Back at the experimental base.
Takuno appeared atop a massive scroll.
He hadn't used the Summoning Jutsu to come straight here initially; instead, he made a stopover at a location not too far from the previous battlefield.
Of course, it wasn't that the distance was too great for the Summoning Jutsu to be used, but rather that he couldn't notify the crow in time.
Therefore, he had arranged a Shadow Clone beforehand on a high ground that he was basically sure was safe. If it had been in a forest, he might not have been able to confirm its safety, as White Zetsu is virtually undetectable when inside wood, but the place he chose did not have a single tree.
Even so, White Zetsu's escape techniques were very formidable, so he not only checked the area several times but also set up a Sealing Jutsu to prevent the enemy from hiding in the ground.
Once safety was confirmed, the Shadow Clone could observe the changes in the situation.
For example, if Nagato or Obito's strength exceeded his expectations, the Shadow Clone would immediately summon him away.
He wanted a piece of the Gedo Statue, but he certainly wouldn't sacrifice his life for it.
However, events unfolded much more smoothly than Takuno anticipated, so the failsafe function of the Shadow Clone was not needed.
In the end, the Shadow Clone merely summoned back the Sealing Scroll, which already had the tool Summoning Jutsu formula carved onto it, as well as Takuno's main body, and then he used the crow at the experimental base to transfer himself into the experimental base.
At this moment, what Takuno held in his hand was the Sealing Scroll that contained a sealed arm of the Gedo Statue!
Now, the task he had to accomplish was clear.
That was to use this arm of the Ten-Tails to cultivate a small Ten-Tails capable of devouring the Chakra of nine Tailed Beasts!
This was also why he had rushed to Rin Nohara's location to obtain the Three-Tails Chakra, even at the risk of being exposed to White Zetsu.
However, he did not immediately unseal it. Instead, he placed the scroll in the 'utility room.' Before starting the research on how to cultivate the small Ten-Tails, he had one more thing to do.
Just as Takuno was about to leave, his footsteps paused. He walked over to the subjects who had previously undergone the Chimera Technique to fuse with the Hyuga Branch Family Kekkei Genkai.
Their vital signs were stable, and there was no trace of the Caged Bird Seal. Of course, their eyes were still ordinary eyes, not Byakugan.
This was because the Byakugan in the Hyuga Branch Family Kekkei Genkai fused with them had already been destroyed by the Caged Bird Seal.
And the Chimera Technique could not restore the Byakugan.
Takuno suddenly paused. Perhaps this was the reason?
Did the Caged Bird Seal itself exist using the Byakugan as its medium? This would explain why Hyuga Hizashi, who was resurrected by Kabuto Orochimaru's Edo Tensei, still had the Caged Bird Seal.
Since Hyuga Hizashi was summoned while possessing the Byakugan, the Caged Bird Seal, which directly affects the Byakugan, naturally reappeared.
As for these subjects who used the Chimera Technique to fuse with the Kekkei Genkai of the deceased Hyuga Branch Family, the seal vanished after being used because the Byakugan had already been destroyed.
Then, the question arose again: if they were fitted with a Byakugan, would the Caged Bird Seal reappear?
Theoretically, it seemed unlikely, as the Byakugan of the Hyuga Main Family should not contain the Caged Bird Seal, but what if there was a problem?
Takuno had a headache. To verify this issue, wouldn't he still need to target someone from the Hyuga Main Family?
If he had that option, why bother fusing with the Hyuga Branch Family Kekkei Genkai? Wouldn't fusing directly with the Hyuga Main Family Kekkei Genkai solve everything?
Or perhaps the Caged Bird Seal simply acts upon the soul? That would be even harder to experiment with, as the soul remains a highly mysterious and difficult entity to study.
How about modifying the Chimera Technique formula to only fuse the body?
Modifying the Chimera Technique would likely be extremely difficult and time-consuming. Which was easier: this or helping the subject replace their head?
After all, the possibility of surviving a head replacement seemed only feasible through Orochimaru's research.
"Orochimaru, huh..."
Takuno pondered the possibility of obtaining Ninjutsu from Orochimaru. He was not like Hiruko.
After solving the issue of Chakra quantity, his current strength would certainly be enough to display Jonin level ability, and even Elite Jonin was within reach.
However, this level of strength would still be quite insufficient against Orochimaru.
He probably hadn't acquired as many forbidden Ninjutsu as he would later, and his strength hadn't peaked yet (excluding Boruto), but he was at least at the level of a newly established Kage.
Obtaining resources from such an Orochimaru would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.
However... "It's not impossible to try." Takuno thought about the timing and reason for his defection. He didn't need to be stronger than him; he only needed to be able to stop him.
Moreover, during this time, his strength would enter a period of rapid improvement, and he might not necessarily be unable to contend with Orochimaru.
Of course, regardless of the outcome, he felt it was highly probable that he couldn't kill Orochimaru; the value of Naruto's King of Survival was no joke.
If he had to rely on Orochimaru's forbidden Ninjutsu and the Caged Bird Seal, then Takuno would just have to accept his fate.
Takuno estimated that this could indeed be listed as Plan A, and then he couldn't help but wonder if there was another plan.
There always had to be alternatives. If he failed to obtain it, he could activate a backup plan, and only if that failed completely would he choose to abandon the experiment and fuse directly.
For instance, capturing someone from the Hyuga Main Family?
He hadn't considered this option before because his strength was insufficient, and exposure would be tantamount to defecting from the village.
Defecting from the village wasn't a big deal, but only after he had finished everything he needed to do in Konoha.
"It seems there might be a chance," Takuno murmured. The Cloud Shinobi had tried to kidnap Hinata Hyūga, which proved they would target the Hyuga Clan.
Of course, with Hyuga Hiashi watching over Hinata Hyūga, it would be difficult to succeed, but the problem was that the Hyuga Main Family consisted of more than just Hyuga Hiashi's line.
That's right, while the Hyuga Main Family members were few, there was definitely more than one branch.
From Takuno's perspective, this was the greatest injustice. If only the Clan Head and the Clan Head's successor didn't have the Caged Bird Seal, perhaps the resentment wouldn't be so strong, as people tend to worry about inequality, not scarcity.
The Clan Head and successor were the leaders of the Hyuga Clan, and having some privileges could be considered barely normal; even if people were still dissatisfied, the number would be much lower. But what about those other members of the Hyuga Main Family?
Why did they also get to be free of the Caged Bird Seal? Yet the Clan Head's own brother needed to have the Caged Bird Seal inscribed?
Given all this, it would be strange if people didn't feel dissatisfied.
However, Takuno was just musing; he was not a member of the Hyuga Clan, so he didn't need to resolve this chaotic situation. What he was thinking now was... perhaps he could take action against another branch of the Hyuga Main Family during the chaos and then pin the blame on the Cloud Shinobi?