Beneath the calm surface hid turbulent undercurrents.
Other members of the Hyūga Clan remained oblivious, but Satori Hyūga had sensed something amiss.
Whether at school or on his way back to the clan compound, unfamiliar eyes were constantly watching him.
They tried to remain unseen, but to Satori, their stares were as obvious as if they were staring him down directly.
Initially, Satori thought he had caught Root's attention, perhaps to be taken to Danzō.
But after several days passed without any action, he realized the Anbu were monitoring the entire Hyūga Clan.
The observers weren't just watching him—they were also keeping tabs on several Branch House members at school. This left Satori completely baffled.
"What's going on?"
Had a Hyūga committed a capital crime?
Days went by with no answers.
Satori went straight to Orochimaru to ask about the matter.
As the Hokage's direct subordinate, Orochimaru definitely knew much more.
And being his apprentice naturally meant having the privilege to ask.
That's one benefit of having a master-disciple relationship.
When you're in trouble, you've got a teacher looking out for you.
In the laboratory,
"Teacher, do you know why the Anbu have been surveilling the Hyūga Clan lately?"
"Did the family do something to upset Lord Hokage?"
Satori asked straightforwardly.
After all, it never hurt to ask.
The Hyūga were a prestigious clan in Konoha—there must be reasons they were being targeted.
Yet Satori simply couldn't figure it out.
After all, the Hyūga had always stayed low-key and conservative. They probably hadn't offended the Hokage, right?
This plot point hadn't appeared in the original series either.
Hearing Satori's inquiry, Orochimaru shrugged carelessly. "I've been busy researching and improving snake-based techniques lately, engaged in various experiments—I haven't paid attention to what the old man's been up to."
"But I can certainly ask around for you."
He formed hand seals and summoned a small white snake.
[Summoning: White Snake!]
Then Orochimaru wrote some words onto a scroll and placed it into the little snake's mouth.
As soon as it received the message, the white snake slithered off.
After a while, it returned shortly, swaggering, holding a new scroll in its mouth.
"Let me see what nonsense the old man's spouting this time." With curiosity gleaming in his eyes, Orochimaru grabbed the scroll and began reading.
"Hahaha, your Hyūga Clan sure is impressive. The old man raised your threat level up to Uchiha standards. No wonder you're one of Konoha's two great Dojutsu clans," Orochimaru joked.
"My contact inside the Anbu reported—the old man ordered surveillance on every move of the Hyūga Clan, particularly a Branch House member in a green jumpsuit???"
Upon reading this part, even Orochimaru was stunned. What the hell?
Green jumpsuits and the Hyūga Clan seemed completely incongruous.
In Orochimaru's mind, he couldn't imagine any typically conservative, formal Hyūga would ever wear a green jumpsuit.
Just picturing such an odd sight instantly made Orochimaru smirk.
He burst into laughter, while Satori looked utterly bewildered.
The Branch House members in green jumpsuits, aren't those their own little group?
What gives? Did they poison the atmosphere or something?
Did they really provoke the Hokage to the point of considering full extermination?
"I think I get it now," Orochimaru said with a smile, his eyes flickering as he mused thoughtfully,
"You shouldn't have let Might Guy teach them."
"Might Guy's training in the Eight Gates technique might appear harmless at first glance, but in reality, it can unleash terrifying power."
"If those Hyūga Branch House youths train in the Eight Gates, they would inevitably fall under the Main House's control and become tools in their hands."
"Tsk tsk tsk, clucking his tongue, this is exactly the kind of thing the old man would do."
Like father, like son.
Orochimaru, being Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple, naturally understood his mentor's ways.
"Oh, I see what you mean. It actually makes some sense," Satori Hyūga's eyes narrowed slightly, then burst into laughter.
"Third Hokage must've misunderstood. This was all just me messing around."
Truth be told, he had considered it before—but never acted on it.
Just imagine, a group of subordinates wielding the Eight Gates running by his side. How impressive would that be?
But putting such a plan into motion would require immense energy and financial resources.
Moreover, with the Caged Bird Seal placed on Branch members, they were always shackled by the Main House.
Even if they mastered the Eight Gates, whether they would remain loyal to him or defect to the Main House was still uncertain.
Therefore, Satori never implemented this idea.
He simply allowed these youths to train under Might Guy, leaving it up to them to prove whether they were worthy of learning the Eight Gates technique.
Orochimaru curled his lips into a smirk, amusedly saying, "This misunderstanding really blew things out of proportion, but still, the old man panicking isn't too unreasonable."
"According to the principles of the Eight Gates technique, the Hyūga Clan might produce several Kage-level fighters."
"That's as much strength as all the other clans in Konoha combined."
"What a shame the old man found out. Otherwise, I wouldn't have minded trying it myself."
He gazed at Satori, contemplating, "The Eight Gates technique is about unlocking physical potential—so this is where you're planning to begin?"
Of course, he was asking about the path toward immortality.
As for Satori—a disciple who shared similar aspirations—he kept a close eye on his actions.
Walking alone means stumbling through the dark.
If someone walks beside you, you can learn from each other as you go.
Satori smiled faintly and nodded.
"I did consider that possibility."
"I believe Taijutsu masters who train their bodies rigorously tend to live longer than most."
"The reason it's not obvious is mainly because practicing Taijutsu often causes bodily injuries, wear and tear, plus damage from constant battles—ultimately shortening one's lifespan."
"But as a member of the Hyūga Main House, I don't need to fight. If I carefully refine my body, take proper care of myself, and supply it with ample nutrition, I should be able to prolong my life."
"Of course, this is only a step toward physical longevity. The soul is the true path to eternity. Later on, I plan to unravel the mysteries of the soul."
"If both the body and soul reach a perfect state, one should probably live for a very long time."
He voiced this thought of his, though only revealing a small portion of it.
He didn't mention things like higher-level bloodline traits, the Ōtsutsuki Clan, the Tenseigan, or the Rinnegan.
After all, how could a young Hyūga Main House boy who hadn't even traveled far possibly grasp so many mysteries of the ninja world?
"Body and soul, huh? Actually, that's quite an intriguing topic," Orochimaru nodded in agreement.
Wasn't the death of his previous apprentice, Nawaki, precisely because his physical body wasn't strong enough—reduced to pieces by nothing more than an explosive tag?
A strong body could indeed help one survive far longer.
And his close friend, Dan Kato, practiced S-ranked soul ninjutsu. He transformed himself into a soul state, traversing battlefields freely across any distance, control enemy bodies, manipulate their minds, and eventually kill them.
The ability to control both enemy bodies and souls is truly legendary.
If one could master the soul completely, perhaps one could exist in this world without needing a physical body at all.
In an instant, Orochimaru's understanding of achieving immortality suddenly expanded, as if a dense fog before him had finally started to lift.
...
...
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