Setsuna's P.O.V.

The village has begun to move. I have watched a few days back how Sakumo, Might Duy, and even teacher Tsunade left to deal with different fronts. The whole mood of the village grew tense as we were just waiting for the official start of the war.

Honestly, this was all a huge mess. I barely had the time to say goodbye to them and was now training furiously… or so I would like to say.

"So, what do you think of this one?" Orochimaru-sensei asks as he shows me the results of another tissue sample.

Checking the different aspects of it compared to a similarly strong civilian ninja with no bloodline it was startling how unique this is when looking deeper into matters.

"... Who would imagine that the Kaguya body was so unique just by having that gland." I mutter in surprise.

"True, it is quite surprising." Orochimaru says as he continues to fiddle with a tubed up person who was not able to do much of anything. "This enzyme his body produces is extremely unique, I just am not sure if there is any body or physique suitable to mix it."

"I can see what you mean." I mutter and, with a gaze to the side, I see many lab rats as well as several monkeys and other animals that had their bodies transformed horribly.

Mammals like rats and such are not too different internally and in genes to a human, especially monkeys. Using them as test subjects is rather close to using humans and much more readily available without causing great issues.

After studying this enzyme though, it becomes clear that mixing it with regular beings is not a good idea. The enzyme has an extremely potent vitality enhancing aspect, it is extremely slow to be produced but any that is can easily overpower whatever natural aspects of these animals and make their bones grow in an extremely fast speed.

The more lively ones before are the 'lucky' ones to still be alive, the others were torn from the inside out by their own bones.

"Kekkei Genkai is truly a fascinating subject." Orochimaru-sensei mutters while licking his lips. "Especially these more physical ones, how they work is always rather interesting as they are not like elemental ones that, with practice, there is hope of copying it."

"True. I was thinking, would it not be possible for the physical ones to come from the same source though?" I offer as I sip my protein milkshake.

Orochimaru-sensei looks confused at the idea so I just roll my eyes and explain.

"I mean, it is just a possibility, but wouldn't something like this be at least remotely possible? Especially with families like Senjuu and Uchiha who stayed in a fighting and warring state for so long, having the same ancestor creating two branches with different aspects and the two sides fighting it out is not impossible." I explain before I point a finger at myself. "Just look at my clan, I am from the same clan as those from the main branch but I would kill most of them if given a chance."

Orochimaru-sensei looked slightly interested when we heard some shouting from behind a glass.

"Hey! Let us in already! Please!" Obito shouts from inside the room as he and Anko were being gnawed by several snakes attacking them from all sides.

Orochimaru just chuckles and speaks.

"Kukuku, grunt-kun, you can leave in two more hours, Anko can leave now if you want."

"My name is Obito, not 'Grunt-kun'! Also, why can she leave and I can't!"

"Because she is stronger than you so she can do other, more advanced, training. You need more 'incentive'." Orochimaru says before he unapologetically closes the curtain that let the two sides look at one another.

Well, I am not shocked. Orochimaru-sensei is not the carrying type in the slightest, even I was only allowed to get some time here after I beat up a few fifteen meters long snakes and showed him my mastery over the jutsu's he gave us.

Honestly, it is far less grueling training than under teacher Tsunade who would regularly beat me to an inch of my life during spars just to heal me back up and start the process again. Compared to her, being thrown into a pitch of snakes who were given permission to eat me alive was positively relaxing.

… My life is weird.

"You have an interesting theory, Setsuna-kun. But how to test it?" He asks in amusement.

"You can try to see the compatibility between the enzyme you have there with a Hyuga body." I offer with a shrug. "There are records of our clans being very close in the past before they went to the islands close to the Uzumaki. If we think like this then maybe there is some sort of relation there. And you can always test with Obito's blood too."

"... Who is Obito again?" Orochimaru-sensei asks and I give a slightly troubled smile before I reiterate.

"You can always test with the grunt's blood and tissue too."

Orochimaru-sensei, seeming to realize who I was talking about, puts a hand beneath his chin in thought and agreement.

"It is an interesting proposal. Sestuna-kun, I think I am liking you more and more." Orochimaru said with his usual husky voice and, knowing he would likely later change bodies with a woman made me feel goosebumps all over.

"Thanks for the praise, Orochimaru-sensei. Keep me informed with the results if possible." I told him as I, with no hesitation, cut off a piece of flesh from my arm before using my healing jutsu to recover it.

It was a very small piece so recovery was simple enough.

I know it can be somewhat risky to give the man this sort of thing, but the prospect of him helping with giving me some form of the Kaguya bloodline ability, or at least inject me with the enzymes of the Kaguya clan in the form of a seal like what he managed with Juugo's own is too good a prospect to ignore.

Kaguya is related to the Hyuga in a similar way that the Uzumaki is to the Uchiha, the mixing of the Kaguya powers into me can only be positive if done properly.

Orochimaru-sensei smiled seeing my actions as he collected the flesh and then said.

"Now that this is done with, have you thought about what type of ninjutsu you would be interested in next?"

"I am good for now. I will just further my mastery over the elements of wind and earth for now. Besides, I want to focus more on Genjutsu for now." I explained and Orochimaru frowned at the mention of Genjutsu.

"Setsuna-kun, I would advise you not to waste too much of your time in genjutsu. Only Uchihas can really reach the apex with it, ninjutsu is better." He said and I shrugged.

"I just made a new one a while back that should be useful. Also, the Byakugan is not worse than the Sharingan, so why should it be incapable in Genjutsu?" I counter and he just looks at me weirdly.

"Because it is?"

I just sigh and say.

"Accepting things as facts without testing is not what a scientist should do. Even if there is no evidence of something being true, it may just mean everyone else was too incompetent to learn it."

"... Are you saying your whole clan is incompetent?"

"Are you claiming they are competent in something other than taijutsu?" I ask, making him acquiesce to my point. Seriously, how did the clan survive that long when they all fight the exact same way with the exact same weaknesses and while refusing to improve about 98% of the clan members?

… Probably should go visit the moon to thank Hamura for his help since that is the only explanation as far as I am concerned.

Right now though, I decided to just show Orochimaru-sensei my current best Genjutsu. It took years to develop to this state and had to use not only regular genjutsu techniques but even several medical skills to do it.

Sure, I know this is showing too many of my tricks to someone who may one day become an enemy, but he will also soon become my direct boss on the battlefield and the more I show usefulness on working far from the front, the less chance he would send me on the Obito frontli… sorry, I mean the grunt slaughterhouse.

I had to use a total of thirty hand signs, such was the necessary precision of the jutsu even with my mastery over chakra control and using my Byakugan to directly see into the body of teacher Orochimaru.

At the start he showed no reaction, but soon he looked horrified at what was going on. I smile at this.

"Illusion Technique: Sakanade."

Yeah, I am a sucker for Bleach. Fuck off.

Orochimaru's P.O.V.

Looking around, I am utterly shocked at what was going on. The ground around me, the things on my left and right, it is all in the wrong direction.

"Edanakas: euqinhcet noisulli."

I blink, quickly comprehending what was going on.

What an ingenious genjutsu. It seems like it turns everything around. Left and right, up and down, even the speech is inverted. Closing my eyes I throw a kunai to my left, but I hear the sound to my right.

It is not an overly complex technique to understand it, but dealing with it properly in combat would not be simple. Sensing around for chakra I quickly realize that even the position of Setsuna-kun is not where I expected and instead he is behind me, but opening my eyes I see him right in front of me.

Truly terrifying.

Sure, I can deal with it by summoning out my snakes or attacking on a large scale in all directions, but the waste of chakra is nothing to scoff at as all my regular senses and even my instincts if in a close combat become unreliable.

Let's break this genjutsu first before talking and… I can't break it.

What is going on here? Why can't I break it?

"Calm down Orochimaru-sensei. It is just an aspect of the genjutsu." Setsuna's voice could be heard normally now as slowly things return to normal. I felt a sense of vertigo as my sense of gravity changed directions twice over far too fast, but I held it in regardless.

I could only stare at him in shock and awe as I asked.

"How did you manage it? And why could I not break this genjutsu even when I used the right technique?"

"You were not using the technique right." He said with a shrug. "This is a special genjutsu I have been working on for a long while now, it works by changing not the brain but the nerves reaching the brain. The change is not big, just changing the order and way the information arrives on the brain for processing the data your body collected. You could not break the jutsu because normally you would aim at the changes of chakra in the brain itself as other genjutsus force the brain to interpret the information in the wrong way, but in this case the chakra in the brain is not wrong and the information is also not wrong. What is there to break?"

His explanation is simple, but the knowledge and control needed to pull it off is not something most can comprehend. Anything related to the brain is extremely complex, even the smallest change causes completely different effects. To be able to comprehend every little effect and analyze it would need one to… see the chakra in action.

"I see, so it was because of your byakugan you could use this marvelous technique." I said and he nodded.

"Yes, my newest masterpiece needs my byakugan to be used properly, much like how the Uchiha can use genjutsu. It is still limited a bit in range, the technique has a set duration, and the chakra needed to use it as well as the focus is not something I can use right now in close quarters, but it is certainly a powerful jutsu. The Uchiha can use their genjutsu with just a glance, something the Byakugan can't do, but this just means we need to be smarter in how to use our eyes." Setsuna says with confidence and I gulp slightly at the thought of that technique.

While I can deal with it, that is still able to put even me on the backfoot for a time, and I am one of the ones with the qualifications to compete for the Fourth Hokage position.

To be able to make something like this, truly a monster. But, as he said, it is not just natural talent but those white eyes that help him so much.

The scientist mindset together with his drive to grow stronger, those are things I have had just the same since young. But those eyes are the difference, how the Hyuga Clan can be so weak with a power like that on their hands is just pathetic.

If I had those eyes then even immortality would be just a simple thing to be obtained.

While thinking as much, I decide to shake off those thoughts for now.

Sarutobi-sensei has already recovered enough to return to his position and he has already assigned me to go to the Kumo front while that idiot Jiraya and his disciple will go to the Iwa front. Thinking on that front is a headache since the Raikage and his son are extremely troublesome enemies for my techniques, I would also need to deal with the two jinchuuriki from Kumo. It is all a big headache since we know little to nothing about the Two Tails Jinchuuriki and the Eight Tails Burubi is not someone that can be dealt with easily.

If I have to go there, I will need to deal with that man first. A Jinchuuriki on the battlefield is not an easy thing to deal with.

However, thinking of Setsuna-kun's genjutsu, I can't help but think that it may be the key to deal with the Raikage and his son's lightning armor.

Looking at my student, I ask.

"... Just out of curiosity, what is the range of your jutsu?"

"3." He says easily and I sigh. Three meters or so would not be enough and… I was further than three meters when he used the genjutsu on me.

"When you say three, you mean meters or-"

"Kilometers, yes." He says easily and I nearly choke at those words.

That is it, the byakugan is bullshit.

Setsuna's P.O.V.

Seeing Orochimaru-sensei's expression he must realize the significance of such a genjutsu. Honestly, it is still filled with flaws in my eyes since the necessity of staring directly at the person in the moment of activation is not so simple if they are in high speed movement. Not to mention that this is just a perception modifier, it does not change the information the brain is processing in the slightest so with time a powerful ninja should be capable of lessening its effects somewhat.

Not to mention it lasting only a while and the amount of chakra I need to use increases the further away the person I am casting this genjutsu is. Honestly, this is far from perfect and I still need to practice a lot to perfect it, but it is still a very great ability that should make stationing kilometers away from the front a strategic move.

The best type of position in my eyes as it was the least dangerous. Now, with this ability together with my healing prowess proven by helping save the Third Hokage, it is all but guarantee I will stay far, far away from the front and-

I miscalculated.

I miscalculated hard, and it has come to bite me in the ass over it.

"I hate you." I told Orochimaru-sensei who just rolled his eyes at my words.

"You have been saying this for eight days now."

"Because I want to express how much I mean it." I told the man as we passed through another mountain.

He just shrugged and said.

"Remember the plan?"

"Of course I do. The plan is solid and you managed something similar in the past even without me, not to mention you want me to focus on other areas then the one you will and act after the chaos starts. I guess I am more or less suitable for it too, but I still hate being part of this. It is cutting down on my training time, and I will not be getting paid either!" I told him honestly.

The 'not being paid' for something this dangerous is what pisses me off the most, truth be told.

"Well, your opinion is noted." Orochimaru-sensei said as we got closer to our destination.

Shouldn't he have left me somewhere far from the front? The army was not even dispatched yet and he, who was supposed to be the general of the Kumo front, isn't even heading there, so why did Orochimaru-sensei drag me all the way over here?

Is revenge that important that Konoha can't even wait to let the army come raid this place, it NEEDS Orochimaru and me to come here? Fucking Danzo.

Using my earth ninjutsu I burrow on the ground to hide as another patrol passes by in the distance. I wait with my chakra signature completely undetectable by closing my own Tenketsus with a curse seal that I can activate or not with just a press of the finger.

Another of my innovations I developed based on the self-cursing seal. It was easy to do since it was not that complicated to change the fuinjutsu to work based on contact with my fingerprint. With how it covers up the body tenketsus with curse energy, not chakra, it makes one undetectable through regular chakra sensing.

Maybe there are some who can detect it regardless, but there should be few who can.

Only Bebe was still on the ground since a 'regular' rat scurrying around hardly is something shinobi patrolling around would pay attention to.

I stayed like this for about ten minutes before Bebe signed that the patrol was gone. I deactivated the seal before I reused my Hiding like a Mole ninjutsu and emerged from the ground.

Unsurprisingly, Orochimaru-sensei was already out by then and gave me a slightly creepy smile.

"Your techniques are really quite something." He says and I shrug.

"That is what happens if you have an inquisitive mind and can actually see how things work instead of trying to guess and just get a feel to it." I said and he nodded, a glint of desire clear in his eyes.

Hopefully, if he ever goes rogue, he decides to take some byakugan to study and murders some of the Main Branch Members by the way. Besides, what I said is not wrong so no problems there.

We continued on our way, stopping more and more as the patrols were getting heavier and heavier until we finally reached our destination.

"Now, remember the plan." He said as he got his scrolls out while I did hand signs, two shadow clones puffing into existence as he proceeded to mark the clones and the scrolls properly. After that, the two clones went with him to the secret Konoha Anbu base around here to wait until the mission was to be executed.

As for me, I use my remaining chakra to use the hiding like a mole jutsu and then using the chakra on my body as I use the jutsu together with chakra strings to open several very small 'caves' between myself and the ground as to let me breath underground.

With that done, I reactivate my self-curse seal and no longer can cast or use chakra, instead just focus on recovery and wait for the time to get the fuck out of here. I don't even go with the clones to that secret base since, right here is most likely way safer than a base that was made over 8 months ago by the anbu and might perhaps have been exposed.

No, it was safer for me to stay here considering I only had to wait for a while before the mission was done and over with. Better to do it like this since, after all, I do not fancy the idea of being caught by Kirigakure just outside their perimeter when the Six Tails bijuu goes on a rampage right in the middle of the village at war while not having a unified leader.

Honestly, this might just be the 'death blow' to Kiri if things go perfectly since they lack a Kage right now after the Third managed to kill the Mizukage, their internal politics ought to be in utter chaos and with a war going on things would not get better. If a Bijuu goes on a rampage inside the village at this time, not to mention that happening while most of their strongest fighters should be at the front by now to fight Sakumo and his army, yeah Kiri will not be doing great.

… But fuck them anyway. Let's just let my clones focus on their mission. I need to bring back at least some babies and infants of those blood succession limit clans now before the internal situation of Kiri goes completely off the rails and blood purges start due to their Kage now being very much dead. With any luck we can make several new clans back in Konoha using these kids.

I wonder, is that what people call 'Hokage thinking'?