"Have you been occupied with all these messy things lately? You've become lazier in your training recently ?" Ruri looked around the house, clearly dissatisfied.
In her opinion, Shiraishi was wasting time with these peculiar studies.
"It's just a personal interest. Actually, I prefer conducting research over training," Shiraishi replied.
Saying that, Shiraishi picked up a small bag from the table and tossed it to Ruri.
As Ruri took it, she frowned. "What's in here?"
"It's something good. It's a specially made ration pill created by me. It restores chakra and physical strength more efficiently than the ones available in the market. It's also easy to digest and won't burden the human digestive system."
Ration pills has the ability to restore stamina and chakra and has always been an emergency food frequently consumed by ninjas during missions.
However, due to its bitter and unpleasant herbal smell, many people were reluctant to rely on military ration pills to address issues of physical exhaustion and depleted chakra, unless absolutely necessary.
Moreover, they weren't easily digestible and consuming too much can cause indigestion in the human body.
"You're just bragging," Ruri scoffed, but she still placed the bag full of special military ration pills into the pouch tied to her leg.
"Why did you suddenly decide to make army pills?" Ruri asked.
"Because you're eager to graduate from the academy. You'll need them," Shiraishi replied, wearing an expression that saw through everything.
Ruri glanced at Shiraishi but remained silent.
Shiraishi paused and then continued, "By the way, when are you planning to graduate?"
Ruri responded, "Although your guess is reasonable, I'm afraid you're wrong this time."
"Wrong guess?"
Ruri's face displayed a faint smile.
"Yes, I do want to graduate early from school, but the elders in my clan are against it. Graduating at this time means being sent to the frontline battlefield, where the mortality rate is very high."
Shiraishi understood and nodded. "I see. To protect the geniuses, it's better to graduate at the usual time. There's no need to rush through your studies. It's a natural outcome."
Graduating from school meant bidding farewell to the carefree days.
A regular graduation from the Academy required six years of study.
Currently, Shiraishi and Ruri were only third-year students, and they still had several years ahead to solidify their skills and grow before a standard graduation.
However, there were exceptions for exceptional students who believed they were outstanding at the ninja school. They could graduate early and be assigned to the frontline battlefield.
Shiraishi believed that Konoha's higher-ups should implement a rule that children under the age of ten were not allowed to graduate early from the ninja school during times of war...
But as Shiraishi contemplated this, he realized he was taking things for granted.
During the Warring States Period, it was common for children as young as four or five to be sent to the battlefield.
Although the situation in the ninja world had improved somewhat, it was still not uncommon for children under the age of ten to be involved in warfare.
Once they graduated from the ninja school, they were considered qualified ninjas and couldn't be treated as children.
Yet, this often led to problems with their values, making them susceptible to extreme paths.
"Ruri, wouldn't the elders in your clan want you to graduate with Jounin level skills?" Shiraishi suddenly noticed something.
Eight-year-old Ruri already possessed the skills of a Chunin, and if she continued to work hard, she might even achieve Jounin-level strength in a few years.
Of course, combat experience might still be lacking, but her Ninjutsu and basic abilities were undoubtedly strong.
Ruri had received elite training from the Uchiha clan since childhood, giving her a head start compared to civilian ninjas.
While experience could be gradually accumulated after graduation, having a solid foundation of strength was crucial for fledgling ninjas.
The more strength one possessed on the battlefield, the higher the chances of survival.
When Ruri heard Shiraishi's remark, she immediately rolled her eyes at him.
The gap between Chunin and Jounin was even wider than that between Chunin and Genin. Jounin were ninjas who excelled in one or several specific fields.
Despite Ruri's arrogance, she didn't dare to claim that she could elevate her skills to the level where she could become a teacher within the next few years.
The selection process for Jounin was incomparable to the difficulty of the Chunin exams.
After chatting for a while at Shiraishi's house, they went to a ramen restaurant together at six o'clock in the evening. They enjoyed a meal and solved the dinner dilemma before bidding farewell to each other and parting ways.
...,..
"I'm sorry, something came up on my end. I'm a bit late,"
In the dense forest on the mountain behind the school. Darkness had already enveloped the surroundings.
Ayane was the one who had arranged to meet Shiraishi here. Over the past two years, she had grown from a first-year student to a third-year student and had become slightly taller.
Upon hearing the voice behind her, Ayane slowly turned around, her arms folded behind her back. She wore a white outfit with the Hyuga clan crest, dark blue trousers, and her long black hair cascaded straight down to her waist. Her pure white eyes were devoid of impurities, and her smile exuded a bright, pure, and beautiful aura.
"It's alright, I arrived not too long ago. However, Shiraishi-kun was delayed a bit because of Ruri. Sometimes, I really envy her," Ayane said.
The Uchiha clan had always maintained a resolute work style due to their responsibility for Konoha's garrison. This often led to an arrogant and domineering impression, and their family's excessive reverence for power had offended many ninjas and commoners.
However, at least this family wasn't as ruthless and cold-hearted as the Hinata family, who kept their own members captive like slaves.
For this reason, Ayane, who also hailed from a powerful clan, envied Ruri's carefree personality and life.
"Yeah, she scolded me again," Shiraishi replied with a slight annoyance, scratching his head.
"Don't say that. I think it's just a testament to your friendship," Ayane smiled. Although they hadn't had any contact on the surface since that incident, she secretly knew everything about Shiraishi.
For instance, she knew that his hidden strength had reached the level of a Chunin.
She knew about his strong bond with Ruri, the Uchiha genius.
She knew about his secret experiments with unknown purposes.
Shiraishi didn't hide anything from Ayane as their bond grew stronger. He believed that as companions, they should be honest with each other. At the very least, Ayane should be aware of his plans and goals so that she could feel at ease.
"Yeah," Shiraishi felt that their private meeting time was limited, so he didn't dwell too much on the matter. He got straight to the point and asked, "Is everything okay with you?"
"No, I'm just an insignificant member of the branch family. The main family won't waste much energy on someone like me," Ayane replied with a self-deprecating tone. Although it was originally meant as a joke, it came out plain from Ayane's mouth.
After two years, she had learned to control her fluctuating anger to some extent. However, a hint of sadness and sigh still lurked in her pure white eyes.
With that, Ayane took out a small package from her ninja bag, wrapped in cloth, and placed it in Shiraishi's hand.
"Thank you," Shiraishi said softly, accepting the package.
"It's the least I can do. But if you're just studying blood, shouldn't it be enough?" Ayane asked.
As the experiments became more formalized, Shiraishi had begun engaging in weightier research. The study of blood was an integral part of it.
The blood samples Ayane provided were her own, as well as those of other branch members of the Hyuga clan. These were precious materials carefully collected by Ayane.
Both Ayane and Shiraishi understood that if they were to leave Konoha in the future, Ayane would have to break free from the Caged Bird Seal and regain her freedom.
Otherwise, once her identity as a betrayer and ninja was confirmed, the main clan would undoubtedly use a jutsu to execute her on the spot.
Shiraishi's experiment aimed to unlock the Caged Bird Seal's curse, allowing Ayane to break free from its control.
Upon careful consideration, Shiraishi's current abilities could be described as fantastical. He seemed to perceive Ayane's underlying worries, understanding that this matter concerned her life and death. He empathized with her nervousness and anxiety.
"Blood is just one aspect we need to examine. It's not the answer to unlocking the Caged Bird Seal's curse," Shiraishi explained.
He intended to use the blood collected by Ayane for comparisons, gathering more accurate data and pinpointing a minute breakthrough.
If uncovering the secrets of the Hyuga clan could be achieved merely by studying their blood, it would underestimate the significance of their inherited Kekkei Genkai that had been passed down for generations.
"Moreover, we can't gather more materials right now, so we'll have to wait for another opportunity," Shiraishi added.
Upon hearing Shiraishi's words, Ayane felt a sense of relief. The blood collection had already provided her with all the information she needed. As for obtaining complete human body samples, she knew it would inevitably lead to failure and capture without even considering it.
"It's getting late. Let's part ways here. If we stay around any longer, someone might notice," Shiraishi expressed his concern that their secret meeting with Ayane might be exposed, subjecting both Ayane and himself to thorough investigation. Such a situation would undoubtedly be troublesome.