, a concept that holds true for ninjutsu.
The duration is of paramount importance.
For instance, fire release jutsus release flames that burn for a limited duration unless they encounter flammable material that keeps the fire going. These flames, in essence, comprise chakra forming the "jutsu" concept.
Seals, too, require a mechanism for duration. However, Shiraishi identified a significant flaw during his recent observation of the Caged Bird Curse Seal.
Through his spiritualization technique, he detected that the special chakra generated when the caged bird was activated remained in Hyuga Shingo's brain nerves for a brief period before nearly vanishing on its own.
A smile graced Shiraishi's lips. The experiment had been somewhat dangerous, but the results appeared promising. At the moment of activation, the seal's system produced a materialized chakra.
That part of the chakra has not been recovered by the curse mark of the bird in the cage, which means it has been completely consumed.
Continuously repeating this process will eventually cause the Caged Bird Curse Seal to lose the chakra that sustains the concept of 'Jutsu' and decompose from within.
"The Caged Bird Curse Seal hasn't been fully triggered. It seems that the method of Chakra disappearance leading to death can be considered one of the triggering mechanisms for the Caged Bird Curse Seal."
Thinking of it this way simplifies the situation.
Conditions and assumptions have been established.
Shiraishi possesses a comprehensive life energy method to replace chakra, ensuring the subject's survival after abandoning chakra.
Shiraishi rested his palm on Hyuga Shingo's forehead, probing his brain.
However, there's a slight issue and it's the most critical part of the experiment. The chakra extraction was interrupted earlier, and the Caged Bird Curse Seal didn't fully erupt. Instead, the special chakra directly rushed into Hyuga Shingo's brain nerves, causing destruction.
This is where the difficulty arises. If the experiment could be repeated back and forth, it wouldn't be challenging to break down the Caged Bird Curse Seal through a continuous flow of chakra. The current concern is how to ensure the safety of the subject's brain nerves when the Caged Bird Curse Seal is activated.
Shiraishi contemplated the issue, then squatted down to collect the glass shards scattered on the floor. The chakra absorption props had shattered, and on the shards, aside from Hyuga Shingo's own chakra signature, another lingering chakra remained.
It seemed that two different chakras had clashed, leading to the glass bottle's destruction.
"I managed to attract some of it, but it seems the absorption force isn't strong enough... I should opt for a prop with stronger absorption," Shiraishi mused.
He approached a nearby shelf, retrieved two chakra bottles, and took a syringe from the medicine tray to administer a drug into Shingo's body. This drug was designed to sustain bodily functions.
Due to the increased danger of the upcoming experiment, it was imperative to enhance Hyuga Shingo's self-recovery capabilities. Without this, the subject might not survive until the end of the experiment.
With Hyuga Shingo having lost consciousness, Shiraishi initiated the second experiment. This time, he intended to employ two chakra bottles: one for regular absorption, placed on Hyuga Shingo's chest following the previous rhythm, and another with more potent absorption, situated on his forehead.
The objective was simple: upon the reactivation of the Caged Bird Curse Seal and the next generation of special chakra, the aim was to absorb this unique chakra to assess its effectiveness.
As a result, Hyuga Shingo's painful screams could be heard from time to time on the operating table.
"..."
Around two hours later, seeing Hyuga Shingo at the brink of death, Shiraishi terminated the experiment. Proceeding further could result in Hyuga Shingo's death from pain.
Shiraishi frowned in thought. During the continuous experiments, he noted the exceptional attachment of the special chakra generated by the Caged Bird Curse Seal activation to Hyuga Shingo's body. Even with the use of chakra bottles with enhanced absorption, the impact remained minimal.
Continuing in this manner, even with better absorption props, wouldn't yield significant results. Moreover, Shiraishi couldn't guarantee that Hyuga Shingo would endure further trials.
Upon the Caged Bird Curse Seal activation, the pain and lethality inflicted on the human body surpassed Shiraishi's expectations.
"Is this seal specifically designed for Byakugan?" If that's the case, the profound connection between the Caged Bird Curse Seal and the Byakugan becomes apparent.
Through the recent experiment, Shiraishi had gained some confidence in understanding how the Caged Bird Curse Seal affected the Hyuga branch ninjas and how to manage the risks.
"It's too late to proceed like this..." Shiraishi refrained from attempting to make Hyuga Shingo's die directly for more comprehensive insights.
This meant he needed to continue capturing Hyuga clan ninjas, deceiving them once or twice, but no more than three times. Even if the Hyuga clan members weren't the sharpest, they would eventually detect someone is acting against them.
At that point, Hyuga branch ninjas would likely avoid leaving the village for missions, making it challenging to acquire experimental subjects.
Furthermore, given the current analysis, there was no need to study the Hyuga branch ninja's bodies. Shiraishi had already understood the link between the Caged Bird Curse Seal and the incomplete Baiyan, including its origins and coping mechanisms.
At present, only one complete sample remained for observation—hunting Hyuga clan ninjas.
To ensure the success of the experiment in deciphering the Caged Bird Curse Seal, it's crucial to understand the disparity between the two types of Byakugan.
The Spiritualization Jutsu can be used to enter the spiritual world, extracting hidden information about the Caged Bird Curse, and also, reverse-engineer the Caged Bird Technique.
Only through this method can the curse mark on the caged bird be reliably cracked. Ayane cannot be burdened with this task; she must plan and execute it herself.
Hyuga ninjas from the main family, in contrast to the branch members, rarely undertake missions outside. When they do, it's likely they're discreetly protected by formidable branch guards.
"The five of them alone, won't be able to handle so many powerful ninjas. The target might escape. It seems I have to find an opportunity to leave the village."
Shiraishi concluded his experiment on Hyuga Shingo, contemplating his next steps in hunting Hyuga ninjas.
◎
Three days had passed, and in the afternoon, a Konohagakure Ninja Hyuga Shingo had vanished. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, frowned as he examined the information presented by Anbu.
According to the mission assigned to Hyuga Shingo's team, they should have returned to Konoha the morning before last to report their mission progress at the Hokage Building. However, more than a day had passed since that morning.
Anbu operatives in the Land of Fire confirmed that there was no trace of Hyuga Shingo's team. Presently, four Anbu ninjas were on their way to the Land of Waves to investigate the disappearance of Hyuga Shingo.
For Konoha, a Jonin's inexplicable disappearance was a significant matter. Recently, both domestic and international conditions had been relatively peaceful, significantly reducing the Anbu's workload. They no longer needed to vigilantly monitor the Land Of Fire's territory for potential threats.
Nevertheless, the Anbu's investigation would likely take four or five days to yield results. Contemplating this, the Hokage rapped his knuckles on the table, and an Anbu ninja emerged from the shadows, awaiting instructions.
"Deliver this to the head of the Hyuga clan."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," the Anbu ninja acknowledged, accepting the scroll from Hiruzen and vanishing from the office.
After the Anbu ninja left, Hiruzen sighed. While it wasn't a major village-related issue, the unexplained absence of a Jonin, especially one from the Hyuga clan, necessitated timely communication with the Hyuga clan.
After all, the clan's circumstances were somewhat unique. For branch members bound by the Caged Bird Curse Seal, they should be left to decide for themselves whether they held any vital information.
As Hokage, Hiruzen found it challenging to deal with these more delicate family matters. Much like that, time elapsed steadily, and before he realized it, Hiruzen gazed at the fully darkened sky outside. He tidied his desk, exited the office, and headed home for some rest.
Not more than half an hour after Hiruzen's departure, the office was shrouded in darkness, lit solely by faint moonlight. There was no sound, but a bulge emerged on the office floor, and the faintly luminous, unemotional, golden eyes of a figure patrolled the office.
The figure gradually separated from the floor, assuming a flexible, amorphous form, then silently began to search the mission information recently released by Konoha on the desk.
Time passed unmarked. Suddenly, a swift black shadow approached. With a swift swish, a flashing silver blade sliced through the air, ruthlessly cleaving the strange figure in two.
The upper half was flung against the wall, adhering to it with a snap. The pair of light golden eyes in its inanimate face remained unwavering, void of fear, while incomprehensible words flowed from its lips.
Then, to the astonishment of the Konoha Anbu, the lower half of the figure standing near the desk, treating the floor like quicksand, descended into it and vanished.
The Konoha Anbu swiftly grasped the situation and swung his blade, aiming at the upper part of the figure pinned to the wall. Much like the lower half, this upper section considered the wall as if it were mire, sinking into it and retreating after the blade whooshed through the air, merely piercing the solid wall and leaving a fissure.
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