The next morning, Kato Dan's uncle arrived to claim his body, taking it to the memorial garden. Officially, it was announced that Kato Dan had died heroically defending the Third Hokage from a secret attack. As Kato Dan's closest relative, Shizune was called to pay her respects.
Outside the Kato residence, Reiki saw Shizune, who looked visibly tired.
"Shizune, are you alright?" he asked gently.
"Yeah," Shizune replied, forcing a small smile. "Uncle died a hero. There's no need to be sad."
With her memories altered by Reiki, she knew nothing of the dark truths about Kato Dan.
"Come on, let's go back. Teacher's waiting for us," Reiki said, patting her head before taking her hand and leading her toward Tsunade's courtyard.
Despite how quickly the ordeal with Kato Dan had concluded, Reiki still felt a sense of unease. If not for Kato Dan's grave in the memorial garden, it would have felt as if these events hadn't happened at all.
Meanwhile, in Orochimaru's underground laboratory…
A muffled explosion echoed as the body in the large nutrient tank burst, filling the chamber with blood. Orochimaru's expression was one of cold disappointment.
"Another failure… How could this happen?" Orochimaru muttered, his eyes scanning through data and reports, his obsession growing. The fusion indicators had been normal, and the rejection test completed. Yet the results were still catastrophic.
"Lord Orochimaru, we've confirmed the issue," one of his assistants reported, handing over a report. "Like last time, the heart and chakra pathways couldn't handle the strain. The body collapsed from within."
Orochimaru absorbed the information with a scowl. "We need better subjects. Ordinary ones won't suffice."
"We've dispatched scouts beyond the village to find suitable candidates, particularly wandering ninjas, who should have sturdier constitutions."
Orochimaru gave a nod of acknowledgment. But before the assistant could finish, he found himself wrapped in a coil of snakes.
"L-Lord Orochimaru, what are you doing?" the assistant gasped, but his words were cut short as the serpents bit him, injecting their venom through his protective suit. His struggles ceased as he collapsed.
"I can't wait for more subjects. I'll just start with you," Orochimaru muttered, injecting Hashirama cells into the unconscious assistant before placing him in a fresh nutrient tank. Glancing at his dwindling resources, he murmured to himself, "Looks like I'll need to seek help soon."
Back in Tsunade's courtyard…
"Orochimaru invited you to be his assistant?" Tsunade asked in shock after Reiki recounted the offer.
"I refused," Reiki replied calmly, quickly adding, "Teacher, what's your opinion of Lord Orochimaru?"
Tsunade let out a slow sigh. "Orochimaru… he's both a genius and a madman. His methods are extreme, and I'd advise you to keep your distance."
She paused thoughtfully. "By the way, now that you're almost fully recovered, come with me to the hospital tomorrow. I want to assess your progress and begin the next phase of your training."
Reiki nodded, and Tsunade smiled in satisfaction. She then retreated to her room, pleased with her student's loyalty and maturity. Reiki, however, had other ideas in mind. Opening his system interface, he reviewed his current abilities.
Reiki had recently unlocked Palm Healing Jutsu, thanks to a reward drop from treating a fellow medic. Despite his progress, he couldn't shake his frustration. For all his supposed genius, he found that mastering even C-rank ninjutsu was slow and difficult.
"Time to hone my abilities even further," he muttered to himself. After a bit of thought, he decided the best way to practice was by working with Konoha's elite clans.
The Uchiha clan had been an ideal training ground, though he wasn't keen on returning there anytime soon. But Konoha was home to many powerful families.
As he jogged through Konoha's streets, he mentally listed the clans: the Hyuga clan with their Byakugan, the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans with their secret techniques, the Aburame and Inuzuka clans, and formidable individuals like Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina.
The variety of powerful lineages in Konoha brought undeniable strength, though it also caused fragmentation, as each family often prioritized their own interests over the village's.
For now, however, his goal was clear: improve his abilities to survive the brutalities of the ninja world.
"Reiki?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see a young man with pale, unblinking eyes.
"Ah, you're…?"
"Hyuga Tetsu," the boy introduced himself with a polite nod. "I've been experiencing some issues during training. Could you take a look?"
Reiki was momentarily taken aback. He remembered Hyuga Tetsu as a classmate, though they hadn't interacted much. "Sure," Reiki replied with a smile. "But I'm in the middle of training, so you might have to join me for a bit."
Hyuga Tetsu agreed, and the two set off to train together.