"This is all I know... about the Caged Bird."
Hyuga Mio revealed everything she knew about the Caged Bird Curse Mark, watching Orochimaru, who was staring at her eyes, seemingly deep in thought.
"The Caged Bird Curse Mark placed on you should be connected to your brain tissue and optic nerves, causing the Byakugan, which originally had a 360-degree clear view, to have a 1-degree blind spot."
Orochimaru stood up, dusted off her clothes, walked behind Hyuga Mio, and pointed a finger at her back. "Roughly in this area, right?"
Hyuga Mio's eyes widened. She jumped forward, creating distance from Orochimaru, and watched her warily.
"Don't be so sensitive. You know I don't mean you any harm."
Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Mio's forehead, where the Caged Bird Curse Mark was located. "I'm asking you, do you want to break free from the main family's restraints?"
"What?!"
Hyuga Mio's expression changed, and her emotions were somewhat out of control as she said, "Do you know what you're saying! Even if you are the Third Hokage's disciple..."
"The Caged Bird Curse Mark is both a restraint and a protection. The Byakugan, known as the 'all-seeing eye,' is coveted by countless people in the Ninja World. Without the protection of the Caged Bird Curse Mark..."
Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Mio's face, which had turned grim, and a smirk played on her lips. "The Rogue Ninja you encountered on your last mission, if he hadn't known you were from the branch family and not the main family, would he have simply defeated you without gouging out your eyes? I heard your teammates say that the Rogue Ninja mentioned the value of the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan Bloodline Limit in the black market."
In Orochimaru's view, the Caged Bird Curse Mark had both pros and cons, which is why she wondered why the entire Hyuga Clan didn't have it applied.
As the saying goes, it's not the thief you fear, but the one who covets. She remembered that in the original work, Hyuga Hinata was abducted by Cloud Ninja more than once.
And the Cloud Ninja who died the first time was no small fry; he was the former leader of the Kumogakure forces, a rank far above a typical Jonin. Kumogakure's move was a deliberate attempt to bully Konoha into not starting a war, only they hadn't expected such a high-ranking individual to be killed by Hyuga Hiashi.
Wanting to start a war was real, and wanting to use war as an excuse to get the Byakugan was also real, as Konoha at that time could no longer withstand any more turmoil.
The Nine-Tails Riot and the deaths of the Fourth Hokage and his wife were devastating blows to Konoha.
"Are you saying my branch family status saved me?!"
Hyuga Mio clenched her fists, thinking of her parents who always looked sad, and of the main family who always looked down on her. Veins bulged around her eyes, and she unconsciously activated her Byakugan.
"What I'm saying is a fact. If you are willing to let me research the Caged Bird Curse Mark, I am confident I can make it lose its effect. Completely removing the Caged Bird Curse Mark would be very troublesome, and you wouldn't want your eyes to be constantly targeted by others, would you?"
Orochimaru spread her hands. She didn't believe the Caged Bird Curse Mark was unsolvable. Any curse mark had a corresponding method to undo it; the difference was that some curse mark removal methods had not yet been discovered.
"I... I will consider it."
Hyuga Mio was tempted, but she didn't rush to agree to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru watched Hyuga Mio's retreating figure, narrowing her golden eyes, like a snake eyeing its prey.
Half a month ago...
"Hiruzen-sensei, did you call me?"
Orochimaru walked into the Hokage Office, a hint of confusion in her eyes as she looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi. He had called her over in a hurry, but neither Tsunade nor the other Genin were present, so it didn't seem like a mission.
"Orochimaru, there have been quite a few injured lately, and the Medical Ninja in the medical team are overwhelmed. How is your progress in Medical Ninjutsu?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a headache, looked at Orochimaru with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
"Treating some injuries should be no problem."
Orochimaru didn't think the Medical Ninja in the medical team would entrust seriously injured Ninja to her for treatment.
"I'm counting on you, Orochimaru. Please go to the hospital to help."
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. He knew Orochimaru wouldn't disappoint him.
"So, is this a C-rank mission or a B-rank mission?"
Orochimaru raised a very crucial question.
"Uh... well... how about C-rank?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said awkwardly. He had thought Orochimaru wouldn't be too bad at Medical Ninjutsu but had forgotten that Orochimaru was very particular about money.
So, you want to get free labor!
Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who hadn't decided on the mission rank, with a hint of reproach and disdain in her eyes. "Hiruzen-sensei, if I hadn't brought it up, would you have not assigned me a mission? Would I have gone to the hospital to treat the injured for free?"
"Cough..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed lightly and said seriously, "Orochimaru, we are all Ninja of the same Village. It's not good to be so particular."
"What happened? Why are the Medical Ninja overwhelmed?"
Orochimaru frowned slightly, sensing that something was not simple.
"The patrol team encountered spies trying to infiltrate the Village, and two Genin squads were attacked by Rogue Ninja."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely. He hadn't expected small-scale battles to break out simultaneously. Seriously injured Ninja required multiple Medical Ninja to treat them together, and even those with slightly lighter injuries couldn't be ignored.
"I understand. I'll go to the hospital immediately."
Orochimaru left the Hokage Building and hurried to the Konoha Hospital.
Konoha Hospital
"Orochimaru, you're here too!"
Tsunade's eyes lit up as she saw Orochimaru, who had changed into a nurse's uniform. The cool and intellectual Orochimaru in a nurse's uniform gave off a unique feeling.
"It suits you perfectly!"
Tsunade couldn't help but give a thumbs-up.
"Don't joke around. Hiruzen-sensei called me here to help."
Orochimaru's pale face flushed slightly as she glared at Tsunade. She had been forced into this outfit by a female Medical Ninja named Furofuki, who wore glasses.
Orochimaru walked into the ward and saw Hyuga Mio, whose head injury forced her to remove her forehead protector, revealing the Caged Bird Curse Mark. She said in surprise, "It seems the Genin squad that encountered the Rogue Ninja was yours."
"It's you!"
Hyuga Mio was startled when she saw Orochimaru.
"Don't move! Do you want your wound to open up?"
Orochimaru snapped, quickly walked over, examined Hyuga Mio's injuries, and then used Mystical Palm Technique to treat her.
"You... you're a Medical Ninja?!"
Hyuga Mio looked at Orochimaru in disbelief.
"No one ever stipulated that you can't learn Medical Ninjutsu if you're not a Medical Ninja."
Orochimaru glanced at the Caged Bird Curse Mark on Hyuga Mio's forehead. It was a rare opportunity, but after some thought, she gave up. She didn't want to take advantage of someone in their vulnerable state.
"Too slow."
Orochimaru formed hand signs, and two Shadow Clones appeared beside her.
The Shadow Clones nodded at Orochimaru. As Orochimaru's Shadow Clones, they clearly knew what Orochimaru was thinking.
Under the treatment of Orochimaru and her Shadow Clones, Hyuga Mio's injuries were quickly treated, and her pale complexion returned to normal.
She glanced at the Ninja tool pouch on the table, took out a small bag of soldier pills, and placed them on the table.
"These are my specially made soldier pills. If you don't want to eat them, you can throw them away."
Hyuga Mio looked at the soldier pills on the table, then at Orochimaru's back, raised her hand to touch the Caged Bird Curse Mark on her forehead, and suddenly said, "Th-thank you..."
Orochimaru paused, then proceeded to other wards to treat the injured, learning what had happened from Hyuga Mio's teammates.
Rogue Ninja, huh... Orochimaru walked out of the ward, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Even in peacetime, many Ninja become Rogue Ninja for various reasons.
"Orochimaru, over here! Over here!"
"Hmm?"
Orochimaru heard Tsunade calling her. Just as she turned around, she heard a click. Tsunade was holding a camera and had taken a picture.
"Hehe!"
Tsunade grinned, showing the camera in her hand to Orochimaru.
"I'm telling you..."
Orochimaru stood with one hand on her hip, looking at Tsunade, who seemed to have found a treasure, feeling quite helpless.
It's just wearing a nurse's uniform, right?
Tsunade, you're wearing one too, aren't you?
Orochimaru quickly walked over, took the camera from Tsunade's hand, and took a picture of her in her nurse's uniform.