On New Year's Day, a riot broke out at Konoha Prison.
A group of escaped prisoners, led by Uchiha Setsuna, severely injured several guard members before being apprehended by a timely intervention from a Root squad.
Subsequent interrogation by Root revealed that the incident was the work of Kumogakure spies and had no connection to the Uchiha Clan.
This news brought immense relief to Clan Head Uchiha Ken, who exclaimed, "If Orochimaru comes, Konoha will be safe! If Orochimaru comes, the heavens will be clear!"
Meanwhile, Minato and Orochimaru officially embarked on their exploration of the path of life evolution.
Using Wood Release as a cover, Minato told Orochimaru a story about peas.
Orochimaru, after hearing the tale, cried out, "Genius!"
Minato, puzzled, asked, "Is this really considered genius?"
"How shall I put it?" Orochimaru replied. "As you yourself once said, children rarely inherit their parents' talents perfectly. It's precisely this imperfection that drives people to unravel its mysteries. Yet, with the Shinobi World's current technological level, we still can't fully explain the principles of heredity and mutation."
He used an analogy: "If biology were building a house, our current researchers haven't even laid the foundation. But you, Minato-kun, are starting from the roof."
"I never imagined Wood Release could be applied to scientific innovation... Perhaps that's the difference between a genius and an ordinary person?"
"You flatter me, Senior. It was merely an accidental discovery."
Minato's face flushed crimson at Orochimaru's praise.
After all, this was entirely Mendel's achievement, having nothing to do with him. He was merely a knowledge transporter.
Fortunately, he had indeed conducted experiments in this area, so it was barely defensible.
"Minato-kun, there's no need for such false modesty," Orochimaru said with a smile. "This experiment means that, with enough test subjects, we can isolate the genetic information specific to Kekkei Genkai, thereby completely unraveling their mysteries."
"Of course, with our current resources, we still have a long way to go. Root's equipment isn't yet sufficient for this purpose."
Orochimaru's tone carried a hint of helplessness. A scientist's intellect might transcend the era, but technological capabilities could not. This would be a long process, and he might not achieve his desired results in his lifetime.
Yet despite this, he remained neither discouraged nor disheartened.
On one hand, he had unwavering confidence in his abilities; on the other, his conviction was unshakable.
Minato showed no reaction. In the original story, Orochimaru was hunted by both Konoha and the Akatsuki, while also making enemies of Sunagakure and Kumogakure.
Yet despite these obstacles, he still managed to establish Otogakure, create the Immortality Technique, and spread his laboratories across the entire Shinobi World.
Now, with these constraints removed, official backing from Root, and ample funding, his research progress would only accelerate.
Without dwelling on the matter, Minato inquired about the experiment's progress: "Speaking of which, how are the Uchiha test subjects doing?"
"Two of the two- tomoe Sharingan subjects died, but all the remaining three- tomoe subjects survived. However, we still can't completely suppress the invasiveness of the First Hokage cells. Death is only a matter of time, but at least this proves our approach is sound."
Orochimaru smiled, feeling that Minato was truly his lucky star.
It now seemed that the powers of the Senju and Uchiha did indeed possess complementary properties.
However, this research would still take a long time. For now, he needed to focus on the Reincarnation Technique. Otherwise, he might die of old age before uncovering the secrets of the Bloodline Limit.
For any researcher, nothing was more exhilarating than finding the right research direction.
In the following years, Orochimaru devoted nearly all his energy to these two research projects.
However, he didn't neglect his official duties.
Unlike Danzo, who was a constant troublemaker, Orochimaru monitored the movements of various powers in the Shinobi World from an observer's perspective.
For emerging forces with some technical skill or influence but little threat, he would first attempt to establish contact and cooperation, rather than blindly eliminating and plundering them like Danzo.
While there was no direct evidence of Danzo's past misdeeds, everyone in the Shinobi World knew what he had done.
Combined with the stark contrast between the Third Hokage's and Danzo's public attitudes, Konoha had earned a reputation among other powers as hypocrites who put on one face in public and another behind closed doors.
As a result, Orochimaru's shift in approach not only brought him many new technologies but also significantly improved Konoha's reputation.
Meanwhile, Minato's life remained unchanged, a routine of school and home. Occasionally, he would visit Mito with Sister Tsunade and her brother, or stop by Orochimaru's lab for a chat.
This routine continued for two and a half years.
In that time, many things could happen.
For example, Tsunade successfully mastered the Yin Seal and developed the Hundred Healings Technique.
Jiraiya returned from his training on Mount Myōboku, having become considerably more serious.
He was no longer the lecherous pervert who used to fantasize about sneaking into the women's bathhouse; a sense of righteousness now lingered in his eyes.
The orphanage established a small farm, raising livestock and creating a fish pond. The children now ate meat daily and no longer needed Minato to worry about their meals.
At school, Nonou and Kushina became inseparable best friends. Before they knew it, they had formed a trio with Minato and Kushina.
Of course, the greatest change was in Minato's strength.
He had mastered the Chakra Nature Transformation for all five elements, successfully developed the Rasenshuriken, and learned numerous medical ninjutsu techniques and the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu.
Currently, Minato was practicing his signature ninjutsu—the Flying Thunder God Technique.
He had obtained this technique from Orochimaru.
Root is the best after all!
Who said Root was bad?
This Root is just perfect!
In two and a half years, Minato had practically mastered the Forbidden Scroll. He had also acquired numerous foreign village ninjutsu through Root's channels.
Even his chakra reserves now surpassed those of most Jonin.
Unfortunately, Kakashi was still in his mother's womb, so Minato couldn't accurately determine his exact chakra capacity.
Recently, his body had also undergone some peculiar changes.
For instance, his appetite had grown insatiable, and his strength had increased dramatically, showing a clear trend towards becoming a "pirate-level powerhouse."
Combined with the formidable regenerative and mental fortitude granted by All Things in Creation, Minato was certain that, excluding the Ōtsutsuki Clan, no one in the Shinobi World could match him.
The only remaining threat, Uchiha Madara, was now ancient and no longer a concern!
Of course, this was just bragging. If he actually encountered Madara, he'd turn tail and run without a second thought.
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