"Ah—!"
As Hyuga Aotsuki let out a sharp scream, the veins around her eyes bulged violently, her appearance utterly terrifying.
"It's starting!"
Shien's expression changed at once. He knew the genetic completion process had begun. He swiftly pushed Yamanaka Koji aside to keep him from being affected.
The guy had just undergone a second-heart transplant and was still absorbing nutrients—he absolutely couldn't be disturbed.
Nutrient solution!
Before the surgery even started, an IV line had already been hooked up to Kōji.
Aotsuki, too, was consuming energy at a frightening pace, so Shien had to constantly adjust the input rate based on her condition.
Running out of nutrients halfway through would be disastrous.
Chances were, she'd GG on the spot—no explanation needed.
After all, adaptation and evolution both burned through energy, and energy never came out of thin air.
If the body's own reserves weren't enough, dying midway wouldn't be surprising at all.
Of course, there was also the small chance that someone's life energy might be abundant enough to barely hold on.
A certain example came to mind—
Nagato!
The best possible case study.
After transplanting the Rinnegan, his body was completely hollowed out, to the point where "skin and bones" was almost too generous a description.
With that precedent, it was clear why Shien had stocked up so much nutrient solution.
By supplementing external nutrients, he could replace the energy cost of evolution, preventing the body from burning its own life force.
Honestly, illiteracy kills.
Nagato had never once considered using nutrients to substitute life energy; he just kept relying on his Uzumaki bloodline to endure the strain.
Who else could be that unlucky but him?
Aside from a few geniuses, the rest of the ninja world was utterly clueless about science—especially biotechnology, which was practically an alien field.
Orochimaru might've been a boss in that department, but when he joined the Akatsuki, all he ever saw was "Pain." He never once saw Nagato's real body, so of course he couldn't have realized what was wrong.
Even as he mentally ranted, Shien's hands were already busy.
With his medical and biological theory maxed out, combined with his steadily growing practical skill, his technique had already surpassed the doctors at Konoha Hospital—despite his age.
In the ninja world, strength wasn't measured by age. You were either capable or you weren't.
Kakashi graduated at seven and was already a Chunin.
Meanwhile, more than half of Konoha's ninja retired while still Genin—proof of how cruel the gap could be.
Shien's growth in medical ability felt just like that.
On the outside, he still acted like he couldn't perform a single medical jutsu—utterly lacking any talent in that field.
Cheating is bliss. Cheating forever is eternal bliss!
Without the Clarity Serum, it would've taken Shien at least ten years—and total devotion—to reach his current level.
But thanks to that little "plug-in," he'd made that leap in just a few months.
What else could he say? Cheating really does let you do whatever you want.
Under Shien's careful maintenance, Hyuga Aotsuki somehow survived, though she had burned through two full canisters of nutrient solution—worth twenty million ryō.
Just from that consumption alone, one could tell how drastic her transformation had been.
A single canister was enough to soak an entire person for a bath.
And she had used two.
That was ten times her own body weight in nutrient mass—evidence of a monumental change.
"Hmm?"
Shien suddenly paused.
The Caged Bird Seal on Aotsuki's forehead—once stark and black—had faded considerably.
That alone proved she hadn't achieved the ultimate goal yet.
But perhaps that wasn't a bad thing.
Leaping straight to the top could be fatal.
Even prodigies who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan in their teens barely survived the strain—let alone the Tenseigan, which rivaled the Rinnegan.
If she had fully awakened it in one go, she might've dropped dead on the spot.
Then, something flickered in her eyes—like a living thing twitching.
A fetal movement?
Shien had skipped most of the anime when he'd watched it, but for something as cool and powerful as the Tenseigan, he'd done his research.
To awaken the Tenseigan, one had to go through several "fetal movements."
In other words—
She hadn't ascended in one leap, but she now possessed the qualification.
Just as Shien was about to study her condition further, Aotsuki slowly opened her eyes.
Twin pupils of deep, cosmic blue shimmered like galaxies, drawing one's gaze helplessly inward.
Compared to the Byakugan—
The Tenseigan had no bulging veins and was breathtakingly beautiful.
It truly was the most exquisite of all dōjutsu.
Not only was its power equal to the Rinnegan's—it was gorgeous.
How could Shien ever forget something that cool?
If he could pick a dōjutsu himself, he'd choose the Tenseigan without hesitation.
Power was temporary—style was eternal.
"Shien-kun…"
Aotsuki's voice trembled as the deep blue faded, her eyes returning to the Byakugan's pale hue.
She was still far from the complete Tenseigan stage and couldn't possibly maintain that form for long.
"You're currently in the fetal movement phase of the Tenseigan," Shien explained patiently.
"It's a transitional evolution of the Byakugan…"
Before the surgery, she had known nothing about any of this.
Yet she had trusted him completely—agreeing to the operation without hesitation, no matter what the experiment was.
It was that trust, that absolute faith, that made Shien believe in her even more—and even share secrets about the Tenseigan.
Now, her strength was on the verge of exploding.
Once the Tenseigan fully awakened, she'd reach the Six Paths tier—able to wield Truth-Seeking Orbs.
Even this fetal stage alone would cause a massive leap in power.
It wouldn't be surprising if she soon reached Kage-level.
"So… the Byakugan was always this strong?"
Aotsuki murmured in awe.
Though the Hyuga clan never said it aloud, deep down, they all knew—the Byakugan had always been considered inferior to the Sharingan.
But with the Tenseigan, that hierarchy flipped instantly.
Of course, for now she had merely gained the potential—it was still far from becoming a true Six Paths-level kekkei genkai.
What thrilled her most, though, was the change in her Caged Bird Seal.
"Am I… free?"
Her voice trembled.
To be freed from that curse—every Branch member's lifelong dream. Her dream.
"Not yet," Shien replied.
"But the restriction's definitely weaker. Once you fully awaken the Tenseigan, you'll be completely free."
It was his educated guess—he couldn't exactly find a Main Family member to test it on.
Aotsuki rose to her feet.
The pain and panic from earlier were gone. She looked reborn.
Her skin was white as jade, her form slender and flawless, her aura cool yet mysterious—a breathtaking beauty.
But moments later, she wrapped her forehead protector back on, hiding the now-faint seal. Then she slipped on her right-leg prosthetic sleeve and dabbed a bit of pigment on her face.
In an instant—
The ethereal goddess vanished, replaced by the humble, pitiful Branch House girl once more.
Ninja disguises were terrifyingly effective—no worse than professional makeup back in Shien's old world.
The two stayed in the lab, waiting for Yamanaka Koji to wake.
Several hours later—
The anesthetized Kōji finally opened his eyes, marking the success of the first step toward godhood—the Second Heart Surgery.
Thanks to the drugs and nutrient infusions, he didn't even need to recover. He could go straight to testing.
So, the three of them headed to the Yamaken Clan's training ground for a full assessment.
And the results… were astonishing.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/FicHaven786