Inside the laboratory.
Satori Hyūga was immersed in his experiments, all the while eagerly awaiting Orochimaru's return.
At that moment, the seal at the entrance of the lab was triggered. A familiar figure stepped through the corridor and entered.
The newcomer had a tall, slender build, long hair reaching his shoulders, and two narrow purple eyeshadows beside his eyes. He held a scroll in one hand.
"Professor Orochimaru, you're finally back."
Spotting Orochimaru, Satori immediately set aside his instruments and hurried over.
The wait hadn't been long, yet it filled him with restless anticipation.
Orochimaru gave Satori a slight nod. Holding a yellowed scroll in his hand, he waved his arm and tossed it toward Satori.
"This is the old man's idea—ordered me to secretly crack the Byakugan clan's 'Caged Bird' cursed seal first."
"As for directly abolishing the Caged Bird Seal itself… That might not be very realistic."
Satori picked up the scroll. Hearing Orochimaru's words, his eyes flickered slightly.
Satori wasn't particularly surprised by the Third Hokage's decision.
After all, the Hyūga were an influential clan in Konoha. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to challenge them directly—that would've caused too much disruption.
Opting instead to secretly dismantle the Caged Bird Seal was indeed a practical solution.
By quietly removing the Caged Bird Seal from certain Branch House members without alerting the entire Hyūga clan, they could gradually eliminate its presence like slowly boiling a frog in warm water.
Especially with someone like himself—a Main House member—working behind the scenes, everything became so much easier.
Unrolling the scroll, Satori immediately noticed the name written on it.
Tobirama Senju.
The Second Hokage.
Tsk, tsk, tsk—the Second Hokage really knew how to play the long game. I never imagined he'd be working to undermine both the Uchiha clan and the Caged Bird Seal at the same time," Satori mused inwardly.
"What a shame he died so young—if he had lived longer, he might have already perfected dismantling the Caged Bird Seal by now."
"There might even be other clans who've conducted similar research in secret."
As Satori scanned the sealing symbols, descriptions, and data inside the scroll, he was instantly captivated.
It was a common occupational trap among researchers.
After conducting numerous studies and experiments under Orochimaru, Satori had picked up many of those same researcher habits.
The experimental data and conjectures about the Caged Bird Seal drew him in immediately.
When it came to understanding the Caged Bird Seal, few ordinary people or ninjas could rival his level of knowledge.
But seeing the contents of the scroll made him realize how much more there was to learn—how little he truly understood.
Some of the recorded data was astonishingly detailed and precise.
Satori suspected Tobirama must have secretly dissected not just a few—but possibly dozens—of Hyūga Branch House cadavers.
Otherwise, how else could these numbers be so accurate?
According to the scroll, the Caged Bird Seal was etched into the neural pathways of the human brain—and extended even into the soul.
Using the Caged Bird Seal ensured subjugation, nearly guaranteeing lifelong imprisonment with no hope of escape.
Even in death, the Caged Bird Seal would leave an indelible mark deep within the soul.
The Caged Bird Seal was an intricate and clandestine jutsu, laced with concealed intricacies. Attempting to break it could easily trigger the trap within the formula, triggering instant death.
In other words, failure to crack the seal would immediately kill any Branch House member carrying it.
Upon death, not only would the seal itself be destroyed, but the person's nervous system and the Byakugan would also be utterly erased.
To remove the seal was nearly impossible—like climbing to heaven.
Even Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, had written on the scroll: The Caged Bird Seal is the most disgusting and sinister sealing technique I've ever seen.
Satori Hyūga set the scroll aside, his mind already racing with ideas about how to crack the Caged Bird Seal's formula.
At that moment, Orochimaru asked, "Satori, what do you think of the Second Hokage's notes? Is there any possibility of breaking the seal?"
"Even Konoha's greatest innovator of ninjutsu openly admits the Caged Bird Seal isn't easy to remove."
Orochimaru's face lit up as if he had discovered a new toy. Clearly, he was deeply intrigued by the Caged Bird Seal.
Well, of course—he was looking at one of the most closely guarded secrets of the prestigious Hyūga Clan in Konoha.
Cracking it open would bring immense glory and achievement.
Satori replied confidently, "It's too early to say whether it can be broken, but unlike the Second Hokage, I am a Main House member."
"If the Second Hokage couldn't break this technique, perhaps I can. If he failed to accomplish something, maybe I can succeed."
"Just wait until I go home and ask about the hand seals and techniques used to activate the Caged Bird. That might give me the key."
His confidence came from being an insider—an enemy agent from within.
As a Main House member, he has the authority to activate the Caged Bird Seal itself.
This was like holding the key right in your own hands.
Once you have the key, unlocking the seal—or even sabotaging it—should be effortless.
Orochimaru hadn't expected Satori to plan on directly asking for the method of activating the Caged Bird Seal.
Actually, that's quite a swift way to crack it.
He shook his head in mild disappointment and muttered, "That's no fun at all."
"Truth is best discovered through personal exploration."
But Satori remained unconvinced.
"If there's a shortcut, I'll take it," Satori answered. "It gets me to my goal faster."
"Time is money, you know. I don't want to waste time."
With that shortcut mindset, Satori Hyūga went straight to Grandpa Sounmei that very night.
"Grandfather, please teach me how the Caged Bird Seal is activated."
Satori sat on the tatami mat, bowing deeply as he implored Sounmei.
"Oh? Didn't you dislike the Caged Bird Seal before?" Sounmei asked, puzzled.
Satori calmly replied, "I am a member of the Hyūga Main House. Eventually, I must accept this reality and responsibility. Before, I was simply too idealistic and self-centered."
He wore an expression of someone who had seen through the veil of reality, causing Sounmei to stare in surprise.
Sounmei stroked his modestly long beard thoughtfully and hesitated briefly. "You're still quite young. The technique to activate the Caged Bird shouldn't be passed to someone your age—but I believe you won't misuse it."
Hearing this, a flicker of triumph danced across Satori's eyes.
He didn't actually have complete confidence when he arrived.
However, having consistently shown a calm and independent mindset since childhood, Satori Hyūga eventually earned Sounmei Hyūga's trust.
After careful deliberation, he passed down the techniques of the Caged Bird Seal to Satori Hyūga.
After all, as a member of the Main House, Satori was bound to learn them sooner or later.
Yet he likely never imagined that Satori—who had always seemed so composed and rational in his presence—would seriously consider seeking a way to break free from the Caged Bird Seal.
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