Three Kinds of Energy
At this moment, Bai Ye reached out to push open the heavy door but remained silent, offering no response to Orochimaru. His thoughts were in disarray.
Though he had tried to anticipate what lay behind the door, the scene that greeted him still exceeded his expectations. He had underestimated Orochimaru's capabilities.
Arrayed before him were all manner of instruments—some vaguely familiar, others utterly alien. A few devices matched what he could recognize from modern science, but the rest appeared far more advanced, bordering on science fiction—beyond anything he'd seen, even in movies.
The bizarre mix confirmed one thing: the technological development of the shinobi world was both mystifying and chaotic. Advanced bioengineering and surveillance techniques existed alongside archaic tools and medieval medicine.
> "These creatures were all created by Orochimaru."
Bai Ye stepped further into the room, studying the strange entities lining the walls. His admiration was grudging, but genuine. It deepened his understanding of the man—Orochimaru was truly worthy of being called the foremost researcher in the shinobi world.
Among the complex machinery were numerous glass cylinders filled with a green-tinted liquid, in which grotesque lifeforms floated. Clearly, these were not naturally born creatures.
> "This three-headed dog," Orochimaru's voice came from behind Bai Ye without warning, "was engineered based on the mythological Cerberus of the underworld. It's still a prototype."
"I know about Cerberus," Bai Ye muttered under his breath, eyeing the monstrosity. "But what about the ones next to it with four, five... even six heads?"
He scanned the other tubes with suspicion, biting back a sarcastic remark.
Orochimaru noticed Bai Ye's gaze and chuckled softly. "Life is a fascinating phenomenon. Its unpredictability is precisely what makes it interesting, wouldn't you agree?"
The grotesque specimens were results of countless failed or unfinished experiments. Orochimaru had gathered them here deliberately—an exhibition for Bai Ye. There were, in fact, even more disturbing human-based experiments in his repertoire, but he had opted not to display those yet, concerned that Bai Ye might not be ready to face that side of his work.
Those experiments were his most advanced—focused on gene splicing and cellular fusion to unlock new levels of power.
At this point in time, Orochimaru had not yet encountered Jūgo, and so his studies into Curse Seals and senjutsu were still incomplete. He remained focused on biology and genetic manipulation.
> "This child is named 'A'—the one I mentioned during the discussion at the Hokage's office. He's been assisting me with the development of a new three-body technique."
Orochimaru gestured to a boy standing silently beside Bai Ye.
The moment Bai Ye saw the child, a flicker of familiarity stirred in his mind. But he couldn't immediately place the boy. It wasn't until Orochimaru mentioned his name—A—that the memory clicked.
In Naruto, this code name belonged to one of Danzō Shimura's Root agents—Yamato, or more accurately, Tenzo. He had been abducted by Orochimaru as a child and was the only successful test subject to survive the implantation of the First Hokage's DNA.
Yamato appeared to be around three or four years old now. In canon, he would have been undergoing brainwashing and training in Root during this period, yet here he was—still under Orochimaru's direct supervision. His expression was blank and distant, the result of extensive conditioning.
> "Hello, my name is Bai Ye."
With a polite smile, Bai Ye extended his right hand.
> "I know," the boy responded flatly, his tone devoid of emotion. Still, he shook Bai Ye's hand.
"If you're interested, we can speak later," Orochimaru interjected. "Come—I want to show you something truly valuable."
He turned and led Bai Ye to a machine sitting in the center of the lab. Unlike the grotesque displays around it, the device was modest—barely a meter tall, rectangular, white in color.
Its top was fitted with a circular groove filled with a pale blue liquid. To the right was a square monitor.
> "A—place your hand into the solution and infuse it with chakra."
The boy climbed onto a small stool and submerged his right hand into the liquid, channeling chakra through his palm.
As the chakra flowed, the liquid gradually darkened from light blue to a richer hue resembling pure chakra. At the same time, the monitor flickered to life. Initially, it displayed the same blue color, but soon it began to shift.
Blue faded into pale azure, and from the corners of the display, fine specks of black and white began to emerge, scattering across the screen.
> "The blue represents standard chakra," Orochimaru explained. "But these black and white particles represent two other energies hidden within it—subtler, older forms of power."
Bai Ye narrowed his eyes. On the screen, the chakra-colored ocean was now laced with drifting particles—white like light, and black like ink.
> "What are these two energies?"
The voice didn't belong to Bai Ye. It came from the stairs.
Anko Mitarashi—better known as Hongdou—had slipped into the lab unnoticed. She had been left downstairs too long, and her growing unease had eventually pushed her to follow. What she found on the fifth floor stunned her speechless, and the words escaped her lips before she realized it.
Orochimaru's golden eyes flicked toward her, amused but not angry.
> "I've scoured ancient texts and hidden scrolls, but there's no official record of them. For now, think of them as two latent forces embedded within chakra. Their origin is... archaic."
> "Can I try it~?" Anko asked playfully, relieved that she wasn't being scolded.
> "Go ahead," Orochimaru said, gesturing toward the machine. "Bai Ye, you should try as well."
Anko wasted no time. She picked up the stoic boy and set him aside before eagerly stepping onto the stool. With her hand dipped into the groove, she stared at the screen, expectant.
Nothing happened.
The monitor remained blank.
". . ."
> "You need to infuse chakra," Bai Ye reminded her, slightly amused.
> "Tch. You could've told me earlier!"
Blushing, she grumbled and focused her chakra. This time, the liquid responded, and the screen displayed a pure, unblemished blue.
Only standard chakra.
No black, no white.
> "Your turn," Anko said, hopping down and nudging Bai Ye forward.
She didn't seem disappointed—if anything, she was more interested in whether Bai Ye's results would be closer to Yamato's.
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