A somewhat dilapidated house—this was Gen Takuno's residence.
In theory, the shinobi profession wasn't low-paying; even the simplest missions offered substantial rewards.
As a special jōnin, Gen Takuno could afford more than this run-down little home, even if he couldn't splurge on the most luxurious mansions.
Indeed, his requirements for housing were modest; he only needed a basic dwelling.
A quick glance around the room confirmed this: while it had all the essentials, it exuded a sense of simplicity and lacked any warmth or human touch, as if the owner rarely stayed there.
This was accurate—Gen Takuno spent most of his time outside Konoha on missions during peacetime, so he naturally didn't return home often.
Even when he did, he confined himself to one room for researching sealing techniques, leaving the rest of the house largely unoccupied.
Gen Takuno walked to his desk and sat down, his fingers tapping slowly on the surface as he pondered his next steps.
Stealing the Chimera Technique was imperative; it was his only chance to overcome his mediocre talent and turn the tide.
The main question was: what came after stealing it?
He needed to master it in a very short time—at least before Nohara Rin was captured by Kirigakure ninjas—to complete the fusion and resolve his greatest weakness: his limited chakra reserves.
He wasn't sure how complete the Chimera Technique's formula was; it probably hadn't reached the stage of fusing five bodies, but the process for one or two was definitely finished, perhaps even three.
Researching formulas was always most challenging at the start, and even if the later stages weren't perfected, Gen Takuno was confident he could finish them himself.
As for the bodies to fuse? He had already prepared them; he hadn't wasted his twenty-seven years.
Where were they stored? Certainly not within Konoha. Unlike Hiruko, he wouldn't place his experimental base inside the village, just waiting to be discovered!
Thus, Gen Takuno picked up the sealing scroll on his desk and began scrutinizing it from the beginning, considering potential modifications.
That night...
Gen Takuno set down the scroll and checked Hiruko's experimental base again. It remained completely still. Even Kakashi Hatake's side was silent, and he was starting to grow anxious.
Had he remembered wrong? This part of the original story was vague. Hiruko was discovered right after learning that Kakashi had obtained the Sharingan, leading the Sannin to expel him.
"That shouldn't be the case..."
Gen Takuno frowned. Could Hiruko have inscribed the Puppet Curse on Kakashi after his expulsion?
When Hiruko placed the Puppet Curse on Kakashi, the boy still had his two-tomoe Sharingan, meaning it was indeed after the Battle of Kannabi Bridge but before Rin's capture.
"Could Hiruko have sneaked back into Konoha after being expelled...?"
Gen Takuno considered this possibility, then recalled the scene where Uchiha Itachi boldly entered Konoha with Kisame. A chill ran down his spine.
Given Konoha's habit of using unchanging barrier codes, it was entirely plausible!
Fortunately, while Hiruko hadn't left yet, neither had the Sannin, so the plan hadn't failed.
If it truly was the scenario he'd just imagined, he'd have to adjust his strategy.
Hiruko's escape from the Sannin was largely due to their old friendship—they showed mercy, but the pursuit still had to look convincing. Hiruko was bound to be injured, though the extent was unknown.
Regardless, he had no choice but to act against Hiruko now. Otherwise, if Hiruko went into hiding to hunt for kekkei genkai corpses, tracking him down would be nearly impossible.
To be honest, Gen Takuno didn't want to confront Hiruko directly—not for any other reason than that, even before mastering the Chimera Technique, Hiruko's strength had reached jōnin level, only slightly below the Sannin.
He had easily inscribed the Puppet Curse on Kakashi. Though Kakashi's jōnin promotion came during wartime, it still highlighted Hiruko's formidable power. For Gen Takuno, a mere special jōnin, facing him head-on was far from a sure win.
Intercepting Hiruko after his escape wouldn't be the worst outcome. The real disaster would be missing the chance entirely, forcing Gen Takuno to research the technique from scratch if he wanted to enhance his talent.
He had considered independent research before, but he wasn't certain of success, and he had other techniques to develop. His experimental base wasn't in Konoha, and working alone limited how many projects he could handle.
Since the Chimera Technique was detailed in his foreknowledge, he preferred to acquire it directly and focus his efforts elsewhere.
Gen Takuno took a deep breath and tapped his forehead with his finger, slowly calming himself.
He'd wait a little longer. The Sannin hadn't appeared yet; things hadn't reached the worst point. He still had a chance.
And so, filled with trepidation, Gen Takuno waited until the third night. Then, he opened his bloodshot eyes, brimming with joy.
Hiruko had finally emerged from the experimental base, heading straight toward Hatake Kakashi's location!
Gen Takuno breathed a sigh of relief, then rose and began to move. Even now, he couldn't afford carelessness and risk detection by patrolling ninjas. He didn't want to attract scrutiny from his superiors.
Soon, Gen Takuno arrived at Hiruko's experimental base. Using the entry method he'd observed Hiruko employ, he proceeded step by step into the interior.
Once inside, this area was beyond the crows' surveillance. He had been cautious about Hiruko spotting them, so he never let the crows get too close.
However, he wasn't without options.
"Water Release: Reappearance Technique!"
Gen Takuno formed hand seals, channeling his chakra.
That's right—it was Water Release. His chakra natures were water and earth, fairly ordinary affinities, lacking the protagonist's perks like wind or lightning.
Water Release wasn't bad; Konoha had the Second Hokage, a Water Release master, so advanced techniques wouldn't be lacking later. But Earth Release was another matter. Useful ones like the Light-Weight Rock Technique or Added-Weight Rock Technique were Iwa's specialties.
As for the Wood Release kekkei genkai from earth and water? Impossible. Even the Fifth Mizukage, Terumī Mei, only got Lava Release from those natures. Wood Release must require something unique—perhaps only the First Hokage's bloodline.
Still, Gen Takuno wasn't overly concerned. Once he had the Chimera Technique, he'd acquire other natures eventually; no need to rush.
He had developed many ninjutsu for this purpose, like the Clairvoyance Technique he'd used earlier.
Now, employing Water Release: Reappearance Technique...
A thin layer of liquid flowed rapidly from beneath his feet, quickly covering the ground ahead. Within this liquid, numerous footprints emerged—some entering, some exiting.
Gen Takuno focused on the clearest set: those left by Hiruko just before departing.
Following these fresh footprints, he swiftly advanced deeper into the base.
Soon, the view opened up, revealing countless corpses—some exposed, others submerged in solutions within incubation tanks.
Gen Takuno frowned at the pervasive stench of decay. Hiruko was incredibly careless; Gen Takuno's own base was far cleaner by comparison.
Hiruko's corpses were mostly animal carcasses, while Gen Takuno's... were primarily from targets he'd killed on missions.
But this wasn't the time for commentary. They were relatively safe here. Traps were more likely in the passageways; this experimental area probably had few deliberate ones.
In fact, Gen Takuno hadn't encountered any traps in the corridors he'd passed—unlike his own base, rigged with deadly poisons, acids, and mechanisms.
It made sense, though. In the original story, the Sannin only discovered Hiruko after entering the base itself.
Their unimpeded access was due partly to their strength and partly because Hiruko likely hadn't set many traps.
Even if he had, there were no alarms. In Gen Takuno's base, he'd know instantly if a single trap was triggered or disarmed.
But now wasn't the time to critique Hiruko. His eyes scanned the base quickly, soon spotting a large pile of experimental records nearby.
Gen Takuno felt a slight headache; it seemed he'd have to sift through them to find what he needed.
With a sigh, he got to work. He retrieved prepared scrolls, unsealed them, and a stack of blank ones appeared.
Then, he opened Hiruko's records. He didn't have time to read them all here, so he'd developed a ninjutsu for this exact purpose.
"Water Release: Copying Technique."
Countless streams of water enveloped Hiruko's records, adhering to the text. Gen Takuno then directed them toward his blank scrolls, where the water merged seamlessly.
Finally, words appeared rapidly on the new scrolls—the handwriting identical to Hiruko's originals!
Gazing at the scroll in his hand, a satisfied smile crossed Gen Takuno's face. He quickly copied the rest, one by one.
By the time he finished the last, he could barely suppress his laughter.
But not now, and certainly not here.
Finally, Gen Takuno suppressed his grin and thoroughly searched every corner of the laboratory, including Hiruko's bedroom. Confirming no records were missed, he stretched.
Then, he formed seals and activated his Clairvoyance Technique again, spotting that Hiruko had succeeded and was heading back.
Gen Takuno wasn't worried about a confrontation. Entering had been tricky, but exiting would be simpler.
He had reset all the records, and the footprints matched Hiruko's. The only minor change was a slight increase in humidity from his Water Release techniques.
But it was negligible—unlikely to draw notice, especially from someone as detail-oblivious as Hiruko, who would probably be elated from his success.
Gen Takuno had no interest in leaving traces for Hiruko to discover and speculate over.
Just as some might recklessly linger for a thrill, waiting until the last moment before Hiruko's return, Gen Takuno had already coordinated with his summoned beast.
In his dilapidated room, a raven slowly unfurled a large scroll with its small body. Inscribed upon it was a formula:
"Reverse Summoning Technique!"