Chapter 484: The Caged Bird Experiment
After making arrangements for his three disciples, Ishiro returned to the Tsuchikage's office and, for the first time, officially received the envoys sent by Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's messengers had been in Iwagakure for several days, but Ishiro had been letting them wait. Now that he felt the time was right, he summoned them to his office.
After a few brief questions, Ishiro knew these men were peripheral members who knew nothing. Their only mission was to deliver a letter. They were merely tools to confirm whether Ishiro had any intention of cooperating. No matter what he did to them, he wouldn't get any useful information.
He sent them away to rest in the village, then finally opened the letter Orochimaru had written to him.
In the letter, Orochimaru made no mention of the trap Ishiro had set for him.
He got straight to the point, telling Ishiro that he wanted to test his method for breaking the Caged Bird Seal on Neji. He also listed the payment he could offer.
Ishiro just smiled. Impossible. No matter how high Orochimaru's price was, he would not agree.
There was only one Neji. Ishiro could not risk him. What if Orochimaru's experiment failed? All of Ishiro's investment in Neji would be for nothing.
However, breaking the seal still relied on Orochimaru. The cooperation had to continue, just not on Orochimaru's terms.
Ishiro thought for a moment and wrote a reply, outlining his own proposal.
His demand was: Orochimaru would provide the method, and Iwagakure would decide whether to conduct the experiment. Iwagakure would carry out the experiment themselves. Orochimaru could not interfere, nor could he even come into contact with Neji. However, Ishiro would truthfully report all the experimental results back to Orochimaru.
In any case, all Orochimaru wanted was the data and the method to break the seal.
After writing the letter and giving it to Orochimaru's subordinates, Ishiro sat in his office, contemplating Orochimaru's likely response.
The reply came quickly. A second wave of envoys soon arrived in Iwagakure. This time, it wasn't the same clueless outsiders as before. The new envoy could actually use the summoning jutsu for Ryūchi Cave.
Ishiro looked at the man but didn't recognize him from the original story. However, after just two or three sentences, Ishiro determined that this person was still just a mouthpiece. He had likely been taught the summoning jutsu by Orochimaru just for the convenience of communication.
Ishiro thought for a moment and said to the man, "Ask Orochimaru this right now. Tell him: he should know how the Monkey Clan was exterminated, right?"
Although the man didn't understand what he meant, he obediently used the summoning jutsu to relay Ishiro's exact words to Orochimaru.
The reply came quickly and was simple: Ishiro can do as he pleases.
Ishiro understood. The Three Great Sage Regions were not the Monkey Clan. While he could wipe out the Monkey Clan by himself, even the full force of Iwagakure wasn't enough to destroy Ryūchi Cave.
So Orochimaru wasn't worried about its location being exposed. The most important thing in Ryūchi Cave was the summoning scroll, and that was in his own hands. Furthermore, Orochimaru knew that Iwagakure had already mastered the method for practicing Sage Art, so there was really nothing left in Ryūchi Cave that Iwagakure would covet.
If it had been Mount Myōboku or Shikkotsu Forest, Ishiro might have considered risking an attack on a Sage Region to weaken Konoha. But Ryūchi Cave, in theory, no longer had any connection to Konoha.
Ishiro nodded, then looked at the scroll that had arrived with the reply. After a quick scan, his eyes lit up.
He nodded to the envoy. "You can go and rest for now. I will call for you when I need to contact Orochimaru."
The man nodded and was led out of the Tsuchikage Tower by one of Ishiro's assistants.
After he left, Ishiro picked up the scroll again, this time reading it very carefully.
From the contents, it was clear Orochimaru was sincere. He had not only written down how to conduct the experiments on Neji but had also included many of the principles behind them. This one scroll was practically an entire Yin Release tutorial written by Orochimaru.
After reading it once, Ishiro felt he had gained a lot. He then had the Anbu summon Katsumata and Natsuki.
When they arrived, he handed them the scroll. "You've read the previous data on the Caged Bird Seal, right? Here, take a look at this."
Natsuki guessed it was something good and snatched the scroll from Ishiro's hand. The two of them then huddled together and began to read.
Soon, just like Ishiro before them, they were completely engrossed.
Ishiro wasn't idle either; he was also contemplating some of the problems Orochimaru had mentioned. He had spent too little time and energy on the soul. Although he had reached the third stage—the Kage level—in Yin Release, compared to a powerhouse like Orochimaru who could possess bodies, split his soul for rebirth, and use the Eight-Branches Technique, he was still far behind. Ishiro had barely reached the level; in terms of application, he was still a novice.
The most he had used Yin Release for was to help Sōkai practice his Sharingan genjutsu, and at the same time, practice his own resistance to it.
After a long wait, Katsumata and Natsuki finished their first read-through.
Katsumata said, "Teacher Ishiro, was this scroll written by Orochimaru? His Yin Release must be quite strong, even among third-stage users."
Ishiro nodded. "That's right. Orochimaru's research into the soul is definitely number one in the current shinobi world. But he plays around with soul-splitting, which means his own soul is incomplete. It will be very difficult for him to advance to the fourth stage."
Katsumata was thoughtful but quickly put it out of his mind. The choices of a powerhouse of that level were beyond his comprehension.
He continued, "Teacher Ishiro, there are many parts of this document I can't understand. Are you going to conduct experiments on Neji?"
Ishiro nodded. "Yes. With our current Yin Release theory, it would be very difficult to remove the Caged Bird. We wouldn't see any hope for years. But Orochimaru can help us shorten that time. Moreover, during the experiment, we can also learn a lot from the theories he's provided."
"Of course, we can do the experiments, but we must ensure Neji is not harmed. So we need to carefully study which of these experiments are safe enough to be performed on him."
Katsumata and Natsuki looked back at the scroll.
After a while, the three of them selected a dozen or so low-risk experiments.
Then, Ishiro called an Anbu. "Go to the Ninja Academy and bring Neji Hyuga here."
"Sir." The Anbu quickly departed.
Not long after, he returned with Neji.
After the Anbu had returned to the shadows, Ishiro said to Neji, "Neji, we need you for some experiments concerning the Caged Bird Seal."
Neji's eyes lit up. He had been in class when he was suddenly summoned. He had felt a faint sense of anticipation then.
He asked, "Lord Tsuchikage, has there been progress in the research?"
Ishiro shook his head. "Don't get excited yet. Breaking the seal is not that simple. With the village's abilities alone, we can't break it in a short time. So, I turned my attention to the ninja throughout the world who are masters of the soul. In the end, I chose the former Konoha missing-nin, the leader of Snake Den Village in the Land of Whirlpools, Orochimaru."
"In fact, even before I gave you the Yata Mirror, I had already exchanged for the Hyuga clan's Caged Bird data from him."
With that, Ishiro handed the relevant documents to Neji.
He continued, "At the time, I was worried it might affect your state of mind, so I didn't tell you. Besides, this data alone wasn't very useful."
Hearing this, Neji was moved. Many of Ishiro's considerations were truly for his benefit. This was a feeling he had never experienced in Konoha.
Ishiro then handed him the new scroll from Orochimaru. "This is the latest data I just exchanged for. Orochimaru has proposed many experimental methods for the Caged Bird, which need to be tested on you. I don't trust him, so I've brought our village's two best Yin Release users."
Ishiro pointed to Katsumata. "This is my disciple, Katsumata."
Before Ishiro could introduce her, Natsuki spoke up. "Little brother Neji, I'm the Tsuchikage's sister. My name is Natsuki. You can just call me Sister Natsuki."
Neji obediently said, "Sister Natsuki, Brother Katsumata."
Natsuki smiled and said what Ishiro had been about to say. "Little brother Neji, we've selected a dozen experimental methods from the many Orochimaru provided. We need to test them on you. If you feel anything wrong during the process, you must tell us immediately, okay?"
Neji nodded subconsciously.
Ishiro rubbed his brow. "Natsuki, don't bully Neji. Neji, we are not entirely sure if these experiments will be effective. You need to decide for yourself whether to proceed."
"We are not the Hyuga main family. Even if it's for your own good, I will not force you to do anything against your will."
"You also need to adjust your own mindset. Otherwise, even if you remove the Caged Bird on your forehead, you will have already placed a Caged Bird on your own mind."
Neji, who had been about to agree eagerly, froze. He stared blankly at Ishiro, his eyes turning a little red. In that moment, what he felt was respect. This wasn't the kindness shown to a genius with high expectations; it was the selfless guidance of a kind elder to a junior.
After a long while, Neji finally calmed down.
Seeing this, Ishiro turned to Katsumata. "Katsumata, explain the potential risks of these experiments to Neji."
"Yes," Katsumata replied.
He was very serious and responsible. He didn't just talk about the risks. He first took the Caged Bird data and explained its principles in detail to Neji. After Neji understood the principles and special nature of the curse mark, Katsumata then explained the general purpose and function of the experiments. Finally, he detailed the potential harm and the short- and long-term consequences.
Ishiro didn't interrupt, listening quietly from the side.
Natsuki, bored, flipped through the Caged Bird documents.
After Katsumata's detailed analysis, Neji had also calmed down and understood the terror of the seal. But after careful consideration, he still expressed his willingness to proceed.
Ishiro nodded. He first had someone bring the instrument Orochimaru had mentioned for testing mental waves. Then he personally invited Ikura and Kitsuchi to act as his guards. He was planning to use the Spirit Transformation Technique to enter Neji's body and observe the reaction of his spirit up close.
Once everything was ready, Neji activated his Byakugan. Ishiro's spiritual body entered Neji and arrived in front of his spiritual form, which was wearing the Yata Mirror forehead protector.
Katsumata took out silver needles and began to work on the acupuncture points on Neji's head.
After one experiment was finished, Ishiro's soul returned to his body with a strange expression.
Looking at Katsumata and Natsuki analyzing the data, Ishiro asked Neji, "Neji, do you feel any discomfort?"
Neji shook his head.
Ishiro thought for a moment. "Katsumata, continue with the next experiment."
Katsumata was surprised. "Don't we need to rest for a bit?"
Ishiro shook his head. "It might be because of the Yata Mirror, but it seems Neji wasn't harmed."
Ikura interjected, "Can the Yata Mirror really defend against spiritual attacks? Then with it, isn't Neji immune to the Caged Bird?"
Ishiro shook his head. "It shouldn't work. The Yata Mirror's defense should be external. The Caged Bird is already imprinted on Neji's soul. If the Hyuga main family activates it, they should be able to bypass the mirror's defense and directly attack his soul."
Neji looked disappointed.
"But don't be disappointed," Ishiro smiled at him. "With the Yata Mirror, these experiments are much safer. Our research progress will also be much faster."
Ikura nodded and said no more.
Then, the second experiment began.
By the afternoon, Katsumata had completed all dozen-plus experiments.
Ishiro let Neji go home to rest. Ikura and Kitsuchi also returned to their duties. After Katsumata and Natsuki finished organizing the data, they also left.
Ishiro then summoned Orochimaru's envoy and used the summoning jutsu to transmit the data. Then he sent the messenger away.
With over a dozen experiments done at once, it should take Orochimaru some time to analyze the data, Ishiro thought. And even if he replied, Ishiro didn't have time to deal with it.
Tomorrow, he still had to solve Haku Mizunashi's ideological problem.
The next day, when Ishiro saw Haku again, he found that his mental state was a little worse than yesterday, but his emotions were much more stable than when he had left.
Actually, Ishiro had gone to Kitsuchi's house the night before, after Haku had fallen asleep. He had already learned about the situation from Kitsuchi and Shiden. But in front of Haku, he didn't show it, quietly watching as Fujii Kaoru and Kamizuru Tsuruhime comforted him.
He heard Haku say to his two teammates, "Kaoru, Tsuruhime, don't worry, I'm okay now. When I got home yesterday, Father and Mother both comforted me."
Ishiro was very satisfied with Haku's words. It was clear that he still leaned toward Iwagakure. Otherwise, he wouldn't have continued to call Kitsuchi and Shiden "Father" and "Mother."
After the two girls finished comforting him, Ishiro spoke. "Haku, I'll keep an eye out and see if I can help Kirigakure. For your sake, I'll help the Mizunashi clan find a few of their children. Consider it payment for the debt of taking you from them back then."
Haku's eyes lit up. He nodded vigorously. "Really? That would be great!"
He felt this solution was perfect. This way, he wouldn't have to leave Iwagakure, and he wouldn't have to feel indebted to Kirigakure. Suddenly, the whole world seemed brighter.
Seeing this, Ishiro smiled. Heh, you little brat. You're no match for me.
Haku suddenly asked, "Teacher Ishiro, my birth parents... did they have any other children?"
Ishiro was taken aback. "I actually didn't check. I'll ask the Mizukage later."
At this moment, Kamizuru Tsuruhime asked, "Teacher Ishiro, it's been so long. When is Kirigakure going to move against that Uchiha? Have they already taken action?"
Ishiro thought for a moment. "I only told them he was in the Land of Iron. It should take them some time to find his exact location. I don't know their progress, but if Kiri is going to send experts to retrieve the children, I should receive news in advance."
Haku nodded, his face full of anticipation.
Over ten days ago, in the Land of Iron.
A person wearing a loose black robe, a black face mask, and with a distinct bulge on their back, walked slowly into a town.
This was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Kurosuki Raiga. On his back was Ranmaru, the possessor of the rare Kekkei Genkai, the Red Eye.
The previous Red Eye user in Kirigakure had died on the night of the attack on the Fourth Mizukage. Ranmaru was now the only one in the entire village with this Kekkei Genkai. Or perhaps, Ranmaru couldn't even be considered a ninja.
Similar to the original story, Kurosuki Raiga, for some reason, had ended up with the young child Ranmaru. But unlike the original story, the current Mizukage, Kisame, was leading Kiri in a positive direction. Kisame had extended an olive branch to Raiga, hoping he would return.
After all, Raiga had only distanced himself from the village; he hadn't officially defected. The resistance to his return wouldn't be great.
Raiga himself wanted to return, but after being away for so many years, he was hesitant. His reputation in the village wasn't good; he and the former Suikazan Fuguki were seen as the same type of scum. More importantly, the psychological trauma Might Duy had left him with had not yet faded.
Raiga suggested he first carry out some missions outside the village. Once people had begun to accept him again, he would return. By then, he would also have the courage to face the villagers.
So, Kisame had sent him to the Land of Iron to investigate Obito's whereabouts. His companion, Ranmaru, possessed the Red Eye, a Kekkei Genkai with powerful reconnaissance abilities.
As Raiga looked for a crowded izakaya to gather information, he carefully analyzed the intel Kisame had provided on Obito and White Zetsu.
"Mangekyo Sharingan, space-time ninjutsu, can transport others into another dimension."
"Extremely fast Earth Release, countless clones, can disguise as anyone, can even mimic chakra natures."
"What a troublesome guy," Raiga muttered to himself.
Then, a voice sounded by his ear. "Lord Raiga, is that Uchiha very strong?"
Raiga said, "He is indeed. He has very powerful eyes and a nearly unbeatable space-time jutsu. If we face him head-on, we have no chance. Luckily, we are only here for reconnaissance. We will need your Red Eye's help, Ranmaru."
Ranmaru immediately replied in his still-childish voice, "Lord Raiga, I will do my best."
Raiga nodded. He was hesitant. From the bottom of his heart, he didn't want to let a child like Ranmaru take this risk with him. But this mission was very suitable for him, and its importance was great enough. It was a good opportunity to prove himself.
The Land of Iron was not large. Raiga's idea was similar to Obito's: he didn't go to the big towns, but searched in the remote areas.
His luck wasn't bad. After more than ten days, he finally found Obito's new hiding place.
Because he had to bring a large group of children, Obito hadn't dug a hole in the ground to raise them. He had directly occupied a village, using genjutsu to control the village head and a few samurai.
Raiga did not get close. From a great distance, he had Ranmaru use his Red Eye to scout. From Ranmaru's description, he knew he had found his target. No normal village would have so many children, let alone children who were undergoing ninja training.
Taking out a piece of paper, he wrote down the detailed address, placed it in a small box covered in seals, and then slowly channeled a bit of chakra into it.
With a poof, the box vanished.
Ranmaru asked curiously, "Lord Raiga, where did the box go?"
Raiga said, "This is the village's fixed-point summoning jutsu. It's how we prevented the Byakugan from being lost after we stole it from Konoha."
Ranmaru nodded, half-understanding, thinking that Lord Raiga was so amazing.
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