After hearing Uchiha Seiryu's question, Orochimaru shook his head before finally speaking:
"The results are not very promising. I originally thought Hashirama cells could interact with Sage chakra in a special way, bridging the gap between the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan and Sage chakra. However, the reality was the exact opposite of what I expected."
"Sage chakra can indeed react with Hashirama cells, but once Mangekyo chakra is added, it causes a violent reaction among the three. The Hashirama cells enhanced by Sage chakra completely devour the Mangekyo's power, leading to a violent rampage in the process. All my test subjects died during this stage."
"So, I speculate that to achieve perfect fusion between ocular power and Sage chakra for that technique, something else is missing—something on the same level as the power within Hashirama cells, but fundamentally opposite."
"I see, I understand now." Uchiha Seiryu nodded. It seemed that what Black Zetsu had given him was partially feasible, but not complete. To get truly useful information about the senior who had achieved fusion between Sage and Mangekyo, he would probably need to find the Slug Sage.
"In the meantime, you should stay at Ryuchi Cave. Once things calm down, I'll help you arrange a new identity." Seiryu instructed Orochimaru.
"Yes." Orochimaru bowed respectfully.
…
The next morning, Seiryu went to the Hokage office, handled some daily affairs, and then brought a document to the room in the Naka River Prison where Jiraiya was being held.
To call it detention wasn't quite accurate. Jiraiya's fate had been decided long ago—he was now a retired genin, no longer a ninja of the village. He could leave whenever he wanted.
However, Jiraiya still hadn't recovered from his depression and refused to leave his room.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had come to persuade him twice, but Jiraiya stubbornly refused to leave, spending his days either sleeping or giving money to the guards—who were more caretakers than jailers—to buy him sake.
So, when Seiryu arrived, Jiraiya was sitting by the window, drinking alone.
"Jiraiya-sama is in a good mood today. But I wonder, how much longer does Jiraiya-sama plan to stay with my police force?" Seiryu said as he entered the room.
"Seiryu?" Jiraiya turned, surprised to see him.
Jiraiya left the window and sat at the table, leaning back and looking up. "I'm just a retired genin now. No need for honorifics like 'sama'."
"This is just to give everyone an explanation. Jiraiya-sama has contributed to the village and is my senior—just for that, you deserve respect." Seiryu smiled.
Looking at Seiryu in the Fifth Hokage's robes, Jiraiya was dazed. The outfit reminded him of his disciple, Minato Namikaze, who was just as spirited when he became Hokage. But recalling Minato, Jiraiya also remembered what Seiryu had said that day. After a moment, he asked, "Seiryu, have you always looked down on me?"
"Jiraiya-sama, let the past stay in the past. People have to learn to look forward." Seiryu replied calmly.
"Sigh." Jiraiya understood Seiryu's answer and sighed heavily. "So, what brings you here?"
"I hope you can help me find Lady Tsunade and persuade her to return to the village," Seiryu said.
"Tsunade? If she wanted to return, she would've done so already. The old man sent her even more letters than he sent me." Jiraiya replied.
That was true. Given Sarutobi's situation, getting Tsunade back was a much more reliable choice than Jiraiya, yet Tsunade blatantly ignored him.
"If you find her, please give her this." Seiryu handed him a document titled "Medical Ninja Special Training Program."
Jiraiya glanced at it and fell into thought.
Seiryu's plan thoroughly reformed the current medical ninja training system.
From the Ninja Academy stage, students with talent in this area would be chosen and enrolled in a specialized academy for focused training. After graduation, those students would be split again based on combat aptitude.
Those with no combat talent but good medical skills would go directly to the hospital. Those with some combat ability would be put into combat units and specially trained in self-defense and escape jutsu to ensure they wouldn't drag their teammates down in battle.
Those who excelled in both would be trained intensively, just like Tsunade—both powerful and skilled in healing.
If implemented, Seiryu's plan would greatly increase the number of talented medical ninjas in Konoha, perhaps realizing Tsunade's dream of having a medic on every team and improving the survival rate of Konoha's ninjas.
And the planned head of Konoha Medical Academy was Tsunade.
"Alright, I'll try." Jiraiya nodded. "I think she'll agree once she sees this."
"Thank you. Also, I'd like you to continue tracking Orochimaru. He's done something big recently."
"What did Orochimaru do?" Jiraiya immediately sobered up.
Seiryu was speechless—Jiraiya had barely reacted to the Tsunade news, but Orochimaru elicited a huge response. "Orochimaru recently tried to assassinate the Daimyo."
"What?!" Jiraiya jumped up in shock.
Seiryu then recounted recent events, embellishing as needed.
Jiraiya decided to leave that very day, find Tsunade, and then track down Orochimaru.
After seeing Jiraiya off, Seiryu returned to the Hokage office.
Getting Jiraiya out of the village was a calculated decision. With Konoha soon to be the new capital of the Land of Fire, a wave of nobles was bound to move in. Letting that old pervert wander around risked scandal if he peeped at a noble's lady.
Not long after returning to his office, Hyuga Hiashi came to request that Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi be returned to his care.
Hiashi had been busy dealing with clan matters while Seiryu was in the capital. For the children's safety, he'd left them in the care of Uchiha Fugaku. With Kakashi away on missions, and Naruto dropping by with his luggage, the Fugaku household had practically become a daycare.
Now that Hiashi had resolved clan issues, he'd also discovered a way to remove the Caged Bird Seal from ancient scrolls.
"Looks like you've taken care of everything?" Seiryu smiled.
"Thanks to your timely help, all those involved have been dealt with," Hiashi replied.
Hiashi's task would have been difficult, but after seeing the fate of the other main branches—whose entire families were wiped out—every branch quickly sided with him, granting him total control. He could now use the need to replenish the main family as a reason to remove Neji's seal.
Though there might be risks with Neji in the future, for now, it wouldn't threaten the clan's order. Hiashi decided to trust in future generations for solutions.
"In that case, let's pick an auspicious day to handle the apprenticeship ceremony," Seiryu said.
"Understood." Hiashi nodded.
During his stay with the Uchiha, Neji felt better than ever.
Although both were prestigious families, the Uchiha were far less rigid than the Hyuga. At least here, no one looked down on him for being from a branch family.
Even Sasuke, the Hokage's student and the elders' second son, treated him with respect.
With Mikoto's care, Neji finally felt at home.
Except for his annoyance at his little sister always watching a certain blond boy, life felt like a dream.