In Konoha Hospital, Tsunade sat in her office, frowning as she studied the blood test report in front of her.
A misunderstanding? No problem?
That shouldn't be the case!
As a top-tier medical-nin, her understanding of the human body far surpassed that of ordinary people.
That condition was definitely abnormal!
"Because of the Yin Seal going out of control, leading to a collision of yang chakra, which caused a nervous system disorder? No… that's not right…"
She touched the Yin Seal on her forehead. Even though it started with the word "Yin," the Yin Seal was actually a highly advanced jutsu that involved the nature transformation of yang chakra. In extreme cases, it could indeed lead to the kind of "emergency treatment" scenario that Kei had described earlier.
But the structure of the Yin Seal's technique was incredibly stable. Normally, the body entering a state of forced rest due to excessive use of a technique wouldn't qualify as an extreme case. For such an abnormal loss of control to occur… It must have been caused by a nervous system disorder or similar symptoms first, which then triggered the Yin Seal's activation.
So, there was definitely a problem. And the issue wasn't with the drugs she had initially suspected.
"You think you can fool me? You're still a bit too inexperienced…" Tsunade clenched her teeth.
Now that she had ruled out the possibility of drug-induced effects, she started thinking about how Kei had managed to achieve this!
Genjutsu could indeed affect the five senses, but it did so by interfering with the mind, which then influenced the body's perception. That meant the fundamental factor behind the effect was mental influence. However, the illusion she had experienced had nothing to do with genjutsu.
So, the problem wasn't genjutsu either.
That left… A technique similar to Body Pathway Derangement?
The Body Pathway Derangement was a jutsu that required extreme chakra control. By breaking down lightning chakra into an ultra-microscopic level at extreme speed and injecting it into an opponent's body, it could paralyze their nervous system.
If refined further and applied precisely to certain nerves, then in theory, it could indeed achieve such an effect.
But Kushina had previously said that the technique Kei used was Mystical Palm Technique!
Tsunade trusted her, Kushina wouldn't lie to her.
And besides, she wasn't the type who would mistake Yang Release for Lightning Release. Could it be a method that used Yang Release nature transformation to stimulate and interfere with specific nerves? Or perhaps it directly targeted the organs themselves?
Heh—Earlier, he had even tried to trick her into thinking he didn't know Medical Water Release.
"If I figure out how you did it… then…" Tsunade slammed the desk and stood up from behind it.
She reached for an old book from the bookshelf—one she had never read before—and started flipping through it rapidly.
The Konoha Library, the Konoha Archive Library, and even the rare books she hadn't gone through yet… She had also never deeply studied the Yang Release training notes left behind by their ancestors. She refused to believe that, with her level of expertise in Yang Release, she wouldn't be able to decipher the technique that had been used on her!
She had to figure out that guy's jutsu! And when she did… She wouldn't say anything. She'd just use it on him every single day, making him…
Something seemed off.
The door to Tsunade's office was suddenly opened.
A medical-nin, looking anxious, called out to her.
"Tsunade-sama! A jonin just arrived in the emergency room from the border—his right arm has a comminuted fracture, multiple ribs on his left side are broken, and he has internal bleeding. Kazekiryu asked me to check with you…"
"Where is he?" Tsunade's expression changed slightly. She recalled her earlier blood test—there hadn't been any particularly severe abnormalities.
Clenching her fists and mentally preparing herself, she strode out of the office.
"Operating Room No. 7!" The medical-nin's face lit up with relief.
At the Root headquarters, Kei had just arrived at his office, preparing to switch out with his shadow clone, when an unfamiliar Root ninja approached him.
"Kei-sama, Orochimaru-sama has invited you to Experimental Base No. 7 to observe the latest research results."
Kei looked at the masked Root ninja in front of him.
He searched through Danzō's memories for a moment. It wasn't that [Seeker of Origins] was failing him. It was just that even Danzō himself didn't have much of an impression of this person.
"No, I am Kiyoshi," the Root ninja said, slightly bowing his head. "I belong to the Ninjutsu Research Division under Orochimaru-sama, responsible for daily security and protection of the research facility."
"You go ahead and report. I'll be there soon."
Watching Kiyoshi's figure disappear, Kei's lips curled into a faintly amused smile.
Even within Root, which Danzō controlled with an iron grip, Orochimaru had still managed to cultivate subordinates loyal to him. It seemed he wasn't as obedient as Danzō's memories suggested.
And now, an invitation to "observe the experimental results"?
The Experimental Base No. 7 focused on the transplantation and fusion of bloodline limits. But what did its research results have to do with him, the Vice Director responsible for mission assignments and training?
What an excuse. They must have noticed his recent activities. But it was too late.
In just five days, all department heads, key members, and combat unit personnel had already had the control seals of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Jutsu rewritten. Even Danzō's two "concubines" had their relevant memories erased, turning them into nothing more than loyal Root followers.
The remaining lower-ranking members were still important, but... Just yesterday, one of his shadow clones had selected a body from among three newly activated White Zetsu clones, less than a month old.
It had all memories erased and was reshaped into an absolute puppet loyal only to him.
As long as there was no interference from Black Zetsu's bloodline-based control, no one would ever suspect—it was Danzō!
If Orochimaru was planning to cause trouble now… He might end up in a little sparring match!
Kei finished replacing the shadow clone in charge of his office duty. Then, he left the Root base and headed unhurriedly toward the Experimental Base No. 7, located in Bone Erosion Plains.
Bone Erosion Plains lay over ten kilometers northeast of the Konoha Bird Summoning Beast Sanctuary, already outside the village's boundaries.
Due to its complex terrain, harsh environment, and lack of valuable resources, it was often used by certain rogue ninja to release and raise their more aggressive summoning beasts. Over time, aside from the ninjas who used it for this purpose, hardly anyone came to this place anymore.
Opening the hidden entrance behind a waterfall, he stepped into the experimental base.
Perhaps because serpentine beings always preferred cold and damp environments, the bases under Orochimaru's control rarely used excessive lighting. A chilling dampness pervaded the air.
This place was no exception.
"Ahhh—!" A familiar yet distant scream of agony echoed from the depths of the facility.
Kei's expression remained unchanged as he walked past Kiyoshi, who was bowing respectfully at the entrance.
He headed directly toward Orochimaru's location, guided by his sensory jutsu. He did not rush forward, nor did he deliberately slow down.
By the time he arrived at the laboratory, the once piercing screams had already faded into weak, gasping moans.
"Long time no see." Wearing a Konoha headband and a jonin flak jacket, Orochimaru turned around and gave a slight nod toward Kei.
His voice was raspy, his demeanor cold yet refined. Compared to his later years in the original timeline, his skin was paler, his eyes adorned with purple markings, and he wore a pair of slightly feminine earrings.
Yet, outwardly, he was far from the twisted and sickly figure he would later become.
Orochimaru still retained his grace and presence!
"So, is this your latest experimental achievement?"
Kei nodded in return, his gaze shifting toward the blood-stained cage behind Orochimaru.
Oyashiro, his eyes deeply sunken, was curled up in agony.
Under his skin, lumps the size of eggs squirmed, shifting erratically. The volatile energy trapped within them seemed ready to rupture his body at any moment.
"To complete this experiment, there is still one crucial element missing."
"Precisely. I wonder, would you be willing to contribute?"