Chapter 14: Blood Research
"Have you been occupied with all these messy things lately? You've become lazier in your training recently ?" Ruri looked around the house, clearly dissatisfied.
In her opinion, Shiraishi was wasting time with these peculiar studies.
"It's just a personal interest. Actually, I prefer conducting research over training," Shiraishi replied.
Saying that, Shiraishi picked up a small bag from the table and tossed it to Ruri.
As Ruri took it, she frowned. "What's in here?"
"It's something good. It's a specially made ration pill created by me. It restores chakra and physical strength more efficiently than the ones available in the market. It's also easy to digest and won't burden the human digestive system."
Ration pills has the ability to restore stamina and chakra and has always been an emergency food frequently consumed by ninjas during missions.
However, due to its bitter and unpleasant herbal smell, many people were reluctant to rely on military ration pills to address issues of physical exhaustion and depleted chakra, unless absolutely necessary.
Moreover, they weren't easily digestible and consuming too much can cause indigestion in the human body.
"You're just bragging," Ruri scoffed, but she still placed the bag full of special military ration pills into the pouch tied to her leg.
"Why did you suddenly decide to make army pills?" Ruri asked.
"Because you're eager to graduate from the academy. You'll need them," Shiraishi replied, wearing an expression that saw through everything.
Ruri glanced at Shiraishi but remained silent.
Shiraishi paused and then continued, "By the way, when are you planning to graduate?"
Ruri responded, "Although your guess is reasonable, I'm afraid you're wrong this time."
"Wrong guess?"
Ruri's face displayed a faint smile.
"Yes, I do want to graduate early from school, but the elders in my clan are against it. Graduating at this time means being sent to the frontline battlefield, where the mortality rate is very high."
Shiraishi understood and nodded. "I see. To protect the geniuses, it's better to graduate at the usual time. There's no need to rush through your studies. It's a natural outcome."
Graduating from school meant bidding farewell to the carefree days.
A regular graduation from the Academy required six years of study.
Currently, Shiraishi and Ruri were only third-year students, and they still had several years ahead to solidify their skills and grow before a standard graduation.
However, there were exceptions for exceptional students who believed they were outstanding at the ninja school. They could graduate early and be assigned to the frontline battlefield.
Shiraishi believed that Konoha's higher-ups should implement a rule that children under the age of ten were not allowed to graduate early from the ninja school during times of war...
"Yeah, she scolded me again," Shiraishi replied with a slight annoyance, scratching his head.
"Don't say that. I think it's just a testament to your friendship," Ayane smiled. Although they hadn't had any contact on the surface since that incident, she secretly knew everything about Shiraishi.
For instance, she knew that his hidden strength had reached the level of a Chunin.
She knew about his strong bond with Ruri, the Uchiha genius.
She knew about his secret experiments with unknown purposes.
Shiraishi didn't hide anything from Ayane as their bond grew stronger. He believed that as companions, they should be honest with each other. At the very least, Ayane should be aware of his plans and goals so that she could feel at ease.
"Yeah," Shiraishi felt that their private meeting time was limited, so he didn't dwell too much on the matter. He got straight to the point and asked, "Is everything okay with you?"
"No, I'm just an insignificant member of the branch family. The main family won't waste much energy on someone like me," Ayane replied with a self-deprecating tone. Although it was originally meant as a joke, it came out plain from Ayane's mouth.
After two years, she had learned to control her fluctuating anger to some extent. However, a hint of sadness and sigh still lurked in her pure white eyes.
With that, Ayane took out a small package from her ninja bag, wrapped in cloth, and placed it in Shiraishi's hand.
"Thank you," Shiraishi said softly, accepting the package.
"It's the least I can do. But if you're just studying blood, shouldn't it be enough?" Ayane asked.
As the experiments became more formalized, Shiraishi had begun engaging in weightier research. The study of blood was an integral part of it.
The blood samples Ayane provided were her own, as well as those of other branch members of the Hyuga clan. These were precious materials carefully collected by Ayane.
Both Ayane and Shiraishi understood that if they were to leave Konoha in the future, Ayane would have to break free from the Caged Bird Seal and regain her freedom.
Otherwise, once her identity as a betrayer and ninja was confirmed, the main clan would undoubtedly use a jutsu to execute her on the spot.
Shiraishi's experiment aimed to unlock the Caged Bird Seal's curse, allowing Ayane to break free from its control.
Upon careful consideration, Shiraishi's current abilities could be described as fantastical. He seemed to perceive Ayane's underlying worries, understanding that this matter concerned her life and death. He empathized with her nervousness and anxiety.
"Blood is just one aspect we need to examine. It's not the answer to unlocking the Caged Bird Seal's curse," Shiraishi explained.
He intended to use the blood collected by Ayane for comparisons, gathering more accurate data and pinpointing a minute breakthrough.
If uncovering the secrets of the Hyuga clan could be achieved merely by studying their blood, it would underestimate the significance of their inherited Kekkei Genkai that had been passed down for generations.
"Moreover, we can't gather more materials right now, so we'll have to wait for another opportunity," Shiraishi added.
Upon hearing Shiraishi's words, Ayane felt a sense of relief. The blood collection had already provided her with all the information she needed. As for obtaining complete human body samples, she knew it would inevitably lead to failure and capture without even considering it.
"It's getting late. Let's part ways here. If we stay around any longer, someone might notice," Shiraishi expressed his concern that their secret meeting with Ayane might be exposed, subjecting both Ayane and himself to thorough investigation. Such a situation would undoubtedly be troublesome.
