Naruto: Kurotsuchi Mayuri

"Lord Hokage, the Technology Development Department has been robbed. Among the stolen items is the technique for creating Healing Tags."

On the way back to the village, an ANBU hurriedly appeared before the Third Hokage, kneeling on one knee as he reported the news.

"Understood." The Third Hokage was silent for a moment, then looked at the freshly signed peace document in his hand. In the end, he sighed, unwilling to stir up more trouble.

If he chased after the Cloud shinobi delegation to make them stay, then without a doubt, the hot-headed Third Raikage would immediately abandon the battles with the Sand and Stone villages to launch a relentless attack on Konoha to rescue Ai and Killer Bee.

In that case, Konoha would have to face the rabid Cloud shinobi directly, with Stone lurking behind, and maybe even the Mist ninjas who were still undecided on the battlefield.

Konoha would be dragged into the war's muddy pit by Cloud in an instant. Better to let it go.

Even with the technology to create Healing Tags, without enough medical ninjas and expertise, it would be difficult to quickly recover and master the production process.

At least for the duration of this war, there was no immediate need to worry about this.

Of course, if possible, they could use spies to retrieve what had been lost. Back in the village, he could discuss this with his old friend, Danzo.

The Third Hokage placed his Hokage hat on his head and walked toward the village.

…

"What a pity."

In full Jonin attire, Orochimaru looked in the direction where the Cloud shinobi delegation had disappeared, sounding somewhat regretful.

"Was there a problem with the plan?" Uchiha Shisui asked softly from beside him.

"No, what Orochimaru-sensei regrets is that the experiment was interrupted before it could reach the final stage," replied Kagetsu, also looking disappointed.

The mutation was forcefully halted by Ai and Minato Namikaze before reaching the final stage. 

Otherwise, he would have liked to see just how powerful a Jonin could become after breaking through the boundaries between ninja and sage.

"But there's still a chance, isn't there?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

He thought of the mask that Ai had taken with him.

"My reverse summoning time is almost up, and you should head back to the village as well. I'm sure Lord Third will call you in for some questioning," Orochimaru said, cutting Kagetsu off before he could respond.

He should be at the Konoha border, facing off against the Hidden Cloud.

With a poof sound, Orochimaru's figure vanished from sight.

"Let's head back too," Kagetsu said, beginning to form hand signs. He summoned Nekomata, and as the Shadow Domain spread open, both Kagetsu and Shisui quickly sank into the shadowy realm.

After Kagetsu and Shisui disappeared within the Shadow Domain, Nekomata turned into a puff of smoke and vanished.

In the Technology Development Department.

At the exit of the Shadow Domain that Kagetsu had set up, Kagetsu and Shisui stepped out through a glowing doorway.

Not long after, Kagetsu received a message from the Anbu. Following the Anbu member, he arrived at the Hokage's office in the Hokage Tower, where he found the Third Hokage looking weary.

"Kagetsu, you've come," the Third Hokage said, managing a small smile.

"Lord Hokage." Kagetsu bowed to him.

"The creature that appeared in the village—was it something created by the Technology Development Department?" the Third Hokage asked quietly.

"What creature?" Kagetsu blinked, giving the Hokage a puzzled look.

"A group of ninja from the Hidden Cloud's delegation infiltrated the Technology Development Department and stole some confidential information, including techniques for making Healing Tags.

"Then one of the intruders mutated, transforming into a masked monster. I just want to know, does the loss of the Healing Tag technology affect the Technology Development Department? Also, does the department have the kind of technology that could cause such a transformation?" The Third Hokage's voice was calm and gentle.

The chakra that the creature released earlier, though not as powerful as that of a tailed beast, had a similarly intense presence and pressure.

For ninjas with keen sensory abilities, the creature's chakra presence felt as bright and overwhelming as the sun in the sky.

The Hokage wasn't looking to blame anyone; he just wanted to understand the situation. Many experiments conducted under Orochimaru's leadership in the Technology Development Department were unofficial and unreported. Even if he wanted information, he had to ask directly.

"So, you want to know if, with the Healing Tag lost, the thieves could quickly replicate it and produce it on a large scale?" Kagetsu asked. Seeing the Third Hokage nod, he continued, "That would depend on the skills of the thieves and the resources of their village.

"But in the short term, we don't need to worry about the Healing Tag technology falling into other villages' hands. Also, Nonō Yakushi and I have already started developing a new generation of medical ninja tools. Even if the Healing Tag hadn't been lost, Orochimaru-sensei had planned to sell it to other villages in the future, much like the Explosive Tags."

"As for the concept of 'mutation,' it's better to say it's the 'Sage Mode' of a ninja!" Kagetsu paused for a moment before giving the Third Hokage an answer that shocked him.

"Sage Mode?" The Third Hokage's face immediately turned serious. As the Hokage of Konoha and the teacher of the Legendary Sannin, he certainly knew what the Sage Mode was.

It was a complete enhancement of a ninja's abilities, bringing them to an incredibly powerful level of strength!

But he also knew how difficult achieving Sage Mode was.

Those who achieved this were called Sages! The techniques they used were called Sage Techniques. The power and effectiveness of these techniques far surpassed that of regular ninjutsu.

His three disciples were all qualified to learn Sage Techniques, but so far, only Jiraiya had barely mastered the power of Sage Techniques.

"Yes, it's about extracting and purifying natural energy, adjusting it to a level that a ninja can safely accept. Although there's still some risk, it's much safer compared to directly practicing the Sage Techniques in the Three Sage Regions. The success rate is much higher," Kagetsu replied.

"Is there a research project on Sage Mode in the Technology Development Department?"

"Of course there is."

Even now, if the Third Hokage needed it, Kagetsu could present the full set of experimental procedures and results.

However, the project that mutated Monim wasn't exactly a Sage Mode project—it went a step further. It didn't just involve natural energy; it also touched on aspects like the ninja's emotions, willpower, and soul.

"I haven't heard Orochimaru mention this project," the Third Hokage quietly said.

"Because it hasn't truly succeeded yet," Kagetsu quickly responded. "It's called the Curse Seal. It allows people to passively absorb and distribute natural energy."

"Of course, right now, it can only be considered a poor version of Sage Mode, with a high level of risk."

"Is that so? I understand now." The Third Hokage nodded thoughtfully. After asking a few more questions about Kagetsu's training, he allowed him to leave.

****

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