Three Body Technique
"When did I get old enough to need your care?"
Hizashi Hyūga's brow twitched. Furious at Bai Ye's cheeky remark, he delivered a swift Iron Fist of Love to the boy's forehead—a technique clearly borrowed from Might Guy's parental handbook.
Sensing danger, Bai Ye instinctively stepped back, but Hizashi's fist followed like a heat-seeking missile. A resounding thwack echoed as it connected squarely with his forehead.
A painful bump rose instantly. Coupled with the lingering effects of a hangover, the dull throb became sharp agony.
"They've both left. I just didn't want you to feel lonely."
Still squatting and rubbing his forehead, Bai Ye muttered bitterly under his breath.
"Why'd you refuse?"
Yue crouched beside him, offering a hand to help him up. Her voice was low, and her tone hesitant. She didn't mean to pry, but the question lingered.
From her perspective, having three legendary Sannin each take on a student was a rare chance. There shouldn't be any reason to refuse—especially when it could mean faster progress and better missions.
"Didn't Orochimaru already take Anko as his disciple? Shouldn't that be enough? I don't need to take on another student."
Seeing Hizashi's path of persuasion was going nowhere, Bai Ye shifted his gaze toward Anko.
"What, are you looking down on me? Embarrassed to share the same teacher or something?"
Anko Mitarashi raised an eyebrow, completely misreading Bai Ye's intent—as usual. Her voice was laced with sarcasm, and her expression turned acidic.
"I—"
Bai Ye nearly broke down. No matter what he said, everyone seemed to take offense.
"Don't be so quick to turn it down. Look at this first."
Orochimaru stepped forward, voice calm and unreadable. With a casual flick, he tossed a scroll toward Bai Ye.
"What is it?"
Bai Ye caught it and unrolled it curiously. He wasn't too worried—this was Konoha, after all, not some shadowy lair. Orochimaru wouldn't dare try anything here... probably.
"Three Body Techniques?"
He blinked, his mind briefly blank. This was basic-level Academy ninjutsu—Clone, Transformation, and Substitution. Why would Orochimaru hand over something so mundane?
"Just keep reading," Orochimaru said, anticipating his confusion.
Yuyan and Yue leaned in from both sides, peering over Bai Ye's shoulders. Orochimaru, seeing their curiosity, didn't stop them.
"This... feels different from the ones we got in the Academy."
Yuyan frowned slightly. Though she hadn't practiced these jutsu personally, she'd glanced through the training scrolls distributed during class. Something about this one felt altered.
"The chakra flow diagram is different."
Yue's answer came quickly. Her confidence in ninjutsu theory was strong, and she had studied the standard techniques thoroughly.
"It doesn't seem to work, though. Bai Ye, maybe give it a try?"
Yue had already attempted it based on the new instructions but produced no result. Still, she doubted Orochimaru would hand them a scroll that amounted to nothing—especially not to Bai Ye.
She glanced at him again, hopeful. Maybe it was designed specifically for him.
Yue had long been troubled by Bai Ye's inability to use standard ninjutsu. She'd tried countless training methods with him—nothing ever worked. But maybe this scroll could change that.
"I was going to try it anyway. No need to crowd me like that."
Bai Ye, both amused and flustered, noted that Yue and Yuyan were clinging to his arms while reading the scroll with him.
"Oh!"
Realizing the closeness, Yue flushed, quickly pulled back, and handed the scroll back with an awkward smile.
"Alright, let's see..."
Now freed, Bai Ye focused. Chakra surged through his body. He followed the altered chakra pathways described in the scroll—and to his surprise, with a soft poof, an identical clone appeared beside him.
He blinked in disbelief.
It worked.
All those months of training chakra control, all that frustration—it finally paid off. The technique succeeded on his first attempt.
Back when he first tried ninjutsu, he'd attempted modifying the chakra routes too. But the total lack of response led him to assume something was fundamentally wrong with him.
Now, he realized—it wasn't him. It was that his chakra type, influenced by his Zanpakutō, simply couldn't use the standard paths everyone else did.
He needed a custom formula.
"That's amazing!"
Yue was more excited than Bai Ye himself. She leapt into his arms without thinking, unable to contain her joy.
Even though his Zanpakutō granted him powerful abilities, his inability to use even basic jutsu made him vulnerable and inflexible. That vulnerability had always worried her.
Now, that concern finally eased.
With proper development, this breakthrough could massively improve his adaptability in battle.
"Hey..."
Bai Ye gently held Yue, then glanced toward Orochimaru, conflicted once again.
This scroll didn't appear by chance. Orochimaru must have studied him, probably without his knowledge. That meant he was already on the man's radar.
If he accepted Orochimaru's offer, he'd gain rapid growth—maybe mastery over chakra. But it would also mean stepping into Orochimaru's world, where the price of power was never cheap.
"Can you at least tell me how you developed this?"
He asked quietly, hoping to gauge Orochimaru's intentions.
Regardless, Bai Ye had already decided. He was being targeted. Unless he fled the village outright—a foolish move—he had no real escape.
If he couldn't avoid it, he might as well take control and gain something from the situation.
"I've been researching chakra deviation in certain individuals. One of the children I took in has a condition similar to yours. With their help, I created this prototype to test alternate chakra pathways."
Orochimaru didn't lie. If Bai Ye joined him, he'd learn everything soon enough. Still, Orochimaru chose his words carefully—others were listening.
"When did you adopt a kid? I haven't heard a word about this!"
Jiraiya, who had been silently watching until now, immediately stepped forward.
"It happened recently. You've been away on missions."
Orochimaru's reply was calm, rehearsed. Jiraiya, seeing through it, chose not to press too hard—though his concern was evident.
"So this is why you're suddenly so focused on Bai Ye?"
"Your brother?"
Anko stared at Bai Ye curiously, now even more intrigued by the mystery child Orochimaru mentioned. She seemed eager to meet them.
Bai Ye didn't try to hide much from his friends. They all knew he was found and raised by Might Duy.
Now, hearing this news, it was only natural they'd jump to conclusions. From their view, this mystery child might be his sibling—or worse, some test subject like him.
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