After a bit of grumbling, Satori Hyūga's thoughts drifted once again—this time toward the secret techniques of the Akimichi Clan.
The Akimichi could convert food directly into body fat.
If he could obtain this technique, it would significantly speed up his ability to open the Eight Gates while compensating for the energy his body consumed.
"Heh, if I want to make a move, it's definitely going to be a long and treacherous road ahead."
The Akimichi were a clan of secret techniques, passing down their unique arts through generations to maintain their superiority.
Much like the Byakugan—a hereditary bloodline trait of the Hyūga Clan—these secrets were never permitted to leave the family.
No matter how much Satori desired them, he couldn't bypass either the Akimichi Clan or Konoha itself.
The Akimichi weren't just some minor clan—they were deeply rooted and unshakable within Konoha.
Especially in alliance with the Yamanaka and Nara clans, forming the Ino–Shika–Cho trio, widely regarded as the strongest combination.
The three clans maintained excellent relations, seamlessly combining offense, defense, and support into one unit.
They rarely resorted to intimidation—stealing their secret jutsu was practically impossible anyway.
Still, Satori wouldn't give up just because something was difficult.
Even the Sharingan was extremely valuable, yet Danzō had secretly grafted many onto his own arms.
In the end, it all came down to strength.
Once strong enough, you could simply take what you wanted—or even demand it—and those so-called secret-technique clans would have no choice but to comply.
Besides the Akimichi's techniques, Satori also coveted the Yamanaka Clan's mind-control arts and the Nara Clan's shadow manipulation.
Every clan that could be called a "secret-technique" clan possessed an exclusive, hidden inheritance.
Each secret jutsu came with its own refined and integrated combat system.
Meanwhile…
One of Satori's clones slipped silently into Orochimaru's secret laboratory behind him.
The moment they stepped inside, Satori immediately sensed something off.
A cold, eerie aura clung to the place, sending chills down his spine.
Luckily, this was only a clone, unfazed by danger or death.
Taking one step forward, a dark and grotesque experimental scene suddenly appeared before him.
Complicated instruments lined every surface, while twisted, deformed test subjects floated preserved in petri dishes.
Satori calmly observed everything, his pupils slightly constricting.
He'd suspected the truth, yet witnessing it firsthand still sent a wave of unease through him.
Why?
Perhaps it was mere empathy—seeing human life reduced to such a state.
As a Main House member, Satori had been shielded from the ninja world's darker underbelly.
"Hmm, not quite used to it yet?" Orochimaru stood nearby, watching him with amusement.
Satori didn't try to pretend otherwise and simply nodded.
"I've read countless reports on human experimentation, but actually seeing it… it's still disturbingly real."
He steadied his breath, then slowly approached one of the test subjects, observing the faint movement of its chest.
"How fragile life truly is. Human existence is like a flickering candle—snuffed out by the faintest breath."
This was truly his heartfelt sentiment, not something he said merely to appease Orochimaru.
People were incredibly fragile beings.
Whether through natural disasters, illness, injury, or internal conflict, countless lives were always lost.
Yet, life could also be remarkably resilient—like roadside weeds that sprouted again and again.
"Heh, never thought you'd have such insight. I expected you to say these experiments are too cruel," Orochimaru chuckled.
His gaze drifted over the test subject before him, his expression deep in thought.
When he first began working in the lab, it had taken him quite some time to adjust.
Fortunately, his Ninja Way was strong, and he managed to adapt.
"Hehe, eventually, sacrifices must be made. Fortunately, the test subjects are all from other villages," Satori Hyūga said lightly.
He had observed closely—the petri dishes held no familiar faces from Konoha.
On the contrary, their facial features and appearances were vastly different from those of people in Konoha.
Judging by their skin tones and features, Satori could roughly identify which were from the Cloud Village and which were from Iwagakure.
"Hehe, test subjects are just consumables after all. No matter how crazy I become, I wouldn't dare use people from within the village," Orochimaru replied calmly.
He truly loved the village. Everything he did was for Konoha's peace—which was why he began human experimentation.
Well, aside from that, there was also his curiosity about Hashirama's cells.
But he never considered using regular villagers as test subjects.
Though his expression remained neutral, internally Satori couldn't help but comment.
"Well, as long as you haven't gone rogue yet, things are still manageable. But once you do...you won't see them as people anymore."
Since the deaths of his close friend and students—and his collaboration with Danzō's Root—Orochimaru had gradually descended into darkness.
Initially, perhaps, his intentions were good.
But over time, with continued human experimentation and deeper exploration into jutsu, Orochimaru unknowingly became increasingly cold and ruthless.
By the time the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, assumed power, he could no longer suppress his inner darkness.
What followed was widespread abduction of both ninja and ordinary villagers, until finally discovered, leading to his eventual defection.
"Perhaps I should try preventing Professor Orochimaru from walking completely into darkness," Satori thought.
At present, they already shared a teacher-disciple relationship. If Orochimaru committed actions betraying the village's interests, it would inevitably affect himself too.
Besides, he needed Orochimaru's research talents.
"One step at a time—we'll deal with things as they come."
Satori turned his focus toward the experimental data and intelligence analyses, beginning his observation and learning process.
Don't underestimate this—despite having studied under Orochimaru for some time, his skills still fell far short of Orochimaru's expertise.
Moreover, Orochimaru's manual dexterity was extraordinary, and his mastery of various instruments was truly impressive.
These were valuable experiences Satori couldn't afford to ignore.
Through careful observation, Satori discovered the origins of these test subjects.
Most were enemy ninja captured during battles or spies sent by rival villages.
Once captured, Danzō wasted no time delivering them directly to Orochimaru's secret laboratory, where they were reduced to nothing more than expendable test subjects.
This hidden laboratory could indeed be called Orochimaru's true domain and most valuable possession.
The place he had once brought Satori Hyūga to study was merely a decoy lab designed to mislead others.
By assisting Orochimaru in conducting experiments, Satori Hyūga gained much knowledge. His reflexes, observation, and physical capabilities saw significant improvement.
Some things simply couldn't be learned from books—you needed hands-on experience.
With certain ninjas, Satori suppressed his revulsion and performed dissections for research.
He would occasionally help Orochimaru by restraining test subjects to prevent them from breaking free.
Still, Satori began to notice an issue—namely, the deplorable environmental conditions within the laboratory.
In the past, when Satori observed others conducting experiments, sterile environments were always stressed.
Orochimaru's approach, however, was brutally raw—like butchering livestock. One swing of Kiji's blade sent blood flying everywhere, with not a care for cleanliness.
"Uh, Professor Orochimaru," Satori Hyūga said, "the hygiene situation here is really bad... maybe we should clean up a little?"
"Won't excessive bacterial growth interfere with the test subjects?"
Upon hearing Satori's words, Orochimaru looked around the lab environment and fell silent for a moment.
The damp, mold-ridden air; the suffocating atmosphere; the pungent odors; the discolored equipment…
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