"No wonder they call you Kyoichi-kun."
Orochimaru sighed.
Before meeting Kyoichi, he had always believed himself to be one of the most brilliant minds in the world. He thought even Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara fell short of him, and that one day he would unravel mysteries of the shinobi world that even those legends had failed to uncover.
Yet after crossing paths with Kyoichi…
Time and again he discovered that his own "talent" paled in comparison. Every time he believed he had reached some new insight, Kyoichi had already grasped it long ago.
The boy just didn't bother to say it aloud.
The phrase getting rich quietly—it fit Kyoichi perfectly.
Perhaps… what Orochimaru heard wasn't even the full extent of his thoughts. Perhaps Kyoichi still had countless other concepts and techniques in mind—maybe some of them had even been conceived for Orochimaru's benefit.
A mere few seconds, yet Orochimaru's mind spun with countless possibilities.
"The tailed beasts being able to live so long is certainly intriguing," Kyoichi remarked casually. "So I simply thought about it for a bit. But ultimately, they're different from us. After all… they were created by the Sage of Six Paths."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, mulling it over. "You mean, to reach that level, one would need to master Sage Mode?"
"That's one possibility. But Sage Mode and the Sage of Six Paths are still worlds apart. I suspect his art of creation involved a type of nature transformation we don't yet understand."
Kyoichi rolled up the scroll as he spoke, his words deliberately carrying over—because he knew Nagato was just next door.
In fact, he wanted Nagato to hear.
"A nature transformation we don't understand? You mean… a yin–yang combined nature transformation?"
Orochimaru was quick to catch on.
That was why Kyoichi enjoyed speaking with him—no need for tedious explanations. A single hint, and he could leap ahead. Less work, though the "harvest" was smaller. Still, trying to explain yin–yang attributes to someone like Obito was enough to give Kyoichi a headache.
Besides… to reap knowledge from someone, that person first had to understand.
Orochimaru was perfect for that.
"Yin relates to the soul, yang to life itself… Put them together, and yin–yang release becomes the art of creation—the power to give rise to true life!"
Orochimaru felt as though he had glimpsed the deepest mystery of the shinobi world.
But then he remembered it was Kyoichi who had pointed him in the right direction…
And suddenly, the thrill faded.
Look how calm Kyoichi was.
Which only made him feel like a clown by contrast.
Forcing himself back into composure, Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Kyoichi-kun truly is… serene on the surface, yet hiding fathomless depths within."
If not for knowing with certainty that the youth before him couldn't possibly be Senju Tobirama reborn, Orochimaru might almost have believed it.
Too terrifying.
A casual word, yet behind it a dozen plans for new jutsu. He simply chose not to act on them.
The difference between Kyoichi and Tobirama, however, was that… Kyoichi often chose not to attempt certain arts at all. His internal scale was perfectly clear. Orochimaru might not agree with that restraint, but in a way, it was something to respect.
Because it meant Kyoichi practiced what he preached—no double standards of "forbidden for others, permitted for me."
"It's only idle speculation. To realize it is far too difficult, so for now I have no leads. Yin–Yang Release… let's call it that for the time being. It's the secret of gods and sages—beyond the reach of mere mortals."
Kyoichi sighed.
A simple combination of yin release and yang release was not yin–yang release. Like Wood Release, it was a wholly unique element, an extraordinary fusion.
So far, only those at the level of "Six Paths" shinobi had ever wielded it.
Orochimaru didn't know that much, but even Wood Release had taken him years of research to barely grasp its outline. As for this divine power… still, even catching the faintest glimpse was enough to set his heart racing.
"Pity, but the path is correct—anchoring one's soul in chakra, allowing reincarnation or external vessels. As for the body itself…"
Orochimaru's lips curved upward.
If once he had worried about how to build a perfect body—and perhaps clashed with Kanda Kyoichi's philosophy—now…
Well, there was White Zetsu.
Cells that devoured others without devolving into trees like Hashirama's cells. The perfect material for a new vessel.
With that, crafting an entirely new body wouldn't be difficult at all.
---
"Just don't cause trouble. Otherwise, even I won't show mercy," Kyoichi said firmly.
Orochimaru gave a faint nod, then waved his hand in farewell before vanishing through the window.
Next door, Nagato sat in silence.
They hadn't gone out of their way to hide the conversation from him—he had heard every word.
The first part… was already shocking enough.
Schemes about Uchiha's Sharingan, spoken aloud with an outsider present. If they truly pursued that, wouldn't they need to silence him?
He trusted Kyoichi not to—but Orochimaru? That was harder to say. Fortunately, Kyoichi's voice now carried such weight in Konoha that even Orochimaru seemed compelled to yield.
That was some comfort.
But the latter half…
Yin–Yang Release.
Secrets of the sages.
The art of creation.
Immortality.
Any one of those revelations would overturn the beliefs of half the shinobi world. And here he was, hearing them as if in passing.
It was… overwhelming.
Nagato leaned against the wall, thoughts in turmoil.
If he could master Yin–Yang Release… perhaps…
But then he sighed.
He hadn't even fully mastered the Rinnegan yet. Yin–Yang Release was the domain of the Sage of Six Paths himself. That was still far beyond his reach.
Still, it gave him direction.
First, he needed to master the Yin Seal, to further his control of the Rinnegan. After that, depending on what his summoning experiments revealed, he could decide whether to pursue Yin–Yang Release or something else.
The decision settled in his heart.
He picked up the sealing techniques Kyoichi had given him and began studying.
Sealing arts… he was far from proficient. Though of Uzumaki blood, his mother had not been strong, and her sealing jutsu were quite ordinary. He was essentially starting from scratch.
But he was grateful. These were precious teachings, and Kyoichi had handed them over without hesitation.
That was trust.
"I must not let Kyoichi-kun down."
Nagato steeled himself, setting a small goal—
Tonight, he would finish studying the fundamentals of sealing. No sleep until he had.
Kyoichi, of course, didn't know.
But the next morning, through his system's feedback, he had some idea…
[Task Completed: Sealing Arts Instruction]
[Evaluation: Excellent]
[Reward: Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals]
Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals…?
For a moment, Kyoichi was baffled. Then, after some thought, he shrugged.
Better to have it than not.
After claiming the reward, he contemplated the technique.
Perhaps he could even repurpose or adapt it—say, for use with his rock giant.
***************************
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